Galaxies are gravitationally bound, large-scale astrophysical systems composed primarily of dark matter, stars, stellar remnants, gas, and dust, often embedded in extended dark matter halos. They exhibit diverse morphologies, including spiral, elliptical, and irregular types, and span mass scales from roughly 10⁷ to over 10¹² solar masses. Their internal dynamics are governed by gravity and angular momentum distribution, with baryonic components organized into disks, bulges, and halos, and frequently hosting central supermassive black holes. Galaxies are fundamental units of cosmic structure formation, participating in hierarchical assembly, mergers, and interactions within larger environments such as groups, clusters, and filaments of the cosmic web.
A new mid-infrared image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features the Sombrero galaxy, also known as Messier 104 (M104). The signature, glowing core seen in visible-light images does not shine, and instead ...
Astronomy
Nov 25, 2024
0
429
Using the set of first-light observations from the new William Herschel Telescope Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer (WEAVE) wide-field spectrograph, a team of more than 50 astronomers, led by Dr. Marina Arnaudova at the University ...
Astronomy
Nov 24, 2024
0
109
Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought.
Astronomy
Nov 23, 2024
55
230
A massive collision of galaxies sparked by one traveling at a scarcely-believable 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h) has been seen in unprecedented detail by one of Earth's most powerful telescopes.
Astronomy
Nov 22, 2024
0
781
In a new study, a team of astrophysicists led by CU Boulder has set out to unravel the mysteries of UFOs—not the alien spacecraft, but a class of unusually large and red galaxies that researchers have nicknamed Ultra-red ...
Astronomy
Nov 21, 2024
0
109
On Sunday November 23, 1924, 100 years ago this month, readers perusing page six of the New York Times would have found an intriguing article, amid several large adverts for fur coats. The headline read: Finds Spiral Nebulae ...
Astronomy
Nov 20, 2024
1
139
For decades, scientists have used the Milky Way as a model for understanding how galaxies form. But three new studies raise questions about whether the Milky Way is truly representative of other galaxies in the universe.
Astronomy
Nov 20, 2024
5
1109
Black holes don't have many identifying features. They come in one color (black) and one shape (spherical). The main difference between black holes is mass: some weigh about as much as a star like our sun, while others weigh ...
Astronomy
Nov 18, 2024
1
87
Astronomers from the Steward Observatory in Arizona and elsewhere report the discovery of a structure consisting of a quasi-stellar object (QSO) and a dusty star-forming galaxy (DSFG), linked by a bridge of ionized carbon. ...
The National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) has released images of five galaxies in the local universe, taken with the Italian VST ( VLT Survey Telescope) managed by INAF in Chile. The new images show these iconic galaxies ...
Astronomy
Nov 15, 2024
0
123
