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NASA captures first lights turning on in the universe

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, james webb space telescope, science, technology

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 READ MORE:  Webb telescope captures images of galaxy that shouldn't exist
 
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 NASA
 's
 James Webb
 Space Telescope (JWST) has captured the earliest evidence of light shining through the cosmos.


 An international team of researchers used JWST to observe an ancient galaxy that emitted light just 330 million years after the Big Bang,
 when a thick fog of neutral hydrogen gas made it difficult for light to cut through the darkness
 .


 This galaxy, called
 JADES-GS-z13-1-LA
 , somehow managed to shine even though its light should have been completely absorbed by the dense fog.


 JADES is one of the most distant galaxies in the known universe. Its light had to travel nearly 13.5 billion light-years to reach JWST, which also means that this galaxy is almost as ancient as the universe itself.


 The farther out in space astronomers look using telescopes like JWST, the further back in time they're seeing, almost all the way to the Big Bang.


 What's more,
 JWST detected a Lyman-alpha emission
 from JADES, which is a specific, distinctly bright wavelength of light that is very easily absorbed by neutral hydrogen.


 The fact that the telescope spotted this emission means that the fog immediately surrounding the galaxy must dissipated, according to the researchers.


 This suggests JADES was actively clearing the neutral hydrogen gas away.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1CaNE9" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1CaNE9.jpg"/>

 'This result was totally unexpected by theories of early galaxy formation and has caught astronomers by surprise,' Roberto Maiolino, co-researcher and astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge and University College London, said in a
 statement
 .


 The universe began roughly 13.8 billion years ago with the Big Bang. In its early years, it looked completely different than the shining, sparkling cosmos we see today.


 
 Beginning 400,000 years after the Big Bang and lasting hundreds of millions of years, the universe was in a period known as the 'dark ages' when no planets, stars, or galaxies existed.
 


 
 During this time, only a fog of hydrogen atoms floated around in the darkness.
 


 
 But around 680 million years after the Big Bang, the first stars and galaxies began to form.
 


 
 They released ultraviolet radiation into the darkness, initiating the disintegration of hydrogen atoms and progressively making the universe translucent to light.
 


 Over millions of additional years, an increasing number of stars came together and grouped into galaxies.


 
 By
 
 
 1.1 billion years following the Big Bang, the cosmos transformed from an opaque expanse of darkness into a clear, luminous universe.
 

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1CaQfK" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1CaQfK.jpg"/>
<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1CaWwm" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1CaWwm.jpg"/>

 
 However, upon examining the JADES galaxy with JWST’s imaging and spectroscopy tools, the scientists discovered that it originates from the midst of the cosmic dark ages.
 


 
 Back then, the neutral hydrogen gas would have been so dense that it effectively suffocated any light released by the earliest stars or galaxies.
 


 
 "We truly shouldn't have encountered a galaxy like this based on our current comprehension of how the universe has developed," stated Kevin Hainline, an astronomer from the University of Arizona and also a co-author, in the press release.
 


 
 "We might envision the early universe as being enveloped in a dense mist, making it extremely challenging to detect even strong beacons trying to shine through. However, what we observe here is the beam of light from this galaxy slicing through the haze," he explained.
 


 
 This intriguing spectral line holds significant implications for understanding when and how the universe underwent reionization.
 


 
 The group released their research in the periodical
 Nature
 .
 


 
 Currently, the researchers do not understand the mechanism or reason behind the emission of Lyman-alpha radiation from this galaxy.
 
 
 However, they do possess certain hypotheses.
 


 
 A potential explanation could be that JADES contains exceptionally massive, hot stars which are much more effective at generating ionizing radiation compared to an average star nowadays.
 


 
 In this scenario, these stars might have warmed the nearby gas to over fifteen times the temperature of the Sun's surface, leading to extraordinarily intense radiation emissions.
 


 A different hypothesis suggests that the JADES galaxy hosts an active supermassive black hole, with radiation from matter plunging into this black hole causing the surrounding gas to become ionized.


 The research team discovered some supporting evidence for this concept. They found that the measurements indicating the size of JADES suggest it is remarkably small—a trait typical of galaxies hosting black holes.


 Despite the manner in which the light from this distant ancient galaxy pierced through the obscurity of the early universe, obtaining these images provides insight into potentially the initial glow emitted by the earliest stars in our universe, according to the scientists.

Read more

NASA captures first lights turning on in the universe

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, james webb space telescope, science, technology

READ MORE: Webb telescope captures images of galaxy that shouldn't exist NASA 's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured the earliest evidence of light shining through the co…

A Giant Eye on the Sky: The ELT Could Detect Life at Proxima Centauri Overnight

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, astrophysics, extraterrestrial, science

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Bs4TY" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Bs4TY.jpg"/>


 With the promise of revolutionizing our view of nearby star systems, the
 
 Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)
 
 is poised to do something no ground-based observatory has done before: detect potential signs of life on a planet orbiting the closest star to the Sun—
 
 Proxima Centauri
 
 —in under half a day. A new simulation study outlines how, thanks to its massive light-gathering power and unprecedented resolution, the ELT may be able to distinguish between living and lifeless planets based solely on the reflected light from their atmospheres.


 This breakthrough possibility is detailed in a 2025 study by
 
 Miles H. Currie
 
 and
 
 Victoria S. Meadows
 
 , which models the telescope’s ability to extract molecular fingerprints from exoplanets that don’t even transit their host stars. Their preprint,
 available on arXiv
 , suggests the answer to one of astronomy’s most enduring questions—
 
 are we alone?
 
 —might be just a few years away.

<h2>
 The next leap in Earth-based astronomy
</h2>

 Set high in the
 
 Chilean Atacama Desert, the ELT
 
 is scheduled to begin operations in 2028. With a primary mirror spanning 39 meters, it will be the largest optical/infrared telescope ever built on Earth. Its enormous surface area will allow it to collect more light than any previous ground-based telescope—and produce images up to 16 times sharper than Hubble.


 While other telescopes like
 
 JWST
 
 have made progress in analyzing exoplanet atmospheres during planetary transits, they face limitations. Most notably, many exoplanets—including some of the most promising Earth-like ones—
 
 do not transit
 
 from our line of sight. That’s where the ELT changes the game.


 Instead of waiting for a planet to pass in front of its star, the ELT will be able to capture
 
 reflected starlight
 
 directly from exoplanetary atmospheres. Using advanced high-contrast imaging and
 
 spectroscopy
 
 , it can isolate molecular signatures such as
 
 oxygen
 
 ,
 
 carbon dioxide
 
 , and
 
 water vapor
 
 —markers that could hint at biological activity.

<h2>
 Simulating the search for life
</h2>

 To evaluate the ELT’s potential, Currie and Meadows created detailed simulations of four Earth-like worlds orbiting nearby
 
 red dwarf stars
 
 :


 ・A lush, non-industrial Earth, rich in water and plant life


 ・An ancient Archean Earth, with primitive life and minimal oxygen


 ・A desiccated, oceanless world, more like Venus or Mars


 ・A barren, prebiotic Earth, with the chemistry for life but no organisms


 The researchers also modeled Neptune-sized
 exoplanets
 for contrast, expecting their thick atmospheres to yield different spectral patterns.


 Their goal: determine whether the ELT could reliably distinguish between living and lifeless planets, while avoiding false positives or false negatives. Could a planet without life appear to be thriving—or worse, could a truly habitable world be mistaken for a dead one?


 Their conclusion was clear: with only ten hours of observation, the ELT could likely identify atmospheric biosignatures on an Earth-like planet around Proxima Centauri. For gas giants, meaningful spectra could be obtained in just an hour.

<h2>
 Proxima Centauri: the prime target
</h2>

 Orbiting just 4.24 light-years away,
 
 Proxima Centauri
 
 is home to at least two known exoplanets—Proxima b and Proxima d. While the exact habitability of Proxima b is still debated, its location within the star’s habitable zone and relative proximity to Earth make it a prime candidate for future observations.


 If even a
 
 thin atmosphere
 
 exists around Proxima b, the ELT might be able to detect it. And if that atmosphere contains molecules associated with biology, the implications would be staggering.


 With the telescope’s capabilities, astronomers won’t need to rely solely on rare planetary alignments or indirect detection. They’ll be able to observe exoplanets directly, opening the door to a more continuous and detailed survey of nearby planetary systems.

<h2>
 Beyond detection: preventing misinterpretation
</h2>

 Importantly, the study also highlights the risk of spectral ambiguity. Not every detection of oxygen or methane should be taken as a smoking gun for life. Natural, abiotic processes can mimic the chemical output of organisms.


 That’s why the
 
 ELT’s resolution
 
 and sensitivity are so critical. By combining multiple spectral features and high-resolution data, researchers hope to develop stronger biosignature frameworks, reducing the likelihood of mistaken conclusions.


 In this context, the ELT will not just search for life—it will help define what counts as evidence.


 
 Enjoyed this article?
 
 Subscribe to our free newsletter
 for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.


 For more news like this, visit
 .

A Giant Eye on the Sky: The ELT Could Detect Life at Proxima Centauri Overnight

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, astrophysics, extraterrestrial, science

With the promise of revolutionizing our view of nearby star systems, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is poised to do something no ground-based observatory has done before: detect potent…

This new telescope lens could be a game-changer for space imagery

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, james webb space telescope, science, technology

Engineers and astronomers at the University of Utah have designed a unique new kind of telescope lens: a flat lens with microscopic etchings to refract light. If the concept can be scaled up, these lenses could one day replace the heavier, bulkier lenses and mirrors typically used in telescopes, particularly those of professional observatories on the ground and in . Down the line, they could also be implemented on amateur telescopes, the team says.


 "Our computational techniques suggested we could design multi-level diffractive flat lenses with large apertures that could focus light across the visible spectrum," Rajesh Menon, a Utah professor of engineering, said in a
 statement
 .


 There are two basic types of telescope: refractors and reflectors. A refractor uses lenses to refract light and bring it to a focus. Reflectors utilize at least two mirrors to reflect the light to a focal point. Because large lenses are heavy and expensive to make, larger telescopes tend to use mirrors (sometimes in combination with smaller lenses). Lenses can also suffer from a malaise known as chromatic aberration, in which different wavelengths of light are refracted to slightly different degrees so that different colors come to focus at different points, resulting in color fringing around objects. Optical technicians can alleviate this through the complex use of glass coatings and multiple lenses — though that adds cost and expense.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/video/AA1Bbb7M" data-reference="video"/>

 However, the days of bulky, expensive telescope lenses could soon be coming to an end thanks to the team's new flat lens measuring less than a millimeter thick. that has been developed by a team led by Apratim Majumder, who is a member of Menon's lab at Utah.


 "Our demonstration is a stepping stone towards creating very large aperture, lightweight flat lenses with the capability of capturing full-color images for use in air- and based telescopes,” Apratim Majumder, a member of Menon's lab at Utah and leader of the crew behind the new lens prototype, said in the statement.


 Majumder, Menon and their team designed a 100mm (4-inch) flat lens, where microscopic concentric rings are etched onto a glass substrate using a technique called "grayscale optical lithography," which is a variation of a method typically used for etching electronics onto a silicon wafer. Most of the half-millimeter thickness of the flat lens is the glass — the ringed grooves are just 2.4 microns deep.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1BkHks" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1BkHks.jpg"/>

 The use of concentric rings on a flat lens isn't new — a precursor, called a Fresnel zone plate, tries to do the same trick but is unable to eradicate chromatic aberration. However, the Utah team's multilevel diffractive lens (MDL) is able to bring all the wavelengths of light for which it was designed to detect (400–800 nanometers, covering the range of visible light and into the near-infrared) to a focus at the same point, thanks to how the size of the rings and the spacing between affect how the incoming light is refracted. Because all the colors come to focus at the same point, there is no chromatic aberration.


 Back when the telescope was
 invented by Hans Lippershey
 in 1608, it was done so by experimenting with putting lenses together. Today, a telescope's optical design involves complex computer modelling and large amounts of data.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Bky72" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Bky72.jpg"/>

 "Simulating the performance of these lenses over a very large bandwidth, from visible to near-infrared, involved solving complex computational problems involving very large datasets," said Majumder. "Once we optimized the design of the lens’ microstructures, the manufacturing process involved required very stringent process control and environmental stability."


 The resulting 100mm lens, which has a focal length of 200mm, was then tested on both the
 sun
 and the
 moon
 , successfully showing
 sunspots
 and (in an artificially color-enhanced image) accurate geological features on the lunar surface. The 100mm MDL weighs just 25 grams (0.88 oz), compared to the 211 grams (7.44 oz) of a similarly sized, commercially available 100mm lens that is 17mm thick at its curved center.


 The
 Hubble Telescope
 uses a 2.4-meter primary mirror with a total mass of 1,825 pounds (828 kilograms), and the
 James Webb Telescope
 incorporates 18 segments in its primary 21-foot (6.5-meter) mirror in total weighing (on Earth) 1,555 pounds (705 kilograms). On
 Earth
 , individual telescope mirrors have an upper size limit of 26-33 feet (8–10 meters), beyond which gravity starts to cause them to sag. The development of a flat, lightweight lens could therefore transform telescopes, particularly for launches where mass is a key limiting factor for getting off the Earth.


 A description of the flat MDL lens was published on Feb. 3 in the journal
 Applied Physics Letters
 .

This new telescope lens could be a game-changer for space imagery

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, james webb space telescope, science, technology

Engineers and astronomers at the University of Utah have designed a unique new kind of telescope lens: a flat lens with microscopic etchings to refract light. If the concept can be scaled up, these …

Webb Telescope Unveils Baffling Galaxy Images That Challenge Our Understanding

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, astrophysics, galaxies, james webb space telescope

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 <li class="">
 
 READ MORE:  NASA discovers 'super Earth' exoplanet just 20 light-years away
 
 </li>
</ul>

 The James Webb Space Telescope
 has spotted a giant galaxy that shouldn't exist.


 Using this exceptionally powerful telescope, a team of researchers were able to peer back in time and observe this
 never-before-seen spiral galaxy
 , dubbed the Big Wheel, as it looked just two billion years after the Big Bang.


 The farther out in space astronomers look using telescopes like the
 James Webb
 , the further back in time they're seeing, almost all the way to the Big Bang itself.


 A two-billion-year-old galaxy is considered young on a cosmic scale, but the Big Wheel's size at that point in history suggested that it should have been much older.


 The researchers determined that this galaxy stretched nearly 98,000 light years across, roughly the same size as our much-older home galaxy,
 the Milky Way
 , is today.


 Based on experts' current understanding of the early universe, it would be highly unlikely for a galaxy to achieve the Big Wheel's size in just two billion years.


 Study co-author Themiya Nanayakkara, an astronomer at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, said: 'You have to remember that the Milky Way has had another 10 billion years or so to grow than the Big Wheel.'


 He and his colleagues concluded that the Big Wheel was the largest two-billion-year-old galaxy ever observed, and is likely much bigger than the Milky Way is today - roughly 10 billion years later.

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 This presents a puzzling question: how did this galaxy manage to grow so enormous in such a relatively short amount of time?


 'Finding one of these galaxies is not a problem for cosmological theories, because one could be an outlier, but if we keep finding more, then I think we may have to say 'Okay, our models might need some refining,'' Nanayakkara told
 New Scientist
 .


 But he has a theory that could explain how the Big Wheel managed to grow so rapidly without breaking the laws of the universe as we understand them.


 It posits that multiple galaxies collided and merged in quick succession to form one large spiral galaxy, accelerating the growth rate that usually results from the gradual gathering of gas and dust in space.


 This may have been made possible by the Big Wheel's unusually dense surroundings.


 It is located in a region of space where galaxies are packed tightly together, 10 times denser than typical areas of the universe, Nanayakkara wrote in an article for
 The Conversation
 .


 'This dense environment likely provided ideal conditions for the galaxy to grow quickly. It probably experienced mergers that were gentle enough to let the galaxy maintain its spiral disk shape,' he explained.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1B6zrt" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1B6zrt.jpg"/>
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 At the same time, 'the gas flowing into the galaxy must have aligned well with its rotation, allowing the disk to grow quickly without being disrupted. So, a perfect combination,' Nanayakkara added.


 He and his colleagues published their findings in the journal
 Nature Astronomy
 .


 Finding a galaxy like the Big Wheel was like finding a needle in a haystack. According to Nanayakkara, his team had lest than a two percent chance of discovering it.


 Now, the researchers will begin the hunt for more unusually large galaxies in an attempt to determine exactly how rare they are.


 If they aren't as uncommon as experts currently believe them to be, they may have to reevaluate everything they know about galaxy formation.

Read more

Webb Telescope Unveils Baffling Galaxy Images That Challenge Our Understanding

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, astrophysics, galaxies, james webb space telescope

READ MORE: NASA discovers 'super Earth' exoplanet just 20 light-years away The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a giant galaxy that shouldn't exist. Using this exceptionally po…

Felfedezés Shockolt Tudósokat Ellátó Ócean Deep-Sea Pont Magyarországon

Unknown astronomers, atlantic ocean, science, underwater, world

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1B3Bwz" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1B3Bwz.jpg"/>

 Nem minden napireportert adott ki azért aggodalomra okozó tapasztalatot egy kutató, aki a Challenger Deep-névvel megnevezettt 11 ezer méter mélységben található Mariana-árok dél-vendéknyi részén dolgozik. Ez a földrajzi helyszín jelölhető fel úgy is, hogy az Oceánusok legsugárzás-súlya nélküli alatti pontja lett volna; csak július elejeig épp csupán 27 ember est le ide, beleértve Cameron-t, James-at.
 
 Titanic
 
 című film rendezője.


 Dr. Dawn Wright, egy másik oceáncsillagos kutató, hasonlóan felhívatlanul kifejezte aggeyű véleményét arról, hogy az emberiség akár a világ távolabb sarkainál is elhagyhat emléket.
 
 expedíció után
 
 
 egy fotót tett közzé
 
 
 a Challenger Deep óceánmélységéből, osztja meg meglepettségét, hogy
 

<div>
 <div>
 
 Üres sörfeltöltött üvegek nyugodtan feküdnek az asztalon.
 
 </div>
</div>

 „További igazságosság szükséges arról, hogy az emberek inkább felmessenek az óceánt és a Természeti környezet egyszerűbb megmaradásáról, ami közös tulajdonunk, sőt, enyhíthetné a jövőbeni problémáinkat!” - mondta dr. Wright az X-es oldalon. A Los Angeles Times előtt ezt követve emlékeztette róla, rendkívül megrázónak találta bepillantani, hogyan formálnák átal az emberi tevékenységek a bolygót leghasznosabbnak tartott területein valamiféle változást.


 „Ezen a dobosnál talált takarót végre megtalálhatták azt az egyszerűszívű dolgot, amely még nem ismertünk volna, ha saját kezeinkkel sem csinálnénk. Az ezüst dobozkák több mint 10 kilométernél nagyobb távolságra haladtak be a Csendes-óceán leghüvelykös résein, miközben az írott jelük még mindig jól olvasható volt. Ezzel jelezik, hogy az ember hány síkon képes befolyást gyakorolni a körülöttünk lévő természetre.” – mondta ki a tudós odafigyelemmel arra vonatkozva, hogy ma már sikeresen szemet fedi fel a Föld legmagasabb és legsugárzottabb helyeit is. Például korábban a „világ legmagasabb szemvédelmi dombokának” neveztek a Mount Everest tetőpontjait annyi hulladékot követve, ami ott került elhagyásra turisták általi látogatás során.


 (
 LADBible
 )


 
 (Borítókép: Búvár az óceánban. Illusztráció: Getty Images)

Felfedezés Shockolt Tudósokat Ellátó Ócean Deep-Sea Pont Magyarországon

Unknown astronomers, atlantic ocean, science, underwater, world

Nem minden napireportert adott ki azért aggodalomra okozó tapasztalatot egy kutató, aki a Challenger Deep-névvel megnevezettt 11 ezer méter mélységben található Mariana-árok dél-vendéknyi részén dol…

Scientists Say Living on the Moon Might Be Easier Than We Thought

Unknown astronomers, climate, science, space exploration, technology

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1AAu5R" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1AAu5R.jpg"/>

 It could be simpler for us to explore and reside on the moon.
 Moon
 That's more than we initially believed, according to scientists.


 According to a recent study, ice could be located beneath the Moon's surface in larger areas of its polar regions than previously thought.


 Utilizing that ice and converting it into water will probably play a key role in our investigation or potential settlement of the Moon. However, the exact quantity available remains uncertain.


 The probability of discovering ice correlates with the surface temperature on the lunar surface.


 However, our recordings of the lunar surface temperatures were conducted during the Apollo missions in the 1970s — which touched down near the equatorial region, quite distant from our planned landing site for futureMoon expeditions. Additionally, within those sections of the Moon, the incline ofthe terrain has minimal impact on thetemperature readings.


 Currently, scientists have utilized data from ChaSTE—a temperature sensor experiment housed within the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3. This mission reached the lunar south pole’s boundary area in 2023.


 They managed to examine both inclined and level sections of the terrain, discovering that areas with inclines facing away from the sun could potentially have surfaces cold enough for subsurface water ice accumulation. These conditions may exist on the moon, including sites targeted by NASA’s forthcoming crewed Artemis missions planned for landing spots on the lunar surface.


 The results are detailed in a recent study titled 'Higher Surface Temperatures Near South Polar Region of the Moon Measured by ChaSTE Experiment on Board Chandrayaan-3,' which has been published in the journal.
 Communications Earth & Environment
 .


 The Independent stands out as the globe’s premier source of unbiased reporting, offering worldwide news, insights, and examination tailored for those with an independent mindset. This publication has attracted a vast international audience of people who think for themselves and appreciate our reliable perspective and dedication to fostering constructive transformation. Today, more than ever, our aim—to drive meaningful progress—remains crucial.

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Scientists Say Living on the Moon Might Be Easier Than We Thought

Unknown astronomers, climate, science, space exploration, technology

It could be simpler for us to explore and reside on the moon. Moon That's more than we initially believed, according to scientists. According to a recent study, ice could be located beneath the M…

Galaxies Dwarf Our Imagination: Study Unveils the Truth

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, galaxies

Galaxies turn out to be significantly larger than initially believed, stretching vast distances into deep space—distances so great that our home galaxy, the Milky Way, probably comes into contact with our nearest galactic neighbor, Andromeda.
 

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1q7RZz" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1q7RZz.jpg"/>

 As you might believe, the journey to the drugstore seems quite lengthy," penned Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "however, compared to space travel, this distance is merely insignificant.


 The vastness of space is immense. Our home, Earth, resides as an insignificant speck circling a star located at the periphery of our Milky Way, which itself is merely one among approximately two trillion galaxies in the observable cosmos. Indeed, space spans an extraordinarily large expanse.


 The planet Earth is situated within one of the spiral arms of the galaxy.
 <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/milky-way-maps-teach-us-about-stars-asteroids-and-life/a-62302537">
 Milky Way
 </a>
 (referred to as the Orion Arm) which is located approximately two-thirds of the way out from the center
 <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/scientists-find-new-black-holes-in-milky-way/a-43258145">
 center of the galaxy
 </a>
 .


 We are aware of the size of the Earth — approximately 12,756 kilometers (7,926 miles) in diameter. Similarly, we know the dimensions of our Sun, which is roughly 1,391,000 kilometers (864,400 miles) across.


 However, just how vast is the Milky Way? Up until this point, the actual dimensions of galaxies have been an enigma.

<h3>
 The size of galaxies exceeds our expectations.
</h3>

 A recent research paper, featured in the journal
 
 Nature Astronomy
 
 It has been discovered that galaxies are much larger than initially believed, possibly even multiple times greater in size.


 The coiled shape of our galaxy constitutes merely its compact central region. In the case of the Milky Way, this spiral spans approximately 100,000 light-years.


 The starlight emanating from stars located within the spiral arms reaches approximately 7,800 light-years out into the vastness of space, marking what was once believed to be the boundary between the end of a galaxy and the start of deep space.


 The research has shown that extensive "halos" of gas stretch beyond the observable spiral arms of stars deeply into outer space.


 Astronomers were able to observe these gaseous halos for the first time thanks to advanced imaging technologies. These techniques allowed scientists to identify galactic gas halos extending more than 100,000 light years into space, significantly expanding our understanding of galaxy sizes.


 <img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1q7PBO" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1q7PBO.jpg"/>

<h3>
 Kissing galaxies
</h3>

 Actually, the halos of gas surrounding galaxies reach such vast distances into deep space that the galaxies themselves extend outwards considerably.
 <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/milky-way-gobbled-up-smaller-galaxy-in-cosmic-crash-astronomers-find/a-49706252">
 interact with each other
 </a>
 .


 The research indicates that our Milky Way is probably colliding with our nearest neighboring galaxy, Andromeda — which is approximately 2.5 million light-years distant, as stated by Nikole Nielsen, the lead author of the study and a researcher at Swinburne University in Australia.


 "We’re now observing the limits of the galaxy’s influence, the point at which it transitions into becoming part of the environment surrounding it, and ultimately merging with the larger cosmic web along with other galaxies. These borders tend to be rather indistinct," explained Nielsen in a press release.


 Researchers believe this finding will aid in unraveling one of the most significant mysteries in astronomy: how galaxies develop over time?


 Examining the gaseous envelopes surrounding various kinds of galaxies — those
 <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/webb-telescope-photographs-the-pillars-of-creation-with-great-clarity/a-63503907">
 form stars
 </a>
 , or those that no longer form stars—will aid in understanding how galaxies accumulate mass over time and the effects they have on one another during interactions.


 
 Edited by: Andreas Illmer
 

<h3>
 Primary source:
</h3>

 Nielsen, N.M.,
 
 et al.
 
 A map showing emissions from the interface between the disk and circumgalactic medium in the starburst galaxy IRAS 08339+6517.
 
 Nature Astronomy
 
 (2024).
 
 
 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02365-x">
 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02365-x
 </a>
 
 


 Author: Fred Schwaller

Galaxies Dwarf Our Imagination: Study Unveils the Truth

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, galaxies

Galaxies turn out to be significantly larger than initially believed, stretching vast distances into deep space—distances so great that our home galaxy, the Milky Way, probably comes into contact…

How Many Galaxies Dot Our Universe?

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, cosmology, galaxies, science

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 The Milky Way is merely a tiny fragment within a vast universe teeming with countless galaxies. However, if we were to venture an informed estimate, approximately how many galaxies might be out there?


 That appears to be an easy query, yet it’s far from straightforward. The primary issue is that despite having access to our strongest telescopes, we are still able to observe just a minuscule portion of the cosmos.


 As per an astrophysicist, the observable universe refers solely to the portion from where light has managed to arrive at our location.
 Kai Noeske
 , who currently serves as an outreach officer at the European Space Agency, told Live Science.


 The universe is
 13.8 billion years old
 However, the observable universe extends over 13.8 billion light-years in all directions. This occurs due to the expansion of the universe; initially, when the cosmos were smaller, light had an earlier beginning.

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 Currently, the overall dimension in every direction is approximately 46 billion.
 light-years
 ," Noeske said.


 That's significantly smaller than what we anticipated for the whole universe. As we understand it, 'We can observe only up to 3 percent of the universe,'
 Pamela Gay
 , a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, told Live Science.


 
 Related:
 
 
 What causes galaxies to have varying forms?
 


 The second issue is that due to the vast number of galaxies, we can only estimate the overall count by examining limited areas within the observable universe.


 As Gay explained, you observe a tiny section of the heavens, tally all objects within that segment, and then extrapolate those findings across the entire sky.


 However, this still necessitates a threshold. “How do we classify something as a galaxy?” asked Noeske. “We’ve got truly massive galaxies that must be at least ten times heavier than ours,” he noted, “and then there are numerous smaller galaxies, including those with lesser masses—about one-tenth that of our galaxy—and extending right down to dwarf galaxies.”


 At times, researchers must establish a lower limit for a galaxy’s mass to enable accurate estimations.


 "Noeske stated that if we establish a mass threshold and aim for it to be conservative, such as one million solar masses, then the estimated total number of galaxies from the early stages until now would be roughly between one and two trillion." Experts believe there were more galaxies present during the earlier periods of the universe compared to what exists currently, hence these estimations represent an averaged figure across different epochs.


 However, those findings originate from the Hubble telescope—the James Webb Space Telescope is beginning to provide insights into these observations—which focus on regions close to Earth within our solar system and are constrained by everything in between.
 solar system
 That illuminates the sky," Gay stated. "We do possess one spaceship equipped with a camera that has managed to travel outside of all the debris within our solar system, and that’s the
 New Horizons spacecraft
 ."


 A 2021 study
 utilized the onboard camera of New Horizons to gauge the overall quantity of light across different sections of space and then calculated the number of galaxies required to produce such luminosity.


 “And then, as they find themselves beyond all the light sources within our solar system, they conclude that we might not require as many galaxies as previously believed,” Gay stated. “As a result, their calculations suggest there could be around 200 billion, perhaps even down to 100 billion, galaxies observable in the universe.”


 "Somewhere between 2 trillion galaxies at the higher end and 100 billion galaxies at the lower end lies the estimated number of galaxies within our observable universe," she explained.


 If you estimate that this accounts for approximately 3%, or possibly even less, of our universe, then you could scale up this galaxy count to determine the overall quantity of galaxies in the cosmos. Should our observable portion represent an even lesser fraction of the entire universe, the cumulative number of galaxies would consequently decrease as well.


 However, since we lack knowledge about the actual dimensions of the universe, these calculations remain uncertain. "In the case of an infinitely vast universe, you would expect to find limitless galaxies," explained Gay.

How Many Galaxies Dot Our Universe?

Unknown astronomers, astronomy, cosmology, galaxies, science

The Milky Way is merely a tiny fragment within a vast universe teeming with countless galaxies. However, if we were to venture an informed estimate, approximately how many galaxies might be out ther…