Daily Archives: February 1, 2024

The first data released to the public from the eROSITA sky survey comprises an X-ray view of half the sky over Earth, encompassing almost a million high-energy cosmic sources, including over 700,000 supermassive black holes.

This catalog, dubbed the "eROSITA All-Sky Survey Catalogue (eRASS1)" was published on Thursday (Feb. 1). It constitutes the largest-ever catalog of the universe's most powerful sources of energy, like exploding massive stars and black hole-powered active galactic nuclei that shine brightly in X-rays. The release also details the largest known structures in the universe cosmic web filaments of hot gas that connect galaxies in clusters.

The results show that, in just half a year of operations beginning after launch on July 13, 2019, eROSITA has managed to discover more high-energy X-ray sources than has been found in six decades of examining the sky.

Considered a major milestone in the 60 or so years of X-ray astronomy, eRASS1 could help answer some of cosmology's biggest questions: How did the universe evolve, and why is the very fabric of space expanding at an accelerating rate?

Related: Mysterious dark energy is spread evenly across the cosmos

Accompanying the eRASS1 data are almost 50 scientific papers published across a range of topics, adding to an existing 200 papers already written using data from the eROSITA telescope.

The main aim of eROSITA is to use clusters of galaxies to observe how dark energy accelerates the expansion of the universe; these 250 or so papers, however, demonstrate the extent to which the instrument and its data have gone beyond this goal.

These papers include the discovery of over 1,000 superclusters of galaxies, the revelation of two quasi-periodic erupting black holes, and the determination of the impact that stars' X-ray radiation has on water and atmosphere retention of planets that orbit them.

"The scientific breadth and impact of the survey is quite overwhelming; it's hard to put into a few words," spokesperson for the German eROSITA consortium, Mara Salvato, said in a statement. "But the papers published by the team will speak for themselves."

The eRASS1 data consists of eROSITA telescope observations conducted from Dec. 12, 2019, to June 11, 2020. from across half the sky over Earth. During this period, the space telescope detected around 170 million individual particles of X-ray light or "photons."

Processing these photons revealed 900,000 X-ray sources, of which 700,000 are feeding supermassive black holes that power quasars at the hearts of active galactic nuclei, regions in the centers of galaxies so bright they can outshine the combined light of every star in those galaxies themselves.

Also seen in the eRASS1 are 180,000 X-ray-emitting stars in the Milky Way, 12,000 clusters of galaxies and even exotic classes of X-ray sources like binary stars, supernova remnants, pulsars and other such objects.

"These are mind-blowing numbers for X-ray astronomy," Andrea Merloni, eROSITA principal investigator and first author of the eROSITA catalog paper, said in a statement. "We've detected more sources in 6 months than the big flagship missions XMM-Newton and Chandra have done in nearly 25 years of operation."

The data release is also impressive in terms of the spread of its observations, with the sky over Earth imaged at multiple X-ray energies. In addition to this, eROSITA is incredibly precise, with its first data release also pinpointing positions in the sky from which individual photons are received, as well as these photons' arrival times and energies.

Along with the release, the eROSITA Consortium has also made available the software needed to analyze data from the X-ray telescope as well as catalogs that go beyond just X-ray data.

"We've made a huge effort to release high-quality data and software," eROSITA Operations team leader, Iriam Ramos-Ceja, said. "We hope this will broaden the base of scientists worldwide working with high-energy data and help push the frontiers of X-ray astronomy."

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X-ray image of universe reveals almost 1 million high-energy objects: 'These are mind-blowing numbers' - Space.com

In the realm of cosmic discoveries, a recent addition stands out for its unique and elusive nature. The Nube galaxy, a name charmingly suggested by a five-year-old, has captured the attention of astronomers for its almost ghostly presence in the universe.

This discovery, led by the Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias (IAC) in collaboration with the University of La Laguna (ULL) and other institutions, marks a significant leap in our understanding of the cosmos.

Nube, Spanish for Cloud, is an apt descriptor for this enigmatic dwarf galaxy. Its surface brightness is so faint that it evaded detection in previous sky surveys.

The galaxys stars are dispersed across a vast area, making Nube appear as a mere wisp in the cosmic landscape.

What sets Nube apart are its extraordinary properties. This galaxy is ten times fainter and more extended than other known dwarf galaxies with a comparable number of stars.

To put it in perspective, Nube is a third of the Milky Ways size but has a mass akin to the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Such extreme characteristics baffle astronomers, as Mireia Montes, the first author of the article and a researcher at the IAC and the ULL, admits.

With our present knowledge, we do not understand how a galaxy with such extreme characteristics can exist, said Montes.

The discovery of Nube was serendipitous. Ignacio Trujillo, the second author, was analyzing images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) when he noticed an intriguing faint patch.

This led to a focused study using ultra-deep multicolor images from the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), confirming that the patch was not an error but an extremely diffuse object.

Determining Nubes exact distance has been challenging due to its faintness. Observations from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in the United States place Nube approximately 300 million light years away.

Upcoming observations with the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope and the optical William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, are anticipated to refine this estimate.

Trujillo notes, If the galaxy turns out to be nearer, it will still be a very strange object and offer major challenges to astrophysics.

Nube defies the general rule of galaxies having a higher density of stars in their inner regions.

Montes explains that in Nube, the density of stars varies very little throughout the object, which is why it is so faint, and we have not been able to observe it well until we had the ultra-deep images from the GTC.

The galaxys peculiar nature has left astronomers puzzled. Current cosmological simulations, based on the cold dark matter model, fail to replicate Nubes extreme characteristics.

This discrepancy suggests that there might be fundamental aspects of the universe that we have yet to understand.

Montes expresses the intriguing possibility that, We are left without a viable explanation within the currently accepted cosmological model, that of cold dark matter.

The study of Nube could potentially revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Trujillo speculates on an exciting hypothesis: the unusual properties of Nube could indicate that dark matter particles have an extremely small mass.

This could align the worlds of quantum physics with cosmic phenomena, potentially offering a new window into the understanding of the universe.

Trujillo concludes, If this hypothesis is confirmed, it would be one of the most beautiful demonstrations of nature, unifying the world of the smallest with that of the largest.

In summary, the discovery of the Nube galaxy opens a new chapter in astronomy, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity to deepen our cosmic knowledge.

Its unique properties are unique curiosity that could be key to unlocking new cosmic mysteries, possibly reshaping our understanding of the universe itself.

The full study ispublishedin the journalAstronomy & Astrophysics.

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Galaxy named 'Nube' is almost invisible, baffling astronomers Earth.com - Earth.com

Supernovae are relatively rare. It might not seem like it, but thats because theyre so bright we can see them in other galaxies a great distance away. In fact, in 2022, astronomers spotted a supernova over 10 billion light-years away.

Any time astronomers spot a supernova, its an opportunity to learn more about these rare, cataclysmic explosions. Its especially valuable if astronomers can get a good look at the progenitor star before it explodes.

We know what types of stars explode as core-collapse supernovae: massive ones. But we dont know which star will explode when, so we dont know where to look to see the progenitor. The authors of new research put this succinctly when they write, Obtaining spectroscopic observations of the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae is often unfeasible due to an inherent lack of knowledge as to which stars will go supernova and when they will explode.

That quote comes from a new research letter titled Spectroscopic observations of progenitor activity 100 days before a Type Ibn supernova. The letter has been submitted to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics and is currently in pre-press. The lead author is Sen Brennan from the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University.

Astronomers keep learning more about supernovae progenitors. Theyre finding that supernova progenitors can exhibit powerful outbursts in the weeks, months, or even years before they explode. Astronomers keep getting better and better tools to spot these outbursts, and sometimes they get lucky.

In April of 2023, a massive star exploded in NGC 4388, a spiral galaxy about 57 million light-years away. The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) spotted it, and the supernova is called SN 2023fyq. SN 2023fyq is a rare type of supernova called a Type Ibn. They show a lack of hydrogen lines and narrow He I emission lines in their spectra. Astronomers think that these characteristics come from the SN interacting with hydrogen-poor, helium-rich circumstellar material (CSM.)

Astronomers only know of a few of these types of SN, so their progenitors are poorly understood. Prior to its explosion, the ZTF also spotted the precursor activity, providing a window into these mysterious progenitors.

This Letter presents spectral and photometric observations of the progenitor of a Type Ibn SN several months before core-collapse, as well as SN 2023fyq itself, the researchers write. The observations come from multiple telescopes and observatories, including the Keck 10m telescope, the Palomar 200-inch telescope, and the Gemini North 8m telescope.

The researchers found that the progenitors luminosity increased exponentially during the 150 days leading up to the explosion. They also found that the radius of the photosphere remained almost constant during the same time. The pre-supernova spectra also reveal a complex evolving He I profile.

The He I profile could be a clue to some of the progenitor stars activity. There are similar He I emissions in both the progenitor and the SN. This would mean that the asymmetric material responsible for this emission was not destroyed in the SN explosion, the authors explain. SN ejecta interacting with asymmetric circumstellar material (CSM) has been used to explain irregular emission line profiles. Were getting deep into the weeds here, but its significant. SN 2023fyq provides the first clear spectroscopic evidence of asymmetric structure prior to core-collapse.

Its possible that some of the features in the spectroscopy are caused by circumstellar material (CSM). Some mechanisms cause the progenitor to be surrounded by a dense CSM, the authors explain, and may lead to shock dissipation and emission of radiation in the optically thick CSM. In that case, diffusion could explain the light curves general rise. This also explains the roughly constant radius and the slowly rising effective temperature, they write.

These observations of SN 2023fyq and the final moments of the progenitor highlight that the progenitors to CCSNe can undergo some extreme instabilities shortly before their final demise, the authors write.

It shouldnt surprise anyone that a progenitor exhibited some extreme instabilities before exploding as a supernova. It would be very strange if a massive star suddenly exploded with no lead-up. Only massive stars explode as supernovae, and it happens when the stars outward fusion pressure is insufficient to counteract the stars own gravity. The star collapses in on itself and explodes. This is a cataclysmic event, and there are bound to be shock waves travelling through the star, as well as other interactions. There are bound to be extreme instabilities, as the authors call them.

But what exactly does this tell us?

This is just a research letter, and the authors are presenting their results to the astronomical community. They can show the unusual activity evident in spectroscopic observations, but they cant tell us exactly what it means yet. But it does show that were able to spot supernova progenitors, a huge step in understanding core-collapse supernovae.

Progenitor analysis typically occurs after the star has been destroyed by searching through archival images and measuring the photometric properties of the assumed progenitor, the researchers write in their letter. Although this area of transient astronomy is in its infancy, the repercussions of detecting precursor activity are immense, highlighting that the progenitor is not in an equilibrium state and may not be represented well by standard stellar evolutionary models.

Were looking at an SN progenitor when we look at Betelgeuse; astronomers just dont know how long itll be until the star explodes. But it appears to have belched plasma that created a dust cloud that briefly dimmed the star a couple of years ago. Is that behaviour indicative of how other progenitors behave?

Astronomers need to observe more supernova progenitors of different types before they can answer their questions. Once they have more data, theyll build models of how supernova progenitors behave leading up to the explosion. Then, they can observe even more SN and test that data against their models. Then, theyll improve their models some more.

Eventually, theyll have answers.

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Giant Star Seen 150 Days Before it Exploded as a Supernova - Universe Today

Reading time: 2 minutes Karen Meech

A University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA) astronomer has been named a fellow of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Karen Meech was recognized for her ground-breaking research on solar and extrasolar comets, the distribution of water in the solar system, organization of large international observing teams, development and management of planetary science programs for teachers, and years of service to the astronomical community.

This is a really exciting honor, and Im humbled to be nominated for this by my colleagues, said Meech.

AAS is a national organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators and amateur astronomers. This year 21 members were honored for extraordinary achievement and servicean honor bestowed on only 0.25% of the 8,200 AAS members each year. They were recognized for original research and publications, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and service to astronomy and AAS. Fellows will receive a certificate and a lapel pin.

Karen is a truly extraordinary researcher with exceptional leadership skills who can assemble large, diverse teams to tackle some of the most profound questions in planetary science, said Doug Simons, director of IfA. I am thrilled to see her receive this recognition for her numerous research achievements.

Meech is an astrobiologist interested in understanding how planets become habitable, especially how water was delivered to Earth. She led the NASA Astrobiology Institute at UH from 2004 to 2015; led the characterization of Oumuamua (the first interstellar object) discovered by IfAs PanSTARRS telescope in 2017; has been a co-investigator on the Deep Impact, EPOXI and Stardust-NeXT space missions; and leads the development of future mission concepts.

In recognition of her research, Meech received the 2023 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics, was named ARCS Scientist of the year in 2018, awarded the UH Regents Medal for Research Excellence in 2015, and received the AAS Harold C. Urey Prize in 1994, the Annie Jump Cannon Award in 1988 and the Heaps Physics Prize in 1981.

A main focus of her work is studying the formation of habitable worlds by looking at comets, which are the earliest remnants of that process. As the icy, well-preserved left-overs of planet formation, these small objects provide clues about the chemistry and dynamics in our young solar systems planet-forming disk.

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UH astronomer named to prominent national astronomical society | University of Hawaii System News - University of Hawaii

The Georgian Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennaleis happy to present Art of SeeingStates of Astronomy, a collaborative project presented by a team of Georgian and French curators and artists.

The Art of SeeingStates of Astronomyshowcases 65 Maximiliana or the Illegal Practice of Astronomy, a 1964 work by Georgian artist, poet and editor Ilia Zdanevich (18941975) and Max Ernst (18911976), along with its related archives. The art book is dedicated to Wilhelm Ernst Tempel (18211889), a German astronomer and lithographer, known for his unconventional, sensual approach to astronomy, who was overlooked by contemporaries due to his lack of academic training.

Zdanevich traced his own history back to Tbilisi, where his publishing house, named 41 degrees after the latitude Tbilisi shares with Rome, Madrid, New York and other cities, promoted a futurist poetic language known as ZAUM. He adopted the name Iliazd soon after emigrating to Paris in 1921 and brought out several major books, including Maximiliana, a landmark project that spans four countries and three languages, merging poetry and astronomy to highlight the experience of exiles in both physical and metaphysical senses.

In this context, the exhibition held at Palazzo Palumbo Fossati aligns with the theme of the current Venice Biennale, Foreigners Everywhere. It spins around Maximiliana, along with materials from Iliazds archive, that document Iliazds journey to Venice and Marseille and his persistent efforts to recover Wilhelm Ernst Tempels biography.

In response to the Venice Biennales programme Global Modernisms, curator Julia Marchand (France) and research curator Davit Koroshinadze (Georgia) have crafted an original concept for a living archive, initiating the audience to Iliazds experiments, who brought his ideas from the Global South and transformed it into a cosmopolitan discourse. Maximiliana remains a perfect example of how, through typography and painting, the language of the cosmos was brought to life. French artists Rodrigue De Ferluc and Juliette George have created unique furniture inspired by Iliazds typography in Maximiliana to establish a visual and spatial identity for the exhibition. Georgian artist Nika Koplatadze reinterprets Maximiliana through a contemporary art lens in a series of artistic books informed by his readings of star maps and other cosmic matters. In addition, Grigol Nodias video art, titled Lonely Planet,turns the theme of migration into a broader, cosmic exile in search of the other and eros.

Wilhelm Ernst Tempels lithographs from the Arcetri Observatory Archives, included in the exhibition, provide a unique context for understanding the history behind Maximiliana and Iliazds journey.

Artists: Nikoloz Koplatadze, Grigol Nodia, Juliette George, Rodrigue De Ferluc, Iliazd, Max Ernst, Wilhelm Ernst Tempel Curator: Julia Marchand Research curator: Davit Koroshinadze Commissioner: Magda Guruli Institution: Art-Villa Garikula Project Manager: Ana Jorjiashvili Furniture Production: Collaboration with Interior Designer Nestan De Limur Graphic Designer: Fabien Chaminade Set Designer: Levan Mekhuzla Composer: Ben Wheeler Film Producer & Production Designer: Lasha Zambakhidze

With the support of The Ministry of Culture and Sport of Georgia.

Press contacts International press enquiries: Nadia Fatnassi,nadia [at] closeencounters.fr,T +33 652 086 908 Italian press enquiries: Virginia Cucchi,virginiacucchi.com [at] gmail.com, T +39 333 4360901

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The Art of SeeingStates of Astronomy - Announcements - E-Flux

The city of Flagstaff really loves Pluto.

So much so that, in a recent show of cosmic devotion, Pluto-fanatics arrived at the state Capitol on Wednesday in droves to support legislation to make the dwarf planet the official state planet of Arizona.

In 1930, astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered Pluto from Flagstaffs Lowell Observatory. To this day, it remains as the only planet to be discovered in the United States, and a great source of pride for Arizonas astronomy community.

But in 2006, Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet status, following years of debate over whether it met the criteria to be a planet. Ultimately, the International Astronomical Union determined it didnt.

Now, almost 100 years later, members of the observatory are looking to honor the discovery in a bigger way with the help of Rep. Justin Wilmeth, R-Phoenix, the sponsor of House Bill 2477.

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Theres been some controversy recently with it being downgradedThats not really the point of this bill today. Wilmeth said. Its to honor our state heritage, our state history and our strong astronomy background that we have in this state, both in Flagstaff and Tucson.

Since Plutos discovery, Arizonan astronomers have played a major role in developing our knowledge of the once-believed ninth planet. Plutos moon, Charon, was also discovered from Flagstaff, and Lowell astronomers played a part in the discovery of the dwarf planets atmosphere, as well.

The Flagstaff observatorys dedication to Pluto has never waivered, even when it lost its planetary status.

Theres a really strong scientific connection between Arizona and Pluto, said Lowell Observatory Historian Kevin Schindler. You think of cactus, you think of Arizona. You think of Pluto, you think of Arizona. Thats what we wanted.

Speakers in support of the bill also emphasized how the title of state planet would help bolster Plutos reputation with young students, giving the former planet the street cred it they believe it deserves.

Author Diane Phelps Budden has brought stories about Pluto into classrooms. She said she has seen firsthand how excited students are about planets and space.

Heres an opportunity for a teacher to lead the discussion with the fact that Pluto is the state planet. They will think that is, Oh so cool! said Phelps Budden.

The measure was warmly received by the committee, which not only approved the bill with a vote of 8-1, but appreciated the unusually mirthful moment the bill brought lawmakers.

With all the pressing issues, its kind of nice to see a bill like this on there just to lighten things up, said Rep. Rachel Jones, R-Tucson.

The sole opposing vote came from Rep. Steve Montenegro, a Republican from Litchfield Park, who said the only reason he voted against the measure was to have an opportunity to learn more about it.

Some of these bills may seem small, like Pluto, he explained. But I want to learn a little bit more, and I want to reserve that vote, too, as we move forward.

Otherwise, bipartisan excitement was seen from the rest of the committee, including Tucsons Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, who seemed eager to learn more about the Lowell Observatorys upcoming expansion later this year.

Im hopeful that, when the new center opens in November, we can do a legislative field trip and come and see? Gutierrez, a Democrat, said.

As for the opposition?

Mr. Montenegro will not be invited to the field trip, joked Wilmeth.

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Pluto isn't really a planet, but it might be Arizona's official state planet - Arizona Mirror