Telescopes

Artistic concept of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system (Image NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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NASA held a press conference to communicate new discoveries in the research on the TRAPPIST-1 star system. These results have also been described in an article published in the journal “Nature”. Using data collected by NASA’s Spitzer Telescope, a team of researchers led by Michaël Gillon of the STAR Institute confirmed the existence of 7 planets in this system, all rocky. Potentially, at least in some region of all those planets there could be liquid water.

RX J1347.5-1145 galaxy cluster (Image ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/T. Kitayama (Toho University, Japan)/ESA/Hubble & NASA)

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The ALMA radio telescope was used for the first time to measure the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Effect aiming it at the RX J1347.5-1145 galaxy cluster, located about 5 billion light years from Earth. This effect is due to the photons from the cosmic microwave background radiation that interact with high-energy electrons because of their temperature. Those measurements are useful to obtain information on the location and distribution of dense galactic clusters such as the one studied in this case.

Active galaxy in the heart of the Phoenix Cluster with its jets (Image ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) H.Russell, et al.; NASA/ESA Hubble; NASA/CXC/MIT/M.McDonald et al.; B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF))

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An article published in “Astrophysical Journal” describes a research showing a link between a supermassive black hole and the galaxy that hosts it. A team of researchers used the ALMA radio telescope to study a galaxy in the heart of the Phoenix Cluster which has at its core a supermassive black hole that emits electromagnetic radiation jets that are stimulating the birth of new stars.

Artist’s impression of the AR Scorpii system (Image M. Garlick/University of Warwick/ESO)

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An article published in the journal “Nature Astronomy” describes the discovery of the first white dwarf pulsar, an object so far only hypothesized but never found. A team of researchers from the British University of Warwick identified it in the AR Scorpii (AR Sco) System, composed of a red dwarf and the white dwarf pulsar that a rotation period of just under two minutes.

NGC 6334 and NGC 6357 (Image ESO)

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ESO has released one of the largest astronomical images created thanks to the VST (Very Large Telescope Survey Telescope) which includes two cosmic clouds of gas and dust, NGC 6334 and NGC 6357. Because of their shapes, they’re also known respectively with their popular names as the “Cat’s Paw Nebula” and the “Lobster Nebula”.