Researchers believe dark rocks at the site of a future Mars rover landing mission may be left over from ancient volcanic eruptions, and may be protecting signs of life — if there ever was life on Mars.
Michael Telesco, taken from Peña Trevinca, Spain This previously unnoticed reflection nebula in Perseus was found by Michael Telesco. Inspired by discoveries of objects by astrophotographers like Julian Shapiro and Bray Falls, he says he did some “extensive survey deep-diving” and found a bright mid-infrared region that had been identified by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteContinue reading "A dancing horse"
New results from China’s Chang’e 5 mission suggest that the Moon possessed a magnetic field well into its midlife, much longer than previously documented. In work published Jan. 1 in Science Advances, researchers report rocks recovered from the sample-return mission that are weakly magnetized — and just 2 billion years old. While not conclusive, the resultsContinue reading "The middle-aged Moon had a magnetic field"
The sun fired off an X1.2-class solar flare on Friday (Jan. 3), triggering radio blackouts throughout parts of the South Atlantic ocean, Africa and South America.
Shooting a laser pulse at a porous silver target generates more intense x rays than previous targets, which will help studies of matter in extreme conditions.
SpaceX launched its first Falcon 9 rocket of 2025 as it sent the Thuraya 4 communications satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Friday (Jan. 3).
You and I are living through a revolution in amateur astronomy. Not long ago, I would have advised beginners to stay away from astroimaging, because getting good results is both expensive and time consuming. Not anymore. Today, I tell them that state-of-the-art smart telescopes are available at comparatively reasonable prices that let tech-savvy neophytes getContinue reading "Could the Seestar S50 be your first imaging telescope?"
Aurora alert — a coronal hole is spewing fast solar wind toward Earth, potentially boosting geomagnetic activity and supercharging northern lights Jan. 4 to Jan. 5.
Leaders of NASA sit in an awkward position. While they are the head of a widely recognized organization, they’re often not the most famous individual in the agency. More people probably know the names of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the astronauts currently “stranded” on the International Space Station, than Bill Nelson, the current NASAContinue reading "The awkward job of the NASA administrator"
An independent review team is delivering a final report to NASA leadership to determine if the agency's Mars Sample Return mission is salvageable after facing scrutiny for its $11 billion budget.
Friday, January 3Asteroid 14 Irene reaches opposition at 2 A.M. EST within northwestern Gemini the Twins. The magnitude 9.6 main-belt world is visible roughly all night, from sunset until sunrise, located roughly halfway between the stars Tau (τ) and Epsilon (ε) Geminorum. Irene was the 14th asteroid discovered in the main belt, spotted by JohnContinue reading "The Sky This Week from January 3 to 10: Earth’s closest approach to the Sun"
Celestial fireworks that erupt all year long but last a fraction of a second, fast radio bursts, may have traced them to the immediate surroundings of extreme and highly magnetic dead stars.
This New Year's Day, NASA's Parker Solar Probe added to the festive cheer by sending home its first detailed telemetry data soon after its record-breaking closest-ever approach to the sun.
Kenya Space Agency officials report a large, “red-hot” metallic ring roughly 8 feet (2.5 meters) in diameter fell from the sky, crashing into Mukuku village.
Galaxies in the early universe tend to be clumpy, but the new JWST discovery of a "grand design" spiral galaxy just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang has scientists stumped.
For millions of years following the Big Bang, after the universe’s roiling soup of particles had cooled, the cosmos was a dark and boring place. There were no stars to make light. No familiar swirls of galaxies. Certainly no planets. And the entire universe was shrouded in neutral hydrogen gas. Then, perhaps 100 million yearsContinue reading "When everything in the universe changed"
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is now the first drone to fly on a Rose Parade float. The floral-but-flight-worthy display is just one of the highlights on the JPL-inspired "Rover Rendezvous" float.
Ever since the discovery of methane on Mars, scientists have wondered if the Red Planet might harbor life. Now, researchers know where to look: deep under the surface of a broad Martian plain.
Sixty-five years ago, the USSR shocked the world by sending the first robotic emissary from Earth to the Moon. The September 1959 impact of Luna 2 on northeastern Mare Imbrium was a stunning achievement, reaching the Moon less than two years after the launch of Sputnik 1 ushered in the Space Age. The event helpedContinue reading "How Artemis will land humans on the Moon"
A newly-deployed satellite has created the most-detailed map yet of the ocean floor, finding hundreds of hills and underwater volcanoes that were previously missed.
Summer nights mean late sunsets and lingering twilight, hardly a recipe for great night-sky observing. But this January exceeds expectations with fine views of four bright planets. Venus punches through the deepening twilight first. The brilliant planet brightens from magnitude –4.4 to magnitude –4.7 during January, far surpassing any other planet or star. Venus reachesContinue reading "January 2025: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month?"
2024 has been another challenging year for Earth's climate, marked by record temperatures, extreme weather events, and urgent warnings from scientists about the accelerating pace of global warming.
New details about the small pieces of the moon gifted by the United States to Ireland in 1970 have now been unearthed. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Apollo 11 lunar samples.
Never give up, never surrender… As the classic sci-fi comedy clocks up a quarter-century, we look back at a movie that wholeheartedly embraces its source material
A rundown of some of the exciting sky events — including meteor showers and the first total lunar eclipse for the U.S. since 2022 — that will take place this year.
As part of its extensive slate of observations, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently took a closer look at Pluto’s moon Charon, where it helped scientists to make a surprising discovery. Charon, the largest and most well-studied of Pluto’s five moons, was first visited in 2015 as part of the groundbreaking New Horizons mission,Continue reading "JWST reveals surprising surface chemistry is occurring on Pluto’s moon Charon"
The Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8 POWER O.I.S. is a high-quality telephoto prime offering excellent image quality alongside a 400mm equivalent focal length.
Gravitational lensing (an effect that causes distant objects to be magnified or stretched by the gravity of a large object along their line of sight) is one of astronomers’ most useful observing tools. In work published earlier this month, a group of astronomers and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) used this technique to theirContinue reading "Newfound galaxy gives glimpse into the Milky Way’s past"
Aurora chasers are on high alert for powerful geomagnetic storm conditions on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 with northern lights possible deep into mid-latitudes.
Once thought to be 8 billion years old, the star HD 110067 — famous for its six synchronized exoplanets — may be only 2.5 billion years old, new research suggests.
2024 was a big year for black hole science, and Space.com was on duty all year to bring you every major development in our understanding of the universe's most fascinating entities.
Andrea Arbizzi, taken from Modena, Italy The constellation Auriga the Charioteer is home to a close trio of iconic nebulae (from left to right): IC 417 (the Spider Nebula), IC 410 (home of the “Tadpoles”), and IC 405 (the Flaming Star Nebula). The imager used a 3.5-inch scope to obtain 29⅓ hours of exposure, theContinue reading "A trio in Auriga"
SpaceX successfully launched a miniature fleet of communications satellites into orbit in a vindication of sorts after a last-second abort delayed the flight.
Venus is moving toward a dramatic finale in early 2025, when it will dazzle as the "evening star" after sunset. Here's when to catch it at its brilliant best.
From SpaceX plucking its huge Super Heavy rocket out of the sky to the launch of NASA's $5 billion Europa Clipper mission, this year held many amazing advances.
The water that makes up the oceans acted as a key ingredient for the development of life on Earth. However, scientists still do not know where the water here on Earth came from in the first place. One leading idea is that space rocks such as comets and asteroids delivered water to the Earth throughContinue reading "‘Dark comets’ could reveal how Earth got its oceans"
Emmanuel Delgadillo from Jalisco, Mexico The Angel Nebula (NGC 2170) lies in Monoceros and features hydrogen gas glowing red, as well as reflected blue light from young, hot stars. The imager took nearly 7 hours of exposure with a one-shot color camera on a 6-inch scope.
Monoculars offer a highly portable option for powerful stargazing wherever you are. Our handy guide will help you use them to spot objects in the night sky.
A NASA spacecraft has survived a historic close fly of the sun. The mission team received a beacon tone from the Parker Solar Probe, signaling it was still functioning after the record approach.
Friday, December 27By 8 P.M. local time, Gemini is well above the eastern horizon, rising to the left of the widely recognizable constellation Orion. The Twins’ two standout stars are Castor and Pollux in the northeastern reaches of the constellation, but tonight, look toward the opposite end of this star pattern: southwestern Gemini, near Orion’sContinue reading "The Sky This Week from December 27 to January 3: The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks"
A new image from the Very Large Telescope captures a cosmic cloud referred to as the Running Chicken Nebula, given its bright 'beak' and characteristic shape.
SpaceX launched more than 130 missions this year and made significant progress with its new Starship vehicle, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built.
A magnificent totality across North America, raging northern lights and a naked-eye comet were just three skywatching highlights in 2024. Here's how they all unfolded.
Surrounded by candy canes and a makeshift snowman made out of stowage bags, the astronauts on the International Space Station gathered together to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone back on Earth.
For better or for worse, a small part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft will now be Jon Mesick's to have and to hold for all the days of his life. The tape is the centerpiece of Mesick's wedding band.
A pair of massive thunderstorms have been spotted swirling in Jupiter's "South Equatorial Belt" and are likely unleashing massive bolts of green lightning. Some experts think the pale clouds could end up altering the rusty band's color — and potentially even making it "disappear."
United Launch Alliance (ULA) says its new, powerful Vulcan Centaur upper stage rocket could play a key role in defending satellites from potential threats in space.
What did you get fot X-mas? Scientists may have been gifted with a solution to the mystery of juMBOs, strange celestial bodies that seem to be neither planets nor stars.
On Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) NASA's parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the sun yet, passing through the blisteringly hot outer atmosphere of our star.
Aurora chasers are on high alert for minor geomagnetic storm conditions on Dec. 25. Northern lights could be visible over some northern and upper Midwest states.
Although these frosty fields look like a picturesque winter wonderland blanketed in snow, this ice is actually composed of frozen carbon dioxide over the southern Australe Scopuli region of Mars. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express spotted this scene using its High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) during its 23,324th orbit of the Red Planet.Continue reading "Mars Express captures the beauty of a martian frostscape"
Scientists theorize there could be subatomic particles we have yet to discover. Here are five of the weirdest, rarest hypothetical particles in the universe.
The Doctor checks in to a very unusual hotel – here's how to watch "Doctor Who" Christmas special "Joy to the World" online on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney Plus in the US.
How do spacecraft avoid collisions when passing through the asteroid belt? Val-David SmithsonPleasant Grove, Utah Let’s begin by reviewing some astronomical “history”: Han Solo and his rebel cohorts Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are nestled uncomfortably together in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit while their ship is pursued by a battalion of Imperial fighters. Unable toContinue reading "How do spacecraft avoid collisions in the asteroid belt?"
A new theory related to the second law of thermodynamics describes the motion of active biological systems ranging from migrating cells to traveling birds.
A bright streak of light in the pre-dawn skies above the U.K. could easily be mistaken for Santa Claus getting an early start to his Christmas deliveries.
Over the past 200 years, astronomers have cataloged over a million asteroids in the solar system’s main belt, down to the size of around a kilometer in diameter. But smaller asteroids were elusive — until recently, when a team of scientists utilized data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to spot some tiny asteroidsContinue reading "Smallest main-belt asteroids ever detected found hiding in JWST data"
Astronomers have accidently spotted a new type of cosmic explosion called a "millinova" triggered by white dwarfs feeding on stars. If that sounds familiar get ready for a suprise!
SpaceX has the FAA’s green light to launch more test missions of its colossal Starship spacecraft, the largest and most powerful rocket to ever fly. The aviation regulator last week issued SpaceX a modified Part 450 launch license, allowing the firm to conduct multiple missions of Starship and the Super Heavy booster under the configurationContinue reading "FAA approves SpaceX for more Starship test missions"
John Quach 2024 was a banner year for aurora chasers, as the Sun reached solar maximum. This shot of the aurorae dancing above Mount Stuart in the Central Cascades of Washington was taken on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. local time. The photographer used a Canon DSLR and 11mm f/2.8 lens to take a singleContinue reading "All lit up"
SpaceX launched 21 Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast early Monday morning (Dec. 23) and landed the returning rocket on a ship at sea.
NASA's Apollo spacecraft had briefcase-size computers that for their day would normally have filled two rooms. Apollo Instruments has been able to shrink the Apollo Guidance Computer even more.
Recent sightings of unidentified aircraft in New Jersey and other states have triggered another round of unanswered questions — and fueled conspiracy theories.
After years of only new Star Wars shows, the franchise is ready to return to the big screen. But which upcoming Star Wars movies should you watch out for?
While black holes are perplexing at any size, some of the most mysterious are hypothetical primordial black holes, those that sprung into existence in the first second after the Big Bang and some of which are featherweights on the black hole scale. Because black holes collapse matter down to nothing, a black hole with theContinue reading "Want to find a black hole? Pick up a rock"
The winter solstice marks the official start of the astronomical winter, as the sun reaches its most southerly point in the sky as seen from Earth. This seasonal change occurs on Dec. 21, 2024.
دوگانگی کهکشانی۱، وجود دو گروه متمایز از کهکشانها است که بر اساس ویژگیهایی مانند رنگ، ریختشناسی۲ و نرخ ستارهزایی۳ کهکشانها از یکدیگر متمایز میشوند. این مفهوم اشاره به تفاوت بین کهکشانهای نوع پیشین۴ که معمولاً قرمز، بیضوی و از نظر ستارهزایی غیرفعال هستند، و کهکشانهای نوع پسین۵ که آبی، مارپیچی و ستارهزا میباشند، دارد. در نمودار رنگ-قدر مطلق (شکل ۱)، این دوگانگی به صورت دو توزیع مجزا دیده میشود: یک رشتهی قرمز که شامل کهکشانهای بیضوی است و یک ابر آبی که کهکشانهای مارپیچی را در بر میگیرد. کهکشانهای دارای هستهی فعال۶ که معمولا در مرحلهی گذار هستند مابین این دو گروه، در ناحیهای به نام درهی سبز۷ قرار میگیرند؛ این دسته از کهکشانها یا در حال گذار به سمت خاموش شدن۸ هستند و یا در حال جوان سازی۹ و تشکیل مجدد ستاره میباشند.
شکل ۱. نمودار قدر-رنگ: طرح شماتیک از نمودار قدر-رنگ کهکشانها با سه جمعیت: رشتهی قرمز، ابر آبی و درهی سبز. منبع: ویکیپدیا
مقالهی پیش رو به بررسی دوگانگی کهکشانها بر اساس ریختشناسی جنبشی آنها و رابطهی این دوگانگی به مسیرهای متفاوت خاموش شدن ستارهزایی در کهکشانها میپردازد. نویسندگان با تحلیل دادههای طیفنگاری پروژهی MaNGA و بررسی بیش از ۳۰۰۰ کهکشان، به این نتیجه رسیدهاند که توزیع پارامتر چرخش ذاتی۱۰ ستارهای (λ_Re) در کهکشانهایی با جرم ستارهای یکسان در تمامی حالات ستارهزایی و محیطها به طور جهانشمولی دوگانه است.
پارامتر چرخش ذاتی ستارهای (λ_Re) یکی از معیارهای کلیدی در توصیف ریختشناسی جنبشی کهکشانها است و میزان چرخش منظم ستارهها را نسبت به حرکت تصادفی آنها در یک سیستم کهکشانی نشان میدهد. این پارامتر به طور مستقیم به تکانهی زاویهای ویژهی بههنجارشده۱۱ی ستارهها مرتبط است و اطلاعات مهمی دربارهی تاریخچهی شکلگیری و تحول کهکشانها ارائه میدهد. بر اساس نظریهی تشکیل ساختار سلسلهمراتبی۱۲، رویدادهای شدید و آشوبناکی مانند ادغام کهکشانها، میتوانند چرخش کهکشانها را کاهش دهند و یا از بین ببرند و آنها را تبدیل به سیستمهای ستارهای با چرخش کند و ساختارهای کروی کنند. برعکس، کهکشانهایی که تاریخچهی ستارهزایی آرام و منظمی داشتهاند، معمولاً ساختارهای دیسکی با چرخش سریع دارند.
در این مقاله ابتدا توزیع پارامتر چرخش ذاتی ستارهای در یک جرم ستارهای و نرخ ستارهزایی مطالعه شده است. نمودار سمت چپ در شکل ۲ نرخ ستارهزایی را در مقابل جرم ستارهای کهکشانهای MaNGA نشان میدهد. این نمودار توسط سه خط زردرنگ به سه ناحیه تقسیم شدهاست: گروه کهکشانهای فعال یا ستارهزا، گروه کهکشانهای در حال گذار یا درهی سبز، و گروه کهکشانهای غیرستارهزا یا منفعل۱۳. در دو نمودار سمت راست، کهکشانهای MaNGA به دو دستهی کمجرم و پرجرم تقسیم شدهاند و رابطهی بین پارامتر چرخش ذاتی ستارهای آنها با نرخ ستارهزاییشان نشان داده شدهاست. در این دو نمودار از بالا به پایین نرخ ستارهزایی کاهش مییابد. همانطور که دیده میشود، چرخش ذاتی ستارهای کهکشانهای پرجرم با کاهش نرخ ستارهزایی، کندتر میشود. طبق نمودارهای شکل ۲، در هر بازهی جرمی و هر میزان ستارهزایی، دوگانگی آشکاری در رفتار جنبشی کهکشانها وجود دارد. با افزایش جرم و کاهش نرخ ستارهزایی، کهکشانهایی با چرخش ستارهای کند (منحنی قرمز) غالب میشوند. درحالی که کهکشانهای در حالت گذار (کهکشانهای درهی سبز)، ترکیب متعادلتری از هر دو جمعیت را دارند. این خود میتواند شاهدی بر مسیرهای متفاوت خاموششدن در کهکشانها باشد. برای مثال کهکشانهای دیسکی (با چرخش سریع) میتوانند تاریخچهی آرامتری داشته باشند و کهکشانهای کروی (با چرخش کند) میتوانند تاریخچهی پرآشوبتری (مانند ادغام کهکشانی) داشته باشند.
شکل ۲. نموارد سمت چپ کهکشانهای مورد مطالعه در این مقاله را نشان میدهد؛ کهکشانهای مورد مطالعه به صورت نقاط مشکی بر اساس میزان ستارهزایی و جرم ستارهای نشان داده شدهاند. ازسمت بالا به پایین ناحیهی بین دو خط زرد نشان دهندهی محدودهی کهکشانهای ستارهزا و ناحیهی بین خط زرد دوم و سوم، محدودهی درهی سبز و ناحیهی زیر خط سوم، محدودهی کهکشانهای خاموش شده را نشان میدهند. دو گروه قرمز و آبی، به ترتیب نشان دهندهی کهکشانهای کم جرم و پر جرم هستند. بررسی توزیع پارامتر چرخش ذاتی ستارهها در این کهکشانهای کم جرم و پرجرم درنمودار سمت راست، به ترتیب در ستون اول و دوم نشان داده شده است.
نویسندگان برای بررسی تاریخچهی ستارهزایی این کهکشانها به سراغ اندازهگیری نرخ ستارهزایی در دو بازهی زمانی رفتهاند: یک بازهی زمانی کوتاه و یک بازهی زمانی بلند. آنها از این واقعیت استفاده کردهاند که درخشندگی خط نشری هیدروژن-آلفا در طیف کهکشانها میتواند فوتونهای یونیزه شده توسط ستارههای پرجرم با طول عمر کوتاه را ردیابی کند و در نتیجه، نرخ ستارهزایی را در بازهی زمانی حدود ۱۰ میلیون سال اخیر نشان دهد. در حالی که نرخ ستارهزایی که بر اساس توزیع انرژی طیفی در بازهی طول موجی فرابنفش و مادون قرمز میانه اندازهگیری میشود، میانگین نرخ ستارهزایی را در بازه زمانی ۱۰۰ میلیون ساله نشان میدهد. این بازهی زمانی مربوط به طول عمر ستارههای جوان است که در ناحیهی فرابنقش تابش میکنند. در کهکشانهایی با تاریخچهی ستارهزایی یکنواخت (مثل کاهش تدریجی نرخ ستارهزایی)، این دو روش نتایح یکسانی را برای نرخ ستارهزایی کهکشان میدهند. اما در کهکشانهایی که دچار تغییرات سریع در نرخ ستارهزایی شدهاند (مانند فوران یا توقف ناگهانی ستارهزایی)، ناسازگاری بین نتایج این دو روش دیده میشود. این ناسازگاری ناشی از این است که ستارگان پرجرم و کوتاهعمر به پایان عمر خود رسیدهاند، اما ستارگان جوانتر (ستارگانی که در مراحل اولیهی عمر خود هستند) و کمجرمتر همچنان در بازهی ۱۰۰ میلیون ساله تابش دارند.
در شکل ۳ رابطهی بین تاریخچهی ستارهزایی حاصل از این دو روش و پارامتر چرخش ستارهای برای دو گروه کهکشانهای ستارهزا و درهی سبز نشان داده شدهاست. در این شکل کهکشانهای غیرستارهزا (منفعل) نشان دادهنشدهاند زیرا طبق تعریف این کهکشانها دارای تابش هیدروژن-آلفا که نشان دهندهی فعالیت اخیر ستارهزایی است، نیستند. طبق این شکل، کهکشانهایی که میزان تابش هیدروژن-آلفای آنها با نرخ ستارهزایی حاصل از روش توزیع انرژی طیفی رابطهی یکبهیک دارد، معمولاً چرخش سریعتری دارند (آبیتر هستند، در این شکل متمایل به رنگ سبز). این نشاندهندهی تاریخچهی ستارهزایی پایدارتر آنها است. کهکشانهایی که از روند کلی منحرف شدهاند (یعنی هیدروژن-آلفا کمتر از انتظار در مقابل نرخ ستارهزایی صد ساله دارند)، معمولاً چرخش آهستهتری دارند (رنگ متمایل به صورتی) که این نشاندهندهی توقف سریع ستارهزایی در این کهکشانها است، زیرا ستارگان پرجرم در این کهکشانها سریعتر به پایان عمر خود رسیدهاند. همچنین در این شکل مشاهده میشود که در میان کهکشانهای ستارهزا، ردیف اول، اکثر کهکشانها دارای پارارمتر چرخش ستارهای سریع هستند در حالی که در میان کهکشانهای درهی سبز شاهد دو گروه مجزا از کهکشانهای سریع و کند هستیم که نشاندهندهی تحول کهکشانها به سمت خاموش شدن و طی مسیرهای متفاوت میباشد.
شکل ۳. محور افقی نرخ ستاره زایی صد میلیون ساله را نشان میدهد که براساس مدل سازی بر اساس توزیع انرژی طیفی در بازهی طول موجی فرابنفش و مادون قرمز میانه اندازهگیری میشود. محور عمودی، نرخ ستارهزایی در بازه زمانی کوتاهتر، حدود ۱۰ میلیون سال اخیر است که براساس درخشندگی خط تابشی هیدروژن-آلفا اندازهگیری شده است. رنگ دادهها: هر کهکشان با رنگهایی کدگذاری شده که بیانگر تفاوت میان پارارمتر چرخش ستارهای برای یک کهکشان و میانگین پارامتر چرخش ستارهای برای کهکشانهای با جرم و نرخ تشکیل ستاره مشابه است ؛سبز: کهکشانهایی با حرکت زاویهای بیشتر از میانگین و صورتی: کهکشانهایی با حرکت زاویهای کمتر از میانگین.
به منظور بررسی مسیرهای متفاوت تکامل کهکشانها، نویسندگان میزان فلزیت این کهکشانها را نیز بررسی کردهاند. زیرا فلزیت میتواند سرنخهای کلیدی درباره فرآیندهای فیزیکی که منجر به خاموشی کهکشانها شدهاند را بدهد. از دست دادن سریع گاز میتواند منجر به تشکیل کهکشانی منفعل با فلزیتی مشابه کهکشان اولیهی ستارهزا شود. در صورتیکه اگر کهکشانها به طور تدریجی منابع گازی خود را از دست بدهند، ستارهزایی رفتهرفته کاهش مییابد و فلزیت، به دلیل غنی شدن محیط بین ستارهای افزایش مییابد. کهکشانهایی با چرخش سریع، تمایل دارند دیسکیشکل و پایدارتر باشند. این پایداری به آنها اجازه میدهد که فرآیند از دست دادن گاز را به آرامی تجربه کنند، بدون اینکه به طور ناگهانی دچار اختلال شوند. این درحالی است که اگر کهکشانها به صورت ناگهانی خاموش شوند، گاز خود را توسط فرآیندهای شدید و آشوبناک از دست میدهند و فلزیت کمتری پیدا میکنند. کهکشانهایی با چرخش آهسته، معمولاً کروی یا بیضوی هستند و اغلب از طریق ادغامهای بزرگ و شدید شکل گرفتهاند. این ادغامها میتوانند گاز را به سرعت از کهکشان خارج کنند. ستارگان پرجرم و فعال و یا سیاهچالههای ابرپرجرم۱۴ میتوانند گاز میانستارهای را با فورانهای قوی به خارج پرتاب کنند. کهکشانهایی که در خوشههای کهکشانی قرار دارند، ممکن است گاز خود را به دلیل حرکت سریع در میان محیط چگال میانخوشهای۱۵ از دست بدهند. با حذف گاز، کهکشان به طور ناگهانی و سریع خاموش میشود. حذف ناگهانی گاز فرصت زیادی برای غنیسازی عناصر سنگین باقی نمیگذارد. در نتیجه، فلزیت کهکشانهای با چرخش آهسته نسبت به کهکشانهای با چرخش سریع کمتر است.
شکل ۴ نشان میدهد که فلزیت کهکشانهایی با چرخش سریع با کاهش نرخ ستارهزایی (از ستارهزا (آبی) تا عیر ستارهزا (قرمز)) افزایش مییابد. این رفتار نشاندهندهی فرایند خاموشی تدریجی در کهکشانهایی است که به تدریج منابع گازی خود را از دست میدهند و در نتیجه فلزیت ستارهای آنها افزایش مییابد. فلزیت کهکشانهایی با چرخش آهسته به نرخ ستارهزایی بستگی ندارد زیرا هر سه گروه کهکشانی فلزیت مشابهی را برای کهکشانها با جرمهای مختلف نشان میدهند. این نشاندهندهی فرآیند خاموشی سریع است که در آن کهکشانها گاز خود را از طریق فورانهای قوی یا ادغامهای بزرگ به سرعت از دست میدهند، بدون اینکه فرصت کافی برای افزایش فلزیت داشته باشند.
شکل۴. رابطهی میان فلزیت و جرم ستارهای را برای دو جمعیت مختلف کهکشانها. جمعیت با چرخش سریع (چپ): این دسته معمولاً کهکشانهای قرصی و دیسکیشکل هستند که پارامتر چرخش ستارهای بالاتری دارند. جمعیت با چرخش آهسته (راست): این دسته معمولاً کهکشانهای کرویشکل و دارای حرکت آهسته هستند. رنگ قرمز، سبز و آبی به ترتیب نشان دهندهی کهکشانهای منفعل، کهکشانهای درهی سبز و کهکشانهای فعال یا ستارهزا هستند.
به طور خلاصه این مقاله نشان میدهد که دوگانگی در پارامتر چرخش ستارهای کهکشانهایی که در یک گروه جرمی و با یک میزان از نرخ ستارهزایی هستند، وجود دارد و این دوگانگی نشاندهندهی مسیرهای تحولی متفاوت آنها میباشد.
۱. Galaxy Bimodality
۲. Morphology
۳. Star Formation Rate
۴. Early-Type Galaxies
۵. Late-Type Galaxies
۶.Active Galactic Nuclei
۷. Green Valley
۸. Quenching
۹. Rejuvenation
۱۰. Intrinsic Spin Parametr
۱۱. Normalised
۱۲. Hierarchichal Structure Formation
۱۳. Passive
۱۴. Super Massive Blackhole
۱۵. Intracluster Medium
شکل بالای صفحه مربوط به مقالهای از Schawinski و همکاران در سال ۲۰۱۴ هست که به بررسی کهکشانهای شناسایی شده در پروژهی Galaxy Zoo در درهی سبز میپردازند. لینک مقاله: https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.4814
عنوان اصلی مقاله: Universal bimodality in kinematic morphology and the divergent pathways to galaxy quenching
نویسندگان: Bitao Wang, Yingjie Peng, Michele Cappellari
لینک اصلی مقاله: https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.17257
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Solar flares are bright flashes of light from the Sun that release large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. And while normal flares can release as much as 1025 joules of energy, so-called superflares, observed on other stars, are up to 10,000 times more powerful. Even normal solar flares and the charged particles that often accompany themContinue reading "Sun-like stars experience superflares roughly once per century"
A simplified model of how yarns interact shows that a piece of knitted fabric can have many stable resting states depending on its history of deformation.
A documentary about the life and love of America's first woman in space will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. "SALLY," from National Geographic, reveals the legacy of astronaut Sally Ride.
The fate of multiple realities is in the hands of two Boimlers and a lot of Harry Kims in 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 5, episode 9 "Fissure Quest".
The constellation Taurus the Bull is an easy one to find in the Northern Hemisphere’s fall and winter skies. It stands opposite the Sun at the beginning of December. The head of the figure is a large V of stars, and standing out among them is the ruddy 1st-magnitude star Aldebaran (Alpha [α] Tauri) markingContinue reading "The best deep-sky targets in Taurus"
Astronomers have discovered a new vast Odd Radio Circle, or "ORC," that could help determine the origin of this strange galaxy-encompassing phenomenon.
"The Moonwalkers" is landing in Houston. More than a year after the immersive film debuted in London, "The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks" is set to make its US premiere at Space Center Houston.
Ingenuity may never fly above the surface of Mars again, but the downed helicopter is otherwise healthy and could serve as a weather station for decades, JPL says.
Two giant asteroids that struck Earth about 36 million years ago did not cause any long-lasting shifts to our planet's climate, according to new research.
NASA has developed special probes that will fly aboard F-15B jets trailing closely behind its X-59 "quiet" supersonic jet in order to measure the shock waves it produces.
Emanuele La Barbera, taken from Piano Battaglia, Sicily, Italy The Pleiades (M45) star cluster is one of the most famous naked-eye objects in the sky, but only deep photographic exposures reveal the complexity of the fine strands of dust surrounding the stars. This imager took 28 hours of exposure with a 3.4-inch scope with aContinue reading "Hair of the Pleiades"
Using the Large Hadron Collider and the ALICE detector scientists have found the heavist antimatter particle yet, generated in Big Bang like conditions.
We have only one example of biology forming in the universe – life on Earth. But what if life can form in other ways? How do you look for alien life when you don’t know what alien life might look like? These questions are preoccupying astrobiologists, who are scientists who look for life beyond Earth. Astrobiologists haveContinue reading "How we might look for life in the universe — even if we can’t recognize it"
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket illuminated the Christmas tree during the holiday lighting ceremony that coincided with a Starlink satellite launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Dec. 4.
One possible reason why we haven't found any intelligent life in the cosmos the Great Filter argument, which says that very few civilizations make it to the advanced spacefaring stage.
NASA is developing autonomous software to recognize faults and hazards on worlds like Europa, and prevent or fix them without having to await commands from Earth.
A "bizarre" E-shaped aurora was recently photographed dancing in the sky above Alaska. The unusual light show was caused by rare black auroras, a.k.a. anti-auroras, which catapult charged particles from the sun back out of Earth's atmosphere and into space.
It’s back: Astronomy magazine’s free downloadable Sky Guide, your preview of everything happening in the sky next year. Mars opens 2025 by reaching opposition the night of Jan. 15/16, when it shines brighter and appears larger through a telescope than at any time since December 2022. You’ll find it in Gemini, near the heads ofContinue reading "A look ahead to the sky next year: Sky Guide 2025"
Researchers at Google Quantum AI have demonstrated “below-threshold” error correction, a necessary condition for building noise-resistant quantum computers that are sufficiently large to perform useful computations.
The Hubble Space Telescope has peered deeper than ever before into the heart of the supermassive black hole-powered quasar 3C, 273 spotting "weird" structures.
Scientists have found that the moon's oldest crater is rounder than we thought, which may mean future moon astronauts in the region could find and study rocks from deep within the moon's mantle or crust.
Is it possible to view Pluto from a backyard telescope? Ethan SpykerWadsworth, Ohio If I’m being honest, Pluto is difficult for an amateur astronomer to see. A standard 8-inch telescope just won’t do the trick. That’s because Pluto hasn’t been brighter than 14th magnitude since the fall of 2004. It reached perihelion (its closest approach toContinue reading "Can you view Pluto in a backyard telescope?"
NASA's TESS satellite has discovered a Neptune-sized exoplanet closely orbiting its host star. It's just the fourth object of its kind ever identified.
In this episode, Dave Eicher invites you to observe the Geminid meteor shower, which will peak during the early morning hours of December 14. The best time to view them is after midnight, but you may see some in the evening hours as well. Get comfortable and look straight overhead for fast moving (and quicklyContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: the Geminid meteor shower"
'Hubble was right!' The largest cosmic survey from the James Webb Space Telescope indicates scientists may need another ingredient in their cosmic recipe.
In 1874, James Nasmyth and James Carpenter published a remarkable book: The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite. Lavishly illustrated with spectacular images of lunar features based on their own observations and exquisite plaster models, it served as a platform for the authors to advance their views on the nature andContinue reading "The Moon as it never was"
Studying how much the Uranian moons sway in orbit may reveal whether or not they have oceans inside of them. NASA is in the early stages of planning a mission to do just that.
Astronomers have discovered that large flows of cold gas created by collisions between galaxies in the early universe may have forged some of the most monstrous star systems.
A countdown is underway at NASA's Florida spaceport, ticking down until the public can experience a rocket engine test. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has announced The Gantry at LC-39.
On Sunday (Dec. 8), the moon will pass near Saturn, sharing the same right ascension in an event known as a conjunction. Viewers can expect to see the moon near Saturn shortly after sunset.
A proposed mission known as Uranus Orbiter and Probe would conduct a multiyear orbital tour to yield knowledge of ice giants in general and the Uranus system in particular.
On Episode 139 of This Week In Space, Rod and Tariq talk with Leonard David to cover a broad swath, from the choice for the NASA Administrator to new delays for the Artemis program to UFOs/UAPs!
Space weather experts warn that solar activity will persist or even increase after solar maximum has ended and we enter a phase of the solar cycle dubbed the "battle zone."
The Arctic's ice cover could dip below a crucial threshold as soon as 2027, and will do so inevitably in the next 20 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue, scientists warn.
Scientists may have discovered a limit to how massive black holes can grow. If they're right, we may have already discovered the largest possible ultramassive black hole!
Santiago Ramos Avila, taken from Moratalla, Spain The dust clouds in this field near the border of Libra and Ophiuchus take on the appearance of an eagle, with a bright star (HD 142269) as its eye. The brighter emission in this field is associated with LBN 10, and the darker clouds — especially around theContinue reading "A dusty eagle"
Jupiter will reach opposition on Dec. 7, rising opposite of the sun as seen from Earth. It will also make its closest approach to us, appearing brighter in our sky.
A map of the universe in gravitational waves could reveal "hidden" black holes, supermassive black hole collisions, and the large-scale structure of the cosmos.
A proposed remote-sensing scheme could potentially probe targets hundreds of kilometers away and uses one of the strangest quantum properties of light.
Iranian state media claimed one of the country's Simorgh rockets launched its largest payload yet, sending three spacecraft into low-Earth orbit on Dec. 6.
Although it completed its mission in July, NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) still has interesting archival data covering the solar system thanks to the team at the Infrared Processing & Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech. After the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere in November, IPAC completed a final data release ofContinue reading "NASA releases new infrared images from retired NEOWISE mission"
For the second time this year, NASA has pushed back its timeline to land the first Americans on the Moon since the Apollo era. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Thursday revealed that due to an issue with the heat shield on NASA’s Orion capsule discovered during the 2022 Artemis 1 test mission, the Artemis 3Continue reading "NASA pushes first Moon landing since Apollo era to 2027"
The December Geminids — one of the best meteor showers of the year — will be adversely affected by bright moonlight, appearing the on the night before the full moon.
Data from a now defunct NASA spacecraft has revealed a massive internal reservior of organic material within the second wettest solar system body, Ceres.
The Zwicky Transient Facility has reached an incredible milestone, classifying over 10,000 supernovas, cosmic explosions that mark the death of massive stars.
Friday, December 6Asteroid 15 Eunomia is making its way through central Auriga this month, passing numerous deep-sky objects along the way. By 9 P.M. local time this evening, the asteroid is nearly 50° high in the eastern sky. It’s skimming close to 5th-magnitude Phi (φ) Aurigae, just 1° east of the star tonight. Now magnitudeContinue reading "The Sky This Week from December 6 to 13: Jupiter reaches opposition"
President-elect Donald Trump has picked private astronaut and billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as the administrator of NASA. Trump confirmed the nomination on Wednesday in a post on X. “Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration,” Trump wrote in the post. “OverContinue reading "Trump chooses first private spacewalker Jared Isaacman as NASA head"
A small asteroid lit up the skies over northern Siberia Wednesday (Dec. 4) after burning up in Earth's atmosphere in a "spectacular" (yet harmless) fireball.
In a study published today in Science, researchers say they have solved a climate enigma — the inexplicable surge in global temperature in 2023, rising faster than climate models predicted. By analyzing satellite data and weather records, a team of climatologists in Germany have found that the culprit is likely fewer clouds at low altitudesContinue reading "Low-level clouds play surprise role in global warming"
Curiosity has just finished the latest leg of its 12-year Mars mission and will now set out to explore miles of web-like surface features left behind by ancient water on the Red Planet. The zig-zagging rocks could also provide clues about whether Mars once harbored extraterrestrial life.
China debuted its new launch vehicle Long March-12, delivering two experimental satellites into orbit and marking the inaugural flight from the country's first commercial spaceport.
After years of effort, astronomers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) announced they managed to capture the first closeup image of a star beyond our galaxy. This remarkable achievement offers more than just stunning visuals — it provides a rare glimpse into the final moments of a star that will inevitably explode as a spectacularContinue reading "This distant star is about to die — and astronomers caught it in close-up"
The staggering deaths of over 300 African elephants in early 2020 was most likely due to toxins in water proliferated to exceptional levels by climate extremes, according to a fresh analysis of decade's worth of satellite data.
Since Donald Trump’s recent electoral victory, rumors and speculation have circulated that NASA's giant moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), could be under threat.
I’m in love. I don’t often begin a review by saying that a product has wooed me, but the Celestron Origin Home Observatory has done just that.Not that I’m surprised. Since it first introduced the venerable C8 Schmidt-Cassegrain in 1970, Celestron has established itself as a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge telescopes and accessories for amateurContinue reading "REVIEW: The Celestron Origin is the smartscope powerhouse we’ve been waiting for"
A tiny asteroid measuring some 27 inches (70 cm) wide was detected on a collision course with Earth above Siberia. It is expected to burn up harmlessly on the morning of Dec. 3, 2024.
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![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rTyRYC7WjEGizkLnWLrp4J.jpg "A Rocket Lab Electron booster frosting over during fueling for "Owl The Way Up" mission")
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![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NmbAshu9ybvsUqQb9FXYG9.jpg "Artist's concept of the newfound "hot Neptune" exoplanet TOI-3261 b.")
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3w3kyAZhtoBHLGbC7e3NPb.jpg "Artist rendering of The Gantry at LC-39, including its new "Test Fire Simulation" experience, as set to open to the public at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida in early 2025.")
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