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CNN
4 days ago
- Science
- CNN
Hubble offers sharp new view of interstellar comet
AstronomyFacebookTweetLink A new image has revealed the clearest glimpse yet of an interstellar visitor zipping through our solar system. The Hubble Telescope and its Wide Field Camera 3 got an incredible view of the comet named 3I/ATLAS, which came from beyond our solar system, on July 21 when the object was 277 million miles (445 million kilometers) from Earth. In the image, a teardrop-shaped dust cocoon can be seen streaking from the comet's icy nucleus. A comet's nucleus is its solid core, made of ice, dust and rocks. When comets travel near stars such as the sun, heat causes them to release gas and dust, which creates their signature tails. The venerable telescope is just one of many that are being used to track the comet, first discovered on July 1, as it zooms at a blistering 130,000 miles (209,000 kilometers) per hour. Its speed makes 3I/ATLAS the fastest object that originated outside of our solar system to ever be observed traveling through it. New observations, like those made with Hubble, are shedding more light on the comet's size. The small nucleus, which cannot be directly seen, could be as large as 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) in diameter or as small as 1,000 feet (305 meters) across, according to a new paper accepted by The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Meanwhile, other space-based telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, along with ground-based observations from the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, could reveal more about the object's chemical composition. The comet is expected to remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September before passing too close to the sun to be spotted until it reappears on the other side of our star in early December. But big questions about 3I/ATLAS remain, some of which may be impossible to answer — including where exactly it came from. 'No one knows where the comet came from. It's like glimpsing a rifle bullet for a thousandth of a second. You can't project that back with any accuracy to figure out where it started on its path,' said lead study author David Jewitt, professor of astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a statement. While the comet appears to behave like those that originated in our solar system — as evidenced by that dust plume Hubble captured — the speed of 3I/ATLAS is one indicator that it's a visitor from another solar system in our galaxy. Scientists estimate it has been traveling through interstellar space for billions of years. As objects travel through space, they experience a gravitational slingshot effect from whizzing by stars and stellar nurseries that increases their momentum. So the longer 3I/ATLAS has spent in space, the faster it moves. The comet is only the third known interstellar object to have been observed in our solar system after 'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. '3I in particular is remarkable due to its velocity,' said Matthew Hopkins, a recent doctoral student in the department of physics at the University of Oxford who authored a separate study about the object. 'This velocity is very useful to us in particular as over the last few years me and my coauthors have been building a model that allows us to predict properties of (interstellar objects) such as their age and composition, just from their velocity.' For Hopkins, the discovery of 3I/ATLAS was incredibly fortuitous. The find occurred just five days after he finished his doctoral work, which involved a lot of time spent making predictions about future interstellar object discoveries. In a few months, he'll begin a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where he'll continue to research 3I/ATLAS. During his doctoral studies, Hopkins and his collaborators in New Zealand developed the Ōtautahi–Oxford model, a combination of data from the Milky Way's star population and models of how planetary systems form that could help astronomers determine what interstellar object populations should look like. Now, Hopkins is the lead author of a separate preprint study about 3I/ATLAS. It's difficult to determine the age of interstellar objects, but Hopkins and his colleagues believe 3I/ATLAS has about a 67% chance of being more than 7.6 billion years old — while our sun, solar system and its comets are only 4.5 billion years old, he said. It's pure chance that the interstellar comet crossed into our solar system — but it's not entirely rare, Hopkins said. We just don't see these visitors most of the time. '(Interstellar objects) actually pass through the Solar System all the time, especially the smaller ones which are more numerous: 80 the size of 'Oumuamua (about 656 feet, or 200 meters, across) pass through the orbit of Jupiter every year, they're just too small to detect unless they get very close to the Earth,' Hopkins wrote in an email. However, astronomers are eager to have the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which released its first images this summer, scanning the skies for interstellar the observatory's massive primary mirror spanning 28 feet (8.4 meters) across, it can spot small, faint and distant objects — and it's scanning the entire sky every three nights, allowing the telescope to better catch sight of rapidly moving interstellar objects. Hopkins' coauthors estimate that Rubin could spy anywhere between five and 50 interstellar objects over the next 10 years, and Hopkins is optimistically leaning toward the latter. Discovering more interstellar objects could help astronomers determine how varied or similar they are, especially since the first three have been so different from one another, Hopkins said. 'This latest interstellar tourist is one of a previously undetected population of objects bursting onto the scene that will gradually emerge,' Jewitt said. 'This is now possible because we have powerful sky survey capabilities that we didn't have before. We've crossed a threshold.' Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
New Hubble photo shows cotton candy-like nebula in a nearby dwarf galaxy
Source: NASA The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way, has just received a stunning spotlight, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope . Using five special filters, including ultraviolet and infrared, Hubble captured a breathtaking view of swirling gas and dust glowing in pink, blue, and green. These colorful wisps, nicknamed 'cotton candy clouds,' reveal active star-forming regions hidden to the human eye. The image is not just beautiful, it's full of important scientific data. Seen only from the Southern Hemisphere, the LMC offers a rare look into galaxy evolution and the life cycle of stars just 160,000 light-years from Earth. What are cotton candy clouds captured by Hubble telescope Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) captured the scene using five filters, including ultraviolet and infrared, that isolate wavelengths invisible to our eyes. Each wavelength gets a distinct color assignment: shorter (UV) light becomes blue or purple, longer (IR) appears red. The result: shimmering gas clouds that resemble brightly coloured cotton candy The N11 Nebula: Candy Floss at Cosmic Scale The colourful filaments belong to N11 (also known as LHA 120‑N 11), the second‑largest star‑forming region in the LMC. Spanning about 1,000 light‑years, this nebula contains cavities and shells carved by young, massive stars and past supernovae. Its billowing pink gas resembles fairground candy floss, more intense and dramatic in close‑up views. Studying regions like N11 helps astronomers learn how stellar winds and radiation shape interstellar clouds and trigger new generations of stars. Where is it and why it matters The scene unfolds within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light‑years away in the southern constellations Dorado and Mensa. Though small, the LMC plays a big role in understanding galaxy evolution. Alongside the Small Magellanic Cloud, it orbits the Milky Way and is connected by the Magellanic Bridge of gas. Scientists believe the LMC may interact with our galaxy in roughly 2.4 billion years, well before the predicted collision with Andromeda in about 10 billion years How Hubble turns raw data into vivid art The Hubble telescope collects data across multiple wavelengths. Experts then combine and assign colors to each filter's output, balancing aesthetics with scientific clarity. Blue or purple tones often represent ultraviolet, while reds correspond to infrared. Though the final image is visually striking, it's grounded in real measurements and helps researchers understand gas composition, density, and star‑forming activity within the nebula What makes the image special This Hubble photo stands out for its combination of scientific insight and visual beauty. It's a powerful example of how advanced space instruments can illuminate the interstellar medium, revealing stellar nurseries and the dynamic processes inside a neighbouring galaxy. For anyone curious about galaxy evolution, nebula structure, or how scientists convert invisible light into dazzling images, this view is both enlightening and inspiring. Also read| 10 stunning sights from NASA's eye on the universe
Digital Trends
14-05-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Gorgeous cotton candy clouds show how Hubble processes space images
This stunning new image from the Hubble Space Telescope might look like cotton candy, but in fact it's part of a nebula in a next door galaxy. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way which is around 160,000 light-years away, this nebula consists of dust and gas that glows in different colors which indicate different physical processes at work. If you're curious about how Hubble produces such vivid and colorful images and whether the colors are real or not, it helps to understand how telescope cameras work. Unlike the camera on your phone, for example, Hubble doesn't just point at an object and snap an image. Instead, its instruments like the Wide Field Camera 3, which produced this image, take multiple observations of the same object using different filters. Recommended Videos Each filter restricts the light being observed to just particular wavelengths. In this case, five different filters were used, covering wavelengths that the human eye can see, called optical wavelengths, as well as some in the ultraviolet and infrared. With multiple observations of the same object at different wavelengths, each of which is in black and white, the observations can then be combined to create a single colored image, which you can see in full size below. 'When image-processing specialists combine raw filtered data into a multi-coloured image like this one, they assign a colour to each filter. Visible-light observations are typically matched to the colour that the filter allows through. Shorter wavelengths of light such as ultraviolet are usually coloured blue or purple, while longer wavelengths like infrared are typically coloured red,' Hubble scientists explain. 'This colour scheme closely represents reality while adding new information from the portions of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans cannot see.' The way that Hubble images are produced is similar to how the James Webb Space Telescope uses filters and combines these to create stunning pictures of otherwise invisible objects, a process which requires both scientific knowledge and a degree of artistic flair from the image processors.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space photo of the day for May 13, 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What might look like sparkling wisps of candy floss, or cotton candy, are dusty gas clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy, as imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. The pink, blue and green colors are not only beautiful to look at but can inform the viewer about the many wavelengths that comprise this photo. A part of a nebula in a dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud, the photo by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a gas cloud strewn in front of a star field. This type of view is made possible by Hubble's cameras, including the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) that was used to collect the observations for this image. WFC3 has a variety of filters, each of which lets through only specific wavelengths, or colors, of light. This image combines observations made with five of WFC3's different filters, including some that capture ultraviolet and infrared light that are outside the field of vision for the human eye. The Large Magellanic Cloud is located 160,000 light-years from Earth in the constellations Dorado and Mensa. It is the largest of the Milky Way's many small satellite galaxies. People often wonder if the colors depicted in photos like these match what humans would see if they were to travel to the location. The specialists who process Hubble's images combine the telescope's raw data to compose multi-colored images like this one. To do so, they assign a color to each wavelength filter. Visible-light observations are typically matched to the color that the filter allows through. As such, shorter wavelengths of light, such as ultraviolet, are usually colored in blue or purple hues, while longer wavelengths, like infrared, are typically shown in shades of red. This way, the images stay close to reality while adding in new information from the portions of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans cannot see with our eyes alone. You can read more about the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Hubble Space Telescope. You can also learn more about how Hubble Space Telescope images are made.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Hubble Space Telescope's 35th anniversary: See NASA's new out-of-this-world images
Hubble Space Telescope's 35th anniversary: See NASA's new out-of-this-world images The Hubble Space Telescope, launched 35 years ago, has blown our minds with its striking images of far-away galaxies, black holes and planets including Jupiter and Mars. Show Caption Hide Caption Hubble snaps photo of dusty Magellanic cloud in Tarantula nebula New image from the Hubble Space Telescope peers into a dusty region of space - home to some of the largest stars know to man. During its 35 years of orbiting the Earth, the Hubble Space Telescope has transmitted endless streams of magnificent images, confirmed the existence of "dark matter," and helped track a vagabond black hole moving through the Milky Way. To celebrate the Hubble telescope's 35th anniversary, NASA released some striking new images on Wednesday, including a bold rendition of Mars and a stunning photo of a moth-shaped nebula with a white dwarf star in the middle. Built by Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, California, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched on the space shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 24, 1990. Since it orbits above the Earth, it can capture better cosmic images than telescopes on the ground. Hubble has made more than 1.6 million observations over the course of its lifetime, NASA says. And Hubble's discoveries have spawned more than 21,000 peer-reviewed science papers. The James Webb Space Telescope, which orbits the sun, has captured much space news attention, but it certainly hasn't put Hubble out of business. What is the Hubble Space Telescope? The Hubble telescope was designed to be the first space-based observatory, which could be serviced and upgraded while it remained in orbit. It was named after Edwin Hubble, the astronomer who showed that other galaxies existed beyond our own and came up with a classification scheme distinguishing galaxies by shape. About the same size as a school bus, the Hubble telescope uses three types of instruments to capture images across the universe: Cameras: Hubble has two cameras – the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which is primarily used for visible-light imaging, according to NASA. The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) views infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths for higher resolution, deeper images. The ACS was repaired and the WFC3 was installed during a May 2009 servicing mission involving five spacewalks by astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis. Hubble has two cameras – the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which is primarily used for visible-light imaging, according to NASA. The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) views infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths for higher resolution, deeper images. The ACS was repaired and the WFC3 was installed during a May 2009 servicing mission involving five spacewalks by astronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis. Spectrographs: The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph is the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever, capturing light and breaking it down to assess temperature, density, chemical composition, and velocity of objects, such as stars and quasars. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, also repaired in 2009, captures many forms of light, including ultraviolet to near-infrared light. The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph is the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever, capturing light and breaking it down to assess temperature, density, chemical composition, and velocity of objects, such as stars and quasars. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, also repaired in 2009, captures many forms of light, including ultraviolet to near-infrared light. Interferometers: The telescope has three Fine Guidance Sensors used to target and measure the relative positions and brightness of stars. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@ What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
