Daily Archives: May 14, 2023

A new image from the Hubble Space Telescope gazes into the lair of a cosmic leviathan, a monstrous cluster of galaxies located nine billion light-years away in the constellation Draco.

Like a sea monster in ancient myth submerged and waiting to snatch unfortunate sailors to their doom, this celestial beast can be seen by the ripples around it. This leviathan is so titanic, however, that the ripples aren't traveling the surface of an ocean or lake but rather are distortions in the fabric of space-time itself.

This particular galaxy cluster, known as eMACS J1823.1+7822, is one of five selected for observation by Hubble astronomers to determine the strength of this "warping" effect, which was first predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Related: The best Hubble Space Telescope images of all time!

The 1915 theory, which is occasionally called Einstein's geometric theory of gravity, predicts that, as bowling balls placed on a trampoline create a depression, objects with mass cause the very fabric of space-time to warp. This curvature gives rise to the force of gravity. And the greater the mass of a cosmic object, the more extreme the warping of space it causes.

Light travels across the universe in straight lines, but when it encounters a warp caused by a truly massive object, its path is curved. When the warping object is between Earth and a background object, it can curve light in such a way that the apparent position of the background object is shifted.

But when the intermediate or "lensing object" is truly massive like a monstrous cluster of galaxies, for example light from the background source takes a different amount of time to reach Earth depending on how close it passes to the natural cosmic lens.

This effect, called gravitational lensing, can make single objects appear at multiple points in the sky, often in stunning arrangements called Einstein rings and Einstein crosses. It can also cause background objects to appear amplified in the sky, a powerful effect that astronomers use to observe distant and early faint galaxies.

The distortion caused by massive clusters like eMACS J1823.1+7822 can also help astronomers study mysterious dark matter, which accounts for around 85% of the mass in the universe but is invisible because it does not interact with electromagnetic radiation. Because dark matter does interact gravitationally, however, the lensing of light by a galaxy or galactic cluster can help researchers map the distribution of dark matter.

In the new Hubble image, eMACS J1823.1+7822, made up of a collection of elliptical galaxies, acts as a gravitational lens. The cluster warps the shape of the galaxies around it, giving them a slightly elongated shape, turning some into arcs and others into bright streaks.

This particular image was created using Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and its Wide Field Camera 3 instrument, both of which have the ability to view galaxies and stars in specific wavelengths of light. Observing objects at different wavelengths in this way allows for a more complete picture of the structure, researchers say.

In turn, such observations can reveal the composition and behavior of an object that would be hidden in visible light alone. When combined with the use of clusters like eMACS J1823.1+7822, gravitational lensing allows this to be done for some of the universe's earliest galaxies. So powerful observatories like Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope can probe conditions found shortly after the Big Bang and the very birth of the universe.

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Hubble Telescope gazes into the heart of a monstrous galaxy cluster (photo) - Space.com

A young red dwarf star system has been engaged in a multiple-year-long game of "peek-a-boo" with the Hubble Space Telescope.

This may represent more than mere fun and games, however. The shadows astronomers are chasing around the vast disk of gas and dust surrounding the star TW Hydrae could represent planets being born.

The distant star system observed by the Hubble telescope is tilted toward Earth and provides a birds-eye view of its disk where dense clumps of gas and dust collapse to form planets. This means it could give astronomers a better picture of the early years of the solar system and how the planets began to form around the infant sun around 4.5 billion years ago.

Astronomers have been intently observing TW Hydrae, a red dwarf star estimated to be under 10 million years old and located 200 light-years away, since at least 2017 when it was first reported that a shadow is sweeping across the pancake-shaped disk that surrounds it. This shadow was attributed to the fact the inner disk around the star is tilted slightly in relation to the larger outer disk, with this "warp" likely caused by the gravity of an unseen planet pulling at gas and dust inclining the material's orbit.

Related: Carina Nebula twinkles in gorgeous new view from Hubble (photo)

Now, astronomers have spotted a second shadow moving over the disk in observations made by Hubble on June 6, 2021. This new shadow on the outer disk of TW Hydrae is distinct from its predecessor, however, as it was effectively "hiding" in earlier observations, according to the science team.

"We found out that the shadow had done something completely different. When I first looked at the data, I thought something had gone wrong with the observation because it wasn't what I was expecting," principal investigator and Space Telescope Science Institute researcher John Debes, said in a statement. (opens in new tab) "I was flummoxed at first, and all my collaborators were like: 'what is going on?' We really had to scratch our heads and it took us a while to actually figure out an explanation."

After examining the problem using sophisticated models that varied the number and orientation of disks around TW Hydrae to try to reproduce Hubble's observations, the team determined that there are two misaligned disks present around the red dwarf both casting shadows on its outer disk.

They attribute the fact that there are two warped disks to the presence of two planets "under construction" in the system with both exerting a gravitational pull on gas and dust around the young red dwarf. The proto-planets would have to have slightly different orbital planes to cause this double warping.

The astronomers also have an idea of why one of the planets was playing peek-a-boo in the earlier 2017 observations, theorizing that the shadow it causes was merged with the previously discovered shadow. Moving at a slightly different speed, the second shadow eventually emerged allowing it to be sighted by Hubble in 2021.

This indicates that the two forming planets could be lapping each other as they orbit their parent star like two analog clocks running at different speeds, one fast and one slow with their hands aligning briefly at a specific time.

"It does suggest that the two planets have to be fairly close to each other," Debes said. "If one was moving much faster than the other, this would have been noticed in earlier observations. It's like two racing cars that are close to each other, but one slowly overtakes and laps the other."

The shadows seem to complete an orbit every 15 years and this would imply the two proto-planets exist at a distance from TW Hydrae that is similar to the distance between Jupiter, the solar system's fifth planet, and the sun.

The similarities to the solar system don't end there, however. The scientists found that the inclination of the planets relative to the plane of the outer disk is 5 to 7 degrees, which is similar to the orbital inclinations in our planetary system.

"This is right in line with typical solar system-style architecture," said Debes.

The TW Hydrae disk also has a mysterious gap at a distance equivalent to twice the distance between Pluto and the sun which may be evidence of yet another planet in the young system. The outer disk across which the shadows play extends out for several times the radius of the Kuiper Belt at the edge of the solar system, however.

There could also be planets around TW Hydrea that are closer to the red dwarf star that may prove difficult to observe due to them being lost in the glare from the stellar body. This difficulty would also be compounded by dust in the system dimming light from the star reflected from these potential inner planets.

One potential way of observing planets closer to TW Hydrae would be to use the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft to observe the system. Gaia precisely measures the position of stars relative to Earth and can allow astronomers to see the "wobble" caused by the movement of these stars by orbiting planets exerting a tiny gravitational tug on them.

Future investigations of the TW Hydrea system could reveal even more similarities with the solar system meaning observing the evolution of this young star and its planets is like observing the birth and growth of our own corner of space.

The team's research was published in The Astrophysical Journal. (opens in new tab)

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Hubble telescope spies 'peek-a-boo' exoplanets amid star's tilted dust rings - Space.com

American space agency, NASA Hubble Telescope captured the Great Red Spot on the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter. Interestingly, the spot is a vast storm, spinning like a cyclone. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is the largest known storm in the solar system.

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Informing about the same, Hubble Telescope tweeted, "Jupiter's Great Red Spot, seen in this #Hubble Classic image from 1999, has captivated astronomers for centuries. The spot is a vast storm, spinning like a cyclone. It's the largest known storm in our solar system and almost twice the size of Earth."

Reportedly, the Red Spot is present in Jupiter's atmosphere for over 300 years. "When 17th-century astronomers first turned their telescopes to Jupiter, they noted a conspicuous reddish spot on the giant planet. This Great Red Spot is still present in Jupiter's atmosphere, more than 300 years later. It is known that it is a vast storm, spinning like a cyclone. Unlike a low-pressure hurricane in the Caribbean Sea, however, the Red Spot rotates in a counterclockwise direction in the southern hemisphere, showing that it is a high-pressure system. Winds inside this Jovian storm reach speeds of about 270 mph," Hubble site informed.

Read: Archaeologists find 7000-year-old road inside sea; list of items found

Explaining the reason behind the long lifetime of the Red Spot, the Hubble site said, "The long lifetime of the Red Spot may be due to the fact that Jupiter is mainly a gaseous planet. It possibly has liquid layers, but lacks a solid surface, which would dissipate the storm's energy, much as happens when a hurricane makes landfall on the Earth. However, the Red Spot does change its shape, size, and colour, sometimes dramatically."

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NASA's Hubble telescope captures Jupiter's Great Red Spot, reveals shocking details - DNA India

NASA, with the help of its various advanced telescopes such as Spitzer Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope, has published fascinating images of galaxies thousands and even millions of light-years away. Some of these include Centaurus A Galaxy, Hamburger Galaxy, Rubins Galaxy, Arp 78 and more. These galaxies exhibit an array of sizes, ranging from diminutive dwarf galaxies with a meager population of a few billion stars to colossal elliptical galaxies with trillions of stars. Moreover, some of these galaxies have unusual shapes like a hamburger, toothpicks, rings and more.

Todays NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day is a snapshot of NGC 1566, also known as the Spanish Dancer Spiral Galaxy, located about 40 million light-years away towards the constellation of Dorado. Within the galaxy are blue star clusters and dark cosmic dust lanes which follow two prominent spiral arms. According to NASA, several images of this galaxy have been captured to study star formation, supernovas, and the spiral's unusually active center.

The image was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope which is run by NASA and ESA in collaboration, and was processed by Detlev Odenthal.

This stunning discovery by the Hubble Telescope further proves the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope. Despite being nearly 3 decades old, it still amazes us with stunning images of far-off celestial objects.

To capture such objects, Hubble has advanced optical instruments such as the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3. The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) was primarily designed to survey large areas of the sky at visible and red wavelengths with 10 times greater efficiency than the earlier premier Hubble camera. It has certainly proved fruitful as most of Hubble's images have been captured by the ACS.

If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island universe containing billions of stars and situated about 40 million light-years away toward the constellation of the Dolphinfish (Dorado), NGC 1566 presents a gorgeous face-on view. Classified as a grand design spiral, NGC 1566 shows two prominent and graceful spiral arms that are traced by bright blue star clusters and dark cosmic dust lanes.

Numerous Hubble Space Telescope images of NGC 1566 have been taken to study star formation, supernovas, and the spiral's unusually active center. Some of these images, stored online in the Hubble Legacy Archive, were freely downloaded, combined, and digitally processed by an industrious amateur to create the featured image. NGC 1566's flaring center makes the spiral one of the closest and brightest Seyfert galaxies, likely housing a central supermassive black hole wreaking havoc on surrounding stars and gas.

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 8 May 2023: Mesmerizing Spanish Dancer Galaxy - HT Tech

image:This artists rendering shows the Extremely Large Telescope in operation on Cerro Armazones in northern Chile. The telescope is shown using lasers to create artificial stars high in the atmosphere. The first stone ceremony for the telescope was attended by the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, on 26 May 2017. view more

Credit: ESO/L. Calada

A research team from the University of Lisbon and University of Oporto (Portugal) participate in the development of METIS (Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph). This powerful instrument will equip the largest telescope in the world - the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) - under construction by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Armazones, Chile.

At this critical acceptance stage of the complete and final METIS design, ESO is presenting an illustrative film demonstrating the exceptional capabilities of the instrument. The presentation will take place on May 12, at 4:00pm (CEST).

METIS will detect radiation that is invisible to the human eye, that is, radiation that is felt in the form of heat. The instrument will take advantage of the ELT's giant primary mirror, measuring around 39 meters, to study a myriad of scientific topics, from objects in our solar system to distant active galaxies with revolutionary precision.

This is one of the ELT's most complex instruments and the participation of the Portuguese team is proof of national capabilities in the development of large international projects. Involvement in this project not only allows them to apply their experience, but also to increase it, given the inherent challenges. It also allows Portugal to be at the forefront at the time of observations, and, in addition, promotes the participation of industry, involving the ecosystem as a whole, says Marta Gonalves, manager of Science and Education projects at the Portuguese Space Agency.

Participating in the development of METIS has been a huge challenge, which has put our capacities for innovation, simulation, and construction of instruments for Astrophysics to the test. Projects like this also help to develop and promote the participation of Portuguese industry in major international projects. They strategically position us at the forefront as teachers, researchers, engineers and students, says Antnio Amorim, responsible for the Portuguese participation in METIS, Professor in the Physics Department of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Cincias ULisboa) and member of CENTRA Center for Astrophysics and Gravitation.

The Portuguese participation in the development of METIS has several fronts. The main contribution is the construction of the mechanical support structure, alignment and access to the instrument called Warm Support Structure (WSS). Portugal also contributes to the METIS operations team and also to the scientific team.

The total cost of the METIS instrument is around 95 million, and its mass is around 12 tons (equivalent to a double-decker bus). For Mercedes Filho, manager of METIS project in Portugal and researcher at the Physical Engineering Department at the Faculty of Engineering of University of Oporto (FEUP), the WSS has extreme requirements. On the one hand, the WSS must position the instrument with an accuracy of 10 millionths of a rotation and 100 millionths of a meter. On the other hand, the WSS must withstand a major earthquake in complete safety, being able to support an equivalent mass of 40 tons!.

The METIS project also involved the participation of PhD and Master's students, namely Andr Bone and Ricardo Costa, the former a PhD student in Physical Engineering at Cincias ULisboa and the latter a Masters student in Mechanical Engineering at FEUP.

As for Astrophysics, many scientific discoveries are being prepared in detail given the extremely high cost and competition for infrastructure, as explained by Paulo Garcia, co-responsible for the Portuguese participation in METIS, researcher at CENTRA, and professor at the Department of Physical Engineering (DEF) at FEUP: Portugal will have privileged access to METIS, to carry out observations of celestial phenomena with a top scientific instrument that transports us to the future of astrophysics. METIS will allow an unprecedented study of several astrophysical topics, and our priority at CENTRA is to study gravity in the vicinity of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. In particular, we intend to detect new stars in orbits closer to the black hole than currently known and study their motion.

Other Portuguese researchers involved in the scientific preparation of this initiative are Andr Moitinho, Professor at Cincias Ulisboa, Koraljka Muzic, researcher at FEUP, and Alexandre Correia, professor at the Physics Department at the University of Coimbra.

The ELT is under construction in Armazones, Chile by ESO. The ELT will be the largest terrestrial optical and infrared telescope when it begins operations, scheduled for the middle of this decade. With its 39-meter diameter primary mirror and advanced adaptive optics systems, the telescope will be able to see details six times finer than the James Webb Space Telescope and 20 times finer than the Hubble Telescope.

METIS International Consortium

The METIS consortium is made up of NOVA (Netherlands Research School for Astronomy, represented by Leiden University, The Netherlands), UK Astronomy Technology Center (UKATC, and Edinburgh, Scotland, UK), Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA, based in Heidelberg, Germany), Katholieke Universiteie Leuven (Belgium), Saclay Nuclear Research Center (CEA Saclay, France), ETH Zrich (Switzerland), A* (an Austrian partnership represented by the University of Vienna, the University of Innsbruck, the University of Graz , University of Linz, and RICAM Linz, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria), Universitat zu Koln (Germany), Cincias Ulisboa and FEUP, represented by CENTRA (Portugal), University of Lige (Belgium), Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taipei (Taiwan) and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (USA), and, with contributions from ESO.

Schedule (CEST)

4:00pm ELT trailer starts: https://cdn.eso.org/videos/hd_1080p25_screen/elt-teaser-2021.mp44:01pm Welcome given by Suzanna Randal4:05pm Short talk about the ELT by Michele Cirasuolo4:10pm Suzanna Randal introduces METIS4:11pm The METIS movie4:21pm Q&A Session

LinksYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgHFdokFyLUFacebook messages and event: https://www.facebook.com/ESOAstronomy/posts/pfbid0kahjP5PJVNa3fTrzuanVJscYBANRE4LUbGRdWaG7smSFbBpyqtSLJheXJP7jyD23lTwitter: https://twitter.com/ESO/status/1653422689690832902Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7059189856576380928

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Portugal participates in the development of a first-class instrument ... - EurekAlert

An untitled piece by Barbara Bullock.

Creating space for art is intentional. Historically, those spaces have been safeguarded for artists from certain backgrounds and roles. Creating space for those who in the past may have been excluded from galleries, exhibitions, and public displays can create unique challenges. Luckily, people have risen to that challenge over the years, leading to exhibitions such as Multiplicities, the show at the Regional Center for Women in the Arts that's opening this week. The 21 artists in the show, all from the Delaware Valley, represent a range of genres and generations.

RCWA, the Regional Center for Women in the Arts, has been creating space for women in the arts for the past twenty-two years. This exhibition, unlike many with a specific theme, is a survey exhibition, intending to highlight the work of many artists with diverse methods, media, and a multiplicity of outlooks on life, said Valetta, founder and director of the RCWA.

Good Instincts by Katherine Fraser.

The chosen artists have had careers spanning enough time to develop unique styles and who have shown their work in galleries and museums in the United States and abroad, said Valetta. From the figurative storytelling of Rachel Romano to the abstract meditations of Donna Usher, the range of subjects and methods tells a tale of the varied journeys of the artists. Women artists remember the past, consider the future, and live in the present, said Alice Oh, a participating artist.

The idea of what it means to be a woman artist is central to this show and to the mission of the RCWA. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has shown the work of established and emerging women artists. Through their exhibitions and shows, they raise funds for local charities that benefit women in need. The proceeds from Multiplicities will fund scholarships for young women at the Delaware College of Art and Design.

I cant think of a better set of skills for being an Artist, than being a Woman, said Lisa Bartolozzi. Celebrating the strengths that come from their perspectives is a key component of the show, allowing the viewer to ruminate on their perspectives. Donna Usher said, Creating art provides me with a poetic view of life that is meaningful, as well as a community and career that I am thankful for.

The community that exists not just locally, but among women in the arts worldwide, can create moments of joy. I save articles about women artists and rejoice in their and our success and perseverance, said Fran Gallun. Valetta added, The journey of a woman artist is like the salmon swimming uphill.

Taming of Orquevaux by Rachel Romano.

Many of the artists in the show have experienced a common theme for almost all women and share their struggles to be taken seriously. Do they think its a compliment when they tell me my work doesnt look like it was made by a woman? said Carol Cole.

People often respond when they hear Im an artist, My Grandchild makes wonderful art, added Libbie Soffer. The dismissal can even come from unexpected sources.

As Christine Stoughton said, A woman once inquired, What do you do? I said I was an artist. Her response was, I like to play around with making things too.

That challenge can create strength, especially when supported by the community. I am an artist who happens to be a woman, said Lois Schlachter.

Organic Language by Donna Usher.

A good reminder comes from Nancy Sarangoulis, who said, Art making has no gender.

Lynda Schmid has a reflective perspective: Im like the Hubble telescope. I have spherical aberrations in my mirrors but Im capable of seeing long distances.

In Multiplicities, those images and views have the chance to echo, resonate, and hopefully create meaning for those who take the opportunity to see.

Multiplicities is on display from May 19 through May 30 at the Toni and Stuart B. Young Gallery at the Delaware College of Art and Design. The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The opening reception will be held Friday, May 19t from 5 to 7 p.m. (reservations are required by emailing CE@dcad.edu). DCAD is located at 600 North Market Street, Wilmington. More information can be found at RCAWeb.org orDCAD.edu.

Victoria Rose (she/her) is an editor, writer, avid reader, self-described geek, and fan of all things creative. Her passion for words has led to her current career as a freelance editor, and she is the owner of Flickering Words, an editing service. When not wielding a red pen (or cursor), she loves reading books of all genres, playing video, board, and word games, baking ridiculous creations to show off on the internet, or enjoying the gorgeous outdoors. She is a board member of the West Chester Film Festival and part of the Thirsty Monsters, a team of streamers from around the world who fundraise for various charities supporting LGBTQIA+ and accessibility rights. She can be found online @WordsFlickering or the Brandywine Art Guide @BrandywineArtGuide.

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