TYB!
big pimpin
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
May 7, 2026
Supernova in a Sideways Spiral
A long time ago, in a distant galaxy, a massive star was destroyed in a supernova explosion. The light of this event travelled for tens of millions of years and reached Earth last week as Supernova 2026kid. The featured video shows a time-lapse over three nights of the host galaxy NGC 5907, an edge-on spiral also known as the Splinter or Knife Edge Galaxy, as the supernova appears and becomes brighter. (The occasional streaks are satellites in Earth orbit.) At its brightest, a supernova can outshine the sum of all other stars in its galaxy. Supernova 2026kid appears relatively dim, probably because we are seeing it through the edge-on disk of the galaxy. Such explosions typically happen about once per century in galaxies similar to the Milky Way, and their light can take months to fade away. The brightest supernova in recorded history was SN 1006; it is reported to have been brighter than Venus, and even visible in the sky during daytime.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btfxilVGQYU
Solar Watch, Ring Current at Earth, Sunspot Cycle | S0 News
May.7.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyxgUWLnmcM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE2whUGs-K8 (Stefan Burns: Get Ready, the World is about to be Shocked…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqPs89bCCo (On the Pulse with Silki: DIRECTED SPLIT‼️ EAST AFRICAN RIFT NOT ALONE ANYMORE ! Rovuma Transform Margin JUST DISCOVERED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovZS8O69Q2I (EarthMaster: Cascadia slow slip events up. Nevada Earthquake update. Wednesday Night)
https://watchers.news/2026/05/07/nighttime-tornadoes-injure-17-damage-hundreds-homes-mississippi/
https://www.wapt.com/article/ms-mississippi-tornado-damage/71240228
https://watchers.news/2026/05/06/multiple-tornadoes-turkiye-deadly-severe-weather-outbreak-may-2026/
https://www.guampdn.com/news/updated-hagupit-now-unlikely-to-strengthen-significantly-as-it-continues-west-through-yap-no-direct/article_795dc528-c1be-4b3e-9f4f-7a2295728a57.html
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/tropical-storm-no-threat-to-marianas/article_6b08053d-4f8d-43f9-9568-def2ffedeac3.html
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2052073658697523608
https://meteoagent.com/schumann-resonance-forecast
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/301667/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Thursday-7-May-2026.html
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
JAXA’s Hayabusa2# to attempt ultra-close, high-speed flyby of asteroid Torifune
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
JAXA’s Hayabusa2# spacecraft is scheduled to perform an ultra-close flyby of asteroid Torifune at high speed on July 5, 2026, with a planned closest approach of 1-10 km (0.6-6.2 miles) from the asteroid’s center at approximately 5.25 km/s.
The encounter involves a small body about 450 m (1 480 feet) in diameter and will be conducted under limited pointing capability during a short observation window.
JAXA’s Hayabusa2# spacecraft will fly by asteroid (98943) Torifune on July 5, as part of its extended mission following the sample-return phase at Ryugu.
Mission plans call for a high-speed encounter at approximately 5.25 km/s, with a targeted closest approach of 1-10 km (0.6-6.2 miles) from the asteroid’s center, subject to final navigation and safety constraints.
Torifune (formerly known as 2001 CC21) is estimated to be about 450 m (1 480 feet) in diameter and is classified as an Sq-type asteroid, consistent with ordinary chondrite analogs, including L and LL chondrites.
However, its small size and the planned encounter velocity will limit the duration of effective observations during the flyby.
Because Hayabusa2# was designed for rendezvous operations rather than high-speed flybys, its instrumentation is not optimized for rapid-pass imaging.
Observations will thus rely on pre-planned spacecraft pointing with only limited adjustment during the encounter. JAXA states that post-closest-approach observations will be constrained, placing priority on data collection during the inbound phase.
Mission planners are evaluating a trajectory that could bring the spacecraft to within approximately 1 km (0.6 miles) of the asteroid’s surface, which requires balancing observation objectives with collision avoidance, given uncertainties in Torifune’s shape, rotation state, and surface features ahead of the flyby.
During the flyby, the spacecraft will operate five onboard instruments to characterize the asteroid’s shape, surface composition, and thermal properties.
The encounter provides conditions distinct from most asteroid missions, which involve either low-velocity rendezvous or distant flybys. The combination of a small target, high relative speed, and limited observation time restricts the margin for extended imaging sequences.
This flyby is a practical case for the rapid characterization of small bodies observed on short timescales. High-speed encounters with limited observation windows are relevant to scenarios in which near-Earth objects are detected with little advance notice, requiring fast assessment of size, shape, rotation, and composition.
JAXA describes the flyby as both a scientific opportunity and an engineering demonstration within the extended mission. Data collected during the encounter are intended to improve understanding of small S-complex asteroids.
Additionally, if the spacecraft can navigate with exceptional precision, it would even be possible to intentionally crash the spacecraft into a small asteroid. This is critically important technology for planetary defense.
In 2022, NASA conducted an experiment in which a spacecraft called DART was intentionally crashed into an asteroid. The purpose was to determine to what extent the asteroid’s orbit could be altered by the spacecraft’s impact.
“If Hayabusa2# can be navigated with this kind of accuracy, Japan will also be able to contribute to the prevention of celestial bodies colliding with the Earth,” JAXA scientists said.
Hayabusa2# is pronounced “Hayabusa2 Sharp,” with SHARP standing for Small Hazardous Asteroid Reconnaissance Probe.
The extended mission began after Hayabusa2 returned Ryugu samples to Earth on December 6, 2020, and includes cruise-phase observations, the July 2026 flyby of asteroid Torifune, and a planned rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031.
https://watchers.news/epicenter/jaxas-hayabusa2-attempt-ultra-close-high-speed-flyby-asteroid-torifune/
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=07&month=05&year=2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdB8DuyZ7BY (Dobsonian Power: LIVE TELESCOPE - CRYOVOLCANIC EXPLOSION! COMET 29P)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9amzKNyZIMY (John Michael Godier: The Strange Deep Mysteries of Pluto)
extra Avi Loeb
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/negative-mass-binaries-generate-never-seen-before-gravitational-radiation-6f5fa8bfa68d
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/our-highest-priority-should-be-national-innovation-centers-to-complement-ai-data-centers-41ce280e714f
https://x.com/RepLuna/status/2052035051873882214
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/nasas-roman-poised-to-transform-hunt-for-elusive-neutron-stars/
extra NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/ai-foundation-model-in-orbit/
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/nasa-supported-small-spacecraft-launches-to-study-solar-particles/
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasas-simulated-mars-mission-marks-200-days-inside-habitat/
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-technology-mimics-extreme-lunar-night/
NASA’s Roman Poised to Transform Hunt for Elusive Neutron Stars
May 06, 2026
Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy.
However, most of them are effectively invisible. A new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics suggests NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could spot them anyway.
Using detailed simulations of the Milky Way and Roman’s future observations, researchers showed the flagship observatory may be able to identify and characterize dozens of isolated neutron stars through a subtle effect called gravitational microlensing.
“Most neutron stars are relatively dim and on their own,” said Zofia Kaczmarek of Heidelberg University in Germany, who led the study. “They are incredibly hard to spot without some sort of help.”
Finding what’s invisible
Neutron stars pack more mass than the Sun into a sphere about the size of a city. Studying them helps us understand how stars live, die, and spread heavy elements throughout the universe.
They also provide a chance to study what happens under the most extreme conditions (pressures and densities) imaginable.
Yet, unless they are pulsars that beam in radio wavelengths or glow in X-rays, they can remain hidden from even the most powerful telescopes.
Roman can search for them in a different way. When a massive object like a neutron star moves in front of a distant background star, its intense gravity warps spacetime and deflects the background star’s light.
This microlensing effect briefly makes the background star brighter and appear offset from its true position in the sky.
While many telescopes can detect the temporary brightening, Roman can measure both the brightening (photometry) and the tiny positional shift (astrometry) of the lensed star with exceptional precision.
Because neutron stars are relatively massive, they produce a larger astrometric signal than lighter objects, allowing missions like Roman to not only detect them, but also weigh them in some cases, something that is nearly impossible with photometry alone.
“What’s really cool about using microlensing is that you can get direct mass measurements,” said paper co-author Peter McGill of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
“Photometry tells us that something passed in front of the star, but it’s the amount the star’s position shifts that tells us how massive that object is. By measuring that tiny deflection on the sky, we can directly weigh something that is otherwise unseen.”
Roman’s measurements could help astronomers determine whether there is a true gap between the masses of neutron stars and black holes and how fast neutron stars are moving.
Scientists are particularly interested in understanding the powerful “kicks” neutron stars receive when they are born in supernova explosions. These kicks can send them racing through the galaxy at hundreds of miles per second.
1/2
Huge surveys, high chance of payoff
The research team will utilize Roman’s future Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey, which will monitor millions of stars at a time in vast images of the sky, taken at a high frequency.
“We’re going to get to work as soon as the data start coming in,” said McGill. “Even in the first months after commissioning, we expect to start identifying promising events.”
Even a relatively small number of confirmed detections could significantly improve models of stellar explosions and extreme matter.
“We don’t know the mass distribution of neutron stars, black holes, or where one ends and the other begins with any certainty,” McGill said. “Roman will really be a breakthrough in that.”
Although only a few thousand neutron stars have been detected so far, mostly as pulsars, scientists estimate there could be tens of millions to hundreds of millions in the Milky Way. Additionally, to date, researchers have only been able to measure the masses of neutron stars in binary pairings.
“We’re seeing a small sample that’s not representative of the big picture,” Kaczmarek said. “Even a single mass measurement would be very powerful. If we found just one isolated neutron star, it would already be incredibly stimulating to our research.”
Looking ahead
The study also highlights a creative use of the mission’s capabilities. While Roman’s survey is designed primarily to find exoplanets using photometric microlensing, its powerful astrometric capabilities open the door to entirely new discoveries with astrometric microlensing.
“This wasn’t part of the original plan,” said McGill. “But it turns out Roman’s astrometric capability is really good at detecting neutron stars and black holes, so we can add a whole new kind of science to Roman’s surveys.”
If the predictions hold true, the mission could provide the first large sample of isolated neutron stars discovered through their gravity alone, revealing a hidden population that has remained out of reach until now. Roman is expected to transform the study of microlensing and the hidden populations of objects in our galaxy, from rogue exoplanets to stellar remnants like neutron stars.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions.
The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
2/2
NASA’s Dryden Aeronautical Test Range Supports Flight, Space Missions
May 06, 2026
NASA advances aeronautics and space technologies through experimental aircraft and flight research at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
Behind those efforts is the Dryden Aeronautical Test Range (DATR), which provides the communications, tracking, and data services that enable safe and effective missions.
For most NASA Armstrong research flights, the DATR supplies communications, radar, and telemetry. The range’s video capabilities can also capture ground footage as well as long-range coverage for flights.
Modernization efforts started in the early 2020s expanded those capabilities and prepared the range to support efforts such as test flights of NASA’s X‑59 quiet supersonic research aircraft, as well as spaceflight communications.
“The DATR provides real‑time data, tracking, and situational awareness that help keep flight research safe and efficient,” said Tara McCoy, acting deputy director for DATR Mission Operations at NASA Armstrong.
“The range also supports science missions, works with industry partners, and provides capabilities used for International Space Station operations.”
Ongoing upgrades include new very high frequency (VHF) ground antennas, updated electronic components, and software improvements for tracking the International Space Station and visiting spacecraft. NASA installed additional antennas to ensure backup coverage.
The range’s ability to processes and display real‑time radar, telemetry, and video data is critical for monitoring research flights, such as NASA’s Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) wing model. CATNLF, a scale-model wing attached under a NASA F-15B research jet, is designed to improve the smooth flow of air known as laminar flow, reducing drag and lowering fuel costs for future commercial aircraft.
The DATR also supports aircraft platforms that enable science missions, such as the ER-2 high-altitude aircraft and the C-20A aircraft.
Preparing for future flights
The range is developing multiple approaches to streamline and shorten the time it takes to process and validate raw flight data for researchers, saving time and resources.
“The faster we can get data to the project engineers to review, the faster they can determine whether certain test points need to be repeated, or future test points can be skipped,” said David Tow, DATR chief engineer.
“We are working these efforts simultaneously because each one has the potential to drastically improve how long it takes to deliver post-processing data.”
One NASA approach is to automate and consolidate the data processing steps from five down to one. Another approach leverages an existing partnership with the U.S. Air Force to enable multiple computers to post-process data from separate missions simultaneously.
The collaboration between the Air Force and DATR aims to reduce processing time for post-flight data from two hours to less than 30 minutes.
Supporting space station operations
The DATR is part of NASA’s safety and communications infrastructure that supports International Space Station missions. Its capabilities are used for backup communications and telemetry during launches, dockings, and reentries.
NASA Armstrong is one of only two ground stations in the United States capable of sending and receiving messages on all space station frequencies.
The other is NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Armstrong has provided communications and radar tracking for the station since its first component launched in 1998 and continues to support commercial cargo and crew missions.
Advancing NASA's mission
The range operates within NASA’s Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities project in its Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and remains positioned to support aeronautics, science, and International Space Station missions with communications, tracking, and data services.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/nasas-dryden-aeronautical-test-range-supports-flight-space-missions/
extra extra NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/05/06/lab-hardware-life-support-gear-and-human-research-fill-crews-day/
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sets-coverage-for-spacex-34th-station-resupply-launch-arrival/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-sea-of-spinning-clouds/
https://x.com/Astro_Jessica/status/2052042524286460040
A researcher may have found a shortcut to Mars as NASA eyes red planet
Thu, 7 May 2026 at 8:05 am
Under the best circumstances, a trip from Earth to Mars and back would take a spacecraft three years to complete. And that's during a very specific orbital alignment that occurs once every two years or so as the two planets travel around the sun.
But new research has unveiled a possible shortcut to Mars that would drastically reduce the time it would take to reach the red planet. Taking a cue from the orbital trajectories of asteroids, a researcher discovered what he claims is a viable shortcut to and from Mars that would span less than a year.
The finding comes as NASA is in the midst of returning astronauts to the moon under the space agency's Artemis program, which has the larger objective in the years ahead of sending the first humans to Mars.
Here's what to know about the newly-found possible shorter trajectory to Mars, and what it could mean ahead of future missions to Earth's planetary neighbor.
How long does it take to reach Mars?
On average, Mars is 140 million miles from Earth.
But because the distance between Earth and Mars is constantly changing based on their orbits, the best time for spacecraft – with or without a crew – to venture to the red planet comes once every 26 months.
During that window when the two planets are closest together on the same side of the sun, traveling to Mars takes anywhere from seven to 10 months.
For future missions with astronauts who would, of course, want to return to Earth, they'd have to wait for another return window, stretching a crewed mission to nearly three years, according to NASA.
Astronomer finds shortcut from Earth to Mars
But what if we could cut the time it takes for that round trip in half? Using the early orbital data of asteroids, Marcelo de Oliveira Souza, a cosmologist at the State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro, said he was able to find a way to shave off a significant amount of time for the interplanetary journey.
Souza followed the early predicted path of a near-Earth asteroid that crossed the orbit of both Earth and Mars to make his findings, which were published in the journal Acta Astronautica.
By following the initial predicted route of near-Earth asteroid 2001 CA21 around the sun, Souza concluded that a human-made spacecraft could follow a similar trajectory on a much more direct path to Mars.
Souza also analyzed potential launch windows based on Mars and Earth's orbits to determine that 2031 may offer the best opportunity for a shorter trip. In that year, the study identified two possible profiles for a round trip to the red planet, with total durations of about 153 and 226 days.
It's important to note, though, that either option would require a spacecraft to travel at speeds well beyond current capabilities of both rockets and landings systems, Souza wrote.
Discovery comes as NASA eyes 1st human Mars missions
While Souza's concept is largely theoretical, the researcher posited that it could still prove useful for space agencies charting voyages to Mars based on the planet's movements in relation to Earth.
NASA in particular has its sights set on sending the first humans to Mars in the next few years. A key objective of the agency's Artemis lunar campaign is to use a series of human moon landings to inform how crewed travel deeper into space – including to Mars – could be accomplished.
First, though, NASA plans in 2028 to launch the first nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars in what could be a pivotal test of a technology that could also be a power source for human surface operations.
The Space Reactor-1 vehicle would reach Mars in 2030 and deploy three helicopters similar to the retired Ingenuity aircraft that would survey for potential human landing sites and use radar to identify sources of underground water.
Such fission nuclear-powered technology used in the spacecraft could be vital on Mars where dust storms known to block the sun for weeks at a time would make solar power unreliable.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/researcher-may-found-shortcut-mars-150539968.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576526002456
extra extra extra NASA
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31394/
https://www.nasa.gov/general/ames-science-stars-of-the-month-may-2026/
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/wallops/nasa-wallops-to-host-public-information-session-may-13/
https://abc13.com/post/space-center-houston-closed-thursday-may-7-due-water-service-issue/19057799/
https://spacecenter.org/
Dead NASA-linked expert ‘hit by secret Pentagon beam’ after exposing UFO theory as War Dept confirms energy weapons use
Updated: 13:38, 7 May 2026
A DEAD NASA-linked scientist was allegedly blasted by a secret Pentagon “beam” after threatening to expose theories on UFOs and anti-gravity technology.
The bombshell claims have resurfaced after the Department of War publicly confirmed it uses futuristic “directed energy weapons” – or DEWs – in military operations.
The Department’s chief technology officer Emil Michael revealed the tech in a chilling X post on Monday.
“Directed energy weapons are a fine addition to our arsenal…” the post read alongside an image showing a laser-style beam firing as a soldier clutched his head in pain.
According to the post, DEWs use concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic and subatomic particles to disable drones, electronic systems and even enemy troops.
The announcement appeared to validate long-running claims that the US government had secretly been developing sci-fi style weapons for years.
One of the most high-profile figures to allegedly sound the alarm was scientist Amy Eskridge, 34, who researched anti-gravity systems, UFOs and extra-terrestrial life.
Eskridge, from Huntsville, Alabama, reportedly told associates she had been attacked inside her own home with a directed energy weapon shortly before her death in 2022.
She was not directly employed by NASA, but had several significant ties to the agency through her family and her research in Huntsville – a major hub for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
Authorities ruled she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
But retired British intelligence officer Franc Milburn has claimed she was actually targeted because of sensitive information linked to aerospace, defense and UFO research.
Milburn alleged Eskridge suffered burns, blisters and skin lesions after being struck by microwaves from a DEW attack, according to The New York Post.
He reportedly submitted evidence and findings to Congress in 2023.
The former paratrooper said Eskridge messaged him saying: “My ex-CIA weapons guy on my team saw my hands when they were burned really badly a couple months ago.”
Milburn also claimed Eskridge believed an operative linked to a “private aerospace company” attacked her using an “RF k-band emitter run by five car batteries strung together from inside an SUV.”
The K-band is a range of radio frequencies that can reportedly be converted into targeted rays.
While the allegations surrounding Eskridge have never been proven, the US military has openly tested similar laser style systems in recent years.
The Pentagon has reportedly requested nearly $790million for DEW programs during the 2025 fiscal year.
Outside contractors are also involved in the technology – including defense company AeroVironment – which reportedly helped develop the Locust X3 anti-drone weapon, the Post reported.
The mounted system is said to fire beams at the speed of light to disable airborne drones.
Eskridge is reportedly one of 11 US scientists and researchers who have either vanished or died after studying UFOs, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena – known as UAPs – and classified national security programs.
Republican Congressman Eric Burlison said the disappearances were “too coincidental” and revealed his office had already been investigating some of the cases before President Donald Trump reportedly ordered a probe.
Burlison claimed the incidents could be linked to classified aerospace and UFO intelligence – or even hostile actors connected to China, Russia or Iran.
https://www.thesun.ie/news/16924412/missing-nasa-scientist-pentagon-beam-weapon-ufo-theory/
https://x.com/DoWCTO/status/2051353350302515324
extra space
https://www.gasworld.com/story/industrial-gas-majors-eye-growing-role-in-space-launch-economy/2248994.article/
https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/albuquerque-launches-space-program-with-italian-group/
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/whatever-russia-is-testing-its-sophisticated-2-russian-satellites-get-within-10-feet-of-each-other-in-orbit
Watch SpaceX Starlink train circle Earth in amazing satellite video
May 5, 2026
A video captured by a newly launched SpaceX Starlink satellite shows us what it's like to zoom above our beautiful blue planet.
The 3.5-minute-long video was posted on X on Monday (May 4) by Michael Nicolls, vice president of Starlink engineering at SpaceX. It features footage from one of the 29 satellites that launched to orbit on May 1 atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Coast.
"Watch as the Starlink sats cruise over an entire orbit, through sunrise and sunset, and slowly separate from each [other] as they complete their post-launch deployment sequence before beginning orbit raise," Nicolls wrote in the post.
"The satellites are stacked like a deck of cards in the rocket, which slowly spins when dispensing to impart a small velocity difference, ensuring deconfliction. May the @Starlink be with you," he added.
That last sentence was likely a nod to the fact that he posted the video on Star Wars Day (May 4, from "May the Force be with you").
SpaceX has shown us Starlink satellites in orbit before, but those views have generally been pre-deployment, focused on spacecraft still stacked on their Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage.
This video is something new, especially because it shows multiple members of the 29-satellite train and tracks a substantial part of their initial journey around Earth.
That said, lots of Starlink satellites have gotten this view to date. The Starlink megaconstellation — by far the biggest spacecraft network ever assembled — currently consists of more than 10,300 satellites.
And it's growing all the time. SpaceX has launched 53 Falcon 9 missions so far in 2026, and 43 of them have been Starlink flights.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-spacex-starlink-train-circle-earth-in-amazing-satellite-video
https://x.com/michaelnicollsx/status/2051498745251201193
with a side of Space Force
https://www.denverpost.com/2026/05/07/space-force-nuclear-microreactor-buckley-aurora/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4479147/vandenberg-biologists-survey-southwestern-pond-turtles/
A beacon of light in swirls of dust
07/05/2026
This latest Picture of the Month from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features Messier 77 (M77), a barred spiral galaxy famous among astronomers for its combination of relative proximity and spectacular features to study.
It is located 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). This new image from Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) highlights its swirling spiral arms, the dust in its disc and its piercingly bright core like never before.
At the heart of M77 is a compact region filled with hot gas that handily outshines the rest of the galaxy put together, even overcoming the light-gathering capacity of Webb’s cameras.
This is an active galactic nucleus (AGN), and it’s powered by M77’s central supermassive black hole, which is eight million times as massive as our Sun. Gas in the galaxy’s central regions is pulled by the strong gravity into a tight and rapid orbit around the black hole, where it crashes together and heats up, releasing tremendous amounts of radiation.
The bright orange lines appearing to radiate out from the centre of M77 are not actually a feature of the galaxy: they are a type of distortion that arises from the optical design of the telescope.
Called diffraction spikes, they are created because the intense light from the unresolved AGN is bent ('diffracted') very slightly at the edges of Webb’s hexagonal mirror panels and around one of the struts that hold up its secondary mirror.
This distinctive six-plus-two-pointed pattern is the same for any image taken by Webb. For diffraction spikes to appear, the light source has to be very bright and very concentrated, so they’re most often seen on stars.
But in some galaxies, as here, the nucleus is bright and compact enough to make diffraction spikes appear as well.
M77 is not just known for its easily visible AGN, but also as a prolific star-forming galaxy. The near-infrared image of M77 reveals a bar spanning across the central region, which doesn’t appear in visible-light images of the galaxy.
The bar is enclosed by a bright ring, called a starburst ring, formed by the inner ends of M77’s two spiral arms. Starburst regions in galaxies are typified by extremely high star-formation rates.
This ring is more than 6000 light-years across and displays intense and widespread starbursts, visible in this image by the densely concentrated orange bubbles all around the ring.
Since M77 is relatively close to Earth, this starburst ring is a very well-studied example of the phenomenon.
As an active spiral galaxy, M77’s disc is filled with gas and dust which is both a product of and fuel for future star formation. Webb’s MIRI fills out our view of the galaxy with the glow of interstellar dust grains emitted at longer wavelengths, shown here in blue.
The dust forms a huge vortex of smoky, swirling filaments with cavities in between. The glowing orange bubbles carved out by newly formed star clusters are also prominently visible out along the galaxy’s arms.
Beyond Webb’s quite focused view, M77’s arms join into a faint extended ring of hydrogen gas thousands of light-years wide, where yet more star formation is taking place.
Vast, tenuous filaments of hydrogen gas stretch across this ring and out into intergalactic space, forming an outermost layer around the galaxy. For the tentacle-like appearance of these filaments, M77 is also named the Squid Galaxy.
The data used to create this image are from an observing programme (#3707) that surveyed massive, nearby, star-forming galaxies to create a rich dataset useful for many scientific investigations.
As can be seen here, the stunning resolution of Webb’s instruments reveals star clusters and rich reservoirs of gas, which can be used to explore the cycle of star formation, life and death in these and other galaxies.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/A_beacon_of_light_in_swirls_of_dust
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Extended_Reality_at_ESA_opens_new_pathways_for_space_exploration
https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/05/esas-space-rider-passes-key-tests/
anon might need a little IRL time to move if that happens
The Queen Nathan II?
Victory Day ceasefire set to go ahead at midnight – Moscow
7 May, 2026 16:02 | Updated 7 May, 2026 17:18
The Russian Defense Ministry has provided more details on the two-day ceasefire on May 8–9, reiterating warnings that any attempt by Ukraine to disrupt the upcoming Victory Day parade in Moscow would result in a large-scale retaliatory strike on central Kiev.
During the period, the Russian forces will cease all operations on the front line, as well as halt long-range strikes into Ukrainian territory, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, urging Ukraine to follow suit.
Any attempts to violate the truce on the ground or conduct strikes beyond the frontline will be met with an “adequate response,” the ministry warned.
The ministry repeated the call for foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital ahead of a potential attack.
“We once again urge the civilian population of Kiev and employees of foreign diplomatic missions to leave the city in a timely manner,” it added.
It remains unclear whether Ukraine will actually abide by the Moscow-offered truce. Vladimir Zelensky initially branded the two-day ceasefire “unfair” when it was first announced early this week, and claimed that “no one officially suggested anything” to Kiev.
Shortly thereafter, however, he announced a truce of his own starting at midnight on the night of May 5–6, yet Moscow did not respond publicly to the proposal.
While media reports indicated the fighting and long-range strikes on both sides have somewhat subsided following the announcement, the Ukrainian leadership has complained about the continuing attacks.
On Thursday, Zelensky accused Russia of “not seriously considering the possibility of a ceasefire.” Shortly after the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement, he appeared to issue a thinly veiled threat to Moscow, stating he would not “recommend” that foreign dignitaries show up at the parade.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639582-russia-victory-day-ceasefire/
extra RT
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