Clipmarks | Hubble Clips

SUPER MASSIVE BLACK HOLE

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:54:49 GMT

clipped by: klippety
clipper's remarks: The combination of telescopes gives new view of the center of our galaxy

Clip Source: web.mit.edu

New virtual telescope zooms in on Milky Way's super-massive black hole

An international team, led by astronomers at the MIT Haystack Observatory, has obtained the closest views ever of what is believed to be a super-massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

The astronomers linked together radio dishes in Hawaii, Arizona and California to create a virtual telescope more than 2,800 miles across that is capable of seeing details more than 1,000 times finer than the Hubble Space Telescope. The cosmic target of the observations was the source known as Sagittarius A* ("A-star"), long thought to mark the position of a black hole whose mass is 4 million times that of the sun. Though Sagittarius A* was discovered three decades ago, the new observations for the first time have an angular resolution, or ability to observe small details, that is matched to the size of the black hole "event horizon" -- the region inside of which nothing, including light, can ever escape.

A Close-up of the Milky Way's Black Hole

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:01:15 GMT

clipped by: mariana3

Clip Source: www.universetoday.com

An international team of astronomers has obtained the closest views ever of what is believed to be a super-massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The astronomers linked together radio dishes in Hawaii, Arizona and California to create a virtual telescope more than 2,800 miles across that is capable of seeing details more than 1,000 times finer than the Hubble Space Telescope. The target of the observations was the source known as Sagittarius A* ("A-star"), long thought to mark the position of a black hole whose mass is 4 million times that of the sun.

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Read the rest of Astronomers Link Telescopes to Zoom In On Milky Way's Black Hole (498 words)

Tags: astronomy, space, galaxy, blackhole

Cosmic crash unmasks dark matter

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:56:16 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: It looks as if it is being seen through lots of little lenses. And each of these lenses represents a piece of dark matter.

Astronomers used the Chandra X-ray telescope to map ordinary matter in the merging clusters, mostly in the form of hot gas, which glows brightly in X-rays.

As the two clusters that formed MACSJ0025 merged at speeds of millions of kilometres per hour, hot gas in the two clusters collided and slowed down.

However, the dark matter kept on going, passing right through the smash-up.

The latest astronomical observations suggest that dark matter makes up some 23% of the Universe. Ordinary matter - such as the galaxies, gas, stars and planets - makes up just 4%.

The remaining 73% is made up of another mysterious quantity; dark energy, which is responsible for speeding up the expansion of the cosmos.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Striking evidence has been found for the enigmatic "stuff" called dark matter which makes up 23% of the Universe, yet is invisible to our eyes.

The results come from astronomical observations of a titanic collision between two clusters of galaxies 5.7 billion light-years away.

Astronomers detected the dark matter because it separated from the normal matter during the cosmic smash-up.

The research team are to publish their findings in the Astrophysical Journal.

They used the Hubble and Chandra space telescopes to study the object MACSJ0025.4-1222 - formed after an incredibly energetic collision between two large galaxy clusters.

Each of these large clusters contains about a quadrillion times the mass of our Sun.

A technique known as gravitational lensing was used to map the dark matter with Hubble.

If an observer looks at a distant galaxy and some dark matter lies in between, the light from that galaxy gets distorted.

Tags: science, astronomy

"Hubble sees magnetic monster in erupting galaxy"

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:47:11 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820162958.htm

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Hubble Sees Magnetic Monster In Erupting Galaxy

ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2008) — The Hubble Space Telescope has found the answer to a long-standing puzzle by resolving giant but delicate filaments shaped by a strong magnetic field around the active galaxy NGC 1275. It is the most striking example of the influence of these immense tentacles of extragalactic magnetic fields, say researchers.

NGC 1275 is one of the closest giant elliptical galaxies and lies at the centre of the Perseus Cluster of galaxies. It is an active galaxy, hosting a supermassive black hole at its core, which blows bubbles of radio-wave emitting material into the surrounding cluster gas. Its most spectacular feature is the lacy filigree of gaseous filaments reaching out beyond the galaxy into the multi-million degree X-ray emitting gas that fills the cluster.

Hubble Images Solve Galactic Filament Mystery

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:43:03 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

By KENNETH CHANG

A tangle of spidery filaments stretches outward from the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1275 as if they were dendrites of an intergalactic nerve cell.

NGC 1275, located 235 million light-years from Earth near the center of a clump of galaxies known as the Perseus cluster, has posed a puzzle: How have these filaments, which are made of gas much cooler than the surrounding intergalactic cloud, persisted for perhaps 100 million years? Why haven’t they warmed, dissipated or collapsed to form stars?

Images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope

reveal that the filaments, about 1,500 light-years wide and hundreds of thousands of light-years long, are themselves made of finer threads – smaller structures about 200 light-years wide and 20,000 light-years long. The cold gas is pushed out by waves of radiation emanating from the giant black hole at the center of the galaxy. Small is relative, of course. Each thread contains as much mass as one million Suns.

Astrônomos desvendam rede de filamentos galáticos

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:52:06 GMT

clipped by: masponchiado

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Astrônomos desvendam rede de filamentos galáticos; veja

Uma equipe de astrônomos da Universidade de Cambridge, na Grã-Bretanha, diz ter desvendado o mistério em torno da rede de filamentos de uma galáxia 235 milhões de anos luz distante da Terra.

A pesquisa foi possível graças a imagens capturadas pelo telescópio Hubble, que conseguiu fotografar a galáxia denominada NGC 1275.

De acordo com o coordenador do trabalho, Andrew Fabian, os filamentos são um subproduto do buraco negro gigante localizado no centro da galáxia.

Segundo ele, a quantidade de gás contida em um típico filamento é “cerca de 100 milhões de vezes maior do que a do Sol”.

Os estudo mostrou como campos magnéticos dão a sustentação necessária aos filamentos, tornando-os resistentes ao “colapso gravitacional”.

“Nós pudemos constatar que os campos magnéticos são cruciais para a sobrevivência da rede de filamentos da galáxia”, disse Fabian. “Sem eles, essas belas estruturas não conseguiriam se sustentar e virariam estrelas”.

Hubble Spots a Magnetic Monster

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:33:56 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator

Clip Source: www.redorbit.com

Hubble Captures Magnetic Monster

These filaments are the only visible-light manifestation of the intricate relationship between the central black hole and the surrounding cluster gas. They provide important clues about how giant black holes affect their surrounding environment.

Tags: space, hubble, magnetic, ngc 1275

Bring Home the Stars

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:32:22 GMT

clipped by: sahara
clipper's remarks: I am absolutely going to try this!

Clip Source: hubblesite.org

Make a wall of your home into a picture window onto the universe.

Our large wall murals provide a dazzling, gallery-quality view of the cosmos. This black-and-white image of the Carina Nebula shows a region of tremendous star birth and death 7,500 light years away from Earth. The nebula is home to Eta Carinae, one of the most massive stars in the universe, prone to unpredictable, violent outbursts. These images can take up approximately two to six feet of wall space and may be costly to print, but will give you a panoramic vista of space.

large wall murals provide a dazzling, gallery-quality view of the cosmos

These images can take up approximately two to six feet of wall space and may be costly to print, but will give you a panoramic vista of space

One 20"x30" panel will average $30

We have provided a high-quality, high-resolution image for printing

Clip Source: hubblesite.org

Hubble's Black and White View of the Universe

Clip Source: hubblesite.org

GET YOUR OWN HUBBLE PHOTOSIN 3 EASY STEPS!

DOWNLOAD THE 3-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Tags: universe

Tarantula Nebula by the Hubble Telescope

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:56:54 GMT

clipped by: BrickhouseBrandy

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

To commemorate the Hubble telescope's 100,000th orbit around the Earth, scientists have released this image of the Tarantula nebula near the star cluster NGC 2074. It shows one of the most active star-forming regions in our local group of galaxies.

Hubble Completes 100,000th Orbit

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:18:24 GMT

clipped by: milmufmas

Clip Source: gizmodo.com

Hubble, without a doubt the most spectacular digital camera in the solar system, has completed its 100,000th orbit. To celebrate, scientists pointed the telescope to NGC 2074, a spectacular star birthplace 170,000 light-years away, right next to the Tarantula nebula, where Ming of Mongo is probably building a weapon of mass destruction. Like always, the image—taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2—is breathtaking, especially the high resolution version:

Our strange Universe

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:37:29 GMT

clipped by: papananook

Clip Source: antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov

Black Hole Candidate Cygnus X-1
Credit: ESA, Hubble

Is that a black hole? Quite possibly. The Cygnus X-1 binary star system contains one of the best candidates for a black hole. The system was discovered because it is one of the brightest X-ray sources on the sky, shining so bright it was detected by the earliest rockets carrying cameras capable of seeing the previously unknown X-ray sky. The star's very name indicates that it is the single brightest X-ray source in the constellation of the Swan Cygnus. Data indicate that a compact object there contains about nine times the mass of the Sun and changes its brightness continually on several time scales, at least down to milliseconds. Such behavior is expected for a black hole, and difficult to explain with other models. Pictured above is an artistic impression of the Cygnus X-1 system.

Hubble unveils colorful star birth region on 100,000th orbit milestone

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:58:53 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

In commemoration of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope completing its 100,000th orbit around the Earth in its 18th year of exploration and discovery, scientists have aimed Hubble to take a snapshot of a dazzling region of celestial birth and renewal. Hubble peered into a small portion of the nebula near the star cluster NGC 2074 (upper, left). The region is a firestorm of raw stellar creation, perhaps triggered by a nearby supernova explosion. It lies about 170,000 light-years away near the Tarantula nebula, one of the most active star-forming regions in our Local Group of galaxies. This representative color image was taken on August 10, 2008, with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. Red shows emission from sulphur atoms, green from glowing hydrogen and blue from glowing oxygen. Credit: NASA, ESA and M. Livio (STScI)

Tags: astronomy

Schoolteacher discovers 'cosmic ghost'

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:33:25 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: The program seems pretty good too.

Clip Source: www.astronomy.com

"Hanny's Voorwerp" is the green blob of gas (center) and is believed to be a "light echo" from the bright, stormy centerof a distant galaxy that has now gone dim.

A Dutch schoolteacher has discovered a mysterious and unique astronomical object through the Galaxy Zoo project, which enables members of the public to take part in astronomy research on-line.

Hanny van Arkel, a primary schoolteacher from the Netherlands, came across the image of a strange gaseous object with a hole in the center that has been described as a "cosmic ghost" while using the galaxyzoo.org web site to classify images of galaxies.

She posted about the image — which quickly became known as Hanny's "Voorwerp" after the Dutch word for "object" — on the Galaxy Zoo forum and the astronomers who run the site began to investigate. They soon realized the potential significance of what they think is a new class of astronomical object and will now use the Hubble Space Telescope to get a closer look at "Hanny's Voorwerp."

Tags: astronomy

Armchair astronomer discovers unique 'cosmic ghost'

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:48:32 GMT

clipped by: Newfman

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Story Highlights
Using the Web, a Dutch schoolteacher has discovered a strange astronomical object
The find illustrates how more amateur astronomers are contributing to science
The Galaxy Zoo project encourages the public to join in astronomy research online
Hubble Space Telescope has agreed to take a closer look at the object next year
Next Article in Technology »

(CNN) -- Hanny van Arkel was poring over photos of galaxies on the Internet last August when she stumbled across a strange object in the night sky: a bright, gaseous mass with a gaping hole in its middle.

Van Arkel is a 25-year-old schoolteacher in Heerlen, The Netherlands, not an astrophysicist. But her startling find -- a mysterious and unique object some observers are calling a "cosmic ghost" -- has captivated astronomers and even caught the attention of the Hubble Space Telescope, which has agreed to take a closer look next year.

Amateur spies gassy 'cosmic ghost'

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:10:35 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Some people get to name an object. Even fewer get to name a new class of object. Now we'll have people scanning the skies for Voorwerps. One day we might even discover what they are. I wonder if they come in different colours?

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

A Dutch primary school teacher has discovered what some are calling a 'cosmic ghost', a strange, gaseous object with a hole in the middle that may represent a new class of astronomical object.

The green blob of gas, now known as Hanny's Voorwerp, is believed to be a 'light echo' from the bright, stormy centre of a distant galaxy that has now gone dim

Amateur astronomer Hanny van Arkel discovered the object while volunteering in the Galaxy Zoo project, which enlists the help of members of the public to classify galaxies online.

"At first, we had no idea what it was. It could have been in our solar system, or at the edge of the universe," says Galaxy Zoo co-founder and Yale University astrophysicist Dr Kevin Schawinski.

"What we saw was really a mystery

The Voorwerp didn't contain any stars."

Made entirely of very hot gas, the eerie green object is illuminated by remnant light from the nearby galaxy IC 2497.

Researchers will soon use the Hubble Space Telescope to get a closer look.