i consider the huge question mark in area too much, like??? the universe simply put out a damn quest marker like the dm giving sidequests pic.twitter.com/GakaPVq899— Ashe – Commissions Open (@BeesAndStars) August 17, 2023
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA.
The James Webb Space Telescope recently shared an awesome picture of two actively forming stars. Fantastic as the foreground itself might be, individualss attention was drawn to the background where a “concern mark” structure stuck out like a sore thumb (if you zoomed in enough).
” No big offer. That part of space simply hasnt rendered yet,” stated Reddit user horrus70.
The astonishing orange structure is no easter egg or scam pulled by astronomers to prompt individuals on the web. However, the memes must stream.
” The aliens know weve found them and now theyre just messing with us,” quipped another Redditor.
This viral image, a composite of 6 infrared images, immediately made the rounds on social networks platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. Despite the buzz, the European Space Agency insists it is genuine.
Whats going on here?
Despite their typical incident in the cosmos, galaxy mergers arent typically observed. Its worth discussing that the understanding of a concern mark shape is associated to the specific angle at which the galaxies came across each other and our viewpoint from Earth.
So, what is this enigmatic item precisely? Researchers speculate that the question mark might be two or more galaxies combining, a procedure where galaxies morph and clash into brand-new types. The upper curve of the concern mark resembles a distorted spiral nebula, potentially in the middle of merging with another galaxy.
The 2 protostars are buried deep in the gas and dust. They are just a few thousand years of ages. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA.
Concerning the centerpiece of the initial broad picture shared by the James Webb group, it showcases a securely bound set of young stars called Herbig-Haro 46/47, surrounded by a disc of gas and dust. What sets Herbig-Haro 46/47 apart is its age: its simply a few thousand years of ages.
Regardless of their common occurrence in the universes, galaxy mergers arent typically observed. Its worth discussing that the understanding of an enigma shape is attributed to the specific angle at which the galaxies experienced each other and our viewpoint from Earth. If you would see this from some other spot in the Milky Way, the cosmic structure might look very different.
While researchers werent all that impressed by the “question mark” structure, they find Herbig-Haro 46/47 a lot more intriguing. Given stars usual million-year formation span, this rarity provides scientists a special opportunity to witness mass accumulation in the early phases.
While the real nature of this things stays uncertain due to its distance, the shapes curve likely originates from the galaxies tidal interaction, while the dot might be a smaller sized round galaxy.
Scientists hypothesize that the question mark might be 2 or more galaxies combining, a process where galaxies clash and morph into new kinds. The upper curve of the concern mark looks like a distorted spiral galaxy, possibly in the midst of merging with another galaxy.