Latest news with #JWST
Sustainability Times
4 hours ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
For the First Time in History, Astronomers Capture the Moment a Distant Solar System Is Born in Deep Space
IN A NUTSHELL 🌌 Scientists observed the formation of a new solar system around HOPS-315 , 1,300 light-years away. , 1,300 light-years away. 🔭 Advanced telescopes JWST and ALMA captured the condensation of solid particles from hot gas. and captured the condensation of solid particles from hot gas. 🔥 The discovery reveals the role of high-temperature minerals like forsterite and enstatite in planetary formation. and in planetary formation. 🌟 Findings provide insights into the early conditions similar to those that shaped our own solar system. In a groundbreaking moment for astronomy, scientists have observed the birth of a new solar system, offering a rare glimpse into the universe's early stages. Utilizing some of the world's most advanced telescopes, researchers have captured the initial phases of planet formation around a young star located 1,300 light-years away. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of how planetary systems like our own are formed but also highlights the remarkable advances in observational technology. The findings provide a window into the processes that have shaped our cosmic neighborhood, allowing us to explore the intricate dance of creation occurring in the distant reaches of space. Unveiling the Birth of a New Solar System At the heart of this discovery is the young protostar, HOPS-315, nestled within the Orion B molecular cloud. This region, located approximately 1,300 light-years away, serves as a cradle for new stars and planets. For the first time, scientists have detected the initial condensation of solid particles from hot gas, marking the earliest phase of planet formation. This process was captured using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), two cutting-edge instruments that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe. The significance of this discovery cannot be overstated. By observing the very beginning of planetary formation, researchers can draw parallels to the early history of our own solar system. The solid particles identified around HOPS-315 are akin to the building blocks that eventually coalesced into the planets orbiting our Sun today. This insight provides a unique opportunity to study the conditions necessary for planet formation and the factors that influence the birth of solar systems. 'They Finally Found the Universe's Missing Matter!': Astronomers Stagger the Scientific World by Pinpointing Hidden Material in Colossal Cosmic Webs The Role of Advanced Telescopic Technology The unprecedented detail of this observation was made possible by the JWST and ALMA, which allowed scientists to peer deep into the disk surrounding HOPS-315. These telescopes detected the presence of silicon monoxide, a key component in the formation of silicate minerals. These minerals were found condensing at a distance comparable to the asteroid belt in our solar system, illustrating the early stages of planet formation. Edwin Bergin, an astrophysicist at the University of Michigan, emphasized the novelty of this finding, highlighting its significance in understanding the formation of protoplanetary disks. The detailed imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of JWST and ALMA enabled researchers to map the distribution of minerals within the disk. This information is crucial for understanding how solid materials accumulate and eventually form planets. By comparing these observations with models of our solar system's early development, scientists can refine their theories and gain deeper insights into the processes that govern planetary formation across the galaxy. 'Like Nothing Ever Seen Before': Astronomers Discover a Colossal Milky Way Cloud Containing the Mass of 160,000 Suns Tracing the Path of Planetary Formation The discovery around HOPS-315 offers a glimpse into the intricate mechanisms that govern the formation of planets. The detection of high-temperature minerals, such as forsterite and enstatite, suggests that intense heat plays a critical role in the early stages of planet formation. These minerals, which are similar to those found in meteorites on Earth, provide evidence of the processes that shaped our own solar system billions of years ago. The concept of a 'thermostat region,' where temperature and pressure conditions allow for the condensation of specific elements, is crucial for understanding how planets form. In the case of HOPS-315, this region is characterized by a delicate balance between vaporization and recondensation, leading to the formation of crystalline minerals. By studying these processes, scientists can unravel the complexities of planetary evolution and gain valuable insights into the factors that influence the formation of diverse celestial bodies. 'NASA Unveils Cosmic Spectacle': Stunning New Images and Sounds of Andromeda Galaxy Leave Astronomers in Absolute Awe A Window into the Universe's Past The study of HOPS-315 not only provides insights into the birth of new solar systems but also serves as a window into the universe's past. By analyzing the spectra collected through JWST's infrared cameras, researchers have confirmed the presence of key minerals and gas-phase molecules, shedding light on the conditions that prevailed during the early stages of star and planet formation. This discovery underscores the importance of understanding the conditions under which solid matter begins to form around new stars. By identifying the chemical composition and motion of these materials, scientists can piece together the puzzle of planetary evolution. The insights gained from this research have far-reaching implications for our understanding of the universe and the processes that shaped the celestial bodies we observe today. As we continue to explore the cosmos, the discovery of HOPS-315 serves as a reminder of the endless possibilities that await us. With advanced telescopic technology and a deeper understanding of planetary formation, we are poised to uncover more secrets hidden within the universe. How will these discoveries reshape our understanding of the cosmos and our place within it? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (28)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb telescope reveals 'Sleeping Beauty' galaxies in the early universe — snoozing where they weren't supposed to exist
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have discovered over a dozen "dormant" galaxies that paused their star formation within the first billion years after the Big Bang. The discovery, made with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), illuminates a fascinating phase in the lives of early galaxies and could provide more clues about how galaxies evolve. There are several reasons why galaxies may stop forming new stars. One is the presence of supermassive black holes at their centers. These behemoths emit intense radiation that heats and depletes cold gas, the most important ingredient for star formation. Additionally, larger neighboring galaxies can strip away this cold gas or heat it, leading to a halt in star formation. As a result, these galaxies may remain dormant indefinitely, or become "quenched." Another reason galaxies become inactive is stellar feedback. That's when the gas in the galaxy gets warmed and expelled due to stellar processes like supernovas, intense stellar winds, or the pressure associated with starlight. The galaxy thus goes through a temporary "quiet" period. "This is usually a temporary phase, which usually lasts about 25 million years," Alba Covelo Paz, a doctoral student at the University of Geneva and the lead author of a new study describing the findings, told Live Science in an email. Over millions of years, the gas that was pushed out falls back in, and the warm gas cools again. Once there is enough cold gas again, the galaxy can start forming new stars. While the dormant phase is commonly observed in nearby galaxies, astronomers have found only four dormant galaxies in the first billion years of the universe. Of those, three had masses below a billion solar masses and one had a mass above 10 billion solar masses. The limited observations and scattered properties of dormant galaxies were not sufficient to get a clear picture of early star formation. Related: 'Previously unimaginable': James Webb telescope breaks its own record again, discovering farthest known galaxy in the universe But using JWST's sensitive spectroscopic data, an international team of astronomers discovered 14 dormant galaxies with a wide range of masses in the early universe, showing that dormant galaxies are not limited to low or very high mass ranges. The findings were uploaded to the preprint database arXiv on June 27 and have not been peer-reviewed yet. Taking a breather Researchers didn't expect to see dormant galaxies in the early universe. Because these galaxies are young, they should be vigorously forming many new stars, astronomers thought. But in a 2024 paper, researchers described the first discovery of a dormant galaxy in the early universe. "The first discovery of a dormant galaxy in the early universe was such a shock because that galaxy had been observed before with Hubble, but we could not know it was dormant until JWST," Paz said. That's because, unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST's NIRSpec instrument can both see light from these galaxies that has been redshifted to near-infrared wavelengths, and also provide spectroscopic details about it. Astronomers were curious to know why early galaxies stopped forming stars and whether this was common among a wide range of stellar masses. One hypothesis was that the galaxies had bursts of star formation and then quiet periods, before starting again. Paz and her team looked for the galaxies that were in between bursts of star formation. They used publicly available galaxy data in the DAWN JWST Archive. They examined the light of about 1,600 galaxies, looking for signs of new stars not forming. They also focused on clear signatures of middle-aged or old stars in the galaxies' light. The team found 14 galaxies, ranging from about 40 million to 30 billion solar masses, that had paused star formation. "We now found 14 sources supporting this burstiness process, and we found that all of them have halted star formation between 10 [million] and 25 million years before we observed them," Paz explained. That means these 14 galaxies were found to follow a stop-and-go fashion of star formation rather than continuously forming stars, and they have been quiet for at least 10 million to 25 million years. This relatively short snooze hints that stellar feedback, such as supernovas or stellar winds, caused them to go quiet and that they may eventually restart their stellar factories, Paz said. However, there is still uncertainty, she added. "We cannot confirm it for sure because we don't know how long they will remain dormant, and if they happen to stay dormant for another 50 million years, this would mean the cause of their quenching is different," Paz explained. RELATED STORIES —Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS transforms into a giant 'cosmic rainbow' in trippy new telescope image —'Ice cube' clouds discovered at the galaxy's center shouldn't exist — and they hint at a recent black hole explosion —Behold, 'The Beast': Gigantic animal-like plasma plume 13 times wider than Earth hovers over the sun This scenario would suggest that the galaxies are dead. Nevertheless, the current properties of these galaxies support a cycle of fits and starts. Because dormant galaxies are so rare, much about them remains mysterious. However, astronomers hope future observations will help shed light on these snoozing star factories. An upcoming JWST program called "Sleeping Beauties" will be dedicated to discovering dormant galaxies in the early universe, Paz said. This program will allow astronomers to estimate how long a galaxy remains in this quiet phase and help them understand the bursty star formation process. "There are still many unknowns for us, but we are one step closer to unravelling this process," Paz said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers spot the exact moment a new planet system is being born around an alien star
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. For the first time ever, scientists have captured incredible images of an alien star system being born. The image shows the very earliest moments of planet formation, when hot minerals are just beginning to solidify around a distant star, according to a statement. The researchers published their findings July 16 in the journal Nature. Two telescopes worked together to reveal outflows of hot minerals around HOPS-315, which is a baby star like our sun roughly 1,300 light-years from Earth. Initially, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spotted "stuff coming from close to the star, but it wasn't in the planet-forming region," study co-author Edwin Bergin, a star formation specialist at the University of Michigan, told Live Science. His team then used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which is a set of antennas in the Chilean desert, to trace the outflow back to the protoplanetary disk — the dense disk of matter around a young star, where clumps of gas and dust can collapse into larger objects like planets. "Then that unlocked everything," Bergin said. It's the first time that planet-forming solids have ever been detected, he said – which could help researchers better understand how our own solar system was born. Related: Scientists discover rare planet at the edge of the Milky Way using space-time phenomenon predicted by Einstein Our solar system came into existence roughly 4.5 billion years ago in a cloud of gas and dust. As our sun formed and evolved, other materials gradually condensed into small solids, which grew by colliding and accreting into asteroids and comets, then in some cases, planetesimals and planets. The very earliest phases of this process are tough to spot in other systems, Bergin said, and the phase lasts just 100,000 to 200,000 years, he noted. But learning more about what happens in this moment is crucial, because when minerals begin to condense, organics also form. The new image shows carbon monoxide – represented in orange – blowing away from the star in a butterfly-shaped outflow, with a blue jet of silicon monoxide shining like an alien spine. A disk of gaseous silicon monoxide surrounding the area was also revealed, just as the gas was solidifying into silicates. Related stories —Scientists discover rare planet at the edge of the Milky Way, using space-time phenomenon predicted by Einstein —'Eyeball' planet spied by James Webb telescope might be habitable —Our sun may be overdue for a 'superflare' stronger than billions of atomic bombs, new research warns Earth and similar rocky planets like it formed as silicates and carbon came together, Bergin explained. Other research using ancient meteorites – formed in this same era – show these space rocks are full of crystalline minerals, containing silicon monoxide. These solids are always moving about in the hot and windy conditions of a young star system, creating a rich environment for rocks to bind to each other. "The story of planetary formation is the story of motion and movement," Bergin noted. The researchers are hoping to use ALMA again to probe other young star systems that may have similar outflows, he added.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mirror
'Strongest ever signs' of alien life found by scientists
A planet more than 100 light years away from Earth could be "teeming with alien life" after the "strongest ever signs of extraterrestrial life" were detected in the universe A leading scientist has suggested that an ocean planet could be "brimming with extraterrestrial beings," following a groundbreaking discovery. Planet K2-18b, situated some 120 light years from Earth, has shown potential signs of life, according to Professor Nikku Madhusudhan of Cambridge University's Institute of Astronomy, who utilised NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for his research. In a conversation with the BBC, he remarked: "This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years." The planet's atmosphere is believed to contain crucial molecules associated with life – dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide – similar to those produced on Earth by marine phytoplankton and bacteria. Professor Madhusudhan observed that the gas levels detected were "thousands of times higher than what we have on Earth" during just one observation period, reports the Daily Star. He elaborated: "So, if the association with life is real, then this planet will be teeming with life. If we confirm that there is life on k2-18b it should basically confirm that life is very common in the galaxy". Looking to the future, he speculated: "Decades from now, we may look back at this point in time and recognise it was when the living universe came within reach. "This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we're alone in the universe is one we're capable of answering." The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, delve deeper into the discoveries made – with the researcher asserting that his observations were "in line" with prior predictions. He further bolstered his assertion that the planet might be brimming with extraterrestrial life. He penned: "Earlier theoretical work had predicted that high levels of sulfur-based gases like DMS and DMDS are possible on Hycean worlds. "And now we've observed it, in line with what was predicted. "Given everything we know about this planet, a Hycean world with an ocean that is teeming with life is the scenario that best fits the data we have. The signal came through strong and clear." Supporting his statement, report co-author Måns Holmberg, from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, remarked: "It was an incredible realisation seeing the results emerge and remain consistent throughout the extensive independent analyses and robustness tests."
News18
4 days ago
- Science
- News18
Cosmic Baby Photo: Scientists Catch Rare First Glimpse Of Planets Being Born Around A Sun
The young star, named HOPS-315, is located approximately 1,300 light-years away from Earth. It is classified as a protostar, a star in the earliest phase of development An unprecedented achievement has been made in the field of space science. For the first time, scientists have observed the earliest stages of planet formation around a newborn star similar to our Sun. This remarkable discovery was made by an international team of scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the ALMA telescope. The young star, named HOPS-315, is located approximately 1,300 light-years away from Earth. It is classified as a protostar, a star in the earliest phase of development. Surrounding HOPS-315 is a protoplanetary disc made of gas and dust, which serves as the birthplace of new planets. First Signs of Planet Birth Within this disc, scientists have detected the presence of hot mineral molecules that are beginning to solidify. These minerals eventually form planetesimals, small rock-like bodies that gradually combine to become planets. Lead researcher Melissa McClure from Leiden University stated, 'This is the first time we've observed when and how planet formation begins. It offers a crucial insight into the origins of our own solar system." Co-author Merel van 't Hoff from Purdue University described the discovery as 'a childhood photo of our solar system." The key molecule identified was silicon monoxide (SiO), a mineral also found in the early rocks of Earth and other planets. These minerals, initially in gas form, are now crystallising, marking the first solid step in planet formation. Striking Similarities With Our Solar System What makes this even more intriguing is that the signals of silicon monoxide came from the same region of the disc where the asteroid belt exists in our own solar system. According to Logan Francis (Leiden University), 'We're seeing the same minerals in the same location as we do in our solar system. It's a fascinating parallel." Why HOPS-315 Is So Special The disc around HOPS-315 acts as a natural laboratory, helping us understand the early formation of solar systems. According to Elizabeth Humphreys of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), 'HOPS-315 provides a unique opportunity to study the cosmic history of our own solar system." This discovery is not just a scientific milestone; it opens a window into how worlds like ours come into being. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
