#The cosmic commute towards star and planet formation

“#The cosmic commute towards star and planet formation” isualisation of the observed velocity flows in the spiral galaxy NGC 4321, measured using the radio emission of the molecular gas (carbon monoxide): along the vertical axis, this image shows the velocities of the gas, while the horizontal axis represents the spatial extent of the galaxy. The…

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#5000 eyes on the skies: Scientists choreograph robots to observe distant galaxies

“#5000 eyes on the skies: Scientists choreograph robots to observe distant galaxies” Scientists have begun operating the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, or DESI, to create a 3-D map of over 30 million galaxies and quasars that will help them understand the nature of dark energy. Credit: Marilyn Sargent /Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Since 2005, scientists…

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#Mysterious spinning neutron star detected in the Milky Way proves to be an extremely rare discovery

“#Mysterious spinning neutron star detected in the Milky Way proves to be an extremely rare discovery” Artist’s impression of a radio magnetar. Credit: CSRIO On March 12th 2020 a space telescope called Swift detected a burst of radiation from halfway across the Milky Way. Within a week, the newly discovered X-ray source, named Swift J1818.0–1607,…

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#Dying stars breathe life into Earth: study

“#Dying stars breathe life into Earth: study” NGC 7789, also known as Caroline’s Rose, is an old open star cluster of the Milky Way, which lies about 8,000 light-years away toward the constellation Cassiopeia. It hosts a few White Dwarfs of unusually high mass, analyzed in this study. Credit: Guillaume Seigneuret and NASA As dying…

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#Star-forming region IRAS 12272-6240 probed in infrared

“#Star-forming region IRAS 12272-6240 probed in infrared” Mid- and far-infrared composite colour images of the region centred on IRAS 12272-6240. Credit: Tapia et al., 2020. Astronomers have conducted spectroscopic observations of a star-forming region known as IRAS 12272-6240. Results of this observational campaign shed more light on the nature of this massive and complex region….

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#Herschel and Planck views of star formation

“#Herschel and Planck views of star formation” Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex viewed by Herschel and Planck. Credit: ESA/Herschel/Planck; J. D. Soler, MPIA A collection of intriguing images based on data from ESA’s Herschel and Planck space telescopes show the influence of magnetic fields on the clouds of gas and dust where stars are forming. The…

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