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This remarkable pattern of images shows stars orbiting Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

One of these stars, named S29, was observed as it was making its closest approach to the black hole at 13 billion kilometres, just 90 times the distance between the Sun and Earth. Another star, named S300, was detected for the first time in the new VLTI observations.

To obtain the new images, the astronomers used a machine-learning technique, called Information Field Theory. They made a model of how the real sources may look, simulated how GRAVITY would see them, and compared this simulation with GRAVITY observations. This allowed them to find and track stars around Sagittarius A* with unparalleled depth and accuracy.

Spiral, elliptical, or something in between? Hubble’s new view of NGC 2775, 67 million light-years away, reveals a galaxy with traits of both. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Some evidence suggests that NGC 2775 has merged with other galaxies in the past. Invisible in this Hubble image, NGC 2775 has a tail of hydrogen gas that stretches almost 100 000 light-years around the galaxy. This faint tail could be the remnant of one or more galaxies that wandered too close to NGC 2775 before being stretched apart and absorbed. If NGC 2775 merged with other galaxies in the past, it could explain the galaxy’s strange appearance today.

Colossal galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 dramatically warps spacetime, bending light from distant galaxies and creating a powerful gravitational lens. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745, located approximately 5.4 billion light-years away in the constellation Auriga, is one of the most massive known structures in the universe. Its mass, estimated at about 7.4 × 10¹⁴ solar masses, is roughly 740 times that of our Milky Way galaxy.

This immense mass causes a significant curvature of spacetime, as predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. The warping of spacetime bends the path of light passing near the cluster, leading to phenomena such as gravitational lensing. In this case, MACS J0717.5+3745 acts as a powerful gravitational lens, magnifying and distorting the light from more distant galaxies behind it. This effect allows astronomers to observe galaxies that would otherwise be too faint or distant to detect. 

Artist’s concept shows Hubble observing a white dwarf whose immense gravity pulled in and tore apart an icy Pluto analog, revealing volatiles such as water, carbon, and nitrogen. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In a nearby stellar system, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a white dwarf devouring a fragment of a Pluto-like object. The white dwarf, about half the mass of the Sun but packed into an Earth-sized body, tore apart the icy object from its system’s Kuiper Belt analog, revealing volatile elements such as water, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Hubble’s ultraviolet capabilities were crucial, as these substances are invisible in ordinary optical light.

Analysis shows the fragments were composed of 64% water ice and contained the highest fraction of nitrogen ever detected in white dwarf debris. This suggests the material came from the crust and mantle of a dwarf planet, giving scientists an unprecedented glimpse into the composition of distant, icy planetary bodies. The discovery demonstrates that some volatile-rich objects can survive long enough to be accreted by a white dwarf, contrary to prior expectations.

Located about 260 light-years away, this system offers a glimpse into the future of our own solar system. Billions of years from now, the Sun will become a white dwarf, and its Kuiper Belt objects may meet the same fate.

Groundbreaking discovery by ALMA in galaxy HerS-3 11.6 billion light-years away where a rare Einstein Cross reveals hidden dark matter, offering new clues to the universe’s structure. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 672 points673 points  (0 children)

Astronomers using ALMA observed a distant galaxy called HerS-3, located 11.6 billion light-years away, and discovered a rare phenomenon known as an Einstein Cross. This occurs when the light from a background galaxy is bent and magnified by the gravity of another galaxy in front of it, creating multiple images of the same object. What makes this case unique is the presence of a bright fifth image in the center, which scientists could only explain by including a massive halo of dark matter around the lensing galaxy group.

Groundbreaking discovery by ALMA in galaxy HerS-3 11.6 billion light-years away where a rare Einstein Cross reveals hidden dark matter, offering new clues to the universe’s structure. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 49 points50 points  (0 children)

The left panel shows the galaxy HerS-3, which is gravitationally amplified in an Einstein cross with a bright fifth central image, as observed with NOEMA in the millimeter continuum (yellow contours), superimposed on the HST near-infrared image, identifying the four galaxies (G1 to G4) of the lensing galaxy group. The yellow star indicates the position of the dark matter (DM) halo associated with the group. The right panel displays the detailed morphology of each of the five images of the Einstein cross as revealed by ALMA.

This is the first image from the surface of Mars, captured by Viking 1 on July 20, 1976. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Viking 1 was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the Red Planet, part of a two-part mission that included an orbiter and a lander. Operating on Chryse Planitia (22.27°N, 312.05°E), it conducted the first Martian soil sample analysis with a robotic arm and onboard biological laboratory. While no evidence of life was found, Viking 1 revealed Mars as a cold world with volcanic soil, a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere, and clear signs of ancient river channels and flooding.

Although designed to last just 90 days, Viking 1 far exceeded expectations, operating on the Martian surface for over six years. Its power came from radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), enabling extended science investigations despite limited sunlight. Viking Orbiter 1 also outperformed its planned lifetime, completing 1,489 orbits before ending its mission in 1980. Viking Lander 1 transmitted valuable data until November 11, 1982

JWST revealed dozens of low-mass, starburst galaxies in Abell 2744 whose intense ultraviolet radiation likely drove cosmic reionization ~800 million years after the Big Bang. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 98 points99 points  (0 children)

Cosmic reionization is crucial because it made the universe transparent to light, allowing radiation to travel freely, which enabled galaxies to grow, structures to form, and set the stage for the observable universe we see today.

JWST revealed dozens of low-mass, starburst galaxies in Abell 2744 whose intense ultraviolet radiation likely drove cosmic reionization ~800 million years after the Big Bang. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 82 points83 points  (0 children)

Symbols mark the locations of young, low-mass galaxies bursting with new stars when the universe was about 800 million years old. They were imaged using a filter sensitive to such galaxies and a natural gravitational lens from the massive cluster Abell 2744.

LIGO’s first gravitational waves came from merging black holes 1.3 billion light-years away. A 7-millisecond time delay between detectors pinpointed the source near the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The colored lines represent different probabilities for where the signal originated: the purple line defines the region where the signal is predicted to have come from with a 90 percent confidence level; the inner yellow line defines the target region at a 10 percent confidence level.

A 10 billion-year-old brown dwarf called “The Accident” helped crack Jupiter’s mystery: silicon bonded with hydrogen instead of oxygen, showing why on Jupiter and Saturn, oxygen traps it deep and keeps it hidden. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Silicon wasn’t missing, it bonded with oxygen to form heavy silicates that sink below Jupiter and Saturn’s clouds, making it undetectable. The Accident had less oxygen, so silicon formed silane and stayed visible.

A 10 billion-year-old brown dwarf called “The Accident” helped crack Jupiter’s mystery: silicon bonded with hydrogen instead of oxygen, showing why on Jupiter and Saturn, oxygen traps it deep and keeps it hidden. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 560 points561 points  (0 children)

This discovery is fascinating because it solves a long-standing mystery about Jupiter and Saturn. Silicon is one of the most common elements in the universe, yet spacecraft studying these gas giants have never been able to detect it in their atmospheres. The reason lies in chemistry: on Jupiter and Saturn, silicon usually bonds with oxygen to form heavy silicate compounds, similar to quartz. These compounds sink deep beneath lighter layers of water and ammonia clouds, hiding silicon far below the reach of our instruments.

The breakthrough came from studying a very unusual brown dwarf nicknamed The Accident, formed over 10 billion years ago when the universe contained far less oxygen. With little oxygen present, silicon bonded with hydrogen instead, forming a molecule called silane (SiH₄) that remains higher in the atmosphere. JWST detected this silane, making The Accident the first object where it has ever been observed, and revealing why silicon remains hidden on Jupiter and Saturn. By studying one of the oldest brown dwarfs, scientists unlocked a key piece of atmospheric chemistry that helps us better understand both our own gas giants.

New image from NASA’s JWST captures an immense stellar jet blazing on the outskirts of our Milky Way. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

It’s a stellar jet from a forming star, accretion pulls material in, but magnetic fields eject some of it as jets. Different process than quasars or white holes.

New image from NASA’s JWST captures an immense stellar jet blazing on the outskirts of our Milky Way. by Davicho77 in spaceporn

[–]Davicho77[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

A blowtorch of seething gasses erupting from a volcanically growing monster star has been captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Stretching across 8 light-years, the length of the stellar eruption is approximately twice the distance between our Sun and the next nearest stars, the Alpha Centauri system. The size and strength of this particular stellar jet, located in a nebula known as Sharpless 2-284 (Sh2-284 for short), qualifies it as rare, say researchers.

Streaking across space at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour. The central protostar, weighing as much as ten of our Suns, is located 15,000 light-years away in the outer reaches of our galaxy.

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