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NASA Hubble Space Telescope Uncovers One of the Youngest Known Blue Straggler–White Dwarf Systems
Italian astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a white dwarf orbiting a blue straggler star in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, located 15,300 light-years away. The rare system, among the youngest detected, sheds light on stellar mass transfer and offers vital clues to the evolution of binary stars in dense clusters.
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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Captures Lobster Nebula’s Towering Spires and Massive Stars
NASA’s Webb Telescope imaged the Lobster Nebula (NGC 6357), 5,500 light-years away. Its young star cluster, Pismis 24, contains giant stars carving glowing gas pillars. Pismis 24-1, once thought to be one supermassive star, is a triple system with stars up to 74 times the Sun’s mass.
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Ursa Major III May Be a Star Cluster, Not a Dark-Matter Dwarf Galaxy
Astronomers have long thought Ursa Major III, also called UNIONS 1, was a dark-matter-packed dwarf galaxy. But new simulations suggest it may instead be a compact star cluster bound by black holes and neutron stars. Located 30,000 light-years away, Ursa Major III contains just ~60 visible stars yet shows puzzlingly high stellar velocities. The new ...
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Earendel: JWST Suggests the Most Distant Star May Be a Star Cluster
Earendel, the farthest object ever seen, was first thought to be a single massive star from the early universe. New findings from JWST suggest it may instead be a star cluster, with many stars grouped together. Scientists used gravitational lensing to spot Earendel, which made its light appear thousands of times brighter.
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Hubble Uncovers Multi-Age Stars in Ancient Cluster, Reshaping Galaxy Origins
A stunning new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals that ancient star cluster NGC 1786—located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud—hosts stars of varying ages. Once believed to contain a single generation of stars, NGC 1786 now appears to preserve a more complex stellar history. This multi-age discovery suggests...
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NASA’s Hubble and Webb Discover Bursting Star Formation in Small Magellanic Cloud
NASA’s Hubble and Webb telescopes have captured spectacular images of NGC 460 and NGC 456, two star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud. These young, open clusters are filled with massive, hot stars that trigger new star formation by carving nebulae. The findings provide insights into early universe conditions and interstellar medium behaviour...
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Hubble Observations Give Forgotten Globular Cluster Its Moment to Shine
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled ESO 591-12, a long-overlooked globular cluster glittering with multicolored stars. Captured during a survey of missing clusters, this image provides new insight into stellar evolution and the early Milky Way. It marks a vital step in resolving the structure and origin of ancient star systems hidden withi...
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Webb Telescope Spots Possible Jellyfish Galaxy 12 Billion Light-Years Away
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a possible jellyfish galaxy about 12 billion light-years away. Named COSMOS2020-635829, it shows tentacle-like streams of gas and stars trailing off one side—likely formed through ram pressure stripping in a dense cluster. If confirmed, it would be the most distant jellyfish galaxy ...
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From Buck Moon To Pluto's Rare Appearance, 8 Must-See Night Sky Events In July
Here's a guide to the top celestial highlights to look out for in the July night sky.
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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Reveals the Complex Structure of a Planetary Nebula
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the complex character of NGC 1514, a planetary nebula developing over at least 4,000 years. Only seen in infrared light, the nebula's rings now resemble "fuzzy" clusters set in twisted patterns. A network of sharper holes near the centre stars indicates where faster material punched through.
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Hubble Telescope Captures NGC 4536, a Starburst Galaxy with Intense Star Formation
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a striking image of NGC 4536, a starburst galaxy 50 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation. The galaxy’s sweeping spiral arms are filled with young blue star clusters and ionized hydrogen gas, indicating rapid star formation. Astronomers believe its bar-like structure channels gas toward t...
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Mysterious Planetary-Mass Objects May Form in Young Star System Clashes
Recent research challenges traditional views on planetary-mass objects, suggesting they may form through violent interactions between young star systems rather than standard planetary or stellar processes. Simulations indicate these clashes create dense gas filaments that evolve into free-floating objects, often in binary pairs. This discovery expl...
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Hubble Captures Stunning Infrared Image of Sh2-284, a Massive Stellar Nursery
Hubble’s latest image of the massive Sh2-284 nebula reveals young stars concealed within thick clouds of gas and dust. Using infrared imaging, astronomers have captured details previously obscured in optical wavelengths. The nebula’s low-metallicity composition provides a glimpse into the conditions of the early universe, shedding light on how ...
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Unexpected Rotational Motion Detected in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies of Hydra Cluster
Astronomers studying ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Hydra cluster have observed unexpected rotational movement in nearly half of the 30 galaxies examined. Spectroscopic data from the LEWIS programme, using the MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope, suggests that gravitational interactions with larger galaxies may influence their formati...
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JWST Identifies Cooling Gas in Phoenix Cluster, Unlocking Star Formation Process
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the missing cooling gas in the Phoenix Cluster, a galaxy cluster located 5.8 billion light-years away. Researchers used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to identify gas at around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit trapped in cavities within the cluster. This discovery resolves a long-standing mystery of how sta...
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NASA Hubble Space Telescope Uncovers One of the Youngest Known Blue Straggler–White Dwarf Systems
Italian astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a white dwarf orbiting a blue straggler star in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, located 15,300 light-years away. The rare system, among the youngest detected, sheds light on stellar mass transfer and offers vital clues to the evolution of binary stars in dense clusters.
-
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Captures Lobster Nebula’s Towering Spires and Massive Stars
NASA’s Webb Telescope imaged the Lobster Nebula (NGC 6357), 5,500 light-years away. Its young star cluster, Pismis 24, contains giant stars carving glowing gas pillars. Pismis 24-1, once thought to be one supermassive star, is a triple system with stars up to 74 times the Sun’s mass.
-
Ursa Major III May Be a Star Cluster, Not a Dark-Matter Dwarf Galaxy
Astronomers have long thought Ursa Major III, also called UNIONS 1, was a dark-matter-packed dwarf galaxy. But new simulations suggest it may instead be a compact star cluster bound by black holes and neutron stars. Located 30,000 light-years away, Ursa Major III contains just ~60 visible stars yet shows puzzlingly high stellar velocities. The new ...
-
Earendel: JWST Suggests the Most Distant Star May Be a Star Cluster
Earendel, the farthest object ever seen, was first thought to be a single massive star from the early universe. New findings from JWST suggest it may instead be a star cluster, with many stars grouped together. Scientists used gravitational lensing to spot Earendel, which made its light appear thousands of times brighter.
-
Hubble Uncovers Multi-Age Stars in Ancient Cluster, Reshaping Galaxy Origins
A stunning new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveals that ancient star cluster NGC 1786—located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud—hosts stars of varying ages. Once believed to contain a single generation of stars, NGC 1786 now appears to preserve a more complex stellar history. This multi-age discovery suggests...
-
NASA’s Hubble and Webb Discover Bursting Star Formation in Small Magellanic Cloud
NASA’s Hubble and Webb telescopes have captured spectacular images of NGC 460 and NGC 456, two star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud. These young, open clusters are filled with massive, hot stars that trigger new star formation by carving nebulae. The findings provide insights into early universe conditions and interstellar medium behaviour...
-
Hubble Observations Give Forgotten Globular Cluster Its Moment to Shine
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled ESO 591-12, a long-overlooked globular cluster glittering with multicolored stars. Captured during a survey of missing clusters, this image provides new insight into stellar evolution and the early Milky Way. It marks a vital step in resolving the structure and origin of ancient star systems hidden withi...
-
Webb Telescope Spots Possible Jellyfish Galaxy 12 Billion Light-Years Away
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a possible jellyfish galaxy about 12 billion light-years away. Named COSMOS2020-635829, it shows tentacle-like streams of gas and stars trailing off one side—likely formed through ram pressure stripping in a dense cluster. If confirmed, it would be the most distant jellyfish galaxy ...
-
From Buck Moon To Pluto's Rare Appearance, 8 Must-See Night Sky Events In July
Here's a guide to the top celestial highlights to look out for in the July night sky.
-
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Reveals the Complex Structure of a Planetary Nebula
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the complex character of NGC 1514, a planetary nebula developing over at least 4,000 years. Only seen in infrared light, the nebula's rings now resemble "fuzzy" clusters set in twisted patterns. A network of sharper holes near the centre stars indicates where faster material punched through.
-
Hubble Telescope Captures NGC 4536, a Starburst Galaxy with Intense Star Formation
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a striking image of NGC 4536, a starburst galaxy 50 million light-years away in the Virgo constellation. The galaxy’s sweeping spiral arms are filled with young blue star clusters and ionized hydrogen gas, indicating rapid star formation. Astronomers believe its bar-like structure channels gas toward t...
-
Mysterious Planetary-Mass Objects May Form in Young Star System Clashes
Recent research challenges traditional views on planetary-mass objects, suggesting they may form through violent interactions between young star systems rather than standard planetary or stellar processes. Simulations indicate these clashes create dense gas filaments that evolve into free-floating objects, often in binary pairs. This discovery expl...
-
Hubble Captures Stunning Infrared Image of Sh2-284, a Massive Stellar Nursery
Hubble’s latest image of the massive Sh2-284 nebula reveals young stars concealed within thick clouds of gas and dust. Using infrared imaging, astronomers have captured details previously obscured in optical wavelengths. The nebula’s low-metallicity composition provides a glimpse into the conditions of the early universe, shedding light on how ...
-
Unexpected Rotational Motion Detected in Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies of Hydra Cluster
Astronomers studying ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) in the Hydra cluster have observed unexpected rotational movement in nearly half of the 30 galaxies examined. Spectroscopic data from the LEWIS programme, using the MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope, suggests that gravitational interactions with larger galaxies may influence their formati...
-
JWST Identifies Cooling Gas in Phoenix Cluster, Unlocking Star Formation Process
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the missing cooling gas in the Phoenix Cluster, a galaxy cluster located 5.8 billion light-years away. Researchers used the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to identify gas at around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit trapped in cavities within the cluster. This discovery resolves a long-standing mystery of how sta...
