Tag

Central Molecular Zone

All articles tagged with #central molecular zone

science26 days ago•4 min saved

Milky Way Core Exposed: ALMA Reveals Complex Gas Web at Galactic Center

Astronomers using the ALMA array produced the largest mosaic of the Milky Way’s center to date, mapping the Central Molecular Zone across roughly 650 light-years and revealing a web of cold gas filaments and dense clouds that feed star formation. The ACES collaboration, involving about 160 scientists from over 70 institutions, aims to test how star formation and chemistry operate in this extreme galactic environment. The dataset will sharpen our understanding of the galaxy’s evolution and will be followed by upgrades to ALMA and future telescopes for even deeper studies.

via ScienceAlert|

#alma #central-molecular-zone #galactic-center

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Milky Way’s Galactic Core Unveiled in Record-Breaking ALMA Image

Using ALMA, astronomers released the largest image yet of the Milky Way’s center—the 650-light-year Central Molecular Zone—revealing a complex network of cold gas filaments that feed star-forming clumps; the ACES survey brings together 160 scientists from 70 institutions to study extreme central-galaxy conditions and test star-formation theories, with upgrades planned to probe even deeper.

via Universe Today|

#alma #astronomy #central-molecular-zone

space1 month ago•184 min saved

Milky Way’s heart mapped: ALMA reveals a 3D gas map of star birth

Scientists using the ALMA telescope captured the most detailed map yet of the Milky Way’s center, charting the cold molecular gas in the Central Molecular Zone and its motions with spectroscopy. The four-year ACES survey reveals where gas is shredding into stars and planets, offering insights into the solar system’s origins and serving as a window into conditions similar to the early universe, all produced by a large international collaboration and mapping more than 70 molecular lines.

via CNN|

#alma #central-molecular-zone #milky-way-center

science1 month ago•3 min saved

ALMA mosaic reveals Milky Way's chaotic center in unprecedented detail

A new, large mosaic image of the Milky Way’s center captured by the ALMA telescope array in the Chilean Atacama Desert reveals cold molecular gas across the Central Molecular Zone in unprecedented detail over a span of about 650 light-years, highlighting gas filaments and clouds around the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole. The image, produced by stitching many observations, is the largest ALMA image to date and offers insight into how stars form in extreme galactic centers, informing theories of galaxy growth and evolution. The study identifies complex chemistry across dozens of gas structures and foreshadows deeper studies with future upgrades like ALMA’s wideband sensitivity and ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#alma #central-molecular-zone #milky-way

astronomy1 month ago•53 min saved

ALMA maps the Milky Way's chaotic heart in unprecedented detail

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers mapped the Milky Way’s 650-light-year-wide Central Molecular Zone in unprecedented detail, revealing a complex network of dense, cold gas and molecules around Sagittarius A* to help explain how stars form in our galaxy’s extreme core.

via Space|

#alma #astronomy #central-molecular-zone

space1 month ago•69 min saved

ALMA maps the Milky Way’s chaotic center in unprecedented detail

Scientists using the ALMA telescope have produced the largest, most detailed image of the Milky Way’s chaotic center—the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ)—covering about 650 light-years. The mosaic reveals massive streams of turbulent gas, fast-moving stars, and rare structures like the Millimeter Ultra-Broad Line Object (MUBLO), offering new insights into how extreme galactic centers form stars and resemble early-universe environments. The ACES survey, involving ~160 scientists across 70 institutions, aims to develop a 3D CMZ map to unravel how matter flows and shapes star birth near Sagittarius A*.

via Live Science|

#alma #astronomy #central-molecular-zone

space1 month ago•12 min saved

Milky Way’s Galactic Core Revealed in Vivid Molecular Map

A new ESO/ALMA image maps the Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone, coloring different molecules to reveal the complex gas structures at the galaxy’s center (cyan sulfur monoxide, green silicon monoxide, red isocyanic acid, blue cyanoacetylene, magenta carbon monosulphide) while foreground stars are seen in infrared.

via AP News|

#alma #central-molecular-zone #galactic-center

astronomy2 years ago•3 min saved

JWST Uncovers Enigmatic Secrets of the Dark Nebula in the Milky Way

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered an abundance of carbon monoxide (CO) ice inside a dense cloud in the Milky Way known as The Brick. This finding challenges our understanding of star formation in such clouds and suggests that the Central Molecular Zone, where The Brick is located, is rich in CO ice. The presence of CO ice indicates that star formation should be occurring, but it is not. Further investigations have revealed that The Brick is warmer on the inside compared to other similar clouds, and the amount of CO and the ratio of dust to gas in the galactic center have been underestimated. The team hopes that ongoing research will provide more insights into the chemistry and star formation processes within these clouds.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronomy #central-molecular-zone #james-webb-space-telescope