The galaxy Centaurus A is home to a firestorm of new star formation triggered by shockwaves from a past collision and merger with another galaxy. Hubble's image reveals the birth of vibrant blue star clusters and compresses hydrogen gas clouds.
Researchers found a nearly 20-year-old observation of the faint galaxy ESO 546-G34, which offers insights into the earliest galaxies in the universe. The discovery suggests that small low surface brightness galaxies may have more in common with the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang.
Astronomers have discovered a second supersized black hole at the heart of the unusual nearby galaxy Markarian 739. The study used NASA's Swift satellite and Chandra X-ray Observatory to find the hidden AGN, which is one of the nearest and clearest cases of a binary AGN. The dual black holes are separated by only 11,000 light-years.
Astronomers have created an atlas of galactic 'train wrecks' to understand the collision process and form, growth, and evolution of galaxies. The study combines data from Spitzer Space Telescope and Galaxy Evolution Explorer to analyze areas where stars are forming rapidly.
The discovery of blue stragglers in the Milky Way's hub suggests that the galaxy stopped making stars billions of years ago. The findings provide new constraints for models of the star-formation history of the bulge.
Researchers used radio telescopes to produce the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy. The image shows features as small as 15 light-days across, making it the highest-resolution view of galactic jets ever made.
Detecting raging storms of molecular gas streaming away from galaxies for the first time, Herschel reveals powerful outflows that could halve a galaxy's star-forming capacity within one million years. This discovery offers insights into galactic evolution and negative feedback mechanisms.
Astronomers have never seen a gamma-ray burst as bright and long-lasting as GRB 110328A, which is believed to be associated with a massive black hole. The unusual blast likely arose when a star wandered too close to the central black hole of its galaxy.
The study provides the first direct evidence that million-degree gas clouds are tightly gathered in the cluster's outskirts. The Suzaku images reveal that the outer parts of the Perseus cluster contain too many baryons, contradicting earlier studies and galaxy surveys.
Astronomer Heidi Newberg is using a new $382,000 NSF grant to map the distribution of dark matter in our galaxy. She will utilize the massive computing power of the international MilkyWay@Home project to simulate how stars in stellar streams got to their current positions.
Scientists have extended a directly-measured 'yardstick' three times farther into the cosmos using the super-sharp radio vision of the VLBA. New measurements have placed a galaxy at 450 million light-years from Earth, with implications for understanding Dark Energy and the expansion rate of the Universe.
Researchers have discovered a thick stellar disc in the Andromeda galaxy, composed of older stars with distinct chemical and orbital properties. This finding sheds light on the formation and evolution of spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way.
Astronomers have found the most distant galaxy candidate yet seen, about 13.2 billion light-years away, in ultra-deep imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope. The study reveals a rapid build-up of early galaxies around 480 million years after the Big Bang, with a tenfold increase in star birth rate over 170 million years.
M82's rapid star formation is believed to have been triggered by a close encounter with neighboring galaxy M81. The Chandra image reveals a unique opportunity to study conditions similar to those of the early universe and the consequences of supernovas in starburst galaxies.
Researchers develop method to locate satellite galaxies based on hydrogen gas distribution, predicting Galaxy X's mass and location. The technique has broad implications for dark matter detection and alternative gravity theories.
Gravitational lensing distorts the view of very distant galaxies, making them harder to detect and study. The distortion can be as much as an order of magnitude, potentially boosting the number of visible galaxies by up to 10-30.
Researchers discovered COSMOS-AzTEC3, a massive proto-cluster 12.6 billion light-years away, formed about one billion years after the Big Bang. The cluster is characterized by extreme bursts of star formation and a massive feeding black hole, indicating it will grow into a modern galaxy cluster.
Researchers found that up to 20% of the most distant galaxies appear brighter than they actually are due to strong gravitational lensing. This effect enables astronomers to detect more galaxies but requires correction to ensure accurate tallies.
Researchers found NGC 1266, an early-type galaxy, expelling molecular gas at high speeds, potentially leading to its transformation into a 'red and dead' state. The galaxy's gas loss could be a key mechanism in the evolution of galaxies from star-forming spirals to gas-poor red and dead galaxies.
Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole in a nearby dwarf galaxy, Henize 2-10, which is thought to be one of the first galaxies to form in the early Universe. The finding suggests that supermassive black holes formed before their surrounding galaxies, challenging current understanding of galaxy evolution.
The e-MERLIN telescope has captured the first image of a galaxy with its gravitational lens, revealing multiple images of a quasar billions of light years away. This groundbreaking observation demonstrates the power of the new telescope system in studying the fine details of astronomical events.
Astronomers have discovered a planet from another galaxy orbiting a star that has entered our Milky Way, providing the first confirmed detection of an extragalactic exoplanet. The planet, HIP 13044 b, was detected using high-resolution spectrograph FEROS attached to the MPG/ESO telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory.
Astronomers have confirmed that Hanny's Voorwerp is a large cloud of glowing gas illuminated by the light from a quasar, which has since burned out. The team found that the quasar lighting up the gas took up to 70,000 years to travel through space.
A team of Rutgers and Chilean astrophysicists has discovered 10 new massive galaxy clusters, shedding light on the universe's birth and evolution. The breakthrough technique uses 'cosmic shadows' to reveal these previously unseen clusters.
A European team of astronomers has confirmed that the UDFy-38135539 galaxy is the most remote object identified so far in the Universe. By analyzing its light's redshift, they found that it was seen just 600 million years after the Big Bang, providing valuable insights into the era of reionisation and galaxy formation.
A team of astronomers has discovered that young galaxies can grow by sucking in cool streams of hydrogen and helium gas, forming new stars. This process, known as accretion, provides a gentler alternative to galaxy mergers, which are thought to be the primary mechanism for galaxy growth.
Scientists have found the largest known galaxy cluster at a staggering 7 billion light-years away, holding hundreds of galaxies. This discovery provides crucial insights into dark energy's influence on cosmic structure growth.
Researchers detected a massive star's supernova in 2007, which appeared as a hot dust cloud instead of the typical explosion. The astronomers suspect this was more common early in the universe and may be related to the brightest star system in our galaxy.
A team of astronomers has confirmed the presence of an extreme ultra-luminous X-ray source in a nearby galaxy, which may indicate the presence of an intermediate mass black hole. The object, HLX-1, is located ~300 million light years from Earth and emits radiation 100 times brighter than most other objects in its class.
Astronomers studying a galactic black hole have found similarities between its eruption and the Eyjafjallajokull volcano on Earth. The cosmic eruption prevents hundreds of millions of new stars from forming by lifting cooler gas upwards.
Astronomers at Texas A&M University have discovered that a significant fraction of ancient galaxies in the CLG J02182-05102 cluster are still actively forming stars. The team found that star-forming galaxies are more common in this cluster than in nearby galaxy clusters.
Physicists have discovered evidence of natural nuclear accelerators at work in the Milky Way galaxy, based on an analysis of data from the world's largest cosmic ray detector. The researchers found that stellar explosions in our own galaxy can accelerate both protons and nuclei, explaining the origin of ultra-high-energy nuclei.
Astronomers have discovered a quasar that acts as a gravitational lens, allowing them to weigh and measure a distant galaxy containing a black hole. This groundbreaking observation was made possible by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database and will provide new insights into the distribution of matter in the universe.
Astronomers have discovered the first case of a distant galaxy being magnified by a quasar, allowing them to measure the masses of these host galaxies. This breakthrough provides new insights into galaxy formation and evolution, enabling scientists to better understand the relationship between quasars and their host galaxies.
Experiments at CERN and Karlsruhe have clarified the processes affecting osmium-187 abundance, reducing uncertainties in the rhenium-osmium cosmic clock. This allows for a more accurate estimate of our galaxy's age.
Researchers at Durham University use huge computer simulations to recreate the beginnings of the Milky Way, finding that many ancient stars originated from smaller galaxies torn apart by galaxy collisions. The simulations provide a blueprint for galaxy formation and reveal clues to the early history of the Milky Way.
A team of researchers has made the first detailed observations of 'halo' gas clouds in our Galaxy, finding they contain hydrogen gas 700 times the mass of the Sun. These clouds are linked to earlier star formation and can fall back into the main body of the Galaxy, recycling material.
Researchers have identified numerous previously unknown star-forming regions in the Milky Way, shedding light on the galaxy's structure and chemical evolution. The discovery allows for a better understanding of star formation processes and the distribution of heavy elements across the galaxy.
Hydrogen gas clouds found near Galactic bar exhibit distinct properties, indicating they originated from supernova explosions and young star winds. This discovery sheds light on critical process of material movement between Galaxy's disk and halo.
Data from NASA's Swift satellite have solved a decades-long mystery about black holes emitting vast amounts of energy. The survey confirms that galaxies colliding trigger the 'lighting up' of supermassive black holes.
A team of researchers discovered that a supermassive black hole at the center of the most massive local galaxy, M87, is displaced from its expected location. The finding suggests that supermassive black holes may be commonly offset from their host galaxy centers due to previous mergers or interactions with jets.
Researchers found that the supermassive black hole at the center of M87 is displaced from its expected position, likely due to a previous merger or the iconic jet's push. This discovery could have significant implications for understanding galaxy formation and evolution.
Astronomers used the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to map gamma rays emitted by Centaurus A, a galaxy with a supersized black hole. The discovery confirms that microwave photons can be accelerated to gamma-ray energies through inverse Compton scattering.
A massive galaxy in the early Universe created stars like our sun at a rate equivalent to 250 suns per year, researchers say. The team observed four star-forming regions within the galaxy, each over 100 times brighter than similar regions in the Milky Way.
Researchers have made direct measurements of the size and brightness of regions of star-birth in a very distant galaxy using the APEX telescope. The galaxy is so bright due to massive dust grains heated by starlight, revealing star formation at a rate equivalent to about 250 Suns per year.
Astronomers have observed a galaxy 10 billion light-years away, finding four discrete star-forming regions making new stars 250 times faster than the Milky Way. The study reveals exquisite detail of these regions, which are 100 times brighter than nearby galaxies.
Researchers at Durham University have discovered a massive explosion that halted star birth in an early galaxy. The blasts scattered gas needed for new stars, regulating the galaxy's growth.
Scientists have discovered a relic star from the early universe, which has a remarkably similar chemical composition to the Milky Way's oldest stars. The discovery supports the theory that our galaxy underwent a 'cannibal' phase by swallowing smaller galaxies and other galactic building blocks.
A newly discovered star in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy has a chemical makeup similar to the Milky Way's oldest stars, lending support to the 'bottom-up model' of galaxy formation. The star's unusually low metal abundance resembles those of old Milky Way stars, further validating the theory.
A study led by Queen's University astronomer Terry Bridges reveals that up to a quarter of the Milky Way's star clusters are foreign, originating from other galaxies. The research suggests six additional dwarf galaxies may exist within the galaxy beyond the two previously confirmed.
The MilkyWay@Home project uses volunteer computers from around the world to study dwarf galaxy movements and provide new details on dark matter. The project, which began in 2006, has surpassed one petaflop of computing speed and is the fastest computing project on the BOINC platform.
A team of researchers has resolved a long-standing conflict in the theory of galaxy formation, using millions of hours of supercomputer simulations. The study reveals that cosmic explosions, such as supernovas, play a key role in preventing the formation of stars and dark matter at the centers of dwarf galaxies.
Dr Andrew Benson and Dr Nick Devereux's research reveals the evolutionary history of the universe, explaining galaxy shapes and numbers. Their 'Lambda Cold Dark Matter' model suggests that dark matter haloes drive galaxy evolution, with elliptical galaxies resulting from multiple mergers.
Astronomers have identified the brightest source in the gamma-ray sky, with galaxy 3C 454.3 emitting flares 10 times brighter than its summer levels. The blazar's exceptional brightness is due to its orientation, with a jet aimed straight at Earth.
Galaxy Zoo Mergers allows citizen scientists to compare real images of colliding galaxies with millions of simulated images. This project aims to understand why the universe contains its mix of galaxies, including spiral arms and compact star balls.
Scientists at Durham University discovered rapid star formation in 'stellar nurseries' of infant galaxies, creating new stars at a rate 100 times faster than expected. This finding provides insight into the birth of our own galaxy and how it formed its first stars.
Astronomers have found a middleweight black hole in galaxy NGC 5408, with masses between 1,000 and 9,000 solar masses. The discovery was made using the Swift satellite and XMM-Newton observatory, which detected quasi-periodic oscillations from the black hole.
Researchers have detected gamma rays of a trillion electron volts coming from the M 82 galaxy, providing evidence for a strong connection between galaxies with high star formation and the production of cosmic rays. The discovery uses the VERITAS array of four telescopes at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona.
The IBEX spacecraft has created a new comprehensive sky map of our solar system, showcasing its location within the Milky Way galaxy. The map highlights the region that separates our heliosphere from interstellar space, with bright emissions not previously detected by Voyager spacecraft.
The Swift satellite has acquired the highest-resolution view of the Andromeda Galaxy in ultraviolet light, capturing over 20,000 ultraviolet sources. The galaxy's star-formation processes can now be studied in greater detail than previously possible with the help of three ultraviolet filters.