All articles tagged with #elliptical galaxies
New research challenges the traditional understanding of the cosmic microwave background, suggesting that early elliptical galaxies may have contributed significantly to the background radiation, potentially undermining key evidence for the Big Bang theory and prompting a reevaluation of cosmological models.
An international team of astronomers has discovered a previously unknown source of cosmic dust in the universe: Type 1a supernovae interacting with gas from their surroundings. This finding, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that thermonuclear supernovae may account for a significant amount of dust in elliptical galaxies. The researchers monitored a supernova, SN 2018evt, for over three years and observed the creation of dust in the circumstellar gas after it cooled following the supernova shock wave passing through it. This discovery sheds light on the contribution of thermonuclear supernovae to cosmic dust and may have implications for space exploration, particularly with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope.
Astronomers have long wondered why spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are scarce in our region of the universe, which is dominated by elliptical galaxies. A new supercomputer simulation suggests that frequent interactions among galaxies in the supergalactic plane smooth out potential spiral arms, leading to the formation of elliptical galaxies. When two galaxies of comparable mass are near each other, the ordered motions of stars become disordered, removing the appearance of spiral arms. Large galaxy mergers can also randomize star orbits and trigger starbursts, reducing the amount of new stars that can be formed. The study suggests that once a galaxy becomes elliptical, it is unlikely to return to its original spiral shape.
Astronomers have long wondered why spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are scarce in our region of the universe, which is dominated by elliptical galaxies. A new supercomputer simulation suggests that frequent interactions among galaxies in the supergalactic plane smooth out potential spiral arms, leading to the formation of elliptical galaxies. When two galaxies of comparable mass are near each other, the ordered motions of stars become disordered, removing the appearance of spiral arms. Large galaxy mergers can also trigger starbursts and reduce the amount of new stars that can be formed, resulting in more elliptical galaxies. The simulation aligns with observations, and further research aims to improve our understanding of galaxy evolution.