<p>The supermassive black hole located at the centre of our galaxy has been spinning extremely fast and out of orientation with the rest of the galaxy. The reason behind this behaviour and how it came into existence has been a mystery.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Now a new study seems to have the answers to both the questions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sagittarius A*, 26,000 light-years away from us, is a gargantuan tear in space-time. It is four million times the mass of our sun and 14.6 million miles (23.5 million kilometres) wide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The telescope that first captured the black hole's image in 2022 had a lot more data about it. This data was studied by researchers, who believe that Sagittarius A* was born from a cataclysmic merger with another giant black hole billions of years ago. The findings published on September 6 in the journal Nature Astronomy say that the black hole is still showing the effects of this violent collision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This discovery paves the way for our understanding of how supermassive black holes grow and evolve," study lead author Yihan Wang, an astrophysicist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The misaligned high spin of Sgr A* indicates that it may have merged with another black hole, dramatically altering its amplitude and orientation of spin."</p>

<h2>Supermassive black holes</h2>

<p>As per the scientists, Sgr A* was born just like any other black hole - after the collapse of a giant star or gas cloud. It then started gobbling up anything that came too close. Black holes can slowly become monstrous in size and feed on other supermassive black holes.</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/volcano-born-from-nothing-on-jupiters-moon-lo-didnt-exist-25-years-back-757975">Volcano born from 'nothing' on Jupiter's moon lo didn't exist 25 years back</a></p>

<p>"This merger likely occurred around 9 billion years ago, following the Milky Way's merger with the Gaia-Enceladus galaxy," study co-author Bing Zhang, a professor of physics and astronomy at UNLV, said in the statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Supermassive black holes merge when entire galaxies merge. Milky Way has had several such mergers and collisions in the last 12 billion years, experts say. But, scientists are not sure about the role of black hole mergers in creating supermassive black holes. Can simply feeding on gas and dust turn a black hole into a supermassive black hole?</p>

<p>The new discovery "provides insights into the dynamic history of our galaxy," Zhang added.</p>


The supermassive black hole located at the centre of our galaxy has been spinning extremely fast and out of orientation with the rest of the galaxy. The reason behind this behaviour and how it came into existence has been a mystery.

The supermassive black hole located at the centre of our galaxy has been spinning extremely fast and out of orientation with the rest of the galaxy. The reason behind this behaviour and how it came into existence has been a mystery. Now a new study seems to have the answers to both the questions. Sagittarius A*, 26,000 light-years away from us, is a gargantuan tear in space-time. It is four million times the mass of our sun and 14.6 million miles (23.5 million kilometres) wide. The telescope that first captured the black hole's image in 2022 had a lot more data about it. This data was studied by researchers, who believe that Sagittarius A* was born from a cataclysmic merger with another giant black hole billions of years ago. The findings published on September 6 in the journal Nature Astronomy say that the black hole is still showing the effects of this violent collision. "This discovery paves the way for our understanding of how supermassive black holes grow and evolve," study lead author Yihan Wang, an astrophysicist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), said in a statement. "The misaligned high spin of Sgr A* indicates that it may have merged with another black hole, dramatically altering its amplitude and orientation of spin." Supermassive black holes As per the scientists, Sgr A* was born just like any other black hole - after the collapse of a giant star or gas cloud. It then started gobbling up anything that came too close. Black holes can slowly become monstrous in size and feed on other supermassive black holes. Also Read: Volcano born from 'nothing' on Jupiter's moon lo didn't exist 25 years back "This merger likely occurred around 9 billion years ago, following the Milky Way's merger with the Gaia-Enceladus galaxy," study co-author Bing Zhang, a professor of physics and astronomy at UNLV, said in the statement. Supermassive black holes merge when entire galaxies merge. Milky Way has had several such mergers and collisions in the last 12 billion years, experts say. But, scientists are not sure about the role of black hole mergers in creating supermassive black holes. Can simply feeding on gas and dust turn a black hole into a supermassive black hole? The new discovery "provides insights into the dynamic history of our galaxy," Zhang added.

Mega collision with another galaxy 9 billion years ago created Milky Way black hole

<p>Astronomers have discovered an unexplored cluster in the Milky Way with potentially dangerous regions. Known as Barbá 2, it is around 24,000 light-years away from Earth. The Barbá 2 cluster is home to red supergiant stars, some of which are hundreds of times wider than the sun and up to 1,000,000 times brighter than our star.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The cluster was found using the Gaia space telescope.</p>

<p>Ignacio Negueruela, a researcher at the Universidad de Alicante and a part of the team that saw the Barbá 2 cluster, told Space.com, "Clusters rich in red supergiants are very rare and tend to be very far away, but they play a crucial role in understanding key aspects in the evolution of massive stars."</p>

<p>The sheer size of these giant stars means that they burn through their nuclear fuel a lot faster than our sun. Because of this, these monster stars are only expected to stay alive for a few million years. Notably, our sun has been predicted to have around 10 billion years left in its life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Open star clusters are extremely common in the Milky Way, with over 1,110 already been found. However, what makes Barbá 2 unique is the presence of several supergiants in the same cluster.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Life and death of stars</h2>

<p>Negueruela says the discovery is important in understanding how a star becomes a red supergiant and how its fate is affected by this process.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-wow-signal-nearly-50-years-later-752972">Astronomers may have solved the mystery of WOW! signal nearly 50 years later</a></p>

<p>"Finding a cluster like Barbá 2, which can be observed with a mid-sized telescope, is a significant and exciting discovery for astronomers," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Negueruela says that the discovery of this cluster packed with supergiants can help understand why some stars towards the end of their lifetime become neutron stars while others become black holes.</p>

<p>With smaller stars, the gravitational collapse creates a stellar remnant called a white dwarf. Some of the bigger stars become neutron stars because of the crushing down of the massive stellar core that forces together electrons and protons. Other stars following a complete collapse are transformed into a stellar-mass black hole. It has a dense mass at its centre and a boundary around it from which not even light can escape.</p>

<p>"These clusters are valuable to astronomers because they help us understand red supergiants, which are otherwise challenging to study on their own."</p>

<p>The Barbá cluster was discovered around 10 years back by astronomer Rodolfo Barbá. But he died in 2021 and his findings remained unpublished.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Negueruela said that Rodolfo made many stunning discoveries but a lot of them never got published. "After Rodolfo passed away, his close collaborator Jesús Maíz took on the task of ensuring that his work would be published," he said.&nbsp;</p>


Astronomers have discovered an unexplored cluster in the Milky Way with potentially dangerous regions. Known as Barbá 2, it is around 24,000 light-years away from Earth.

Astronomers have discovered an unexplored cluster in the Milky Way with potentially dangerous regions. Known as Barbá 2, it is around 24,000 light-years away from Earth. The Barbá 2 cluster is home to red supergiant stars, some of which are hundreds of times wider than the sun and up to 1,000,000 times brighter than our star. The cluster was found using the Gaia space telescope. Ignacio Negueruela, a researcher at the Universidad de Alicante and a part of the team that saw the Barbá 2 cluster, told Space.com, "Clusters rich in red supergiants are very rare and tend to be very far away, but they play a crucial role in understanding key aspects in the evolution of massive stars." The sheer size of these giant stars means that they burn through their nuclear fuel a lot faster than our sun. Because of this, these monster stars are only expected to stay alive for a few million years. Notably, our sun has been predicted to have around 10 billion years left in its life. Open star clusters are extremely common in the Milky Way, with over 1,110 already been found. However, what makes Barbá 2 unique is the presence of several supergiants in the same cluster. Life and death of stars Negueruela says the discovery is important in understanding how a star becomes a red supergiant and how its fate is affected by this process. Also Read: Astronomers may have solved the mystery of WOW! signal nearly 50 years later "Finding a cluster like Barbá 2, which can be observed with a mid-sized telescope, is a significant and exciting discovery for astronomers," he said. Negueruela says that the discovery of this cluster packed with supergiants can help understand why some stars towards the end of their lifetime become neutron stars while others become black holes. With smaller stars, the gravitational collapse creates a stellar remnant called a white dwarf. Some of the bigger stars become neutron stars because of the crushing down of the massive stellar core that forces together electrons and protons. Other stars following a complete collapse are transformed into a stellar-mass black hole. It has a dense mass at its centre and a boundary around it from which not even light can escape. "These clusters are valuable to astronomers because they help us understand red supergiants, which are otherwise challenging to study on their own." The Barbá cluster was discovered around 10 years back by astronomer Rodolfo Barbá. But he died in 2021 and his findings remained unpublished. Negueruela said that Rodolfo made many stunning discoveries but a lot of them never got published. "After Rodolfo passed away, his close collaborator Jesús Maíz took on the task of ensuring that his work would be published," he said.

Milky Way cluster with monster stars million times brighter than sun stuns astronomers

<p>The Milky Way seems to harbour a vast ripple spreading out across at least a quarter of its disc. But scientists have never confirmed it and some say that it doesn't exist at all. However, if it is present, then it might have been created following a clash with another galaxy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Eloisa Poggio at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Nice and her team say that they have noticed a faint ripple in the galaxy that is propagating away from its centre. "It’s not huge, it’s just a small ripple,” Poggio told <em>New Scientist</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The team made the observation after studying the motion of tens of thousands of stars using the Gaia space telescope. Previously, a few other waves have also been discovered, but the latest wave spreads out over a vast section of the galaxy, she says.</p>

<p>The Milky Way appears like a flat disc with a bulge at the centre in illustrations. However, scientists have noticed small waves in small portions of the galaxy that seem to have been made by clouds of stars and gas. The disc is warped in a static S-shape.</p>

<p>Poggio and her colleagues studied two groups of stars to know more about waves in the galaxy. Two different groups of young stars that formed recently were seen moving with their surroundings. They compared the vertical and horizontal positions of these two groups of stars, along with their movement, with a model of the galaxy. The shape of the model used had a static S-shaped warp.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-hit-by-hundreds-of-meteorites-originating-from-only-5-craters-on-mars-752869">Earth hit by hundreds of meteorites originating from only 5 craters on Mars</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>What did the study find?</strong></h2>

<p>They noticed two distinct ways the group of stars were moving - back and forth along the radial axis of the galaxy and up and down. However, the two motion patterns were statistically related. The researchers concluded that the two motions are likely part of one vast wave. What caused the ripple is not clear, although Poggio suggests that it could have happened after a past close encounter with a smaller galaxy’s gravity.</p>

<p>However, other experts say they don't see a link between the two motions. Ralph Schoenrich of University College London told <em>New Scientist</em> that instead of one vast wave, there could be two waves.</p>

<p>The groups of stars are moving horizontally and vertically, which means the two waves could be moving in the same way as well. One or more past events likely caused the waves, although he says there is no way to say with certainty that they are part of one wave.&nbsp;</p>

<p>More research is needed to understand more about the observations.</p>


The Milky Way seems to harbour a vast ripple spreading out across at least a quarter of its disc. But scientists have never confirmed it and some say that it doesn't exist at all.

The Milky Way seems to harbour a vast ripple spreading out across at least a quarter of its disc. But scientists have never confirmed it and some say that it doesn't exist at all. However, if it is present, then it might have been created following a clash with another galaxy. Eloisa Poggio at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Nice and her team say that they have noticed a faint ripple in the galaxy that is propagating away from its centre. "It’s not huge, it’s just a small ripple,” Poggio told New Scientist. The team made the observation after studying the motion of tens of thousands of stars using the Gaia space telescope. Previously, a few other waves have also been discovered, but the latest wave spreads out over a vast section of the galaxy, she says. The Milky Way appears like a flat disc with a bulge at the centre in illustrations. However, scientists have noticed small waves in small portions of the galaxy that seem to have been made by clouds of stars and gas. The disc is warped in a static S-shape. Poggio and her colleagues studied two groups of stars to know more about waves in the galaxy. Two different groups of young stars that formed recently were seen moving with their surroundings. They compared the vertical and horizontal positions of these two groups of stars, along with their movement, with a model of the galaxy. The shape of the model used had a static S-shaped warp. Also Read: Earth hit by hundreds of meteorites originating from only 5 craters on Mars What did the study find? They noticed two distinct ways the group of stars were moving - back and forth along the radial axis of the galaxy and up and down. However, the two motion patterns were statistically related. The researchers concluded that the two motions are likely part of one vast wave. What caused the ripple is not clear, although Poggio suggests that it could have happened after a past close encounter with a smaller galaxy’s gravity. However, other experts say they don't see a link between the two motions. Ralph Schoenrich of University College London told New Scientist that instead of one vast wave, there could be two waves. The groups of stars are moving horizontally and vertically, which means the two waves could be moving in the same way as well. One or more past events likely caused the waves, although he says there is no way to say with certainty that they are part of one wave. More research is needed to understand more about the observations.

Contact with another galaxy likely left a vast ripple in Milky Way

NASA's citizen scientists have discovered a mysterious object speeding at an amazing speed spotted by amateur astronomers. The object is speeding out of the Milky Way. Watch this next story to know more about this!

NASA unveils mysterious Space object on a galactic sprint out of milky way

<p>Milky Way is gearing up for a massive change. Astronomers have spotted the Andromeda galaxy moving towards us and say that in approximately 4.5 billion a massive collision between the two galaxies will result in them merging. This will lead to several changes in the cosmic region and our solar system will be thrown into a new region in terms of galactic core. This cosmic event has been termed inevitable in previous research.</p>

<p>However, a new study says that there is a 50 per cent that the collision will not happen. The study, titled “Apocalypse When?” is available on the preprint server arXiv and delves into whether a galactic collision is certain to happen. The paper is currently undergoing peer review.</p>

<h2>The study on Andromeda</h2>

<p>Till Sawala, an astrophysicist at the University of Helsinki and co-author of the paper, studied data from the Gaia and Hubble telescopes to analyse Andromeda (the largest), the Milky Way, Triangulum, and the Large Magellanic Cloud - the largest galaxies in the Local Group. Predicting the galaxies’ evolution over the next 10 billion years, they found that Andromeda and Milky Way were merging in slightly less than half of the scenarios.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-super-hungry-black-hole-has-an-eerie-glow-and-is-eating-everything-see-photo-749318">Super-hungry black hole with an eerie glow is eating everything</a></p>

<p>“As it stands, proclamations of the impending demise of our Galaxy appear greatly exaggerated,” the researchers wrote in the study.</p>

<h2>When will Andromera collide with Milky Way?</h2>

<p>Andromeda galaxy is located 2.5 million light-years away and scientists have been studying it for over a century. It is moving towards the Milky Way at great speed and a collision has been deemed as a surety. NASA says the "universe is expanding and accelerating, and collisions between galaxies in close proximity to each other still happen". This is "because they are bound by the gravity of the dark matter surrounding them."</p>

<p>Our neighbouring galaxy is travelling at great speed. In 2021, NASA’s Hubble telescope clicked a bunch of stars in Andromeda, and upon analysis, the timeline for the collision was identified. The galaxy is moving towards Milky Way at a speed of 250,000 miles per hour. Based on this, scientists concluded that the head-on encounter will happen in about 4 billion years. After this, the two galaxies will completely merge in an additional two billion years and become one elliptical galaxy.&nbsp;</p>


Milky Way is gearing up for a massive change. Astronomers have spotted the Andromeda galaxy moving towards us and say that in approximately 4.5 billion a massive collision between the two galaxies will result in them merging.

Milky Way is gearing up for a massive change. Astronomers have spotted the Andromeda galaxy moving towards us and say that in approximately 4.5 billion a massive collision between the two galaxies will result in them merging. This will lead to several changes in the cosmic region and our solar system will be thrown into a new region in terms of galactic core. This cosmic event has been termed inevitable in previous research. However, a new study says that there is a 50 per cent that the collision will not happen. The study, titled “Apocalypse When?” is available on the preprint server arXiv and delves into whether a galactic collision is certain to happen. The paper is currently undergoing peer review. The study on Andromeda Till Sawala, an astrophysicist at the University of Helsinki and co-author of the paper, studied data from the Gaia and Hubble telescopes to analyse Andromeda (the largest), the Milky Way, Triangulum, and the Large Magellanic Cloud - the largest galaxies in the Local Group. Predicting the galaxies’ evolution over the next 10 billion years, they found that Andromeda and Milky Way were merging in slightly less than half of the scenarios. Also Read: Super-hungry black hole with an eerie glow is eating everything “As it stands, proclamations of the impending demise of our Galaxy appear greatly exaggerated,” the researchers wrote in the study. When will Andromera collide with Milky Way? Andromeda galaxy is located 2.5 million light-years away and scientists have been studying it for over a century. It is moving towards the Milky Way at great speed and a collision has been deemed as a surety. NASA says the "universe is expanding and accelerating, and collisions between galaxies in close proximity to each other still happen". This is "because they are bound by the gravity of the dark matter surrounding them." Our neighbouring galaxy is travelling at great speed. In 2021, NASA’s Hubble telescope clicked a bunch of stars in Andromeda, and upon analysis, the timeline for the collision was identified. The galaxy is moving towards Milky Way at a speed of 250,000 miles per hour. Based on this, scientists concluded that the head-on encounter will happen in about 4 billion years. After this, the two galaxies will completely merge in an additional two billion years and become one elliptical galaxy.

'Demise of our galaxy...': Is Andromeda-Milky Way collision inevitable?

<p>James Webb Space Telescope has captured a black hole ravenously eating up cosmic bodies. This black hole lies at the centre of the spiral galaxy NGC 4258 located 23 million light-years from Earth. It shreds up everything that comes near it and is gobbling them up. European Space Agency (ESA) shared a photo of the galaxy, explaining the wondrous things happening in it.</p>

<p>"At its heart, as in most spiral galaxies, is a supermassive black hole, but this one is particularly active," the ESA said in a statement. Notably, James Webb was a collaborative effort between ESA, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.</p>

<p>Black holes are extremely dense and have immense gravitational power. Nothing escapes them, not even light. But this only happens when something comes too close to them. Black holes don't emit light, and the light around them, as seen in the photo shared by ESA, is of the blazing hot material surrounding them.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Won’t you be our cosmic neighbor, M106?<br />
<br />
This galaxy with a very active black hole, is one of the brightest and nearest spirals to ours. Its central region is lit up by its black hole gobbling up dust and gas, which heats up, creating powerful radiation. <a href="https://t.co/UwDj4WUh9i">https://t.co/UwDj4WUh9i</a> <a href="https://t.co/ABSq7smr90">pic.twitter.com/ABSq7smr90</a></p>
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1821889559195471955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The photo shared by ESA shows cosmic dust and gas heating up and producing glowing light around the galaxy. Almost everything that moves in a black hole's orbit is shredded apart. It starts to spin rapidly around the black hole and becomes a super-hot "accretion disk." The material shoots light and energy into space, with some of it plummeting down into the black hole. It glows up the region near the black hole as it heats up while travelling at extreme speeds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-spot-intermediate-mass-black-hole-lurking-at-centre-of-milky-way-star-cluster-742691">Scientists spot intermediate-mass black hole lurking at centre of Milky Way star cluster</a></p>

<p>The photo shows the vivid glow at the centre of the spiral galaxy NGC 4258. Several tiny spots of light can also be seen in the photo, which are nothing but distant stars. However, all the light being emitted will stop once the supermassive black hole passes the final boundary between space and the black hole.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH:&nbsp;Is this "Black Hole Awakening" the biggest find in Astronomy?&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-this-black-hole-awakening-the-biggest-find-in-astronomy-733297/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two sprawling green outflows seen in the picture are made of hot gas, the ESA said. "They are likely caused by outflowing material produced by the violent churning of gas around the black hole, creating a phenomenon analogous to a wave crashing up out of the ocean when it hits a rock near the shore," the space agency explained.</p>

<h2>Black hole in Milky Way</h2>

<p>Our galaxy also has a huge black hole at its centre. However, it is not eating up cosmic bodies like our neighbour. It lies 0.1 light years away from the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) where the scientists had been observing a cluster of stars called IRS 13. Stars here have been moving in an unexpected manner. This prompted two theories - either the star cluster is interacting with a black hole or something is present inside the cluster.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


James Webb Space Telescope has captured a black hole ravenously eating up cosmic bodies. This black hole lies at the centre of the spiral galaxy NGC 4258 located 23 million light-years from Earth.

James Webb Space Telescope has captured a black hole ravenously eating up cosmic bodies. This black hole lies at the centre of the spiral galaxy NGC 4258 located 23 million light-years from Earth. It shreds up everything that comes near it and is gobbling them up. European Space Agency (ESA) shared a photo of the galaxy, explaining the wondrous things happening in it. "At its heart, as in most spiral galaxies, is a supermassive black hole, but this one is particularly active," the ESA said in a statement. Notably, James Webb was a collaborative effort between ESA, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. Black holes are extremely dense and have immense gravitational power. Nothing escapes them, not even light. But this only happens when something comes too close to them. Black holes don't emit light, and the light around them, as seen in the photo shared by ESA, is of the blazing hot material surrounding them. Won’t you be our cosmic neighbor, M106? This galaxy with a very active black hole, is one of the brightest and nearest spirals to ours. Its central region is lit up by its black hole gobbling up dust and gas, which heats up, creating powerful radiation. https://t.co/UwDj4WUh9i pic.twitter.com/ABSq7smr90 — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) August 9, 2024 × The photo shared by ESA shows cosmic dust and gas heating up and producing glowing light around the galaxy. Almost everything that moves in a black hole's orbit is shredded apart. It starts to spin rapidly around the black hole and becomes a super-hot "accretion disk." The material shoots light and energy into space, with some of it plummeting down into the black hole. It glows up the region near the black hole as it heats up while travelling at extreme speeds. Also Read: Scientists spot intermediate-mass black hole lurking at centre of Milky Way star cluster The photo shows the vivid glow at the centre of the spiral galaxy NGC 4258. Several tiny spots of light can also be seen in the photo, which are nothing but distant stars. However, all the light being emitted will stop once the supermassive black hole passes the final boundary between space and the black hole. WATCH: Is this "Black Hole Awakening" the biggest find in Astronomy? × Two sprawling green outflows seen in the picture are made of hot gas, the ESA said. "They are likely caused by outflowing material produced by the violent churning of gas around the black hole, creating a phenomenon analogous to a wave crashing up out of the ocean when it hits a rock near the shore," the space agency explained. Black hole in Milky Way Our galaxy also has a huge black hole at its centre. However, it is not eating up cosmic bodies like our neighbour. It lies 0.1 light years away from the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (SgrA*) where the scientists had been observing a cluster of stars called IRS 13. Stars here have been moving in an unexpected manner. This prompted two theories - either the star cluster is interacting with a black hole or something is present inside the cluster.

Super-hungry black hole with an eerie glow is eating everything. See photo

<p>At the heart of the Milky Way are 10 strange dead stars, scientists say. Also known as "neutron stars", these weird bodies are also spinning, which means they are pulsars. Scientists say that this extremely odd globular cluster is located 18,000 light-years from Earth and might take on weird forms as a result of being extremely dense. These include "spider pulsars" that can cast plasma webs and destroy stars. There is also a speed demon vampire star that is eating up other stars in the vicinity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These pulsars have been uncovered in the globular cluster Terzan 5 where hundreds of thousands of different stars that are 12 billion to 4.5 billion years old can be found. Terzan 5 is one of the most crowded regions in the Milky Way, with at least 39 known pulsars already swarming it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's very unusual to find exotic new pulsars," Scott Ransom, a scientist with the US National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) said in a statement. "But what’s really exciting is the wide variety of such weirdos in a single cluster."</p>

<p>Using the Green Bank Telescope and the MeerKAT Telescope, Ransom and the other scientists tracked the location of the neutron stars and the timing of their rotations. Two of these neutron stars are part of a rare double neutron-star binary. To put the rarity in context, around 3,600 pulsars have been discovered in the Milky Way till now of which only 20 have been double neutron-star binaries.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-warns-3-asteroids-hurtling-towards-earth-will-come-closest-on-this-day-747551">NASA warns 3 asteroids hurtling towards Earth will come closest on THIS day</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>Cosmic vampire and spider pulsars&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>When the above phenomenon happens, one of the neutron stars starts behaving like a vampire, pulling material from the other. This matter makes the neutron star spin faster triggering the formation of a "millisecond pulsar" which can spin hundreds of times per second. The latest pair appears to spin faster than 716 rotations per second, likely setting a new record.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Three new rare spider pulsars have also been seen in the region. Classified as "Redbacks" or "Black Widows," they cast a high-energy radiation"web" on stars that come too close. Redback spider pulsars are those that prey on companion stars with masses between 10 per cent and 50 per cent of the Sun's mass. Meanwhile, Black Widow spider pulsars are those that prey on smaller stars with less than five&nbsp;per cent of the Sun's mass.&nbsp;</p>


At the heart of the Milky Way are 10 strange dead stars, scientists say. Also known as "neutron stars", these weird bodies are also spinning, which means they are pulsars.

At the heart of the Milky Way are 10 strange dead stars, scientists say. Also known as "neutron stars", these weird bodies are also spinning, which means they are pulsars. Scientists say that this extremely odd globular cluster is located 18,000 light-years from Earth and might take on weird forms as a result of being extremely dense. These include "spider pulsars" that can cast plasma webs and destroy stars. There is also a speed demon vampire star that is eating up other stars in the vicinity. These pulsars have been uncovered in the globular cluster Terzan 5 where hundreds of thousands of different stars that are 12 billion to 4.5 billion years old can be found. Terzan 5 is one of the most crowded regions in the Milky Way, with at least 39 known pulsars already swarming it. "It's very unusual to find exotic new pulsars," Scott Ransom, a scientist with the US National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) said in a statement. "But what’s really exciting is the wide variety of such weirdos in a single cluster." Using the Green Bank Telescope and the MeerKAT Telescope, Ransom and the other scientists tracked the location of the neutron stars and the timing of their rotations. Two of these neutron stars are part of a rare double neutron-star binary. To put the rarity in context, around 3,600 pulsars have been discovered in the Milky Way till now of which only 20 have been double neutron-star binaries. Also Read: NASA warns 3 asteroids hurtling towards Earth will come closest on THIS day Cosmic vampire and spider pulsars When the above phenomenon happens, one of the neutron stars starts behaving like a vampire, pulling material from the other. This matter makes the neutron star spin faster triggering the formation of a "millisecond pulsar" which can spin hundreds of times per second. The latest pair appears to spin faster than 716 rotations per second, likely setting a new record. Three new rare spider pulsars have also been seen in the region. Classified as "Redbacks" or "Black Widows," they cast a high-energy radiation"web" on stars that come too close. Redback spider pulsars are those that prey on companion stars with masses between 10 per cent and 50 per cent of the Sun's mass. Meanwhile, Black Widow spider pulsars are those that prey on smaller stars with less than five per cent of the Sun's mass.

Demon vampire star and spider pulsars among 10 dead stars discovered at heart of Milky Way

<p>Scientists have been stunned to discover another intermediate-mass black hole at the centre of a star cluster in the Milky Way, which is close to the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (SgrA*).</p>

<p>The&nbsp;University of Cologne's research team headed by Dr Florian Peißker made the unusual discovery of another intermediate-mass black hole at the centre of the galaxy.</p>

<p>The intermediate-mass black holes are considered one of the most puzzling mysteries in the universe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even after researching them at a great length, scientists have only been able to discover a handful of them to date.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the scientific consensus, such celestial anomalies were formed after the Big Bang and played a major role as "seeds" in the growth and formation of the supermassive black holes.</p>

<p>Dr. Peißker and his team have been observing a cluster of stars called IRS 13. This cluster is very close to a supermassive black hole which is called the Sagittarius A* (SgrA*).</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-spot-closest-massive-black-hole-to-earth-say-it-is-frozen-in-time-740513">Astronomers&nbsp;spot closest massive black hole to Earth, say it is 'frozen in time'</a></p>

<p>The star cluster is 0.1 light years away from Sagittarius A* which in astronomical terms is a short distance.</p>

<p>The scientist also observed that the stars are moving in an unexpected manner in IRS 13 which suggests&nbsp;that either the star cluster is interacting with the black hole which is affecting the motion of the stars or something is present inside the cluster which is helping it to remain in compact shape.</p>

<h2><strong>Mysterious black hole at the centre of the cluster</strong></h2>

<p>The scientists made multi-wavelength observations with the help of the Chandra, ALMA and found the mysterious black hole at the centre of the star cluster.</p>

<p>They also&nbsp;found that IRS 13 was able to maintain a compact shape because an intermediate-mass black hole was present at its centre.</p>

<p>Other observations like characteristic X-rays and ionised gas which are rotating at breakneck speeds also supported the theory that&nbsp;an intermediate-mass black hole was&nbsp;present there.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Indian astronauts to train at NASA from August</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gaganyaan-mission-indian-astronaut-to-fly-to-space-station-by-2026-740296/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The star cluster also had an unusually high density which was said to be&nbsp;higher than any known density of a star cluster present in our Milky Way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“IRS 13 appears to be an essential building block for the growth of our central black hole SgrA*,” Dr. Peißker said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This discovery also explains how these intermediate-mass black holes have been their supermassive counterparts' building blocks.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Scientists have been stunned to discover another intermediate-mass black hole at the centre of a star cluster in the Milky Way, which is close to the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (SgrA*).

Scientists have been stunned to discover another intermediate-mass black hole at the centre of a star cluster in the Milky Way, which is close to the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (SgrA*). The University of Cologne's research team headed by Dr Florian Peißker made the unusual discovery of another intermediate-mass black hole at the centre of the galaxy. The intermediate-mass black holes are considered one of the most puzzling mysteries in the universe. Even after researching them at a great length, scientists have only been able to discover a handful of them to date. As per the scientific consensus, such celestial anomalies were formed after the Big Bang and played a major role as "seeds" in the growth and formation of the supermassive black holes. Dr. Peißker and his team have been observing a cluster of stars called IRS 13. This cluster is very close to a supermassive black hole which is called the Sagittarius A* (SgrA*). Also Read: Astronomers spot closest massive black hole to Earth, say it is 'frozen in time' The star cluster is 0.1 light years away from Sagittarius A* which in astronomical terms is a short distance. The scientist also observed that the stars are moving in an unexpected manner in IRS 13 which suggests that either the star cluster is interacting with the black hole which is affecting the motion of the stars or something is present inside the cluster which is helping it to remain in compact shape. Mysterious black hole at the centre of the cluster The scientists made multi-wavelength observations with the help of the Chandra, ALMA and found the mysterious black hole at the centre of the star cluster. They also found that IRS 13 was able to maintain a compact shape because an intermediate-mass black hole was present at its centre. Other observations like characteristic X-rays and ionised gas which are rotating at breakneck speeds also supported the theory that an intermediate-mass black hole was present there. Watch: Indian astronauts to train at NASA from August The star cluster also had an unusually high density which was said to be higher than any known density of a star cluster present in our Milky Way. “IRS 13 appears to be an essential building block for the growth of our central black hole SgrA*,” Dr. Peißker said. This discovery also explains how these intermediate-mass black holes have been their supermassive counterparts' building blocks. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists spot intermediate-mass black hole lurking at centre of Milky Way star cluster

<p>It has been taught to us from school days that Earth orbits around the Sun, which results in the cycle of day and night.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, if we try to understand the movement of Earth currently in the Solar System from the point of view of scientists,&nbsp;our planet is not currently orbiting the Sun.</p>

<h2><strong>So, what's happening between Earth and the Sun?</strong></h2>

<p>In the Solar System, the Sun is the largest object and has 1,048 times the mass of Jupiter. However, the gravitational pull which Earth exerts on the celestial body is exerted in the same or smaller amount on the planet.</p>

<p>"Kepler's third law describes the relationship between the masses of two objects mutually revolving around each other and the determination of orbital parameters,"&nbsp;explained NASA.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/house-for-astronauts-indian-startup-discusses-launch-of-space-habitat-by-2027-with-spacex-739929">House for astronauts? Indian startup discusses launch of 'space habitat' by 2027 with SpaceX</a></p>

<p>"Consider a small star in orbit about a more massive one. Both stars actually revolve about a common centre of mass, which is called the&nbsp;barycentre. This is true no matter what the size or mass of each of the objects involved. Measuring a star's motion about its barycenter with a massive planet is one method that has been used to discover planetary systems associated with distant stars," it added.</p>

<p>So, Earth orbits a barycentre and not exactly the Sun. Generally, the barycentre of the bodies in the Solar System is near the Sun, however, because of the mass, and influence of gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and orbits, it is rarely inside the Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Where is the barycentre currently?</strong></h2>

<p>Currently, the barycentre is outside the Sun and not inside it and hence, Earth is not currently orbiting it. So, the planet is revolving around a point in space and not the Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Explaining this positioning of the planet, planetary astronomer and science communicator&nbsp;James O'Donoghue said, "Planets orbit the Sun in general terms", "but *technically* they don't orbit the Sun alone because the gravitational influence of (mainly) Jupiter means planets must orbit a new point in space."</p>

<p>"The planets do orbit the Sun of course, we are just being pedantic about the situation," he&nbsp;added. "The natural thinking is that we orbit the Sun's centre, but that very rarely happens, i.e. it's very rare for the solar system's centre of mass to align with the Sun's centre," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Indian astronauts to train at NASA from August</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gaganyaan-mission-indian-astronaut-to-fly-to-space-station-by-2026-740296/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>This also applies to the smaller objects, like the&nbsp;planets and their moons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Earth and Moon orbit a point which is 5,000 kilometres&nbsp;(3,100 miles) from the Earth's centre, however, this keeps changing as the Moon slowly moves away from the Earth.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


It has been taught to us from school days that Earth orbits around the Sun, which results in the cycle of day and night. However, if we try to understand the movement of Earth currently in the Solar System from the point of view of scientists, our planet is not currently orbiting the Sun.

It has been taught to us from school days that Earth orbits around the Sun, which results in the cycle of day and night. However, if we try to understand the movement of Earth currently in the Solar System from the point of view of scientists, our planet is not currently orbiting the Sun. So, what's happening between Earth and the Sun? In the Solar System, the Sun is the largest object and has 1,048 times the mass of Jupiter. However, the gravitational pull which Earth exerts on the celestial body is exerted in the same or smaller amount on the planet. "Kepler's third law describes the relationship between the masses of two objects mutually revolving around each other and the determination of orbital parameters," explained NASA. Also Read: House for astronauts? Indian startup discusses launch of 'space habitat' by 2027 with SpaceX "Consider a small star in orbit about a more massive one. Both stars actually revolve about a common centre of mass, which is called the barycentre. This is true no matter what the size or mass of each of the objects involved. Measuring a star's motion about its barycenter with a massive planet is one method that has been used to discover planetary systems associated with distant stars," it added. So, Earth orbits a barycentre and not exactly the Sun. Generally, the barycentre of the bodies in the Solar System is near the Sun, however, because of the mass, and influence of gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and orbits, it is rarely inside the Sun. Where is the barycentre currently? Currently, the barycentre is outside the Sun and not inside it and hence, Earth is not currently orbiting it. So, the planet is revolving around a point in space and not the Sun. Explaining this positioning of the planet, planetary astronomer and science communicator James O'Donoghue said, "Planets orbit the Sun in general terms", "but *technically* they don't orbit the Sun alone because the gravitational influence of (mainly) Jupiter means planets must orbit a new point in space." "The planets do orbit the Sun of course, we are just being pedantic about the situation," he added. "The natural thinking is that we orbit the Sun's centre, but that very rarely happens, i.e. it's very rare for the solar system's centre of mass to align with the Sun's centre," he added. Watch: Indian astronauts to train at NASA from August This also applies to the smaller objects, like the planets and their moons. The Earth and Moon orbit a point which is 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) from the Earth's centre, however, this keeps changing as the Moon slowly moves away from the Earth. (With inputs from agencies)

Strictly speaking, Earth is not revolving around the Sun currently. Here's what it means

<p>In a new study, astronomers have made a stunning discovery that our galaxy, Milky Way, had recently collided with another galaxy causing an&nbsp;explosion.</p>

<p>Through time, the Milky Way has grown and has collided with other galaxies - which were torn apart and devoured by the Milky Way.</p>

<p>With every collision, the galaxy develops wrinkles which continue to ripple through different families of stars and affect how they move and behave in space.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mysterious-hole-appears-on-surface-of-mars-whats-hiding-in-there-aliens-727237">Mysterious hole appears on surface of Mars. What's hiding in there? Aliens?</a></p>

<p>This discovery about the cosmic crash happening nearly billions of years later than we thought was revealed by ESA's Gaia space telescope.</p>

<h2><strong>Milky Way's wrinkles hide the lost history of the galaxy</strong></h2>

<p>The telescope is aimed at unravelling the history of our galaxy by looking into these wrinkles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We get wrinklier as we age, but our work reveals that the opposite is true for the Milky Way. It's a sort of cosmic Benjamin Button, getting less wrinkly over time," said Thomas Donlon, lead author of the new Gaia study, which was published&nbsp;in&nbsp;Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"By looking at how these wrinkles dissipate over time, we can trace when the Milky Way experienced its last big crash—and it turns out this happened billions of years later than we thought," he added.</p>

<p>Gaia telescope discovered these galactic wrinkles in 2018.&nbsp;It was the first study which was able to accurately determine the time of the collision which led to the wrinkles by comparing observations with cosmological simulations.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;US' new big claim against Russia, says 'Russia launched space weapons'</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-new-big-claim-against-russia-says-russia-launched-space-weapons-724441/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>In an ESA&nbsp;release, study co-author Heidi Jo Newberg and an astronomer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said, “For the wrinkles of stars to be as clear as they appear in Gaia data, they must have joined us less than three billion years ago—at least five billion years later than was previously thought."</p>

<p>“New wrinkles of stars form each time the stars swing back and forth through the centre of the Milky Way. If they’d joined us eight billion years ago, there would be so many wrinkles right next to each other that we would no longer see them as separate features," he added.</p>

<p>Donlon said that the three-billion-year-old collision likely happened between the Milky Way and a dwarf galaxy.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a new study, astronomers have made a stunning discovery that our galaxy, Milky Way, had recently collided with another galaxy causing an explosion. Through time, the Milky Way has grown and has collided with other galaxies - which were torn apart and devoured by the Milky Way.

In a new study, astronomers have made a stunning discovery that our galaxy, Milky Way, had recently collided with another galaxy causing an explosion. Through time, the Milky Way has grown and has collided with other galaxies - which were torn apart and devoured by the Milky Way. With every collision, the galaxy develops wrinkles which continue to ripple through different families of stars and affect how they move and behave in space. Also Read: Mysterious hole appears on surface of Mars. What's hiding in there? Aliens? This discovery about the cosmic crash happening nearly billions of years later than we thought was revealed by ESA's Gaia space telescope. Milky Way's wrinkles hide the lost history of the galaxy The telescope is aimed at unravelling the history of our galaxy by looking into these wrinkles. "We get wrinklier as we age, but our work reveals that the opposite is true for the Milky Way. It's a sort of cosmic Benjamin Button, getting less wrinkly over time," said Thomas Donlon, lead author of the new Gaia study, which was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. "By looking at how these wrinkles dissipate over time, we can trace when the Milky Way experienced its last big crash—and it turns out this happened billions of years later than we thought," he added. Gaia telescope discovered these galactic wrinkles in 2018. It was the first study which was able to accurately determine the time of the collision which led to the wrinkles by comparing observations with cosmological simulations. Watch: US' new big claim against Russia, says 'Russia launched space weapons' In an ESA release, study co-author Heidi Jo Newberg and an astronomer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute said, “For the wrinkles of stars to be as clear as they appear in Gaia data, they must have joined us less than three billion years ago—at least five billion years later than was previously thought." “New wrinkles of stars form each time the stars swing back and forth through the centre of the Milky Way. If they’d joined us eight billion years ago, there would be so many wrinkles right next to each other that we would no longer see them as separate features," he added. Donlon said that the three-billion-year-old collision likely happened between the Milky Way and a dwarf galaxy. (With inputs from agencies)

Milky Way collided with another galaxy, shredded and devoured it years ago

<p>The Milky Way galaxy is humanity's home as we know it. However, as per recent research, the massive galaxy that houses our planet Earth, along with hundreds of billions of stars, may have symbolised something else for ancient Egyptians: a celestial deity.</p>

<h2><strong>The deity in the sky</strong></h2>

<p>Pioneers in the field of astrology, ancient Egyptians, were obsessed with the stars. They are known to have observed stars, constellations, and other planets. Around 4200 BCE, they even created the concept of a 365-day year and a 24-hour day by tracking the movement of the Sun and the Moon.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/keeping-it-in-the-family-tennessee-lawmakers-pass-law-banning-marriage-between-first-cousins-710335">Keeping it in the family? Not anymore. Tennessee passes bill banning marriage between first cousins</a></strong></p>

<p>As per a new study published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, our home galaxy, the Milky Way, could have symbolised the Egyptian goddess of the sky, Nut.</p>

<p>The massive galaxy, which is also known by names like "the Birds' Path", and" the Silver River," as per the study, was linked to Nut.</p>

<p>As per Gizmodo, in ancient Egyptian religion, the goddess Nut represented the sky, stars, and the universe as a whole. The deity was often depicted as a woman with stars all over her body as she arches over her brother, the Earth god Geb.</p>

<p><img alt="Image credit: Britannica " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5da526e2-39f6-4d10-8ee3-2a927a4763e2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New%20wion%20-%202024-04-12T135948.859.jpg" /></p>

<p><em><sup><strong>Egyptian goddess of Sky, Nut.&nbsp;Image credit: Britannica&nbsp;</strong></sup></em></p>

<p>Exploring the idea that the sky goddess is a manifestation of the Milky Way, Or Graur, an astrophysicist at the University of Portsmouth,&nbsp;"chanced upon the sky-goddess Nut" when he was writing a book on galaxies and looking into the mythology of the Milky Way.</p>

<p>In a statement, Graur, the lead author of the new study said: "I decided to combine both astronomy and Egyptology to do a double analysis—astronomical and cross-cultural—of the sky-goddess Nut, and whether she really could be linked to the Milky Way."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/explained-murders-kidnapping-and-more-the-scandalous-legacy-of-oj-simpson-710376">Explained: A murder trial, dramatic car chase, a heist and more! The scandalous legacy of OJ Simpson</a></strong></p>

<p>"Nut also played a leading role in the daily cycle of the sun, swallowing it as it set in the west. During the night, the sun sailed through Nut’s body, which for a time was synonymous with the netherworld. Then, at dawn, Nut gave birth to the sun once more as it rose in the east," he adds.</p>

<p>For his research, Graur referred to ancient Egyptian texts, including the Book of Nut, which was originally titled Fundamentals of the Course of the Stars.</p>

<p>He realised that the 'Book of Nut' equates Goddess Nut's head and rear to the western and eastern horizons, and her arms extending at an angle to her body in the northwest and the southeast.</p>

<p>Egyptians also believed that the goddess helped transition the dead into the afterlife, a common belief about the Milky Way shared by other cultures in Africa.</p>

<h2><strong>Connecting past with the present</strong></h2>

<p>The study offers a glimpse into how our ancestors viewed celestial objects in the night sky.</p>

<p>"My research shows how combining disciplines can offer new insights into ancient beliefs, and it highlights how astronomy connects humanity across cultures, geography, and time," said Graur.</p>

<p>"This paper is an exciting start to a larger project to catalogue and study the multicultural mythology of the Milky Way," added the astrophysicist.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Milky Way galaxy is humanity's home as we know it. However, as per recent research, the massive galaxy that houses our planet Earth, along with hundreds of billions of stars, may have symbolised something else for ancient Egyptians: a celestial deity.

The Milky Way galaxy is humanity's home as we know it. However, as per recent research, the massive galaxy that houses our planet Earth, along with hundreds of billions of stars, may have symbolised something else for ancient Egyptians: a celestial deity. The deity in the sky Pioneers in the field of astrology, ancient Egyptians, were obsessed with the stars. They are known to have observed stars, constellations, and other planets. Around 4200 BCE, they even created the concept of a 365-day year and a 24-hour day by tracking the movement of the Sun and the Moon. Also read | Keeping it in the family? Not anymore. Tennessee passes bill banning marriage between first cousins As per a new study published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, our home galaxy, the Milky Way, could have symbolised the Egyptian goddess of the sky, Nut. The massive galaxy, which is also known by names like "the Birds' Path", and" the Silver River," as per the study, was linked to Nut. As per Gizmodo, in ancient Egyptian religion, the goddess Nut represented the sky, stars, and the universe as a whole. The deity was often depicted as a woman with stars all over her body as she arches over her brother, the Earth god Geb. Egyptian goddess of Sky, Nut. Image credit: Britannica Exploring the idea that the sky goddess is a manifestation of the Milky Way, Or Graur, an astrophysicist at the University of Portsmouth, "chanced upon the sky-goddess Nut" when he was writing a book on galaxies and looking into the mythology of the Milky Way. In a statement, Graur, the lead author of the new study said: "I decided to combine both astronomy and Egyptology to do a double analysis—astronomical and cross-cultural—of the sky-goddess Nut, and whether she really could be linked to the Milky Way." Also read | Explained: A murder trial, dramatic car chase, a heist and more! The scandalous legacy of OJ Simpson "Nut also played a leading role in the daily cycle of the sun, swallowing it as it set in the west. During the night, the sun sailed through Nut’s body, which for a time was synonymous with the netherworld. Then, at dawn, Nut gave birth to the sun once more as it rose in the east," he adds. For his research, Graur referred to ancient Egyptian texts, including the Book of Nut, which was originally titled Fundamentals of the Course of the Stars. He realised that the 'Book of Nut' equates Goddess Nut's head and rear to the western and eastern horizons, and her arms extending at an angle to her body in the northwest and the southeast. Egyptians also believed that the goddess helped transition the dead into the afterlife, a common belief about the Milky Way shared by other cultures in Africa. Connecting past with the present The study offers a glimpse into how our ancestors viewed celestial objects in the night sky. "My research shows how combining disciplines can offer new insights into ancient beliefs, and it highlights how astronomy connects humanity across cultures, geography, and time," said Graur. "This paper is an exciting start to a larger project to catalogue and study the multicultural mythology of the Milky Way," added the astrophysicist.

Mythology meets Astronomy: Ancient Egyptians believed Milky Way galaxy was a celestial goddess, claims study

<p>Some stars&nbsp;which have existed from ancient ages and are orbiting the central supermassive black hole of the Milk Way, appear youthful despite their age.</p>

<p>However, the secret behind their young look is dark and gory. These zombie-like stars have gobbled up their own neighbours. This was revealed in a study carried out by Northwestern University.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/surprising-images-of-black-hole-at-center-of-milky-way-alter-our-understanding-of-black-holes-705103">Surprising images of black hole at centre of Milky Way alter our understanding of black holes</a></p>

<h2><strong>Survivors of stellar cannibalism losing mass</strong></h2>

<p>The astrophysicists used a new model for tracing the violent journeys of 1,000 simulated stars which have been orbiting a central supermassive black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), in our galaxy.</p>

<p>The region, which is so densely packed with stars, commonly faces brutal stellar collisions.</p>

<p>"The closest star to our sun is about four light-years away. Within that same distance near the supermassive black hole, there are more than a million stars. It's an incredibly crowded neighbourhood. On top of that, the supermassive black hole has a really strong gravitational pull. As they orbit the black hole, stars can move at thousands of kilometres per second," said Northwestern's Sanaea C. Rose, who headed the research.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Brightest and hungriest black hole ever detected; It eats one sun a a day</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/brightest-and-hungriest-black-hole-ever-detected-it-eats-one-sun-a-a-day-692162/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The new study, which simulated the effects of these intense collisions, found that collision survivors are likely losing mass and turning into low-mass stars.&nbsp;There are also possibilities that they are merging with other stars and becoming massive as well as rejuvenated in appearance.</p>

<p>"The region around the central black hole is dense with stars moving at extremely high speeds," said Rose added.</p>

<p>"It's a bit like running through an incredibly crowded subway station in New York City during rush hour. If you aren't colliding with other people, then you are passing very closely by them. For stars, these near collisions still cause them to interact gravitationally. We wanted to explore what these collisions and interactions mean for the stellar population and characterize their outcomes," she said.</p>

<p>This research was presented by Rose at the American Physical Society's (APS) April meeting in Sacramento, California.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Some stars which have existed from ancient ages and are orbiting the central supermassive black hole of the Milk Way, appear youthful despite their age. However, the secret behind their young look is dark and gory.

Some stars which have existed from ancient ages and are orbiting the central supermassive black hole of the Milk Way, appear youthful despite their age. However, the secret behind their young look is dark and gory. These zombie-like stars have gobbled up their own neighbours. This was revealed in a study carried out by Northwestern University. Also Read: Surprising images of black hole at centre of Milky Way alter our understanding of black holes Survivors of stellar cannibalism losing mass The astrophysicists used a new model for tracing the violent journeys of 1,000 simulated stars which have been orbiting a central supermassive black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), in our galaxy. The region, which is so densely packed with stars, commonly faces brutal stellar collisions. "The closest star to our sun is about four light-years away. Within that same distance near the supermassive black hole, there are more than a million stars. It's an incredibly crowded neighbourhood. On top of that, the supermassive black hole has a really strong gravitational pull. As they orbit the black hole, stars can move at thousands of kilometres per second," said Northwestern's Sanaea C. Rose, who headed the research. Watch: Brightest and hungriest black hole ever detected; It eats one sun a a day The new study, which simulated the effects of these intense collisions, found that collision survivors are likely losing mass and turning into low-mass stars. There are also possibilities that they are merging with other stars and becoming massive as well as rejuvenated in appearance. "The region around the central black hole is dense with stars moving at extremely high speeds," said Rose added. "It's a bit like running through an incredibly crowded subway station in New York City during rush hour. If you aren't colliding with other people, then you are passing very closely by them. For stars, these near collisions still cause them to interact gravitationally. We wanted to explore what these collisions and interactions mean for the stellar population and characterize their outcomes," she said. This research was presented by Rose at the American Physical Society's (APS) April meeting in Sacramento, California. (With inputs from agencies)

The gruesome reason zombie-like stars at centre of Milky Way look youthful for their age

<p>Two years after we became aware of the existence of Sagittarius A*, a giant black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, the Event Horizon Telescope captured it in polarised light for the first time and it gave some fascinating insights.</p>

<p>The image shows neatly ordered swirling polarisation lines around the black hole named Sagittarius A*.</p>

<p>These lines are directly related to the magnetic field around the black hole. This new research is published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters in collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope (EHT).</p>

<h2><strong>What does the Sagittarius A* image reveal?</strong></h2>

<p>The polarisation lines are seen when magnets align in a particular direction to create a stronger and more organised magnetic field around the object, in this case, Sagittarius A*.</p>

<p>The magnetic fields are generated by charged particles around the black hole.</p>

<p>“This spiral pattern that we see swirling around the black hole indicates that the magnetic fields must also be a spiral pattern whirling around – and that they're very strong and very ordered,” Dr Sara Issaoun, co-lead of the project was quoted as saying by the&nbsp;BBC.</p>

<h2><strong>Why is this discovery important?</strong></h2>

<p>The speculation of a magnetic field surrounding a black hole is common among scientists.</p>

<p>Then what makes this research so important? The team of researchers noticed that the magnetic fields around Sgr A* are comparable to another much bigger black hole, M87*.</p>

<p>The remarkable similarity between the magnetic fields of black holes Sgr A* and 1000 times larger M87* leads to the speculation that strong magnetic fields could be a fundamental property of all massive black holes regardless of differences in their size.</p>

<p>Dr Sara Issaoun told BBC, “Along with Sgr A* having a strikingly similar polarisation structure to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole, we’ve learned that strong and ordered magnetic fields are critical to how black holes interact with the gas and matter around them."</p>

<p>Sagittarius A* weighs as much as four million suns and is 27,000 light-years away from Earth. The first picture of the black hole Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* was released back in 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>How did Event Horizon Telescope capture Sgr A*?</strong></h2>

<p>Event Horizon Telescope used a network of eight telescopes from all around the world since a single telescope wouldn’t have been powerful enough to observe Sgr A*. Data from these eight telescopes, along with timestamps were combined using supercomputers to produce the final images.</p>


Two years after we became aware of the existence of Sagittarius A*, a giant black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, the Event Horizon Telescope captured it in polarised light for the first time and it gave some fascinating insights.

Two years after we became aware of the existence of Sagittarius A*, a giant black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, the Event Horizon Telescope captured it in polarised light for the first time and it gave some fascinating insights. The image shows neatly ordered swirling polarisation lines around the black hole named Sagittarius A*. These lines are directly related to the magnetic field around the black hole. This new research is published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters in collaboration with Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). What does the Sagittarius A* image reveal? The polarisation lines are seen when magnets align in a particular direction to create a stronger and more organised magnetic field around the object, in this case, Sagittarius A*. The magnetic fields are generated by charged particles around the black hole. “This spiral pattern that we see swirling around the black hole indicates that the magnetic fields must also be a spiral pattern whirling around – and that they're very strong and very ordered,” Dr Sara Issaoun, co-lead of the project was quoted as saying by the BBC. Why is this discovery important? The speculation of a magnetic field surrounding a black hole is common among scientists. Then what makes this research so important? The team of researchers noticed that the magnetic fields around Sgr A* are comparable to another much bigger black hole, M87*. The remarkable similarity between the magnetic fields of black holes Sgr A* and 1000 times larger M87* leads to the speculation that strong magnetic fields could be a fundamental property of all massive black holes regardless of differences in their size. Dr Sara Issaoun told BBC, “Along with Sgr A* having a strikingly similar polarisation structure to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole, we’ve learned that strong and ordered magnetic fields are critical to how black holes interact with the gas and matter around them." Sagittarius A* weighs as much as four million suns and is 27,000 light-years away from Earth. The first picture of the black hole Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* was released back in 2022. How did Event Horizon Telescope capture Sgr A*? Event Horizon Telescope used a network of eight telescopes from all around the world since a single telescope wouldn’t have been powerful enough to observe Sgr A*. Data from these eight telescopes, along with timestamps were combined using supercomputers to produce the final images.

Surprising images of black hole at centre of Milky Way alter our understanding of black holes

The detection of twisted magnetic field surounding the massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The discovery offers some insights into the behaviour of the black holes.

Never-seen-before images of Milky Way's Black Hole!

<p>A rare star explosion will occur in our night sky in the coming months, offering stargazers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the phenomenon with the naked eye. The star, T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, is located 3,000 light years away from Earth in the Northern hemisphere’s expanse and is on the brink of an intense outburst, reported Earth.com.</p>

<p>The event will take place later this year and will lead to the shining of a part of the sky for approximately one week. The exact timing of the explosion is unclear. But the American space agency NASA predicts&nbsp;the D-day to be between now and September.</p>

<h2><strong>What happens during the star explosion?</strong></h2>

<p>The forthcoming eruption, categorised as a nova, signifies a rare celestial phenomenon that occurs approximately once every century.</p>

<p>This event happens when a white dwarf star, comparable in size to the sun but collapsed, and a red giant star, nearing the end of its lifecycle and expanding to roughly 74 times the sun’s size, approach each other too closely.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiQorDE7ImFAxXB2TgGHW1qC0AQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-study-kilonova-explosion-the-star-collisions-that-create-gold-674449" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-study-kilonova-explosion-the-star-collisions-that-create-gold-674449&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiQorDE7ImFAxXB2TgGHW1qC0AQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE">Scientists study kilonova explosion, the star collisions that create gold</a></strong></p>

<p>This close proximity leads to a significant rise in the red giant’s surface temperature, soaring from about 4,000 to 5,800 degrees Fahrenheit to an extraordinary 360,000 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting T CrB to shed its outer layers onto the surface of the white dwarf.</p>

<p>The accumulation of material from the red giant triggers a nuclear explosion, unleashing an energy burst up to 100,000 times greater than the sun’s annual output.</p>

<h2><strong>Supernova vs nova</strong></h2>

<p>In contrast to a supernova, which completely destroys the star, a nova like T CrB's does not obliterate the star system. Instead, the star gradually cools back down to its original temperature and resumes its cycle.</p>

<p>Historical records indicate notable eruptions of T CrB dating back to 1946 and even 1866, with earlier accounts suggesting observations dating back several centuries.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;What if a Supernova exploded close to earth?</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-if-a-supernova-exploded-close-to-earth-659452/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Notably, Reverend Francis Wollaston in 1787 and Abbott Burchard in 1217 documented witnessing a luminous star in the Corona Borealis constellation, hinting at earlier appearances of T CrB.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A rare star explosion will occur in our night sky in the coming months, offering stargazers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the phenomenon with the naked eye.

A rare star explosion will occur in our night sky in the coming months, offering stargazers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the phenomenon with the naked eye. The star, T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, is located 3,000 light years away from Earth in the Northern hemisphere’s expanse and is on the brink of an intense outburst, reported Earth.com. The event will take place later this year and will lead to the shining of a part of the sky for approximately one week. The exact timing of the explosion is unclear. But the American space agency NASA predicts the D-day to be between now and September. What happens during the star explosion? The forthcoming eruption, categorised as a nova, signifies a rare celestial phenomenon that occurs approximately once every century. This event happens when a white dwarf star, comparable in size to the sun but collapsed, and a red giant star, nearing the end of its lifecycle and expanding to roughly 74 times the sun’s size, approach each other too closely. Also read: Scientists study kilonova explosion, the star collisions that create gold This close proximity leads to a significant rise in the red giant’s surface temperature, soaring from about 4,000 to 5,800 degrees Fahrenheit to an extraordinary 360,000 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting T CrB to shed its outer layers onto the surface of the white dwarf. The accumulation of material from the red giant triggers a nuclear explosion, unleashing an energy burst up to 100,000 times greater than the sun’s annual output. Supernova vs nova In contrast to a supernova, which completely destroys the star, a nova like T CrB's does not obliterate the star system. Instead, the star gradually cools back down to its original temperature and resumes its cycle. Historical records indicate notable eruptions of T CrB dating back to 1946 and even 1866, with earlier accounts suggesting observations dating back several centuries. Watch: What if a Supernova exploded close to earth? × Notably, Reverend Francis Wollaston in 1787 and Abbott Burchard in 1217 documented witnessing a luminous star in the Corona Borealis constellation, hinting at earlier appearances of T CrB. (With inputs from agencies)

Rare star explosion to occur in the night sky that can be seen with the naked eye

<p>A huge, wave-shaped structure, which extended some 9,000 light-years in length and curled around the Milky Way's spiral arm, was first found by scientists a few years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The wave, called as Radcliffe Wave, was a line of star-forming gas and its discovery by scientists was remarkable. However, now removing one of the clouds from this mysterious cosmic serpent, scientists have found that it is moving in our galaxy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A team of scientists, headed by astrophysicist Ralf Konietzka of Harvard University, have now discovered that the Radcliffe Wave, just like other objects in the Milky Way, is in motion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Scientists have also discovered that the wave is not moving in an orbital motion around the galactic centre but is oscillating as a periodic travelling wave.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-orbit-undergoes-change-due-to-stars-in-solar-system-says-study-691996">Stars can change the orbit of Earth over the years, wreaking havoc on climate, say scientists</a></p>

<p>"By using the motion of baby stars born in the gaseous clouds along the Radcliffe Wave," said Konietzka, adding, "we can trace the motion of their natal gas to show that the Radcliffe Wave is actually waving."</p>

<h2><strong>Scientists used data collected by Gaia to discover Radcliffe Wave</strong></h2>

<p>Spacecraft Gaia has been collecting information on the three-dimensional properties of the Milky Way, using which the scientists mapped the galaxy and discovered the Radcliffe Wave in 2018. The findings were published by the scientists in 2020 after putting together the structure's 3D map.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The researchers, while going through the information, discovered that the structure has been undulating like a giant cosmic serpent which is winding through the Milky Way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In its calculations, the team also found that the motion can be influenced by gravity which is produced by the galaxy's normal matter.</p>

<p>The measurements of the team also suggested that the supernovae, which eventually cleared the bubble of space in which the Milky Way is present, were born in a cluster of stars inside the Radcliffe Wave.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Brightest and hungriest black hole ever detected; It eats one sun a a day</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/brightest-and-hungriest-black-hole-ever-detected-it-eats-one-sun-a-a-day-692162/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"The question is, what caused the displacement giving rise to the waving we see?" said astronomer Alyssa Goodman of Harvard University.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added, "And does it happen all over the galaxy? In all galaxies? Does it happen occasionally? Does it happen all the time?"&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Upcoming deep and wide surveys of stars, dust and gas will likely uncover more wave-like structures," wrote the researchers, adding, "and measurements of their motions should provide insights into the star formation histories and gravitational potentials of galaxies."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A huge, wave-shaped structure, which extended some 9,000 light-years in length and curled around the Milky Way's spiral arm, was first found by scientists a few years ago.

A huge, wave-shaped structure, which extended some 9,000 light-years in length and curled around the Milky Way's spiral arm, was first found by scientists a few years ago. The wave, called as Radcliffe Wave, was a line of star-forming gas and its discovery by scientists was remarkable. However, now removing one of the clouds from this mysterious cosmic serpent, scientists have found that it is moving in our galaxy. A team of scientists, headed by astrophysicist Ralf Konietzka of Harvard University, have now discovered that the Radcliffe Wave, just like other objects in the Milky Way, is in motion. Scientists have also discovered that the wave is not moving in an orbital motion around the galactic centre but is oscillating as a periodic travelling wave. Also Read: Stars can change the orbit of Earth over the years, wreaking havoc on climate, say scientists "By using the motion of baby stars born in the gaseous clouds along the Radcliffe Wave," said Konietzka, adding, "we can trace the motion of their natal gas to show that the Radcliffe Wave is actually waving." Scientists used data collected by Gaia to discover Radcliffe Wave Spacecraft Gaia has been collecting information on the three-dimensional properties of the Milky Way, using which the scientists mapped the galaxy and discovered the Radcliffe Wave in 2018. The findings were published by the scientists in 2020 after putting together the structure's 3D map. The researchers, while going through the information, discovered that the structure has been undulating like a giant cosmic serpent which is winding through the Milky Way. In its calculations, the team also found that the motion can be influenced by gravity which is produced by the galaxy's normal matter. The measurements of the team also suggested that the supernovae, which eventually cleared the bubble of space in which the Milky Way is present, were born in a cluster of stars inside the Radcliffe Wave. Watch: Brightest and hungriest black hole ever detected; It eats one sun a a day "The question is, what caused the displacement giving rise to the waving we see?" said astronomer Alyssa Goodman of Harvard University. He added, "And does it happen all over the galaxy? In all galaxies? Does it happen occasionally? Does it happen all the time?" "Upcoming deep and wide surveys of stars, dust and gas will likely uncover more wave-like structures," wrote the researchers, adding, "and measurements of their motions should provide insights into the star formation histories and gravitational potentials of galaxies." (With inputs from agencies)

Mysterious wave leaves scientists puzzled, as giant cosmic serpent slithers into Milky Way

<p>In a significant discovery, scientists have detected strong "glitches" in a magnetar, which is a type of highly magnetic neutron star located close to the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. The star's spin speed seems to have increased dramatically as a result of these glitches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The process that causes the neutron star, also referred to as a dead star, to slow down following these glitches, may help reveal the interior of the star. Gaining insight into the inner workings of magnetars may eventually explain how these unusual objects produce "Fast Radio Bursts," or FRBs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The FRBs are evasive and transient pulsations of light that can get illuminated enough to briefly outshine the light of an entire galaxy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though scientists already know that these pulses exist, they have never been able to identify the reason behind their existence.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/future-of-surgery-and-space-medicine-surgeons-successfully-perform-remote-controlled-surgery-on-iss-690707">'Future of surgery': Surgeons successfully perform remote-controlled opreration on ISS</a></p>

<p>"The glitches are abrupt changes in the rotation of the star. Each brief observation allows us to measure the rotation speed of the magnetar and we noticed that suddenly the star was spinning faster than the previous observation," team member and assistant professor at Paul Sabatier University in France, Sebastien Guillot, was quoted as saying by Space.com. "Glitches are commonly observed for pulsars and magnetars, but these are two of the largest ever seen."</p>

<p>This magnetar rotates somewhat faster than three times per second normally, however, the first glitch caused the rotation speed to increase. Then, the second glitch happened around nine hours later which caused the speed to increase approximately 100 times greater than the first.</p>

<p>"During the interval between these two glitches, we observed a significant decrease in the neutron star's rotation speed, decelerating at a rate 100 times faster than its speed before the glitch, and approximately 1000 times faster than its long-term average," Space.com quoted Chin-Ping Hu, research lead and an associate professor at the National Changhua University of Education, as saying. "This slowdown occurred over a period longer than the duration of the glitches themselves."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a significant discovery, scientists have detected strong "glitches" in a magnetar, which is a type of highly magnetic neutron star located close to the centre of the Milky Way galaxy.

In a significant discovery, scientists have detected strong "glitches" in a magnetar, which is a type of highly magnetic neutron star located close to the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. The star's spin speed seems to have increased dramatically as a result of these glitches. The process that causes the neutron star, also referred to as a dead star, to slow down following these glitches, may help reveal the interior of the star. Gaining insight into the inner workings of magnetars may eventually explain how these unusual objects produce "Fast Radio Bursts," or FRBs. The FRBs are evasive and transient pulsations of light that can get illuminated enough to briefly outshine the light of an entire galaxy. Though scientists already know that these pulses exist, they have never been able to identify the reason behind their existence. Also read: 'Future of surgery': Surgeons successfully perform remote-controlled opreration on ISS "The glitches are abrupt changes in the rotation of the star. Each brief observation allows us to measure the rotation speed of the magnetar and we noticed that suddenly the star was spinning faster than the previous observation," team member and assistant professor at Paul Sabatier University in France, Sebastien Guillot, was quoted as saying by Space.com. "Glitches are commonly observed for pulsars and magnetars, but these are two of the largest ever seen." This magnetar rotates somewhat faster than three times per second normally, however, the first glitch caused the rotation speed to increase. Then, the second glitch happened around nine hours later which caused the speed to increase approximately 100 times greater than the first. "During the interval between these two glitches, we observed a significant decrease in the neutron star's rotation speed, decelerating at a rate 100 times faster than its speed before the glitch, and approximately 1000 times faster than its long-term average," Space.com quoted Chin-Ping Hu, research lead and an associate professor at the National Changhua University of Education, as saying. "This slowdown occurred over a period longer than the duration of the glitches themselves." (With inputs from agencies)

Dead stars 'glitches' may indicate source of rapid radio bursts

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Saturday (Feb 10) shared a stunning three-dimensional view of the Orion Nebula, which is one of the brightest nebulae, to mark the occasion of Chinese New Year, a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Orion Nebula is visible to the naked eye in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of 4.0 and the 3-D view was created using data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) mission, which is a joint programme between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). SOFIA is a telescope capable of making observations from onboard an aeroplane.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the media posted by NASA, the Orion Nebula appears to be in the shape of a dragon. The nebula has a blue centre, with red wispy fragments on the outer detail.⁣ &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-reveal-heat-can-behave-like-sound-in-superfluid-689191">Scientists reveal heat can behave like sound in superfluid</a></strong></p>

<p>The current year, that is 2024 is the year of dragon, also known as Loong. It is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an Instagram post, NASA wrote, "Welcome to the year of the Dragon. In this three-dimensional view of the Orion Nebula – Earth's closest star-formation nursery – was created using data from the SOFIA mission."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Here's is the 3-D view:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3L1sQppy6O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3L1sQppy6O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3L1sQppy6O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3L1sQppy6O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by NASA (@nasa)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-launches-airborne-assault-to-combat-pollution-in-asia-689045">NASA launches airborne assault to combat pollution in Asia</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA said that the 3-D view reveals the detailed structure of the nebula, including a "bubble" that has been blown clear of gas and dust by a powerful stellar wind.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US-based space agency said that massive stars can regulate star formation around them, and the SOFIA mission helped astronomers better understand this effect.⁣</p>

<p>According to NASA, SOFIA was a mission of discovery, revealing "unseen – and sometimes unseeable – parts of our universe".&nbsp;</p>

<p>While science flights have ended, SOFIA's data from a total of 732 nights observing over the course of the mission are publicly available for scientists to study and conduct further research in the future," NASA added.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Saturday (Feb 10) shared a stunning three-dimensional view of the Orion Nebula, which is one of the brightest nebulae, to mark the occasion of Chinese New Year, a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Saturday (Feb 10) shared a stunning three-dimensional view of the Orion Nebula, which is one of the brightest nebulae, to mark the occasion of Chinese New Year, a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Orion Nebula is visible to the naked eye in the night sky with an apparent magnitude of 4.0 and the 3-D view was created using data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) mission, which is a joint programme between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). SOFIA is a telescope capable of making observations from onboard an aeroplane. In the media posted by NASA, the Orion Nebula appears to be in the shape of a dragon. The nebula has a blue centre, with red wispy fragments on the outer detail.⁣ Also read: Scientists reveal heat can behave like sound in superfluid The current year, that is 2024 is the year of dragon, also known as Loong. It is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. In an Instagram post, NASA wrote, "Welcome to the year of the Dragon. In this three-dimensional view of the Orion Nebula – Earth's closest star-formation nursery – was created using data from the SOFIA mission." Here's is the 3-D view: View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × Also read: NASA launches airborne assault to combat pollution in Asia NASA said that the 3-D view reveals the detailed structure of the nebula, including a "bubble" that has been blown clear of gas and dust by a powerful stellar wind. The US-based space agency said that massive stars can regulate star formation around them, and the SOFIA mission helped astronomers better understand this effect.⁣ According to NASA, SOFIA was a mission of discovery, revealing "unseen – and sometimes unseeable – parts of our universe". While science flights have ended, SOFIA's data from a total of 732 nights observing over the course of the mission are publicly available for scientists to study and conduct further research in the future," NASA added. (With inputs from agencies)

WATCH: NASA shares stunning 3D view of Orion Nebula to mark Chinese New Year

<p>We say the words and we imagine a small group of oldies blissfully passing time smoking cigarettes. But 'old smokers' have been detected in space now. Yep, and in our very own Milky Way. There is a certain mystery about these stars as after a prolonged period of inactivity, they are suddenly puffing out clouds of smoke, some of which are the size of our Solar System!</p>

<p>These 'old smokers' were found when scientists were monitoring nearly a billion stars in infrared spectrum over a sky-survey that lasted for 10 years.</p>

<p>“They’re sitting there and just suddenly throwing off matter,” said Prof Philip Lucas of the University of Hertfordshire, who led the observations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It’s a new type of star and they all seem to be clustered in the same part of the sky, very close to the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.”</p>

<p>Professor Lucas was quoted by The Independent.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines?</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/why-is-nasa-pushing-back-moon-mission-timelines-678647/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Fun fact. The scientists did not set out to check on these 'old smokers'. The main aim of the survey to observe protostars, the newborn stars.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-hubble-telescope-finds-water-vapour-in-distant-planets-atmosphere-683925">NASA's Hubble Telescope finds water vapour in distant planet's atmosphere</a></strong></p>

<p>As the experts trained their lenses at the expanse looking at nearly a billion stars, a group of giant stars showed up in the data.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/moonquakes-and-fault-lines-detected-near-lunar-south-pole-which-is-also-artemis-astronauts-landing-site-683936">Moonquakes and fault lines detected near lunar South Pole, which is also Artemis astronauts' landing site</a></strong></p>

<p>However, when these stars was studied in detail with the use of European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, it was found that these a new type of giant stars. The researchers decided to call them "old smokers".</p>

<p>“These are solar system-sized clouds,” said Lucas. “Our guess is that these are puffs of dust in one direction, possibly from one patch on the surface of the star.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


We say the words and we imagine a small group of oldies blissfully passing time smoking cigarettes. But 'old smokers' have been detected in space now. Yep, and in our very own Milky Way.

We say the words and we imagine a small group of oldies blissfully passing time smoking cigarettes. But 'old smokers' have been detected in space now. Yep, and in our very own Milky Way. There is a certain mystery about these stars as after a prolonged period of inactivity, they are suddenly puffing out clouds of smoke, some of which are the size of our Solar System! These 'old smokers' were found when scientists were monitoring nearly a billion stars in infrared spectrum over a sky-survey that lasted for 10 years. “They’re sitting there and just suddenly throwing off matter,” said Prof Philip Lucas of the University of Hertfordshire, who led the observations. “It’s a new type of star and they all seem to be clustered in the same part of the sky, very close to the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.” Professor Lucas was quoted by The Independent. Watch | Why is NASA pushing back Moon mission timelines? × Fun fact. The scientists did not set out to check on these 'old smokers'. The main aim of the survey to observe protostars, the newborn stars. Also Read | NASA's Hubble Telescope finds water vapour in distant planet's atmosphere As the experts trained their lenses at the expanse looking at nearly a billion stars, a group of giant stars showed up in the data. Also Read | Moonquakes and fault lines detected near lunar South Pole, which is also Artemis astronauts' landing site However, when these stars was studied in detail with the use of European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, it was found that these a new type of giant stars. The researchers decided to call them "old smokers". “These are solar system-sized clouds,” said Lucas. “Our guess is that these are puffs of dust in one direction, possibly from one patch on the surface of the star.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Old smokers' discovered at the heart of the Milky Way

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA) announced that the Hubble Space Telescope released an image of a "monster merger" of two galaxies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The image features Arp 122, which is a peculiar galaxy that in fact comprises two galaxies – NGC 6040, the tilted, warped spiral galaxy and LEDA 59642, the round, face-on spiral.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What's interesting is that NASA has said that both galaxies are in the midst of a collision — similar to the Andromeda–Milky Way prediction, which is said to occur in about 4.5 billion years.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronauts-reveal-what-space-smells-like-and-its-stinkier-than-youd-expect-679866">Astronauts reveal what space smells like, and it’s stinkier than you’d expect</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This prediction is expected between the two largest galaxies in the Local Group—the Milky Way, which contains the Solar System and Earth, and the Andromeda Galaxy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, the galactic collisions and mergers are a slow process and would take hundreds of millions of years to unfold.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA's report mentioned that the dramatic cosmic encounter is located roughly 570 million light-years from Earth, which is a very safe distance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added that at the lower-left corner is the elliptical galaxy NGC 6041, which is a central member of the galaxy cluster that Arp 122 resides in, but otherwise not participating in the merger.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/south-aegean-volcanic-arc-was-far-more-dangerous-and-explosive-suggests-new-evidence-680464">An eruption over 520,000 years ago shows South Aegean Volcanic Arc was far more dangerous</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The announcement read: "Galaxies are composed of stars and their solar systems, dust, gas, and invisible dark matter. In galactic collisions, therefore, these constituent components may experience enormous changes in the gravitational forces acting on them."&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added, "In time, this completely changes the structure of the two (or more) colliding galaxies, and sometimes ultimately results in a single, merged galaxy. That may well be what results from the collision pictured in this image."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Galaxies formed by mergers are considered to have a regular or elliptical structure, as the merging process disturbs more complicated structures. NASA said in its post: "It would be fascinating to know what Arp 122 will look like once this collision is complete… but that will not happen for a long, long time."&nbsp;</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA) announced that the Hubble Space Telescope released an image of a "monster merger" of two galaxies.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA) announced that the Hubble Space Telescope released an image of a "monster merger" of two galaxies. The image features Arp 122, which is a peculiar galaxy that in fact comprises two galaxies – NGC 6040, the tilted, warped spiral galaxy and LEDA 59642, the round, face-on spiral. What's interesting is that NASA has said that both galaxies are in the midst of a collision — similar to the Andromeda–Milky Way prediction, which is said to occur in about 4.5 billion years. Also read: Astronauts reveal what space smells like, and it’s stinkier than you’d expect This prediction is expected between the two largest galaxies in the Local Group—the Milky Way, which contains the Solar System and Earth, and the Andromeda Galaxy. Notably, the galactic collisions and mergers are a slow process and would take hundreds of millions of years to unfold. NASA's report mentioned that the dramatic cosmic encounter is located roughly 570 million light-years from Earth, which is a very safe distance. It added that at the lower-left corner is the elliptical galaxy NGC 6041, which is a central member of the galaxy cluster that Arp 122 resides in, but otherwise not participating in the merger. Also read: An eruption over 520,000 years ago shows South Aegean Volcanic Arc was far more dangerous The announcement read: "Galaxies are composed of stars and their solar systems, dust, gas, and invisible dark matter. In galactic collisions, therefore, these constituent components may experience enormous changes in the gravitational forces acting on them." It added, "In time, this completely changes the structure of the two (or more) colliding galaxies, and sometimes ultimately results in a single, merged galaxy. That may well be what results from the collision pictured in this image." Galaxies formed by mergers are considered to have a regular or elliptical structure, as the merging process disturbs more complicated structures. NASA said in its post: "It would be fascinating to know what Arp 122 will look like once this collision is complete… but that will not happen for a long, long time."

Hubble captures ‘monster merger’ of two galaxies. Is this the future of Milky Way?

<p>The world of space never seizes to surprise, and yet again it left scientists and astronomers astonished with a new mystery. In recent events of cosmic exploration, astronomers discovered high-intensity light called gamma rays radiating outside our Milky Way galaxy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The discovery was made when a team of NASA scientists and University of Maryland cosmologist Alexander Kashlinsky stumbled upon the strong gamma-ray signal while searching through 13 years of data from NASA’s Fermi Telescope.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/us-university-uses-ai-to-prove-our-fingerprints-are-not-unique-report-679377">US university uses AI to prove our fingerprints are not unique: Report</a></p>

<p>Kashlinksy called it a “completely serendipitous discovery” in the part of the cosmic universe where they were exactly looking for.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Newly found gamma-ray signals outside Milky Way deepen&nbsp;their mystery</strong></h2>

<p>The origins of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) like gamma rays have always been one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics. The discovery source of this newly found gamma-ray signal outside the Milky Way has now deepened this mystery further.</p>

<p>The team thinks the newfound signal is related to these high-energy particles, or cosmic rays, which are made up mostly of protons, neutrons and atomic nuclei. The signal is quite similar to the characteristics of a cosmic microwave background (CMB).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/even-bigger-giant-newly-discovered-mammoth-relative-of-t-rex-amazes-scientists-679358">Dinosaur bigger and older than the T. rex once roamed the Earth, scientists find</a></p>

<p>The CMB represents the oldest light in the universe and is a cosmic fossil left over from an event that occurred around 380,000 years after the Big Bang. Before this, the universe was quite hot with densely populated free electrons and protons through which light could not travel.</p>

<p>After some time, the universe cooled down, so much so that it allowed electrons and protons to join together to form primordial atoms, this caused a sudden void. The lack of free electrons meant that photons were no longer endlessly scattered by these negatively charged particles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The universe turned transparent from being opaque which allowed the first light to travel. The CMB made up these first free-travelling photons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-accidentally-stumble-upon-a-galaxy-with-no-stars-679461">A galaxy with no stars? Scientists find one 270 million light-years away</a></p>

<p>The CMB was first spotted by American radio astronomers Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias in May 1964 as microwave radiation in all directions of the sky over Earth. In the 1990s, however, this seeming uniformity was challenged when NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft discovered tiny variations in the CMB temperature.</p>

<p>COBE found that the CMB is 0.12% hotter and has more microwaves toward the direction of the constellation Leo. This pattern or "dipole" in CMB gave attribution to the motion of our solar system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/game-changing-x-59-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-unveiled-by-nasa-lockheed-martin-679572">Game changing! X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft unveiled by NASA, Lockheed Martin</a></p>

<p>Astronomers are hunting for this effect in other types of light so they can confirm the CMB dipole is the result of our movement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Astronomers now want to investigate the locations of this new emission to determine the source, or maybe multiple sources, of this ultra-high energy light and these ultra-high energy particles to see if they are indeed connected.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The world of space never seizes to surprise, and yet again it left scientists and astronomers astonished with a new mystery. In recent events of cosmic exploration, astronomers discovered high-intensity light called gamma rays radiating outside our Milky Way galaxy.

The world of space never seizes to surprise, and yet again it left scientists and astronomers astonished with a new mystery. In recent events of cosmic exploration, astronomers discovered high-intensity light called gamma rays radiating outside our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made when a team of NASA scientists and University of Maryland cosmologist Alexander Kashlinsky stumbled upon the strong gamma-ray signal while searching through 13 years of data from NASA’s Fermi Telescope. Also Read | US university uses AI to prove our fingerprints are not unique: Report Kashlinksy called it a “completely serendipitous discovery” in the part of the cosmic universe where they were exactly looking for. Newly found gamma-ray signals outside Milky Way deepen their mystery The origins of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) like gamma rays have always been one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics. The discovery source of this newly found gamma-ray signal outside the Milky Way has now deepened this mystery further. The team thinks the newfound signal is related to these high-energy particles, or cosmic rays, which are made up mostly of protons, neutrons and atomic nuclei. The signal is quite similar to the characteristics of a cosmic microwave background (CMB). Also Read | Dinosaur bigger and older than the T. rex once roamed the Earth, scientists find The CMB represents the oldest light in the universe and is a cosmic fossil left over from an event that occurred around 380,000 years after the Big Bang. Before this, the universe was quite hot with densely populated free electrons and protons through which light could not travel. After some time, the universe cooled down, so much so that it allowed electrons and protons to join together to form primordial atoms, this caused a sudden void. The lack of free electrons meant that photons were no longer endlessly scattered by these negatively charged particles. The universe turned transparent from being opaque which allowed the first light to travel. The CMB made up these first free-travelling photons. Also Read | A galaxy with no stars? Scientists find one 270 million light-years away The CMB was first spotted by American radio astronomers Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias in May 1964 as microwave radiation in all directions of the sky over Earth. In the 1990s, however, this seeming uniformity was challenged when NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft discovered tiny variations in the CMB temperature. COBE found that the CMB is 0.12% hotter and has more microwaves toward the direction of the constellation Leo. This pattern or "dipole" in CMB gave attribution to the motion of our solar system. Also Read | Game changing! X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft unveiled by NASA, Lockheed Martin Astronomers are hunting for this effect in other types of light so they can confirm the CMB dipole is the result of our movement. Astronomers now want to investigate the locations of this new emission to determine the source, or maybe multiple sources, of this ultra-high energy light and these ultra-high energy particles to see if they are indeed connected. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s Fermi telescope spots new gamma-ray beyond Milky Way, which could help solve cosmic mystery

<p>In a recent study, scientists have unravelled new facets of how galaxies take shape, especially during their early phases. The use&nbsp;of advanced tools like computer simulations and precise observations has become instrumental in comprehending the intricate processes that govern galactic evolution.</p>

<p>The study zeroes in on a particular celestial entity, BRI 1335–0417, positioned more than 12 billion light-years away. This distant galaxy, a snapshot from the early cosmic epochs, provides a captivating view into the initial stages of galactic development. Recent observations have brought to light&nbsp;distinctive features, including a spiral structure and a bar-like configuration.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Galactic bars and their impact</strong></h2>

<p>Of particular interest is the observed bar in BRI 1335-0417, a factor influencing the flow of gas within the galaxy. This influence contributes to the creation of specific features like a bulge or a nuclear disc.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-hubble-telescope-captures-mysterious-spokes-on-rings-of-saturn-672959">Also read |&nbsp;NASA's Hubble telescope captures mysterious spokes on rings of Saturn</a></p>

<p>Among the study's groundbreaking revelations is the observation of a phenomenon akin to a "seismic wave" within the galaxy.</p>

<p>This marks the first documentation of such an occurrence in an early galaxy. Researchers stress on&nbsp;the importance of understanding the movement of gas within the galaxy, recognizing its pivotal role as a key ingredient in the star formation process.</p>

<p>Conceiving the galaxy's disk as a flat, rotating amalgamation of stars, gas, and dust, the study draws parallels with ripples on a pond initiated by a thrown stone.</p>

<p>The motion of these galactic components creates patterns resembling ripples, unlocking clues about the mechanisms propelling star formation within the galaxy.</p>

<p>Positioned at an astonishing distance, BRI 1335-0417 offers a temporal glimpse into the universe when it was merely 10 per cent of its current age.</p>

<p>Despite boasting a mass similar to our Milky Way, this early galaxy displays a star formation rate several hundred times faster. The study aims to unravel the intricacies behind the mechanisms fueling such rapid stellar birth.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/how-safe-is-nuking-earh-bound-asteroid-scientists-create-simulation-to-answer-672511">Also read |&nbsp;How safe is nuking earth-bound asteroid? Scientists create simulation to answer</a></p>

<p>Spiral structures, a rarity in the early universe, occupy a central focus in this investigation. The study provides crucial information to decipher the likely scenarios contributing to the formation of these spirals, enhancing our understanding of the cosmic narrative.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a recent study, scientists have unravelled new facets of how galaxies take shape, especially during their early phases. The use of advanced tools like computer simulations and precise observations has become instrumental in comprehending the intricate processes that govern galactic evolution.

In a recent study, scientists have unravelled new facets of how galaxies take shape, especially during their early phases. The use of advanced tools like computer simulations and precise observations has become instrumental in comprehending the intricate processes that govern galactic evolution. The study zeroes in on a particular celestial entity, BRI 1335–0417, positioned more than 12 billion light-years away. This distant galaxy, a snapshot from the early cosmic epochs, provides a captivating view into the initial stages of galactic development. Recent observations have brought to light distinctive features, including a spiral structure and a bar-like configuration. Galactic bars and their impact Of particular interest is the observed bar in BRI 1335-0417, a factor influencing the flow of gas within the galaxy. This influence contributes to the creation of specific features like a bulge or a nuclear disc. Also read | NASA's Hubble telescope captures mysterious spokes on rings of Saturn Among the study's groundbreaking revelations is the observation of a phenomenon akin to a "seismic wave" within the galaxy. This marks the first documentation of such an occurrence in an early galaxy. Researchers stress on the importance of understanding the movement of gas within the galaxy, recognizing its pivotal role as a key ingredient in the star formation process. Conceiving the galaxy's disk as a flat, rotating amalgamation of stars, gas, and dust, the study draws parallels with ripples on a pond initiated by a thrown stone. The motion of these galactic components creates patterns resembling ripples, unlocking clues about the mechanisms propelling star formation within the galaxy. Positioned at an astonishing distance, BRI 1335-0417 offers a temporal glimpse into the universe when it was merely 10 per cent of its current age. Despite boasting a mass similar to our Milky Way, this early galaxy displays a star formation rate several hundred times faster. The study aims to unravel the intricacies behind the mechanisms fueling such rapid stellar birth. Also read | How safe is nuking earth-bound asteroid? Scientists create simulation to answer Spiral structures, a rarity in the early universe, occupy a central focus in this investigation. The study provides crucial information to decipher the likely scenarios contributing to the formation of these spirals, enhancing our understanding of the cosmic narrative. (With inputs from agencies)

BRI 1335-0417: Astronomers find seismic ripples in oldest known galaxy

The center of our Milky Way is crowded, with stars whipping around a black hole in a sea of UV and X-ray radiation.

Milky Way's mysteries: Milky Way's mysterious 'brick' region

<p>The Milky Way galaxy, home to Earth, the Sun and billions of other celestial bodies has a supermassive black hole. The black hole, with its unimaginably massive gravitational pull, holds the entire galaxy together, which in turn, revolves around the black hole (Sagittarius A*).</p>

<p>The closer a celestial body is to the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, more is its velocity in space as it revolves around the Sagittarius A* black hole. The immediate vicinity of the black hole is a massively chaotic place where stars are hurtling about at speeds of thousands of kilometres per second. These are called S-stars.</p>

<p>Scientists believed that since the vicinity of the black hole was such a chaotic place, the process of star formation can't take place and hence the S-stars must have come there from elsewhere.</p>

<p>But a mysterious star near the black hole piqued scientific interest and a study has said that the star did not come there from other parts of the Milky Way galaxy but may have come from outside of the galaxy itself!</p>

<p><strong>Watch | NASA satellites discover a 6-planet in-sync solar system</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasa-satellites-discover-a-6-planet-in-sync-solar-system-665105/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe><a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
</div>

<p>A team of researchers, led by astrophysicist Shogo Nishiyama from Miyagi University of Education studied this S-star in question. They carefully observed the star, designated S-06, for eight years.</p>

<p>A spectrum emitted by a star gives clue about its chemical profile. This in turn leads to conclusions about the star's age. Older stars tend to have less amount of heavy elements.</p>

<p>The team of scientists, as reported by ScienceAlert, found that S-06 was 10 billion years old based on analysis of its spectrum.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/as-halleys-comet-completes-75-years-of-journey-heres-how-it-can-be-visible-in-your-lifetime-667184">Halley’s Comet is gearing up for a return journey towards us. The wait is quite long though</a></strong></p>

<p>It is reportedly held by scientists that S-stars generally have similar chemical profile. But the chemical profile of S-06 was found to be different than other S-stars near the centre of the Milky Way.</p>

<p>Not only this. The chemical profile suggests that S-06 may have come from outside Milky Way galaxy.</p>

<p>Our galaxy has devoured many smaller galaxies along the way during its life. But a star from such a galaxy would find its way to the absolute centre, is something that's interesting.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-rare-elusive-red-sprite-snapped-astronaut-captures-unique-view-from-iss-667142">Rare, elusive 'red sprite' snapped: Astronaut captures unique view from ISS</a></strong></p>

<p>More research however, is needed to conclusively confirm the possibility that S-06 has extra-galactic origin.</p>

<p>The study, as reported by ScienceAlert, has been published in &nbsp;Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Milky Way galaxy, home to Earth, the Sun and billions of other celestial bodies has a supermassive black hole. The black hole, with its unimaginably massive gravitational pull, holds the entire galaxy together, which in turn, revolves around the black hole (Sagittarius A*).

The Milky Way galaxy, home to Earth, the Sun and billions of other celestial bodies has a supermassive black hole. The black hole, with its unimaginably massive gravitational pull, holds the entire galaxy together, which in turn, revolves around the black hole (Sagittarius A*). The closer a celestial body is to the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, more is its velocity in space as it revolves around the Sagittarius A* black hole. The immediate vicinity of the black hole is a massively chaotic place where stars are hurtling about at speeds of thousands of kilometres per second. These are called S-stars. Scientists believed that since the vicinity of the black hole was such a chaotic place, the process of star formation can't take place and hence the S-stars must have come there from elsewhere. But a mysterious star near the black hole piqued scientific interest and a study has said that the star did not come there from other parts of the Milky Way galaxy but may have come from outside of the galaxy itself! Watch | NASA satellites discover a 6-planet in-sync solar system × A team of researchers, led by astrophysicist Shogo Nishiyama from Miyagi University of Education studied this S-star in question. They carefully observed the star, designated S-06, for eight years. A spectrum emitted by a star gives clue about its chemical profile. This in turn leads to conclusions about the star's age. Older stars tend to have less amount of heavy elements. The team of scientists, as reported by ScienceAlert, found that S-06 was 10 billion years old based on analysis of its spectrum. Also Read | Halley’s Comet is gearing up for a return journey towards us. The wait is quite long though It is reportedly held by scientists that S-stars generally have similar chemical profile. But the chemical profile of S-06 was found to be different than other S-stars near the centre of the Milky Way. Not only this. The chemical profile suggests that S-06 may have come from outside Milky Way galaxy. Our galaxy has devoured many smaller galaxies along the way during its life. But a star from such a galaxy would find its way to the absolute centre, is something that's interesting. Watch | Rare, elusive 'red sprite' snapped: Astronaut captures unique view from ISS More research however, is needed to conclusively confirm the possibility that S-06 has extra-galactic origin. The study, as reported by ScienceAlert, has been published in Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B. (With inputs from agencies)

A strange star near Milky Way's black hole may have extra-galactic origin: Study

<p>Earlier this year, a Chinese company named Insta360 launched what it claims was the first ever 360-degree action camera into space, specifically into the low-Earth orbit (LEO) and captured some breathtaking visuals of Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The private space mission involved sending&nbsp;two Insta360 X2 cameras to capture incredible 360 views of the stars, the Milky Way, and our home planet and the results speak for themselves.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MZ87HLEQb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MZ87HLEQb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MZ87HLEQb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MZ87HLEQb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Insta360 (@insta360)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MM3pyvtoi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MM3pyvtoi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MM3pyvtoi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0MM3pyvtoi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Insta360 (@insta360)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>About the mission</strong></h2>

<p>The cameras were attached to a solar-powered satellite and launched 500 kilometres into outer space and, as per the Chinese company, were orbiting the planet, as of October.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It also noted the obstacles that the scientists and engineers identified and overcame as this was the first fully exposed camera in space and required a lot of preparation to make sure it worked in the harsh conditions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="1" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="896d6160-727d-41dd-93fc-2656db36c1d8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WION%20IMAGES%21%20-%202023-12-01T112051.461.png" /></p>

<p><em><strong>(Photo credit: Insta360)</strong></em></p>

<p>The X2 cameras were made to withstand extreme temperatures as the satellite circles the globe every 90 minutes from the tropics and poles witnessing temperatures ranging between -70 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius.</p>

<p>Insta360 also made their cameras to be “radiation resistant” since unlike here on Earth they would be exposed to high-energy particles which can quickly burn out electronic components.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lastly, the cameras were made shock and vibration-resistant considering that even in the best conditions rocket launches are anything but a smooth ride, not to mention that once it is launched no one will be able to adjust it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was also made shock and vibration-resistant since it was important that the satellite structure did not obstruct the lenses from successfully shooting 360-degree footage with proper stitching, said the China-based company.</p>

<p>The project began in 2021, said the company, and it took 12 months to modify the action cameras out of which half of this time was spent on research and development. The satellite was initially scheduled to launch last year but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>


Earlier this year, a Chinese company named Insta360 launched what it claims was the first ever 360-degree action camera into space, specifically into the low-Earth orbit (LEO) and captured some breathtaking visuals of Earth.

Earlier this year, a Chinese company named Insta360 launched what it claims was the first ever 360-degree action camera into space, specifically into the low-Earth orbit (LEO) and captured some breathtaking visuals of Earth. The private space mission involved sending two Insta360 X2 cameras to capture incredible 360 views of the stars, the Milky Way, and our home planet and the results speak for themselves. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Insta360 (@insta360) × View this post on Instagram A post shared by Insta360 (@insta360) × About the mission The cameras were attached to a solar-powered satellite and launched 500 kilometres into outer space and, as per the Chinese company, were orbiting the planet, as of October. It also noted the obstacles that the scientists and engineers identified and overcame as this was the first fully exposed camera in space and required a lot of preparation to make sure it worked in the harsh conditions. (Photo credit: Insta360) The X2 cameras were made to withstand extreme temperatures as the satellite circles the globe every 90 minutes from the tropics and poles witnessing temperatures ranging between -70 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius. Insta360 also made their cameras to be “radiation resistant” since unlike here on Earth they would be exposed to high-energy particles which can quickly burn out electronic components. Lastly, the cameras were made shock and vibration-resistant considering that even in the best conditions rocket launches are anything but a smooth ride, not to mention that once it is launched no one will be able to adjust it. It was also made shock and vibration-resistant since it was important that the satellite structure did not obstruct the lenses from successfully shooting 360-degree footage with proper stitching, said the China-based company. The project began in 2021, said the company, and it took 12 months to modify the action cameras out of which half of this time was spent on research and development. The satellite was initially scheduled to launch last year but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHOTOS | Earth looks unreal in images captured by first-ever 360-degree camera in space

<p>In a first, astronomers have found the swirling disk of material which is feeding a young star and is present in a galaxy, which is outside the Milky Way.<br />
<br />
The disk was found near-identical to those discovered near infant stars in the Milky Way and this helped scientists understand that the stars and planets are formed in other galaxies just like the ones in our galaxy.<br />
<br />
The young star, which has been just observed, is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is a galaxy located 160,000 light-years away from the Milky Way and its system, which has been given the name HH 1177, is placed in a massive cloud of gas.<br />
<br />
The team, which was behind the discovery observed the system as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which is the largest astronomical project.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/evil-eye-in-the-sky-clicked-by-nasa-wows-netizens-663392">'Evil eye' in the sky clicked by NASA wows netizens</a></p>

<p>"When I first saw evidence for a rotating structure in the ALMA data, I could not believe that we had detected the first extragalactic accretion disc. It was a special moment," said researcher lead author and Durham University scientist Anna McLeod, in a statement, as reported by space.com.<br />
<br />
"We know discs are vital to forming stars and planets in our galaxy, and here, for the first time, we're seeing direct evidence for this in another galaxy,” he added.</p>

<h2><strong>Jet emerges from forming star, hinting at existence of disk</strong></h2>

<p>McLeod and his teammates were hinted about the existence of this system when a jet emerging from a forming star was spotted by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT).<br />
<br />
The instrument is able to make observations in the visible wavelength range as well as measure the wavelengths of light which are getting emitted from the object. "We discovered a jet being launched from this young massive star, and its presence is a signpost for ongoing disc accretion," said McLeod.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;New evidence suggests size of the Sun could be smaller, says report&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-evidence-suggests-size-of-the-sun-could-be-smaller-says-report-world-news-wion-656872/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The scientists measured the movement of dense gas around the star to confirm that an accretion disk is present in HH 1177.<br />
<br />
The gas, which is present at the centre of the accretion disc, is located close to the central object which is a young feeding star and is moving faster in comparison to the matter present on the disk's outskirts.<br />
<br />
"The frequency of light changes depending on how fast the gas emitting the light is moving towards or away from us," said team member and Liverpool John Moores University research fellow Jonathan Henshaw.<br />
<br />
"This is precisely the same phenomenon that occurs when the pitch of an ambulance siren changes as it passes you, and the frequency of the sound goes from higher to lower,” he added.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a first, astronomers have found the swirling disk of material which is feeding a young star and is present in a galaxy, which is outside the Milky Way. The disk was found near-identical to those discovered near infant stars in the Milky Way and this helped scientists understand that the stars and planets are formed in other galaxies just like the ones in our galaxy.

In a first, astronomers have found the swirling disk of material which is feeding a young star and is present in a galaxy, which is outside the Milky Way. The disk was found near-identical to those discovered near infant stars in the Milky Way and this helped scientists understand that the stars and planets are formed in other galaxies just like the ones in our galaxy. The young star, which has been just observed, is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is a galaxy located 160,000 light-years away from the Milky Way and its system, which has been given the name HH 1177, is placed in a massive cloud of gas. The team, which was behind the discovery observed the system as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which is the largest astronomical project. Also read: 'Evil eye' in the sky clicked by NASA wows netizens "When I first saw evidence for a rotating structure in the ALMA data, I could not believe that we had detected the first extragalactic accretion disc. It was a special moment," said researcher lead author and Durham University scientist Anna McLeod, in a statement, as reported by space.com. "We know discs are vital to forming stars and planets in our galaxy, and here, for the first time, we're seeing direct evidence for this in another galaxy,” he added. Jet emerges from forming star, hinting at existence of disk McLeod and his teammates were hinted about the existence of this system when a jet emerging from a forming star was spotted by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). The instrument is able to make observations in the visible wavelength range as well as measure the wavelengths of light which are getting emitted from the object. "We discovered a jet being launched from this young massive star, and its presence is a signpost for ongoing disc accretion," said McLeod. Watch: New evidence suggests size of the Sun could be smaller, says report The scientists measured the movement of dense gas around the star to confirm that an accretion disk is present in HH 1177. The gas, which is present at the centre of the accretion disc, is located close to the central object which is a young feeding star and is moving faster in comparison to the matter present on the disk's outskirts. "The frequency of light changes depending on how fast the gas emitting the light is moving towards or away from us," said team member and Liverpool John Moores University research fellow Jonathan Henshaw. "This is precisely the same phenomenon that occurs when the pitch of an ambulance siren changes as it passes you, and the frequency of the sound goes from higher to lower,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, scientists discover planet-forming disk beyond Milky Way

<p>Just like our solar system in the Milky Way has eight (sorry Pluto, it's not nine) planets revolving around Sun, a planetary system a bit far from us has six worlds orbiting their star in&nbsp;perfect harmony, resembling to an extent our own solar system.</p>

<p>Notably, both these systems are in our Milky Way itself.</p>

<h2><strong>Chain of resonance for HD 110067</strong></h2>

<p>The Sun and eight planets revolving around it are in a phenomenon called chain of resonance. Simply put, their revolutions are in sync with one another.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this case, each of the six planets exhibit a chain of resonance. They orbit around the bright star HD 110067.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Aliens lurking at the heart of the Milky Way?</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aliens-lurking-at-the-heart-of-the-milky-way-602989/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"We think only about one percent of all systems stay in resonance," astrophysicist Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago said in an interview. "It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched."</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong></h2>

<p>Scientists say that orbital resonances are neither uncommon nor unexpected. They occur when two bodies orbiting a third body exert a gravitational influence on each other, in such a way that their orbital periods line up.</p>

<p>The HD 110067 is only&nbsp;the third known system with six exoplanets in a chain of resonance.</p>

<p>The star around which these exoplanets are revolving were&nbsp;formed over a billion years ago, scientists add.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/its-all-in-the-shape-science-reveals-what-makes-milky-way-unique-664255">It's all in the shape: Science reveals what makes Milky Way unique</a></strong></p>

<p>"The current delicate configuration of the planetary orbits in HD 110067 rules out any violent event over the billion-year history of the system, making it a rare 'fossil' to study migration mechanisms and the properties of its protoplanetary disk in a pristine environment," the researchers write in their paper published in the Nature journal.</p>

<p>"The combination of host-star brightness and the inferred presence of extended atmospheres in most of its planets makes HD 110067 the most favorable multiplanetary sub-Neptune system to be observed in transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope. HD 110067 offers a chance to gain insight into the nature of sub-Neptune planets and where, how and under what conditions resonant chains form and survive."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Just like our solar system in the Milky Way has eight (sorry Pluto, it's not nine) planets revolving around Sun, a planetary system a bit far from us has six worlds orbiting their star in perfect harmony, resembling to an extent our own solar system.

Just like our solar system in the Milky Way has eight (sorry Pluto, it's not nine) planets revolving around Sun, a planetary system a bit far from us has six worlds orbiting their star in perfect harmony, resembling to an extent our own solar system. Notably, both these systems are in our Milky Way itself. Chain of resonance for HD 110067 The Sun and eight planets revolving around it are in a phenomenon called chain of resonance. Simply put, their revolutions are in sync with one another. In this case, each of the six planets exhibit a chain of resonance. They orbit around the bright star HD 110067. Also watch | Aliens lurking at the heart of the Milky Way? × "We think only about one percent of all systems stay in resonance," astrophysicist Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago said in an interview. "It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched." What does it mean? Scientists say that orbital resonances are neither uncommon nor unexpected. They occur when two bodies orbiting a third body exert a gravitational influence on each other, in such a way that their orbital periods line up. The HD 110067 is only the third known system with six exoplanets in a chain of resonance. The star around which these exoplanets are revolving were formed over a billion years ago, scientists add. Also read | It's all in the shape: Science reveals what makes Milky Way unique "The current delicate configuration of the planetary orbits in HD 110067 rules out any violent event over the billion-year history of the system, making it a rare 'fossil' to study migration mechanisms and the properties of its protoplanetary disk in a pristine environment," the researchers write in their paper published in the Nature journal. "The combination of host-star brightness and the inferred presence of extended atmospheres in most of its planets makes HD 110067 the most favorable multiplanetary sub-Neptune system to be observed in transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope. HD 110067 offers a chance to gain insight into the nature of sub-Neptune planets and where, how and under what conditions resonant chains form and survive." (With inputs from agencies)

Another solar system in Milky Way? Scientists discover six unique exoplanets

<p>The shapes and sizes of galaxies are as diverse as the universe itself. Now in a study published in the Nature Astronomy journal, the spotlight is back on the helical shape of our Milky Way.</p>

<p>Such shaped galaxies are remarkably scarce in our galactic vicinity.</p>

<p>According to an official readout of the study, the Milky Way is part of the Supergalactic Plane, which contains several massive galaxy clusters and thousands of individual galaxies. The vast majority of galaxies found here are elliptical galaxies.</p>

<h2><strong>What did the scientists do?</strong></h2>

<p>Scientists from the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University used a powerful supercomputer, and transported themselves back approximately 13.8 billion years to the early stages of formation of galaxies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Through simulations, they traced the evolution of our cosmic neighborhood, aiming to decipher the factors contributing to the scarcity of spiral galaxies.</p>

<p>The simulations also showed &nbsp;that galaxies in densely populated clusters, such as the Milky Way's celestial particles, underwent frequent collisions and mergers during the early epochs of the universe.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Aliens lurking at the heart of the Milky Way?</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aliens-lurking-at-the-heart-of-the-milky-way-602989/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Notably, when the galaxies collide, a new type of galaxy can emerge. The merger of two spiral galaxies gives rise to elliptical galaxies.</p>

<h2><strong>What is the catch?</strong></h2>

<p>The catch is that our universe is replete with elliptical galaxies. But there are very few spiral galaxies if at all.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It is rare but not a complete anomaly: our simulation reveals the intimate details of the formation of galaxies such as the transformation of spirals into ellipticals through galaxy mergers," said co-author Carlos Frenk with the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University in a statement.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-shows-heart-of-milky-way-in-unprecedented-details-661178">NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows heart of Milky Way in unprecedented details</a></strong><br />
<br />
"Our simulation reveals the intimate details of the formation of galaxies such as the transformation of spirals into ellipticals through galaxy mergers."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What is the bottom line?</strong></h2>

<p>The study suggests that the Milky Way endured a tumultuous cosmic environment resembling a celestial bumper car scenario throughout the age of the universe.</p>


The shapes and sizes of galaxies are as diverse as the universe itself. Now in a study published in the Nature Astronomy journal, the spotlight is back on the helical shape of our Milky Way.

The shapes and sizes of galaxies are as diverse as the universe itself. Now in a study published in the Nature Astronomy journal, the spotlight is back on the helical shape of our Milky Way. Such shaped galaxies are remarkably scarce in our galactic vicinity. According to an official readout of the study, the Milky Way is part of the Supergalactic Plane, which contains several massive galaxy clusters and thousands of individual galaxies. The vast majority of galaxies found here are elliptical galaxies. What did the scientists do? Scientists from the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University used a powerful supercomputer, and transported themselves back approximately 13.8 billion years to the early stages of formation of galaxies. Through simulations, they traced the evolution of our cosmic neighborhood, aiming to decipher the factors contributing to the scarcity of spiral galaxies. The simulations also showed that galaxies in densely populated clusters, such as the Milky Way's celestial particles, underwent frequent collisions and mergers during the early epochs of the universe. Also watch | Aliens lurking at the heart of the Milky Way? × Notably, when the galaxies collide, a new type of galaxy can emerge. The merger of two spiral galaxies gives rise to elliptical galaxies. What is the catch? The catch is that our universe is replete with elliptical galaxies. But there are very few spiral galaxies if at all. “It is rare but not a complete anomaly: our simulation reveals the intimate details of the formation of galaxies such as the transformation of spirals into ellipticals through galaxy mergers," said co-author Carlos Frenk with the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University in a statement. Also read | NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows heart of Milky Way in unprecedented details "Our simulation reveals the intimate details of the formation of galaxies such as the transformation of spirals into ellipticals through galaxy mergers." What is the bottom line? The study suggests that the Milky Way endured a tumultuous cosmic environment resembling a celestial bumper car scenario throughout the age of the universe.

It's all in the shape: Science reveals what makes Milky Way unique

<p>James Webb Space Telescope has taken the latest picture of the dense centre of our galaxy showing stunning and unprecedented details. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in its report published on Monday (Nov 20) said that the star-forming region, named Sagittarius C (Sgr C), is about 300 light-years from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. Notably, Sagittarius A* is the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by NASA, the observation team's principal investigator Samuel Crowe, who is an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said: "There's never been any infrared data on this region with the level of resolution and sensitivity we get with Webb, so we are seeing lots of features here for the first time."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Crowe further added that "Webb reveals an incredible amount of detail, allowing us to study star formation in this sort of environment in a way that wasn't possible previously".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Professor Jonathan Tan, who is one of Crowe's advisors at the University of Virginia, said: "The galactic center is the most extreme environment in our Milky Way galaxy, where current theories of star formation can be put to their most rigorous test."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-deep-space-optical-comm-achieves-first-light-as-it-sends-and-receives-data-661088">NASA probe aboard Psyche mission sends message from nearly 10 million miles away in space</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pictured: An estimated 500,000 stars.<br />
<br />
This is the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAWebb</a> has revealed never-before-seen features in a star-forming region called Sagittarius C: <a href="https://t.co/ljZyx7qV2y">https://t.co/ljZyx7qV2y</a> <a href="https://t.co/WgBH45qUyQ">pic.twitter.com/WgBH45qUyQ</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1726652548508192785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🌟 Sagittarius C is a star-forming region just 25000 light-years from Earth – near enough for astronomers to study individual stars with Webb and learn how they form. <a href="https://t.co/mNPUwVOwEA">pic.twitter.com/mNPUwVOwEA</a></p>
— ESA Webb Telescope (@ESA_Webb) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_Webb/status/1726617000426737854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The star-forming region called Sagittarius C is located about 300 light-years from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. An estimated 500,000 stars are forming in this region, providing insights on the origin of the universe. <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> <a href="https://t.co/VvKgezdalt">pic.twitter.com/VvKgezdalt</a></p>
— James Drake (@jamesjpdrake) <a href="https://twitter.com/jamesjpdrake/status/1726917995442704704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-scientists-say-this-lost-asteroid-could-strike-earth-in-2024-661079">Deep Impact? A 'lost asteroid' could strike Earth in 2024, NASA estimates show</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>NASA's report stated that in the estimated 500,000 stars in the image is a cluster of protostars, which are still forming and gaining mass. The process produced outflows that glow in the midst of an infrared-dark cloud.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA said that "at the heart of this young cluster is a previously known, massive protostar over 30 times the mass of our Sun".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The cloud the protostars are emerging from is so dense that the light from stars behind it cannot reach Webb, making it appear less crowded when in fact it is one of the most densely packed areas of the image," said NASA.&nbsp;</p>


James Webb Space Telescope has taken the latest picture of the dense centre of our galaxy showing stunning and unprecedented details. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in its report published on Monday (Nov 20) said that the star-forming region, named Sagittarius C (Sgr C), is about 300 light-years from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.

James Webb Space Telescope has taken the latest picture of the dense centre of our galaxy showing stunning and unprecedented details. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in its report published on Monday (Nov 20) said that the star-forming region, named Sagittarius C (Sgr C), is about 300 light-years from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. Notably, Sagittarius A* is the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. As quoted by NASA, the observation team's principal investigator Samuel Crowe, who is an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said: "There's never been any infrared data on this region with the level of resolution and sensitivity we get with Webb, so we are seeing lots of features here for the first time." Crowe further added that "Webb reveals an incredible amount of detail, allowing us to study star formation in this sort of environment in a way that wasn't possible previously". Professor Jonathan Tan, who is one of Crowe's advisors at the University of Virginia, said: "The galactic center is the most extreme environment in our Milky Way galaxy, where current theories of star formation can be put to their most rigorous test." Also read: NASA probe aboard Psyche mission sends message from nearly 10 million miles away in space Pictured: An estimated 500,000 stars. This is the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. @NASAWebb has revealed never-before-seen features in a star-forming region called Sagittarius C: https://t.co/ljZyx7qV2y pic.twitter.com/WgBH45qUyQ — NASA (@NASA) November 20, 2023 × 🌟 Sagittarius C is a star-forming region just 25000 light-years from Earth – near enough for astronomers to study individual stars with Webb and learn how they form. pic.twitter.com/mNPUwVOwEA — ESA Webb Telescope (@ESA_Webb) November 20, 2023 × The star-forming region called Sagittarius C is located about 300 light-years from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. An estimated 500,000 stars are forming in this region, providing insights on the origin of the universe. @NASA pic.twitter.com/VvKgezdalt — James Drake (@jamesjpdrake) November 21, 2023 × Also read: Deep Impact? A 'lost asteroid' could strike Earth in 2024, NASA estimates show NASA's report stated that in the estimated 500,000 stars in the image is a cluster of protostars, which are still forming and gaining mass. The process produced outflows that glow in the midst of an infrared-dark cloud. NASA said that "at the heart of this young cluster is a previously known, massive protostar over 30 times the mass of our Sun". "The cloud the protostars are emerging from is so dense that the light from stars behind it cannot reach Webb, making it appear less crowded when in fact it is one of the most densely packed areas of the image," said NASA.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows heart of Milky Way in unprecedented details

<p>An international team of scientists have discovered an enormous structure which is home to at least 20 massive galaxies. The structure, dubbed ‘Cosmic Vine’,&nbsp;is said to be about 13 million light-years long and 0.65 million light-years wide. It is so massive that it makes our galaxy, the Milky Way, sound like a negligible speck of dust in the vast cosmos.</p>

<p>To put this number into perspective, if we had the ability to travel at impossible lightspeed, it would roughly 100,000 years to travel across the entire Milky Way but even the fastest man-made object ever, the American space agency NASA’s Parker Solar Probe travels at 0.064 per cent the speed of light.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The group of astronomers led by Shuowen Jin of the Technical University of Denmark have detected a new object the investigation of which is said to be fundamental for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.</p>

<h2><strong>What is the ‘Cosmic Vine’?</strong></h2>

<p>The structure, the findings about which were published on the pre-print server arXiv, is said to consist of at least 20 massive galaxies and six galaxy overdensities, which would add up to a total of 260 billion solar masses.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ginormous-fossilised-bubble-near-milky-way-could-be-relic-of-the-big-bang-638965">Ginormous ‘fossilised’ bubble near Milky Way could be relic of the Big Bang</a></strong></p>

<p>Cosmic Vine was seen at a redshift of 3.44 in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS) field observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which means as per the findings, that the universe was only a 2.5 billion-year-old baby when the structure made its appearance. Current methods estimate the universe’s age at 13.7 billion years.</p>

<h2><strong>What makes this discovery significant?</strong></h2>

<p>Cosmic Vine is an extremely long and large structure which is also home to two of the most massive galaxies ever found at such a high redshift – Galaxy A and Galaxy E.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Massive and dense structures of galaxies like the Cosmic Vine are perceived as precursors to galaxy clusters which are the biggest gravitationally bound systems in the universe.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/macallan-1926-rare-whisky-becomes-worlds-most-expensive-bottle-after-being-sold-at-auction-for-record-27mn-660342">Macallan 1926: Rare whisky becomes world’s most expensive bottle after being sold at auction for record $2.7mn</a></strong></p>

<p>Therefore, the study suggests that since Cosmic Vine is not a virialized system, it is on its way to becoming a galaxy cluster and scientists believe that it might provide insights into the formation of such clusters and the emergence of massive galaxies within them.</p>

<p>The international team of researchers also propose a further investigation of quiescent cluster galaxies at high redshifts which they believe would be significant in helping us understand how the largest structures in the universe form and evolve.</p>


An international team of scientists have discovered an enormous structure which is home to at least 20 massive galaxies. The structure, dubbed ‘Cosmic Vine’, is said to be about 13 million light-years long and 0.

An international team of scientists have discovered an enormous structure which is home to at least 20 massive galaxies. The structure, dubbed ‘Cosmic Vine’, is said to be about 13 million light-years long and 0.65 million light-years wide. It is so massive that it makes our galaxy, the Milky Way, sound like a negligible speck of dust in the vast cosmos. To put this number into perspective, if we had the ability to travel at impossible lightspeed, it would roughly 100,000 years to travel across the entire Milky Way but even the fastest man-made object ever, the American space agency NASA’s Parker Solar Probe travels at 0.064 per cent the speed of light. The group of astronomers led by Shuowen Jin of the Technical University of Denmark have detected a new object the investigation of which is said to be fundamental for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. What is the ‘Cosmic Vine’? The structure, the findings about which were published on the pre-print server arXiv, is said to consist of at least 20 massive galaxies and six galaxy overdensities, which would add up to a total of 260 billion solar masses. ALSO READ | Ginormous ‘fossilised’ bubble near Milky Way could be relic of the Big Bang Cosmic Vine was seen at a redshift of 3.44 in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS) field observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which means as per the findings, that the universe was only a 2.5 billion-year-old baby when the structure made its appearance. Current methods estimate the universe’s age at 13.7 billion years. What makes this discovery significant? Cosmic Vine is an extremely long and large structure which is also home to two of the most massive galaxies ever found at such a high redshift – Galaxy A and Galaxy E. Massive and dense structures of galaxies like the Cosmic Vine are perceived as precursors to galaxy clusters which are the biggest gravitationally bound systems in the universe. ALSO READ | Macallan 1926: Rare whisky becomes world’s most expensive bottle after being sold at auction for record $2.7mn Therefore, the study suggests that since Cosmic Vine is not a virialized system, it is on its way to becoming a galaxy cluster and scientists believe that it might provide insights into the formation of such clusters and the emergence of massive galaxies within them. The international team of researchers also propose a further investigation of quiescent cluster galaxies at high redshifts which they believe would be significant in helping us understand how the largest structures in the universe form and evolve.

‘Cosmic Vine’: Scientists discover enormous structure hosting 20 galaxies

<p>How life began on Earth is a question that has kept scientists curious for centuries. There are theories that claim life started because the meteors brought life-sustaining materials&nbsp;to Earth. Other theories claim life emerged due to a wave of volcanic eruptions which&nbsp;occurred 4.5 billion years ago.</p>

<p>Amid these hypotheses, a new study has now claimed that the oldest continents in our Milky Way galaxy may have emerged five billion years before Earth's.&nbsp;The study, thereby, has given rise to the speculation that there could be multiple worlds in the Milky Way housing alien life.</p>

<p>The study was published in the journal&nbsp;Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.</p>

<h2><strong>What did the researchers find?</strong></h2>

<p>Jane Greaves, the Cardiff University astronomer who carried out the study, found that two exoplanets' continents may have come four to five billion years before the Earth's.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-was-more-charming-for-aliens-when-dinosaurs-existed-657525">Earth was more charming for aliens when dinosaurs existed, suggests study</a></strong></p>

<p>"If life on another planet had a five-billion-year head start, it could potentially host life more evolved than us," Greaves wrote in the study.</p>

<h2><strong>How was the study conducted?</strong></h2>

<p>Continents on Earth were formed due to movement of tectonic plates. This occurs because the rocks of the tectonic plates floats over the molten magma. The molten magma remains in that state because of the heat from radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium.</p>

<p>Cardiff University's Greaves analysed levels of uranium present in nearby stars. She then combined the data with the ages of stars measured from the Gaia satellite.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Aliens in Mexico? Sensational claim on aliens</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aliens-in-mexico-sensational-claim-on-aliens-636119/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>She then configured the timeframe that the analysed stars were in when they became hot enough for the first emergence of tectonic plates there. Greaves discovered that the first continents were formed near Sun-like stars a few billion years before Earth's tectonic plates first emerged.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong></h2>

<p>The study on potentially habitable planets is important for space missions of the future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Greaves expects that her work will be a stepping stone for future work that will analyse more such planets.</p>


How life began on Earth is a question that has kept scientists curious for centuries. There are theories that claim life started because the meteors brought life-sustaining materials to Earth.

How life began on Earth is a question that has kept scientists curious for centuries. There are theories that claim life started because the meteors brought life-sustaining materials to Earth. Other theories claim life emerged due to a wave of volcanic eruptions which occurred 4.5 billion years ago. Amid these hypotheses, a new study has now claimed that the oldest continents in our Milky Way galaxy may have emerged five billion years before Earth's. The study, thereby, has given rise to the speculation that there could be multiple worlds in the Milky Way housing alien life. The study was published in the journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. What did the researchers find? Jane Greaves, the Cardiff University astronomer who carried out the study, found that two exoplanets' continents may have come four to five billion years before the Earth's. Also read | Earth was more charming for aliens when dinosaurs existed, suggests study "If life on another planet had a five-billion-year head start, it could potentially host life more evolved than us," Greaves wrote in the study. How was the study conducted? Continents on Earth were formed due to movement of tectonic plates. This occurs because the rocks of the tectonic plates floats over the molten magma. The molten magma remains in that state because of the heat from radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium. Cardiff University's Greaves analysed levels of uranium present in nearby stars. She then combined the data with the ages of stars measured from the Gaia satellite. Also watch | Aliens in Mexico? Sensational claim on aliens × She then configured the timeframe that the analysed stars were in when they became hot enough for the first emergence of tectonic plates there. Greaves discovered that the first continents were formed near Sun-like stars a few billion years before Earth's tectonic plates first emerged. What does it mean? The study on potentially habitable planets is important for space missions of the future. Greaves expects that her work will be a stepping stone for future work that will analyse more such planets.

Two exoplanets in the Milky Way had continents 5 billion years before Earth did

milky-way

Milky Way, News on Milky Way, stories on Milky Way, articles on Milky Way, Milky Way stories at Wion, Milky Way news, Milky Way latest news