Tag: star formation
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Starless Gas Cloud on Cloud 9: A New Cosmic Mystery
Emerging Discoveries Beyond the Brightest Stars In the vastness of the universe, not every cloud of gas sparks a new sun. Recent observations have spotlighted a rare, starless gas cloud floating in interstellar and intergalactic space, nicknamed a “cloud on cloud nine” by researchers for its quiet, enigmatic nature. This object challenges conventional wisdom about…
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Cloud 9: The Silent Starless Gas Cloud Expanding Our View of the Cosmos
Introduction: A Quiet Giant in the Interstellar Medium In the vast tapestry of the universe, not all clouds give birth to stars. Some remain stubbornly starless, composed mostly of hydrogen and helium with delicate traces of heavier elements. The latest discovery, nicknamed Cloud 9, is one such enigmatic gas cloud that has captivated astronomers. Far…
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Astronomers Discover a Starless Gas Cloud: Cloud 9 Shines in the Cosmic Void
Introduction: A Starless Cloud in a Vast Cosmos In the sprawling tapestry of the universe, a new entrant has captured the attention of astronomers: a starless gas cloud nicknamed “Cloud 9.” This intriguing object challenges some long-held ideas about how stars form and how gas behaves in interstellar space. By studying Cloud 9, researchers hope…
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Do All Stars Exist in Galaxies? Exploring Intergalactic Stars
Do all stars exist in galaxies, or can they exist in intergalactic space? The short answer is that nearly all stars are born, live, and die within galaxies. Galaxies provide the essential ingredients for star formation: dense clouds of gas, dust, and the gravitational well that keeps these materials together. However, the universe also hosts…
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N159: A Massive Stellar Nursery in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Introduction: A Milky Way Companion’s Brilliant Nursery Among the countless wonders cataloged by the Hubble Space Telescope, N159 stands out as one of the most massive and actively star-forming clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Located about 160,000 light-years away in the Dorado constellation, this colossal star-forming region offers a vivid glimpse into how…
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N159: A Mighty Star-Forming Cloud in the Large Magellanic Cloud — Hubble’s Week in Space
Hubble’s Picture of the Week: Spotlight on N159 In its ongoing series of “Picture of the Week,” the Hubble Space Telescope turns the lens toward some of the most dramatic stellar nurseries in our galactic neighborhood. The latest selection highlights N159, a colossal star-forming cloud in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Located roughly 160,000 light-years…
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N159: Hubble Captures One of the LMC’s Largest Star-Forming Clouds
Introduction: A Glimpse into a Newborn Stellar Landscape The Hubble Space Telescope’s latest image of N159 offers a rare, intimate look at one of the Large Magellanic Cloud’s most massive star-forming clouds. Nestled in the constellation Dorado, this colossal cosmic nursery is about 160,000 light-years from Earth. While the Large Magellanic Cloud sits as a…
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What Hubble Reveals About Markarian 178: A Dwarf Galaxy in Ursa Major
Big Bear, Big Stars: Hubble’s Glimpse of Markarian 178 On the final day of 2025, the Hubble Space Telescope added another striking image to its gallery of the universe’s wonders by capturing Markarian 178 (Mrk 178), a compact dwarf galaxy perched in the constellation Ursa Major. This ultraviolet-bright galaxy belongs to a distinctive class of…
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Baby Star Factory: JWST Peers into Sagittarius B2’s Dusty Birth Cloud
Introduction: A Window into Star Formation NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has turned its gaze toward Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2), a colossal molecular cloud near the Milky Way’s heart. Although it contains only about 10% of the galactic center’s gas, this cloud is a beacon of stellar birth, responsible for a large share of…
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Baby Star Factory: JWST Unveils Sagittarius B2’s Hidden Star Birth
What JWST Reveals About a Cosmic Cloud The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has turned its infrared gaze toward Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2), a colossal molecular cloud located near the center of our Milky Way. Although Sgr B2 contains only about 10% of the galactic center’s gas, it is a prolific cradle for star formation,…