Post by glactus on Nov 21, 2011 0:24:02 GMT
The Hubble Space Telecope
NASA's Hubble Confirms That Galaxies Are the Ultimate Recyclers.
New observations by Nasa's Hubble Space atelescope are expanding Astrnomers understanding of the way galaxies continuously recycle immense volumes of hydrogen gas and heavy elements. This process allows galaxies to build successive generations of stars stretching over billions of years.
The Pinwheel galaxy
This ongoing recycling keeps some galaxies from emptying their "fuel tanks" and stretches their star-forming epoch to over 10 billion years.
This conclusion is based on a series of Hubble Space Telescope observations that flexed the special capabilities of its Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to detect gas in the halo of our Milky Way and more than 40 other galaxies. Data from large ground-based telescopes in Hawaii, Arizona and Chile also contributed to the studies by measuring the properties of the galaxies.
The Rosetta nebula
Astronomerss believe that the color and shape of a galaxy is largely controlled by gas flowing through an extended halo around it. The three studies investigated different aspects of the gas-recycling phenomenon.
The COS observations of distant stars demonstrate that a large mass of clouds is falling through the giant halo of our Milky Way, fueling its ongoing star formation. These clouds of hot hydrogen reside within 20,000 light-years of the Milky Way disk and contain enough material to make 100 million suns.
Some of this gas is recycled material that is continually being replenished by star formation and the explosive energy of novae and supernovae, which kicks chemically enriched gas back into the halo.
To see superb 4 minute and 14 second video of the magnificent Universe all made from recycled material just click on the link below. Has sound. Full screen option bottom right.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=khySM1YBQvA&feature=related
Credits: These are non copywrite images
Text: This is part text only. See full text and all scientists involved at Space daily.com
www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Hubble_Confirms_That_Galaxies_Are_the_Ultimate_Recyclers_999.html