The Doubly Warped World of Binary Black Holes

youtube.com/embed/rQcKIN9vj3U?…
If one black hole looks strange, what about two? Light rays from accretion disks around a pair of orbiting supermassive black holes make their way through the warped space-time produced by extreme gravity in this detailed computer visualization. The simulated accretion disks have been given different false color schemes, red for the disk surrounding a 200-million-solar-mass black hole, and blue for the disk surrounding a 100-million-solar-mass black hole. For these masses, though, both accretion disks would actually emit most of their light in the ultraviolet. The video allows us to see both sides of each black hole at the same time. Red and blue light originating from both black holes can be seen in the innermost ring of light, called the photon sphere, near their event horizons. In the past decade, gravitational waves from black hole collisions have actually been detected, although the coalescence of supermassive black holes remains undiscovered. Hole New Worlds: It's Black Hole Week at NASA!

Attribution:

@space@lemmy.science.social @science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @science@newsmast.community @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Titan: Moon over Saturn

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/…
Like Earth's moon, Saturn's largest moon Titan is locked in synchronous rotation with its planet. This mosaic of images recorded by the Cassini spacecraft in May of 2012 shows its anti-Saturn side, the side always facing away from the ringed gas giant. The only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, Titan is the only solar system world besides Earth known to have standing bodies of liquid on its surface and an earthlike cycle of liquid rain and evaporation. Its high altitude layer of atmospheric haze is evident in the Cassini view of the 5,000 kilometer diameter moon over Saturn's rings and cloud tops. Near center is the dark dune-filled region known as Shangri-La. The Cassini-delivered Huygens probe rests below and left of center, after the most distant landing for a spacecraft from Earth.

Attribution:

@space@lemmy.science.social @science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @science@newsmast.community @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Young Star Cluster NGC 346

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/…
The most massive young star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud is NGC 346, embedded in our small satellite galaxy's largest star forming region some 210,000 light-years distant. Of course the massive stars of NGC 346 are short lived, but very energetic. Their winds and radiation sculpt the edges of the region's dusty molecular cloud triggering star-formation within. The star forming region also appears to contain a large population of infant stars. A mere 3 to 5 million years old and not yet burning hydrogen in their cores, the infant stars are strewn about the embedded star cluster. This spectacular infrared view of NGC 346 is from the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRcam. Emission from atomic hydrogen ionized by the massive stars' energetic radiation as well as molecular hydrogen and dust in the star-forming molecular cloud is detailed in pink and orange hues. Webb's sharp image of the young star-forming region spans 240 light-years at the distance of the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Attribution:

@space@lemmy.science.social @science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @science@newsmast.community @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

MESSENGER's Last Day on Mercury

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/…
The first to orbit inner planet Mercury, the MESSENGER spacecraft came to rest on this region of Mercury's surface on April 30, 2015. Constructed from MESSENGER image and laser altimeter data, the projected scene looks north over the northeastern rim of the broad, lava filled Shakespeare basin. The large, 48 kilometer (30 mile) wide crater Janacek is near the upper left edge. Terrain height is color coded with red regions about 3 kilometers above blue ones. MESSENGER'S final orbit was predicted to end near the center, with the spacecraft impacting the surface at nearly 4 kilometers per second (over 8,700 miles per hour) and creating a new crater about 16 meters (52 feet) in diameter. The impact on the far side of Mercury was not observed by telescopes, but confirmed when no signal was detected from the spacecraft given time to emerge from behind the planet. Launched in 2004, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemisty and Ranging spacecraft completed over 4,000 orbits after reaching the Solar System's innermost planet in 2011.

Attribution:

@space@lemmy.science.social @science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @science@newsmast.community @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
This stunning portrait of NGC 5335 was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Some 170,000 light-years across and over 200 million light-years away toward the constellation Virgo, the magnificent spiral galaxy is seen face-on in Hubble's view. Within the galactic disk, loose streamers of star forming regions lie along the galaxy's flocculent spiral arms. But the most striking feature of NGC 5335 is its prominent central bar. Seen in about 30 percent of galaxies, including our Milky Way, bar structures are understood to channel material inward toward the galactic center, fueling star formation. Of course, distant background galaxies are easy to spot, scattered around the sharp Hubble image. Launched in 1990, Hubble is now celebrating its 35th year exploring the cosmos from orbit around planet Earth.

Attribution:

@space@lemmy.science.social @science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Galaxy Lenses Galaxy from Webb

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
Is this one galaxy or two? Although it looks like one, the answer is two. One path to this happening is when a small galaxy collides with a larger galaxy and ends up in the center. But in the featured image, something more rare is going on. Here, the central light-colored elliptical galaxy is much closer than the blue and red-colored spiral galaxy that surrounds it. This can happen when near and far galaxies are exactly aligned, causing the gravity of the near galaxy to pull the light from the far galaxy around it in an effect called gravitational lensing. The featured galaxy double was taken by the Webb Space Telescope and shows a complete Einstein ring, with great detail visible for both galaxies. Galaxy lenses like this can reveal new information about the mass distribution of the foreground lens and the light distribution of the background source.

Attribution:

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Comet C/2025 F2 SWAN

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
In late March, the comet now designated C/2025 F2 SWAN was found independently by citizen scientists Vladimir Bezugly, Michael Mattiazzo, and Rob Matson while examining publicly available image data from the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) camera on the sun-staring SOHO spacecraft. Comet SWAN's coma, its greenish color a signature of diatomic carbon molecules fluorescing in sunlight, is at lower left in this telescopic image. SWAN's faint ion tail extends nearly two degrees toward the upper right across the field of view. The interplanetary scene was captured in clear but moonlit skies from June Lake, California on April 14. Seen against background of stars toward the constellation Andromeda, the comet was then some 10 light-minutes from our fair planet. Now a target for binoculars and small telescopes in northern hemisphere morning skies this comet SWAN is headed for a perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun, on May 1. That will bring this visitor from the distant Oort cloud almost as close to the Sun as the orbit of inner planet Mercury.

Attribution: Dan Bartlett

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Virgo Cluster Galaxies

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
Galaxies of the Virgo Cluster are scattered across this nearly 4 degree wide telescopic field of view. About 50 million light-years distant, the Virgo Cluster is the closest large galaxy cluster to our own local galaxy group. Prominent here are Virgo's bright elliptical galaxies from the Messier catalog, M87 at bottom left, and M86 and M84 near center right. M86 and M84 are recognized as part of Markarian's Chain, the visually striking line-up of galaxies on the that runs through the upper portion of this frame. Near the middle of the chain lies an intriguing interacting pair of galaxies, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, known to some as Markarian's Eyes. Still, giant elliptical galaxy M87 dominates the Virgo cluster. It's the home of a super massive black hole, the first black hole ever imaged by planet Earth's Event Horizon Telescope.

Attribution: Daniel Adibi

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

The Galactic Center in Radio from MeerKAT

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
What's happening at the center of our galaxy? It's hard to tell with optical telescopes since visible light is blocked by intervening interstellar dust. In other bands of light, though, such as radio, the galactic center can be imaged and shows itself to be quite an interesting and active place. The featured picture shows an image of our Milky Way's center by the MeerKAT array of 64 radio dishes in South Africa. Spanning four times the angular size of the Moon (2 degrees), the image is impressively vast, deep, and detailed. Many known sources are shown in clear detail, including many with a prefix of Sgr, since the galactic center is in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. In our galaxy's center lies Sgr A, found here in the image center, which houses the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole. Other sources in the image are not as well understood, including the Arc, just to the left of Sgr A, and numerous filamentary threads. The inset image shows a small patch recently imaged in infrared light with the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate the effects of magnetic fields on star formation. Open Science: Browse 3,600+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library

Attribution:

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

An Unusual Hole in Mars

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
What created this unusual hole in Mars? Actually, there are numerous holes pictured in this Swiss cheese-like landscape, with all-but-one of them showing a dusty, dark, Martian terrain beneath evaporating, light, carbon dioxide ice. The most unusual hole is on the upper right, spans about 100 meters, and seems to punch through to a lower level. Why this hole exists and why it is surrounded by a circular crater remains a topic of speculation, although a leading hypothesis is that it was created by a meteor impact. Holes such as this are of particular interest because they might be portals to lower levels that extend into expansive underground caves. If so, these naturally occurring tunnels are relatively protected from the harsh surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life. These pits are therefore also prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers.

Attribution:

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Moon Visits Sister Stars

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
Sometimes, the Moon visits the Pleiades. Technically, this means that the orbit of our Moon takes it directly in front of the famous Pleiades star cluster, which is far in the distance. The technical term for the event is an occultation, and the Moon is famous for its rare occultations of all planets and several well-known bright stars. The Moon's tilted and precessing orbit makes its occultations of the Seven Sisters star cluster bunchy, with the current epoch starting in 2023 continuing monthly until 2029. After that, though, the next occultation won't occur until 2042. Taken from Cantabria, Spain on April 1, the featured image is a composite where previous exposures of the Pleiades from the same camera and location were digitally added to the last image to bring up the star cluster's iconic blue glow. Jigsaw Challenge: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day

Attribution:

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Moonquakes Surprisingly Common

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
Why are there so many moonquakes? Analyses of seismometers left on the moon during the Apollo moon landings reveal a surprising number of moonquakes occurring within 100 kilometers of the surface. In fact, 62 moonquakes were detected in data recorded between 1972 and 1977. Many of these moonquakes are not only strong enough to move furniture in a lunar apartment, but the stiff rock of the moon continues to vibrate for many minutes, significantly longer than the softer rock earthquakes on Earth. The cause of the moonquakes remains unknown, but a leading hypothesis include tidal gravity from -- and relative heating by -- our Earth. Regardless of the source, future moon dwellings need to be built to withstand the frequent shakings. Pictured here, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands beside a recently deployed lunar seismometer, looking back toward the lunar landing module. Explore Your Universe: Random APOD Generator

Attribution:

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy

Hickson 44 in Leo

apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2504/…
Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies, now appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups. The four prominent galaxies seen in this intriguing telescopic skyscape are one such group, Hickson 44. The galaxy group is about 100 million light-years distant, far beyond the spiky foreground Milky Way stars, toward the constellation Leo. The two spiral galaxies in the center of the image are edge-on NGC 3190 with its distinctive, warped dust lanes, and S-shaped NGC 3187. Along with the bright elliptical, NGC 3193 (above and left) they are also known as Arp 316. The spiral toward the lower right corner is NGC 3185, the 4th member of the Hickson group. Like other galaxies in Hickson groups, these show signs of distortion and enhanced star formation, evidence of a gravitational tug of war that will eventually result in galaxy mergers on a cosmic timescale. The merger process is now understood to be a normal part of the evolution of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. For scale, NGC 3190 is about 75,000 light-years across at the estimated distance of Hickson 44.

Attribution: Jiang Wu

@science@lemmy.world @science@beehaw.org @space@beehaw.org @space@lemmy.world @science@lemmy.ml @space@newsmast.community @space@lemmy.ml #space #science #nasa #astronomy