Latest news with #NASAHubble
News18
4 days ago
- Science
- News18
Hubble vs James Webb: NASA Shares Two Views of Same Star Cluster. Which One Wows You More?
Last Updated: NASA released images of star clusters NGC 460 and NGC 456 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Hubble shows visible light, while Webb reveals infrared details. In a breathtaking cosmic reveal, NASA has released a pair of contrasting images of the same region of deep space, captured by two of the most powerful telescopes ever built – the legendary Hubble and the revolutionary James Webb. The star clusters, NGC 460 and NGC 456, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, have once again become the centre of scientific and public fascination, offering two very different views of the same universe. At first glance, both sets of images are visually arresting, but look closer and the differences are stark. The question naturally arises: which telescope offers the better view of the cosmos? NGC 456 and NGC 460 are open star clusters nestled inside the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting our Milky Way. It is a dense zone filled with interstellar dust, gas, and billions of stars. The stars in these clusters are astonishingly young by cosmic standards; some are barely a million years old, while the oldest among them top out at just 10 million. NASA's recent side-by-side comparison isn't just a showcase of technology, but a visual lesson in how we observe the universe. The Hubble Space Telescope, operating primarily in visible light, presents the region as a glowing bluish mass, highlighting structures like gas bubbles and cavities formed by intense stellar radiation. These powerful emissions push away gas and dust, carving the interstellar medium into shapes that look like art etched in light. But where Hubble stops, Webb begins. The James Webb Space Telescope views the cosmos in infrared. It peels back the curtain of visible light to reveal delicate filaments of dust and gas that remain invisible to Hubble. Dust, which appears black and cold in Hubble's view due to its opacity, glows warmly in Webb's images as it absorbs and re-emits heat from nearby stars. This shows that dust is not just an obstacle but is itself a part of the story of space, NASA said, underlining a shift in how astronomers understand the interstellar medium. On July 9, NASA's official account posted, 'What a glow up! @NASAWebb gave a new look at two star clusters first captured by @NASAHubble. Originally shown as dusty blue bubbles, Webb highlights the finer inner details, illuminated by starlight." The side-by-side visual has since gone viral among space enthusiasts. What a glow up! 🎀 @NASAWebb gave a new look at two star clusters first captured by @NASAHubble. Originally shown as dusty blue bubbles, Webb highlights the finer inner details, illuminated by more about the before and after: — NASA (@NASA) July 9, 2025 Where Stars Are Born And Die Fast These particular clusters are of immense interest to astronomers due to the presence of O-type stars, the heavyweights of the stellar world. They are hot, massive, and live fast, dying young. Out of an estimated 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, only about 20,000 belong to this rare and short-lived category. Such stars are considered 'nuclear factories", enriching the surrounding interstellar space with heavier elements when they explode as supernovae. Clusters rich in O-type stars serve as natural laboratories for scientists to study the birth and evolution of stars. The Small Magellanic Cloud isn't just another dwarf galaxy; it offers a window into cosmic history. It has a significantly lower concentration of heavy elements (known as 'metals" in astrophysical terms) than our Milky Way. This mirrors conditions believed to have existed in the early universe, soon after the Big Bang, when only hydrogen and helium were abundant. By studying how gas, dust, and young stars interact in this metal-poor environment, researchers hope to understand the early mechanisms of galaxy formation, the behaviour of interstellar matter, and the effects of galactic collisions. So Which Telescope Wins? From a scientific standpoint, both telescopes serve different, complementary purposes. Hubble captures the universe as we would see it with our own eyes – crisp, blue, and majestic. Webb digs deeper, revealing the secrets hidden behind curtains of dust, offering an infrared vision of space's architecture. In other words, Hubble offers the poetry, and Webb brings the prose. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
09-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Hungry Black Hole Rips Apart And Swallows 'Hapless' Star 600 Million Light-Years Away
In a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie, scientists have captured a hungry black hole that is ripping up and gobbling a star that came in its wake. The tidal disruption event (TDE) took place 600 million light-years away and was caught by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing a spectacular burst of radiation after the black hole was done swallowing the 'hapless' star. As per NASA, out of around 100 TDE events recorded so far, this is the first time that an offset TDE has been identified. The one million-solar-mass black hole is not exactly in the centre of its host galaxy, where supermassive black holes are typically found consuming the surrounding material. 'AT2024tvd is the first offset TDE captured by optical sky surveys, and it opens up the entire possibility of uncovering this elusive population of wandering black holes with future sky surveys,' lead study author Yuhan Yao of the University of California at Berkeley said. Notably, a TDE happens when an infalling star is stretched or "spaghettified" by a black hole's immense gravitational tidal forces. A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-center captured in this @NASAHubble image. — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2025 Supermassive black hole lurking nearby What makes the finding more astonishing is the fact that it took place only 2,600 light-years from the more massive black hole at the galaxy's centre. That's just one-tenth the distance between our Sun and the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole. Strangely, the two supermassive black holes co-exist in the same galaxy, but are not gravitationally bound to each other as a binary pair. "The smaller black hole may eventually spiral into the galaxy's centre to merge with the bigger black hole. But for now, it is too far separated to be gravitationally bound," NASA stated. As for why the black hole had got off-centre, scientists theorised that the three-body problem might be the reason for its odd geography. . 'If the black hole went through a triple interaction with two other black holes in the galaxy's core, it can still remain bound to the galaxy, orbiting around the central region,' said Mr Yao. This is not the first time when a black hole has been spotted consuming a neighbouring or wayward star. In November last year, scientists discovered a black hole, named LID-568, devouring matter at a phenomenal rate -- over 40 times the theoretical limit, called the Eddington limit.
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Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
NASA's Hubble telescope finds blackhole that swallowed star 600 mn yrs ago
NASA has shared an image of a black hole swallowing a star and causing a massive cosmic-level explosion. The event took place around 600 million years ago, and its radiation burst reached us now, which seems like a bright dot. Hubble and other telescopes confirms The Hubble Space Telescope managed to capture this rare cosmic moment, known as a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE). NASA also confirmed the discovery using two other tools: the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Very Large Array radio telescope. Sharing the image on X (formerly Twitter), NASA wrote, "A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-centre captured in this @NASAHubble image." A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-center captured in this @NASAHubble image. — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2025 Big step in black hole research Yuhan Yao, the lead researcher from the University of California, Berkeley, said this event — named AT2024tvd — is special because it's the first TDE spotted slightly away from the center of a galaxy by optical sky surveys. This could help scientists find a new group of so-called 'wandering black holes' in future space studies. She added, 'Right now, theorists haven't paid much attention to these offset TDEs. I believe this discovery will inspire more research into these unusual black hole events.' What is a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE)? A TDE happens when a star comes too close to a black hole. The black hole's powerful gravity pulls the star apart — a process called "spaghettification" because the star gets stretched into long, thin pieces. These remains swirl around the black hole and heat up, releasing bursts of energy. These bursts can be seen from Earth through visible and ultraviolet light using powerful telescopes. Why does it matter? Ryan Chornock, a professor at UC Berkeley and a member of the ZTF research team, explained that TDEs help scientists detect massive black holes that would otherwise remain hidden. 'Tidal disruption events hold great promise for illuminating the presence of massive black holes that we would otherwise not be able to detect,' he said.
NDTV
09-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Black Hole That Swallowed Star 600 Million Light-Years Ago Found, NASA Shares Pic
NASA has released a stunning image of a black hole swallowing a star and causing a massive explosion. Although the cosmic event took place 600 million light-years ago, the burst of radiation has only reached us now, which appears like a bright dot. The space agency's Hubble Space Telescope captured the astronomical event, called a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE), and also confirmed it with observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Very Large Array radio telescope. Posting the image to X, NASA wrote, "A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-centre captured in this @NASAHubble image." A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star. The resulting burst of radiation is the bright dot just off-center captured in this @NASAHubble image. — NASA (@NASA) May 8, 2025 Lead study author Yuhan Yao of the University of California at Berkeley said, "AT2024tvd is the first offset TDE captured by optical sky surveys, and it opens up the entire possibility of uncovering this elusive population of wandering black holes with future sky surveys." She further mentioned, "Right now, theorists haven't given much attention to offsetting TDEs. I think this discovery will motivate scientists to look for more examples of this type of event." How does a tidal disruption event (TDE) happen? A TDE happens when an infalling star gets too close to a black hole, which then stretches it like spaghetti due to its super-strong gravity. As the star falls apart, its pieces begin to orbit the black hole. This shredded material becomes extremely hot as it orbits, producing strong energy and light bursts that telescopes may detect as visible and ultraviolet light. Ryan Chornock, associate adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and a member of the ZTF team, said, "Tidal disruption events hold great promise for illuminating the presence of massive black holes that we would otherwise not be able to detect."
