Latest news with #FIMS-SPEAR
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
13.6 billion years stormy glow-in-the-dark massive cloud found lurking neat Earth: Can it impact life on Earth
The universe contains secrets, many of which have remained undetected despite decades of research and space missions through powerful telescopes. Astronomy constantly reminds us that what we know is only a fraction of what lies out there. May it be rogue planets drifting alone in the dark or entire galaxies concealed behind curtains of cosmic dust, it all seems like a mysterious sojourn. Occasionally, discoveries come not from the obvious but from what hides in plain sight. Such things, when something massive and cosmically ancient is suddenly found just next door, enhance our understanding of the cosmos even more. Astronomers have now come across another surprising object, which is a massive molecular cloud, and that too in Earth's cosmic backyard, which has somehow remained invisible until now. Named Eos, this newly discovered structure has opened a fresh window into star and planet formation , right at the edge of our local space environment. What have the scientists discovered? Scientists have identified a colossal molecular cloud which is located just 300 light-years away from Earth. Despite being so close, this massive structure went unnoticed until now due to its unusually low hydrogen content, which made it nearly invisible using traditional observation techniques. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Cost Of Amusement Park Equipment From Mexico Might Surprise You Amusement Park Equipment | search ads Click Here Undo The discovery which was published on April 28, 2025, in Nature Astronomy, was possible through data collected from the Korean satellite STSAT-1. It is equipped with a far-ultraviolet spectrograph (FIMS-SPEAR), and the satellite was used to search for ultraviolet emissions from molecular hydrogen, a component that usually glows under ultraviolet light. And it worked. A image provided by Thomas Müller (HdA/MPIA) and Thavisha Dharmawardena (NYU) shows, a newly discovered potentially star-forming cloud that is one of the largest structures in the sky. The cloud, named Eos, is chock-full of molecular hydrogen and possibly rife with star-forming potential in the future. (Thomas Müller (HdA/MPIA) and Thavisha Dharmawardena (NYU) via The New York Times) -- NO SALES; FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY WITH NYT STORY SCI COSMIC CLOUD BY KATRINA MILLER FOR MAY 5, 2025. ALL OTHER USE PROHIBITED. -- 'This is the first-ever molecular cloud discovered by looking for far-ultraviolet emission of molecular hydrogen directly,' said lead author Blakesley Burkhart from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences in New Jersey. 'The data showed glowing hydrogen molecules detected via fluorescence in the far ultraviolet.' According to Burkhart, "This cloud is literally glowing in the dark. It was kind of like just waiting to be explored. This opens up new possibilities for studying the molecular universe", as reported by Nature Astronomy, 2025. What is special about this cloud? What makes Eos especially interesting isn't just its proximity, but its huge size and structure. Weighing in at 3,400 times the mass of the Sun, Eos is one of the largest single formations ever seen in space. If visible to the naked eye, it would stretch across the sky like 40 full moons lined up side by side. Shaped like a crescent, it sits delicately at the boundary of a massive cavity surrounding our solar system, known as the Local Bubble. What is a molecular cloud? Molecular clouds like Eos are stellar nurseries. They consist mostly of hydrogen gas and cosmic dust, which are the raw ingredients for star and planet formation. These clouds act as cradles of creation in the universe. But until now, the processes within them, especially at the early stages, have remained largely a mystery. "When we look through our telescopes, we catch whole solar systems in the act of forming, but we don't know in detail how that happens," Burkhart explained. "Our discovery of Eos is exciting because we can now directly measure how molecular clouds are forming and dissociating, and how a galaxy begins to transform interstellar gas and dust into stars and planets." Eos gives a rare chance to observe these foundational cosmic processes in real-time and with clarity. Scientists believe the cloud has been slowly forming on the edge of the Local Bubble, a 1,000-light-year-wide region of hot, low-density gas that our Sun currently resides in. And while Eos is stable now, it won't last forever, and it is expected to dissipate within the next six million years. Researchers say that the material has traveled through time for 13.6 billion years, dating all the way back to the Big Bang itself. This makes the cloud not only a massive structure but also a cosmic time capsule composed of some of the oldest matter in existence.
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Scientists discover massive hidden molecular cloud near Earth
The molecular cloud was detected 300 light-years from Earth, closer than any other similar, star-forming clouds. PHOTO:Thomas Müller (HdA/MPIA)/Thavisha Dharmawardena (NYU) Listen to article A massive, previously undetected molecular cloud has been discovered surprisingly close to Earth, offering new insights into how stars and planets form. Named "Eos" after the Greek goddess of dawn, the cloud spans an area roughly 40 times the width of the full moon and carries a mass about 3,400 times greater than the sun, according to a study published Monday in Nature Astronomy. Located just 300 light-years away, Eos is now recognized as the nearest known molecular cloud to our solar system. Its discovery was a surprise to astronomers, who believed they had mapped all nearby molecular clouds. Eos had remained hidden because it contains very little carbon monoxide, the chemical signature typically used to detect such clouds. Researchers instead spotted Eos by analyzing far-ultraviolet emissions from hydrogen molecules — a method not previously used to find molecular clouds. The data was gathered by FIMS-SPEAR, a spectrograph onboard the Korean STSAT-1 satellite, and recently made publicly available. "This cloud is literally glowing in the dark," said lead study author Blakesley Burkhart, an astrophysicist at Rutgers University. Scientists believe Eos's proximity presents a rare opportunity to directly observe the processes of molecular cloud formation and star birth. Eos sits along the edge of the Local Bubble, a gas-filled cavity surrounding our solar system. Researchers estimate the cloud will eventually evaporate within the next 6 million years. Despite its enormous size and mass, Eos poses no threat to Earth. Astronomers hope this discovery will open a new chapter in the study of the interstellar medium and the life cycle of stars, using far-ultraviolet techniques to uncover other hidden structures in space.
CNN
28-04-2025
- Science
- CNN
Scientists discover massive molecular cloud close to Earth
An invisible molecular cloud that could shed light on how stars and planets form has been detected surprisingly close to Earth. Named Eos after the Greek goddess of the dawn, the cloud of gas would appear huge in the night sky if visible to the naked eye. It measures roughly 40 moons in width and has a weight about 3,400 times the mass of the sun, researchers reported in a study published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. 'In astronomy, seeing the previously unseen usually means peering deeper with ever more sensitive telescopes — detecting those smaller planets … those more distant galaxies,' said study coauthor Thomas Haworth, an astrophysicist at Queen Mary University of London. 'This thing was pretty much in our cosmic backyard, and we've just missed it,' he added. Molecular clouds are composed of gas and dust from which hydrogen and carbon monoxide molecules can form. Dense clumps within these clouds can collapse to form young stars. Scientists usually spot a molecular cloud using radio and infrared observations that can pick up the chemical signature for carbon monoxide, Haworth explained. 'We normally look for carbon monoxide, just one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, and that emits light pretty easily at wavelengths that we can detect,' he said. '(Carbon monoxide is) bright, and we have lots of facilities that can spot that.' However, Eos eluded discovery despite being the closest molecular cloud to Earth because it does not contain much carbon monoxide, and therefore doesn't emit the characteristic signature detected by conventional approaches, the researchers said. The key to unlocking this stunning find was searching for ultraviolent light emitted by hydrogen in the cloud. 'The only reason we managed to catch it in this instance is because we've been able to look with a different color of light,' Haworth added. Haworth and his colleagues detected Eos in data collected by a far-ultraviolet spectrograph called FIMS-SPEAR that operated as an instrument on a Korean satellite called STSAT-1. The data had just been released publicly in 2023 when lead study author Blakesley Burkhart, an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, came across it. The spectrograph breaks down far-ultraviolet light emitted by a material into its component wavelengths, similar to what a prism does with visible light, creating a spectrum that scientists can analyze. 'This is the first-ever molecular cloud discovered by looking for far ultraviolet emission of molecular hydrogen directly,' Burkhart said in a news release. 'The data showed glowing hydrogen molecules detected via fluorescence in the far ultraviolet. This cloud is literally glowing in the dark.' The molecular cloud's proximity to Earth provides a unique opportunity to study how solar systems form, Burkhart said. 'Our discovery of Eos is exciting because we can now directly measure how molecular clouds are forming and dissociating, and how a galaxy begins to transform interstellar gas and dust into stars and planets,' Burkhart said. Astronomers thought they had a good handle on the locations and properties of the molecular clouds within about 1,600 light-years of the sun, making this 'pretty cool discovery' quite a surprise, said Melissa McClure, an assistant professor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. 'This new molecular cloud, Eos, is only 300 light-years away, which is closer than any of the molecular clouds that we've known about previously,' McClure, who wasn't involved in the research, said. 'It's puzzling why there's something this big right in our solar neighborhood that we didn't see before,' McClure added. 'It would be a bit like living in a suburb with above-ground houses and open lots in it, and suddenly realizing that one of the open lots actually hosts a hidden underground bunker in it.'
CNN
28-04-2025
- Science
- CNN
Scientists discover massive molecular cloud close to Earth
An invisible molecular cloud that could shed light on how stars and planets form has been detected surprisingly close to Earth. Named Eos after the Greek goddess of the dawn, the cloud of gas would appear huge in the night sky if visible to the naked eye. It measures roughly 40 moons in width and has a weight about 3,400 times the mass of the sun, researchers reported in a study published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. 'In astronomy, seeing the previously unseen usually means peering deeper with ever more sensitive telescopes — detecting those smaller planets … those more distant galaxies,' said study coauthor Thomas Haworth, an astrophysicist at Queen Mary University of London. 'This thing was pretty much in our cosmic backyard, and we've just missed it,' he added. Molecular clouds are composed of gas and dust from which hydrogen and carbon monoxide molecules can form. Dense clumps within these clouds can collapse to form young stars. Scientists usually spot a molecular cloud using radio and infrared observations that can pick up the chemical signature for carbon monoxide, Haworth explained. 'We normally look for carbon monoxide, just one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, and that emits light pretty easily at wavelengths that we can detect,' he said. '(Carbon monoxide is) bright, and we have lots of facilities that can spot that.' However, Eos eluded discovery despite being the closest molecular cloud to Earth because it does not contain much carbon monoxide, and therefore doesn't emit the characteristic signature detected by conventional approaches, the researchers said. The key to unlocking this stunning find was searching for ultraviolent light emitted by hydrogen in the cloud. 'The only reason we managed to catch it in this instance is because we've been able to look with a different color of light,' Haworth added. Haworth and his colleagues detected Eos in data collected by a far-ultraviolet spectrograph called FIMS-SPEAR that operated as an instrument on a Korean satellite called STSAT-1. The data had just been released publicly in 2023 when lead study author Blakesley Burkhart, an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, came across it. The spectrograph breaks down far-ultraviolet light emitted by a material into its component wavelengths, similar to what a prism does with visible light, creating a spectrum that scientists can analyze. 'This is the first-ever molecular cloud discovered by looking for far ultraviolet emission of molecular hydrogen directly,' Burkhart said in a news release. 'The data showed glowing hydrogen molecules detected via fluorescence in the far ultraviolet. This cloud is literally glowing in the dark.' The molecular cloud's proximity to Earth provides a unique opportunity to study how solar systems form, Burkhart said. 'Our discovery of Eos is exciting because we can now directly measure how molecular clouds are forming and dissociating, and how a galaxy begins to transform interstellar gas and dust into stars and planets,' Burkhart said. Astronomers thought they had a good handle on the locations and properties of the molecular clouds within about 1,600 light-years of the sun, making this 'pretty cool discovery' quite a surprise, said Melissa McClure, an assistant professor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. 'This new molecular cloud, Eos, is only 300 light-years away, which is closer than any of the molecular clouds that we've known about previously,' McClure, who wasn't involved in the research, said. 'It's puzzling why there's something this big right in our solar neighborhood that we didn't see before,' McClure added. 'It would be a bit like living in a suburb with above-ground houses and open lots in it, and suddenly realizing that one of the open lots actually hosts a hidden underground bunker in it.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists discover massive molecular cloud close to Earth
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. An invisible molecular cloud that could shed light on how stars and planets form has been detected surprisingly close to Earth. Named Eos after the Greek goddess of the dawn, the cloud of gas would appear huge in the night sky if visible to the naked eye. It measures roughly 40 moons in width and has a weight about 3,400 times the mass of the sun, researchers reported in a study published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. 'In astronomy, seeing the previously unseen usually means peering deeper with ever more sensitive telescopes — detecting those smaller planets … those more distant galaxies,' said study coauthor Thomas Haworth, an astrophysicist at Queen Mary University of London. 'This thing was pretty much in our cosmic backyard, and we've just missed it,' he added. Molecular clouds are composed of gas and dust from which hydrogen and carbon monoxide molecules can form. Dense clumps within these clouds can collapse to form young stars. Scientists usually spot a molecular cloud using radio and infrared observations that can pick up the chemical signature for carbon monoxide, Haworth explained. 'We normally look for carbon monoxide, just one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, and that emits light pretty easily at wavelengths that we can detect,' he said. '(Carbon monoxide is) bright, and we have lots of facilities that can spot that.' However, Eos eluded discovery despite being the closest molecular cloud to Earth because it does not contain much carbon monoxide, and therefore doesn't emit the characteristic signature detected by conventional approaches, the researchers said. The key to unlocking this stunning find was searching for ultraviolent light emitted by hydrogen in the cloud. 'The only reason we managed to catch it in this instance is because we've been able to look with a different color of light,' Haworth added. Haworth and his colleagues detected Eos in data collected by a far-ultraviolet spectrograph called FIMS-SPEAR that operated as an instrument on a Korean satellite called STSAT-1. The data had just been released publicly in 2023 when lead study author Blakesley Burkhart, an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, came across it. The spectrograph breaks down far-ultraviolet light emitted by a material into its component wavelengths, similar to what a prism does with visible light, creating a spectrum that scientists can analyze. 'This is the first-ever molecular cloud discovered by looking for far ultraviolet emission of molecular hydrogen directly,' Burkhart said in a news release. 'The data showed glowing hydrogen molecules detected via fluorescence in the far ultraviolet. This cloud is literally glowing in the dark.' The molecular cloud's proximity to Earth provides a unique opportunity to study how solar systems form, Burkhart said. 'Our discovery of Eos is exciting because we can now directly measure how molecular clouds are forming and dissociating, and how a galaxy begins to transform interstellar gas and dust into stars and planets,' Burkhart said. Astronomers thought they had a good handle on the locations and properties of the molecular clouds within about 1,600 light-years of the sun, making this 'pretty cool discovery' quite a surprise, said Melissa McClure, an assistant professor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. 'This new molecular cloud, Eos, is only 300 light-years away, which is closer than any of the molecular clouds that we've known about previously,' McClure, who wasn't involved in the research, said. 'It's puzzling why there's something this big right in our solar neighborhood that we didn't see before,' McClure added. 'It would be a bit like living in a suburb with above-ground houses and open lots in it, and suddenly realizing that one of the open lots actually hosts a hidden underground bunker in it.'
