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A vast expanse of gas and dust in the Tarantula Nebula has been captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, offering a striking look at one of the most active star-forming regions in the nearby universe. The image showcases layers of cosmic material, with dark, dense clouds of dust contrasting against luminous, swirling gases. Situated around 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the nebula is known for hosting some of the most massive stars ever discovered. The data collected is expected to provide insights into the role of cosmic dust in stellar formation and the overall structure of interstellar material.

Insights from the Latest Study

According to research conducted as part of an observational program aimed at studying cosmic dust properties, the Tarantula Nebula exhibits a complex network of dust filaments and gas clouds. Unlike terrestrial dust, which contains organic and synthetic particles, cosmic dust primarily consists of carbon compounds and silicates rich in silicon and oxygen. Researchers have noted that the presence of such dust affects the nebula’s light absorption and emission patterns, shaping the visibility of stars embedded within its structure.

The Role of Cosmic Dust in Star Formation

Cosmic dust plays a crucial role in the life cycle of stars. Despite being minuscule, these dust grains contribute to planetary formation by clumping together over time. In addition, they facilitate the cooling of interstellar gas clouds, allowing them to collapse under gravity and form new stars. Scientists have highlighted that dust particles serve as a foundation for complex molecular interactions, enabling the synthesis of new chemical compounds essential for various astrophysical processes.

Significance of the Hubble Observations

Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope continue to enhance understanding of cosmic dust distribution and its impact on galactic environments. The gathered data supports ongoing studies of stellar nurseries and provides a comparative analysis of star-forming regions across different galaxies. By examining such regions in detail, astronomers aim to uncover fundamental aspects of galaxy evolution and the conditions that lead to the birth of stars.

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SpaceX Fires Up Starship Upper Stage for Ninth Test Flight in Static Fire Trial

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May 15, 2025

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SpaceX Fires Up Starship Upper Stage for Ninth Test Flight in Static Fire Trial

SpaceX’s next-generation Starship spacecraft has fired up in another test as the company prepares for its ninth flight. Starship conducted a full-duration static fire of its upper stage at the Starbase facility in South Texas on May 12th. The 171-foot-tall (52-metre) vehicle fired all six of its mighty Raptor engines for the full-duration burn, which took about 60 seconds. This marked the third such static fire for this specific ship, which is now undergoing final checks. SpaceX shared video and images of the trial in a post on X the following day.

Starship Nears Ninth Launch as SpaceX Advances Toward Mars-Ready Reusability

As per a Space.com report, the static fire is one of the last key milestones before the vehicle’s upcoming launch, though no date has yet been announced. The booster assigned to Flight 9 has already conducted a static fire test, sparking talk it may only be weeks from flight. Fully stacked, Starship stands 403.5 feet, making it the most powerful rocket system ever assembled. Its super-heavy booster and ship upper stage are intended for full reuse, a requirement for voyages to the moon, Mars, and beyond.

Starship has completed eight test flights to date, two of them in 2025. Though the missions themselves blasted off without a hitch, the ship’s upper stage flubbed both times shortly after arriving in space. During those flights, Super Heavy managed to fly back to Starbase and land with the aid of its giant launch tower’s “chopstick” arms in a dramatic manoeuvre that was one of a kind for SpaceX’s rocket-catching system. But both times the ship exploded less than 10 minutes after launch, a failure that has raised concerns about the stability of that upper stage.

SpaceX Starship, the Mars colonisation spacecraft, has now completed more than one full static fire test run, and it is expected to be a fully reusable spacecraft after the next test flight. Until then, space watchers will have to keep waiting for progress at Starbase. The ninth launch of this giant vehicle is probably not too far off if SpaceX continues to evolve and test at the pace they are going.

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Hikers Stumble Upon 600 Gold Coins in Czech Forest Near Polish Border

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May 15, 2025

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Hikers Stumble Upon 600 Gold Coins in Czech Forest Near Polish Border

Two hikers accidentally discovered a treasure trove in Czech Republic . While taking a stroll in the forests surrounding Zvičina Hill in the Krkonoše Mountains near Poland’s border, they spotted an aluminium can and an iron box protruding slightly above the surface in a stone mound. The containers contained about 600 gold coins and a stunning assortment of gold artifacts. Discovery of this treasure worth more than $340,000 has drawn attention of researchers, arising questions about both the origin of the coins and how did they end up in such a remote location.

Tracing the origin of coins

According to the report by Vojtěch Brádle, a numismatist from the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, the majority of the coins were minted between 1808 and 1915. They originate from the Austria-Hungarian Empire, particularly under the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Some of the coins feature countermarks minted in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The 598 coins cover a broad historical period, containing currency from France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia too. The range of provenances makes it difficult to track how the coins got to where they were, or just why they were stashed away at all. “It is hard to say whether it was Czech, German, or Jewish gold,” said Petr Grulich, director of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, according to Dailymail.

Theories about the hiding place

There are several theories and speculation about how these coins and artifacts were hidden in such a remote location. One theory suggests that the items were concealed during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Czechoslovakia.

Following the Munich Agreement of 1938, large numbers of Jews and Czechs fled their homes in the annexed Sudetenland to escape persecution. Some historians believe that the treasure was buried during this time in an effort to protect it from the invading Nazi forces.

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NASA’s IMAP Spacecraft Prepares to Map the Solar System’s Edge

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May 15, 2025

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NASA’s IMAP Spacecraft Prepares to Map the Solar System’s Edge

On may 10th, a semitrailer delivered NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe or IMAP to the Astrotech space operations facility all the way from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The IMAP mission is a modern-day celestial cartographer that will map the solar system by studying the heliosphere, a giant bubble created by the Sun’s solar wind that surrounds our solar system and protects it from harmful interstellar radiation. Tentatively scheduled for launch no earlier than fall 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy, IMAP will be processed fuelled and encapsulated by the technicians in Astrotech facility.

About the mission

According to reported  NASA’s blog, The IMAP mission will orbit the Sun at a location called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is about one million miles from Earth towards the Sun. From this location, IMAP can measure the local solar wind and scan the distant heliosphere without background from planets and their magnetic fields. The spacecraft will use 10 scientific instruments to study and map the heliosphere, a vast magnetic bubble surrounding the Sun protecting our solar system.

At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, IMAP went through thermal vacuum testing at the X-ray and Cryogenic facility that simulates harsh conditions and dramatic temperature changes to simulate the environment during launch, on the journey toward the Sun.

Mission Management

IMAP is the fifth mission in NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes program portfolio. It is lead by Princeton University professor David J. McComas with an international team of 25 partner institutions. The spacecraft was built and operated from The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Information from this mission are expected to provide early warnings about space weather, which can affect human space explorers and technological systems like satellites and power grids that can affect life on Earth.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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