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Monday, September 30, 2019

ALMA explores a Cosmic Jellyfish | ESO

ALMA explores a Cosmic Jellyfish | ESO
Using the detailed eyes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have mapped the intense tails of a cosmic jellyfish: a number of knotty streams of gas spewing outwards from a spiral galaxy named ESO 137-001.

This celestial cnidarian is shown here in beautiful detail. The various elements making up this image were captured by different telescopes. The galaxy and its surroundings were imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope; its tails, which trace streams of hydrogen and show up in hues of bright purple, by the MUSE instrument mounted on the VLT; and bright hotspots of carbon dioxide emission from within the system, which show up as flares of orange-red, were spotted by ALMA.


These tails are caused by a dramatic phenomenon known as ram-pressure stripping. The space between galaxies in a cluster is not empty, but full of material that acts like a viscous fluid. As a galaxy travels through this resistant environment, gas is stripped out of the galaxy to form a wake that creates beautiful, intricate systems such as that seen here around ESO 137-001 (which resides in the Norma galaxy cluster). The direction and position of the tail shed light on the way in which the galaxy is moving—with galaxies usually falling towards the center of the cluster itself.

This image offers the first high-resolution map of the cold molecular gas lurking within a ram-pressure stripped system. ESO 137-001 is one of the nearest jellyfish galaxies to Earth, and is particularly interesting because its long, extended tails of gas contain features known as ‘fireballs’: bursts of star formation. The precise mechanisms governing how stars form within jellyfish tails are mysterious, and this map thus provides a new window onto the conditions needed for new stars to form in such intense, changeable environments.

The ALMA array comprises 66 antennas, and is located on the Chajinator plateau in the Chilean Atacama Desert at an altitude of 5000 meters. ALMA observes the night sky from this remote location to unlock the secrets of how the Universe—and its weird and wonderful residents, ESO 137-001 included—formed and evolved, revealing more about our cosmic origins.

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), P. Jachym (Czech Academy of Sciences) et al.
Release Date: September 30, 2019



#ESO #NASA #Astronomy #Space #ESO137001 #Triangulum #Australe #Galaxy #Spiral #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #VLT #ALMA #Observatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Medusa Merger: Galaxy NGC 4194 | Hubble

The Medusa Merger: Galaxy NGC 4194 | Hubble
The galaxy pictured in this Hubble Picture of the Week has an especially evocative name: the Medusa merger.

Often referred to by its somewhat drier New General Catalogue designation of NGC 4194, this was not always one entity, but two. An early galaxy consumed a smaller gas-rich system, throwing out streams of stars and dust out into space. These streams, seen rising from the top of the merger galaxy, resembles the writhing snakes that Medusa, a monster in ancient Greek mythology, famously had on her head in place of hair, lending the object its intriguing name.

The legend of Medusa also held that anyone who saw her face would transform into stone. In this case, you can feast your eyes without fear on the center of the merging galaxies, a region known as Medusa's eye. All the cool gas pooling here has triggered a burst of star formation, causing it to stand out brightly against the dark cosmic backdrop.

The Medusa merger is located about 130 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major (The Great Bear).

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Adamo
Release Date: September 20, 2019


#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC4194 #UrsaMajor #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

Saturday, September 28, 2019

NASA's Earth Missions

NASA's Earth Missions
This is a roughly two-minute montage of recent NASA Earth missions and instruments (such as OCO-3, GRACE Follow-On, Oceans Melting Greenland and CORAL), from their construction and launch to their data products and scientists in the field. These campaigns study carbon, Earth’s gravity field, the ocean-ice interface in Greenland, and coral reef health.

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds
Release Date: September 11, 2019


#NASA #Earth #Science #Space #Satellite #ISS #GSFC #Goddard #UnitedStates #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GlobalWarming #Environment #Nature #EarthObservation #Airborne #Observatory #Exploration #STEM #Education #Video

Tonight's Sky: October 2019

Tonight's Sky: October 2019
Crisp, clear October nights are full of celestial showpieces. Find Pegasus, the flying horse of Greek myth, to pinpoint dense globular star clusters and galaxies, including our neighbor Andromeda. Keep watching for space-based views of M15, NGC 7331, and the Andromeda Galaxy.

About this Series
“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning.

Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute
Duration: 4 minutes, 29 seconds
Release Date: September 25, 2019



#NASA #Astronomy #Hubble #Spitzer #Space #Science #Earth #Stars #Pegasus #M15 #Globular #Star #Clusters #Galaxy #Galaxies #MilkyWay #Andromeda #M31 #NGC7331 #Planets #SolarSystem #Skywatching #STScI #STEM #Education #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthernHemisphere #Video

Arctic Sea Ice Reaches 2019 Minimum Extent | NASA

Arctic Sea Ice Reaches 2019 Minimum Extent | NASA
Arctic sea ice likely reached its 2019 minimum extent of 1.60 million square miles (4.15 million square kilometers) on Sept. 18, tied for second lowest summertime extent in the satellite record, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

The Arctic sea ice cap is an expanse of frozen seawater floating on top of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas. Every year, it expands and thickens during the fall and winter and grows smaller and thinner during the spring and summer. But in the past decades, increasing temperatures have caused marked decreases in the Arctic sea ice extents in all seasons, with particularly rapid reductions in the minimum end-of-summer ice extent. The shrinking of the Arctic sea ice cover can ultimately affect local ecosystems, global weather patterns, and the circulation of the oceans.

Release Date: September 23, 2019
Duration: 2 minutes, 32 seconds
Credits:

Lead Producer:
Katie Jepson (USRA)

Technical Support:
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)

Scientists:
Nathan T. Kurtz (NASA/GSFC)
Walt Meier (NASA/GSFC)

Lead Visualizers:
Trent L. Schindler (USRA)
Cindy Starr (GST)

Lead Animator:
Bailee DesRocher (USRA)

Narrator:
LK Ward (USRA)

Visualizer:
Lori Perkins (NASA/GSFC)

Lead Writer:
Maria-Jose Vinas Garcia (Telophase)

Videographers:
Kate Ramsayer (Telophase)
Jefferson Beck (USRA)
John Caldwell (AIMM)



#Earth #Science #Space #Satellite #Arctic #Ocean #Ice #Sea #Canada #Greenland #Grønland #Denmark #Iceland #Россия #Russia #GSFC #Goddard #UnitedStates #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GlobalWarming #EarthObservation #STEM #Education #Video

Earth: South Pacific Swirl | International Space Station

Earth: South Pacific Swirl | International Space Station
Earth from space is always breathtaking . . . especially this view of the South Pacific.

This circular cloud formation caught the eye of an astronaut while orbiting over the South Pacific Ocean. Traveling near the southernmost reaches of its orbit, the International Space Station (ISS) was more than 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) east of New Zealand and more than 4,400 kilometers (2,700 miles) west of South America.

The striking colors within the cloud formation are a result of the local sunrise. When the Sun is at a low angle (relative to the atmosphere and ISS), sunlight passes through a thicker slice of the atmosphere. This can enhance the red end of the visible color spectrum, leading to the pink hues visible at the center of the image.

When photos are taken close to the day-night line (also known as the terminator), the sunlight can cast shadows that accentuate contrasting cloud heights and make the sense of circular motion more distinct to the eye. This photo was taken while the astronaut was looking back toward the night hemisphere, so the clouds become less defined as they fade into the terminator.

The astronaut who took this photograph sent a message from the ISS to ask if this specific cloud formation had been a named tropical cyclone. However, because the weather system was short-lived, the storm dissipated before making landfall, and thus was not named.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC
Release Date: September 22, 2019


#NASA #ISS #Science #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Weather #Sunrise #Terminator #Pacific #Ocean #EarthObservation #Astronaut #FlightEngineer #Human #Spaceflight #Expedition60 #UnitedStates #JSC #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #STEM #Education

NASA Astronauts | SpaceX Crew Dragon

NASA Astronauts | SpaceX Crew Dragon

Returning flights of US astronauts from US soil

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken familiarize themselves with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, the spacecraft that will transport them to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Their upcoming flight test is known as Demo-2, short for Demonstration Mission 2.

The Crew Dragon will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In March 2019, SpaceX completed an uncrewed flight test of Crew Dragon known as Demo-1, which was designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, bringing NASA closer to certification of SpaceX systems to fly a crew.

NASA is months away from setting a new course in Human Space Flight History. The Commercial Crew Program, a partnership between Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and Space X’s Crew Dragon are leading the way for the return to flight of US astronauts from US soil. NASA's Kennedy Space Center is leading the way in these efforts.

The agency has contracted six missions with up to four astronauts, per-mission, for each company. Commercial transportation to and from the space station will maintain a crew of seven astronauts, maximizing time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting laboratory. This research is crucial for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight, which will allow humans to explore farther into space than ever before.

Image Credit: SpaceX
Image Date: August 30, 2018

#NASA #Earth #Space #ISS #SpaceX #ElonMusk #Astronaut #CrewDragon #BobBehnken #DougHurley #Falcon9 #Rocket #Spacecraft #Crew #Commercial #CommercialCrew #Human #Spaceflight #Science #Technology #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #LaunchAmerica #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Bob Behnken in SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacesuit

NASA Astronaut Bob Behnken in SpaceX Spacesuit
Returning flights of US astronauts from US soil

NASA and SpaceX conducted a formal verification of the company’s emergency escape system on Sept. 18, 2019, at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida.

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken participated in the exercise to verify the crew can safely and quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency before liftoff of SpaceX’s first crewed flight test, called Demo-2.

As Boeing and SpaceX begin to make regular flights to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars.

NASA is months away from setting a new course in Human Space Flight History. The Commercial Crew Program, a partnership between Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and Space X’s Crew Dragon are leading the way for the return to flight of US astronauts from US soil. NASA's Kennedy Space Center is leading the way in these efforts.

The agency has contracted six missions with up to four astronauts, per-mission, for each company. Commercial transportation to and from the space station will maintain a crew of seven astronauts, maximizing time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting laboratory. This research is crucial for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight, which will allow humans to explore farther into space than ever before.

Image Credit: SpaceX
Image Date: September 18, 2019


#NASA #Earth #Space #ISS #SpaceX #ElonMusk #Astronaut #CrewDragon #BobBehnken #Falcon9 #Rocket #Spacecraft #Crew #Commercial #CommercialCrew #Emergency #Human #Spaceflight #Science #Technology #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #LaunchAmerica #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

Friday, September 27, 2019

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center! | Week of Sept. 27, 2019

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center! | Week of Sept. 27, 2019
Kennedy Space Center senior leaders viewed a mock-up of the cargo logistics module for Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser inside the SSPF. And the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) is approaching another major milestone.

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 2 minutes, 2 seconds
Release Date: Week of September 27, 2019




#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #SierraNevada #DreamChaser #ISS #Cargo #Resupply #SLS #Orion #Artemis #Moon #Mars #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: New Arrivals | Week of Sept. 27, 2019

NASA's Space to Ground: New Arrivals 
Week of Sept. 27, 2019
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. 

Sept. 27, 2019: A Japanese space freighter is on track to deliver more than four tons of cargo to the International Space Station on Saturday morning. The Expedition 60 crew is preparing for its arrival while also researching a variety of microgravity phenomena.


Flight Engineers Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan are practicing on a computer the techniques they will use to maneuver the Canadarm2 robotic arm and capture the HTV-8 resupply ship on Saturday. The duo will be in the cupola monitoring the cargo craft’s approach when Koch will command the Canadarm2 to reach out and grapple the HTV-8 at 7:15 a.m. EDT.


Today, Astronaut Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) started his morning playing with slime for the Non-Newtonian Fluids in Microgravity experiment. Koch and Morgan joined him for the fun research being filmed for students on Earth to excite them about space research.


New station resident Jessica Meir of NASA began her day observing and photographing protein crystal samples in a microscope. The research is exploring cancer therapies targeting a protein responsible for tumor growth and survival.


Meir and the station’s other new crewmates, cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates, joined the rest of the station crew to review their roles in the event of an emergency. All nine crewmembers practiced evacuating the station, communications and using safety hardware during the afternoon.


Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineer Nick Hague are less than a week away from returning to Earth after 203 days in space. They are finalizing packing and readying their Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft for the undocking on Oct. 3. The duo will parachute to Earth with Almansoori aboard their Soyuz crew ship and land in Kazakhstan.


Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science


For more information about STEM on Station:
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/stem_on_station/


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 2 minutes, 29 seconds
Release Date: September 27, 2019



#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Soyuz #Rocket #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #OlegSkripochka #HazzaaAliAlmansoori #UAE ‎#Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Japan #日本 #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video

Thursday, September 26, 2019

T-60 Seconds with NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir

T-60 Seconds with NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir
You’ve got to know a lot to earn a master’s degree in space science and a doctorate in marine biology, and that’s before you consider all you need to learn to become a NASA astronaut. As it turns out, little of that knowledge applied as astronaut Jessica Meir sat for a barrage of questions just before her launch to the International Space Station—take a look.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds
Release Date: September 20, 2019



#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Research #Microgravity #Astronaut #JessicaMeir #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Earth #Women #Leader #Scientist #Biologist #UnitedStates #Maine #Caribou #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education #Video

Congratulations to NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir

Congratulations to NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir
Congratulations on arriving at the International Space Station! Official portrait of NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir in a WB-57 high altitude flight suit.

From Caribou, Maine, Jessica Meir is a graduate of Brown University, has an advanced degree from the International Space University, and earned her doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Meir’s September launch to the station will mark her first spaceflight. She was selected as an astronaut in 2013. On September 25, 2019, Jessica became the first woman from the U.S. state of Maine to reach Earth orbit and visit the International Space Station.

Meir launched to the International Space Station on board Soyuz MS-15 on September 25, 2019, as a flight engineer for Expeditions 61 and 62. She is due to return to Earth in the spring of 2020. Due to holding dual American and Swedish citizenship, she is the first Swedish woman in space, and the second Swedish national in space.

Jessica's Official NASA Astronaut Bio:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/meir-u-jessica
https://www.nasa.gov/…/default/files/atoms/files/meir-ju.pdf

Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
Release Date: April 22, 2019

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Earth #Women #Leader #Scientist #Biologist #UnitedStates #Maine #Caribou #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Moments: Jessica Meir - Exploring Extreme Environments

NASA Astronaut Moments: 
Jessica Meir - Exploring Extreme Environments
Astronaut Jessica Meir is no stranger to extreme environments. She’s studied penguins in Antarctica and mapped caves in Italy, all of which prepared her for the ultimate extreme environment: space.

From Caribou, Maine, Jessica Meir is a graduate of Brown University, has an advanced degree from the International Space University, and earned her doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Meir’s September launch to the station will mark her first spaceflight. She was selected as an astronaut in 2013. On September 25, 2019, Jessica became the first woman from the U.S. state of Maine to reach Earth orbit and visit the International Space Station.

Meir launched to the International Space Station on board Soyuz MS-15 on September 25, 2019, as a flight engineer for Expeditions 61 and 62. She is due to return to Earth in the spring of 2020. Due to holding dual American and Swedish citizenship, she is the first Swedish woman in space, and the second Swedish national in space.

Jessica's Official NASA Astronaut Bio:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/meir-u-jessica
https://www.nasa.gov/…/default/files/atoms/files/meir-ju.pdf

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 3 minute, 42 seconds
Release Date: September 24, 2019


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Earth #Women #Leader #Scientist #Biologist #UnitedStates #Maine #Caribou #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education #Video

View of Soyuz Rocket Launch | International Space Station

View of Soyuz Rocket Launch | International Space Station
Sept. 25, 2019: NASA Astronaut Christina Koch captured this image of three multinational crewmembers launching to the International Space Station aboard their Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, including NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

Christina: "What it looks like from the International Space Station when your best friend achieves her lifelong dream to go to space. Caught the second stage in progress! We can’t wait to welcome you onboard, crew of Soyuz 61!"

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, Oleg Skripochka of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Hazzaa Ali Almansoori from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched safely for their mission aboard the International Space Station on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft at 9:57 a.m. EDT.

The crew began their six-hour trip to the orbital laboratory during which they will orbit Earth four times.

From Caribou, Maine, Jessica Meir is a graduate of Brown University, has an advanced degree from the International Space University, and earned her doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Meir’s September launch to the station will mark her first spaceflight. She was selected as an astronaut in 2013. Jessica is the first woman from Maine to reach orbit!

United Arab Emirates’ Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, a Roscosmos spaceflight participant, will return with to Earth Oct. 3rd. This is his first spaceflight.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC
Image Date: September 25, 2019



#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Soyuz #Rocket #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Cosmonaut #OlegSkripochka #HazzaaAliAlmansoori #UAE #الإمارات‎#Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #وكالةالإمارات للفضاء

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Soyuz Rocket Blasts Off to Station With Multinational Crew


Soyuz Rocket Blasts Off to Station With Multinational Crew

Congratulations to NASA's Jessica Meir and UAE's Hazzaa Ali Almansoori!

Sept. 25, 2019: Three multinational crewmembers blasted off to the space station today aboard their Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, Oleg Skripochka of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Hazzaa Ali Almansoori from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched safely for their mission aboard the International Space Station on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft at 9:57 a.m. EDT.

The crew began their six-hour trip to the orbital laboratory during which they will orbit Earth four times.

From Caribou, Maine, Jessica Meir is a graduate of Brown University, has an advanced degree from the International Space University, and earned her doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Meir’s September launch to the station will mark her first spaceflight. She was selected as an astronaut in 2013. Jessica is the first woman from Maine to reach orbit!

United Arab Emirates’ Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, a Roscosmos spaceflight participant, will return with to Earth Oct. 3rd. This is his first spaceflight.

Video Credit: NASA/JSC/Roscosmos
Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds
Release Date: September 25, 2019


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Soyuz #Rocket #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #OlegSkripochka #HazzaaAliAlmansoori #UAE #الإمارات‎#Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video #وكالةالإمارات للفضاء

Monday, September 23, 2019

Galaxy Messier 86: Beacon of Light | Hubble

Galaxy Messier 86: Beacon of Light | Hubble
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the galaxy Messier 86. Despite its being discovered over 235 years ago by astronomer Charles Messier, the morphological classification of Messier 86 remains unclear; astronomers are still debating over whether it is either elliptical or lenticular (the latter being a cross between an elliptical and spiral galaxy).

Messier 86 is part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and is situated about 50 million light-years from Earth. The galaxy is moving through space remarkably quickly—its current trajectory is bringing it in our direction, back towards the center of its cluster from the far side, at the incredible speed of over 875,000 kilometers per hour! Because of the speed with which it is moving through the cluster, Messier 86 is undergoing a process known as ram-pressure stripping; the resistive material filling the gaps between individual cluster galaxies is pulling at the gas and dust in Messier 86 and stripping them out as the galaxy moves, creating a long trail of hot gas that is emitting X-ray radiation.

Astronomers are using these data to study elliptical and lenticular galaxies, both of which are often found at the centers of galaxy clusters. By studying the cores of these galaxies, astronomers hope to determine details of the central structure and to analyze both the history of the galaxy and the formation of its core.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Cote et al.
Release Date: September 23, 2019



#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Messier86 #Virgo #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Earth by Moonlight | International Space Station

Earth by Moonlight | International Space Station
Original timelapse by Riccardo Rossi (ISAA)
ISAA (Italian Space and Astronautics Association)

Raw imagery courtesy of Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
- Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License -

Music: "Slow motion Perception" by Carlos Carty - Attribution 4.0 International License
https://www.jamendo.com/artist/488420/carlos-carty

Timelapse HD 1080p video

Credit: AstronautiCAST/JSC

Duration: 4 minutes, 33 seconds
Capture Date: September 13, 2019
Release Date: September 19, 2019



#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Planet #Moon #ISS #Italy #Europe #Aurora #Stars #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Expedition60 #Photography #Art #Science #OrbitalPerspective #OverviewEffect #AstronautiCAST #ISAA #STEM #Education #Timelapse #Video

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Earth from Space: Clarence Strait, Australia | European Space Agency

Earth from Space: Clarence Strait, Australia | ESA
The European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite takes us over Clarence Strait, a narrow body of water in Australia’s Northern Territory in this week's edition of the Earth from Space program.

ESA - We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 2 minutes, 45 seconds
Release Date: September 20, 2019



#NASA #ESA #Earth #Space #Satellite #Australia #ClarenceStrait #Darwin #Djukbinj #TimorSea #AdelaideRiver #Europe #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #EarthFromSpace #Copernicus #Sentinel2 #STEM #Education #Video

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center | Week of Sept. 20, 2019

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center | Week of Sept. 20, 2019
NASA's Exploration Ground Systems performed another successful test of the sound suppression system at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for Artemis I. During the test, the system released 450,000 gallons of water across the mobile launcher and flame deflector in a little over 30 seconds. Also, NASA and SpaceX were awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Program for the launch broadcast of SpaceX's Demo-1 mission. Under the agency's Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX launched its inaugural uncrewed Demo-1 flight test to the International Space Station in March.

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds
Release Date: September 20, 2019



#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #SLS #Rocket #Orion #Artemis #Moon #Mars #SpaceX #LaunchAmerica #CCP #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video

Friday, September 20, 2019

Highlighting Artemis with Help from Hollywood | This Week @NASA

Highlighting Artemis with Help from Hollywood 
This Week @NASA
Week of Sept. 20, 2019 | Highlighting Artemis with help from Hollywood, preparing to launch to the only laboratory in microgravity, and testing new lunar landing technology . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 4 minutes, 28 seconds
Release Date: September 20, 2019


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Artemis #Moon #Mars #JourneyToMars #Film #ScienceFiction #AdAstra #Astronauts #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Dress Rehearsals | Week of Sept. 20, 2019

NASA's Space to Ground: Dress Rehearsals
Week of Sept. 20, 2019
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.

Three Expedition 60 crewmembers finalized four days in a row of rodent research aboard the International Space Station this week. Meanwhile, more space science is underway as the orbiting lab residents prepare to swap crews.

Astronauts living in space have shown signs of accelerated aging and scientists are looking to understand why. The crew has spent all week observing mice aboard the station since they show similar physiological changes in microgravity. Scientists are hoping results from the rodent study may provide insights and therapies for aging conditions and muscle diseases to promote healthier humans on Earth and in space.

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan conducted the rodent research this week with assistance from ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano. The trio performed the biological research using the Life Sciences Glovebox installed inside Japan’s Kibo laboratory module.

Flight Engineer Nick Hague of NASA set up fluid research hardware inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module throughout Thursday. The new science gear will support the Ring Sheared Drop experiment to understand how fluids flow in the human body and other materials. Observations may lead to a deeper understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and improved production of advanced materials.

Commander Alexey Ovchinin is still gathering items he will pack inside the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft for his return home in a couple of weeks. He and Hague will soar back to Earth inside the Soyuz crew ship and parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan on Oct. 3.

Spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori will hitch a ride back to Earth with Hague and Ovchinin after he launches to the station next week. He will join Expedition 61 crewmembers Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft when it launches on Wednesday at 9:57 a.m. EDT. The trio will dock to the aft end of the Zvezda service module at 3:45 p.m. the same day.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 3 minutes, 19 seconds
Release Date: September 20, 2019

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Soyuz #Rocket #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #OlegSkripochka #HazzaaAliAlmansoori #UAE #الإمارات‎#Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Expedition61 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video #وكالةالإمارات للفضاء

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Mimas at Saturn | NASA Cassini

Mimas at Saturn | NASA Cassini
Image of Saturn and its moon, Mimas, with ring shadows taken on November 7, 2004.

Mimas, also designated Saturn I, is a moon of Saturn which was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. It is named after Mimas, a son of Gaia in Greek mythology.


With a diameter of 396 kilometers (246 mi) it is the smallest astronomical body that is known to still be rounded in shape because of self-gravitation. However, Mimas is not actually in hydrostatic equilibrium for its current rotation. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Cassini spacecraft ended its mission on Sept. 15, 2017.

For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit: https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and http://www.nasa.gov/cassini

Technical details:
Processed using calibrated red, green, and blue filters.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/CICLOPS/Kevin M. Gill
Image Date: November 7, 2004


#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Saturn #Planet #Rings #Shadows #Moon #Mimas #SolarSystem #Exploration #Cassini #Spacecraft #JPL #California #UnitedStates #ESA #ASI #History #STEM #Education

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Xiamen, China at Night | International Space Station

Xiamen, China at Night | International Space Station
This nighttime view shows the port city of Xiamen on China's southeast coast as the International Space Station orbited 255 miles above the South China Sea.

Xiamen is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, Haicang, and Xiang'an. Altogether, these cover an area of 1,699.39 square kilometers (656.14 sq mi) with a population of 3,531,347 as of 2010. The urbanized area of the city has spread from its original island to include parts of all six of its districts, with a total population of 1,861,289. This area connects to Quanzhou in the north and Zhangzhou in the west, making up a metropolis of more than five million people.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Image Date: September 12, 2019


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Ad Astra: A Conversation with Brad Pitt, James Gray and NASA Officials

Ad Astra 
A Conversation with Brad Pitt, James Gray & NASA Officials
Ad Astra follows Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) on a mission across the solar system to uncover the truth about his father. Watch live as Brad Pitt, Director James Gray and two NASA officials discuss how they brought “the most realistic depiction of space travel” to the big screen. 

Ad Astra (In U.S. Theaters Sept. 20, 2019) 
Official Twentieth Century Fox Film website: 
https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/ad-astra

Credit: The Washington Post 
Duration: 56 minutes, 43 seconds 
Release Date: September 16, 2019


#NASA #Space #Science #Actor #BradPitt #AdAstra #Film #ScienceFiction #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #Exploration #Moon #Mars #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Video

Three Continents | International Space Station

Earth: Three Continents | International Space Station
Original timelapse by Riccardo Rossi (ISAA)
Italian Space and Astronautics Association (ISAA)

Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Raw imagery courtesy of Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

Music: "Inspiring Piano Commercial" by Artistico - Attribution -Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
https://www.jamendo.com/artist/509950/artistico

Timelapse HD 1080p video

Credit: AstronautiCAST/JSC
Capture Date: June 15, 2019

Duration: 2 minutes, 19 seconds
Release Date: June 24, 2019



#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Planet #ISS #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Expedition59 #Europe #Asia #Aurora #Photography #Art #Science #OrbitalPerspective #OverviewEffect #AstronautiCAST #ISAA #STEM #Education #Timelapse #Video

Monday, September 16, 2019

Real World: Small Bodies Orbiting the Sun | NASAeClips

Real World: Small Bodies Orbiting the Sun | NASAeClips

NASA eClips™ website: https://nasaeclips.arc.nasa.gov
Science for Students | In addition to planets and their moons, there are many small bodies orbiting the Sun. How did these bodies form? Learn more about comets and asteroids and the role these play in our Solar System.

NASA eClips™ are short, relevant educational video segments. These videos inspire and engage students, helping them see real world connections.

Real World connects classroom mathematics to 21st century careers and innovations and are designed for students to develop an appreciation for mathematics through real-world problem-solving.

Credit: NASAeClips
Duration: 3 minutes, 9 seconds


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Asteroids #Comets #Planet #SolarSystem #Goddard #GSFC #STEM #Education #Video

Galaxy Messier 110: Not So Dead After All | Hubble

Galaxy Messier 110: Not So Dead After All | Hubble
Many of the best-loved galaxies in the cosmos are remarkably large, close, massive, bright, or beautiful, often with an unusual or intriguing structure or history. However, it takes all kinds to make a Universe—as demonstrated by this Hubble Picture of the Week of Messier 110.

Messier 110 may not look like much, but it is a fascinating near neighbor of our home galaxy, and an unusual example of its type. It is a member of the Local Group, a gathering of galaxies comprising the Milky Way and a number of the galaxies closest to it. Specifically, Messier 110 is one of the many satellite galaxies encircling the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest major galaxy to our own, and is classified as a dwarf elliptical galaxy, meaning that it has a smooth and almost featureless structure. Elliptical galaxies lack arms and notable pockets of star formation—both characteristic features of spiral galaxies. Dwarf ellipticals are quite common in groups and clusters of galaxies, and are often satellites of larger galaxies.

Because they lack stellar nurseries and contain mostly old stars, elliptical galaxies are often considered ‘dead’ when compared to their spiral relatives. However, astronomers have spotted signs of a population of young, blue stars at the center of Messier 110—hinting that it may not be so dead after all.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, L.Ferrarese et al.
Release Date: September 16, 2019



#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Messier110 #Dwarf #Elliptical #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Long-lived Storm System on Saturn | NASA Cassini

A Long-lived Storm System on Saturn | NASA Cassini
It was one of the largest and longest lived storms ever recorded in our Solar System. First seen in late 2010, the above cloud formation in the northern hemisphere of Saturn started larger than the Earth and soon spread completely around the planet. The storm was tracked not only from Earth but from up close by the robotic Cassini spacecraft then orbiting Saturn.

Pictured here in false colored infrared, orange colors indicate clouds deep in the atmosphere, while light colors highlight clouds higher up. The rings of Saturn are seen nearly edge-on as the thin blue horizontal line. The warped dark bands are the shadows of the rings cast onto the cloud tops by the Sun to the upper left. A source of radio noise from lightning, the intense storm was thought to relate to seasonal changes when spring emerges in the north of Saturn. After raging for over six months, the iconic storm circled the entire planet and then tried to absorb its own tail, which surprisingly caused it to fade away.

The Cassini-Huygens mission was a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the U.S. and several European countries.

For more information about Cassini, go to:

Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA
Release Date: September 15, 2019


#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Saturn #Rings #Planet #Atmosphere #Weather #SolarSystem #Exploration #Cassini #Spacecraft #JPL #UnitedStates #ESA #ASI #History #STEM #Education #APoD

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The Terminator | International Space Station

The Terminator | International Space Station
European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano took this image of the line that separates day from night, known as the terminator, during his Beyond mission. He captioned it: "To be able to observe with one’s own eyes the night coming in, that line between day and obscurity, is always an experience of surreal, inexplicable emotion."

Learn about Luca's Beyond mission:
http://lucaparmitano.esa.int

Credit: ESA/NASA-L.Parmitano
Image Date: July 29, 2019


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Technology #Earth #Day #Night #Terminator #Astronaut #ESA #LucaParmitano #MissionBeyond #Italia #Italy #Expedition60 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #STEM #Education #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective

Tropical Storm Humberto Forms Close to Bahamas

Tropical Storm Humberto Forms Close to Bahamas

Tropical Cyclone Nine became a tropical storm as it moved northwestward over the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the central and northwest Bahamas, including areas recently devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Tropical storm Humberto will likely bring tropical-storm-force-winds and heavy rainfall to portions of the northwestern Bahamas today. Significant storm surge is not expected in the northwestern Bahamas from this system. The center of Humberto is now passing just east of Great Abaco Island.

The future track of this system is still uncertain, and forecasters will continue to monitor it closely.

For the latest information, visit the National Hurricane Center:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/cyclones/

This GeoColor-enhanced imagery was created by NOAA's partners at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. The GOES East geostationary satellite, also known as GOES-16, provides coverage of the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Pacific. The satellite's high-resolution imagery provides optimal viewing of severe weather events, including thunderstorms, tropical storms, and hurricanes.

Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Image Date: September 13, 2019

#NASA #NOAA #Space #Satellite #Science #Earth #Tropical #Storm #Humberto #Atlantic #Ocean #Florida #Bahamas #Weather #Meteorology #GOESEast #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Friday, September 13, 2019

East Timor Sunset | International Space Station

East Timor Sunset | International Space Station
An image of a sunset in East Timor captured by European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano during his Beyond mission to the International Space Station.

East Timor or Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Maritime Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island surrounded by Indonesian West Timor. Australia is the country's southern neighbor, separated by the Timor Sea. 
(Source: Wikipedia)

Credit: ESA/NASA-L.Parmitano
Image Date: August 23, 2019


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Technology #Earth #TimorLeste #EastTimor #Asia #PacificOcean #Astronaut #ESA #LucaParmitano #MissionBeyond #Italia #Italy #Expedition60 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #STEM #Education #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center | Week of Sept. 13, 2019

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center | Week of Sept. 13, 2019
Hurricane Dorian skirted the coast of Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 3 and 4. A few days before, the Mobile Launcher, atop the crawler-transporter, was moved from Launch Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly as a precaution. Kennedy Director Bob Cabana presented awards to NASA and contractor employees during the center's annual NASA KSC Honor Awards Ceremony on Sept. 10.

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 1 minute, 36 seconds
Release Date: September 13, 2019

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #SLS #Rocket #Orion #Artemis #Moon #Mars #Dorian #Hurricane #HurricaneDorian #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Women #Engineering #STEM #Education #Video