Hubble Helps Scientists Investigate Missing Oxygen

Adapted by News by Levels November 2, 2026

A new study suggests explosions may push oxygen out of small galaxies.

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Science news editorial illustration for Hubble Study Finds Missing Oxygen in Dwarf Galaxies

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Source: NASA, 2026-11-02.

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Read and understand · 1/3How did the amount of oxygen found compare with expectations? It was about the amount expected. There was much less than expected. There was much more than expected.

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There was much less than expected.. The opening paragraph reports much less oxygen than expected.

Clue: Researchers studying 37 nearby dwarf galaxies have found much less oxygen than they expected. A dwarf galaxy is a relatively small collection of stars, gas and dust.

Read and understand · 2/3What explanation does the study suggest for the missing oxygen? Winds linked to exploding stars may carry it away. Most missing oxygen remains locked inside the galaxies’ stars. New stars keep all the oxygen inside the galaxies.

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Winds linked to exploding stars may carry it away.. The second paragraph describes winds associated with exploding stars as a possible explanation.

Clue: Stars produce oxygen, but the study suggests that powerful winds linked to exploding stars can carry much of it away from small galaxies. The team compared the oxygen found in stars and gas with what it expected from the galaxies’ histories.

Read and understand · 3/3Which statement describes the oxygen’s location? All of it has been found in gas around the galaxies. All of it has been found inside the galaxies’ stars. It could be in gas around the galaxies or farther away.

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It could be in gas around the galaxies or farther away.. The final paragraph gives two possible locations and says the answer is uncertain.

Clue: Where most of the missing oxygen has gone remains uncertain. It could be in gas surrounding the galaxies or farther away in intergalactic space.

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Describe the proposed reason for the missing oxygen and one place it could be.

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Winds linked to exploding stars may carry the oxygen away. Some could be in gas around the galaxies.

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Hubble Helps Scientists Investigate Missing Oxygen

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