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An experiment that reaches across our galaxy has detected the first signs of a possible sea of ripples in space-time
An experiment that reaches across our galaxy has detected the first signs of a possible sea of ripples in space-time
Morgan McFall-JohnsenJan 13, 2021, 20:18 IST
An artist s concept of a supermassive black hole surrounded by a swirling disk of material falling onto it.NASA/JPL-Caltech
Scientists might have discovered the first signs of the gravitational-wave background: a sea of ripples in space-time reverberating throughout the universe.
Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves. They have recently been detected following violent collisions of black holes and neutron stars.
Stars form in clusters from large clouds of gas and dust. The Milky Way forms star clusters with masses 10,000 times that of our Sun. A new study shows that other galaxies can easily form much bigger clusters, which can be millions of times the mass of our Sun. There’s a catch though: These galaxies must be merging.
As reported in a paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, observations of six merging pairs of galaxies suggest that star clusters up to 1 million solar masses can form in these collisions. An increase in star formation for colliding galaxies was well established, but the estimate of how it is concentrated in large clusters is an important insight into galaxy evolution.
To mark a new year in space for the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA and the European Space Agency have released a montage of six galaxy mergers studied as part of a survey to investigate post-merger star formation rates. Image: ESA/Hubble, NASA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University), A. Adamo et al.
To celebrate a new year, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has published a montage of six beautiful galaxy mergers. Each of these merging systems was studied as part of the recent HiPEEC survey to investigate the rate of new star formation within such systems. These interactions are a key aspect of galaxy evolution and are among the most spectacular events in the lifetime of a galaxy.
To celebrate a new year, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has published a montage of six beautiful galaxy mergers. Each of these merging systems was studied as part of the recent HiPEEC survey to investigate the rate of new star formation within such systems. These interactions are a key aspect of galaxy evolution and are among the most spectacular events in the lifetime of a galaxy.
heic2101a Hubble Showcases 6 Galaxy Mergers
Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University), A. Adamo et al.