Latest news with #Hubble
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Milky Way Galaxy collision more likely while NASA prepares for lunar rescue
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Milky Way could, relatively soon, collide with a neighboring galaxy. A new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy found that there is a 50-50 chance that the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies could collide in the next few billion years. In this week's Space Space, we're taking a closer look at the report and why NASA is trying to rescue astronauts at the South Pole. Researchers at the University of Helsinki looked into the chances of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies colliding. 'The Milky Way is not doomed – whether that's relevant for the sun or for the earth, that's another question. But yeah, so basically we found that there's only about a 50-50 chance that the Milky Way will collide with Andromeda in the next 10 billion years,' said the study's lead author, Dr. Till Sawala from the University of Helsinki, to the Associated Press. Sawala and his team made the discovery while studying observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia star-surveying spacecraft. Hubble is operated by NASA. Gaia is owned by the European Space Agency. The research looked at possible futures for the two galaxies. Both galaxies have collided with other galaxies in the past, according to the Associate Press. Other galaxies and celestial bodies could change the likelihood of the galaxies colliding. More observations are needed to determine the galaxy's ultimate fate. 'Even though we say that we really can't say what the outcome is right now based on the data that we have, this is not a case of chaos. This is not system that is unpredictable. It is a system that's very predictable, we just don't have basically enough accuracy about the current state of the Milky Way and Andromeda,' Sawala explained to the AP. NASA recently announced the winners of The South Pole Safety Challenge. The challenge allowed the public to design technology for recovering astronauts in hard to reach areas of the moon. The public was asked to develop lightweight, easy to use rescue equipment. It had to be designed to transport crew weighing 755 lbs. and capable of travelling 1.24 miles and across slopes up to 22 degrees. The challenge received 385 unique ideas from 61 countries. Five winners were selected. NASA, in a press release described the winners as the following: VERTEX by Hugo Shelley – A self-deploying four-wheeled motorized stretcher that converts from a compact cylinder into a frame that securely encases an immobilized crew member for transport up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). MoonWheel by Chamara Mahesh – A foldable manual trolley designed for challenging terrain and rapid deployment by an individual astronaut. Portable Foldable Compact Emergency Stretcher by Sbarellati team – A foldable stretcher compatible with NASA's Exploration Extravehicular Activity spacesuit. Advanced Surface Transport for Rescue (ASTRA) by Pierre-Alexandre Aubé – A collapsible three-wheeled device with a 1.2 mile (2 kilometer) range. Getting Rick to Roll! by InventorParents – A rapidly deployable, tool-free design suited for functionality in low gravity settings. NASA aims to test these devices on future missions. The winners all split a $45,000 prize. Two European satellites are mimicking an eclipse in deep space. Developed by the European Space Agency, the Proba-3 twin satellites launched December 4, 2024. On Monday, June 16, the ESA released the first images sent back from the probes of an artificial eclipse. The images will be used to study the sun's corona and solar flares. 'To see the corona, we needed to align the two spacecrafts and the sun. And so the two spacecrafts should be aligned with the precision below (one) millimeter. And the distance between the two spaces is 144 meters. So it's really, really, really technological achievement, a technological breakthrough,' said Dr. Andrei Zhukov, lead scientist for the orbiting corona-observing telescope, to the Associated Press. One satellite blocks the sun as if it is the moon during an eclipse, while the other takes pictures. The fake eclipse lasts six hours, much longer than a real one on Earth which lasts just minutes. Zhukov anticipates an average of two solar eclipses per week being produced for a total of nearly 200 during the two-year mission, yielding more than 1,000 hours of totality. 'We hope to learn a lot about the physics of the solar corona close to the solar surface to see how the solar wind is accelerated and also to see the origin of coronal mass ejections, which can disturb human technology when they arrive at the Earth,' Zhukov said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Science
- Express Tribune
James Webb Telescope finds life? NASA unveils largest-ever map of the recorded universe
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled a record-breaking cosmic map, charting over 800,000 galaxies beyond the Milky Way in a mission that stretches the boundaries of astronomical research. It marks the most detailed and expansive map of the distant universe ever produced. The findings come from the COSMOS-Web project, a deep field survey covering just 0.54 square degrees of sky, yet offering a window into 98% of the universe's history. Conducted over 255 hours of continuous observation, the COSMOS-Web survey used JWST's advanced infrared sensors to peer across space and time. Webb observed these little green galaxies in Pandora's Cluster. Were they the cause of a massive cosmic makeover? In the universe's first billion years, it was immersed in a fog of neutral hydrogen gas. Today, this gas is ionized (stripped of its electrons). Which cosmic objects… — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) June 12, 2025 Unlike visible light telescopes such as Hubble, JWST detects ancient infrared light—light stretched by the expansion of the universe and invisible to standard optical instruments. 'This project allows us to see galaxies and supermassive black holes not even visible with Hubble,' said Professor Caitlin Casey, one of the lead researchers. 'We're not just seeing more galaxies—we're seeing entirely different types than ever before.' The data reveals an unexpectedly dense population of galaxies in the early universe—up to 10 times more than anticipated within the first 500 million years after the Big Bang. In some cases, galaxies appear just 300 million years after the universe began, offering a glimpse into the earliest stages of cosmic formation. The COSMOS-Web initiative also stands out for its commitment to open science. After two years of data processing, the entire dataset is now available publicly. This transparency allows not just specialists, but also students and independent researchers to study and interpret the universe's infancy. The implications of the discovery are wide-ranging. From providing insights into the formation of early galaxies and black holes to enabling future research into cosmic structure, COSMOS-Web may serve as a foundational reference for years to come. With JWST continuing its mission, astronomers anticipate even more breakthroughs as they trace the evolution of the universe—from the smallest galaxies to the vast structures shaping space as we know it.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Coolest Space Photos of 2025 Will Fill You With Cosmic Wonder
There's always something happening in space, and humanity is documenting it more quickly and clearly than ever before. Orbiting telescopes, astronauts and spacecraft are sending back a stream of photos that show off the diversity and wonder of the universe. Here are some of the best space photos of the year, so far. It wasn't just imagery of objects beyond Earth that caught our eye over the first half of the year. The European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 Earth-observing satellite documented the devastating Palisades Fire in California in January. The Jan. 7 view showed a large smoke plume stretching out over the Pacific Ocean. That was just the beginning of a series of wildfires that destroyed residences and buildings in Los Angeles County. NASA astronaut and astrophotographer extraordinaire Don Pettit shared a knockout view of Earth from the International Space Station in late February. "Cosmic colors at sunrise; never get tired of seeing what the new day brings," he said. This photo has it all: our planet, swirling aurora lights and a sweeping vista of stars. It's tough to land successfully on the moon. Firefly Aerospace pulled off the feat in March with its Blue Ghost Mission 1. The Blue Ghost lander captured a historic view of a sunrise from the surface of the moon. The image shows the pockmarked lunar surface with the bright flash of the sun topping the horizon. Many moon missions, including Intuitive Machine's 2025 attempt, go wrong. That makes Blue Ghost's sunrise image all the more poignant. It marks a hard-earned lunar success story. The James Webb Space Telescope delivered a wild view of Herbig-Haro 49/50 in March. NASA described the space object as "a frothy-looking outflow from a nearby protostar" and a "cosmic tornado." Look for the distant spiral galaxy in the upper left. The venerable Hubble Space Telescope celebrated 35 years in orbit in April. NASA and ESA partied down by releasing a series of Hubble anniversary images, including views of Mars and a barred spiral galaxy. It's hard to pick just one anniversary image to highlight, but the telescope's ethereal view of the Rosette Nebula and its smoky clouds of gas and dust stands out. The nebula is a place of active star formation. Hubble's image focuses on one small, scenic part of the Rosette. NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers got some full-moon photography in during May's "flower moon." Ayers had a front-row seat to the glowing lunar action from her perch on the International Space Station. Ayers shared a series of photos with Earth in the frame, emphasizing the relationship between our blue planet and our lunar neighbor. NASA's Perseverance rover has been trucking around Mars since early 2021. The wheeled explorer marked its 1,500th Martian day on May 10 by taking a fresh selfie. Percy took dozens of images of itself using a camera mounted on the end of its robotic arm. NASA stitched the shots together to create the selfie. Look deeper into the image to spot a swirling dust devil dancing in the background. "Having the dust devil in the background makes it a classic," said Perseverance imaging scientist Megan Wu. "This is a great shot." The year is not even half over. There are full moons, auroras, space launches and meteor showers coming down the line. Satellites are watching over Earth. Space telescopes are staring out into the cosmos and sending back postcards from our universe. Stay tuned for more stunning images.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Surprised scientists discover the 'dark sides' of Uranus' moons are the wrong way around
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have discovered that the "dark sides" of Uranus' largest moons aren't where they originally thought — and in some cases are on the complete opposite sides of the icy satellites than expected. Uranus has 28 confirmed moons, including five major moons. The closest of these large satellites is Miranda, followed by Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon — all named after characters from plays written by William Shakespeare. These icy bodies, which range from 293 to 980 miles (472 to 1,578 kilometers) wide, are all "tidally locked" to Uranus, meaning that the same half of the moon always faces the planet, similar to how Earth's moon orbits our planet. Because of this tidal locking, the major moons have a "leading side," the hemisphere facing forward in their respective orbits, and a "trailing side," which is always looking back in the satellites' wake. Scientists had assumed that the leading sides of each moon would be brighter when viewed in invisible wavelengths of electromagnetic light, such as ultraviolet and infrared. This is because electrons from the planet's magnetic field, or magnetosphere, should be captured by the moons and naturally accumulate on their trailing sides, scattering radiation and making them appear "darker," similar to some other moons in the solar system. But in a new study, researchers turned the ultraviolet instruments of the Hubble Space Telescope toward Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon to measure their brightness. Surprisingly, none of the moons' leading sides were brighter than their respective trailing sides, and on Titania and Oberon, the trailing side was brighter than the leading side, flipping the current theory on its head. The team shared their findings on Tuesday (June 10) at the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Related: Scientists finally know how long a day on Uranus is While the new findings were a shock, they can be partially attributed to confusion around the magnetic properties of the solar system's seventh planet. "Uranus is weird, so it's always been uncertain how much the magnetic field actually interacts with its satellites," Richard Cartwright, a planetary scientist at the John Hopkins University in Maryland and principal investigator of the study team, said in a statement. Most of this confusion comes from Uranus' unusual tilt. The planet's axis is tilted 98 degrees relative to its orbit around the sun — giving it the appearance of a rolling ball, rather than a spinning top — but its satellites still orbit around its equator, meaning they pass through the magnetosphere at a 59-degree angle. Recent findings also hint that scientists' current assumptions about the magnetosphere's size and strength may be wrong, due to magnetic anomalies that occurred 40 years ago when the Voyager 2 probe took the first up-close measurements of the planet. The new study does not really help us learn anything about Uranus' magnetosphere because the lack of electrons could be explained by either a weaker magnetic shield or a much stronger and more chaotic one, the researchers said. However, the unexpected brightness of Titania's and Oberon's trailing sides hint at another unknown phenomenon, which researchers have dubbed "dust shielding." The idea is that little bits of dust around Uranus, which have accumulated over millions of years of meteor strikes on the Uranian moons, are hitting the moons' leading sides "like bugs hitting the windshield of your car as you drive down a highway," researchers said. "This is some of the first evidence we're seeing of a similar material exchange among the Uranian satellites," added co-investigator Bryan Holler, a support scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland that oversees Hubble's science operations. However, similar exchanges have been observed in the systems of Jupiter and Saturn, he added. RELATED STORIES —'Hidden' rings of Uranus revealed in dazzling new James Webb telescope images —Icy moon of Uranus may have once hid watery secret, Voyager 2 archives reveal —A moon of Uranus could have a hidden ocean, James Webb telescope finds This is not the only surprising discovery made about Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon. Recent findings have also hinted that all four of these major moons could support or have previously supported subterranean oceans, similar to those believed to exist on Europa, Ganymede and Enceladus. The researchers hope that the mysteries surrounding Uranus' moons could soon be unraveled by the James Webb Space Telescope, which has already helped uncover many of the planet's secrets using its state-of-the-art infrared instruments.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
1.5TB of Webb Telescope Data Made Available for Public Use
Open science just got a stellar upgrade. On Thursday, NASA-backed COSMOS-Web made 1.5 terabytes of the James Webb Space Telescope's observational data available online, free of charge. It's the biggest trove of raw deep-space data ever opened to the public at a given time. COSMOS-Web, the Webb telescope's continuation of Hubble's 590-orbit Cosmic Evolution Survey, involves more than 200 researchers from a dozen countries. The project aims to expand astronomers' understanding of the Reionization Era (the billion years immediately following the Big Bang), track the evolution of massive galaxies in the universe's first two billion years, and unravel dark matter's entanglement with visible matter within galaxies. Between Webb's 2021 launch and June 2025, COSMOS-Web has conducted over 250 hours of observations across 150 visits. The result is a vast raw data catalog containing "photometry, structural measurements, redshifts, and physical parameters for nearly 800,000 galaxies," per the COSMOS-Web team. Accompanying the catalog are mosaics from Webb's NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument), which together mapped a total of 0.74 square degrees of sky—roughly the area of four full moons. COSMOS-Web NIRCam mosaic (upper left) with zoom-ins to the region surrounding the COSMOS-Web Ring (upper right). Credit: COSMOS-Web Though the data in COSMOS2025 was made available as soon as it was obtained, "only those with specialized technical knowledge and supercomputer access are able to process them into a form useful for scientific analyses," the team said. In contrast, the catalog consists of what was left after COSMOS-Web sifted out artifacts, subtracted background noise, reduced duplicate data, and improved the astrometry. This doesn't just make the data more accessible to research institutions and citizen scientists; it also sets a foundation for calibrating future surveys and observatories. "In today's climate, open, accessible science is more important than ever," COSMOS-Web's statement reads. "Anyone in the world can now access the same catalogs and images used by the COSMOS collaboration…This collective spirit has been remarkably successful in continuously reinvigorating the team over the past twenty years."
