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Thursday, March 31, 2022

What's Up for April 2022: Skywatching Tips from NASA

What's Up for April 2022: Skywatching Tips from NASA

What are some skywatching highlights in April 2022? 

The gathering of planets in the morning sky increases from three to four, as Jupiter joins the party. Two close conjunctions—between Mars and Saturn, and Venus and Jupiter—provide highlights at the beginning and end of the month. And the Big Dipper hosts a surprise: a double star you just might be able to "split" with your own eyes.

0:00 Intro

0:09 Morning planets & TWO conjunctions!

1:28 The Big Dipper's hidden "double star"

3:09 April moon phases


Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 3 minutes, 32 seconds

Date: March 31, 2022


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #Planets #Saturn #Venus #Mars #Jupiter #SolarSystem #Stars #BigDipper #Mizar #Alcor #Binary #DoubleStar #Constellations #MilkyWay #Galaxy #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 News Conference | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 News Conference | International Space Station


March 31, 2022: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts discuss their upcoming mission to the International Space Station and take questions from media. The mission will carry NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins as well as European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

Jessica Watkins' Biography (NASA)

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jessica-watkins/biography

Kjell Lindgren's Biography (NASA)

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/kjell-n-lindgren/biography

Robert Hines' Biography (NASA)

https://www.nasa.gov/content/bob-hines-nasa-astronaut

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the  International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

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


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 57 minutes

Release Date: March 31, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #Dragon #CrewDragon #SpaceXCrew4 #Astronauts #LaunchAmerica #Commercial #CCP #Science #Technology #Kennedy #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #Photography #STEM #Education #SamanthaCristoforetti #JessicaWatkins #KjellLindgren #RobertHines #Human #Spaceflight #UnitedStates #Europe #Russia #Japan #Canada #JSC #Expedition67 #STEM #Education #HD #Video


SpaceX Starship Super Heavy: New Graphical Images & Data

SpaceX Starship Super Heavy: New Graphical Images & Data




"SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit."

Key Parameters:
Height: 120m/394ft
Diameter: 9m/30ft
Payload to LEO: 100+t/220+klb

Capabilities:

Satellites: "Starship is designed to deliver satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb."

Landing on Mars: "Starship will enter Mars’ atmosphere at 7.5 kilometers per second and decelerate aerodynamically. The vehicle’s heat shield is designed to withstand multiple entries, but given that the vehicle is coming into Mars' atmosphere so hot, we still expect to see some ablation of the heat shield (similar to wear and tear on a brake pad)."

Starship's Engines: Raptors
"The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown."
Raptor Engine Parameters:
Diameter: 1.3m/4ft
Height: 3.1m/10.2ft
Thrust: 230tf/500 klbf

First Lunar Private Mission
"In 2023, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and the crew of dearMoon will become the first civilian passengers on a lunar Starship mission, featuring a fly-by of the Moon during their week-long journey. This flight is an important step toward enabling access for people who dream of traveling to space."

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF): 

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)

Release Date: March 16, 2022


#NASA #SpaceX #ElonMusk #Space #Moon #Mars #Starship #SuperHeavy #Earth #Science #Technology #Engineering #Human #Spaceflight #Crew #Cargo #Commercial #BocaChica #Texas #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #CapeCanaveral #Florida #SolarSystem #Exploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Illustration

Artemis II Preview: Earthrise from Lunar Orbit | Japan's SELENE Mission

Artemis II Preview: Earthrise from Lunar Orbit | Japan's SELENE Mission

This is the kind of spectacular view (1080P/4K) astronauts will enjoy on NASA's Artemis II orbital mission around the Moon. Launching in 2023, Artemis II will be the first crewed flight since the Apollo missions. During a roughly ten-day mission, NASA's Orion spacecraft will loop around the Moon before heading back to Earth.

Japan's SELENE Mission: "The largest lunar mission since the Apollo program" (2007-2009)

On Oct. 31, 2007, Kaguya’s two main high definition TV (HDTV) cameras, each a 2.2 megapixel CCD HDTV camera, took the first high-definition images of the Moon. A week later on Nov. 7, the spacecraft took spectacular footage of an “Earthrise,” the first since the Apollo missions in the 1970s.

The SELenological and ENgineering Explorer "KAGUYA" (SELENE), Japan’s first large lunar explorer, was launched by a H-IIA carrier rocket from Tanegashima Space Center on September 14, 2007 (JST). It was better known in Japan by its nickname Kaguya. It was the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft following the Hiten probe. It was produced by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA).

Learn more about Japan's historic SELENE mission here:

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/kaguya/in-depth/

https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sas/selene/

Note: This film is protected by copyright. Illegal distribution is prohibited.

Credit: JAXA/NHK Kaguya Orbiter Archive

Video Processing: Seán Doran

Technical notes: "Source was denoised, repaired, graded, retimed & upscaled for this film."

Music Credit: 'Satya Yuga' by Jesse Gallagher / http://www.youtube.com/nightimegallagher

Duration: 11 minutes, 12 seconds

Release Date: April 10, 2021


#NASA #Apollo #Artemis #ArtemisII #Space #Astronomy #Japan #SELENE #Kaguya #かぐや #Moon #Earth #Earthrise #Spacecraft #Lunar #Orbiter #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #日本 #NASDA #ISAS #Science #Exploration #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #SeánDoran #4K #HDTV #HD #Video

Comet Hale-Bopp: 25-Year Anniversary

Comet Hale-Bopp: 25-Year Anniversary


"It is the 25th Anniversary of Hale-Bopp!"

Comet Hale–Bopp was one of the most widely observed of the 20th century and one of the brightest seen for many decades. Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale–Bopp separately on July 23, 1995, before it became visible to the naked eye. It passed perihelion, the point nearest to the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body, on April 1, 1997.

This image was captured by astrophotographer, Sebastian Voltmer, on April 1, 1997

Technical details:

Scanned photograph taken from Gornergrat, Switzerland: 300 mm lens, 1997 April 1, 15-min exposure on Kodak GPY 400 (hyp.) film.


Image Credit: Sebastian Voltmer

Voltmer's website: https://www.voltmer.de

Image Date: April 1, 1997

Release Date: March 30, 2022


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Comet #HaleBopp #AlanHale #ThomasBopp #C1995O1 #Sun #SolarSystem #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Gornergrat #Switzerland #Suisse #Europe #Astrophotography #STEM #Education

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Significant Solar Flare Erupts From Sun | NASA SDO

Significant Solar Flare Erupts From Sun | NASA SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of a solar flare—as seen in the bright flash in the top right portion of the image—on March 30, 2022. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in yellow (AIA 171).

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X-Class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc. More info on how flares are classified can be found here: 

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/solar-flares-radio-blackouts

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) https://spaceweather.gov, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.    

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Release Date: March 30, 2022


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SpaceWeather #Earth #Sun #Solar #SolarFlare #Ultraviolet #Plasma #MagneticField #Astrophysics #Spacecraft #SDO #Goddard #GSFC #Greenbelt #Maryland #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Curiosity Rover: New Mars Images | JPL

NASA's Curiosity Rover: New Mars Images | JPL

NASA’s rovers are putting their gears in drive on Mars, making discoveries along the way. NASA's Curiosity rover captured some interesting images on Mount Sharp while exploring an area called Greenheugh Pediment. 

     


 





    

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: November 6, 2011

Landing: August 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit mars.nasa.gov


Image Credit: 

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS)/Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: March 24-29, 2022


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Life #Geology #MountSharp #GaleCrater #Habitability #Curiosity #Rover #MSL #MSSS #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Caltech #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #STEM #Education

Welcome Home, Mark! NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei Lands in Kazakhstan

Welcome Home, Mark! NASA Astronaut Mark Vande Hei Lands in Kazakhstan








NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei ended his record-breaking time on the International Space Station with a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, at 7:28 a.m. EDT (5:28 p.m. Kazakhstan time). Vande Hei, along with Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, began the journey back to Earth in the early morning hours on the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft.

Vande Hei arrived at the International Space Station on April 9, 2021, spending 355 days in low-Earth orbit, breaking the previous record held by retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly by 15 days.

“Mark’s mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, exploration, and cutting-edge technology development, not least among them time away from loved ones. NASA and the nation are proud to welcome Mark home and grateful for his incredible contributions throughout his year-long stay on the International Space Station.”

During his 355 days aboard the station, Vande Hei experienced:

Approximately 5,680 orbits of Earth

Approximately 150,619,530 statute miles traveled (equivalent of approximately 312 round trips to the Moon and back)

Fifteen spacecraft or modules visited the International Space Station, including three Russian Progress cargo ships, two Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft, three Russian Soyuz, two SpaceX crew Dragons, three SpaceX cargo Dragons, and the two new Russian modules (the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module and the Prichal Node Module).

Expedition 67 formally began aboard the station after undocking, with new station Commander Tom Marshburn, NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov.

The Soyuz MS-19 crew will now split up, as per standard crew return practice, with Vande Hei returning to his home in Houston, while the cosmonauts fly back to their training base in Star City, Russia.

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Expedition 66 Crew (now Expedition 77):

New Commander: Thomas Marshburn

Former Commander: Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos (Russia) [Returned to Earth]

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Pyotr Dubrov [Returned to Earth], Sergey Korsakov, Oleg Artemyev, and Denis Matveev

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer (DLR/German Aerospace Center)

NASA (U.S.) Flight Engineers: Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Mark Vande Hei [Returned to Earth]


Learn more about the important research being operated on the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education


Credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Release Date: March 30, 2022


#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronaut #MarkVandeHei #Cosmonauts #AntonShkaplerov #PyotrDubrov #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Soyuz #Spacecraft #MS19 #Science #Technology #Engineering #Research #Laboratory #Russia #Россия #Kazakhstan #космонавт #UnitedStates #Expedition66 #International #Human #Spaceflight #STEM #Education

A Record Broken: Hubble Finds the Most Distant Star Ever Seen | NASA

A Record Broken: Hubble Finds the Most Distant Star Ever Seen | NASA


The star named Earendel is indicated here with an arrow above.


March 30, 2022: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has established an extraordinary new benchmark: detecting the light of a star that existed within the first billion years after the Universe’s birth in the Big Bang (at a redshift of 6.2) — the most distant individual star ever seen. This sets up a major target for the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope in its first year.

This find is a huge leap back in time compared to the previous single-star record holder; detected by Hubble in 2018. That star existed when the universe was about 4 billion years old, or 30 percent of its current age, at a time that astronomers refer to as “redshift 1.5.” Scientists use the word “redshift” because as the Universe expands, light from distant objects is stretched or “shifted” to longer, redder wavelengths as it travels toward us.

But the newly detected star is so far away that its light has taken 12.9 billion years to reach Earth, appearing to us as it did when the universe was only 7 percent of its current age, at redshift 6.2. The smallest objects previously seen at such a great distance are clusters of stars, embedded inside early galaxies.

“We almost didn’t believe it at first, it was so much farther than the previous most distant, highest redshift star,” said astronomer Brian Welch of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, lead author of the paper describing the discovery, which is published in the journal Nature. The discovery was made from data collected during Hubble’s RELICS (Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey) program, led by co-author Dan Coe at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).

“Normally at these distances, entire galaxies look like small smudges, the light from millions of stars blending together,” said Welch. “The galaxy hosting this star has been magnified and distorted by gravitational lensing into a long crescent that we named the Sunrise Arc.” After studying the galaxy in detail, Welch determined that one feature is an extremely magnified star that he called Earendel, which means “morning star” in Old English. The discovery holds the promise of opening up an uncharted era of very early star formation.

“Earendel existed so long ago that it may not have had all the same raw materials as the stars around us today,” Welch explained. “Studying Earendel will be a window onto an era of the Universe that we are unfamiliar with, but that led to everything we do know. It’s like we’ve been reading a really interesting book, but we started with the second chapter, and now we will have a chance to see how it all got started,” Welch said.

“There’s a long-standing theoretical prediction that stars that form solely out of the elements that were forged shortly after the Big Bang — hydrogen, helium and trace amounts of lithium — should be more massive than the stars that form today,” added team member Erik Zackrisson, of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University in Sweden. “These primordial stars, known as Population III stars, have so far eluded observers, but could be rendered detectable if subject to very high magnification by gravitational lensing, as in the case of the Earendel object.”

The research team estimates that Earendel is at least 50 times the mass of our Sun and millions of times as bright, rivalling the most massive stars known. But even such a brilliant, very high-mass star would be impossible to see at such a great distance without the aid of natural magnification by a huge galaxy cluster, in this case known as WHL0137-08, sitting between us and Earendel. The mass of the galaxy cluster warps the fabric of space, creating a powerful natural magnifying glass that distorts and greatly amplifies the light from distant objects behind it.

Thanks to the rare alignment with the magnifying galaxy cluster, the star Earendel appears directly on, or extremely close to, a ripple in the fabric of space. This ripple, which is known in optics as a “caustic,” provides maximum magnification and brightening. The effect is analogous to the rippled surface of a swimming pool creating patterns of bright light on the bottom of the pool on a sunny day. The ripples on the surface act as lenses and focus sunlight to maximum brightness on the pool floor.

This caustic causes the star Earendel to pop out from the general glow of its home galaxy. Its brightness is magnified a thousandfold or more. At this point astronomers are not able to determine whether Earendel is a binary star, but most massive stars do have at least one smaller companion star.

Astronomers expect that Earendel will remain highly magnified for years to come. It will be observed by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope [1]  later in 2022 [2]. Webb’s high sensitivity to infrared light is needed to learn more about Earendel, because its light is stretched (redshifted) to longer infrared wavelengths by the expansion of the Universe. 

“Webb’s images and spectra will allow us to confirm that Earendel is indeed a star, and to constrain its age, temperature, mass and radius,” explained team member Jose Maria Diego of the Instituto de Física de Cantabria in Spain. “Combining observations from Hubble and Webb will allow us to also learn about microlenses in the galaxy cluster, which could include exotic objects like primordial black holes.”

Earendel’s composition will be of great interest to astronomers, because it formed before the Universe was filled with the heavy elements produced by successive generations of massive stars. If follow-up studies find that Earendel is only made of primordial hydrogen and helium, it would be the first evidence for the legendary Population III stars, which are hypothesised to be the very first stars to form after the Big Bang. While the probability is small, Welch admits it is enticing all the same.

“With Webb, we may see stars even more distant than Earendel, which would be incredibly exciting,” Welch said. “We’ll go as far back as we can. I would love to see Webb break Earendel’s distance record.”


Notes

[1] Launched in December 2021 on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, Webb is designed and built to offer scientists the capabilities needed to push the frontiers of knowledge in many areas of astronomy. This includes research on our own Solar System, the formation of stars and planets (including planets outside our Solar System — exoplanets), and on how galaxies are formed and evolve, in ways never before possible. The James Webb Space Telescope is an international project led by NASA in partnership with ESA and the Canadian Space Agency. You can stay up to date on ESA/Webb updates here.

[2] Earendel will be observed with the James Webb Space Telescope as part of the observing programme #2282.


More information

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA.

The international team of astronomers who carried out this study consists of B. Welch, D. Coe, J. M. Diego, A. Zitrin, E. Zackrisson, P. Dimauro, Y. Jimenez-Teja, P. Kelly, G. Mahler, M. Oguri, F. X. Timmes, R. Windhorst, M. Florian, S. E. de Mink, R. J. Avila, J. Anderson, L. Bradley, K. Sharon, A. Vikaeus, S. McCandliss, M. Bradac, J. Rigby, B. Frye, S. Toft, V. Strait, M. Trenti, S. Sharma. F. Andrade-Santos, T. Broadhurst.


Image credit: NASA, ESA, B. Welch (JHU), D. Coe (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI)

Release Date: March 30, 2022


#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earendel #Star #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Record Broken: Hubble Spots Farthest Star Ever Seen | NASA

Record Broken: Hubble Spots Farthest Star Ever Seen | NASA


NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has established an extraordinary new benchmark: detecting the light of a star that existed within the first billion years after the universe’s birth in the big bang—the farthest individual star ever seen to date. Its nickname is Earendel.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble 


Launched in 1990, Hubble has observed the universe for nearly 32 years, contributing to incredible discoveries and changing our understanding of astronomy. After upgrades from five servicing missions, Hubble is still going strong. Hubble plans to partner with NASA’s newly launched James Webb Space Telescope to study the sky across ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths. The two observatories together will investigate distant stars like Earendel, along with galaxies, exoplanets, and our own solar system.


Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Paul Morris: Lead Producer 

Music Credits: 

“Beautiful Planet” by Andreas Andreas Bolldén [STIM] via Koka Media [SACEM], Universal Production Music France [SACEM], and Universal Production Music.

Duration: 1 minute, 57 seconds

Release Date: March 30, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earendel #Star #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video


Tuesday, March 29, 2022

NGC 772: Strong-Arming a Galaxy | Gemini Observatory

NGC 772: Strong-Arming a Galaxy | Gemini Observatory

Cosmoview Episode 43: The overdeveloped spiral arm of the galaxy NGC 772, which was created by tidal interactions with an unruly neighbor, dominates this observation made by astronomers using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea in Hawai‘i. NGC 772’s peculiar appearance has earned it a place as the 78th entry in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies — a rogues’ gallery of weird and wonderful galaxy structures.

This impressive image shows the strangely lopsided spiral galaxy NGC 772, which lies over 100 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Aries. Captured by the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i, one half of the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, the image shows NGC 772’s overdeveloped spiral arm, which stretches across toward the left-hand edge of the frame. This extra large arm is due to one of NGC 772’s unruly neighbors, the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 770. The tidal interactions between NGC 772 and its diminutive companion have distorted and stretched one of the spiral galaxy’s arms, giving it the lopsided appearance seen in this image.

NGC 772 also lacks a bright central bar. Other spiral galaxies such as the Andromeda Galaxy or our own Milky Way exhibit prominent central bars—large, linear structures composed of gas, dust, and countless stars. Without a bar, NGC 772’s spiral arms sweep out directly from the bright center of the galaxy. 

The galaxy’s unusual appearance has earned it the distinction of appearing in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, a careful curation by astronomer Halton Arp of some of the weird and wonderful galaxies populating the Universe. The 338 galaxies in the Atlas are a rogues’ gallery of strange and unusual galaxy shapes chosen to provide astronomers with a catalog of odd galaxy structures. Entries in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies include galaxies boasting trailing tidal tails, rings, jets, detached segments, and a host of other structural idiosyncrasies. NGC 772 is included as Arp 78.

While NGC 772’s peculiarities dominate this image, there is also a menagerie of galaxies lurking in the background. The bright smears and smudges littering this image are distant galaxies—some of the closer examples can be resolved into characteristic spiral shapes. Every direction on the sky that astronomers have pointed telescopes toward contains a rich carpet of galaxies, with an estimated 2 trillion galaxies in total in our observable Universe.


Credit:

Images and Videos: International Gemini Observatory/National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab)/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), J. Pollard/National Science Foundation (NSF)

Image processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF's NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin

Music: Stellardrone - Billions and Billions

Release Date: March 23, 2022


#NASA #Gemini #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC772 #Arp78 #Spiral #NGC770 #Stars #Aries #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Optical #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF  #Maunakea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Cosmoview #HD #Video

NGC 772: Strong-Arming a Galaxy | Gemini Observatory

NGC 772: Strong-Arming a Galaxy | Gemini Observatory

Excerpt: "Every direction on the sky that astronomers have pointed telescopes toward contains a rich carpet of galaxies, with an estimated 2 trillion galaxies in total in our observable Universe."

The overdeveloped spiral arm of the galaxy NGC 772, which was created by tidal interactions with an unruly neighbor, dominates this observation made by astronomers using the Gemini North telescope located near the summit of Maunakea in Hawai‘i. NGC 772’s peculiar appearance has earned it a place as the 78th entry in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies—a rogues’ gallery of weird and wonderful galaxy structures.

This impressive image shows the strangely lopsided spiral galaxy NGC 772, which lies over 100 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Aries. Captured by the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i, one half of the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab, the image shows NGC 772’s overdeveloped spiral arm, which stretches across toward the left-hand edge of the frame. This extra large arm is due to one of NGC 772’s unruly neighbors, the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 770. The tidal interactions between NGC 772 and its diminutive companion have distorted and stretched one of the spiral galaxy’s arms, giving it the lopsided appearance seen in this image.

NGC 772 also lacks a bright central bar. Other spiral galaxies such as the Andromeda Galaxy or our own Milky Way exhibit prominent central bars—large, linear structures composed of gas, dust, and countless stars. Without a bar, NGC 772’s spiral arms sweep out directly from the bright center of the galaxy. 

The galaxy’s unusual appearance has earned it the distinction of appearing in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, a careful curation by astronomer Halton Arp of some of the weird and wonderful galaxies populating the Universe. The 338 galaxies in the Atlas are a rogues’ gallery of strange and unusual galaxy shapes chosen to provide astronomers with a catalog of odd galaxy structures. Entries in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies include galaxies boasting trailing tidal tails, rings, jets, detached segments, and a host of other structural idiosyncrasies. NGC 772 is included as Arp 78.

While NGC 772’s peculiarities dominate this image, there is also a menagerie of galaxies lurking in the background. The bright smears and smudges littering this image are distant galaxies—some of the closer examples can be resolved into characteristic spiral shapes. Every direction on the sky that astronomers have pointed telescopes toward contains a rich carpet of galaxies, with an estimated 2 trillion galaxies in total in our observable Universe.


Credit: National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab)/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/National Science Foundation (NSF)

Release Date: March 22, 2022


#NASA #Gemini #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC772 #Arp78 #Spiral #NGC770 #Stars #Aries #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Optical #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF  #Maunakea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Expedition 66: Change of Command Ceremony | International Space Station

Expedition 66: Change of Command Ceremony | International Space Station 


Ceremony starts at 4 minute & 37 seconds mark

March 29, 2022: Aboard the International Space Station, Roscosmos cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov handed over command of the International Space Station to NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn during a change of command ceremony between Expedition 66 and Expedition 67 March 29. Shkaplerov is headed home with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov March 30 for a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan to wrap up their mission.


Mark Vande Hei, along with Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, will close the hatch to the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft to begin the journey back to Earth. The Soyuz will undock from the Rassvet module, heading for a parachute-assisted landing Wednesday, March 30, on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan.


Coverage of the crew’s farewells, undocking, and landing will air live on NASA TV: nasa.gov/nasatv, the agency’s website, and the NASA app at the following times—all Eastern Daylight Time (EDT):


11:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29 – Farewells and hatch closure (at 12 a.m., Wednesday, March 30)

2:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 30 – Undocking (at 3:21 a.m.)

6:15 a.m. Wednesday, March 30 – Deorbit burn and landing (landing at 7:28 a.m. / 5:28 p.m. Kazakhstan time)

Vande Hei and Dubrov launched April 9, 2021, on Soyuz MS-18, and will wrap up a 355-day mission spanning 5,680 orbits of Earth and more than 150 million miles. During the long-duration mission, Vande Hei broke the record for longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut, previously held at 340 days. Vande Hei will wrap up his second spaceflight with a total of 523 days in space. Shkaplerov launched on Soyuz MS-19 on Oct. 5, 2021. This was Dubrov’s first flight. Shkaplerov is ending his fourth mission with 708 cumulative days spent in space.


At the time of undocking, Expedition 67 will formally begin aboard the station, with new station Commander Tom Marshburn, NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov.


After landing, the Soyuz MS-19 crew will split up, as per standard crew return practice, with Vande Hei returning to his home in Houston, while the cosmonauts fly back to their training base in Star City, Russia.


An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.


Expedition 66 Crew:

New Commander: Thomas Marshburn

Former Commander: Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Pyotr Dubrov, Sergey Korsakov, Oleg Artemyev, and Denis Matveev

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer (DLR/German Aerospace Center)

NASA (U.S.) Flight Engineers: Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Mark Vande Hei


Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education


Credit: NASA Video

Duration: 10 minutes, 58 seconds

Release Date: March 29, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #AntonShkaplerov #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Commander #Ceremony #ThomasMarshburn #ESA #Europe #Science #Technology #Engineering #Research #Laboratory #Russia #Россия #UnitedStates #Expedition66 #Expedition67 #International #Crew #Cooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Assembly | Michoud Assembly Facility

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Assembly | Michoud Assembly Facility











The Artemis II mission will be the first to return American astronauts to lunar orbit. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight test of NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, paving the way for human exploration to the Moon and Mars.

NASA joined the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage forward assembly with the 130-foot liquid hydrogen tank for the Artemis II mission on March 18, 2022. This completes assembly of four of the five large structures that make up the core stage that will help send the first astronauts to lunar orbit on Artemis II. The 66-foot forward assembly consists of the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank and the intertank, which were mated earlier. Engineers inserted 360 bolts to connect the forward assembly to the liquid hydrogen tank to make up the bulk of the stage. Only the engine section, which is currently being outfitted and includes the main propulsion systems that connect to the four RS-25 engines, remains to be added to form the final core stage. All parts of the core stage are manufactured by NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans. Currently, the team is building core stages for three Artemis missions. The first core stage is stacked with the rest of the SLS rocket, which will launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon this year. Together with its twin solid rocket boosters, the core stage will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon. The SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft form the foundation for Artemis missions and future deep space exploration. 

Learn more at https://www.nasa.gov/moontomars

NASA's Artemis Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1


Image Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Date Created: March 17, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisII #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Robotics #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #Michoud #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Monday, March 28, 2022

Explorando los secretos del universo en beneficio de todos | NASA

Explorando los secretos del universo en beneficio de todos | NASA

Informe State of NASA 2022: La NASA explora lo desconocido en el aire y el espacio, innova en beneficio de la humanidad e inspira al mundo a través del descubrimiento.

Para obtener más información en inglés sobre algunas de las misiones de la NASA que se muestran en este video, visita los siguientes enlaces:

Retorno de muestras de Marte: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr/

Artemis I: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1

Tripulación comercial:  https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html

VIPER: https://www.nasa.gov/viper

CADRE: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/game_changing_development/projects/CADRE

CAPSTONE: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/capstone

Servicio comercial de carga lunar: 

https://www.nasa.gov/content/commercial-lunar-payload-services

Telescopio Espacial James Webb: https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/ 

Psyche: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/psyche

Europa Clipper: https://europa.nasa.gov/

Orbitador solar: https://www.nasa.gov/solar-orbiter

Observatorio del sistema terrestre:

https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/earth-system-observatory

Landsat 9:

https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-9/

Tecnologías derivadas: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/

DART: https://www.nasa.gov/dart 

X-57 Maxwell: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/X57/

X-59 QueSST: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/X59/

LOFTID: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/loftid/index.html

Sistema avanzado de vela solar compuesta: 

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/ACS3/

NASA STEM: https://www.nasa.gov/stem

 

Credit: NASA en Español

Productora/Editora: Sonnet Apple 

Música: Universal Production Music

Duration: 2 minutes, 12 seconds

Release Date: March 28, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #StateOfNASA2022 #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #Orion #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #Sun #Earth #Climate #Aviation #Aerospace #UnitedStates #Europe #Español #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Explores the Moon and Beyond

NASA Explores the Moon and Beyond

NASA continues to forge ahead in humanity’s quest for knowledge as we explore the Moon and Mars. Through Artemis, we will expand our robotic and human exploration of the Moon and land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface. As we get ready to venture beyond, the technology we develop and discoveries we make on the Moon will prepare us for Mars and our next giant leap: sending humans to the Red Planet. 

Learn more at https://www.nasa.gov/moontomars

Learn more about NASA's Artemis Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Duration: 1 minute, 24 seconds

Release Date: March 28, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #StateOfNASA2022 #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #ArtemisIII #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #Orion #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Robotics #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video




Exploring the Secrets of the Universe for the Benefit of All | NASA

Exploring the Secrets of the Universe for the Benefit of All | NASA

State of NASA 2022 Highlights: NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

To learn more about some of the NASA missions featured in this video, take a deep dive into these links:

Mars sample return: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr/

Artemis I: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1

Commercial crew: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html

VIPER: https://www.nasa.gov/viper

CADRE: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/game_changing_development/projects/CADRE

CAPSTONE: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/capstone

Commercial Lunar Payload Services: https://www.nasa.gov/content/commercial-lunar-payload-services

James Webb Space Telescope: https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/ 

Psyche: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/psyche

Europa Clipper: https://europa.nasa.gov/

Solar Orbiter: https://www.nasa.gov/solar-orbiter

Earth System Observatory: https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/earth-system-observatory

Landsat 9: https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-9/

NASA Spinoffs: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/

DART: https://www.nasa.gov/dart 

X-57 Maxwell: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/X57/

X-59 QueSST: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/X59/

LOFTID: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/loftid/index.html

Advanced Composite Solar Sail: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/ACS3/

NASA STEM: https://www.nasa.gov/stem

 

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Producer/Editor: Sonnet Apple 

Music: Universal Production Music

Duration: 2 minutes, 12 seconds

Release Date: March 28, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #StateOfNASA2022 #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #Orion #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #Sun #Earth #Climate #Aviation #Aerospace #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video


NASA: We Dream Big, We Work Together!

NASA: We Dream Big, We Work Together!


NASA benefits all humanity and our workforce is key to making this happen. Take a look at the universe of NASA missions and projects made possible by our commitment to teamwork, collaboration, equity and inclusiveness.

Our exploration of the universe, our technology development, our work to help understand climate change, and the opportunities the agency creates make our nation more prosperous, stronger, more inclusive and inspired. NASA furthers the nation’s goals to address climate change, advance space exploration, promote equity and diversity and provide educational STEM opportunities. NASA keeps the United States at the forefront of innovation.

Learn more about Careers at NASA:

https://lnkd.in/eAXwP-tW

Interested in pursuing a career at NASA? 

1) Create a USA JOBS account: www.usajobs.gov

2) Build your resume.

3) Search current vacancies here: https://lnkd.in/eCTWc-wZ

(Tip: You can create a “Saved Search” to find specific roles & you will receive emails automatically when new jobs are available.)

"NASA is more than astronauts. We are scientists, engineers, IT specialists, human resources specialists, accountants, writers, technicians, and many other kinds of people working together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible."

Eligibility: U.S. Citizens and permanent residents


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Producer/Editor: Amy Leniart

Duration: 2 minutes, 57 seconds

#NASA #ESA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Boeing #Rocket #DeepSpace #LockheedMartin #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #Earth #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

ESA Vigil Space Weather Mission | European Space Agency

Vigil Space Weather Mission | European Space Agency

It is the first mission of its kind, set to monitor our active and unpredictable Sun and to help protect us from its violent outbursts–and it has a new name.

The European Space Agency’s upcoming Vigil space weather mission will help protect Earth’s infrastructure, satellites, inhabitants and space explorers from unpredictable but violent solar events like solar flares and ‘coronal mass ejections’.

In Latin, ‘vigilis exceptus’ means sentry, or guard, while ‘vigilia’ means wakefulness and the act of keeping a devoted watch, which resonates with the mission’s role—a devoted guardian, keeping constant watch over the Sun, for Earth.


Protecting Modern Life, and Life Itself

Solar storms can damage power grids, disrupt telecommunications and threaten satellites and the vital services they provide. At the same time, as we launch ever-more satellites into orbit we are creating increasing amounts of debris—dramatically increasing the risks of collision for current and future missions.

These satellites have changed our lives and enlarged our perspective on Earth, but they—and the technologies they make possible on which modernity relies—are vulnerable.

The protection of space assets is at the heart of ESA’s Vision for the future. To do this, the new Protect ‘accelerator’ proposes the development of ‘air traffic control for space’, as well as an early warning system to help us prepare for hazardous solar activity. 

Learn more about Vigil here: https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Vigil


Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 3 minutes, 23 seconds

Release Date: March 28, 2022


#ESA #Space #Astronomy #Heliophysics #Vigil #Spacecraft #SpaceWeather #Sun #SolarWind #GeomagneticStorms #CME #Earth #Satellites #Telecommunications #Science #Engineering #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video