Tag

Galaxies

All articles tagged with #galaxies

space13 days ago•68 min saved

Webb spots runaway black holes carving stellar contrails across galaxies

James Webb Space Telescope observations provide strong evidence for runaway black holes being kicked through galaxies by gravitational-wave recoil, leaving long wakes of star formation (contrails) in their path. Webb images show supermassive black holes of millions of solar masses traveling at hundreds to roughly a thousand kilometers per second, producing straight trails that can extend tens to hundreds of thousands of light-years. The phenomenon fits with theories of rotating black holes releasing spin energy and with gravitational-wave mergers, and while such runaways could theoretically traverse between galaxies, their occurrence in our region would be exceedingly rare. The discovery adds a striking new chapter to our understanding of the universe.

via Live Science|

#contrails #galaxies #gravitational-waves

science23 days ago•23 min saved

JWST: Pushing the Cosmos’ Deepest View Beyond Hubble

A Big Think column argues that the James Webb Space Telescope should pursue a record-breaking, deepest deep-field image by leveraging infrared wavelengths, long exposures, and gravitational lensing to reveal the faintest and most distant galaxies, surpassing Hubble and current JWST surveys and advancing our understanding of cosmic history.

via Big Think|

#astronomy #deep-field #galaxies

astronomy1 month ago•21 min saved

JWST Spots Nine Cosmic Platypuses That Defy Classification

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified nine compact, point-like objects at redshifts 3.6–5.4 whose properties don’t fit neatly into stars, galaxies, quasars, or standard AGNs. They display narrow emission lines, lack resolvable host galaxies, and their light profiles differ from a true point source by about 10–20%, raising the possibility of a new class of objects—perhaps low-luminosity, hostless AGNs or unusual young galaxies—though their exact nature remains unclear pending deeper imaging and broader wavelength data. The discovery is framed as the cosmic equivalent of a platypus.

via Big Think|

#agn #astronomy #galaxies

science1 month ago•2 min saved

AI Sifts Hubble Archives to Reveal 1,400 Cosmic Anomalies

ESA researchers trained an AI model called AnomalyMatch to scan nearly 100 million images in the Hubble Legacy Archive, flagging 1,400 anomalous objects in about 2.5 days. The findings include merging/interacting galaxies, gravitational lenses, jellyfish galaxies, and galaxies with large star-clump concentrations, with several dozen objects defying classification. The work shows AI can boost the scientific output of large astronomical datasets and could aid analyses of other big archives.

via The Verge|

#anomaly-detection #artificial-intelligence #astronomy

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Runaway Black Holes: Cosmic Rockets Leaving Galactic Trails

Astronomers say runaway black holes—spun up by mergers—can be ejected at thousands of km/s, leaving straight contrails of stars as they zip through galaxies. Recent JWST observations in 2025 show potential evidence: a ~10-million-solar-mass hole moving ~1,000 km/s with a ~200,000-light-year contrail and another ~2-million-solar-mass hole in NGC3627 at ~300 km/s with a ~25,000-light-year trail. While these events are rare, such runaways could travel between galaxies, and, in theory, even pass through our Solar System, though the odds are extremely small.

via The Conversation|

#astrophysics #black-holes #galaxies

astronomy1 month ago•46 min saved

Cosmic teens grow up fast: JWST reveals rapid maturity of early galaxies

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (with Hubble and ALMA) observed 18 galaxies about 12.5 billion light-years away and found they were rapidly forming stars and already metal-rich (carbon, oxygen), with rotating disks and vigorously accreting supermassive black holes—indicating structural and chemical maturity far earlier than models had predicted.

via Space|

#astronomy #black-holes #early-universe

science1 month ago•28 min saved

MeerKAT telescope uncovers 49 hidden galaxies in under three hours

South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope identified 49 previously unknown, gas-rich galaxies in under three hours by mapping neutral hydrogen, originally observing a single radio galaxy; the rapid census reveals how much of the nearby universe remains hidden and showcases the power of wide-field, data-driven surveys as groundwork for future SKA projects.

via Earth.com|

#astronomy #galaxies #hydrogen

astronomy1 month ago•46 min saved

Webb’s Tiny Red Dots Might Be Early-Phase Supermassive Black Holes

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope studied 12 ancient galaxies and found that the mysterious “little red dots” are likely supermassive black holes in their youth, not star-rich galaxies. They are extremely luminous yet incredibly compact (more than 250 billion suns in brightness but less than a third of a light-year across), implying black holes roughly 100,000 to 10 million solar masses. Their absence of X-ray/radio emission is explained by surrounding dense gas cocoons that scatter light. If confirmed, these objects could shed light on how massive black holes form in the early universe; the study appears in Nature.

via Space|

#astronomy #black-holes #early-universe

science1 month ago•3 min saved

James Webb Telescope Discovers Mysterious 'Platypus' Galaxies Challenging Galaxy Formation Theories

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered nine unusual 'platypus galaxies' that challenge traditional classifications, as they exhibit a mix of features unlike typical galaxies, possibly representing a new type of early universe galaxy or a new stage in galaxy evolution.

via Live Science|

#cosmic-objects #galaxies #galaxy-formation

science1 month ago•7 min saved

James Webb Telescope Uncovers Mysterious 'Platypus' Galaxies in the Early Universe

Strange cosmic objects observed by the James Webb Space Telescope may be young 'platypus' galaxies or a new class of active galactic nuclei, providing insights into galaxy formation in the early universe. These objects exhibit mixed features of stars and galaxies, challenging existing classifications and hinting at unique formation processes.

via Space|

#astronomy #cosmic-objects #early-universe

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Hubble Discovers Mysterious 'Cloud 9', a New Cosmic Object

Astronomers have discovered a new celestial object called 'Cloud 9,' a starless, gas-rich dark matter hydrogen cloud near galaxy Messier 94, which provides insights into dark matter and early universe formation. This is the first confirmed existence of such an object, offering a glimpse into primordial galaxy building blocks and the dark universe.

via CBS News|

#astronomy #cloud-9 #dark-matter

science1 month ago•4 min saved

NASA’s Webb Telescope Unveils ‘Platypus’ Galaxies in the Early Universe

Scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have identified a unique group of tiny, point-like galaxies from 12 to 12.6 billion years ago that defy current classification, resembling a cosmic 'platypus' due to their unusual combination of features, and raising questions about early galaxy formation.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#astronomy #cosmic-discovery #extragalactic

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Supercomputer Study Finds Galaxy Clustering Discrepancies

A new super simulation called FLAMINGO reveals that the universe's observed galaxy clustering is smoother than predicted by standard models, intensifying the ongoing S8 tension in cosmology, which questions whether current theories or measurements need revision.

via Earth.com|

#cosmology #flamingo #galaxies

science2 months ago•1 min saved

James Webb Telescope Revolutionizes Our View of the Cosmos

On the fourth anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope, ESA released a compilation of stunning cosmic views, showcasing its exploration of nebulae, star nurseries, and distant galaxies, highlighting its ongoing mission to explore the universe.

via European Space Agency|

#cosmic-vistas #galaxies #james-webb-space-telescope

science2 months ago•1 min saved

Galactic Encounters and Cosmic Wonders Captured by Space Telescopes

A stunning image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope shows two spiral galaxies, NGC 2207 and IC 2163, in the midst of a slow-motion collision, revealing details of star formation and cosmic interactions through infrared and X-ray observations.

via Euronews.com|

#collision #cosmic #galaxies