Though we all have differences, there’s one commonality that has prevailed for all of humanity: we are all floating on a rock, flying through outer space at over a million miles an hour.
Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology in the past century, we can observe much more of the universe than we ever thought possible.
The scale and sheer size of the universe make it impossible to truly learn everything, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Here's what's happening in space this week.
The James Webb Space telescope has made multiple groundbreaking discoveries since its launch last December. However, Hubble, Webb's predecessor, continues to prove it still has plenty to offer with its latest image.
Hubble recently captured a breathtaking image of JO206, a type of galaxy known as a 'jellyfish galaxy' located 700 million light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.
Jellyfish galaxies were given their name thanks to their similar appearance to the squishy, marine animals of the same name. However, while jellyfish tentacles are made of mostly water, the massive tendrils in JO206 are comprised of material involved in star formation.
In the colorful new image from Hubble, the galaxy is surrounded by a cloud of dust. Its 'tentacles' of star formation were formed by interactions between the galaxy itself and superheated plasma within galaxy clusters called the intra-cluster medium. This is also the case for most other jellyfish galaxies.
Found within galaxy clusters, jellyfish galaxies move against the intense pressure of the intra-cluster medium, stripping away gas that is left behind in as long tendrils extending out from the galaxy. The gas then collapses after being compressed causing starbursts and leaving trails of new stars along the jellyfish's flowing tendrils.
The image of the cosmic sea creature is more than just a pretty picture, however. Astronomers use images like these to study star formation in rare and extreme conditions.
Data collected from Hubble showed, to the surprise of astronomers, that there are no significant difference in star formation within the disks and tentacles of jellyfish galaxies, according to ESA. This indicates that newly formed stars aren't as influenced by their environment as previously thought.
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