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Carbon-rich dust shells forming & expanding in binary star system | Webb Telescope FriendsofNASA.org | Full-size image+article: https://lnkd.in/gQYCU6ez Astronomers using the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope have identified two stars responsible for generating carbon-rich dust a mere 5,000 light-years away in our own Milky Way galaxy. As the massive stars in Wolf-Rayet 140 swing past one another on their elongated orbits, their winds collide and produce the carbon-rich dust. For a few months every eight years, the stars form a new shell of dust that expands outward—and may eventually go on to become part of stars that form elsewhere in our galaxy. Astronomers have long tried to track down how elements like carbon that are essential for life. It has become widely distributed across the Universe. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope has examined one ongoing source of carbon-rich dust in our own Milky Way galaxy in greater detail: Wolf-Rayet 140—a system of two massive stars that follow a tight, elongated orbit. As they swing past one another (within the central white dot in the Webb images), the stellar winds from each star slam together, the material compresses, and carbon-rich dust forms. Webb’s latest observations show 17 dust shells shining in mid-infrared light that are expanding at regular intervals into the surrounding space. “The telescope confirmed that these dust shells are real, and its data also showed that the dust shells are moving outward at consistent velocities, revealing visible changes over incredibly short periods of time,” said Emma Lieb, the lead author of the new paper and a doctoral student at the University of Denver in Colorado. Every shell is racing away from the stars at more than 2,600 kilometres per second, almost 1% the speed of light. “We are used to thinking about events in space taking place slowly, over millions or billions of years,” added Jennifer Hoffman, a co-author and a professor at the University of Denver. “In this system, the observatory is showing that the dust shells are expanding from one year to the next.” “Seeing the real-time movement of these shells between Webb’s observations that were taken only 13 months apart is truly remarkable,” said Olivia Jones, a co-author at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh. “These new results are giving us a first glimpse of the potential role of such massive binaries as factories of dust in the Universe.” Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, E. Lieb (University of Denver), R. Lau (NSF NOIRLab), J. Hoffman (University of Denver) Release Date: Jan. 13, 2025 ESA Hubble and Webb Space Telescopes NASA Goddard Space Flight Center #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WolfRayet140 #CarbonDustShells #CarbonDustRings #StellarWinds #JamesWebb #WebbSpaceTelescope #JWST #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #JPL #Caltech #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Infographic #STEM #Education

Carbon-rich dust shells forming & expanding in binary star system | Webb Telescope FriendsofNASA.org | Full-size image+article: https://lnkd.in/gQYCU6ez Astronomers using the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope have identified two stars responsible for generating carbon-rich dust a mere 5,000 light-years away in our own Milky Way galaxy. As the massive stars in Wolf-Rayet 140 swing past one another on their elongated orbits, their winds collide and produce the carbon-rich dust. For a few months every eight years, the stars form a new shell of dust that expands outward—and may eventually go on to become part of stars that form elsewhere in our galaxy. Astronomers have long tried to track down how elements like carbon that are essential for life. It has become widely distributed across the Universe. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope has examined one ongoing source of carbon-rich dust in our own Milky Way galaxy in greater detail: Wolf-Rayet 140—a system of two massive stars that follow a tight, elongated orbit. As they swing past one another (within the central white dot in the Webb images), the stellar winds from each star slam together, the material compresses, and carbon-rich dust forms. Webb’s latest observations show 17 dust shells shining in mid-infrared light that are expanding at regular intervals into the surrounding space. “The telescope confirmed that these dust shells are real, and its data also showed that the dust shells are moving outward at consistent velocities, revealing visible changes over incredibly short periods of time,” said Emma Lieb, the lead author of the new paper and a doctoral student at the University of Denver in Colorado. Every shell is racing away from the stars at more than 2,600 kilometres per second, almost 1% the speed of light. “We are used to thinking about events in space taking place slowly, over millions or billions of years,” added Jennifer Hoffman, a co-author and a professor at the University of Denver. “In this system, the observatory is showing that the dust shells are expanding from one year to the next.” “Seeing the real-time movement of these shells between Webb’s observations that were taken only 13 months apart is truly remarkable,” said Olivia Jones, a co-author at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh. “These new results are giving us a first glimpse of the potential role of such massive binaries as factories of dust in the Universe.” Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, E. Lieb (University of Denver), R. Lau (NSF NOIRLab), J. Hoffman (University of Denver) Release Date: Jan. 13, 2025 #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WolfRayet140 #CarbonDustShells #CarbonDustRings #StellarWinds #JamesWebb #WebbSpaceTelescope #JWST #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #JPL #Caltech #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Infographic #STEM #Education

New Coordination System Allows Satellite Internet and Radio Astronomy to Share the Sky, Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 10, 2024 Astronomers rely on clear skies and undisturbed frequencies to explore the universe. But as satellite technology grows, so does the potential for interference with these sensitive observations. A new collaboration between the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) and SpaceX demonstrates how radio astronomers and satellite internet providers

Five reasons why astronomy is important to our future in space.

We are proud to announce a major milestone in international astronomy. Our Australian Astronomical Optics – Macquarie team (AAO-MQ) is leading an international collaboration to enhance the 8-metre Gemini Observatory North telescope in Hawaii with next-generation adaptive optics technology. Working with the Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre (ANU), ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab, CNRS Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS Observatoire de Haute Provence, Bertin Alpao, Space ODT - Optical Deblurring Technologies, Mersenne Optical Consulting, and Wakea Consulting, our team has successfully completed the preliminary design review and moved into the critical design phase. Congratulations to the AAO-MQ team on this achievement placing Australian astronomical technology at the forefront of international space science. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-E7VJAq

Breakthrough in Daytime Astronomy with the Huntsman Telescope 🌞🔭 Astronomers at Macquarie University have achieved a significant breakthrough: observing stars, satellites, and more during daylight hours! Using innovative light filters on the Huntsman Telescope, they’ve overcome the challenge of sunlight washing out celestial objects. Why It's Cool: 🌟 24/7 Observation: No more waiting for nightfall to study the stars. 🛰️ Satellite Tracking: Helps prevent space collisions with continuous monitoring. Why It Matters: 🌌 Continuous Monitoring: Enables long-term studies of stars like Betelgeuse, which is nearing a supernova. 📡 Satellite Tracking: Essential for tracking 10,000+ active satellites and preventing collisions. This breakthrough opens new doors for uninterrupted, 24/7 observation of the cosmos. 🌠✨ The action happening at Siding Springs Observatory in Coonabarabran, Australia is changing the game for astronomy! Are you excited about the future of astronomy? Reshare ♻️ if you think this is awesome! #Astronomy #Innovation #HuntsmanTelescope #DaytimeObservation #SpaceExploration #Astrophotography

France-China Teamwork: SVOM Gamma Ray Astronomy Satellite Pre-launch FriendsofNASA.org: On Saturday, June 22, 2024, China successfully launched an astronomy satellite—the result of nearly 20 years of hard work between Chinese and French scientists. It will capture gamma-ray bursts that flicker like fireworks in the farthest reaches of the universe. The satellite, the Space-based Multi-band Variable Object Monitor (SVOM), was launched by a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). It is the most powerful satellite to carry out multi-band comprehensive observations of gamma-ray bursts to date. It will play an important role in scientific studies of high-energy astronomical phenomena. The 930kg (2,050-pound) satellite, which took hundreds of scientists and engineers nearly two decades to develop, will orbit Earth at 625km (450 miles) above the ground to accurately measure the location and energy of distant, violent explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. China is primarily responsible for the mission, launch, satellite and operations, and shared responsibility with France for the design and construction of the instruments and ground segment. The French contribution was developed in partnership with research laboratories at the IRFU research institute at CEA, the French atomic energy and alternative energies commission, and at INSU, the national institute of universe science, and IN2P3, the national institute of nuclear and particle physics, both attached to the national scientific research centre CNRS. Learn more about the SVOM Mission: https://lnkd.in/gB-H2htq This mission marked the 525th launch carried out by Long March rockets. Image Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA) Date: June 22, 2024 United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Aarti Holla-Maini Chinese Academy of Sciences Académie des sciences Philippe Baptiste Centre National d'Études Spatiales EurASc European Academy of Sciences Josef Aschbacher European Space Agency - ESA Daniel S. German Aerospace Center (DLR) Agenzia Spaziale Italiana NASA Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Joel Kearns, Ph.D. Thomas H. Zurbuchen Ellen Stofan François-Philippe Champagne National Science Foundation (NSF) National Academy of Sciences Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian AAAS International Space University Yuguang Yang Dongfang Hour Jean Deville Patrick CUVELIER Pere Mir Olga Dragunova Holly Pascal Samarth Kumar Shahriyar Gourgi MD.Asadur Zaman Oscar Tirado Marilyn Weyher Lee Kolb Edwardo J. Silva #NASA #CNSA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #SVOM #GammaRays #GammaRayBursts #GRB #Cosmos #Universe #LongMarch2CRocket #XSLC #SichuanProvince #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #Astrophysics #InternationalCooperation #France #CNES #History #STEM #Education

Article just published in Astronomy and Astrophysics "Second-Generation Starlink Satellites Leak 30 Times More Radio Interference, Threatening Astronomical Observations." The authors press release states "Observations with the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) radio telescope last year showed that first generation Starlink satellites emit unintended radio waves that can hinder astronomical observations. New observations with the LOFAR radio telescope, the biggest radio telescope on Earth observing at low frequencies, have shown that the second generation ’V2-mini’ Starlink satellites emit up to 32 times brighter unintended radio waves than satellites from the previous generation, potentially blinding radio telescopes and crippling vital research of the Universe." https://lnkd.in/eCYW3Jcm

#Infrared astronomy revolutionized space exploration, revealing hidden cosmic phenomena. From early discoveries to advanced space telescopes, it enables the study of cool objects, distant galaxies, and exoplanets. https://lnkd.in/eDtHTSBn

The Pleiades: Closest Star Cluster to Earth | Kitt Peak National Observatory Support FriendsofNASA.org | High-res image: https://lnkd.in/gru9AWu9 This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. The Pleiades are an open cluster easily visible to the naked eye. The cluster is dominated by several hot, luminous and massive stars. The blue nebulosity surrounding the brightest stars are due to blue light from the stars scattering off of dust grains in the interstellar gas between us and the stars. The cluster is also known as the 'Seven Sisters'. The image was generated with observations in the B (blue), V (green), and I (red) filters. In this image, North is right, East is up. The Pleiades is located approximately 440 light-years away towards the constellation of Taurus (The Bull). The cluster’s central region spans about eight light-years, with the diameter of The Pleiades as a whole estimated at 43 light-years. The Pleiades is a very prominent sight to the unaided eye during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, while in summer the cluster is best seen by observers in southern latitudes. Most of the cluster’s members are very young, hot blue stars formed within the last 100 million years. So far, about 1,000 stars have been confirmed. The hint of bluish nebulosity around the brightest stars originates from a cloud of interstellar gas and dust that the cluster is passing through at the moment. The tiny particles of dust scatter the blue light from the nearest stars more favorably than other colors, so the region appears to twinkle in blue. The cluster contains many brown dwarfs, or failed stars. These objects, though more massive than planets, do not possess enough mass to ignite nuclear fusion reactions in their cores and burst into life as bright stars. Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Richard Cool (University of Arizona) and WIYN Release Date: June 30, 2020 NSF NOIRLab National Science Foundation (NSF) Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Dan Goldin NASA Goddard Space Flight Center University of Alaska Anchorage University of Arizona American Astronomical Society (AAS) Patrick CUVELIER Hartmut Schöne Jimmy Balimis Jocelyne Hericher #NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #ThePleiades #SevenSisters #Messier45 #M45 #OpenStarCluster #BrownDwarfStars #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #WIYNTelescope #Optical #KittPeak #Tucson #Arizona #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education