Latest news with #Serpens
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Pune teen captures 7,000-year-old cosmic light in space; pic goes viral. Who is Prathamesh Jaju?
A passionate astronomer and photographer's breathtakingly beautiful photograph of the ' Pillars of Creation '—three colossal, towering structures composed of gas and dust, mainly hydrogen, helium, and traces of heavier elements, rising like cosmic sculptures within the vastness of space—has taken the Internet by storm. The photographer, named Prathamesh Jaju , shared the astoundingly lovely picture on the space subreddit. Within moments, the picture went viral, gaining over 33K likes. What Are The Pillars Of Creation? The Pillars of Creation are majestic formations of interstellar gas and dust nestled within the Eagle Nebula , situated approximately 7,000 light-years from Earth. Located in the Serpens constellation, these towering columns serve as cosmic nurseries where new stars are born. But here's the fascinating part—because they are so far away, the light we see from them today actually began its journey toward Earth 7,000 years ago. This means we are not witnessing the pillars as they currently are, but rather as they appeared millennia ago. At the speed of light, it would take a human 7,000 years just to reach them, making direct exploration impossible with current technology. Scientists believe that the Pillars may have already dissipated, possibly destroyed by a nearby supernova, but their ghostly image lingers in our skies due to the time it takes for their light to reach us. It's a breathtaking reminder that when we gaze into the depths of space, we're essentially looking back in time—observing celestial history frozen in light. Mind-boggling, indeed. Who Is Prathamesh Jaju? Prathamesh Jaju is an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer from Pune, India. He began practicing astrophotography in 2018, at just 13 years old, driven by a deep fascination with the night sky. His uncle recognized this growing passion and gifted them a Skywatcher 150P telescope paired with an EQ3-2 mount. Since then, he has spent years capturing stunning images of the night sky and various celestial objects, steadily honing their skills and deepening their connection with the cosmos. As per his LinkedIn profile, he is an alumnus of the Savitribai Phule Pune University.
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Supermassive Black Hole Fires Gas 'Bullets'—Never Seen Before
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A supermassive black hole lurking at the heart of a relatively close galaxy is firing off a rapid-fire slew of ultrafast gas "bullets" into the surrounding galaxy. This is the conclusion of an international team of astronomers with the U.S./Japanese X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), whose spacecraft was designed to observe the hot plasma winds that blow through galaxies. The subject of the study was PDS 456, an active galactic nucleus located some 2.18 giga light-years from the Earth in the constellation of Serpens. The team say that the energy being carried by the "bullets" of wind is far greater than was expected—and could shake up our understanding of how galaxies and their central black holes evolve in tandem. "These estimates disfavor both energy-driving and momentum-driving outflow models, which generally assume that a homogeneous wind affects the galaxy interstellar medium in a spherically symmetric way," the researchers wrote in their paper. An artist's impression of winds from a supermassive black hole. An artist's impression of winds from a supermassive black hole. JAXA What Is a Supermassive Black Hole? Supermassive black holes are behemoths that weigh in at several million to billion times the mass of our own sun. Like their smaller counterparts, their concentrated mass so deforms the fabric of space time that, beyond their "event horizon", nothing—not even light—is able to escape their gravitational pull. Astrophysicists suspect that every galaxy may sport a supermassive black hole at its heart, these objects evolving along with their host galaxy. Exactly what mechanisms underpin this relationship, however, remains unclear—especially given the vast mass and size difference between these paired objects. How Do Central Black Holes Affect Galaxies? Crucial to unpicking this puzzling relationship between a galaxy and its central black hole, the researchers note, is understanding the nature of the powerful outflows of gas expelled from around black holes like a cosmic wind. It is believed that these outflows mediate the linked evolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies in two ways. Firstly, they throttle the growth of the holes by slowing the influx of matter for them to feast upon; secondly, they inject vast amounts of energy into their host galaxies, which has the potential to suppress star formation. An illustration of the gaseous wind "bullets" firing out of the supermassive black hole PDS 456. An illustration of the gaseous wind "bullets" firing out of the supermassive black hole PDS 456. Audard et al. / Nature In their study, the researchers used XRISM to observe the gas outflows from PDS 456, finding them to be traveling at some 20–30 percent of the speed of light. In fact, the energy being carried by these winds is more than 1,000 times that transported in galactic-scale winds, suggesting they may have a more significant role than was thought. They also revealed that the winds are composed of five distinct parts, each of which are moving through space at different speeds. According to the researchers, it is this that suggests that either the gas is being ejected periodically—like an explosion from a geyser—or alternatively channeled through gaps in the surrounding interstellar medium. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about black holes? Let us know via science@ Reference Audard, M., Awaki, H., Ballhausen, R., Bamba, A., Behar, E., Boissay-Malaquin, R., Brenneman, L., Brown, G. V., Corrales, L., Costantini, E., Cumbee, R., Trigo, M. D., Done, C., Dotani, T., Ebisawa, K., Eckart, M., Eckert, D., Enoto, T., Eguchi, S., ... XRISM collaboration. (2025). Structured ionized winds shooting out from a quasar at relativistic speeds. Nature.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the week: Iconic 'Eagle Nebula' gets a major glow-up on Hubble's 35th anniversary
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS What it is: The Eagle Nebula (Messier 16) Where it is: 7,000 light-years away, in the constellation Serpens When it was shared: April 18, 2025 There are few more iconic images from the Hubble Space Telescope than this one. A colossal pillar of gas and dust towering 9.5 light-years tall, this spectacular structure in the Eagle Nebula highlights the breathtaking beauty sculpted by the forces of star formation. The stunning image, originally published in 2005, is an important part of why the Hubble is so loved. The photo has been newly processed using modern techniques to show the "cosmic pillar" in even more detail, with layers of cold gas and dust seen by Hubble's visible and infrared cameras. The new image more clearly shows how the radiation from the hot, young stars in the more dramatic top half of the image is lighting up — but also eroding — the massive tower. The image covers an area equal to twice the distance from the sun to Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our own. Related: Stunning 'pillars of creation' shine like never before in new James Webb Telescope image If you think this newly minted snapshot looks a bit like an even more famous Hubble image, the iconic Pillars of Creation, there's a reason for that. Hubble's images of three towers of cosmic dust and gas that resemble a pointing finger — first released in 1995 and improved upon in 2015 to mark Hubble's 25th anniversary — are relatively nearby in the Eagle Nebula (M16). In fact, both images are of dust pillars around the edge of the nebula's heart, where the radiation from a cluster of young stars called NGC 6611 has sculpted a cavity in the dusty gas. SEE MORE SPACE PHOTOS — James Webb telescope reveals hidden past of the 'Crystal Ball Nebula' —Mars rises over the moon's horizon at the best possible time —The chaotic heart of the Milky Way like you've never seen it before Serpens is prominent in the night sky during the Northern Hemisphere's summer. It can be found in the south, between the bright stars Aquila and Antares and beneath the constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. This photo of M16 is the latest redux image published to mark the 35th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched on the space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990 and was released from the cargo hatch the following day. Earlier this month, new images revisiting NGC 346 and the Sombrero Galaxy were published. For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Colorful Eagle Nebula glows in stunning new image from Hubble Telescope
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A breathtaking new image of the famous Eagle Nebula captures a towering pillar of gas and dust sculpted by intense stellar radiation. The Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, is located about 6,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Serpens. It is a well-known stellar nursery with vast swaths of cosmic dust and gas from which new stars are born. The nebula is famously known for the iconic "Pillars of Creation" image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. A new image taken by the space telescope showcases a lesser-known pillar within the Eagle Nebula, revealing its complex textures and the effects of intense ultraviolet radiation from baby stars sculpting the surrounding gas and dust, according to a statement from the European Space Agency. "Unfurling along the length of the image is a pillar of cold gas and dust that is 9.5 light-years tall," ESA officials said in the statement. "As enormous as this dusty pillar is, it's just one small piece of the greater Eagle Nebula." The recent Hubble image was created using new data processing techniques developed since Hubble last studied this region in 2005. Astronomers are revisiting exciting Hubble targets like the Eagle Nebula in honor of the space telescope's upcoming 35th anniversary this week. The Eagle Nebula is shaped by dense clouds of gas and dust that create a silhouette resembling an eagle with outstretched wings. A cluster of young stars lies outside the frame of this new Hubble image, but has impacted the formation of nearby cosmic structures. Denser gas regions are more resistant to radiation and stellar winds from young stars, allowing them to remain as dusty sculptures, like this newly imaged star-forming pillar. "The Eagle Nebula is one of many nebulas in the Milky Way that are known for their sculpted, dusty clouds," ESA officials said in the statement. "Nebulas take on these fantastic shapes when exposed to powerful radiation and winds from infant stars."
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveals stunning image of star-forming region
A stunning new image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is providing unprecedented insights into the processes of star formation deep in the cosmos. The region, known as Lynds 483, or L483 for short, lies approximately 650 light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Serpens. At the heart of L483, astronomers have identified at least two protostars, which are still in their infant stages and not yet fully formed. The new imagery captured by the Webb showed ejections of gas and dust that appear in vibrant hues of orange, blue and purple. Space experts say the striking colors represent where collisions of matter are taking place, which led to the formation of molecules such as carbon monoxide, methanol and other organic compounds. The compounds are often referred to by science as building blocks of planetary formations and help form what appears to be an hourglass-looking structure. Webb Telescope Finds Surprises Within Heart Of Milky Way Galaxy The stars are deeply encased in a dense layer of gas and dust, so much so that they are barely visible even through Webb's powerful lens. Astronomers say over millions of years, the protostars will likely evolve, ultimately becoming features similar to our Sun. The jets and outflows of gas and dust will gradually disperse, leaving behind material that may one day form planets - potentially creating an alignment similar to our own solar system. It's important to note that while L483 may already be well on its way to the transformation process, the image we are seeing is not a present snapshot. Due to the immense distance in outer space, the light from the L483 region took 650 years to reach Earth. This means that the cosmic events captured in the recent imagery actually occurred in the time period of Christopher Columbus, with centuries of light still en route. Even though light is the fastest entity in the universe, the delay serves as a reminder of the vastness of the cosmos. James Webb Space Telescope Won't Be Renamed Following Investigation Into Government Discrimination Nasa says the L483 region was named after famed American astronomer Beverly T. Lynds, who carefully cataloged giant clouds of gas and dust known as nebulas starting in the 1960s. The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope project is the most powerful observatory ever built and was only launched back in 2021. NASA anticipates that the telescope will far exceed its expected 10-year lifespan and continue to revolutionize our understanding of outer article source: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveals stunning image of star-forming region
