Uncovering the ultraviolet Universe
A view of a spectacular spiral in ultraviolet and optical light helps astronomers learn more about how stars are born
Spiral galaxy Messier 96 is just one of 50 local galaxies being analysed by astronomers as part of LEGUS (Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey), a study that seeks to unlock the secrets of star formation. Viewing these star-forming galaxies in ultraviolet light helps astronomers track young, hot stars so they can focus on the processes that stars undergo just after birth.
The scope of the survey should enable astronomers to get a thorough picture of stellar formation: it contains about 8,000 star clusters and 39 million individual stars at least five times more massive than the Sun.
Messier 96 is about 35 million lightyears from Earth and is about the same mass as the Milky Way. Stars are being born within the dark filaments in the spiral arms, and these youngsters glow bright pink as they shine through surrounding hydrogen gas.
A farewell embrace VERY LARGE TELESCOPE, 21 MAY 2018
Just released by ESO, this image was taken by the VIMOS spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope just before it was decommissioned in March. It is a fitting final image, as VIMOS data is helping astronomers learn more about the lives of galaxies. These two spirals are colliding with each other 110 million lightyears away to form a single object, named Arp 271.
Dusty dark clouds VISTA TELESCOPE, 30 APRIL 2018
There was a time when astronomers thought dark patches in a starry scene were simply an absence of stars. Now we know that these are dark nebulae: a form of dusty cosmic cloud that blots out starlight. Even the infrared capabilities of the VISTA telescope cannot see through these dark patches, located in the sky close to the Lagoon Nebula (not pictured).
Hole in the solar surface NASA SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY, 2-4 MAY 2018
This huge dark coronal hole stretches roughly halfway across the solar disc. These features are caused by open magnetic field lines, which release charged particles called solar winds into space. Because they are less dense and cooler, they appear darker in ultraviolet images such as this.
Fruitful encounter? HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, 17 MAY 2018
In the bottom right of this image of dwarf galaxy UGC 5340, the blobs of bright colour indicate a pocket of star formation. Often, bursts of star formation occur as galaxies interact with each other, the gravitational forces whipping up cosmic dust and beginning the process afresh. Astronomers believe this may have been the case with UGC 5340.