Oxygen found in most distant known galaxy from Earth
What have scientists discovered?
The study was carried out by two teams of experts - one from Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands and the other by the Scuola Normale Superiore University in Pisa, Italy.They both used data from the Alma telescope in the Chilean desert.According to the European Southern Observatory, galaxies usually start their lives full of young stars, which are made mostly of light elements such as hydrogen and helium.As stars evolve, they create heavier elements like oxygen, which then gets scattered through their galaxy after they die.Researchers previously believed that a galaxy such as JADES-GS-z14-0, which is only 300 million years old, was therefore too young to contain oxygen.However, the two different teams of astronomers found that despite its young age, JADES-GS-z14-0 contained around 10 times more heavy elements than expected.Sander Schouws, from Leiden Observatory, said: "The results show the galaxy has formed very rapidly and is also maturing rapidly, adding to a growing body of evidence that the formation of galaxies happens much faster than was expected."Stefano Carniani, from the Scuola Normale Superiore, added: "I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution."The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant Universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed," he explained.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mysterious interstellar object is caught on camera hurtling through the solar system - as scientist claims it could be an alien spacecraft
A mysterious interstellar object has been caught on camera for the first time as it hurtles through the solar system. First spotted by NASA on July 1, scientists from around the world have now confirmed that this unexpected visitor has travelled through space from a distant star. Officially titled 3I/ATLAS, the rare interloper is 12 miles (20km) long and hurtling towards the sun at 135,000 miles per hour. Now, using a powerful telescope in Hawaii, the European Space Agency (ESA) has captured the first video of 3I/ATLAS as it makes its journey through space. As the short video shows, the object is extremely bright, which means it is either many times larger than any other interstellar object or has another source of illumination. Most experts agree that this extra illumination is caused by the fact that 3I/ATLAS is an active comet, producing a glowing 'coma' of ice and gas as it approaches the sun. However, one Harvard professor claims that this might not be explained by natural means. Professor Avi Loeb, a physicist at Harvard University, told MailOnline: 'If it is not a comet, then its large brightness would be a big surprise and potentially signal a non-natural origin, perhaps from artificial light.' 3I/ATLAS was detected as a faint speck of light by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope. Since then, professional and amateur astronomers around the world have scrambled to gather more data. Scientists quickly combed older data to find observations of the object that had previously been missed, in a process called precovery. Combining these with hundreds of new observations, scientists were able to officially confirm that 3I/ATLAS was an interstellar object. Currently 420 million miles (670 million kilometres) away from Earth, 3I/ATLAS's trajectory and incredible speed meant it must be passing through our solar system after being ejected by its own star. NASA predicts that it will reach its closest point to the sun on October 30, at a distance of 130 million miles (210 million km) - passing just within the orbit of Mars. Thankfully, the object poses no threat to Earth and will pass harmlessly at around 150 million miles (240 million km) away at its closest point. This is only the third time that scientists have managed to spot an interstellar object passing through the solar system. The first was 'Oumuamua in 2017, followed by Borisov in 2019. When 'Oumuamua was first detected, certain irregularities in its spin and velocity prompted Professor Loeb and his co-author, Dr Shmuel Bialy, to suggest that it could be alien in origin. Professor Loeb says: ''Oumuamua exhibited a large non-gravitational acceleration which was anomalous given its lack of evaporation.' Similarly, Professor Loeb now suggests that 3I/ATLAS could be a similar type of alien craft. While experts say there is no evidence to support this idea, some researchers say we can't rule out the possibility just yet. Professor Michael Garrett, Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, told MailOnline: 'More observations are definitely needed.' Asked whether the object could be an alien craft, Professor Garret responded: 'Who knows - it could be - that's why it will be important to make as many different measurements as possible to test all hypotheses.' 'It's unlikely that it is, but that doesn't mean to say we shouldn't check. We don't know much about these interstellar objects, so we learn more each time we encounter one.' NASA and ESA have now confirmed that 3I/ATLAS is a comet due to the presence of a cloud of dust and gases called a coma. These are produced when the ice in a comet is warmed by the light of a nearby star like the sun However, Professor Garret adds that there is currently no evidence the object is alien in nature, and it is more likely to be 'an icy body that has escaped from another planetary system and wandered by the solar system by chance'. Currently, the overwhelming majority of evidence points to the fact that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, a small body made up of frozen gases and ice. This is because astronomers have spotted a nebulous envelope of gas and dust known as a coma surrounding the object as it is heated by the sun. Based on these observations, both NASA and ESA are now confident enough to confirm that 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet. This also explains why 3I/ATLAS is so bright, since the material in the coma reflects the sun's light far more than rock or ice alone. Dr Mark Norris, an astronomer from the University of Central Lancashire, told MailOnline: 'If there's a coma, it by definition is a comet, because this means that it is outgassing. 'This thing is still quite far from the sun, so you can expect, therefore, as it gets closer, you should get a bigger cloud of material; and that should become clear as we get more observations going forward.' However, by the time the comet reaches its closest point to the Earth, it will be hidden behind the sun, so astronomers will need to wait until it reemerges in December to make the best observations. Our first interstellar visitor sailed past Earth at at 97,200mph in 2017, but what exactly was Oumuamua? A cigar-shaped object named 'Oumuamua sailed past Earth at 97,200mph (156,428km/h) in October. It was first spotted by a telescope in Hawaii on 19 October, and was observed 34 separate times in the following week. It is named after the Hawaiian term for 'scout' or 'messenger' and passed the Earth at about 85 times the distance to the moon. It was the first interstellar object seen in the solar system, and it baffled astronomers. Initially, it was thought the object could be a comet. However, it displays none of the classic behavior expected of comets, such as a dusty, water-ice particle tail. The asteroid is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated - perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide. That aspect ratio is greater than that of any asteroid or asteroid observed in our solar system to date. But the asteroid's slightly red hue — specifically pale pink — and varying brightness are remarkably similar to objects in our own solar system. Around the size of the Gherkin skyscraper in London, some astronomers were convinced it was piloted by aliens due to the vast distance the object traveled without being destroyed – and the closeness of its journey past the Earth. Alien hunters at SETI – the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence based at Berkeley University, California said there was a possibility the rock was 'an alien artefact'. But scientists from Queen's University Belfast took a good look at the object and said it appears to be an asteroid, or 'planetesimal' as originally thought. Researchers believe the cigar-shaped asteroid had a 'violent past', after looking at the light bouncing off its surface.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery 12-mile-wide ‘fuzzy object with a tail' spotted blazing through our solar system at 37 miles a SECOND, Nasa says
It follows the rare visits from the famous 1I/ʻOumuamua asteroid in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 ALIEN INVADER Mystery 12-mile-wide 'fuzzy object with a tail' spotted blazing through our solar system at 37 miles a SECOND, Nasa says A MYSTERIOUS cosmic object has been spotted zooming through our solar system - and astronomers say it is only the third of its kind. The "fuzzy" object with a "short tail" is no fur-ball alien, but instead a large icy comet from interstellar space. 6 An artist's impression of an interstellar comet Credit: ESA 6 The interstellar comet is seen inside the red box Credit: David Rankin / Saguaro Observatory 6 The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile Credit: ESA 6 Comet A11pl3Z's path through the solar system Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The celestial visitor is only the third interstellar object on record to grace our solar system, and is also likely the largest yet detected. It follows the rare visits from the famous 1I/ʻOumuamua asteroid in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. "The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock," Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP. Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, added: "It looks kind of fuzzy... It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail." The 12-mile-wide comet, known originally as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, is blazing through the solar system at great speed. While astronomers are still refining their calculations, the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) a second. 6 An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua, the first known interstellar visitor in our solar system Credit: Nasa The comet poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency (ESA). It's closest approach of Earth, which is projected to occur in late October, will see it pass "just inside the orbit of Mars," according to Moissl. It will pass our blue dot no closer than 240 million kilometres – over 1.5 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. By the time it does make its closest path of Earth, it will be hidden by the Sun - meaning stargazers will have no chance of spotting it in the night sky. Incredible moment a fireball comet is spotted racing past stunning aurora towards Earth While it is expected to reappear by early December, this will only offer astronomers another window for study. The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile. Its unusual trajectory immediately raised suspicions that the comet came from an unknown world in interstellar space. Its current path "means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again," according to Moissl. What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet? Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa... Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth) An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth) Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing) ESA's Planetary Defence Office, tasked with safeguarding Earth from potential asteroid and comet impacts, alerted astronomers who can now track the comet's path. These efforts are part of ESA's broader mission to detect, track, and characterise near-Earth objects. "What makes interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS so extraordinary is their absolutely foreign nature," ESA wrote in a recent blog post. "They are remnants of other planetary systems, carrying with them clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own. "It may be thousands of years until humans visit a planet in another solar system and interstellar comets offer the tantalising opportunity for us to touch something truly otherworldly." That's why the space agency is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission for 2029. ESA is set to send a spacecraft into a parking orbit in space to wait for a suitable target comet – or even a rare interstellar object - to retrieve samples from. 6 CGI image of ESA's Comet Interceptor spacecraft Credit: ESA All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Scientists tracking ‘interstellar' object that has come to us from another solar system
Astronomers may have just discovered a new interstellar object passing through our solar system. The object, a celestial body from another star system, was discovered on Tuesday by the University of Hawaii's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, team. At this point, it remains unclear what the object may be or look like as it moves near Jupiter. Now, scientists are checking to confirm their findings. 'ESA's Planetary Defenders are observing the object, provisionally known as #A11pl3Z, right now using telescopes around the world,' the European Space Agency said in a social media post on Wednesday. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration told The Associated Press that it is monitoring the situation. David Rankin, of the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey, said in posts on BlueSky that follow-up observations were made not long after the discovery. A precovery — observations from archival images in which the object was not originally discovered — from CalTech's Zwicky Transient Facility hinted at the presence of an interstellar object. 'After a few more precovery observations, and follow-ups, it became clear this object is on a hyperbolic trajectory through the solar system,' Rankin wrote. Since then, new observations have been 'rolling in,' helping astronomers to better determine its orbit. Rankin noted that the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system was 'Oumuamua, which was spotted in 2017. Up to one-quarter mile-long and 10 times as long as it is wide, its resembles a rocky cigar with a reddish hue. Its aspect ratio, which is greater than that of any asteroid or comet observed in our solar system to date, even led to speculation that it could be an alien spacecraft. Observations then suggested that it had been wandering through our Milky Way galaxy for hundreds of millions of years before its encounter with our star system, according to NASA. The second known object was Comet 2I/Borisov, found in 2019. It is the first confirmed interstellar comet, and was later captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Scientists believe that many more such objects regularly pass by the Earth, with a number of them flying relatively near to us each year. However, many of them go undetected because they are hard to spot and it is difficult to know for sure where they have come from. Researchers hope to eventually learn more about them and even use them as evidence for distant star systems and planets.
