Tag Archives: Galaxies

For decades, scientists engaged in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have probed the galaxy for signs of artificial radio transmissions. Beginning with Project Ozma in 1960, astronomers have used radio antennas to listen for possible transmissions from other star systems or galaxies. These efforts culminated in January 2016 with the launch of Breakthrough Listen, the most comprehensive SETI effort …

In 1990, the future director of the Vatican Observatory was living in a refugee camp in Jordan. Fr. Richard D’Souza, S.J., the director of the Vatican Observatory. Credit: Courtesy photo. Fr. Richard D’Souza was 12 years old at the time, and his family had just lost everything. D’Souza was born in the Indian city of Pune, but his family emigrated …

A vast river of neutral hydrogen bridges two galaxies that are beginning to enter the monstrous Virgo Cluster, and this structure is helping astronomers better understand our Milky Way’s relationship with the nearby Magellanic Clouds. The two galaxies, named NGC 4532 and DDO 137, are in fact falling into the Virgo Cluster at 547 miles (880 kilometers) per second, and …

Two small, misshapen galaxies are wandering together on the outskirts of the Virgo Cluster, a huge city of galaxies. Astronomers have been watching this galaxy pair, NGC 4532 and DDO 137, for years because their gas looks messy and stretched. Fresh radio maps now show why. Using a survey that traces invisible, cold hydrogen gas, researchers mapped a massive bridge …

Most of the ordinary matter in the universe is hydrogen. But surprisingly, less than 20% of this hydrogen sits inside galaxies. The rest lies in the vast spaces between them – the so-called intergalactic medium. This cosmic reservoir is thought to fuel the birth of new stars, as gas slowly falls into galaxies over billions of years. Yet much of …

IN A NUTSHELL 🔭 Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope found a pattern in the rotational direction of ancient galaxies. 🌀 Approximately 60% of these galaxies rotate clockwise, challenging previous beliefs about galactic rotations. 🌌 A hypothesis suggests our universe might be trapped within a massive black hole, reshaping cosmic understanding. 🔍 Alternative explanations consider observational bias, such as …

The Royal Observatory Greenwich’s ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 17 contest showcases the best astronomical and night sky images of the year, captured by exceptional photographers worldwide. This year’s winning photos include spectacular shots of distant galaxies, unique images of the Sun, magical nightscapes on Earth, and much more.

One of the winners of the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards. (Image credit: Comet 12P/Pons−Brooks Taking a Final Bow © Dan Bartlett) The winners of the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award have been revealed, showcasing a spectacular selection of night sky images that reveal the majesty of ancient galaxies, nebulas, stellar cities and of …

In a new study, scientists at the University of Missouri looked deep into the universe and found something unexpected. Using infrared images taken from NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), they identified 300 objects that were brighter than they should be. “These mysterious objects are candidate galaxies in the early universe, meaning they could be very early galaxies,” said …

Our corner of the universe looks tidy at first glance. But pull back, and patterns begin to surface that stretch across billions of light-years. New mapping work hints that our own galaxy belongs to a much larger basin shaped by gravity, while a separate find reveals a vast, ring-like arrangement of distant galaxies. The work was led by …