NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, along with other telescopes, has discovered a supermassive black hole that has shredded a star and is now using the remnants to strike another star or smaller black hole. This finding bridges two cosmic enigmas and sheds light on the environments surrounding the largest black holes. An artist’s illustration depicts […]
Category: Cosmos
Westerlund 1: A Stellar Laboratory Unveiled by Webb.
The open cluster Westerlund 1, featured as the Webb Picture of the Month, is located approximately 12,000 light-years away in the southern constellation Ara (the Altar). Discovered in 1961 by Swedish astronomer Bengt Westerlund, this cluster resides behind a vast interstellar cloud of gas and dust, making it a prime site for studying extreme […]
NASA’s Webb Uncovers Unique Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P.
An artist’s concept depicts Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1’s outgassing activity, highlighting new observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope that revealed additional jets of gas, expanding on prior findings of a jet directed toward Earth. Inspired by the half-human, half-horse creatures of Ancient Greek mythology, the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs: […]
An ancient Oort Cloud comet will pass by Earth for the first time in mid-October.
An ancient celestial traveler, designated C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is set to make its first close pass by Earth in mid-October 2023. This Oort Cloud comet, discovered in 2023, is approaching the inner solar system on a highly elliptical orbit, marking a significant event in documented human history. It was identified by astronomers at China’s Tsuchinshan […]
Powerful Solar Flare Strikes Earth, Class X7.1 Recorded.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare—visible as the bright flash in the lower left—on Oct. 1, 2024, using extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the hot material in vibrant red and orange. On October 1, 2024, the Sun unleashed a significant solar flare, peaking at 6:20 p.m. ET. NASA’s Solar […]
Exciting Discovery on Mars: Perseverance Rover Spots Unique ‘Zebra Rock.
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover captured this image of a black-and-white striped rock using its Left Mastcam-Z camera on September 13, 2024 (Sol 1268) at 12:40:29 local mean solar time. Last week, scientists and space enthusiasts alike were captivated when NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered an unusual black-and-white striped rock, dubbed ‘Freya Castle,’ on the Martian […]
Unique Binary System DQ Tau Offers Insight into Stellar Formation and Planetary Development.
In a breathtaking cosmic dance, two young protostars in the DQ Tau system draw perilously close every two weeks, reaching within just 10 stellar radii of each other. This artist’s illustration captures the intense fireworks that erupt during these close encounters, showcasing the dynamic interactions and stellar flares that characterize their rapid orbit. Taurus […]
Hubble’s Latest Findings Reveal Greater Numbers of Early Universe Black Holes, Shedding Light on Their Formation.
A Survey of Hubble’s Deepest Look Back into Time Uncovers New Clues. The universe seems to be teeming with black holes—cosmic phenomena that devour anything that ventures too close. The most enormous of these, with masses millions or even billions of times greater than our Sun, are found at the centers of galaxies. When […]
Powerful Solar Flare Hits Earth: X4.5 Event Captured by NASA.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare — the bright flash near the center — on Sept. 14, 2024, in extreme ultraviolet light, colorized in gold and red to highlight the hot material. On September 14, 2024, at 11:29 a.m. ET, the Sun unleashed a significant solar flare, peaking at […]
Strong Solar Flare Peaks on September 12, 2024.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare, visible as the bright flash on the left, on Sept. 12, 2024. The image shows extremely hot material in flares, highlighted in gold through extreme ultraviolet light. HOn September 12, 2024, at 5:43 a.m. ET, the Sun released a powerful solar flare, reaching […]
