Chiron: The Hybrid Object Redefining Our View of the Cosmos
Sandeep K S
Aug 9
1 min read
Updated: Nov 11
A detailed diagram illustrating the orbits of centaurs, including Chiron, Pholus, Nessus, Asbolus, and Chariklo, amidst the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Small solar system bodies and dwarf planets like Ixion and Orcus are also depicted. Credit: Nick Anthony Fiorenza, CC BY-SA.
In visible light, it looks like a normal galaxy. In infrared, it reveals a monster. Meet Virgil, the galaxy that is rewriting black hole history.
Before JWST, astronomers believed galaxies grew first, nurturing small black holes that grew slowly over time.
Virgil breaks this rule. Its black hole is "Overmassive"—far larger than its host galaxy should be able to support. It's like finding a skyscraper engine inside a compact car.
JWST has found evidence of a thick atmosphere on the ultra-hot Super-Earth TOI-561 b, challenging the idea that such close-in worlds are barren rocks.
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Westerlund 1 is the biggest star cluster in our galaxy. New data reveals it acts as a colossal particle accelerator, blasting a hole through the Milky Way's disk.
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