Starburst galaxy NGC 1569 forms stars over 100 times faster than the Milky Way

the gist

NGC 1569 is a small galaxy about 11 million light-years away that is forming stars at a far higher rate than most galaxies. For nearly 100 million years it has been producing stars more than 100 times faster than the Milky Way. Its bright blue star clusters each contain more than a million stars, sitting inside a cavity of gas carved out by supernovae, the explosions of massive stars. Hubble's measurements of individual red giant stars showed the galaxy is about one and a half times farther away than previously thought. Astronomers suspect that gravity from the nearby IC 342 galaxy group is compressing the gas and triggering the star formation.

how it works

Gas in the galaxy is compressed by the gravity of nearby galaxies. As it is squeezed, it collapses, heats up and forms new stars, and the massive stars then explode as supernovae that carve out cavities in the gas.

so what

Starbursts like this one help astronomers understand how galaxies build their stars in short, intense bursts rather than steadily. Getting an accurate distance is essential, because it sets the true size and brightness of everything inside the galaxy.

ESA/Hubble · CC BY 4.0

Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Aloisi, Ford Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt ( Geckzilla )

source: ESA/Hubble ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗