Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae: Wide-field view | Digitized Sky Survey 2

Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae: Wide-field view | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This wide-field view shows the sky around the location of the historical exploding star CK Vulpeculae (in the constellation Vulpecula) that European astronomers saw in 1670. The remains of the nova are only very faintly visible at the center of this picture.

The star was not a typical nova, but may have been a much rarer, violent breed of stellar collision. A nova is a sudden and dramatic increase in the brightness of a star. CK Vulpeculae was spectacular enough to be easily seen with the naked eye during its first outburst, but the traces it left were so faint that very careful analysis using submillimeter telescopes is required.

Distance to Earth: ~10,000 light years

Models suggest CK Vulpeculae may not be a classic nova; rather it may be classified as a luminous red nova that is the result of two main sequence stars colliding and merging. A 2018 study found it was most likely the result of an unusual collision of a white dwarf star and a brown dwarf star. However, a 2020 article ruled out this proposed mechanism and proposes that CK Vulpeculae is an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT), another type of object in the luminosity gap between supernovae and novae.

The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group.

Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin
Release Date: July 30, 2018

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #CKVulpeculae #NovaVulpeculae1670 #StellarObjects #AstronomicalObjects #ILOT #VulpeculaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #ESO #Chile #Europe #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Journey to Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae: Appeared in Year 1670

Journey to Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae: Appeared in Year 1670

This video sequence takes the viewer deep into a rich part of the northern Milky Way in the constellation of Vulpecula (The Fox), close to the more famous constellation of Cygnus (The Swan) to the enigmatic CK Vulpeculae nebula. Using radio telescope data from the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) in Chile, the Hawaiian Submillimeter Array (SMA) and visible light data from the Gemini North Observatory in Hawaii, the final picture shows the remains of the new star that was seen in the year 1670. This view was created from a combination of visible-light images from the Gemini telescope (blue), a submillimeter map showing the dust from the SMA (yellow) and finally a map of the molecular emission from APEX and the SMA (red).

Distance to Earth: ~10,000 light years

The star that European astronomers saw in 1670 was not a typical nova, but may have been a much rarer, violent breed of stellar collision. A nova is a sudden and dramatic increase in the brightness of a star. CK Vulpeculae was spectacular enough to be easily seen with the naked eye during its first outburst, but the traces it left were so faint that very careful analysis using submillimeter telescopes is required.

Models suggest CK Vulpeculae may not be a classic nova; rather it may be classified as a luminous red nova that is the result of two main sequence stars colliding and merging. A 2018 study found it was most likely the result of an unusual collision of a white dwarf star and a brown dwarf star. However, a 2020 article ruled out this proposed mechanism and proposes that CK Vulpeculae is an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT), another type of object in the luminosity gap between supernovae and novae.

Learn about APEX & SMA:

https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/apex/

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/facilities-technology/telescopes-instruments/submillimeter-array-maunakea-hi

Credit: ESO/T. Kamiński

Release Date: March 23, 2015

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #CKVulpeculae #NovaVulpeculae1670 #StellarObjects #AstronomicalObjects #ILOT #VulpeculaConstellation #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #SMA #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #ESO #APEX #Chile #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae from Year 1670 | Radio & Visible Light Views

Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae from Year 1670 | Radio & Visible Light Views

The enigmatic CK Vulpeculae nebula. Using radio telescope data from the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) in Chile, the Hawaiian Submillimeter Array (SMA) and visible light data from the Gemini North Observatory in Hawaii, this picture shows the remains of the new star that was seen in the year 1670. This view was created from a combination of visible-light images from the Gemini telescope (blue), a submillimeter map showing the dust from the SMA (yellow) and finally a map of the molecular emission from APEX and the SMA (red).

Distance to Earth: ~10,000 light years

The star that European astronomers saw in 1670 was not a typical nova, but may have been a much rarer, violent breed of stellar collision. A nova is a sudden and dramatic increase in the brightness of a star. CK Vulpeculae was spectacular enough to be easily seen with the naked eye during its first outburst, but the traces it left were so faint that very careful analysis using submillimeter telescopes is required.

Distance to Earth: ~10,000 light years

Models suggest CK Vulpeculae may not be a classic nova; rather it may be classified as a luminous red nova that is the result of two main sequence stars colliding and merging. A 2018 study found it was most likely the result of an unusual collision of a white dwarf star and a brown dwarf star. However, a 2020 article ruled out this proposed mechanism and proposes that CK Vulpeculae is an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT), another type of object in the luminosity gap between supernovae and novae.

Learn about APEX & SMA:

https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/apex/

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/facilities-technology/telescopes-instruments/submillimeter-array-maunakea-hi

Credit: ESO/T. Kamiński

Release Date: March 23, 2015

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #CKVulpeculae #NovaVulpeculae1670 #StellarObjects #AstronomicalObjects #ILOT #VulpeculaConstellation #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #SMA #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #ESO #APEX #Chile #STEM #Education

Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae: Appeared in Year 1670 | Gemini North Telescope

Mysterious Object CK Vulpeculae: Appeared in Year 1670 | Gemini North Telescope

The enigmatic CK Vulpeculae nebula. This picture shows the remains of the new star that was seen in the year 1670. The star that European astronomers saw in 1670 was not a typical nova, but may have been a much rarer, violent breed of stellar collision. A nova is a sudden and dramatic increase in the brightness of a star. CK Vulpeculae was spectacular enough to be easily seen with the naked eye during its first outburst, but the traces it left were so faint that very careful analysis using submillimeter telescopes is required.

Distance to Earth: ~10,000 light years

Models suggest CK Vulpeculae may not be a classic nova; rather it may be classified as a luminous red nova that is the result of two main sequence stars colliding and merging. A 2018 study found it was most likely the result of an unusual collision of a white dwarf star and a brown dwarf star. However, a 2020 article ruled out this proposed mechanism and proposes that CK Vulpeculae is an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT), another type of object in the luminosity gap between supernovae and novae.

Learn about the Gemini North Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-north/

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Jen Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), Mahdi Zamani & Davide de Martin

Release Date: March 23, 2015

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #CKVulpeculae #NovaVulpeculae1670 #StellarObjects #AstronomicalObjects #ILOT #VulpeculaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Earth Lightning Flashes | International Space Station

Planet Earth Lightning Flashes | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared this photo: "Lightning appears as bright blue flashes across the time history of our orbit seen in these exposures from the International Space Station. And visualize the intensity of the storm!"

Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Duration: 6 seconds
Release Date: March 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Atmosphere #Meteorology #LightningStorms #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #ESA #France #Europe #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Soaring above The Pacific Ocean with Airglow | International Space Station

Soaring above The Pacific Ocean with Airglow | International Space Station

The International Space Station was soaring 263 miles above the Pacific Ocean near the island of Hawaii when this 30‑second long‑duration photograph was taken, revealing Earth’s atmospheric glow and star trails at approximately midnight local time.

You will notice layers of red, orange and yellow airglow in this image. Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation. 

Unlike episodic and fleeting auroras, airglow shines constantly throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and the result is a tenuous bubble of light that closely encases our entire planet. (Auroras, on the other hand, are usually constrained to Earth’s poles.) Just a tenth as bright as all the stars in the night sky, airglow is far more subdued than auroras, too dim to observe easily except in orbit or on the ground with clear, dark skies and a sensitive camera.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credit: NASA/Chris Williams
Image Date: Feb. 24, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Atmosphere #Airglow #PacificOcean #Astronauts #ChrisWilliams #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #ESA #France #Europe #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

"The Aurora Tree"

"The Aurora Tree"

Pictured is a visual coincidence between the dark branches of a nearby tree and bright glow of a distant aurora. The beauty of the aurora—combined with how it seemed to mimic a tree right nearby—mesmerized the photographer to such a degree that he momentarily forgot to take pictures. When viewed at the right angle, it seemed that this tree had aurora for leaves. Fortunately, before the aurora morphed into a different overall shape, he came to his senses and captured the awe-inspiring momentary coincidence. 

Typically triggered by solar explosions, aurora are caused by high energy electrons impacting the Earth's atmosphere around 150 kilometers up. The unusual Earth-sky collaboration was witnessed during March 2017 in Iceland.

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Image Description: A leafless tree is pictured below a starry sky. In the sky behind the tree is an aurora glowing mostly green, along with purple. The shape of the aurora seems to follow the branches of the tree.

Image Credit & Copyright: Alyn Wallace
Alyn's Website: 

https://www.instagram.com/alynwallace/
Image Date: March 2017
Release Date: March 8, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #SolarWind #Sun #Stars #Photography #AlynWallace #Photographer #CitizenScience #Iceland #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

SpaceX Starship V3: Preparing for Flight 11—A Retrospective | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship V3: Preparing for Flight 11—A Retrospective | Starbase Texas

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Updates: "Starship V3 first flight in about 4 weeks. I am highly confident that the V3 design will achieve full reusability."

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission through the Human Landing System (HLS) program."

Learn more about Starship:

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):

https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Date: March 7, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #StarshipSpacecraft #StarshipV3 #StarshipV3SN1 #StarshipFlight11 #ReusableSpacecraft #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Long March-8A Rocket Moved to Launch Area in Hainan

China Long March-8A Rocket Moved to Launchpad in Hainan

A Long March 8A carrier rocket was transferred to the launch pad at Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in southern China on Saturday, March 7, 2026, for an upcoming mission. The Long March-8A carrier rocket, designed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), represents a significant upgrade to the Long March-8 series. It successfully conducted its maiden flight on Feb. 11, 2025.

The rocket, 50.5 meters long with a takeoff weight of 371 tonnes, is capable of carrying up to seven tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km. It is designed specifically for high-density, rapid constellation deployment, serving as a core vehicle for China's satellite internet constellation construction.

So far, it has successfully completed seven missions. About 15 launch missions are scheduled for the Long March 8 series rockets this year, involving the Long March 8A and Long March 8 rockets.

As a new-generation medium-lift liquid-fueled carrier rocket, the Long March 8 series rockets have become the mainstay for China's low-to-medium orbit satellite launches since its maiden flight, thanks to its modular design, high cost-effectiveness, and rapid response capabilities.

Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co., Ltd., or HICAL, is a Chinese state-owned company that operates the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, China's first commercial spaceport. Established in 2022, HICAL is the first commercially incorporated company in China to independently own and manage a spaceport.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 48 seconds
Release Date: March 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Satellites #RocketLaunch #LongMarch8A #长征八号运载火箭 #LongMarch8ARocket #CALT #CommercialSpace #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #HICAL #WCSLS #文昌商业航天发射场 #Spaceports #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Journey to Newborn Star HH 46/47 in Vela | New Technology Telescope

Journey to Newborn Star HH 46/47 in Vela | New Technology Telescope

This zoom sequence starts with a wide view of the southern Milky Way and then closes in on a rich region of dark clouds and young stars in the constellation of Vela (The Sails). One of these dark star-forming clouds features the Herbig-Haro object HH 46/47 where jets from a young star are colliding with the surrounding material. 

The final image of Herbig-Haro object HH 46/47 was captured by the European Southern Observatory’s New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Distance: 1,400 light years

Learn more about ESO's New Technology Telescope:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/

Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/Nick Risinger 

Duration: 56 seconds

Release Date: Aug. 20, 2013

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarFormation #HH4647 #HerbigHaroObject #StellarJets #CircumstellarMaterial #VelaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NTTTelescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Newborn Star: Herbig-Haro Object HH 46/47 in Vela | New Technology Telescope

A Newborn Star: Herbig-Haro Object HH 46/47 in Vela | New Technology Telescope

The Herbig-Haro object HH 46/47 seen with the European Southern Observatory’s New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. It shows jets emerging from a star-forming dark cloud.

Distance: 1,400 light years

Learn more about ESO's New Technology Telescope:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/

Credit: ESO/Bo Reipurth

Release Date: Aug. 20, 2013

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarFormation #HH4647 #HerbigHaroObject #StellarJets #CircumstellarMaterial #VelaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NTTTelescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Planetary Nebula NGC 3699 in Centaurus | New Technology Telescope

Planetary Nebula NGC 3699 in Centaurus | New Technology Telescope

This fetching cloud of gas was imaged by the European Southern Observatory Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (EFOSC2) on its New Technology Telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. It can be found nestled in the busy constellation of Centaurus in the skies of the southern hemisphere. The cloud of gas—named NGC 3699—is a planetary nebula. It is distinguished by an irregular mottled appearance and a dark rift that roughly bisects it.

Distance from Earth: ~5,000 light years

These objects, despite the name, have nothing to do with planets and are created in the final stages of the evolution of stars similar in mass to the Sun. The name "planetary nebula" arises from the time of their discovery by William Herschel, when they appeared in the telescopes of the time as rounded objects similar in looks to the planets.

Towards the end of their lives, stars like the Sun exhaust the supply of hydrogen in their cores, putting a stop to nuclear reactions. This causes the star's core to contract under the force of gravity and heat up, while the cooler outer layers expand tremendously—the surface of the Sun, for example, will likely engulf the orbit of Earth when it reaches this stage in its evolution. Unusually strong stellar winds push the gaseous outer layers of the star out into space, eventually exposing the core of the star, which begins to emit ultraviolet radiation, ionizing the expelled gas, causing the nebula's ethereal glow, and producing beautiful and varied sights, such as the one in this image.

Learn more about ESO's New Technology Telescope:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/ntt/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: Dec. 14, 2015

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #NGC3699 #CentaurusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NewTechnologyTelescope #NTTTelescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir's Exercise Routine | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir's Exercise Routine | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Flight Engineer and NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir: "Apologies for the background noise, life on International Space Station is loud! Without daily exercise on the ISS, we would lose significant muscle mass and bone density, since we don’t have the daily loading on our bodies that Earth’s gravitational environment provides.

We have the ARED 🏋️‍♀️ (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device), an engineering marvel that can be configured into a large number of weight lifting exercises, a cycle ergometer 🚲 (think a stationary bike with no handlebars and no seat—not needed in space!), and a treadmill. 🏃‍♀️

I started exercise right away, and it was so cool. Complete muscle memory! Really feels like I never left. Here’s a peek into our daily exercise routine!"

NASA Astronaut/Dr. Jessica Meir's Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/jessica-u-meir/

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/Jessica Meir

Duration: 2 minute, 45 seconds
Release Date: March 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #AstronautExercise #AstronautHealth #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Polar-ring Galaxy NGC 660 in Pisces: Wide-field view | Mayall Telescope

Polar-ring Galaxy NGC 660 in Pisces: Wide-field view | Mayall Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. It shows NGC 660 and its surroundings. NGC 660 is a striking example of a polar ring galaxy.

Distance from Earth: ~40 million light-years

In the distant background are thousands of other galaxies. Nearly every small blue or yellow smudge is a very distant galaxy. A number of these, like NGC 660, show evidence of collisions or mergers. The image was generated with observations in the B (blue), V (green), I (orange) and Hydrogen-Alpha (red) filters. In this image, North is up, East is to the left.

Learn more about the Mayall Telescope: 
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/kpno/telescopes/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope

Credit:T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)
Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC660 #PolarRingGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #MayallTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Polar-ring Galaxy NGC 660 in Pisces | Subaru Telescope

Polar-ring Galaxy NGC 660 in Pisces | Subaru Telescope

NGC 660 is a polar ring galaxy located in the constellation Pisces. It features a large, extended ring structure surrounding the central spiral galaxy at a near-perpendicular angle. NGC 660 spans about 40,000 light years across. The ring emits blue light from active star-forming regions within it. The dark lanes in the ring and the galactic disk intersect, highlighting its complicated structure. This ring structure is thought to have been formed through the gravitational interaction of the central galaxy with another galaxy.

Distance from Earth: ~40 million light-years

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/

Image Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)/Masayuki Tanaka

Release Date: Oct. 16, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC660 #PolarRingGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SubaruTelescope #すばる望遠鏡 #NAOJ #国立天文台 #HyperSuprimeCam #HSC #Japan #日本 #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Polar-ring Galaxy NGC 660 in Pisces | Gemini North Telescope

Polar-ring Galaxy NGC 660 in Pisces | Gemini North Telescope

This Gemini North telescope image captures the “bloody” aftermath of one galaxy piercing the heart of another. All the action appears in a single frame with the stunning polar-ring galaxy NGC 660 as the focus of attention. NGC 660 spans around 40,000 light years across and lies about 40 million light years distant in the direction of the constellation of Pisces. It has an unusually high gas content and resolves into hundreds of objects, a considerable fraction are blue and red supergiant stars. 

The ring’s youngest detected stars formed only about seven million years ago, indicating a long and ongoing process of formation. As NGC 660’s ring is not truly polar, but inclined ~45˚ from the plane of the disk, it most likely formed by a previous interaction with a gas-rich galaxy about a billion years ago. That event would have stripped the interloper of its gas, directed it into NGC 660’s core, and triggered a furious burst of star formation. When the resulting short-lived, massive stars exploded shortly thereafter as supernovae, they would have generated shock waves that triggered more star formation, and so on, even to this day. 

This image of the ring galaxy NGC 660, obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Fredrick C. Gillett Gemini North telescope was obtained in August 2012. The image is made from three images taken through g, r, i, and hydrogen alpha filters and assigned the colors of blue, green, orange and red respectively in this color composite image. The field of view is 9.3x5.6 arcminutes and it is oriented 8 degrees clockwise from north at right and east up. The total exposure (integration) time was 1,620 seconds for all filters. 

Learn about the Gemini North Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-north/

Credits: International Gemini Observatory/AURA

Color composite produced by Travis Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage
Release Date: Oct. 17, 2012

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC660 #PolarRingGalaxies #PiscesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #GeMS #AdaptiveOptics #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education