All posts tagged: Telescope

NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope Begins 3D Infrared Mapping of the Universe

NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope Begins 3D Infrared Mapping of the Universe

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NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory, launched on March 11, is mapping the entire sky to chart the positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies in 3D. The spacecraft began regular science operations on May 1, taking about 3,600 images per day for two years to provide new insights into the origins of the universe, galaxies, and the ingredients for life in the Milky Way. The mission is part of NASA’s suite of space-based astrophysics survey missions leading up to the launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and will play a key role in answering the big questions about the universe. Mission goals According to NASA’s official website, SPHEREx, an observatory in Earth orbit, will complete over 11,000 orbits over 25 months, circling Earth 14½ times a day. It takes images along one circular strip of the sky, and as the planet moves around the Sun, its field of view shifts. SPHEREx takes about 600 exposures per day, each capturing different wavelengths of light. When one exposure is completed, the observatory shifts position, and the …

NASA James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Farthest Spiral Galaxy, Reveals Clues About Galactic Evolution

NASA James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Farthest Spiral Galaxy, Reveals Clues About Galactic Evolution

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has helped astronomers find a galaxy that seems to be the old twin sister of the Milky Way. With a central bulge of old stars, a vivid disc of stellar babies, and two separate spiral arms, the recently discovered galaxy Zhúlóng is the most distant Milky Way “twin” yet seen. The discovery questions our best models of cosmology, which hold that big galaxies such as this should develop over a difficult succession of smaller galaxy mergers several billion years ago. Comprising around 100 billion solar masses, larger than the Milky Way, the star-forming disc of the galaxy stretches over 60,000 light-years. Found in 2023, Zhúlóng is by far the largest Milky Way lookalike found in an early epoch of the universe, forming more than a billion years earlier than the similarly organised spiral galaxy Ceers-2112. JWST Discovers Ancient Milky Way Twin Galaxy Zhúlóng from the Early Universe As per a study published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, swirling limbs heading back to us show the Milky Way’s former …

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Helps Confirm the First Solitary Black Hole

NASA Hubble Space Telescope Helps Confirm the First Solitary Black Hole

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For the first time, the existence of a lone black hole has been confirmed by scientists. This black hole has no star orbiting it. According to the statement by Kailash Sahu, astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, “it’s the only one so far”. The discovery made headlines in the year 2022, when Sahu and his Team claimed a dark object was moving through the constellation Sagittarius. However, another team of researchers disputed the claims by identifying the object as a neutron star. About the Discovery This discovery came into the light three years ago. All the stellar-mass black holes are accompanied by stars that betray their presence and race around an invisible star, along with three times the sun’s mass. Such a procedure indicates the presence of black holes rather than a neutron star. On the contrary, the solitary black holes are expected to be common, but are very hard to find. Likewise, the one in Sagittarius was identified while passing through the dim background star and additionally shifting its position due …

Signs of Alien Life Detected on Nearby Exoplanet Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

Signs of Alien Life Detected on Nearby Exoplanet Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

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Scientists discovered suitable biosignature gases for alien life on planet K2-18b. On K2-18b, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) noticed dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a chemical primarily produced by living creatures on Earth. Notably, the exoplanet is nine times the size of our planet and exists in the habitable zone of its planetary system. As exoplanets pass in front of their home stars, the team probes planetary atmospheres using JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Based on its size and other properties, astronomers think K2-18b is a “Hycean” world—that is, one with a large liquid-water ocean and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Although the researchers estimate concentrations of more than 10 parts per million by volume on Earth, they are less than one part per billion. However, further research is required to confirm and expand on their findings. NASA’s Webb Telescope Finds Possible Life Signs on Exoplanet K2-18b According to a new study, which was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, chemical proof of life on the far-off exoplanet K2-18b has come from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Rare on …

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals a Stunning Einstein Ring in Hydrus

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals a Stunning Einstein Ring in Hydrus

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James Webb Space Telescope has recently captured a detailed image of an unusual cosmic occurrence. The latest images released by European Space Agency shows a glowing ring in the depths of space. It also reveals an effect that is caused by a massive galaxy bending light from another galaxy hidden behind it. The phenomenon has been recorded in the constellation Hydrus. It has been observed that light from the background galaxy forms a ring due to gravitational bending. Formation of the Einstein Ring According to the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency the sight captured is known as an Einstein ring. It was reported that the effect is caused when a massive object bends light from another galaxy located behind it. The report further highlights that the foreground galaxy shown in the images belongs to a cluster known as SMACSJ0028.2-7537. The light from a distant spiral galaxy is being curved by the gravitational pull of the elliptical galaxy in front. As per the official statement from ESA, the effect is a classic case of …

James Webb Telescope Captures Neptune’s Auroras in Stunning Detail

James Webb Telescope Captures Neptune’s Auroras in Stunning Detail

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Neptune’s elusive auroras have been captured for the first time in newly released images. It offers an unprecedented look at the ice giant’s atmospheric activity. After decades of conjecture, the occurrence of these auroras has been confirmed by direct visual evidence from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Their presence had been hinted at by earlier observations, such as the Voyager 2 flyby data, but photographing them had proven difficult. The telescope’s near-infrared capabilities, which allowed for the remarkably clear detection of these emissions, have been credited with the breakthrough. Results of the Research Reportedly, according to research conducted at Northumbria University and the University of Leicester,Neptune’s auroras are said to be very different from those seen on other planets. Neptune’s auroras can be seen in unexpected places, in contrast to Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, where auroral activity is usually focused near the poles. This anomaly has been linked to the planet’s highly tilted and offset magnetic field, which directs charged particles from the solar wind in unpredictable ways. Henrik Melin, a planetary scientist at …

James Webb Space Telescope Captures Hourglass Nebula LBN 483 in Stunning Detail

James Webb Space Telescope Captures Hourglass Nebula LBN 483 in Stunning Detail

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A striking nebula shaped by the dynamic interactions of two young stars has been observed in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The structure, identified as Lynds 483 (LBN 483), is located approximately 650 light-years away. The nebula’s intricate shape is a result of powerful outflows generated by the formation of a binary star system. As material from a collapsing molecular cloud feeds these stars, bursts of gas and dust are expelled, shaping the surrounding nebulosity into a striking hourglass-like formation. The interaction of these stellar winds and jets with surrounding matter continues to sculpt the nebula over time, providing valuable insight into the mechanisms of star formation. Star Formation and Nebular Evolution According to reports, the two protostars at the core of LBN 483 play a crucial role in shaping the nebula. The presence of a lower-mass companion star, identified in 2022 through observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), suggests complex interactions within the system. Material accreted onto the stars periodically fuels energetic outflows, which in turn crash into …

SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Deploys NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope and PUNCH Probes

SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Deploys NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope and PUNCH Probes

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 11:10 p.m. EST, carrying NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope and the PUNCH solar mission. The dual payload mission successfully reached orbit, marking a major milestone for NASA’s ongoing space exploration efforts. Engineers and scientists involved in the missions expressed excitement as the spacecraft began their journey to designated orbits. The launch had faced multiple delays due to unforeseen setbacks, including the impact of wildfires in California, affecting several mission members. SPHEREx: Mapping the Universe in Infrared According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) is designed to survey the sky in infrared light, allowing scientists to study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. The 8.5-foot-tall telescope will map the sky in 102 infrared wavelengths, a first in astronomical research. Unlike the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which captures detailed images of specific cosmic regions, SPHEREx will create a wide-field map of the entire …

Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity

Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity

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India’s space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, has recorded a never-before-seen solar flare phenomenon, marking a major step in solar research. The Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard the spacecraft captured an image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere. The observation was made in the Near Ultra-violet (NUV) spectrum, revealing crucial insights into solar activity and its potential effects on Earth. The mission, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on September 2, 2023, continues to provide significant scientific data. Findings from the Study According to research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the SUIT instrument observed an X6.3-class solar flare on February 22, 2024. The flare’s intensity, classified among the most powerful solar eruptions, was studied in the NUV wavelength range (200-400 nm) for the first time in such detail. The recorded data suggests that energy from the flare spreads through different atmospheric layers, reinforcing theories about solar dynamics while offering new insights into plasma behaviour. How Aditya-L1 Observes Solar Flares Aditya-L1’s position at the first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point (L1), located …

NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope Launching Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 to Explore Cosmic Evolution

NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope Launching Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 to Explore Cosmic Evolution

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NASA’s latest infrared space telescope, SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer), is set for launch on 28th February. The mission, valued at $488 million, will take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Designed to scan the entire sky in infrared light, it will collect data from over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. The telescope’s observations will focus on regions of the universe that are typically too distant or faint for conventional telescopes. Scientific Objectives According to NASA, the primary aim of SPHEREx is to enhance understanding of cosmic inflation, the rapid expansion of the universe that occurred within the first second following the Big Bang. By mapping the large-scale structure of the cosmos, the telescope will provide insight into how galaxies formed and evolved. Scientists also anticipate that its data will help track the presence and distribution of icy molecules in interstellar space, shedding light on the origins of water and essential organic …