Infinity Cosmos

Over the last two years, scientists have utilized NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to explore what astronomers call Cosmic Dawn, the period in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang when the first galaxies formed. These early galaxies provide crucial insights into the evolution of gas, stars, and black holes during the universe's infancy. In October 2023 and January 2024, an international team of astronomers employed Webb to observe galaxies as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. Using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), they captured a spectrum of a record-breaking galaxy observed only 290 million years after the Big Bang.  This corresponds to a redshift of about 14, indicating how much the galaxy's light has been stretched by the universe's expansion. Stefano Carniani from Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy, and Kevin Hainline from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, were invited to explain h...

  Panels a, b, and c each show stereographic image pairs of asteroid Dinkinesh taken by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft’s L’LORRI Instrument around closest approach on Nov. 1, 2023. Yellow and rose dots indicate the trough and ridge features, respectively. These images have been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast. Panel d shows a side view of Dinkinesh and its satellite Selam taken a few minutes after closest approach. Images from the November 2023 flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft reveal a trough on Dinkinesh where a large piece, approximately a quarter of the asteroid, shifted suddenly. The images also show a ridge and a separate contact binary satellite, now known as Selam. Scientists interpret this complex structure as evidence of Dinkinesh and Selam's significant internal strength and dynamic history. “We want to understand the strengths of small bodies in our solar system because that’s critical for understanding how planets like Earth got here,” explained...

  This computer-generated 3D model of Venus’ surface shows the volcano Sif Mons, which is exhibiting signs of ongoing activity. Using data from NASA’s Magellan mission, Italian researchers detected evidence of an eruption while the spacecraft orbited the planet in the early 1990s. Direct geological evidence of recent volcanic activity on Venus has been observed for a second time. Scientists in Italy analyzed archival data from NASA’s Magellan mission to reveal surface changes indicating the formation of new rock from lava flows linked to volcanoes that erupted while the spacecraft orbited the planet. Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Magellan mapped 98% of the planet’s surface from 1990 to 1992, and the images it generated remain the most detailed of Venus to date. “Using these maps as a guide, our results show that Venus may be far more volcanically active than previously thought,” said Davide Sulcanese of d’Annunzio University in Pescara, Italy, ...

  Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 1 at Māhia, New Zealand at 7:41 p.m. NZST on May 25, 2024 (3:41 a.m. EDT) carrying a small satellite for NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission. The first of two climate satellites designed to analyze heat emissions at Earth's poles has successfully entered orbit. Launched by Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand, the satellite lifted off at 7:41 p.m. NZST (3:41 a.m. EDT) on Saturday. This mission, named PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment), involves two CubeSats that will measure the heat radiated from Earth's polar regions into space. The PREFIRE mission aims to enhance predictions regarding changes in Earth’s ice, seas, and weather by providing detailed data on the far-infrared radiation emitted from the Arctic and Antarctic. This data is crucial for understanding how the energy budget of our planet influences climate...

  Voyager 1 has resumed returning science data from two of its four instruments for the first time since a computer issue arose in November 2023. The mission's science teams are now working to recalibrate the remaining two instruments, with plans to do so in the coming weeks. This marks significant progress toward restoring the spacecraft to normal operations. After five months of troubleshooting, the mission was able to begin receiving usable engineering data about the health and status of Voyager 1's onboard systems in April. On May 17, commands were sent to the 46-year-old spacecraft to resume sending science data back to Earth. Given Voyager 1's distance of over 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, it takes light more than 22 1/2 hours to travel each way, requiring nearly two days to confirm the success of the commands. The plasma wave subsystem and magnetometer instrument are now returning usable science data. Efforts are ongoing to restore the cosmic r...

A team of astronomers has studied 16 supermassive black holes that are firing powerful beams into space, tracking where these beams, or jets, are pointing now and where they were aimed in the past, as reported in our latest press release. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astronomical Observatory’s (NRAO) Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA), they found that some of the beams have changed directions by large amounts. These two Chandra images show hot gas in the middle of the galaxy cluster Abell 478 (left) and the galaxy group NGC 5044 (right). The center of each image contains one of the sixteen black holes firing beams outwards. Each black hole is located in the center of a galaxy embedded in the hot gas. In the images below, labels and the radio images appear. Ellipses show a pair of cavities in the hot gas for Abell 478 (left), while ellipses indicate two pairs of cavities for NGC 5044 (right). These cavities were carve...

  This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image captures a triple-star star system. Nestled within a reflection nebula, the trio of stars within this celestial portrait resembles a glittering cosmic geode, emanating a mesmerizing brilliance. At its heart lies the variable star HP Tau, accompanied by its companions HP Tau G2 and HP Tau G3. HP Tau, a T Tauri star, represents a stage in stellar evolution where nuclear fusion has yet to commence, akin to the infancy of our own Sun. These youthful stars, typically under 10 million years old, are enveloped in the remnants of their birthplace – clouds of dust and gas.  Like a cosmic symphony, HP Tau's luminosity dances through time, undergoing both periodic and erratic fluctuations. Such variability reflects the tumultuous nature of stellar infancy, with factors such as accretion disk instabilities, material consumption, and surface flares contributing to its radiant performance. Amidst the vast expanse of space, these celestial entities of...

  NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of a solar flare on May 12, highlighting the extremely hot material in flares with teal-colored extreme ultraviolet light. The Sun unleashed a potent solar flare, reaching its peak at 12:26 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 12. Captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, this event showcased the Sun's dynamic behavior. Solar flares, characterized by powerful bursts of energy, can have significant implications for various technological systems. These events, along with solar eruptions, have the potential to disrupt radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and even pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. The recent flare has been classified as an X1.0 flare, indicating its intensity level. X-class flares signify the most severe solar eruptions, with the accompanying number offering further insight into their strength. Understanding the potential impact of such space weather phenomena on Earth is crucial. Organizati...

The images provide compelling evidence of an exhaust vent connected to a chimney, releasing hot gas from the vicinity of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. Combining X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory with radio observations from the MeerKAT telescope reveals a "chimney" structure previously identified using X-ray data. The radio emission detected by MeerKAT illustrates the influence of magnetic fields surrounding the gas within the chimney.  Inset Chandra data highlights several X-ray ridges, resembling walls of a cylindrical tunnel, believed to guide hot gas upwards along the chimney away from the Galactic Center. A labeled version identifies key features, including the exhaust vent, chimney, Sagittarius A* (the supermassive black hole), and the galactic plane. This discovery sheds light on the dynamics of gas flow near the center of our galaxy. Region Near the Milky Way's Galactic Center (Labeled).   The recently discovered vent si...

  Introduction: In the vast expanse of the cosmos, amidst the twinkling stars and swirling galaxies, lies a celestial wonder known as UGC 9684. Captured by the keen eye of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, this spiral galaxy, situated approximately 240 million light-years away in the constellation Boötes, unveils a mesmerizing tapestry of galactic features. In this blog post, we embark on a journey to explore the enigmatic allure of UGC 9684, delving into its cosmic secrets and shedding light on its remarkable role as a hub of stellar phenomena. Exploring UGC 9684: A Galactic Showcase: The image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope offers a breathtaking glimpse into the heart of UGC 9684. At its core, a prominent bar extends through the galaxy's center, a hallmark characteristic of spiral galaxies. Surrounding this central feature, a halo envelops the galactic disk, casting a celestial glow that mesmerizes astronomers and stargazers alike. These classic galactic traits paint a...

  This image features the spiral galaxy NGC 4951, located roughly 50 million light-years away from Earth. In the vast expanse of the cosmos, where stars dance across the canvas of the universe, lies a captivating spectacle captured by the lens of the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. Behold NGC 4951, a celestial masterpiece nestled within the Virgo constellation, approximately 50 million light-years from Earth. In this cosmic ballet, bright, starry spiral arms envelop an active galactic center, offering a glimpse into the enigmatic workings of our cosmos. NGC 4951 belongs to a distinguished class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies, characterized by their extraordinary energy emissions emanating from an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Unlike their counterparts, Seyfert galaxies retain their distinct galactic form, a testament to the unique interplay between the luminous nucleus and the surrounding cosmic expanse. At the heart of NGC 4951 resides a supermassive black hole, a cosmic beh...

On May 10, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory unveiled a stunning image of a solar flare, showcasing intense bursts of extreme ultraviolet light, depicted in golden hues. In the early hours of May 10, 2024, at 2:54 a.m. ET, the Sun unleashed a powerful solar flare, captivating astronomers and space enthusiasts worldwide. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, dedicated to monitoring our star, seized a stunning image of the dramatic event. This solar flare, ranked as an X3.9 flare, represents a significant eruption of energy from the Sun's surface. Classified as X-class, denoting the most intense flares, and with the number indicating its strength, this event underscores the Sun's dynamic nature. Solar flares and eruptions possess the potential to disrupt various technologies and systems on Earth. From impacting radio communications and electric power grids to posing risks to navigation signals and spacecraft, the ramifications are far-reaching. To assess the potential ...

  NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of the solar flares, showcasing bright flashes in the left (May 8 flare) and right (May 7 flare) images, displaying extreme ultraviolet light highlighting the intensely hot material in orange hues. In a celestial spectacle, the Sun emitted two powerful solar flares in quick succession, igniting skies with bursts of energy that captivated astronomers and space enthusiasts alike. The first flare reached its peak intensity at 9:41 p.m. ET on May 7, 2024, followed by a second surge at 1:09 a.m. ET on May 8, 2024. NASA's vigilant Solar Dynamics Observatory, tasked with monitoring the Sun around the clock, was swift to capture stunning imagery of these remarkable events, providing invaluable insights into our star's behavior.  Solar flares, characterized by their immense energy releases, are phenomena capable of exerting profound impacts on various technological and communication systems on Earth. From disrupting radio communicatio...

  NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the solar flares' bright flashes in the upper right on May 5 and May 6, 2024, highlighting the extremely hot material in flares, colorized in teal. The Sun exhibited remarkable activity in the form of three robust solar flares, each with its peak intensity and timing. The initial flare reached its zenith at 2:01 A.M. ET on May 5, 2024, followed by a second surge at 7:54 A.M. ET on the same day. A third formidable flare culminated at 2:35 A.M. ET on May 6, 2024. Capturing this celestial spectacle, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory provided a stunning image of the event. Solar flares, characterized by their formidable energy bursts, wield significant influence over various technological systems on Earth and beyond. These eruptions have the potential to disrupt radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and even jeopardize spacecraft and astronauts. Each flare's classification sheds light on its potency: the fir...

  These images depict the dusty debris disk around AU Mic, a red dwarf star 32 light-years away in the constellation Microscopium. Utilizing Webb's NIRCam equipped with a coronagraph, scientists studied the region near the star, with the star's location marked in white and the blocked region shown by a dashed circle. In 2023,NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has provided unprecedented insights into the inner workings of a dusty disk enveloping a nearby red dwarf star. Representing a breakthrough in astronomical observation, these findings offer valuable clues to the composition and dynamics of such stellar systems. The star at the center of this discovery, AU Microscopii (AU Mic), resides a mere 32 light-years away in the constellation Microscopium. Despite its relative proximity, AU Mic presents a unique celestial laboratory due to its youthful age of approximately 23 million years. This age places it past the prime period of planet formation, a process typically completed wit...

  In the depths of space, the star system GK Per unveils a celestial saga, adorned with nebulas and stellar phenomena. Situated 1500 light-years away, GK Persei, also known as Nova Persei 1901, emerges as a cosmic protagonist, hosting a tale of cosmic upheaval and transformation. At its heart lies a white dwarf, a resilient remnant of a bygone solar era. Encircling this stellar relic is the resplendent Firework Nebula, a testament to the explosive spectacle witnessed in 1901. During this epochal event, a thermonuclear outburst on the white dwarf's surface, known as a nova, unleashed a torrent of gas, forming the radiant Firework Nebula. Illuminated by the fiery remnants of its former atmosphere, the nebula glows with a vibrant hue, embodying the enduring legacy of GK Per's cataclysmic rebirth. Yet, amidst this cosmic tapestry, another celestial actor awaits its moment in the stellar spotlight. The star system T CrB looms on the cosmic stage, poised on the brink of its own stel...