Hubble unveils a Magnificent barred spiral galaxy.

The resplendent central bar of NGC 2217, also known as AM 0619-271, illuminates the vast expanse of the Canis Major constellation, captured in exquisite detail by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Situated approximately 65 million light-years from our vantage point on Earth, this celestial marvel mirrors the grandeur of our own Milky Way, boasting a diameter spanning 100,000 light-years. Within its cosmic embrace, myriad stars congregate, forming the radiant core bar, encircled by tightly coiled spiral arms.

Central bars, such as the one adorning galaxies like NGC 2217, play a pivotal role in their cosmic narrative, shaping their evolutionary trajectory. Acting as conduits, these bars facilitate the migration of gas from the galactic disk towards the nucleus, where it undergoes transformative processes. Within this crucible of creation, gas and dust coalesce, birthing new stars that adorn the galactic canvas, or succumb to the voracious appetite of the supermassive black hole ensconced at the heart of the galaxy. These cosmic behemoths, spanning a range from several hundred to over a billion times the mass of our Sun, stand as sentinels within the cosmic tapestry, exerting their gravitational influence over their galactic domains.

This awe-inspiring image of NGC 2217 was rendered in vivid hues, utilizing data sourced from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), offering a glimpse into the captivating beauty of the cosmos.

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NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Reveals New Details of the Orion Nebula’s Star Formation.

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image captures the Orion Nebula (Messier 42, M42), the nearest star-forming region to Earth, located about 1,500 light-years away. A captivating new image captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers an extraordinary look into the Orion Nebula, the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth. Located just 1,500 light-years away, this nebula is visible to the naked eye below the three stars forming Orion's "belt." The region is home to hundreds of newborn stars, including two protostars featured in the image: HOPS 150 and HOPS 153. Named after the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey, conducted with ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory, the protostars HOPS 150 and HOPS 153 provide key insights into the early stages of star formation. HOPS 150, visible in the upper-right corner of the image, is a binary star system, with two young stars orbiting one another. These protostars are surrounded by small dusty disks, where material from th...

New Method Detects Small Asteroids in Main Belt, Offering Insight for Planetary Defense.

An international team of physicists, led by MIT researchers, has developed a groundbreaking method to detect small asteroids, as small as 10 meters in diameter, within the main asteroid belt. These space rocks, ranging from the size of a bus to several stadiums wide, were previously undetectable using traditional methods. The team's discovery, detailed in a paper published in Nature, could significantly improve tracking of potential asteroid impactors, aiding planetary defense efforts. The main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, is home to millions of asteroids, but until now, scientists could only detect objects roughly a kilometer in diameter. The new detection technique, which utilizes the "shift and stack" method, is able to identify much smaller asteroids, even those far from Earth, enabling more precise orbital tracking. This breakthrough is crucial for planetary defense, allowing scientists to spot near-Earth objects that may pose a threat in the fu...

XSPECT Payload Successfully Validates Performance through Cas A Observation.

The XSPECT instrument captures a detailed spectrum of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), encompassing both the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) background and the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB). The flux observed above 8 keV predominantly results from the combined contributions of CXB and GCR. The presented spectrum, depicted in the figure, is derived from a cumulative integration time of 20 ksec, collected across multiple orbits, providing valuable insights into the X-ray emissions associated with Cas A. XPoSat, India's inaugural X-ray polarimetric mission, has achieved a significant as the XSPECT instrument captures its initial observations from the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant. Launched on January 1, 2024, XPoSat is equipped with two co-aligned instruments, namely the POLarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) and X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing (XSPECT). This mission is designed to unravel the mysteries of cosmic X-ray sources. While POLIX focuses on examining X-ray po...

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