In an article from the website, Science Daily, researchers have discovered more evidence to support the theory of the Milky Way growing from the middle and spreading outwards over time. This evidence came from the current Gaia-ESO project that was created by the European Space Agency. After reading this article, I realized just how important this information could be. I want to know how the Milky Way was created, because then I will be able to find out more information about how my home, Earth, was created as well. I also really enjoy the topic of astronomy, so when I was looking for articles, this study caught my eye early on. The information is also incredibly recent, which means that scientists are learning new ways to see the universe every day. And if something new can be discovered every day, then there is always a need for science, something which I want to stress to my future students, who may think that science is boring or unimportant.
In order to better understand the study, one must look at what likely occurred after the Big Bang. After the Big Bang, only helium and hydrogen existed in the aftermath, and over time, the levels of “contaminant metals” grew. This means that the older a star is, the less “contaminant metals” there are in its makeup. One of these “contaminant metals” is magnesium, which is present in massive stars, which “live fast and die young”(University of Cambridge, 2014). Thus the study, which took place in Paranal, Chile using the VLT telescope, collected information about how old the stars were and where they were located in order to see if the theory, that the milky way was created from the inside out. The source of this study was the University of Cambridge, however, the new following discoverie...
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... disks theory. Currently the theory is over 30 years old, so Gilmore, the man who first proposed the thick-disk, is incredibly excited at the probability of learning what actually happened, rather than just theorizing.
In conclusion, the Gaia-Eso study is just beginning its run. This project has already uncovered important new information to support existing about the Milky Way and the thick and think rings theories. In the next few years, there are certain to be even more discoveries. I find the possibility of even more discoveries truly exciting; this only serves to support my reasons for choosing this article. The study is ongoing and the science is not done, it simply continues. This is an important concept to remember as a future teacher, to stress that science is happening all around us, all the time, and will be a constant and necessary part of our society.
There is evidence that supports the hypothesis that the Milky Way Galaxy has a massive black hole at its core. At the center of our very own galaxy is a mysterious source of energy. Vast amounts of radiation pour from this compact source which may be a Supermassive Black Hole. Astronomers found an intense radio source with strings of other radio sources clustered about it in the direction of the galactic center. The intense source was named Sagittarius A because the center of the galaxy lies in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. The position of Sagittarius A as has been observed through radio telescopes around the world seems to be very near the dynamical and gravitational center of the galaxy. Based on its high luminosity and radio spectrum Sagittarius A is neither a star nor a pulsar. It has a luminosity of 5 stars but is smaller than our solar system. Also, it can’t be a supernova remnant since it is not expanding. The strongest evidence that it is a Supermassive Black Hole come...
Clusters like NGC 6530 were formed from the same cloud, and as a result have roughly the same age. This makes them of particular interest to astronomers. Because clusters are all formed from the same material, have roughly the same age, and distance from earth, variations in their brightness is only due to their mass ("Open Star Clusters"). This makes them particularly useful for studying stellar evolution. This cluster was first observed by Hodierna in 1654, and later found independently by Flamsteed in 1680 when he discovered the cluster was located within the Lagoon Nebula. Like most open star clusters, NGC 6530 is relatively young; having been formed less than 6 million years ago ("Young Stars Paint Spectacular Stellar Landscape"). It is known to consist of more than a hundred known bright stars, the light of which show very little reddening as a result of interstellar matter from the nebula, this is likely because the cluster is located just in front of the
& MCMILLAN, S. 2008. Astronomy Today - Sixth Edition, United States of America, Pearson Education, Inc.
(adopted from an article by Greg Laughlin and Fred Adams, "Celebrating the Galactic Millennium", Astronomy November 2001)
Whenever one hears the word Gaia, he or she will also hear life, goddess, purpose, ecology, and undoubtedly controversy. Not many topics have provoked more controversy among the scientific community than the idea that the atmosphere, biosphere, and its living organisms behave as a single system, striving to maintain a stability that is conducive to the existence of life—the so-called Gaia theory or Gaia hypothesis.
It also clarifies any doubts about science not having its own authority and that its allowed to do whatever they want
...redit for developing and successfully finishing the general theories of relativity, having a forever-lasting effect on science.
Waller, William H. The Milky Way: An Insider's Guide. Princeton, N.J: Princeton UP, 2013. 42+. Print.
Centuries ago, people gazed into the night sky wondering what it was that they were looking at. When astronomers first started to study the night sky, like Galileo, Copernicus and even modern day astronomers, they all shared one goal, and that was to see further than anyone has ever before. The invention of the Hubble Space Telescope changed the study of astronomy forever. Astronomers were seeing and learning more in just days of the launch of the telescope than past astronomers had in their lifetimes. The Hubble Space Telescope is the most technologically advanced telescope to enter space. Its advanced technology has made it possible to obtain countless amounts of data about space and open many doors in the exploration of space. Its accuracy has and still is proving/debunking the myths of space.
A star begins as nothing more than a very light distribution of interstellar gases and dust particles over a distance of a few dozen lightyears. Although there is extremely low pressure existing between stars, this distribution of gas exists instead of a true vacuum. If the density of gas becomes larger than .1 particles per cubic centimeter, the interstellar gas grows unstable. Any small deviation in density, and because it is impossible to have a perfectly even distribution in these clouds this is something that will naturally occur, and the area begins to contract. This happens because between about .1 and 1 particles per cubic centimeter, pressure gains an inverse relationship with density. This causes internal pressure to decrease with increasing density, which because of the higher external pressure, causes the density to continue to increase. This causes the gas in the interstellar medium to spontaneously collect into denser clouds. The denser clouds will contain molecular hydrogen (H2) and interstellar dust particles including carbon compounds, silicates, and small impure ice crystals. Also, within these clouds, there are 2 types of zones. There are H I zones, which contain neutral hydrogen and often have a temperature around 100 Kelvin (K), and there are H II zones, which contain ionized hydrogen and have a temperature around 10,000 K. The ionized hydrogen absorbs ultraviolet light from it’s environment and retransmits it as visible and infrared light. These clouds, visible to the human eye, have been named nebulae. The density in these nebulae is usually about 10 atoms per cubic centimeter. In brighter nebulae, there exists densities of up to several thousand atoms per cubic centimete...
The Andromeda Galaxy is the Milky Way Galaxy’s closest neighbor; with it being around 2.5 million lightyears away from Earth. It was once referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older readings. It gets its name from the Andromeda constellation which in turn received its name from the Greek goddess Andromeda.
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.
Astronomers believe that most galaxies consist of a supermassive black hole at the center, which attracts all constituents of galaxies such as, dust, gases (mainly Hydrogen and Helium), atoms, stars, interstellar clouds and planets to the center by force of gravity, but are not sure whether all galaxies contain a black hole in the center. Galaxies keep moving in relative motion to one another and intermittently can come so close that the force of gravitational attraction between the galaxies may become strong enough to cause a change in the shape of the galaxies, while in exceptional cases, the galaxies may collide. If two galaxies collide, they may pass right through without any effect or may merge, forming strands of stars, extending beyond 100,000 light years in space (World Book Online Reference Centre, 2005). Hence, neighboring and often other colliding galaxies induce the sha...
The idea behind the Solar Nebular Hypothesis is that the solar system was condensed from an enormous cloud of hydrogen, helium, and a few other elements and rocks. Around five billion years this cloud of materials began to spin and contract together into a disk shape under their own gravitational forces. The particles started combined together, protoplanets, to eventually form planets. A great mass of the material eventually began to form together, protosun, and make up the sun.