Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted
low_STScI-H-p0535a-k-1340x520.png

This image of star cluster NGC 346 and its surrounding star-formation region was taken in July 2004 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Located 210,000 light-years away in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way, the cluster is one of the most dynamic and intricately detailed star-forming regions in space. A dramatic structure of arched, ragged filaments with a distinct ridge encircles the cluster.

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NASA
      Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Glossary Posters Hubble on the NASA App More 35th Anniversary 2 min read
      Hubble Captures Young Stars Changing Their Environments
      This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the nearest star-forming region to Earth, the Orion Nebula (Messier 42, M42), located some 1,500 light-years away. ESA/Hubble, NASA, and T. Megeath This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image peers into the dusty recesses of the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth, the Orion Nebula (Messier 42, M42). Just 1,500 light-years away, the Orion Nebula is visible to the unaided eye below the three stars that form the ‘belt’ in the constellation Orion. The nebula is home to hundreds of newborn stars including the subject of this image: the protostars HOPS 150 and HOPS 153.
      These protostars get their names from the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey, conducted with ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory. The object visible in the upper-right corner of this image is HOPS 150: it’s a binary star system where two young protostars orbit each other. Each star has a small, dusty disk of material surrounding it. These stars gather material from their respective dust disks, growing in the process. The dark line that cuts across the bright glow of these protostars is a cloud of gas and dust falling in on the pair of protostars. It is over 2,000 times wider than the distance between Earth and the Sun. Based on the amount of infrared light HOPS 150 is emitting, as compared to other wavelengths it emits, the protostars are mid-way down the path to becoming mature stars.
      Extending across the left side of the image is a narrow, colorful outflow called a jet. This jet comes from the nearby protostar HOPS 153, which is out of the frame. HOPS 153 is significantly younger than its neighbor. That stellar object is still deeply embedded in its birth nebula and enshrouded by a cloud of cold, dense gas. While Hubble cannot penetrate this gas to see the protostar, the jet HOPS 153 emitted is brightly and clearly visible as it plows into the surrounding gas and dust of the Orion Nebula.
      The transition from tightly swaddled protostar to fully fledged star will dramatically affect HOPS 153’s surroundings. As gas falls onto the protostar, its jets spew material and energy into interstellar space, carving out bubbles and heating the gas. By stirring up and warming nearby gas, HOPS 153 may regulate the formation of new stars in its neighborhood and even slow its own growth.
      Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Explore More

      Three-Year Study of Young Stars with NASA’s Hubble Enters New Chapter


      NASA’s Hubble Finds Sizzling Details About Young Star FU Orionis


      Bow Shock Near a Young Star

      Media Contact:
      Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
      Share








      Details
      Last Updated Jan 16, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
      Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Nebulae Protostars Stars The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble
      Hubble Space Telescope


      Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.


      Exploring the Birth of Stars



      Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge



      Hubble Focus: The Lives of Stars


      This e-book highlights the mission’s recent discoveries and observations related to the birth, evolution, and death of stars.

      View the full article
    • By NASA
      Webb Webb News Latest News Latest Images Blog (offsite) Awards X (offsite – login reqd) Instagram (offsite – login reqd) Facebook (offsite- login reqd) Youtube (offsite) Overview About Who is James Webb? Fact Sheet Impacts+Benefits FAQ Science Overview and Goals Early Universe Galaxies Over Time Star Lifecycle Other Worlds Observatory Overview Launch Orbit Mirrors Sunshield Instrument: NIRCam Instrument: MIRI Instrument: NIRSpec Instrument: FGS/NIRISS Optical Telescope Element Backplane Spacecraft Bus Instrument Module Multimedia About Webb Images Images Videos What is Webb Observing? 3d Webb in 3d Solar System Podcasts Webb Image Sonifications Team International Team People Of Webb More For the Media For Scientists For Educators For Fun/Learning 6 Min Read NASA’s Webb Reveals Intricate Layers of Interstellar Dust, Gas
      This shimmering cosmic curtain shows interstellar gas and dust that has been heated by the flashbulb explosion of a long-ago supernova. The gas then glows infrared light in what is known as a thermal light echo. As the supernova illumination travels through space at the speed of light, the echo appears to expand. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed this light echo in the vicinity of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. Credits:
      NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC) Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star’s surface, it punched through, generating a brief, intense pulse of X-rays and ultraviolet light that traveled outward into the surrounding space. About 350 years later, that pulse of light has reached interstellar material, illuminating it, warming it, and causing it to glow in infrared light.
      NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has observed that infrared glow, revealing fine details resembling the knots and whorls of wood grain. These observations are allowing astronomers to map the true 3D structure of this interstellar dust and gas (known as the interstellar medium) for the first time.
      “We were pretty shocked to see this level of detail,” said Jacob Jencson of Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, principal investigator of the science program.
      “We see layers like an onion,” added Josh Peek of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, a member of the science team. “We think every dense, dusty region that we see, and most of the ones we don’t see, look like this on the inside. We just have never been able to look inside them before.”
      The team is presenting their findings in a press conference at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington.
      “Even as a star dies, its light endures—echoing across the cosmos. It’s been an extraordinary three years since we launched NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Every image, every discovery, shows a portrait not only of the majesty of the universe but the power of the NASA team and the promise of international partnerships. This groundbreaking mission, NASA’s largest international space science collaboration, is a true testament to NASA’s ingenuity, teamwork, and pursuit of excellence,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “What a privilege it has been to oversee this monumental effort, shaped by the tireless dedication of thousands of scientists and engineers around the globe. This latest image beautifully captures the lasting legacy of Webb—a keyhole into the past and a mission that will inspire generations to come.”
      Image A: Light Echoes Near Cassiopeia A (NIRCam)
      These shimmering cosmic curtains show interstellar gas and dust that has been heated by the flashbulb explosion of a long-ago supernova. The gas then glows infrared light in what is known as a thermal light echo. As the supernova illumination travels through space at the speed of light, the echo appears to expand. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed this light echo in the vicinity of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A three separate times, in essence creating a 3D scan of the interstellar material. Note that the field of view in the top row is rotated slightly clockwise relative to the middle and bottom rows, due to the roll angle of the Webb telescope when the observations were taken. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC) Video A: Light Echoes Near Cassiopeia A (NIRCam)
      This time-lapse video using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope highlights the evolution of one light echo in the vicinity of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. A light echo is created when a star explodes or erupts, flashing light into surrounding clumps of interstellar dust and causing them to shine in an ever-expanding pattern. Webb’s exquisite resolution not only shows incredible detail within these light echoes, but also shows their expansion over the course of just a few weeks – a remarkably short timescale considering that most cosmic targets remain unchanged over a human lifetime.
      Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC) Taking a CT Scan
      The images from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) highlight a phenomenon known as a light echo. A light echo is created when a star explodes or erupts, flashing light into surrounding clumps of dust and causing them to shine in an ever-expanding pattern. Light echoes at visible wavelengths (such as those seen around the star V838 Monocerotis) are due to light reflecting off of interstellar material. In contrast, light echoes at infrared wavelengths are caused when the dust is warmed by energetic radiation and then glows.
      The researchers targeted a light echo that had previously been observed by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope. It is one of dozens of light echoes seen near the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant – the remains of the star that exploded. The light echo is coming from unrelated material that is behind Cassiopeia A, not material that was ejected when the star exploded.
      The most obvious features in the Webb images are tightly packed sheets. These filaments show structures on remarkably small scales of about 400 astronomical units, or less than one-hundredth of a light-year. (An astronomical unit, or AU, is the average Earth-Sun distance. Neptune’s orbit is 60 AU in diameter.)
      “We did not know that the interstellar medium had structures on that small of a scale, let alone that it was sheet-like,” said Peek.
      These sheet-like structures may be influenced by interstellar magnetic fields. The images also show dense, tightly wound regions that resemble knots in wood grain. These may represent magnetic “islands” embedded within the more streamlined magnetic fields that suffuse the interstellar medium.
      “This is the astronomical equivalent of a medical CT scan,” explained Armin Rest of the Space Telescope Science Institute, a member of the science team. “We have three slices taken at three different times, which will allow us to study the true 3D structure. It will completely change the way we study the interstellar medium.”
      Image B: Cassiopeia A (Spitzer with Webb Insets)
      This background image of the region around supernova remnant Cassiopeia A was released by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in 2008. By taking multiple images of this region over three years with Spitzer, researchers were able to examine a number of light echoes. Now, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has imaged some of these light echoes in much greater detail. Insets at lower right show one epoch of Webb observations, while the inset at left shows a Webb image of the central supernova remnant released in 2023. Spitzer Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Y. Kim (Univ. of Arizona/Univ. of Chicago). Cassiopeia A Inset: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danny Milisavljevic (Purdue University), Ilse De Looze (UGent), Tea Temim (Princeton University). Light Echoes Inset: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC). Future Work
      The team’s science program also includes spectroscopic observations using Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). They plan to target the light echo multiple times, weeks or months apart, to observe how it evolves as the light echo passes by.
      “We can observe the same patch of dust before, during, and after it’s illuminated by the echo and try to look for any changes in the compositions or states of the molecules, including whether some molecules or even the smallest dust grains are destroyed,” said Jencson.
      Infrared light echoes are also extremely rare, since they require a specific type of supernova explosion with a short pulse of energetic radiation. NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will conduct a survey of the galactic plane that may find evidence of additional infrared light echoes for Webb to study in detail.
      The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
      Downloads
      Right click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu.
      View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
      Media Contacts
      Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
      Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
      Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
      Science – Jacob Jencson (Caltech/IPAC)
      Related Information
      Articles: Past Webb news releases on Cassiopeia A
      Interactive: Explore light echoes in V838 Monocerotis
      Videos: Learn more about supernovas.
      More Webb News
      More Webb Images
      Webb Science Themes
      Webb Mission Page
      Related For Kids
      What is a supernova?
      What is the Webb Telescope?
      SpacePlace for Kids
      En Español
      Ciencia de la NASA
      NASA en español 
      Space Place para niños
      Keep Exploring Related Topics
      James Webb Space Telescope


      Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…


      Stars Stories



      Universe



      Spitzer Space Telescope


      Spitzer uses an ultra-sensitive infrared telescope to study asteroids, comets, planets and distant galaxies.

      Share








      Details
      Last Updated Jan 14, 2025 Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms
      Astrophysics Goddard Space Flight Center James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Nebulae Science & Research Supernova Remnants Supernovae The Universe View the full article
    • By NASA
      Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Glossary Posters Hubble on the NASA App More 35th Anniversary 4 Min Read NASA’s Hubble Tracks Down a ‘Blue Lurker’ Among Stars
      Evolution of a “Blue Lurker” Star in a Triple System Credits:
      NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI) The name “blue lurker” might sound like a villainous character from a superhero movie. But it is a rare class of star that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope explored by looking deeply into the open star cluster M67, roughly 2,800 light-years away.
      Forensics with Hubble data show that the star has had a tumultuous life, mixing with two other stars gravitationally bound together in a remarkable triple-star system. The star has a kinship to so-called “blue stragglers,” which are hotter, brighter, and bluer than expected because they are likely the result of mergers between stars.
      Evolution of a “Blue Lurker” Star in a Triple System Panel 1: A triple star system containing three Sun-like stars. Two are very tightly orbiting. The third star has a much wider orbit. Panel 2: The close stellar pair spiral together and merge to form one more massive star. Panel 3: The merged star evolves into a giant star. As the huge photosphere expands, some of the material falls onto the outer companion, causing the companion to grow larger and its rotation rate to increase. Panels 4-5: The central merged star eventually burns out and forms a massive white dwarf, and the outer companion spirals in towards the white dwarf, leaving a binary star system with a tighter orbit. Panel 6: The surviving outer companion is much like our Sun but nicknamed a “blue lurker.” Although it is slightly brighter bluer than expected because of the earlier mass-transfer from the central star and is now rotating very rapidly, these features are subtle. The star could easily be mistaken for a normal Sun-like star despite its exotic evolutionary history. NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI) The blue lurker is spinning much faster than expected, an unusual behavior that led to its identification. Otherwise it looks like a normal Sun-like star. The term “blue” is a bit of a misnomer because the star’s color blends in with all the other solar-mass stars in the cluster. Hence it is sort of “lurking” among the common stellar population.
      The spin rate is evidence that the lurker must have siphoned in material from a companion star, causing its rotation to speed up. The star’s high spin rate was discovered with NASA’s retired Kepler space telescope. While normal Sun-like stars typically take about 30 days to complete one rotation, the lurker takes only four days.
      How the blue lurker got that way is a “super complicated evolutionary story,” said Emily Leiner of Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. “This star is really exciting because it’s an example of a star that has interacted in a triple-star system.” The blue lurker originally rotated more slowly and orbited a binary system consisting of two Sun-like stars.
      Around 500 million years ago, the two stars in that binary merged, creating a single, much more massive star. This behemoth soon swelled into a giant star, dumping some of its own material onto the blue lurker and spinning it up in the process. Today, we observe that the blue lurker is orbiting a white dwarf star — the burned out remains of the massive merger.
      “We know these multiple star systems are fairly common and are going to lead to really interesting outcomes,” Leiner explained. “We just don’t yet have a model that can reliably connect through all of those stages of evolution. Triple-star systems are about 10 percent of the Sun-like star population. But being able to put together this evolutionary history is challenging.”
      Hubble observed the white dwarf companion star that the lurker orbits. Using ultraviolet spectroscopy, Hubble found the white dwarf is very hot (as high as 23,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or roughly three times the Sun’s surface temperature) and a heavyweight at 0.72 solar masses. According to theory, hot white dwarfs in M67 should be only about 0.5 solar masses. This is evidence that the white dwarf is the byproduct of the merger of two stars that once were part of a triple-star system.
      “This is one of the only triple systems where we can tell a story this detailed about how it evolved,” said Leiner. “Triples are emerging as potentially very important to creating interesting, explosive end products. It’s really unusual to be able to put constraints on such a system as we are exploring.”
      Leiner’s results are being presented at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C.
      The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
      Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact:
      Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
      Ray Villard
      Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
      Science Contact:
      Emily Leiner
      Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
      Share








      Details
      Last Updated Jan 13, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
      Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Open Clusters Stars Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble
      Hubble Space Telescope


      Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.


      Hubble Science Highlights



      Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge



      Hubble Multimedia


      View the full article
    • By NASA
      Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Glossary Posters Hubble on the NASA App More 35th Anniversary 4 Min Read Hubble Reveals Surprising Spiral Shape of Galaxy Hosting Young Jet
      Quasar J0742+2704 Credits:
      NASA, ESA, Kristina Nyland (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) The night sky has always played a crucial role in navigation, from early ocean crossings to modern GPS. Besides stars, the United States Navy uses quasars as beacons. Quasars are distant galaxies with supermassive black holes, surrounded by brilliantly hot disks of swirling gas that can blast off jets of material. Following up on the groundbreaking 2020 discovery of newborn jets in a number of quasars, aspiring naval officer Olivia Achenbach of the United States Naval Academy has used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to reveal surprising properties of one of them, quasar J0742+2704.
      “The biggest surprise was seeing the distinct spiral shape in the Hubble Space Telescope images. At first I was worried I had made an error,” said Achenbach, who made the discovery during the course of a four-week internship.
      Quasar J0742+2704 (center) became the subject of astronomers’ interest after it was discovered to have a newborn jet blasting from the disk around its supermassive black hole in 2020, using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) radio observatory. This led to follow-up with other observatories in an effort to determine the properties of the galaxy and what may have triggered the jet. While the jet itself cannot be seen in this Hubble Space Telescope infrared-light image, the spiral shape of J0742+2704 is clear, with faint but detectable arms branching above and below the galaxy center. This was a big surprise to the research team, as quasars hosting jets are typically elliptical-shaped, and its suspected that messy mergers with other galaxies are what funnel gas toward the black hole and fuel jets. These mergers would also disrupt any spiral formation a galaxy may have had before mixing its contents with another galaxy. Though its intact spiral shape means it has not experienced a major merger, Hubble does show evidence that its lower arm has been disrupted, possibly by the tidal forces of interaction with another galaxy. This could mean that jets can be triggered by a far less involved, dramatic interaction of galaxies than a full merger. The large galaxy to the lower right of the quasar appears to be a ring galaxy, another sign of interaction. Some ring galaxies form after a small galaxy passes through the center of a larger galaxy, reconfiguring its gas and dust. The brightest parts of this image — foreground stars and the bright center of the quasar — show the characteristic “starry” spikes produced by Hubble (and other telescopes’) interior structure. They are not actual aspects of the cosmic objects. NASA, ESA, Kristina Nyland (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) “We typically see quasars as older galaxies that have grown very massive, along with their central black holes, after going through messy mergers and have come out with an elliptical shape,” said astronomer Kristina Nyland of the Naval Research Laboratory, Achenbach’s adviser on the research.
      “It’s extremely rare and exciting to find a quasar-hosting galaxy with spiral arms and a black hole that is more than 400 million times the mass of the Sun — which is pretty big — plus young jets that weren’t detectable 20 years ago,” Nyland said.
      The unusual quasar takes its place amid an active debate in the astronomy community over what triggers quasar jets, which can be significant in the evolution of galaxies, as the jets can suppress star formation. Some astronomers suspect that quasar jets are triggered by major galaxy mergers, as the material from two or more galaxies mashes together, and heated gas is funneled toward merged black holes. Spiral galaxy quasars like J0742+2704, however, suggest that there may be other pathways for jet formation.
      While J0742+2704 has maintained its spiral shape, the Hubble image does show intriguing signs of its potential interaction with other galaxies. One of its arms shows distortion, possibly a tidal tail.
      Hubble captured intriguing hints of interaction, if not full merging, between galaxies including quasar J0742+2704. There is evidence of a distorted tidal tail, or a streamer of gas, that has been pulled out by the gravity of a nearby galaxy. The presence of a ring galaxy also suggests interaction: The distinctive shape of ring galaxies are thought to form when one galaxy passes through another, redistributing its contents into a central core circled by stars and gas. Astronomers will be doing further analysis of Hubble’s detailed spectroscopic data, plus follow-up with other telescopes that can see different types of light, to confirm the distances of the galaxies and how they may be affecting one another. NASA, ESA, Kristina Nyland (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) “Clearly there is something interesting going on. While the quasar has not experienced a major disruptive merger, it may be interacting with another galaxy, which is gravitationally tugging at its spiral arm,” said Nyland.
      Another galaxy that appears nearby in the Hubble image (though its location still needs to be spectroscopically confirmed) has a ring structure. This rare shape can occur after a galaxy interaction in which a smaller galaxy punches through the center of a spiral galaxy. “The ring galaxy near the quasar host galaxy could be an intriguing clue as to what is happening in this system. We may be witnessing the aftermath of the interaction that triggered this young quasar jet,” said Nyland.
      Both Achenbach and Nyland emphasize that this intriguing discovery is really a new starting point, and there will be additional multi-wavelength analysis of J0742+2704 with data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. It’s also a case for keeping our eyes on the skies, said Achenbach.
      “If we looked at this galaxy 20 years, or maybe even a decade ago, we would have seen a fairly average quasar and never known it would eventually be home to newborn jets,” said Achenbach. “It goes to show that if you keep searching, you can find something remarkable that you never expected, and it can send you in a whole new direction of discovery.”
      The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
      Explore More

      Hubble Science Behind the Discoveries: Quasars


      NASA’s Hubble Takes the Closest-Ever Look at a Quasar


      Hubble Unexpectedly Finds Double Quasar in Distant Universe


      NASA’s Hubble Helps Astronomers Uncover the Brightest Quasar in the Early Universe


      NASA’s Hubble Sees the ‘Teenage Years’ of Quasars

      Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact:
      Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
      Leah Ramsay, Ray Villard
      Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
      Share








      Details
      Last Updated Jan 13, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
      Active Galaxies Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Quasars Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Hubble Space Telescope


      Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.


      Hubble Science Highlights



      Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge



      Universe Uncovered


      View the full article
    • By NASA
      NASA’s Glenn Research Center leaders stand with Evening With the Stars presenters. Left to right: Tim Smith, Nikki Welch, Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon, Acting Deputy Director Dr. Wanda Peters, and Carlos Garcia-Galan. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis  NASA Glenn Research Center’s “An Evening With the Stars” showcased research and technology innovations that addressed this year’s theme, NASA Glenn’s Spotlight on the Stars: 10 Years and Counting. The event featured presentations from Glenn subject matter experts and a networking reception. 
      Held at Windows on the River near Cleveland’s historic waterfront on Nov. 20, the event attracted sponsors and guests from more than 50 companies, universities, and organizations eager to learn more about the center’s recent accomplishments.  
      Special guests Dennis Andersh, CEO and president of Parallax Advanced Research/Ohio Aerospace Institute; Terrence Slaybaugh, vice president of Sites and Infrastructure for JobsOhio; and Dr. Wanda Peters, NASA Glenn’s acting deputy  director, provided remarks. 
      Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon took the stage to welcome visitors and share some accomplishments from an exciting year at NASA Glenn. Kenyon then introduced the presenters – NASA’s stars of the evening – and their topics. 
      “I relish this evening each year because it spotlights what is most important to our success at NASA: our people,” Kenyon said.  

      Nikki Welch is the digital manager in the Office of Communications. In this role, she helps to tell the NASA Glenn story in engaging ways for Glenn’s hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Welch shared details about her efforts and the importance of “Connecting People to the Mission.”  
      NASA Glenn Research Center’s Nikki Welch talks about connecting people to the NASA mission through storytelling. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis  Tim Smith leads high-temperature alloy development at NASA Glenn and has led research that resulted in over a dozen research licenses and four commercial licenses. As one of the inventors of the metal alloy GRX-810, Smith shared information about Glenn’s “Super Alloy Achievements.” 
      NASA Glenn Research Center’s Tim Smith talks about NASA’s superalloy achievements. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis  Carlos Garcia-Galan is the manager of the Orion program’s European Service Module Integration Office. This module, being provided by ESA (European Space Agency), is Orion’s powerhouse. Garcia-Galan shared information on the topic “Dreaming of Going to the Moon.”  

      NASA Glenn Research Center’s Carlos Garcia-Galan talks about the spacecraft that will bring humanity back to the Moon. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis  Return to Newsletter Explore More
      1 min read Program Manager at NASA Glenn Earns AIAA Sustained Service Award 
      Article 9 mins ago 1 min read NASA Glenn’s Office of Communications Earns Top Honors 
      Article 9 mins ago 10 min read 55 Years Ago: Apollo 13, Preparations for the Third Moon Landing
      Article 2 hours ago View the full article
  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...