Latest news with #CharlesMessier
India Today
01-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Hubble Telescope clicks a cosmic squid glittering in darkness
The Hubble Space Telescope, which recently completed 35 years in the vaccum of space, has sent a mesmerising new image of Messier 77, a spiral galaxy also known as the 'Squid Galaxy,' glittering against the darkness 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus, or 'The Whale'.The aquatic-themed portrait highlights the galaxy's swirling arms and bright core, which, thanks to Hubble's advanced imaging, now appear more intricate and vibrant than ever 77's story begins in 1780, when French astronomer Pierre Mechain first spotted the object and, alongside Charles Messier, catalogued it as a potential comet. Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy Messier 77, also known as the Squid Galaxy. (Photo: Hubble) Early astronomers, limited by the telescopes of their era, mistook the galaxy for a nebula or even a star cluster-a misconception that persisted for over a century until the true nature of spiral nebulae as distant galaxies was galaxy's recent nickname, the 'Squid Galaxy,' stems from its extended, filamentary structures that curl around its disk, resembling the tentacles of a squid. These tentacle-like features are actually spiral arms laced with dust lanes and star-forming regions, their pink and red hues glowing in Hubble's composite galaxy's intensely bright center, home to a supermassive black hole, further accentuates its aquatic latest image builds on Hubble's 2013 observations, incorporating new filters and updated processing techniques to reveal unprecedented details. It sits 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). (Photo: Nasa) Astronomers can now study the galaxy's dynamic core, energetic star nurseries, and the interplay between dust, gas, and gravity with greater 77's transformation from a misunderstood nebula to a cosmic icon shows how advances in technology continually reshape our understanding of the universe. With each new image, Hubble not only deepens scientific insight but also inspires awe, reminding us of the beauty and mystery that still glitters in the darkness.
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Hubble Space Telescope Revisits ‘Fan-Favorite' Sombrero Galaxy
The observable universe contains at least 100 billion galaxies, according to NASA. Humans have given only a handful of these galaxies catchy nicknames. So tip your hat to the Sombrero Galaxy, the subject of a new Hubble Space Telescope image that shows off the galaxy's unusual structure. The European Space Agency described the Sombrero Galaxy as a 'fan favorite' in a statement on April 16. You need a telescope to see it, but it's a popular target for amateur astronomers and professionals alike. The Hubble image is a mosaic of several images captured by the telescope. The Sombrero, more officially known as Messier 104, is located about 30 million light-years from Earth in the Virgo constellation. The galaxy is part of a catalog of notable space objects originally compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier in the 1700s and early 1800s. We see the Sombrero Galaxy nearly edge-on. 'From this vantage point, intricate clumps and strands of dust stand out against the brilliant white galactic nucleus and bulge, creating an effect not unlike Saturn and its rings—but on an epic galactic scale,' ESA said. The galaxy resembles a gently glowing cosmic Frisbee. Its nickname is a nod to the wide-brimmed Mexican sun hat often associated with mariachi musicians. Hubble has peered at the Sombrero Galaxy before, but this image uses new processing techniques to reveal 'finer detail in the galaxy's disc, as well as more background stars and galaxies.' The Sombrero combines features found in spiral and elliptical galaxies. Our own Milky Way Galaxy has a spiral-arm structure. Elliptical galaxies are round or oval. 'Unlike spirals, elliptical galaxies usually contain little gas and dust and show very little organization or structure,' NASA noted in an explainer. The new Hubble image is part of the celebrations leading up to the space telescope's 35th anniversary. Hubble launched on April 24, 1990. It's elderly in space telescope terms, but keeps on kicking and delivering impactful science observations despite its age. Hubble is a joint project from NASA and ESA. Hubble has been through many triumphs, trials and tribulations over its decades of service. NASA sent five servicing missions to meet up with and fix the telescope in space during the space shuttle era. The last servicing mission took place in 2009. The space shuttle program ended in 2011. Since then, all Hubble fixes have been done remotely. NASA notably made a big change to the telescope's operations in 2024 to work around an ongoing glitch with the gyroscopes that help point the telescope in the right direction to do its science work. The Hubble team's many repairs, adjustments and workarounds have extended the life of the telescope. The telescope's designers planned to get at least 15 years of operation out of it. NASA now hopes Hubble will continue working into the 2030s. The new Sombrero Galaxy view is in good company with some of Hubble's all-time greats, like the iconic Pillars of Creation and the Hubble Deep Field. The galaxy is an enigma and a beauty. It's a fitting way to celebrate Hubble's longevity.
