2024

Una porzione di cielo fotografata dallo strumento NIRCam del telescopio spaziale James Webb con la galassia GN-z11 nel riquadro

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Two articles, one published in the journal “Nature” and one accepted for publication in the journal “Astronomy & Astrophysics”, report different aspects of a study of the galaxy GN-z11, one of the most distant known, which revealed the presence of the most distant and ancient black hole found so far. A team of researchers led by Roberto Maiolino of the University of Cambridge used the James Webb Space Telescope to examine GN-z11 finding traces of the activity of the supermassive black hole at its center. Those traces indicate that it’s devouring surrounding materials at a remarkable speed. Spectroscopic analyzes showed the presence of a clump of helium in the halo surrounding GN-z11 and no heavy elements, suggesting that first-generation stars may form in that halo.

The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docking with the International Space Station in its Crew-8 mission (Image NASA TV)

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A little while ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked with the Harmony module of the International Space Station completing the first part of its Crew-8 or SpaceX Crew-8 mission that began with its launch about 28 hours earlier. After checking that the pressure gets properly balanced, the hatch will be opened to allow Aleksandr Grebenkin, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps to enter the Station and start their mission, which will last about six months.

The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft blasting off atop a Falcon 9 rocket (Image NASA)

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A few hours ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in its Crew-8 or SpaceX Crew-8 mission. After almost exactly twelve minutes, it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage and went en route to carry out its mission. This is the 8th crewed mission of the Crew Dragon spacecraft within the normal rotation of the International Space Station crew. This is also the 5th mission for the Endeavour, a new record. The fact that the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage is new is almost more newsworthy.

Artist’s impression of the white dwarf WD 0816-310 with its magnetic field and the debris that surrounds it (Image ESO/L. Calçada)

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An article published in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters” reports the results of a study of the white dwarf cataloged as WD 0816-310 and of what was defined as a scar on its surface, left by the materials of a large asteroid that got swallowed. A team of researchers used ESO’s VLT (Very Large Telescope) in Chile to obtain the information necessary to identify the metallic elements that form that scar and its concentration in a specific area, which is one of its magnetic poles. This result offers new insights into the evolution of planetary systems after the death of their star.

The remnant of the supernova SN 1987A as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope

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An article published in the journal “Science” reports new evidence that the supernova SN 1987A generated a pulsar. A team of researchers used observations conducted with the James Webb Space Telescope to detect the effects of high-energy emissions coming from the pulsar or the pulsar wind nebula, a nebula that surrounds it and is powered by the pulsar. These are confirmations of conclusions reached by other teams of researchers in recent years using observations in other electromagnetic bands.