Category: 7. Science

New Hubble photo shows cotton candy-like nebula in a nearby dwarf galaxy |

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way, has just received a stunning spotlight, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope. Using five special filters, including ultraviolet and infrared, Hubble captured a breathtaking view of swirling gas and dust glowing in pink, blue, and green. These colorful wisps, nicknamed “cotton candy clouds,” reveal active star-forming regions hidden to the human eye. The image is not just beautiful, it’s full of important scientific data. Seen only from the Southern Hemisphere, the LMC offers a rare look into galaxy evolution and the life cycle of stars just 160,000 light-years from Earth.

What are cotton candy clouds captured by Hubble telescope

Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) captured the scene using five filters, including ultraviolet and infrared, that isolate wavelengths invisible to our eyes. Each wavelength gets a distinct color assignment: shorter (UV) light becomes blue or purple, longer (IR) appears red. The result: shimmering gas clouds that resemble brightly coloured cotton candy

The N11 Nebula: Candy Floss at Cosmic Scale

The colourful filaments belong to N11 (also known as LHA 120‑N 11), the second‑largest star‑forming region in the LMC. Spanning about 1,000 light‑years, this nebula contains cavities and shells carved by young, massive stars and past supernovae. Its billowing pink gas resembles fairground candy floss, more intense and dramatic in close‑up views. Studying regions like N11 helps astronomers learn how stellar winds and radiation shape interstellar clouds and trigger new generations of stars.

Where is it and why it matters

The scene unfolds within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light‑years away in the southern constellations Dorado and Mensa. Though small, the LMC plays a big role in understanding galaxy evolution. Alongside the Small Magellanic Cloud, it orbits the Milky Way and is connected by the Magellanic Bridge of gas. Scientists believe the LMC may interact with our galaxy in roughly 2.4 billion years, well before the predicted collision with Andromeda in about 10 billion years

How Hubble turns raw data into vivid art

The Hubble telescope collects data across multiple wavelengths. Experts then combine and assign colors to each filter’s output, balancing aesthetics with scientific clarity. Blue or purple tones often represent ultraviolet, while reds correspond to infrared. Though the final image is visually striking, it’s grounded in real measurements and helps researchers understand gas composition, density, and star‑forming activity within the nebula

What makes the image special

This Hubble photo stands out for its combination of scientific insight and visual beauty. It’s a powerful example of how advanced space instruments can illuminate the interstellar medium, revealing stellar nurseries and the dynamic processes inside a neighbouring galaxy. For anyone curious about galaxy evolution, nebula structure, or how scientists convert invisible light into dazzling images, this view is both enlightening and inspiring.Also read| 10 stunning sights from NASA’s eye on the universe

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August 6, 2025
Ultrasensitive detection of amlodipine using plasmonic optical fiber sensors enhanced with graphene oxide and chitosan nanocomposite
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During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a period of geological rapid warming and aridification approximately 56 million years ago, a flesh-eating mesonychid mammal called Dissacus praenuntius responded in a surprising way — it started eating more bones.

Dissacus praenuntius. Image credit: DiBgd / CC BY 4.0.

“What happened during the PETM very much mirrors what’s happening today and what will happen in the future,” said Andrew Schwartz, a doctoral student at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey-New Brunswick.

“We’re seeing the same patterns. Carbon dioxide levels are rising, temperatures are higher and ecosystems are being disrupted.”

In their research, Schwartz and his colleagues used a technique called dental microwear texture analysis to study the tiny pits and scratches left on fossilized teeth of Dissacus praenuntius, a species of mammal in the extinct family Mesonychidae.

Ranging from 12 to 20 kg, this ancient omnivore was about the size of a jackal or a coyote.

The animal was fairly common in early Cenozoic forests and likely consumed a mix of meat and other food sources like fruits and insects.

“They looked superficially like wolves with oversized heads,” Schwartz said.

“Their teeth were kind of like hyenas. But they had little tiny hooves on each of their toes.”

“Before this period of rising temperatures, Dissacus praenuntius had a diet similar to modern cheetahs, eating mostly tough flesh.”

“But during and after this ancient period, its teeth showed signs of crunching harder materials, such as bones.”

“We found that their dental microwear looked more like that of lions and hyenas.”

“That suggests they were eating more brittle food, which were probably bones, because their usual prey was smaller or less available.”

This dietary shift happened alongside a modest reduction in body size, likely because of food scarcity.

“While earlier hypotheses blamed shrinking animals on hotter temperatures alone, this latest research suggests that limited food played a bigger role,” Schwartz said.

“This period of rapid global warming lasted about 200,000 years, but the changes it triggered were fast and dramatic.”

“Studies of the past like his can offer practical lessons for today and what comes next.”

“One of the best ways to know what’s going to happen in the future is to look back at the past. How did animals change? How did ecosystems respond?”

“The findings also highlight the importance of dietary flexibility. Animals that can eat a variety of foods are more likely to survive environmental stress.”

“In the short term, it’s great to be the best at what you do,” Schwartz said.

“But in the long term, it’s risky. Generalists, meaning animals that are good at a lot of things, are more likely to survive when the environment changes.”

Such an insight may be helpful for modern conservation biologists, allowing them to identify which species today may be most vulnerable.

Animals with narrow diets, such as pandas, may struggle as their habitats shrink. But adaptable species, including jackals or raccoons, might fare better.

“We already see this happening,” Schwartz said.

“In my earlier research, jackals in Africa started eating more bones and insects over time, probably because of habitat loss and climate stress.”

The study also showed that rapid climate warming as seen during the ancient past can lead to major changes in ecosystems, including shifts in available prey and changes in predator behavior.

This may suggest that modern climate change could similarly disrupt food webs and force animals to adapt, or risk extinction.

“Even though Dissacus praenuntius was a successful and adaptable animal that lived for about 15 million years, it eventually went extinct,” Schwartz said.

“Scientists think this happened because of changes in the environment and competition from other animals.”

The study was published in June 2025 in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

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Andrew Schwartz et al. 2025. Dietary change across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in the mesonychid Dissacus praenuntius. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 675: 113089; doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113089

Category: 7. Science

New Hubble photo shows cotton candy-like nebula in a nearby dwarf galaxy |

What are cotton candy clouds captured by Hubble telescope

The N11 Nebula: Candy Floss at Cosmic Scale

Where is it and why it matters

How Hubble turns raw data into vivid art

What makes the image special

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Ultrasensitive detection of amlodipine using plasmonic optical fiber sensors enhanced with graphene oxide and chitosan nanocomposite

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Gorillas seek out old female friends when they move

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Robot crab reveals how male crabs compete to attract female mates

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First NSSL Launch for ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Planned For Aug. 12

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Fossil Teeth Reveal How Extinct Carnivorous Mammal Adapted to Global Warming 56 Million Years Ago

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CHANGE THIS: NASA Installs Key ‘Sunblock’ Shield on Roman Space Telescope

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DECam Captures Elusive Intracluster Light in Galaxy Cluster Abell 3667

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