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Economic Times
7 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
First-ever cosmic duel caught: One galaxy blasted another in deep space battle 11 billion light-years away
A clash of titans Star formation Live Events Implications for galactic evolution What's next (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Astronomers have, for the first time, captured a dramatic cosmic event: two galaxies engaged in a high-speed collision, aptly dubbed a "cosmic joust." This celestial spectacle, occurring over 11 billion light-years away, offers unprecedented insights into galaxy evolution and the influence of quasars on star formation Utilizing the combined capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, researchers observed two massive galaxies hurtling toward each other at approximately 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One of these galaxies harbors a quasar—a luminous, energetic core powered by a supermassive black hole—emitting intense radiation that pierces its galactic neighbor."Much like jousting knights charging toward one another, these galaxies are rapidly approaching," explained Pasquier Noterdaeme, co-lead of the study and researcher at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile. "One of them—the quasar host—emits a powerful beam of radiation that pierces the companion galaxy, like a lance. This radiation 'wounds' its 'opponent' as it disrupts the gas."The quasar's ultraviolet radiation, about a thousand times stronger than that of our Milky Way , disrupts the molecular gas clouds in the companion galaxy. These clouds, typically the birthplaces of stars, are fragmented into tiny, dense cloudlets too small to initiate star formation."It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy," noted Sergei Balashev, co-author of the study and researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation."This cosmic encounter occurred when the universe was merely 2.4 billion years old, providing a rare window into the early stages of galaxy formation and interaction. The galaxies involved are similar in size to the Milky Way, each containing hundreds of billions of stars."Galaxies are typically found in groups, and gravitational ...," Noterdaeme said. "In line with current understanding, these ... The quasar will fade as it."The observation not only confirms long-standing theories about quasar influence on star formation but also underscores the dynamic and often violent nature of galaxy evolution. As galaxies merge, the influx of gas can fuel supermassive black holes, triggering quasar activity that, in turn, can suppress star formation in neighboring regions."This study provides the first direct evidence supporting long-standing theoretical models," said Neeraj Gupta, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India, who contributed to the the light from this event has taken over 11 billion years to reach us, the implications of this discovery are immediate, offering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between galaxies and the forces that shape them. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, observations like this "cosmic joust" illuminate the intricate dance of creation and destruction that governs our universe.
The Print
7 days ago
- Science
- The Print
007 would drool. Chinese researchers invent contact lenses that let you see even with your eyes closed
Infrared is basically light whose wavelength is too high to be visible to the naked human eye, but some aids can help with it. A study on the wearable upconversion contact lenses that grant humans near-infrared spatiotemporal color vision was published in peer-reviewed journal Cell on 22 May, describing the findings. New Delhi: In a game-changing new invention, scientists in China have developed infrared vision contact lenses. Think spy or military movies where characters wear night vision goggles to be able to see in the dark, but better. These new contact lenses allow a person to see even with their eyes closed. Without visible light sources, like during the night, infrared vision helps a lot, but usually, to convert infrared light to visible light, you need a power source. Now, researchers have developed these lenses that don't even need a power source, and allow those using these lenses to see infrared light even when their eyes are closed because infrared light penetrates the eyelids too. Read more here. Also Read: A 1972 Soviet-era spacecraft never reached Venus. Stuck in space for 50 yrs, it's now crashing back down 11-bn year old cosmic 'joust' Scientists have observed an 11 billion-year-old cosmic fight between two galaxies using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile. Galaxies don't actually fight but these two have been observed by a group of international scientists as colliding into each other with such force and radiation that it almost seems like a fight or a 'joust'. A study in the peer-reviewed journal Nature describes how in this collision, one of the galaxies has a quasar, which is the core of a supermassive black hole that releases tons of radiation, and this quasar is directly attacking the other galaxy. Due to the powerful ALMA, which is a Very Large Telescope (VLT), scientists say that for the first time ever they have been able to observe how a quasar's radiation affects a galaxy. They noticed that this radiation is directly impacting star formation in the galaxy by disrupting the gas and dust clouds. The study is a step in the right direction as it is the first time ever that we've been able to observe such a galactic collision with such detailed analysis. Read more here. Can you swim without a brain? Next up is a study from Vienna's Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Vienna, and Tufts University and Harvard University in the US, where researchers are looking to understand whether swimming movements are possible in organisms without a brain or a central nervous system. Technically, even an amoeba, a single-celled organism with no brain and bones or muscles, can swim. But what causes this swimming motion? According to computer simulations run by the researchers, it happens because of something that resembles a neural network, even in organisms with no brain. Simply put, this simulation showed that small chemical and physical signals can help organisms move in a swimming motion, without the need for a sophisticated nervous system. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on 8 May. This simulation is useful, said the study, not just because it helps in understanding how organisms with no brains swim, but also because it can help program artificial nanobots for purposes like delivering medicine through the bloodstream. Read more here. Mouth-taping can have serious health risks Finally, keeping up with Instagram health influencers might have brought to light a new trend of mouth-taping being promoted by many people while sleeping. The idea is to put a piece of duct tape across one's mouth when asleep to prevent mouth breathing. Well, a Canadian paper in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One says the activity has no real health benefits and could even worsen some forms of sleep apnea in people. Sleep apnea is a disorder where people have trouble breathing or have shallow breathing during their sleep, and especially if people aren't aware of their sleep apnea, it could be really harmful for them to tape their mouth shut during the night since it will restrict their airflow. It could also lead to serious implications like heart disease. It's why the paper reiterates the age-old advice—health decisions need to be made based on scientific evidence, not social media fads. Read more here. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Crystals offer glimpse into Mars' possibly habitable past & sunscreen was a saviour 40,000 yrs ago too
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
First-ever cosmic duel caught: One galaxy blasted another in deep space battle 11 billion light-years away
Astronomers have, for the first time, captured a dramatic cosmic event: two galaxies engaged in a high-speed collision, aptly dubbed a "cosmic joust." This celestial spectacle, occurring over 11 billion light-years away, offers unprecedented insights into galaxy evolution and the influence of quasars on star formation . A clash of titans Utilizing the combined capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, researchers observed two massive galaxies hurtling toward each other at approximately 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One of these galaxies harbors a quasar—a luminous, energetic core powered by a supermassive black hole—emitting intense radiation that pierces its galactic neighbor. "Much like jousting knights charging toward one another, these galaxies are rapidly approaching," explained Pasquier Noterdaeme, co-lead of the study and researcher at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile. "One of them—the quasar host—emits a powerful beam of radiation that pierces the companion galaxy, like a lance. This radiation 'wounds' its 'opponent' as it disrupts the gas." Star formation The quasar's ultraviolet radiation, about a thousand times stronger than that of our Milky Way , disrupts the molecular gas clouds in the companion galaxy. These clouds, typically the birthplaces of stars, are fragmented into tiny, dense cloudlets too small to initiate star formation. Live Events "It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy," noted Sergei Balashev, co-author of the study and researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation." This cosmic encounter occurred when the universe was merely 2.4 billion years old, providing a rare window into the early stages of galaxy formation and interaction. The galaxies involved are similar in size to the Milky Way, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. "Galaxies are typically found in groups, and gravitational ...," Noterdaeme said. "In line with current understanding, these ... The quasar will fade as it." Implications for galactic evolution The observation not only confirms long-standing theories about quasar influence on star formation but also underscores the dynamic and often violent nature of galaxy evolution. As galaxies merge, the influx of gas can fuel supermassive black holes, triggering quasar activity that, in turn, can suppress star formation in neighboring regions. "This study provides the first direct evidence supporting long-standing theoretical models," said Neeraj Gupta, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India, who contributed to the research. What's next While the light from this event has taken over 11 billion years to reach us, the implications of this discovery are immediate, offering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between galaxies and the forces that shape them. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, observations like this "cosmic joust" illuminate the intricate dance of creation and destruction that governs our universe. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
‘Cosmic joust': Astronomers catch first sight of two dueling galaxies
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. (CNN) — Astronomers have for the first time spotted two galaxies in the throes of a deep-space 'duel.' Using combined observations from ground-based telescopes over nearly four years, the researchers saw the distant galactic neighbors charging toward each other at more than 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One repeatedly wielded its intense beams of radiation at the other, dispersing gas clouds and weakening its opponent's ability to form new stars. 'That's why we call it a 'cosmic joust,'' said Pasquier Noterdaeme, a researcher for the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile who was part of the team that made the discovery. What Noterdaeme and his colleagues spied was a distant snapshot of the two galaxies in the process of merging into one large galaxy 11 billion light-years away. The findings, described in a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, provide a rare look into earlier times in the universe, when star formation and galaxy mergers were more common. Working with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, the researchers found that the 'attacking' galaxy's piercing radiation comes from within its bright core, a quasar, powered by a supermassive black hole. The intense gravitational influence of a black hole draws matter toward it in such an energetic way that dust and gas heat up to millions of degrees and become luminous, according to NASA. These luminous materials spiral around the black hole before entering, forming what's called an 'accretion disk,' and jets of energetic matter beam out away from the center. Each blast of the quasar's ultraviolet waves are about a thousand times stronger than the radiation of our Milky Way, causing hydrogen molecules from some of the 'victim' galaxy's star-forming nurseries to split and disperse, according to the study. Stars form when large clumps of gas and dust reach a critical mass and collapse under their own gravity. However, researchers observed that after being dispersed by the radiation, the clouds were not dense or large enough to create new stars. As additional material from the victim galaxy is drawn within reach of the supermassive black hole, it fuels the quasar with more energy. Quasars have been known to essentially 'switch off' from time to time, said study coauthor Sergei Balashev, a researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, which could give molecular clouds the opportunity to reform. 'It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy,' Balashev said. Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation. Scientists initially wanted to observe this particular quasar more closely because of its unique features among thousands of low-resolution spectra, which are like fingerprints for distant celestial objects, offering clues about composition, temperature and activity within them. 'It's really (like) finding a needle in a haystack,' Balashev said. However, the light from quasars is so powerful that it often outshines their own host galaxies, making it difficult to observe other galaxies close by, according to Noterdaeme, the study's co-lead author. Highly dynamic, luminous quasars are rare, according to NASA. Only about 1,000 of these objects are known to exist in the early days of the universe, Anniek Gloudemans, a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, previously told CNN via email. 'At first, we just knew there was some molecular gas between the (attacking galaxy's) quasar and us. It's only after, when we started to look with bigger telescopes, that we detected there were actually two galaxies,' Noterdaeme said. While the dueling pair appears to be overlapping in the low-resolution spectra, the high-resolution imaging capabilities of ALMA revealed the galaxies are actually separated by thousands of light-years. Using the Very Large Telescope, the researchers were able to study the density and distance of the gas affected by the quasar's radiation. Since the light from these objects came from billions of light-years away in the early universe, it's possible the two galaxies have already merged by now, but there is no way to be sure, Balashev said. Scientists believe quasars and galaxy mergers used to be far more common earlier in the universe's lifetime, said Dong-Woo Kim, an astrophysicist with the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who was not involved in the research. Galaxies merge when they are pulled toward each other by gravity, and the universe used to be more densely packed together. Over time, the universe has expanded, and more galaxies have combined into larger ones, Kim said. Noterdaeme said that 10 billion years ago was an interesting time in the universe, adding that astronomers call this period when stars formed at a rapid rate the 'noon of the universe.' Though less frequent, galaxy mergers are still happening all the time, Kim said. Even our own Milky Way is expected to merge with the Andromeda galaxy in a few billion years, but the study team isn't certain yet whether the 'cosmic joust' phenomenon is a common feature when two galaxies collide and form a larger one. 'It's an exciting field to study,' Kim said. 'Research like this can teach us more about the birth of new galaxies and observe how they evolve over time.'
India Today
23-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Clash of the Titans: Two galaxies engage in thrilling war as Earth looks on
This image, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), shows the molecular gas content of two galaxies involved in a cosmic collision. (Photo: ESO) Two galaxies repeatedly charge at each other at speeds of 500 kmps They are colliding and recoiling in a spectacular dance The light from this epic galactic battle has taken over 11 billion years Astronomers have, for the first time, witnessed a violent cosmic collision where one galaxy pierces another with intense radiation powered by black hole, dramatically altering the fate of its celestial victim. The findings, published today in the journal Nature, reveal how this radiation suppresses the wounded galaxy's ability to form new stars, offering unprecedented insight into the destructive power of galactic encounters. The research team dubbed the phenomenon the 'cosmic joust.' In this distant system, two galaxies repeatedly charge at each other at speeds of 500 kilometers per second, colliding and recoiling in a spectacular dance. But unlike a fair medieval contest, one galaxy wields a devastating advantageâ€'a quasar, the blazing core powered by a supermassive black hole, unleashing a spear of radiation that penetrates its rival. Quasars, among the brightest objects in the universe, were more common in its early years. The light from this epic galactic battle has taken over 11 billion years to reach Earth, allowing astronomers a glimpse into an era when the universe was just 18% of its current age. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the X-shooter instrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), both in Chile, researchers distinguished the two galaxies and analyzed the quasar's impact. The radiation disrupts the gas and dust clouds in the regular galaxy, leaving behind only tiny, dense pocketsâ€'too small to birth new stars. This marks the first direct observation of a quasar's radiation transforming the internal structure of another galaxy. The encounter is not just one-sided. As the galaxies merge, vast amounts of gas are funneled toward the supermassive black hole, fueling the quasar and perpetuating the cycle of cosmic violence. Future observations with even more powerful telescopes, such as ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, promise to deepen our understanding of how such galactic clashes shape the evolution of galaxies and their brilliant, destructive quasars. Astronomers have, for the first time, witnessed a violent cosmic collision where one galaxy pierces another with intense radiation powered by black hole, dramatically altering the fate of its celestial victim. The findings, published today in the journal Nature, reveal how this radiation suppresses the wounded galaxy's ability to form new stars, offering unprecedented insight into the destructive power of galactic encounters. The research team dubbed the phenomenon the 'cosmic joust.' In this distant system, two galaxies repeatedly charge at each other at speeds of 500 kilometers per second, colliding and recoiling in a spectacular dance. But unlike a fair medieval contest, one galaxy wields a devastating advantageâ€'a quasar, the blazing core powered by a supermassive black hole, unleashing a spear of radiation that penetrates its rival. Quasars, among the brightest objects in the universe, were more common in its early years. The light from this epic galactic battle has taken over 11 billion years to reach Earth, allowing astronomers a glimpse into an era when the universe was just 18% of its current age. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the X-shooter instrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), both in Chile, researchers distinguished the two galaxies and analyzed the quasar's impact. The radiation disrupts the gas and dust clouds in the regular galaxy, leaving behind only tiny, dense pocketsâ€'too small to birth new stars. This marks the first direct observation of a quasar's radiation transforming the internal structure of another galaxy. The encounter is not just one-sided. As the galaxies merge, vast amounts of gas are funneled toward the supermassive black hole, fueling the quasar and perpetuating the cycle of cosmic violence. Future observations with even more powerful telescopes, such as ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, promise to deepen our understanding of how such galactic clashes shape the evolution of galaxies and their brilliant, destructive quasars. Join our WhatsApp Channel
