Latest news with #starburst
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers Unveil Stunning Photo of Spiral Galaxy
No matter how many times we see photos of different galaxies in outer space, they never cease to amaze. On Wednesday, astronomers in Chile revealed a glimpse at Sculptor, a spiral galaxy that is 11 million light-years away. The massive galaxy stretches a span of about 65,000 light-years. According to Marcia Dunn of the Associated Press, scientists used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to capture the stunning image. The galaxy, which is officially named NGC 253, was observed for around 50 hours and 100 exposures were put together to create the picture. 'The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot,' leading researcher Enrico Congiu said. 'It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.' Scientists also revealed that Sculptor, which is considered a starburst galaxy, contains thousands of different colors. According to NASA, starburst galaxies see star formation "at a tremendous rate," and that leads to an accelerated use of the gas in the galaxy. Many hot blue stars with short lifespans are created as a result of this process. There are believed to be two different causes for these starburst galaxies, including "gravitational interactions with other galaxies" and "when gas is packed into a small region." Astronomers Unveil Stunning Photo of Spiral Galaxy first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2025
Al Arabiya
7 hours ago
- Science
- Al Arabiya
This photo of the nearby Sculptor Galaxy spans 65,000 light-years
Astronomers have revealed a nearby spiral galaxy in all its brilliant glory, shining in thousands of colors. The dazzling panoramic shot released Wednesday of the Sculptor galaxy by a telescope in Chile is so detailed that it's already serving as a star-packed map. Scientists used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to observe the galaxy for some 50 hours, stitching together more than 100 exposures to create the picture. The image spans 65,000 light-years – almost the entire galaxy. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. Sculptor–officially labeled NGC 253–is considered a starburst galaxy, one heavy with stellar action. It's located 11 million light-years away in the Southern Hemisphere's constellation Sculptor and easy to view with binoculars or small telescopes. 'The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot,' the observatory's Enrico Congiu, who led the research, said in a statement. 'It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.' The more shades of color from stars, gas, and dust in a galaxy, the more clues to their age, composition, and motion, according to the scientists. Sculptor's latest snapshot contains thousands of colors–a glowing montage of purples, pinks, and yellows–compared with just a handful for traditional pictures. The team has already discovered 500 planetary nebulae, clouds of gas and dust from dying stars that can serve as cosmic mile markers. Their research has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
National Post
8 hours ago
- Science
- National Post
A nearby galaxy is revealed in thousands of dazzling colours
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronomers have revealed a nearby spiral galaxy in all its brilliant glory, shining in thousands of colours. Article content The dazzling panoramic shot released Wednesday of the Sculptor galaxy by a telescope in Chile is so detailed that it's already serving as a star-packed map. Article content Article content Scientists used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to observe the galaxy for some 50 hours, stitching together more than 100 exposures to create the picture. The image spans 65,000 light years, almost the entire galaxy. A light-year is 9.5 trillion kilometres Article content Article content Sculptor — officially labeled NGC 253 — is considered a starburst galaxy, one heavy with stellar action. It's located 11 million light years away in the Southern Hemisphere's constellation Sculptor, and easy to view with binoculars or small telescopes. Article content Article content 'The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot,' the observatory's Enrico Congiu, who led the research, said in a statement. 'It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.' Article content The more shades of colour from stars, gas and dust in a galaxy, the more clues to their age, composition and motion, according to the scientists. Sculptor's latest snapshot contains thousands of colours — a glowing montage of purples, pinks and yellows — compared with just a handful for traditional pictures. Article content
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Science
- The Independent
Astronomers capture most detailed image of a galaxy of its kind ever seen
Astronomers have created the most detailed image of a galaxy of its kind ever seen. The 'incredibly detailed' picture shows parts of the Sculptor Galaxy that have never been seen before. Scientists were able to European Southern Observatory 's Very Large Telescope to create the most detailed image that shows thousands of colours ever made. It was created by observing the galaxy for 50 hours, and stitching together 100 exposures. The width of the image shows 65,000 light years across space, almost the full galaxy. The Sculptor Galaxy is officially known as NGC 254. It is a starburst galaxy, where stars are being constantly formed. The detail of the new image allows scientists to see the building blocks themselves – the stars, gas and dust – in fine detail. Each of them emits their own shade of light, so having it in such fine detail and colours means that scientists can deeply understand the small parts of what is happening in the galaxy. 'We can zoom in to study individual regions where stars form at nearly the scale of individual stars, but we can also zoom out to study the galaxy as a whole,' said co-author Kathryn Kreckel from Heidelberg University. Researchers can use those different shades to understand the age, composition and motion of the parts of the galaxy. "The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot," the observatory's Enrico Congiu, who led the research, said in a statement. "It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system."
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Science
- The Independent
Astronomers create a dazzling, elaborate map of nearby galaxy in thousands of colors
Astronomers have revealed a nearby spiral galaxy in all its brilliant glory, shining in thousands of colors. The dazzling panoramic shot released Wednesday of the Sculptor galaxy by a telescope in Chile is so detailed that it's already serving as a star-packed map. Scientists used the European Southern Observatory 's Very Large Telescope to observe the galaxy for some 50 hours, stitching together more than 100 exposures to create the picture. The image spans 65,000 light-years, almost the entire galaxy. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. Sculptor — officially labeled NGC 253 — is considered a starburst galaxy, one heavy with stellar action. It's located 11 million light-years away in the Southern Hemisphere's constellation Sculptor, and easy to view with binoculars or small telescopes. 'The Sculptor galaxy is in a sweet spot,' the observatory's Enrico Congiu, who led the research, said in a statement. 'It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.' The more shades of color from stars, gas and dust in a galaxy, the more clues to their age, composition and motion, according to the scientists. Sculptor's latest snapshot contains thousands of colors — a glowing montage of purples, pinks and yellows — compared with just a handful for traditional pictures. The team has already discovered 500 planetary nebulae, clouds of gas and dust from dying stars that can serve as cosmic mile markers. Their research has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
