Articles tagged with Milky Way
Researchers have discovered a globular cluster stellar stream in another galaxy, offering new insights into the nature of dark matter. The study demonstrates that these streams can be used to measure dark matter content beyond our own galaxy, opening doors to a broader understanding of its behavior.
Researchers from the University of Missouri discovered that the ratio of large and small stars in distant galaxies depends on their environment, potentially altering how scientists estimate galaxy mass and age. This breakthrough could lead to more accurate estimates and a better understanding of the universe's history.
The SDSS-V survey has released its twentieth public data release (DR20), providing a massive catalog of high-quality spectra of stars across the Milky Way. The dataset includes over two million total spectra, revealing temperatures, ages, and chemical compositions of stars.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has released its 20th data set, featuring over three million spectra of stars and galaxies, as well as 18 new value-added catalogs. This release marks a significant expansion of the survey's efforts, integrating full all-sky panoptic spectroscopy across both hemispheres.
A recent study from Florida International University suggests that galaxy mergers are neither necessary nor sufficient to stop galaxies from forming new stars. Instead, slower internal processes are believed to play a much larger role in quenching star formation.
Researchers found that galaxies with slowly rotating stellar haloes are more likely to have experienced a major disc flip, where the galaxy's disc changed its orientation by more than 90 degrees. This discovery provides clues about how the Milky Way assembled and may offer indirect hints about the motion of its invisible dark matter halo.
The XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes have spotted the aftermath of three bright explosions echoing through the Milky Way's outer spiral arms. The team measured the distance to these echoes directly, finding two arms - Outer Scutum-Centaurus Arm and Outer Arm - lie up to 10% further away than previously thought.
Astronomers have discovered a new millisecond pulsar named PSR J1810−0623, featuring an exceptionally circular orbit. This discovery provides valuable information about binary evolution processes and the Galactic magnetic field structure.
Astrophysicists at Northwestern University have discovered evidence of a powerful wind blowing from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. The study resolves one of the longest-standing mysteries in astronomy and opens a new window into the physics at play in the center of the Milky Way. The team used five yea...
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, tiny satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, can reflect conditions of the early universe, shedding light on galaxy formation and dark matter. Simulations suggest these small galaxies are sensitive to early radiation environment and can probe the universe's earliest climate.
A study suggests that self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) can explain unusual gravitational effects observed in various astrophysical environments. Dense clumps of SIDM can account for high-density structures in the universe, providing a promising candidate for explaining small-scale cosmic structure.
A new study reveals the Milky Way's southern halo is up to 12% warmer than the northern half due to an internal combustion engine-like effect caused by the Large Magellanic Cloud. The compression of gas in this process heats up, affecting the temperature difference between the two regions.
The Small Magellanic Cloud's stars do not orbit around its center due to a direct collision with the Large Magellanic Cloud. The collision disrupted the SMC's internal structure and destroyed its gas rotation, making it a unique case to study galaxy evolution.
Researchers found our Sun joined a mass migration of similar stars 4-6 billion years ago, shedding light on galaxy evolution and the corotation barrier. The discovery reveals the time range over which the bar structure at the galactic center was formed.
Astronomers have captured unprecedented detail of cosmic gas in the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, revealing intricate chemistry and complex star-forming processes. The dataset provides a unique view of the raw material from which stars form, shedding light on galaxy evolution and the birth of massive stars.
Researchers propose an alternative explanation for the galactic centre: an enormous clump of mysterious dark matter exerting gravitational influence. The model also explains the galaxy's large-scale rotation and predicts a unique cosmic structure.
Researchers reconstruct Milky Way's evolution from its earliest phases to present day, revealing a tumultuous youth and chaotic conditions. The study provides new insights into galaxy formation and growth, highlighting the need for refinement in theoretical predictions.
A new study using advanced computer simulations has shed light on the mysterious chemical history of the Milky Way. Researchers found that galaxies like the Milky Way can develop two distinct chemical sequences through various mechanisms, challenging previous assumptions about the role of cosmic gas flows and galaxy mergers.
Researchers at RIKEN successfully simulated the Milky Way Galaxy with over 100 billion individual stars, far surpassing previous state-of-the-art models. This achievement demonstrates the power of AI-accelerated simulations in tackling complex multi-scale problems in astrophysics and beyond.
A team from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research has assembled a record-breaking radio colour image of the Milky Way. The unprecedented level of detail offers new insights into the galaxy's radio emission and structure.
A mysterious glow in the Milky Way could be a clue to dark matter's existence. Researchers used supercomputers to simulate dark matter locations and found matches with actual gamma ray maps.
The Gaia space telescope has discovered a giant wave in the Milky Way galaxy, causing stars to wobble over vast distances. The wave stretches across a huge portion of the galactic disc, affecting stars up to 65 thousand light-years away from the centre.
Astronomers used Gaia's data to create the most accurate 3D map of star-forming regions in our galaxy, revealing the location and ionization of hot young stars. The map extends to 4000 light-years from us and includes detailed views of notable nebulae.
Researchers measured magnetic field of Sagittarius C, a region in the Central Molecular Zone, to understand interaction between dense clouds, star formation, and strong magnetic field. The study found that the magnetic field wraps around an expanding central bubble of hot, ionized gas created by massive young stars.
Researchers suggest our galaxy might sit in a large, local void that makes the cosmos expand faster here than elsewhere. The 'sound of the Big Bang' supports this idea by distorting baryon acoustic oscillations, which provide a standard ruler for charting cosmic expansion history.
The discovery of dense clouds of neutral hydrogen gas within the Fermi bubbles challenges current understanding of their formation and age. These 'ice-like' clouds are found at 12,000 light years above the Milky Way's center and are much younger than previously estimated.
Researchers have discovered that Bogong moths use constellations of stars and the Milky Way to navigate long distances, making them the first known invertebrate to rely on a stellar compass for navigation. The moths also use the Earth's magnetic field to maintain their direction even when clouds obscure the stars.
Researchers found that the Galactic Center's star-forming regions struggle to form high-mass stars, unlike typical star-forming regions, due to extreme conditions caused by the black hole. The study suggests these regions effectively produce just one generation of stars and lack sufficient material for continued formation.
Astronomers have discovered a massive spiral galaxy resembling the Milky Way, formed just 1 billion years after the Big Bang. The galaxy, Zhúlóng, exhibits a mature structure with a central old bulge and large star-forming disk, challenging our understanding of galaxy formation.
Research suggests that massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud are being pulled apart by the Large Magellanic Cloud. The discovery reveals a new pattern in stellar motion, which could transform our understanding of galaxy evolution and interactions.
A new study proposes a third category of galaxies: red star-forming. These galaxies produce low-mass stars and may have played a significant role in the universe's history. The findings could change our understanding of galaxy evolution, star formation, and the life cycle of galaxies.
Scientists studied Sagittarius C using the James Webb Space Telescope to understand why fewer new stars are born in the region. They discovered powerful magnetic field lines that form long, bright filaments of hot hydrogen gas, slowing down star formation.
Astronomers have discovered a cosmic anomaly that challenges our understanding of the universe, revealing a spiral galaxy harboring a supermassive black hole billions of times the Sun's mass. This discovery forces us to rethink how galaxies evolve and how supermassive black holes grow in them.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University used a deep learning model to discover new bubble-like structures in the Milky Way galaxy, providing insights into star formation and galaxy evolution. The study also revealed shell-like structures formed by supernova explosions.
Astronomers have created a detailed 3D map of dust in the Milky Way galaxy, providing new insights into the effects of dust on celestial observations. The map reveals unexpected properties of interstellar dust clouds, including a steepening extinction curve in areas of intermediate density.
Researchers found Andromeda XXXV, the smallest and dimmest satellite galaxy to date, which challenges our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The discovery provides new insights into how galaxies survive different epochs of the universe.
A study published in Physical Review Letters suggests that a mysterious phenomenon at the center of our galaxy may be caused by a lighter form of dark matter. The research team detected unusual energy signatures radiating from this region, which they believe could be produced by the annihilation of tiny dark matter particles.
A team of researchers from Kyushu University discovered that about 60% of molecular clouds in the Small Magellanic Cloud had a filamentary structure, while 40% were 'fluffy' with higher temperatures. This finding provides new insights into star formation in early-universe-like environments.
A Northwestern University-led team observed Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, exhibiting a constant stream of flares with no periods of rest. The level of activity varies widely, from short interludes to long stretches, and appears to be random.
Scientists have discovered a scrawny star and its fast-moving super-Neptune world, which sets a new record for the fastest exoplanet system. The planetary system is thought to move at least 1.2 million miles per hour.
Two new celestial objects have been confirmed using Gaia data, including a Super-Jupiter exoplanet and a brown dwarf. The discovery challenges current theories of planet formation and provides valuable data for understanding these intriguing objects. Gaia's ongoing mission will uncover hundreds of planets and brown dwarfs around nearby...
The Hubble Space Telescope has completed a comprehensive survey of the Andromeda galaxy, revealing its structure and evolution on a holistic scale. The observations provide insights into the galaxy's age, heavy-element abundance, and stellar masses, helping astronomers distinguish between competing scenarios of merger history.
Astronomers discovered three ultra-faint dwarf galaxies in an isolated region of space, containing only very old stars. The findings support the theory that events in the early universe cut off star formation in small galaxies.
Researchers found a core-collapsing self-interacting dark matter subhalo is responsible for the peculiar spur and gap features observed in the GD-1 stellar stream. This discovery provides insights into the nature of dark matter itself and offers a new explanation for the observed perturbations.
A team of scientists found that carbon and other star-formed atoms don't just drift through space, but are pushed out by giant currents into intergalactic space. These atoms can eventually be pulled back in to form new stars, planets, and moons.
An international team of researchers has found the first binary star in the immediate vicinity of Sgr A* by analyzing individual observations of dust sources. The discovery provides new clues to how young stars form close to the supermassive black hole, solving a long-standing mystery.
Researchers have observed a rare metal-poor supernova, providing valuable information about the early universe. The study revealed that this supernova was distinct from others in nearby galaxies, with unique properties such as a steady brightness period and rapid spin.
Researchers discovered a class of unusually large and red galaxies, called Ultra-red Flattened Objects (UFOs), near the limit of Hubble's observable range. The James Webb Space Telescope's infrared capabilities allowed them to spot these 'dustier cousins' of the Milky Way.
Researchers from DTU have discovered a neutron star that rotates at an astonishing 716 times per second, making it one of the fastest-spinning objects ever observed. The neutron star is part of an X-ray binary star system and is located in the Sagittarius constellation.
A team of astronomers discovered new insights into the forces that shape protoplanetary disks using the James Webb Space Telescope. They traced disk winds in unprecedented detail, revealing an intricate structure and a pronounced central hole inside each cone-shaped envelope of winds.
A new study identifies regions where gravity dominates, such as the Sloan Great Wall and Shapley Supercluster, suggesting that our Milky Way likely resides in the larger Shapley basin. The research provides an unprecedented look into the gravitational landscape of the local Universe.
The European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope has created the largest infrared map of the Milky Way, comprising over 200,000 images and covering an area equivalent to 8600 full moons. The dataset contains about 10 times more objects than a previous map released in 2012, including newborn stars, globular clusters, and brown dwarfs.
A team of astronomers discovered a planetary system that resembles the sun-Earth system, with an Earth-size companion in an orbit twice as large as Earth's today. The discovery provides insight into the evolution of main sequence stars and their impact on planets.
The SAGA Survey has found that the Milky Way Galaxy appears to be an outlier in terms of its satellite galaxies, having acquired only two large satellites recently compared to other systems. The survey also explores the mechanisms that would stop star formation in these small galaxies, finding that environmental factors play a role.
Astronomers have discovered the largest pair of black hole jets yet, stretching 23 million light-years and equivalent to 140 Milky Way galaxies. This finding suggests that these massive jet systems may have played a significant role in shaping galaxies in the early universe.
A new study proposes that early dark energy could explain the formation of numerous bright galaxies in the early universe, resolving the 'Hubble tension' puzzle. The team modeled galaxy formation with a brief appearance of early dark energy, finding it fits observations and solves both puzzles.
UNLV astrophysicists found evidence suggesting the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, Sgr A*, is likely the result of a past cosmic merger. The study utilized data from the Event Horizon Telescope's 2022 observation of Sgr A* to investigate various growth models and demonstrated that the misaligned spin prop...
Researchers at the University of South Australia have developed an AI sensor that can accurately measure the orientation of the Milky Way in low light, using a technique inspired by the dung beetle. This system could improve navigation for drones and satellites in difficult lighting conditions.
Researchers found an intermediate-mass black hole in star cluster IRS 13 near SgrA*, suggesting it could be a 'seed' for the central supermassive black hole. The discovery provides insights into the galaxy's evolution and the formation of intermediate-mass black holes.
Researchers at the University of Utah and Max Planck Institute have discovered an intermediate-mass black hole in the Omega Centauri cluster, providing crucial evidence for a long-theorized class of black holes. The discovery offers insights into galaxy evolution and the formation history of globular clusters.