Latest news with #AstronomyAndAstrophysics
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Sculptor Galaxy shines in 1,000 spectacular colors
While we still don't know if we are truly the only intelligent life in the universe, we are certainly not alone as far as galaxies. There are an estimated 100 to 200 billion galaxies–dust clouds, stars, gas, and planets all bound together by gravity–swirling around in the universe. Now, an international team of astronomers is getting a better look at one that's not so far away–in space terms–from our home Milky Way galaxy. Using data from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, the team created an incredibly detailed image of the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253). The team observed this 11 million light-years away spiral galaxy in thousands of colors, which features the brilliant stars living within it. The image and its implications are detailed in a study accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. 'Galaxies are incredibly complex systems that we are still struggling to understand,' study co-author and ESO astronomer Enrico Congiu said in a statement. Galaxies themselves can reach hundreds of thousands of light-years across, making them extremely large. Despite their size, how they evolved ultimately depends on what is going on at smaller scales. 'The Sculptor Galaxy is in a sweet spot,' said Congiu. '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.' Like Lego bricks, the building blocks of a galaxy–dust, gas, and stars–all emit different colors and astronomers use various imaging filters to study and detect what's inside. Astronomers can detect the wavelengths of light released by the elements hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen across the galaxy. The more shades of color included when imaging of a galaxy, the more we can understand its inner workings. Conventional images generally take in a galaxy using a handful of colors, but this new Sculptor map comprises thousands of hues. The researchers observed the Sculptor Galaxy for over 50 hours with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the VLT to create the detailed map. They then stitched together over 100 exposures to cover an area of the galaxy that's about 65,000 light-years wide. '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 study co-author Kathryn Kreckel from Heidelberg University, Germany. [ Related: Where do all those colors in space telescope images come from? ] The pink light throughout the image represents the gas excited by the radiation of newborn stars. The cone of whiter light at the center is due to an outflow of gas from the black hole at the galaxy's core. In the first analysis of the data, the team discovered roughly 500 planetary nebulae–regions of gas and dust flung off dying sun-like stars. Study co-author and Heidelberg University doctoral student Fabian Scheuermann put that number of nebulae into context: 'Beyond our galactic neighbourhood, we usually deal with fewer than 100 detections per galaxy.' Due to the different properties within, planetary nebulae can be used as cosmic distance markers to their host galaxies. 'Finding the planetary nebulae allows us to verify the distance to the galaxy — a critical piece of information on which the rest of the studies of the galaxy depend,' study co-author and astronomer at The Ohio State University Adam Leroy added. In future projects with this map, astronomers hope to explore how gas flows, changes its composition, and forms stars all across this large galaxy. 'How such small processes can have such a big impact on a galaxy whose entire size is thousands of times bigger is still a mystery,' said Congiu.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Sculptor Galaxy shines in 1,000 spectacular colors
While we still don't know if we are truly the only intelligent life in the universe, we are certainly not alone as far as galaxies. There are an estimated 100 to 200 billion galaxies–dust clouds, stars, gas, and planets all bound together by gravity–swirling around in the universe. Now, an international team of astronomers is getting a better look at one that's not so far away–in space terms–from our home Milky Way galaxy. Using data from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, the team created an incredibly detailed image of the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253). The team observed this 11 million light-years away spiral galaxy in thousands of colors, which features the brilliant stars living within it. The image and its implications are detailed in a study accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. 'Galaxies are incredibly complex systems that we are still struggling to understand,' study co-author and ESO astronomer Enrico Congiu said in a statement. Galaxies themselves can reach hundreds of thousands of light-years across, making them extremely large. Despite their size, how they evolved ultimately depends on what is going on at smaller scales. 'The Sculptor Galaxy is in a sweet spot,' said Congiu. '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.' Like Lego bricks, the building blocks of a galaxy–dust, gas, and stars–all emit different colors and astronomers use various imaging filters to study and detect what's inside. Astronomers can detect the wavelengths of light released by the elements hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen across the galaxy. The more shades of color included when imaging of a galaxy, the more we can understand its inner workings. Conventional images generally take in a galaxy using a handful of colors, but this new Sculptor map comprises thousands of hues. The researchers observed the Sculptor Galaxy for over 50 hours with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the VLT to create the detailed map. They then stitched together over 100 exposures to cover an area of the galaxy that's about 65,000 light-years wide. '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 study co-author Kathryn Kreckel from Heidelberg University, Germany. [ Related: Where do all those colors in space telescope images come from? ] The pink light throughout the image represents the gas excited by the radiation of newborn stars. The cone of whiter light at the center is due to an outflow of gas from the black hole at the galaxy's core. In the first analysis of the data, the team discovered roughly 500 planetary nebulae–regions of gas and dust flung off dying sun-like stars. Study co-author and Heidelberg University doctoral student Fabian Scheuermann put that number of nebulae into context: 'Beyond our galactic neighbourhood, we usually deal with fewer than 100 detections per galaxy.' Due to the different properties within, planetary nebulae can be used as cosmic distance markers to their host galaxies. 'Finding the planetary nebulae allows us to verify the distance to the galaxy — a critical piece of information on which the rest of the studies of the galaxy depend,' study co-author and astronomer at The Ohio State University Adam Leroy added. In future projects with this map, astronomers hope to explore how gas flows, changes its composition, and forms stars all across this large galaxy. 'How such small processes can have such a big impact on a galaxy whose entire size is thousands of times bigger is still a mystery,' said Congiu.
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Astronomers Capture the Most Colorful Image of a Galaxy Ever
Caldwell 65, better known as the Sculptor galaxy, is bursting with stellar activity and dust-rich features. Located 11 million light-years away—right next door in cosmological terms—it offers a rare glimpse of young stars being born into the celestial circle of life. Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers captured an incredibly detailed image of the nearby spiral galaxy, displayed in thousands of colors that illuminate all the action taking place in our galactic neighborhood. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) released a galaxy-wide image of the Sculptor galaxy on Wednesday, uncovering 500 planetary nebulae and zooming in on star-forming regions in a wide array of hues. 'Galaxies are incredibly complex systems that we are still struggling to understand,' explained ESO researcher Enrico Congiu in a statement. 'The Sculptor Galaxy is in a sweet spot. 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.' Congiu is the lead author on the study, published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Sculptor is one of the closest galaxies outside our local galactic neighborhood, making it an ideal target for observations that can help scientists peer into the internal structures of these massive cosmic beings. In order to create the most recent image of Sculptor, the researchers behind the new study stared at the galaxy for over 50 hours using VLT's Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer. The team then stitched together more than 100 exposures, covering an area of the galaxy that stretches around 65,000 light-years wide. Galaxies are made up of stars, gas, and dust, which emit light in different colors. Typically, snapshots of galaxies are seen in only a handful of colors. In this new image, Sculptor shines in thousands of different colors, each one telling a different part of its galactic story. The image reveals regions that highlight specific wavelengths of light emitted by hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen. The pink light, spread throughout the snapshot, comes from ionized hydrogen in star-forming regions, excited by radiation from newborn stars. The cone of white light at the center is caused by an outflow of gas from the black hole at the galaxy's core. '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,' Kathryn Kreckel, a researcher at Heidelberg University, Germany, and co-author of the new study, said in a statement. Initial analysis of the image uncovered hundreds of planetary nebulae in the Sculptor galaxy, a glowing shell of ionized gas left in the wake of dying stars like our Sun. 'Beyond our galactic neighborhood, we usually deal with fewer than 100 detections per galaxy,' Fabian Scheuermann, a doctoral student at Heidelberg University and co-author of the study, said in a statement. The team is planning on carrying out further analysis of the galactic map to explore the journey of gas within galaxies, and how it flows and changes composition to form newborn stars. 'How such small processes can have such a big impact on a galaxy whose entire size is thousands of times bigger is still a mystery,' Congiu said.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Rare Einstein ring found in Earth's ‘cosmic backyard'
Scientists have found a rare Einstein ring in 'our cosmic backyard' using images from the Euclid space telescope. The discovery, revealed in the journal Astronomy And Astrophysics, is of a circle of light created by gravitational lensing around a galaxy 500 million light years away called NGC 6505. This ring is made up of light from another galaxy 4.42 billion light years away and what can be seen from Earth is distorted by gravity. The distant galaxy has not been observed before and has not yet been named. Prof Thomas Collett, from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, said such rings can help scientists test Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. He said: 'This lens is particularly special because it's in our cosmic backyard: a 'mere' 500 million light years away. 'In fact, it's so close that astronomers first observed the galaxy in the 1880s, but only with the resolving power of Euclid can we now reveal that it's a gravitational lens. 'Nearby lenses are exciting because they allow us to test the validity of general relativity on astronomical scales.' Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts that light will bend around objects in space, so that they focus the light like a giant lens, with this effect being bigger for massive galaxies. It allows astronomers to see the light from distant galaxies that would otherwise be hidden. Conor O'Riordan, of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany and lead author of the first scientific paper analysing the ring, said: 'An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing. 'All strong lenses are special, because they're so rare, and they're incredibly useful scientifically. 'This one is particularly special, because it's so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.' Launched in July 2023, the Euclid mission aims to create a 3D map of the universe by observing two billion galaxies, which will help scientists understand its cosmic history. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Einstein ring spotted around galaxy a ‘mere' 500 million light years away
Scientists have found a rare Einstein ring in 'our cosmic backyard' using images from the Euclid space telescope. The discovery, published in the journal Astronomy And Astrophysics, is of a circle of light created by gravitational lensing around a galaxy 500 million light years away called NGC 6505. This ring is made up of light from a galaxy 4.42 billion light years away and what can be seen from Earth is distorted by gravity. It's so close that astronomers first observed the galaxy in the 1880s, but only with the resolving power of Euclid can we now reveal that it's a gravitational lens Prof Thomas Collett The distant galaxy has not been observed before and has not yet been named. Professor Thomas Collett, from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, said such rings can help scientists test Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. He said: 'This lens is particularly special because it's in our cosmic backyard: a 'mere' 500 million light years away. 'In fact, it's so close that astronomers first observed the galaxy in the 1880s, but only with the resolving power of Euclid can we now reveal that it's a gravitational lens. 'Nearby lenses are exciting because they allow us to test the validity of general relativity on astronomical scales.' Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts that light will bend around objects in space, so that they focus the light like a giant lens, with this effect being bigger for massive galaxies. It allows astronomers to see the light from distant galaxies that would otherwise be hidden. Conor O'Riordan, of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany and lead author of the first scientific paper analysing the ring, said: 'An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing. 'All strong lenses are special, because they're so rare, and they're incredibly useful scientifically. 'This one is particularly special, because it's so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.' Launched in July 2023, the Euclid mission aims to create a 3D map of the universe by observing two billion galaxies, which will help scientists understand its cosmic history.
