Galactic Astronomy

Extraordinary Trinary Black Hole System Is the First of Its Kind Ever Found

Credit: PixabayA Unique Discovery in Cygnus ConstellationIn the constellation Cygnus, about 7,800 light-years from Earth, lies a true cosmic oddity: the V404 Cygni system, home to a black hole known for its intriguing and unpredictable behavior. Recently, this system revealed yet another surprise to scientists—a hidden binary companion, a star in a wide orbit...

Hubble Captures a New View of Galaxy M90

This striking image provides a fresh perspective of the spiral galaxy Messier 90, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. ThilkerThe NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled a new mesmerizing image of the spiral galaxy Messier 90 (M90) in the constellation Virgo. Originally captured using the Wide Field and Planetary...

Negative Ions Found on Moon’s Surface by Chinese Lander

Chang’e-6 lander on the far side of the Moon.Image credit: CNSA/CLEPThe Moon´s Surface studied by The European Space Agency (ESA) which announced the detection of negative ions on the Moon's Surface, just days after the Chinese National Space Agency's Chang’e-6 lander placed detection equipment on the far side of the Moon.Chang'e-6 MissionChang'e-6 landed...

Astronomers Spot Radio Halo in Massive Galaxy Cluster

Archival Chandra image of ACT-CL J0329. Credit: Sikhosana et al., 2024.A global team of astronomers conducted radio observations of the large galaxy cluster ACT-CL J0329.2-2330, uncovering a new radio halo within the cluster. The discovery was detailed in a research paper published on April 5 on the pre-print server arXiv.In fact, radio halos are...

Chance Discovery: Astronomers Uncover Dark, Starless Galaxy

In the realm of galaxies, our minds often conjure images of luminous spiral formations teeming with stars and cosmic gases. However, a distinct category known as low-surface-brightness galaxies challenges this conventional perception. These galaxies, characterized by sparse stars and unconventional appearances, typically harbor more dark matter and predominantly consist of gas, with few discernible...

Extragalactic Star Detected at Milky Way’s Center

Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxyEHT Collaboration/CCA4.0Examining the stars in the night sky, it's unlikely you'd distinguish one as foreign. However, astronomers have identified a star near the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center, suggesting it originated in a smaller galaxy consumed by ours.Among...

ALMA Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Old Star

Credit: UnsplashALMA, a big telescope, looked at an old star and saw it really well. The star has a ring of gas around it, and some of the gas is moving away into space. Using this powerful telescope in the future will help us understand not only how stars end but also how planets...

A Breakthrough Discovery: Oxygen Atoms Unveiled in Venus’ Dayside Atmosphere

Planet Venus. Credit: Unsplash.For the first time, oxygen atoms have been identified in the dayside atmosphere of Venus, free from being part of larger molecules. This revelation not only marks a significant advancement in our understanding of Venus but also paves the way for future missions to the enigmatic planet.Revised TextFor the first time...

Discovery of an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) in the Sombrero Galaxy

Credit: Unsplush.A recent analysis of images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has unveiled an intriguing find within the Sombrero Galaxy. Conducted by Elio Quiroga Rodriguez from the Mid Atlantic University in Spain, this discovery sheds light on a previously unnoticed galaxy that harbors an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The findings were detailed...

The Oldest Cosmic Web Strands Are Identified by Webb

The configuration of 10 distant galaxies is depicted in this deep galaxy field from Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) as eight white circles arranged in a diagonal, thread-like line. (Two of the circles have many galaxies in them.) This 3 million light-year-long filament is held in place by a quasar, a galaxy with an active...