Astronomers have captured a striking image of a spiral galaxy distorted by gravitational lensing, resembling an alien from the classic computer game 'Space Invaders'. The foreground cluster of galaxies acts as a natural lens to magnify and brighten light from background galaxies, creating this surreal landscape.
Researchers used Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) to predict velocity dispersion in faint dwarf galaxies of Andromeda. In 16 out of 17 cases, their predictions matched the measured velocity dispersions, suggesting that MOND may be a viable alternative to dark matter.
A new technique developed by Oxford University scientists can spot carbon monoxide within gas circling a supermassive black hole, 'weighing' its mass. This breakthrough enables the study of thousands of distant galaxies and spiral galaxies, previously hard to target.
Rachel Somerville's research focuses on creating computer models that simulate galaxy formation and evolution. Her work helps astronomers understand how galaxies first formed and how they continue to evolve in the contemporary universe.
Researchers led by Nicolas Lehner found large quantities of cool gas with low heavy element content surrounding modern galaxies. This gas has not been strongly processed through stars, providing a substantial reservoir for fueling continued star formation in modern galaxies.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a faint dwarf galaxy and another possible young dwarf galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. They also found evidence pointing to two already known dwarf galaxies as probable forces that pulled the pinwheel-shaped disk galaxy, M101, out of shape.
A team of Caltech astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to discover seven primitive and distant galaxies, existing 13 billion years ago. The galaxies formed during the 'cosmic dawn' period, with their numbers steadily increasing over time, supporting the idea that first galaxies didn't form in a sudden burst.
Astronomers have discovered seven primitive galaxies from a distant population formed over 13 billion years ago. The observations reveal the earliest years of cosmic history and provide new insights into galaxy formation.
Astronomers have discovered a previously unseen population of seven primitive galaxies that formed more than 13 billion years ago. The galaxies were observed using Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 in near-infrared light, allowing researchers to study the early universe.
Astronomers have identified a new class of galaxies, known as green beans, which are rare and display the largest and brightest glowing regions ever found. These giant glows are thought to be echoes from when the central black hole was more active in the past, providing valuable insights into galaxy evolution.
Astronomers have found that a merging galaxy cluster's 'dark core' does not appear to be over-dense in dark matter. The study uses improved Hubble camera capabilities to map the cluster's dark matter distribution, with a ratio of 2.5 to 1 of dark matter to normal matter, aligning with expectations.
Astronomers used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope to measure a massive black hole in galaxy NGC 1277 with a mass 17 billion Suns, rewriting theories on black hole formation. This unusual finding comes from a survey of the most massive galaxies in the universe.
Researchers have discovered a narrow stellar stream in the southern Galactic sky, believed to be the remnant of an ancient star cluster being ingested by the Milky Way. This finding provides new insight into how galaxies form and evolve through hierarchical merging of smaller galaxies and star clusters.
Researchers from UC Irvine and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have discovered that galaxy halos are likely caused by orphan stars ejected from galaxies during violent mergers. The team used data from the Spitzer Space Telescope to study the patterns of diffuse light, finding that it is too strong to be explained by earlier theories.
Researchers suggest that small numbers of stars kicked to the edges of space during galaxy collisions may explain infrared light 'halos'. This theory proposes that only one-tenth of 1 percent of stars are distributed like dark matter, producing fluctuations in the cosmic background.
New observations of distant galaxies reveal that internal motions were more disordered in the past, and the Hubble sequence of well-ordered disk galaxies evolved from earlier chaotic forms. This challenges the long-held assumption about disk galaxy formation, finding they evolved gradually over 8 billion years.
Researchers studied 544 blue galaxies and found they gradually transformed into orderly disk-shaped systems, with increasing rotation speeds and organization. The study's findings contradict previous studies that examined only well-behaved galaxies.
Astronomers discover that massive galaxies with 100 billion stars are growing denser due to repeated collisions and mergers. The study used gravitational lenses to analyze the mass distribution in these galaxies, finding that major collisions between large galaxies lead to increased mass density at their centers.
The eXtreme Deep Field (XDF) image is a small fraction of the angular diameter of the full moon, containing about 5,500 galaxies. The XDF reveals galaxies that span back 13.2 billion years in time, providing a 'time tunnel into the distant past' and shedding light on the early universe's dramatic birth and evolution.
DECam, the most powerful sky survey instrument built, relies on Berkeley Lab's red-sensitive astronomical CCDs for exceptional sensitivity and resolution. This collaboration has enabled scientists to collect images of distant galaxies and measure the expansion history of the universe with unprecedented precision.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University develop method to observe stars that formed when the universe was 180 million years old. By detecting radio waves from hydrogen atoms, they reveal patterns in the sky indicating early galaxies, providing insight into the universe's origins.
New data reveals galaxies formed and fully illuminated the universe by 750 million years old, ending sooner than expected. The epoch of reionization lasted less than 500 million years and was triggered by monster galaxies with over a billion stars.
Researchers discovered two galaxies identical to the Milky Way and its companion clouds, a rare occurrence. The Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey revealed these 'twin' galaxies, which are expected to be very rare due to complex cosmic interactions.
Astronomers have discovered galactic winds measuring up to 2,500 km/s, driven by intense bursts of star formation, potentially shutting down galaxy star formation. Young, compact galaxies with high-velocity winds are rare and may be part of a common phase in galaxy evolution.
Scientists have invented a new approach to simulate the birth and evolution of galaxies, creating a universe with spiral galaxies like Andromeda. The new software, Arepo, uses a flexible grid geometry to match the motions of gas, stars, dark matter, and dark energy.
Astronomers detected a rotating spiral galaxy in the early universe, over 3 billion years after the Big Bang, using the Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxy, named BX442, is unlike other ancient galaxies with its grand design structure and massive size.
Astronomers have spotted the first direct detection of dark galaxies in the early Universe, shedding light on these elusive objects. The team used a bright quasar to illuminate gas-rich galaxies, revealing their existence and properties, including suppressed star formation efficiency.
Astronomers discover that small dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way contain only a few stars and share the same birth date, indicating they were shut down by reionization. The relic galaxies provide evidence for a transitional phase in the early universe.
Astronomers found a rare gravitational arc behind an extremely massive galaxy cluster 10 billion light-years away, defying statistical expectations. The arc is the result of powerful gravity distorting light from a more distant galaxy, offering insight into the early universe's conditions for massive cluster growth.
New study finds that most massive black-hole growth in the early universe was fueled by small, long-term events rather than dramatic short-term major mergers. Quasars thrive in normal-looking spiral galaxies, triggered by black holes snacking on gas or small satellite galaxies.
The chance alignment of galaxies NGC 3314A and NGC 3314B shows a unique view of their spiral arms and dust lanes. The motion of the galaxies indicates they are not on a collision course, with NGC 3314A's warped shape likely due to an encounter with another nearby galaxy.
A new study using Chandra data reveals two galaxies with supermassive black holes growing at a rate outpacing their host galaxies. The findings suggest that dark matter halos and black holes are linked in the growth of these galaxies, contradicting previous assumptions.
Recent studies with the Green Bank Telescope indicate that two neighbor galaxies may have had a close encounter. The discovery confirms a disputed finding from 2004 and shows six dense clumps of gas in the stream, strengthening the argument that they are part of a bridge between the two galaxies.
Researchers have discovered an additional third of atomic hydrogen gas in galaxies, which could impact star formation rates. The findings suggest that galaxies are forming stars at 20 times the rate they did billions of years ago.
A team of astronomers has discovered a giant galaxy-packed filament in the universe, containing hundreds of galaxies spanning 8 million light-years. The filament is ablaze with billions of new stars and offers a unique opportunity to explore how galaxies evolve and merge to form superclusters.
Researchers found that some baby galaxies from over 12 billion years ago had a high content of heavier elements, similar to our Sun. This suggests potential for planet formation and life in the early Universe. The study used quasars as light sources to analyze the spectral lines and measure the amount of elements.
Astronomers using Herschel Space Observatory data show that massive black holes at galaxy centers influence star formation rates. Galaxies with powerful black holes form stars at a thousand times the rate of Milky Way, but fastest-growing black holes shut off star formation in surrounding galaxies.
Scientists analyzed two years of data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to detect gamma-ray signals from hypothetical particles. No signals were detected, ruling out WIMP candidates within a specific range of masses and interaction rates as dark matter.
Bahram Mobasher has received a two-year grant from NASA to compile imaging observations of galaxy surveys taken by the Hubble Space Telescope since 2002. The project aims to provide multi-wavelength data for measuring physical properties of galaxies and studying their formation and evolution.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found galaxies containing quasars that act as gravitational lenses, distorting images of aligned galaxies. Quasars are powered by supermassive black holes and help estimate the mass of host galaxies.
The team discovered the most distant cluster of red galaxies, 30 galaxies packed together, 10.5 billion light years away, and formed the earliest known 'galaxy city' in the universe. The findings revealed a conspicuous concentration of galaxies that existed three billion years ago, providing insights into galaxy evolution and assembly.
Astronomers have observed a clump of dark matter in the Abell 520 galaxy cluster, which contradicts current theories about its behavior. The team used the Hubble Space Telescope to map dark matter, revealing a core rich in dark matter but containing no luminous galaxies.
A team of astronomers has captured stunning images of a nearby dwarf galaxy undergoing a 'stealth merger' with its host. The resulting stellar stream is visible in the outer regions of NGC 4449, providing insights into galaxy formation and evolution.
Astronomers use gravitational lensing to study a vigorously forming galaxy, revealing regions of intense star formation. The team aims to analyze these star-forming regions through spectroscopy to understand their formation mechanisms.
A team of scientists has detected a faint 'satellite galaxy' 10 billion light years away, making it the lowest-mass object at such a distance. This finding could help confirm or reject theories about the structure of the cosmos.
Astronomers using ALMA have found compelling evidence for how star-forming galaxies evolve into 'red and dead' elliptical galaxies, catching a large group of galaxies right in the middle of this change. The study reveals that galaxies are being starved of star-forming gas by their central black holes' jets.
Researchers have used a three-dimensional color map of the universe to create the most accurate calculation yet of how matter clumps together. By analyzing the brightness of 900,000 galaxies, they found that dark energy accounts for 73% of the universe's density, providing new insights into the cosmos.
Astronomers have discovered the most distant galaxy cluster ever observed, comprising five bright galaxies that are 600 million years after the Big Bang. The cluster is believed to be a protocluster, with galaxies expected to merge and form a massive central galaxy.
A team of researchers has discovered the most distant developing galaxy cluster, approximately 13.1 billion light-years away, using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The cluster is among the brightest galaxies in the early universe and is expected to grow into a massive galactic city.
Astronomers have pinpointed the most distant galaxy cluster in the early universe, comprising five tiny galaxies 600 million years after the Big Bang. The discovery confirms theoretical understanding of galaxy cluster formation and provides evidence for the hierarchical model of galaxy assembly.
Researchers mapped dark matter using images of 10 million galaxies in four regions, studying distortion of light as it passes massive clumps of dark matter. The study reveals a vast network of dense and empty regions, providing the first direct glimpse at dark matter on large scales.
Researchers have created the largest-scale map of dark matter, showcasing a intricate cosmic web that covers over one billion light years. By analyzing images of 10 million galaxies, they were able to detect the distortion caused by dark matter and gain insight into its distribution.
Researchers have discovered two massive black holes, each with a mass equivalent to 10 billion suns, in nearby galaxies. These 'sleeping giants' are thought to be remnants of quasars that powered the early universe.
Astronomers have found two massive black holes, each with a mass of 10 billion suns, in nearby galaxies. These 'sleeping giants' are thought to be remnants of quasars that powered matter into black holes in the early universe.
Astronomers have discovered the largest black holes to date, two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns threatening to consume anything within a region five times the size of our solar system. These black holes are located in giant elliptical galaxies more than 300 million light years from Earth.
Galaxies continuously recycle immense volumes of hydrogen gas and heavy elements, allowing successive generations of stars to form. The process is driven by gas-rich star-forming spiral galaxies that can evolve into elliptical galaxies without star formation.
Astronomers have uncovered an extraordinary population of young dwarf galaxies brimming with star formation, forcing a re-evaluation of their understanding of galaxy evolution. These galaxies are estimated to be 9 billion years old and produce stars at rates 100 times faster than the Milky Way.
A team of researchers measured the bar length of over 5,000 galaxies using amateur astronomers' data from the Galaxy Zoo project. The study reveals that redder galaxies have longer bars and are more likely to display spiral arms.
New study reveals two young galaxies at 12 billion years old with super-solar metal abundances, challenging our understanding of the universe's chemical evolution. The findings support the idea that gamma-ray bursts are associated with vigorous massive star formation and provide insights into the history of the early universe.
Galaxy collisions may be a key process driving galaxy assembly, rapid star formation, and accretion of gas onto central black holes. New analysis combines Hubble images with supercomputer simulations to estimate merger rates, clearing up discrepant results from previous studies.