A nebula or a “newborn star” appears like a cloud of gas and dust. More accurately, a nebula cloud is actually the birthplace of not just one but many stars. Nebulae (the plural of nebula) are mostly made up of hydrogen and other gases, and these determine the nebula’s appearance and, consequently, its classification or kind. There are emission nebulae, reflection nebulae, and even dark nebulae, to mention a few types.

The next phase in a star's life cycle is as a “regular” star––the kind seen normally in the nighttime skies, and of which the sun in our solar system is a good example. Our own sun is comparable to a teen-age star.

Millions of years later, a normal star will become a red giant, and then a red dwarf, and finally a white dwarf or a neutron star. A neutron star is much smaller than it used to be, like a drastically shrunken version of the original, but it is still very hot. The average neutron star is just about 1% the size of our sun, or as big as the earth, but its temperature can be something like 8,000 degrees Celsius. It is also much less bright than a regular star. Eventually, a neutron star cools and then fades. The whole process of a star’s “death” takes billions of years.

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When people say intergalactic travel, it relates to science fiction that travel between galaxies or planetary systems are possible, and aliens exists, though this kind of fictional travel can become a possibility in the near future.

Intergalactic space on the other hand, is the physical and real space or distances between neighboring galaxies. As to spaces between galaxies, the spaces between clusters of galaxies are called voids.

Another word associated to intergalactic is the star. This is said to be a certain star that does not belong to a particular galaxy. It is also a much heated topic between astronomers in the recent times and is also thought to have been the result of colliding or interacting galaxies.

Lastly, intergalactic mediums are the x-ray type gases the spreads across and between galaxies. With so much heat and high temperatures, it is only one of the hottest environments known across the universe.

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Interstellar cloud is a generic name for a clump of gas, plasma, or dust found or discovered in galaxies or other planetary systems. Depending on its size, density or physical characteristics, hydrogen levels in the clump varies. Studying these types of matter is done through the use of electromagnetic waves.

In studies, the term interstellar mediums are matter that is present in the spaces between planetary systems in a particular galaxy. It can include the phases of gas, either in ionic, molecular or atomic form, space dust and cosmic rays.

Like mediums, interstellar matter are objects present between systems in a certain galaxy. It includes gases, rocks, or dust scattered by different phenomenon happening in the universe.

Last but not least is interstellar astronomy, where it is a certain branch in astronomy that aims to study the different particles present in space and their chemical compositions. It also focuses on the said mediums present in outer space.

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A Lenticular galaxy is similar in content to an elliptical galaxy. They both have old stars. Their stars are more or less a billion years old. Moreover, there exist a lot of globular clusters. There is little, if any molecular gas, and this explains the lack of the formation of stars.

Furthermore, like other galaxies, a Lenticular galaxy possesses a central bulge and a disc, but lacks spiral arms due to the lack of star formations. These look like a very flat disc.

Because of the faint image of this kind of galaxy, it is sometimes mistaken to be a dying galaxy. The lack of stars seems to boost this theory. The image may also be because of age. Such a galaxy is perceived to be relatively old. Such a galaxy is considered a galaxy that continuously changes.

A Look at Galaxies

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The Virgo Supercluster resembles an irregular supercluster. This particular group contains about a hundred galaxies and clusters in addition to the Local Group and this supercluster has a diameter of about 110 million light-years. This supercluster is one of the million superclusters that can be observed from the Earth. Some of the galaxies found in this supercluster have an absolute magnitude of about -13 and are often found in groups of galaxy clusters termed as clouds.

The Virgo Supercluster or sometimes called the Local Supercluster, and its galaxies are mapped out in a super-galactic plane using super-galactic coordinates. Observing this supercluster can be done using powerful telescopes and other astronomy tools.

Journey through Virgo Supercluster

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The Local Group has member galaxies that can go as far as three to six million light-years. Another famous galaxy found in this neighbourhood is the Andromeda galaxy which is located about two million light-years from our galaxy and is found on the opposite side of the neighbourhood.

Two galaxies known as the Magellanic Clouds are also members of the Local Group. The Small Magellanic Cloud is about 190,000 light-years away from the Milky Way and is about 20,000 light-years in diameter. The Large Magellanic Cloud is about 163,000 light-years away from the Milky Way and is about 10,000 light-years bigger in diameter compared to the Small Magellanic Cloud. The Sagittarius Dwarf is the nearest galaxy to our Milky Way with a distance of 55,000 light-years but is often seen as a patch of light.

The galaxies in the Local Group may soon become the indicators that we are not alone in this universe. Scientists and astronomers are continuously searching for evidences of life in these galaxies.

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Photo by: Apod.Nasa Creative Commons

The Large Magellanic cloud is basically a dwarf galaxy that lies about 150,000 light years away from Earth. It is currently the third closest discovered galaxy from earth right after the Canis Major and Sagittarius Dwarf galaxies.

The Large Magellanic cloud is about 10 percent of the load of the Milky Way galaxy. It also contains close to 10 billion stars. These characteristics make this galaxy one of the biggest in the local cluster of galaxies, following the Milky Way and Andromeda.

The Large Magellanic cloud is also known as a very shapeless and erratic galaxy, as it does not possess the usual spiral form that is observed in other galaxies. It has been said that its shape was distorted a long time ago.

An interesting fact about the Large Magellanic cloud is that in order to see it, you do not necessarily need a telescope or observatory. This galaxy can in fact be seen without help. It is seen as a very light cloud especially at night. It is near the constellations of Mensa and Dorado. You can get a closer look a pair of simple binoculars.

Another nice piece of trivia is that this galaxy was actually named after Ferdinand Magellan, who first circumnavigated the Earth, and also saw the clouds while on his journeys.

Magellanic Clouds on Video

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Globular clusters

All stars are formed in clusters when a nebula starts to break up into separate clouds of material. But globular clusters are special, partly because they are so large, and also because the stars have not drifted apart. For example, there is now no trace of the cluster in which our Sun was born. About 100 globular clusters have observed in our Milky Way galaxy. They are all very far away from us, grouped around the nucleus of the galaxy. There were probably formed soon after the galaxy, at least 10,000 million years ago, so they are among the oldest objects in the Universe.

The Hercules star cluster is one example of a globular star cluster. Messier 80 is also another globular cluster located in the constellation Scorpius, and is about 28,000 light years away from us. M75 and M15 are also examples of globular clusters.

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Without the heliosphere life on Earth would be almost impossible. Intergalactic cosmic rays can destroy DNA making any life form non-existent. However, recent studies have discovered that this protective layer has been shrinking over the past decade. It was found that heliosphere energy has been weakened by 25 percent. Scientists are making further research and trying to launch mission in space to find out what could be the probable reasons.

There have been interplanetary spacecrafts launched to further study this layer. Most notable are the Voyager 1 and 2. Travelling outward through solar system and trying to pass through the heliopause, they are hoping to learn more beyond the solar system.

Sentinels of the Heliosphere

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Funding for the Hubble Telescope came during the 1970’s; however, it was not launched until 1990. It is a space telescope that floats hundreds of miles above Earth. For more than two decodes, the Hubble Space Telescope has been producing extremely vivid images from space.

The Hubble Telescope has provided us with amazing vantage points into the mysteries of our universe. It has given space scientists vivid photos of rare comet strikes on the surface of the planet Jupiter back in 1994. This one of the kind telescope has also given man a glimpse of what really happens during the birth of stars or how Black Holes are formed.

Because of the Hubble, mankind is able to see the furthest images ever obtained. The data that the Hubble Telescope is about to provide, makes it possible for space scientists to formulate answers about the mysteries surrounding the formation of the entire universe, and life itself.

The Hubble Space Telescope has indeed helped mankind understand space.

Hubble Space Telescope

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