Messier 81 (also known as NGC 3031 or Bode’s Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in the Ursa Major constellation. With an active galactic nucleus holding a 70 million solar mass supermassive black hole, Messier 81 is a popular galaxy to study in professional astronomy research. It’s close proximity to Earth, the large size and relatively low apparent magnitude (lower magnitude implies …
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Myriad of Galaxies Enveloped by Dark Matter
The galaxy cluster CL0024+17, located in Pisces constellation, is allowing astronomers to investigatethe source of additional gravity that holds together galaxy clusters. Probing the distribution of dark matter in space can be tricky, since it can not be seen because it does not shine or reflect light. Galaxy clusters like CL0024+17 can’t form influenced only by the gravity from their …
Hidden stars in the reddish Omega Nebula
The Omega Nebula catalogued as Messier 17 (M17, NGC 6618), also called the Swan Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, or (especially on the southern hemisphere) the Lobster Nebula, is a region of star formation and shines by excited emission, caused by the higher energy radiation of young stars. Unlike in many other emission nebulae, however, these …
Skylab, an orbiting home for 2249 days
Skylab was the United States first space station, and the second space station visited by a human crew. It was also the only space station NASA launched alone in Earth’s orbit. From 1973 to 1979 and it was visited by crews three times in 1973 and 1974. Each Skylab mission set a record for the amount …
Dumbbell Nebula Surrounds the Largest Known White Dwarf
The Dumbbell Nebula (also noted as Messier 27, M27, or NGC 6853) is the first planetary nebula ever to be discovered and it is located in the Vulpecula constellation. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and its diameter of about 8 arcminutes, the Dumbbell nebula is easily visible in binoculars, and a popular observing target …
Whirlpool Galaxy and its companion NGC 5195
The Whirlpool Galaxy (catalogued as Messier 51, M51, or NGC 5194) is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy located in the Canes Venatici constellation. It is one of the most famous galaxies in the sky. The galaxy and its companion NGC 5195 can be easily observed by amateur astronomers, even with binoculars under dark sky conditions. The Whirlpool Galaxy is also a popular target …
Creation and evolution of the Solar System
The formation and evolution of the Solar System is estimated to have begun 4,5 billion years ago triggered by the gravitational collapse of a small part of a giant molecular cloud. Most of the collapsing mass gathered in the centre, forming the Sun, while the rest flattened into a protoplanetary disk out of which the planets, moons, asteroids, and other small Solar System bodies …
Eagle Nebula spreads its wings over The Pillars of Creation
The Eagle Nebula (catalogued as Messier 16 or M16, and as NGC 6611) is a young open star cluster in the Serpens constellation. Its name originates from its eagle shape resemblance. It is the subject of the famous “Pillars of Creation” photograph by the Hubble Space Telescope, which shows pillars of star-forming gas and dust within the nebula. The Eagle …
Hubble Ultra Deep Field zoom in the early Universe
The Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) is an image of a small region of space in the Fornax Constellation, composited from Hubble Space Telescope data accumulated over a 4 month period. It is the deepest image of the universe ever taken, looking back approximately 13 billion years (between 400 and 800 million years after the Big Bang), and it …
Open star cluster NGC 6791 including two background galaxies
NGC 6791 is an open star cluster in the Lyra Constellation. With an age of about 8 billion years, iron to hydrogen abundance ratio that is more than twice that of the Sun, it is one of the oldest and most metal-rich open star clusters in the Milky Way galaxy. This is contrary to the general guidelines where older means more …