Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
Astronomers Track Down Asteroids in Hubble Archive
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth The light that the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope collected to create this image reached the telescope after a journey of 250 million years. Its source was the spiral galaxy UGC 11397, which resides in the constellation Lyra (The Lyre). At first glance, UGC 11397 appears to be an average spiral galaxy: it sports two graceful spiral arms that are illuminated by stars and defined by dark, clumpy clouds of dust.
What sets UGC 11397 apart from a typical spiral lies at its center, where a supermassive black hole containing 174 million times the mass of our Sun grows. As a black hole ensnares gas, dust, and even entire stars from its vicinity, this doomed matter heats up and puts on a fantastic cosmic light show.
Material trapped by the black hole emits light from gamma rays to radio waves, and can brighten and fade without warning. But in some galaxies, including UGC 11397, thick clouds of dust hide much of this energetic activity from view in optical light. Despite this, UGC 11397’s actively growing black hole was revealed through its bright X-ray emission — high-energy light that can pierce the surrounding dust. This led astronomers to classify it as a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy, a category used for active galaxies whose central regions are hidden from view in visible light by a donut-shaped cloud of dust and gas.
Using Hubble, researchers will study hundreds of galaxies that, like UGC 11397, harbor a supermassive black hole that is gaining mass. The Hubble observations will help researchers weigh nearby supermassive black holes, understand how black holes grew early in the universe’s history, and even study how stars form in the extreme environment found at the very center of a galaxy.
Text credit: ESA
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth
View the full article
-
By NASA
2 min read
Hubble Captures an Active Galactic Center
This Hubble image shows the spiral galaxy UGC 11397. ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth The light that the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope collected to create this image reached the telescope after a journey of 250 million years. Its source was the spiral galaxy UGC 11397, which resides in the constellation Lyra (The Lyre). At first glance, UGC 11397 appears to be an average spiral galaxy: it sports two graceful spiral arms that are illuminated by stars and defined by dark, clumpy clouds of dust.
What sets UGC 11397 apart from a typical spiral lies at its center, where a supermassive black hole containing 174 million times the mass of our Sun grows. As a black hole ensnares gas, dust, and even entire stars from its vicinity, this doomed matter heats up and puts on a fantastic cosmic light show.
Material trapped by the black hole emits light from gamma rays to radio waves, and can brighten and fade without warning. But in some galaxies, including UGC 11397, thick clouds of dust hide much of this energetic activity from view in optical light. Despite this, UGC 11397’s actively growing black hole was revealed through its bright X-ray emission — high-energy light that can pierce the surrounding dust. This led astronomers to classify it as a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy, a category used for active galaxies whose central regions are hidden from view in visible light by a donut-shaped cloud of dust and gas.
Using Hubble, researchers will study hundreds of galaxies that, like UGC 11397, harbor a supermassive black hole that is gaining mass. The Hubble observations will help researchers weigh nearby supermassive black holes, understand how black holes grew early in the universe’s history, and even study how stars form in the extreme environment found at the very center of a galaxy.
Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Share
Details
Last Updated Jun 27, 2025 Related Terms
Hubble Space Telescope Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble
Hubble Space Telescope
Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.
Hubble’s Galaxies
Galaxy Details and Mergers
Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge
View the full article
-
By NASA
5 Min Read What Are Asteroids? (Ages 14-18)
What are asteroids?
Asteroids are rocky objects that orbit the Sun just like planets do. In fact, sometimes asteroids are called “minor planets.” These space rocks were left behind after our solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
Asteroids are found in a wide range of sizes. For example, one small asteroid, 2015 TC25, has a diameter of about 6 feet – about the size of a small car – while the asteroid Vesta is nearly 330 miles in diameter, almost as wide as the U.S. state of Arizona. Some asteroids even have enough gravity to have one or two small moons of their own.
There are more than a million known asteroids. Many asteroids are given names. An organization called the International Astronomical Union is responsible for assigning names to objects like asteroids and comets.
This illustration depicts NASA’s Psyche spacecraft as it approaches the asteroid Psyche. Once it arrives in 2029, the spacecraft will orbit the metal-rich asteroid for 26 months while it conducts its science investigation.NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU What’s the difference between asteroids, meteors, and comets?
Although all of these celestial bodies orbit the Sun, they are not the same. Unlike asteroids, which are rocky, comets are a mix of dust and ice. Meteors are small space rocks that get pulled close enough to enter Earth’s atmosphere, where they either burn up as a shooting star or land on the ground as a meteorite.
What are asteroids made of?
Different types of asteroids are composed of different mixes of materials. Most of them are made of chondrites, which are combinations of materials such as rocks and clay. These are called “C-type” asteroids. Some, called “S-type,” are made of stony materials, while “M-type” asteroids are composed of metallic elements.
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft captured this image of Vesta as it left the giant asteroid’s orbit in 2012. The framing camera was looking down at the north pole, which is in the middle of the image.NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA How did the asteroids form?
Asteroids formed around the same time and in the same way as the planets in our solar system. A massive, dense cloud of gas and dust collapsed into a spinning disk, and the gravity in the disk’s center pulled more and more material toward it. Over time, these pieces repeatedly collided with each other, sometimes resulting in smaller fragments and other times clumping together, resulting in much bigger objects.
Objects with a lot of mass – like planets – produced enough gravity to pull themselves into spheres, but many smaller objects didn’t. These ended up becoming comets, small moons, and, yes, asteroids. Although some asteroids have a spherical shape, most have irregular shapes – sometimes oblong, bumpy, or jagged.
The main asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, and Trojan asteroids both lead and follow Jupiter. Scientists now know that asteroids were the original “building blocks” of the inner planets. Those that remain are airless rocks that failed to adhere to one another to become larger bodies as the solar system was forming 4.6 billion years ago.Credits: NASA, ESA and J. Olmsted (STScI) Where are asteroids found?
Most of the asteroids we know about are located in an area called the main asteroid belt, which is found in the space between Mars and Jupiter. But asteroids are found in other parts of the solar system, too.
Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun on the same orbital path as a planet. They’re found at two specific points on the planetary orbit called Lagrange points. At these points, the gravitational pull of the planet and the Sun are in balance, making these points gravity-neutral and stable. Many planets have been found to have Trojan asteroids, including Earth.
An asteroid’s location can also be influenced by the gravity of planets it passes and end up pushed or pulled onto a path that brings it close to Earth. When asteroids or comets are on an orbital path that comes within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit, we call them near-Earth objects.
Illustration of NASA’s DART spacecraft and the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) LICIACube, with images of the asteroids Dimorphos and Didymos obtained by the DART spacecraft.Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Joshua Diaz Could an asteroid come close enough to hit Earth?
Yes! Throughout history, asteroids or pieces of asteroids have collided with Earth, our Moon, and the other planets, too. The effects of some of these impacts are still visible. For example, Chicxulub Crater was created 65 million years ago when a massive asteroid struck Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The resulting cloud of dust and gas released into Earth’s atmosphere blocked sunlight, leading to a mass extinction that included the dinosaurs. More recently, in 2013, people in Chelyabinsk, Russia, witnessed an asteroid almost as wide as a tennis court explode in the atmosphere above them. That event produced a powerful shockwave that caused injuries and damaged structures.
This is why NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office keeps a watchful eye on near-Earth objects. The Planetary Defense team relies on telescopes and observatories on Earth and in space to detect and monitor objects like these that could stray too close to our planet.
The agency is working on planetary defense strategies to use if an asteroid is discovered to be heading our way. For example, NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission in 2022 was a first-of-its-kind test: an uncrewed spacecraft with an autonomous targeting system intentionally flew into the asteroid Dimorphos, successfully changing its orbit.
Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx mission project scientist, holds up a vial containing part of the sample from asteroid Bennu in 2023.Credit: NASA/James Tralie How does NASA study asteroids?
NASA detects and tracks asteroids using telescopes on the ground and in space, radar observations, and computer modeling. The agency also has launched several robotic explorers to learn more about asteroids. Some missions study asteroids from above, such as the Psyche mission, launched in 2023 to study the asteroid Psyche beginning in 2029. Other missions have actually made physical contact with asteroids. For example, the DART mission mentioned above impacted an asteroid to change its orbit, and the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) spacecraft collected a sample of material from the surface of asteroid Bennu and delivered the sample to Earth in 2023 for scientists to study.
Career Corner
Want a career where you get to study asteroids? Here are some jobs at NASA that do just that:
Astronomer: These scientists observe and study planets, stars, and galaxies. Astronomers make discoveries that help us understand how the universe works and how it is changing. This job requires a strong educational background in science, math, and computer science. Geologist: Asteroids are made of different types of rock, clay, or metallic materials. Geologists study the properties and composition of these materials to learn about the processes that have shaped Earth and other celestial bodies, like planets, moons, and asteroids. More About Asteroids
Asteroid Facts
Gallery: What’s That Space Rock?
Center for Near Earth Object Studies
Planetary Defense at NASA
Asteroid Watch: Keeping an Eye on Near-Earth Objects
View the full article
-
By NASA
Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities 3D Hubble Models Lithographs Fact Sheets Posters Hubble on the NASA App Glossary News Hubble News Social Media Media Resources More 35th Anniversary Online Activities 2 min read
Hubble Studies Small but Mighty Galaxy
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the nearby galaxy NGC 4449. ESA/Hubble & NASA, E. Sabbi, D. Calzetti, A. Aloisi This portrait from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope puts the nearby galaxy NGC 4449 in the spotlight. The galaxy is situated just 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs). It is a member of the M94 galaxy group, which is near the Local Group of galaxies that the Milky Way is part of.
NGC 4449 is a dwarf galaxy, which means that it is far smaller and contains fewer stars than the Milky Way. But don’t let its small size fool you — NGC 4449 packs a punch when it comes to making stars! This galaxy is currently forming new stars at a much faster rate than expected for its size, which makes it a starburst galaxy. Most starburst galaxies churn out stars mainly in their centers, but NGC 4449 is alight with brilliant young stars throughout. Researchers believe that this global burst of star formation came about because of NGC 4449’s interactions with its galactic neighbors. Because NGC 4449 is so close, it provides an excellent opportunity for Hubble to study how interactions between galaxies can influence the formation of new stars.
Hubble released an image of NGC 4449 in 2007. This new version incorporates several additional wavelengths of light that Hubble collected for multiple observing programs. These programs encompass an incredible range of science, from a deep dive into NGC 4449’s star-formation history to the mapping of the brightest, hottest, and most massive stars in more than two dozen nearby galaxies.
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has also observed NGC 4449, revealing in intricate detail the galaxy’s tendrils of dusty gas, glowing from the intense starlight radiated by the flourishing young stars.
Text Credit: ESA/Hubble
Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov)
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Share
Details
Last Updated Jun 20, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Irregular Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble
Hubble Space Telescope
Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.
Hubble’s Galaxies
Galaxy Details and Mergers
Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge
View the full article
-
By European Space Agency
Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging four galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread could contain some of the Universe’s ‘missing’ matter, addressing a decades-long mystery.
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.