Galaxy Formation
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JWST Identifies Cooling Gas in Phoenix Cluster, Unlocking Star Formation Process
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the missing cooling gas in the Phoenix Cluster, a galaxy cluster located 5.8 billion light-years away. Researchers used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to identify gas at around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit trapped in cavities within the cluster. This discovery resolves a long-standing mystery of how sta...
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Webb Telescope Unveils Hidden Process Behind Star Formation in Phoenix Cluster
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered the missing link in star formation within the Phoenix galaxy cluster. By mapping intermediate-temperature gas, researchers identified a crucial phase of cooling that was previously undetected. This discovery explains why the cluster’s supermassive black hole does not fully prevent star formation, ...
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SPHEREx Space Telescope to Map Cosmos in Infrared Light, Launching in February 2025
Set to launch in February 2025, NASA’s SPHEREx mission will provide a comprehensive map of the universe in infrared light. The telescope will examine 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars, shedding light on the universe’s formation, early conditions after the Big Bang, and the presence of water in planetary systems. SPHEREx will survey the...
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JWST Detects Unexpectedly Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe
A new study led by Jorryt Matthee of ISTA reveals that black holes in early galaxies were significantly more massive than expected. Using JWST data, researchers found that some black holes accounted for nearly 10% of their galaxy's stellar mass—far exceeding the 0.01% ratio seen in modern galaxies. The findings challenge existing growth models, s...
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Researchers Spot Unusual, Overmassive Globular Clusters in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy FCC 224
A new study has uncovered an unexpected globular cluster system in FCC 224, an ultra-diffuse galaxy located in the Fornax cluster. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, researchers found that FCC 224 hosts luminous, overmassive globular clusters with unusual properties. The galaxy’s star clusters exhibit narro...
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NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
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Astronomers Capture Supermassive Black Hole Plasma Jets at Birth
For the first time, plasma jets from a supermassive black hole have been observed in real time. Located 270 million light-years away in galaxy 1ES 1927+654, the jets traveled at one-third the speed of light. Emerging in 2024 after a radio flare in 2023, the jets broke through dense gas near the black hole, which has a mass 1.4 billion times that of...
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Early Supernovas Could Have Created Water in the Universe, Paving the Way for Life 100 Million Years Post-Big Bang
A recent study suggests that supernova explosions, triggered by the death of early stars, could have created significant amounts of water just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Simulations of these early, massive stars show that their explosive deaths may have resulted in the formation of water molecules within the dense hydrogen and oxygen clo...
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Astronomers Spot Hundreds of Hidden Supermassive Black Holes Using Infrared
Hundreds of hidden supermassive black holes have been identified using infrared observations, offering fresh insights into their role in galaxy formation. Researchers relied on data from NASA's Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) to detect emissions from black holes obscured by thick clouds ...
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Astronomers Observe Black Hole Reactivate, Emitting Jets of Plasma
A supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy 1ES 1927+654 has been observed reactivating after a quiet period. Jets of hot gas were released from both sides of the black hole, surprising astronomers. Researchers speculate that a white dwarf star in close orbit may be interacting with the black hole, providing key insights into cosmic behavior....
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Hidden Supermassive Black Holes Found Behind Gas and Dust Across the Universe
Supermassive black holes, which feed on surrounding material, may be more common than earlier believed. Researchers suggest that nearly 30%-50% of these black holes could be concealed behind dense gas and dust, making them invisible to standard telescopes. The study, based on infrared observations, sheds light on how these entities influence star f...
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Five Dwarf Galaxies Found in a Rare Alignment, Challenges Current Cosmic Models
A rare alignment of five dwarf galaxies, positioned around 117 million light-years away, has been discovered by astronomers. This grouping, which challenges existing models of galaxy formation, shows active star formation despite their small sizes. The galaxies, labelled D1 to D5, exhibit unique characteristics, including shared rotational motion a...
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Astronomers Seek Binary Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Centers
Astronomers have detected possible binary black holes at the centres of galaxies, using light patterns from active galactic nuclei as key indicators. The study of PG 1553+153, in particular, shows evidence of a 20-year variation, pointing to a system of two supermassive black holes. If confirmed, this could provide new insights into galaxy formatio...
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Stunning Space Imagery Captured By NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
From the star-forming Carina Nebula, located 7,600 light-years away, to the dramatic bipolar region Sharpless 2-106, Hubble reveals the dynamic processes of star creation and destruction.
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Astronomers Discover A Massive Distant Spiral Galaxy from the Early Universe
Astronomers, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), have identified Zhúlóng, a massive spiral galaxy with a redshift of 5.2. This discovery places the galaxy in a time when the universe was under a billion years old, providing critical insights into early galactic formation. Zhúlóng, named after a mythical Chinese dragon, spans 62,000 lig...
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JWST Identifies Cooling Gas in Phoenix Cluster, Unlocking Star Formation Process
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the missing cooling gas in the Phoenix Cluster, a galaxy cluster located 5.8 billion light-years away. Researchers used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to identify gas at around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit trapped in cavities within the cluster. This discovery resolves a long-standing mystery of how sta...
-
Webb Telescope Unveils Hidden Process Behind Star Formation in Phoenix Cluster
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered the missing link in star formation within the Phoenix galaxy cluster. By mapping intermediate-temperature gas, researchers identified a crucial phase of cooling that was previously undetected. This discovery explains why the cluster’s supermassive black hole does not fully prevent star formation, ...
-
SPHEREx Space Telescope to Map Cosmos in Infrared Light, Launching in February 2025
Set to launch in February 2025, NASA’s SPHEREx mission will provide a comprehensive map of the universe in infrared light. The telescope will examine 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars, shedding light on the universe’s formation, early conditions after the Big Bang, and the presence of water in planetary systems. SPHEREx will survey the...
-
JWST Detects Unexpectedly Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe
A new study led by Jorryt Matthee of ISTA reveals that black holes in early galaxies were significantly more massive than expected. Using JWST data, researchers found that some black holes accounted for nearly 10% of their galaxy's stellar mass—far exceeding the 0.01% ratio seen in modern galaxies. The findings challenge existing growth models, s...
-
Researchers Spot Unusual, Overmassive Globular Clusters in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy FCC 224
A new study has uncovered an unexpected globular cluster system in FCC 224, an ultra-diffuse galaxy located in the Fornax cluster. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, researchers found that FCC 224 hosts luminous, overmassive globular clusters with unusual properties. The galaxy’s star clusters exhibit narro...
-
NASA SPHEREx Telescope to Map the Universe and Search for Life’s Ingredients
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 27, aims to explore the origins of the universe and the formation of galaxies. Using near-infrared light, the telescope will study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. It will also search for water and organic molecules in regions where ...
-
Astronomers Capture Supermassive Black Hole Plasma Jets at Birth
For the first time, plasma jets from a supermassive black hole have been observed in real time. Located 270 million light-years away in galaxy 1ES 1927+654, the jets traveled at one-third the speed of light. Emerging in 2024 after a radio flare in 2023, the jets broke through dense gas near the black hole, which has a mass 1.4 billion times that of...
-
Early Supernovas Could Have Created Water in the Universe, Paving the Way for Life 100 Million Years Post-Big Bang
A recent study suggests that supernova explosions, triggered by the death of early stars, could have created significant amounts of water just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Simulations of these early, massive stars show that their explosive deaths may have resulted in the formation of water molecules within the dense hydrogen and oxygen clo...
-
Astronomers Spot Hundreds of Hidden Supermassive Black Holes Using Infrared
Hundreds of hidden supermassive black holes have been identified using infrared observations, offering fresh insights into their role in galaxy formation. Researchers relied on data from NASA's Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) to detect emissions from black holes obscured by thick clouds ...
-
Astronomers Observe Black Hole Reactivate, Emitting Jets of Plasma
A supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy 1ES 1927+654 has been observed reactivating after a quiet period. Jets of hot gas were released from both sides of the black hole, surprising astronomers. Researchers speculate that a white dwarf star in close orbit may be interacting with the black hole, providing key insights into cosmic behavior....
-
Hidden Supermassive Black Holes Found Behind Gas and Dust Across the Universe
Supermassive black holes, which feed on surrounding material, may be more common than earlier believed. Researchers suggest that nearly 30%-50% of these black holes could be concealed behind dense gas and dust, making them invisible to standard telescopes. The study, based on infrared observations, sheds light on how these entities influence star f...
-
Five Dwarf Galaxies Found in a Rare Alignment, Challenges Current Cosmic Models
A rare alignment of five dwarf galaxies, positioned around 117 million light-years away, has been discovered by astronomers. This grouping, which challenges existing models of galaxy formation, shows active star formation despite their small sizes. The galaxies, labelled D1 to D5, exhibit unique characteristics, including shared rotational motion a...
-
Astronomers Seek Binary Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Centers
Astronomers have detected possible binary black holes at the centres of galaxies, using light patterns from active galactic nuclei as key indicators. The study of PG 1553+153, in particular, shows evidence of a 20-year variation, pointing to a system of two supermassive black holes. If confirmed, this could provide new insights into galaxy formatio...
-
Stunning Space Imagery Captured By NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
From the star-forming Carina Nebula, located 7,600 light-years away, to the dramatic bipolar region Sharpless 2-106, Hubble reveals the dynamic processes of star creation and destruction.
-
Astronomers Discover A Massive Distant Spiral Galaxy from the Early Universe
Astronomers, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), have identified Zhúlóng, a massive spiral galaxy with a redshift of 5.2. This discovery places the galaxy in a time when the universe was under a billion years old, providing critical insights into early galactic formation. Zhúlóng, named after a mythical Chinese dragon, spans 62,000 lig...
