Latest news with #NASAWebbTelescope
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- 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.
India Today
11-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Chances of city-killer asteroid crashing on the Moon just went up
Astronomers observing the Asteroid 2024 YR4 have raised the probability of its crashing on the Moon as it becomes James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun. Analysis has now raised its probability of impacting the Moon from 3.8% to 4.3%.When the asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, the asteroid had a small chance of impacting Earth. After more observations, NASA concluded the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and Estimated to be about 130 to 300 feet wide, Asteroid 2024 YR4 grabbed the attention of astronomers when it rose on the NASA automated Sentry risk list on December 31, 2024. This list includes any known near-Earth asteroids that have a non-zero probability of impacting Earth in the watch!Webb was able to help refine, by nearly 20%, our knowledge of the asteroid 2024 YR4's orbit, and the (super tiny) odds of it impacting the Moon in 2032. NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) June 5, 2025Astronomers have also constructed a 3D model of asteroid 2024 YR4 using observations conducted by the Gemini South telescope in team acknowledged that the unusually-shaped rock is one of the largest objects in recent history that could impact the Moon and that it likely originated from the main asteroid 2024 YR4 is now too far away to observe with either space or ground-based telescopes. NASA expects to make further observations when the asteroid's orbit around the Sun brings it back into the vicinity of Earth in 2028.," the team said in their data has improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on Dec. 22, 2032, by nearly 20%.In a paper, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team had noted that the asteroid has a diameter of about 30–65 meters (98–213 feet). The analysis also revealed that the asteroid has a rapid rotation period of approximately one rotation per 20 minutes, as well as an unusual hockey-puck-like team determined that 2024 YR4 most likely originated from the main asteroid belt, with a high probability of being perturbed into its current near-Earth orbit by gravitational interactions with Jupiter.
