Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #unfoldtheuniverse
Most recents (24)
How did up to five stars create the Southern Ring Nebula? Let’s hit “rewind” and replay the interactions that might have created the scene! (1/9) 🧵 
Stars 1 and 2 are the only stars we see in the sixth and final panel above—and in #NASAWebb’s images. The remaining “guests” are stars 3, 4, and 5. They are all much less massive, or far smaller and dimmer, than stars 1 and 2. (2/9)
We start with a wider field. Star 1, the most massive, is the fastest to age and responsible for creating the planetary nebula. Star 2 very slowly orbits star 1. All is relatively quiet. Star 5 orbits star 1 far more tightly. (3/9)
BREAKING NEWS: #NASAWebb ushers in a new era of exoplanet science with the first unequivocal detection of CARBON DIOXIDE in a planetary atmosphere outside our solar system. (1/5) 🧵
After years of preparation and anticipation, exoplanet researchers are ecstatic! The James Webb Space Telescope has captured an astonishingly detailed rainbow of near-infrared starlight filtered through the atmosphere of a hot gas giant 700 light-years away. (2/5)
The transmission spectrum of exoplanet WASP-39 b, based on a single set of measurements made using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph and analyzed by dozens of scientists, represents a hat trick of firsts ⬇️. (3/5)
Okay folks, it's time!! This was definitely a labor of love, and something that's been in the works for 4+ years.
Inspired by the perfect similarity between #JWST's primary mirror and the Catan board, I present JWST Catan: Explore the Universe
#UnfoldTheUniverse 🧵(1/23)
Inspired by the perfect similarity between #JWST's primary mirror and the Catan board, I present JWST Catan: Explore the Universe
#UnfoldTheUniverse 🧵(1/23)
2/ The full board at a glance. This is a 1-to-1 mapping to the original Catan game, subbing in astro stuff for all your favorite resources and game pieces.
In what I'm sure will be way too long a thread, I'll show the pieces and mappings from the original game
In what I'm sure will be way too long a thread, I'll show the pieces and mappings from the original game
3/ (Just to be super clear, I'm making no claims to creating any ideas or Catan gameplay. All I did was come up with some astro mappings and go a bit overboard in painting game pieces and designing cards etc.)
🌟 A star is born!
Behind the curtain of dust and gas in these “Cosmic Cliffs” are previously hidden baby stars, now uncovered by Webb. We know — this is a show-stopper. Just take a second to admire the Carina Nebula in all its glory: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage… #UnfoldTheUniverse
Behind the curtain of dust and gas in these “Cosmic Cliffs” are previously hidden baby stars, now uncovered by Webb. We know — this is a show-stopper. Just take a second to admire the Carina Nebula in all its glory: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage… #UnfoldTheUniverse
The “Cosmic Cliffs” build on the legacy of Hubble’s imagery of the Carina Nebula, seen here. Webb’s new view gives us a rare peek into stars in their earliest, rapid stages of formation. For an individual star, this period only lasts about 50,000 to 100,000 years.
Two cameras are better than one, as seen in this combined view from Webb’s NIRCam & MIRI! In the near-infrared, we see hundreds of stars and background galaxies. Meanwhile, the mid-infrared shows us dusty planet-forming disks (in red and pink) around young stars.
✋🏼 Galactic high five!
In Webb’s image of Stephan’s Quintet, we see 5 galaxies, 4 of which interact. (The left galaxy is in the foreground!) Webb will revolutionize our knowledge of star formation & gas interactions in these galaxies: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage… #UnfoldTheUniverse
In Webb’s image of Stephan’s Quintet, we see 5 galaxies, 4 of which interact. (The left galaxy is in the foreground!) Webb will revolutionize our knowledge of star formation & gas interactions in these galaxies: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage… #UnfoldTheUniverse
Galaxies collide in Stephan’s Quintet, pulling and stretching each other in a gravitational dance. In the mid-infrared view here, see how Webb pierces through dust, giving new insight into how interactions like these may have driven galaxy evolution in the early universe.
Webb's mosaic is its largest image to date, covering an area of the sky 1/5 of the Moon’s diameter (as seen from Earth). It contains more than 150 million pixels and is constructed from about 1,000 image files. Compare the new image to @NASAHubble’s 2009 view, shown here!
Put a ring on it! 💍
Compare views of the Southern Ring nebula and its pair of stars by Webb’s NIRCam (L) & MIRI (R) instruments. The dimmer, dying star is expelling gas and dust that Webb sees through in unprecedented detail: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage… #UnfoldTheUniverse
Compare views of the Southern Ring nebula and its pair of stars by Webb’s NIRCam (L) & MIRI (R) instruments. The dimmer, dying star is expelling gas and dust that Webb sees through in unprecedented detail: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage… #UnfoldTheUniverse
The stars – and their layers of light – steal more attention in the NIRCam image, while in the MIRI image, Webb reveals for the first time that the dying star is cloaked in dust. In thousands of years, these delicate, gaseous layers will dissipate into surrounding space.
The Southern Ring nebula is a planetary nebula. (Despite “planet” in the name, these aren’t planets — they're shells of dust and gas shed by dying Sun-like stars.) The new details from Webb will transform our understanding of how stars evolve and influence their environments.
I mean, this is incredible!
THERE ARE GAY RAINBOWS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE START OF TIME!
#JWST #UnfoldTheUniverse
THERE ARE GAY RAINBOWS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE START OF TIME!
#JWST #UnfoldTheUniverse
Encore 2h environ avant de voir les autres photos !
(Pitié ne mettez plus la musique 🤪🙏😅)
Ça se passe ici par ex. :
esa.int/ESA_Multimedia…
Mais il y a plein de chaînes Twitch ou YouTube qui feront des reacts en live aussi, et plein de comptes Twitter comme moi
🤩 Hype #JWST
(Pitié ne mettez plus la musique 🤪🙏😅)
Ça se passe ici par ex. :
esa.int/ESA_Multimedia…
Mais il y a plein de chaînes Twitch ou YouTube qui feront des reacts en live aussi, et plein de comptes Twitter comme moi
🤩 Hype #JWST
Pour patienter, quels sont les objets qui vont être révélés ?
Un petit thread en attendant :
1/4: on aura le droit à un bel amas de galaxies en collisions, la Quintette de Stephan que l'on peut voir en lumière visible grâce à Hubble.
James Webb lui nous le montrera en infrarouge.
Un petit thread en attendant :
1/4: on aura le droit à un bel amas de galaxies en collisions, la Quintette de Stephan que l'on peut voir en lumière visible grâce à Hubble.
James Webb lui nous le montrera en infrarouge.
2/4: une bien jolie nébuleuse planétaire, la Nébuleuse de l'Anneau Austral. Une étoile comme le Soleil qui arrivé en fin de vie a expulsé ses couches externes pour ne laisser que son coeur sous forme d'une naine blanche au centre.
Pareil, là c'est Hubble en visible
Pareil, là c'est Hubble en visible
Aquí llegó. La primera imagen "a color" producida por el James Webb Space Telescope! 📸🛰️🔭
¿Qué representa? Te lo contamos más abajo! junto a un dato no tan amigable del James Webb...
#UnfoldTheUniverse:
¿Qué representa? Te lo contamos más abajo! junto a un dato no tan amigable del James Webb...
#UnfoldTheUniverse:
Es una imagen profunda, en luz infraroja, de un campo de galaxias muy lejanas: el cúmulo SMACS 0723. Estas galaxias nunca se habían podido observar con tanta nitidez.
El "redshift" del cúmulo es al parecer 0.4, es decir, está como a 4 billones de años luz de la Tierra, o un poco más de 1000 megaparsecs.
💫----🌎
💫----🌎
À gauche, l'amas de galaxie SMACS 0723 vue par Hubble #HST
À droite, la première image officielle du télescope spatial James Webb #JWST
Oui on est sur une sacrée amélioration !
#UnfoldTheUniverse
@NASAWebb
À droite, la première image officielle du télescope spatial James Webb #JWST
Oui on est sur une sacrée amélioration !
#UnfoldTheUniverse
@NASAWebb
L'amas de galaxie #smacs0723 est à une distance de 4,7 milliards d'années-lumière mais sa particularité c'est de servir de lentille gravitationnelle pour magnifier la lumière des galaxies aux confins de l'univers observable qui se trouvent derrière, grossies mais déformées
#JWST
#JWST
Certains n'ont pas chômé pendant la nuit ! (ou peut-être un fuseau horaire plus avantageux 😅)
En tout cas ces comparaisons sont impressionnantes
En tout cas ces comparaisons sont impressionnantes
This is the stunning first full-colour science image from the James #Webb Space Telescope
Presented by US president Joe Biden today, the @NASAWebb image is our deepest and highest-resolution look at the universe yet #UnfoldTheUniverse
newscientist.com/article/232813…
Presented by US president Joe Biden today, the @NASAWebb image is our deepest and highest-resolution look at the universe yet #UnfoldTheUniverse
newscientist.com/article/232813…
“Webb’s First Deep Field”, as the image is known, shows a region of space called SMACS 0723, which contains what’s called a gravitational lens
This is when a massive and relatively nearby object acts like a magnifying glass - boosting the light of background objects
This is when a massive and relatively nearby object acts like a magnifying glass - boosting the light of background objects
The gravitational lens in SMACS 0723 is particularly strong because the nearby object is a large cluster of galaxies
The small specks and streaks of light visible around the edges of the image are distant, incredibly faint galaxies – some of the first that ever formed
The small specks and streaks of light visible around the edges of the image are distant, incredibly faint galaxies – some of the first that ever formed
👀 Sneak a peek at the deepest & sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever taken — all in a day’s work for the Webb telescope. (Literally, capturing it took less than a day!) This is Webb’s first image released as we begin to #UnfoldTheUniverse: nasa.gov/webbfirstimage…
This isn’t the farthest back we’ve observed. Non-infrared missions like COBE & WMAP saw the universe closer to the Big Bang (~380,000 years after), when there was only microwave background radiation, but no stars or galaxies. Webb sees a few 100 million years after the Big Bang.
If you held a grain of sand up to the sky at arm’s length, that tiny speck is the size of Webb’s view in this image. Imagine — galaxies galore within a grain, including light from galaxies that traveled billions of years to us!
We're about an hour away from the release of the first proper images from #JWST, the telescope that launched on Christmas Day. (1/n)
Since then, the team from NASA & ESA have been working hard to commission the instruments and get it ready for science. Today is a milestone in that process. (2/n)
The observatory is already hard at work; all over the world, astronomers are getting their hands on data from its golden mirrors, learning how to use new software to analyse it, and preparing to tell new stories (3/n)
Happy weekend! Lots of people are anxiously awaiting the #JWST images releasing Tuesday. (I've seen them and they're pretty cool!) But did you know many astronomers want to #RenameJWST?
Learn more in this documentary I produced for the @JustSpaceOrg:
Learn more in this documentary I produced for the @JustSpaceOrg:
I produced the 40-minute JustSpace Alliance documentary in consultation with historians, the authors of the petition, members of the @AAS_Office’s @AasSgma, and queer astronomers across several countries.
NASA Policy Directive 7620 (nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm…) requires a committee to provide naming recommendations for any major NASA project, with input from "the responsible NASA Centers and contractors."
In 2 days 23 hrs and less than 50 minutes #NASA will launch officially the science mission of #WEBB, next July 12th at 1430 CEST jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLa…
In that day they will present live the first official science photos captured by #WEBB #UnfoldTheUniverse nasa.gov/feature/goddar…
Carina Nebula, The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. This is the amazing view from #Hubble hubblesite.org/contents/media…
#NASAWebb will soon reveal unprecedented and detailed views of the universe, with the upcoming release of its first full-color images and spectroscopic data! Below is the list of objects that Webb targeted for these first observations, which will be released on July 12. (1/8)
Carina Nebula: One of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. Nebulae are stellar nurseries where stars form. The Carina Nebula is home to many massive stars. (2/8)
WASP-96b (spectrum): A giant planet outside our solar system, composed mainly of gas. The planet, located nearly 1,150 light-years from Earth, orbits its star every 3.4 days. It has about half the mass of Jupiter, and its discovery was announced in 2014. (3/8)
Bright stars create unique patterns called diffraction spikes, which are produced as light bends around the sharp edges of a telescope. Most reflecting telescopes—including #NASAWebb—show spikes as light interacts with the primary mirror and struts that support the mirror. (1/5)
Light—which has wave-like properties—tends to radiate from a point outward. When light waves interact, they can either become more amplified or cancel each other out. These areas of amplification and cancellation form the light and dark spots in diffraction patterns. (2/5)
Primary mirrors in reflecting telescopes cause light waves to interact as they direct light to the secondary mirror. So, even if a telescope had no struts, it would still create a diffraction pattern. The shape of the mirror and any edges it has determine its pattern. (3/5)
“It’s full of stars!” ✨
This mosaic represents a sparkling turning point as we #UnfoldTheUniverse. #NASAWebb’s mirrors are now fully aligned! Next is instrument calibration, the final phase before Webb is ready for science: go.nasa.gov/3OJWBD1
What do we see here? ⤵️
This mosaic represents a sparkling turning point as we #UnfoldTheUniverse. #NASAWebb’s mirrors are now fully aligned! Next is instrument calibration, the final phase before Webb is ready for science: go.nasa.gov/3OJWBD1
What do we see here? ⤵️
First, a quick breakdown. “Fully aligned” means that Webb’s mirrors are now directing fully focused light collected from space down into each instrument. Each instrument is also successfully capturing images with the light being delivered to them.
In this mosaic, each engineering image is a demonstration that one of Webb’s instruments is fully aligned with the telescope and in focus. In view is a part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small, irregular satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
Cool news! Webb’s MIRI instrument recently passed through its critical “pinch point” and cooled to just a few kelvins above absolute zero, which is the coldest you can go: go.nasa.gov/3M6MbeJ
Wondering why MIRI is extremely chill? Thread ❄️
Wondering why MIRI is extremely chill? Thread ❄️
All of Webb’s instruments detect infrared light (which we feel as heat), so they need to be cold to seek out faint heat signatures in the universe. MIRI detects longer infrared wavelengths than the others, so it needs to be even colder.
Webb also needs to be cold to suppress something called dark current, an electric current created by the vibration of atoms in its instrument detectors. Dark current can give the false impression that there is light from a cosmic object when there isn’t.
To chill to its operating temperature of less than 7 K (-447 F or -266 C), Webb’s MIRI instrument uses a special refrigerator. But it also requires heaters to control its cooldown & prevent ice from forming in space. 🧊
Wait, ice? Allow us to explain (thread ⤵️)
Wait, ice? Allow us to explain (thread ⤵️)
When Webb launched, moist air was entrapped between components like the sunshield membranes and its many layers of insulation. Other Webb materials absorbed water vapor from Earth’s atmosphere. Most of this air escaped just 200 seconds after liftoff, but some moisture remained.
Water behaves differently in space than on the ground. In a perfect vacuum, water can exist only as a gas, but even space isn’t a perfect vacuum. Instead, water tends to "outgas" at temperatures above 160 K (-172 F or -113 C), and it tends not to below 140 K (-208 F or -133 C).
Hilo🧵cósmico. El🔭telescopio espacial James Webb @NASAWebb cumple su misión. Hace 4 días dio un paso grande, tras alinear sus 18 espejos dorados. ¿El resultado? La belleza de la✨HD 84406. No es la mejor📸astrofoto, pero simboliza un éxito de la ciencia. bit.ly/3L5AEvM
El reemplazante del gran Telescopio Espacial @NASAHubble fue lanzado en🎄Navidad del 2021, y de inmediato inició su recorrido para ubicarse “cerca” del planeta🌎tierra, para revelar novedades del cosmos #UnfoldTheUniverse! Así ha avanzado, paso a paso. bit.ly/3JyqGCs
¿Te acuerdas que tenía que desplegarse como un gran 🏖️quitasol espacial? ¿Supiste que sus 18 segmentos dorados debían encajar perfectamente con movimientos 🤖robóticos, con suspenso😰insoportable? bit.ly/3trj3In
Small adjustments, major progress!
Having completed 2 more mirror alignment steps, #NASAWebb’s optical performance will be able to meet or exceed its science goals. Now that’s good optics! 😉 go.nasa.gov/3KMV1gW #UnfoldTheUniverse
Curious about this image? Thread ⬇️
Having completed 2 more mirror alignment steps, #NASAWebb’s optical performance will be able to meet or exceed its science goals. Now that’s good optics! 😉 go.nasa.gov/3KMV1gW #UnfoldTheUniverse
Curious about this image? Thread ⬇️
While the purpose of Webb’s latest image was to focus on a bright star and evaluate the alignment progress, Webb’s optics are so sensitive that galaxies and other stars can be seen in the background. Watch this video for an in-depth explanation of how the image was created!
Fan of a photo filter? @NASAHubble & Webb actually record light in black and white. They use filters that allow only a specific color of light through. The filtered images are then individually colored by scientists and image processors, then combined: go.nasa.gov/3u5oj3J
This was definitely the selfie seen around the world! But HOW was #NASAWebb able to take a selfie? Joe DePasquale, senior science visuals developer at @stsci, digs in! 🧵 <1/9>
DePasquale: The press release states that there is a specially designed pupil imaging lens (PIL) in one of Webb’s main imaging instruments known as NIRCam. What is a PIL anyway? <2/9>
DePasquale: PIL then is a specially designed lens whose sole purpose is to provide a clear image of that aperture allowing you to see where light enters the system. You can see it on the lower left side in this diagram of NIRCam. <3/9>
From landing on Mars to launching the powerful @NASAWebb, it’s hard to beat the monumental achievements we’ve had this past year. But in #NASAScience our momentum doesn’t just stop, it keeps going! Here are 10 things I look forward to in science this year: go.nasa.gov/3IGw868
#1: First Images of @NASAWebb
Soon we will #UnfoldTheUniverse, looking to the first stars and galaxies formed over 13.5 billion years ago. I am so excited to see what this powerful telescope will uncover about our universe this year.
Soon we will #UnfoldTheUniverse, looking to the first stars and galaxies formed over 13.5 billion years ago. I am so excited to see what this powerful telescope will uncover about our universe this year.
#2: Celebrating 50 years of Landsat and the start of Landsat Next
Last year we launched @USGS/@NASA_Landsat 9, adding to the legacy of satellites tracking changes on Earth from space. Now, we celebrate the progress we've made as we continue to better understand our home planet.
Last year we launched @USGS/@NASA_Landsat 9, adding to the legacy of satellites tracking changes on Earth from space. Now, we celebrate the progress we've made as we continue to better understand our home planet.
