Haverford College – Astronomy Now

Galactic fireworks illuminate giant hydrogen blob

21 September 2016 Astronomy Now

An international team of researchers using the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) and other telescopes has discovered the power source illuminating a so-called Lyman-alpha Blob — a rare, brightly glowing, and enormous concentration of gas in the distant universe.

Unlocking the secrets of the universe’s brightest galaxies

27 September 2015 Astronomy Now

Submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) are the brightest galaxies in the universe, yet invisible to the naked eye. But look through an infrared telescope, and they light up the sky. They are probably 12 or 13 billion years old, and what makes them so luminous is that they form stars very quickly — 1000 times faster than our Milky Way.

Unlocking the secrets of the universe’s brightest galaxies

23 September 2015 Astronomy Now

The brightest galaxies in the universe, known as submillimetre galaxies (SMGs), aren’t visible to the naked eye. But look through an infrared telescope, and they light up the sky. They are probably 12 or 13 billion years old, and what makes them so luminous is that they form stars very quickly — 1000 times faster than our Milky Way. Now researchers have the first viable model of the origins of SMGs.