Sci-Tech Titans

Joe Liske (Dr J) of The Hubblecast gives us a tour of the Tarantula Nebula. This striking area of the night sky is home to bright star forming gas clouds, mega star clusters, and supernova remnants, to name a few sights.

The center of M74, also referred to as the Phantom Galaxy, is visible in this photo taken with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. With his keen eye, Webb has seen tiny filaments of dust and gas in the magnificent spiral arms that radiate forth from the image's center. A clean view of the nuclear star cluster at the center of the galaxy is also made possible by a deficiency of gas in the nuclear area. M74 belongs to a certain class of spiral galaxy known as a "grand design spiral," which means that, in contrast to some spiral galaxies, it has conspicuous and well-defined spiral arms.

In this episode of Space Sparks, see how the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope caught the famous Pillars of Creation, a lush, extremely detailed environment.

The Southern Ring Nebula was captured by Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and is featured in this video. Despite being noticeable in near-infrared light when observed by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Telescope, the bright star at the center of NGC 3132 has a secondary function in shaping the surrounding nebula. The source of the nebula is a second star, just barely visible at lower left along one of the big star's diffraction spikes. Over thousands of years, it has expelled at least eight layers of gas and dust.

At infrared wavelengths, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is providing researchers with remarkable detail for the first time in studying star formation, gas, and dust in nearby galaxies. With over 100 researchers from across the world, the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) team is conducting the largest survey of nearby galaxies in Webb's first year of science operations.

In its first year of science operations, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has fulfilled its promise of unveiling the Universe like never before, spanning from our cosmic backyard in the Solar System to distant galaxies near the dawn of time. A new Webb image of a tiny star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex has been released to commemorate the end of a fruitful first year. Despite being silent, the region's close proximity—390 light-years—allows for an incredibly detailed close-up without any foreground stars in the intervening space.

The fame of the Pillars of Creation was established by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope when it captured its initial image in 1995. However, in 2014, the telescope revisited the scene, presenting a sharper and wider view in visible light, depicted on the left above. The recent perspective, captured in near-infrared light by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, displayed on the right, allows us to peer through more of the dust present in this star-forming region. The once thick, dusty brown pillars now appear less opaque, and a multitude of red stars actively forming become visible. In the Hubble view, the pillars of gas and dust seem darker and less penetrable, contrasting with Webb's view where they appear more translucent. The background of the Hubble image resembles a sunrise, transitioning from yellows at the bottom to light green and deeper blues at the top, emphasizing the dust's thickness that obscures many stars in the overall region. Conversely, Webb's image exhibits a background light in blue hues, highlighting hydrogen atoms and revealing numerous stars scattered across the scene. By penetrating the dusty pillars, Webb enables the identification of stars that have recently broken free or are on the verge of doing so. Near-infrared light's ability to traverse thick dust clouds enhances our understanding of this remarkable scene. Both perspectives offer insights into local occurrences. While Hubble emphasizes dense layers of dust, Webb showcases more stars. However, neither provides a glimpse into the deeper universe. Dust obstructs the view in Hubble's image, while Webb's image is affected by the interstellar medium, akin to thick smoke or fog, preventing us from observing the vast expanse where countless galaxies exist. The Pillars of Creation are situated within the Eagle Nebula, an expansive star-forming region located 6,500 light-years from Earth.

Cassiopeia A (Cas A) stands as the remnants of a supernova, positioned approximately 11,000 light-years away in the Cassiopeia constellation. Encompassing a span of about 10 light-years, this novel image employs data captured by Webb's Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) to present Cas A in a fresh perspective. On the outer confines of the remnant, notably at its upper and left regions, there exist veils of material exhibiting hues of orange and red, a result of emission from warm dust. These delineate the points where material ejected from the exploded star collides with the surrounding circumstellar medium. Within this outer shell, one finds intricate filaments colored in bright pink, adorned with clusters and knots. This intricate pattern represents material originating from the star itself, likely illuminated by the amalgamation of heavy elements and dust emission. Fainter wisps of stellar material can also be discerned in the proximity of the cavity's interior. A loop, depicted in green, stretches across the right side of the central cavity. The unexpected shape and complexity of this loop pose a challenge for scientists seeking to comprehend its nature.

Using Webb's Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), this picture was taken. Since the youngest stars are almost always still trapped in the gas and dust from which they formed, infrared photography is an effective tool for investigating newborn stars and their outflows. Because the star's outflows emit infrared light that can pass through obscuring gas and dust, Herbig-Haro objects are perfect candidates for Webb's sensitive infrared instruments to observe. Molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide, among other molecules stimulated by the turbulent circumstances, release infrared light, which Webb may gather to see the outflows' structure. When it comes to observing the extremely hot (thousands of degrees Celsius) molecules that are ignited by shocks, NIRCam excels. Utilizing observations from ground-based instruments, scientists had previously identified that the cold molecular gas associated with HH 797 exhibited a distinctive spatial distribution. The red-shifted gas, indicating motion away from us, predominated in the southern region (bottom right), while the blue-shifted gas, moving towards us, was primarily situated in the northern area (bottom left). Additionally, a velocity gradient was noted along the outflow, suggesting that, at a given distance from the central star, the eastern edge's gas displayed a more pronounced red-shift compared to the western edge. This phenomenon was originally attributed to the outflow's rotation. However, the higher-resolution image from the Webb telescope reveals that what was initially perceived as a single outflow is, in fact, comprised of two nearly parallel outflows, each possessing its distinct series of shocks, elucidating the observed velocity asymmetries. The source, positioned in the compact dark region near the bottom right of the center, previously recognized from earlier observations, is not a singular star but rather a binary system. Each star independently generates its own remarkable outflow. The image also showcases additional outflows, including one originating from the protostar situated in the top right of the center, along with its illuminated cavity walls.

A multinational group of researchers has discovered, for the first time, the methyl cation (CH3+), a chemical found in the protoplanetary disk around a young star, using data gathered by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. They were able to do this through a multidisciplinary expert study that included important contributions from lab spectroscopists. Although the crucial role of CH3+ in interstellar carbon chemistry has been known since the 1970s, it has only been possible to observe it because to Webb's exceptional capabilities – in an area of space where planets that potentially support life may someday develop. This video presents the Orion Bar region captured by NIRCam, as examined by a team of astronomers. This region is immersed in intense ultraviolet light emitted by the Trapezium Cluster's stars, fostering a hub of vigorous activity marked by star formation and active astrochemistry. The region's suitability for study lies in its exposure to ultraviolet radiation, allowing researchers to scrutinize its precise impact on the molecular composition of the gas and dust discs enveloping nascent stars. This radiation instigates photoevaporation, eroding the nebula's material and sculpting intricate patterns of cavities and filaments. Additionally, the radiation ionizes molecules, leading to light emission, not only crafting a visually stunning scene but also enabling astronomers to analyze molecular spectra using Webb’s MIRI and NIRSpec instruments. Among the prominent features are two large, bright stars, part of the θ² Orionis system, with the Trapezium Cluster being synonymous with θ¹ Orionis. The brightest star, θ² Orionis A, exhibits vibrant and reddish dust puffs, reflecting its light towards Earth. This star's remarkable brightness, visible to the naked eye, arises from its status as a ternary system, comprising three closely bound luminous stars.

Zooming out from the Antennae Galaxies

This video, which shows the new infrared Hubble views of the Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33), zooms in on a portion of the sky in the constellation of Orion (The Hunter). A 3D fly-through of the nebula concludes the film. A scientific visualization of a flight into the infrared Horsehead is shown in the next segment of the film. Although not entirely correct, the computer graphics model aims to be reasonable from a scientific standpoint. To commemorate the 23 years of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, a new infrared image has been made public. This video combines ground-based images from the European Southern Observatory's Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) with data from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3.

The largest "player" in the Leo Triplet, M66, has a peculiar structure with asymmetric spiral arms and an apparent displacedcore. Hubble has captured a stunning image of this galaxy. The other two members of the trio's gravitational pull are most likely to blame for the unusual anatomy.

Every year, a small amount of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's valuable observing time is set aside to capture a unique anniversary image that highlights particularly exquisite and significant objects. These pictures never cease to surprise scientists with fascinating new revelations and to captivate the general audience with ever more striking insights. Let's reflect on the beauty and science that went into creating each of the anniversary photos that were released as of 2005 in honor of Hubble's 30th anniversary. We will also include the really unique 2020 Hubble Space Telescope 30th anniversary photograph in this video.

With its peculiar triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a dramatic head-on collision between two galaxies. The pair of interacting galaxies is known as Arp 143. The pair consists of the less conspicuous partner, NGC 2444, at left, and the twisted, star-forming spiral galaxy, NGC 2445, at right. This madness plays out against the background of far-off galaxies. A few of them are visible through the pair's interaction.

This cosmic vision reveals a celestial drama with two interacting galaxies involved in an intriguing cosmic battle—squabbling galactic siblings. These siblings from the galaxy, which are frequently located in the far reaches of space and are well-known for their complex dance of gravitational forces, are shown here interacting dynamically.

This captivating image captures the interaction between two galaxies, identified as Arp-Madore 2339-661 from the catalogue of peculiar galaxies. However, the intrigue deepens as it turns out that there are three galaxies engaged in this cosmic dance, not just two. The prominent pair consists of NGC 7733 (smaller, lower right) and NGC 7734 (larger, upper left). The third participant, currently known as NGC 7733N, reveals itself in this image. If you examine the upper arm of NGC 7733 closely, you'll notice a distinctive knot-like structure, radiating a different color than the arm and partially obscured by dark dust. While it may appear integral to NGC 7733, velocity analysis indicates a significant additional redshift, strongly suggesting that it is a distinct entity, not part of NGC 7733. This highlights one of the challenges faced by observational astronomers — distinguishing whether an astronomical object is a singular entity or one positioned in front of another from Earth's perspective. Situated approximately 500 million light-years away in the constellation Tucana, these three galaxies are in close proximity and are gravitationally interacting, potentially forming a 'merging group.' This term suggests that they are on a trajectory to eventually merge into a singular cosmic entity.

This vibrant and dynamic image showcases the spiral galaxy NGC 1566, affectionately known as the 'Spanish Dancer Galaxy.' Similar to another recent Hubble Picture of the Week subject, NGC 1566 falls into the category of a weakly-barred or intermediate spiral galaxy. This classification indicates the absence of a clearly defined or entirely missing bar-shaped structure at its center. The galaxy earns its nickname from the vivid and dramatic swirling lines in its spiral arms, reminiscent of the graceful movements and colors of a dancer. Situated approximately 60 million light-years away in the Dorado constellation, NGC 1566 is part of the Dorado galaxy group, an assembly of gravitationally bound galaxies. Distinct from galaxy clusters, these groups might consist of several tens of galaxies, and there's an ongoing discussion about refining the definitions of such cosmic assemblies. The Dorado group, with its fluctuating membership, exemplifies the challenges astronomers face in pinpointing the constituent galaxies. Analogous to gauging the size of subjects in a photograph without prior knowledge, astronomers grapple with determining the spatial proximity of galaxies within a group, relying on advanced observation techniques but still encountering occasional complexities in their analyses.

This Hubblecast examines the different views of the Eta Carinae that the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken at different wavelengths.

This video pans around a portion of the sky in the Taurus constellation, also known as "The Bull," and ends on the inside of the well-known Crab Nebula, a remnant of a supernova.

The amount of ozone in Earth's atmosphere has been measured by astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope during a total moon eclipse in January 2019. This is a stand-in for how they will look for life on Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.

NASA, a leader in astronomical research, reveals the mysteries of black holes. These celestial goliaths, created from huge stars that imploded, have gravitational pulls so strong that light cannot escape them. NASA's state-of-the-art observatories, like the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, explore the secrets of black holes. They reveal the amazing dance of matter spiraling into these massive gravitational objects, producing powerful X-rays and reshaping the surrounding galaxies. NASA's research on black holes provides insights into the structure of space-time itself and advances our knowledge of the fundamental forces governing the universe.

This video, which was created to celebrate the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's 20 years in orbit, focuses in on a craggy fantasy hilltop that resembles a strange scene from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and is cloaked in hazy clouds. The Hubble image, even more spectacular than science fiction, shows the frantic activity atop a three light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust that is being consumed by the intense light of neighboring bright stars. The child stars buried inside the pillar are launching jets of gas that are visible flowing from tall peaks, attacking the pillar from within as well.

About 30 million light-years from Earth, the interacting galaxies NGC 1512 and NGC 1510 are observed by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The video loops over these views. Even though they are different in size, galaxies are nevertheless impacted by gravity. The gravity of the much smaller NGC 1510 contributes to the formation of both the bar and the starburst ring in the center of the giant spiral galaxy NGC 1512. NGC 1512 has agitated the dust and gas in the smaller galaxy. An even more intensive star creation was sparked by this than in the huge spiral galaxy. As a result, the galaxy begins to glow blue, which is a sign of hot young stars.

An growing cloud of dust has been discovered by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope data. This cloud was most likely created by a collision between two huge planets circling the brilliant nearby star Fomalhaut.