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How Did The Planet Earth Form? | European Southern Observatory
How did our Earth come to be? What conditions make it a hospitable world? Could similar habitable planets exist around other stars?
In this episode of Chasing Starlight, European Southern Observatory (ESO) astronomer Suzanna Randall gives us the secret recipe to bake an Earth, and shows us how ESO telescopes are revealing what is cooking around other stars.
Zooming in on a Stellar Nursery in Corona Australis | ESO
In this zoom sequence, we start with a broad panorama of the central parts of Milky Way. As we close in on part of the small constellation of Corona Australis, we start to see faint clouds and in the final part of the video the full glory of the dramatic star formation region NGC 6729 is revealed in a new image from the FORS1 instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT).
Distance: 400 light years
Video Credit: ESO/S. Brunier/Loke Kun Tan/Sergey Stepanenko
Close-up of Star-forming Region NGC 6729 in Corona Australis | ESO
This very detailed enhanced-color image from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) shows the dramatic effects of very young stars on the dust and gas where they were born in star-forming region NGC 6729. The baby stars are invisible in this picture, being hidden behind dust clouds at the upper left of the picture, but material they are ejecting is crashing into the surroundings at speeds of that can be as high as one million kilometers per hour. This picture was taken by the FORS1 instrument and records the scene in the light of glowing hydrogen and sulphur.
Ariane 6: Europe’s New Rocket | European Space Agency
European Space Agency: "Ariane 6 is the newest rocket in a series that has, for five decades, been launching Europe towards the stars. Building on all the knowledge, expertise and technology developed over the years, Ariane 6 will be versatile, modular, and European."
"Guaranteeing Europe’s access to space for the next years, Ariane 6 in two versions, with either two or four boosters attached depending on the ‘oomph’ the mission requires. Versatile, its upper stage can reignite multiple times during a single flight, placing any spacecraft into any orbit—including constellations—saving a final boost to return and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Modular, it will be continuously adapted to the needs of the future space sector."
"Four organizations take care of the Ariane 6 program: The European Space Agency (ESA) at the head, ArianeGroup as the main contractor, CNES who designed and built the launchpad and ArianeSpace who sell the launches."
"Thirteen countries contribute, thousands of Europeans have worked on it, and every one of us will benefit from the Earth observation, science, technologies and services it will make possible."
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
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 Station:
The beautiful Trifid Nebula is a cosmic study in contrasts. Also known as M20, it lies about 5,000 light-years away toward the nebula rich constellation Sagittarius. A star forming region in the plane of our galaxy, the Trifid does illustrate three different types of astronomical nebulae; red emission nebulae dominated by light from hydrogen atoms, blue reflection nebulae produced by dust reflecting starlight, and dark nebulae where dense dust clouds appear in silhouette.
However, the red emission region, roughly separated into three parts by obscuring dust lanes, is what lends the Trifid its popular name. Pillars and jets sculpted by newborn stars, above and right of the emission nebula's center, appear in famous Hubble Space Telescope close-up images of the region. The Trifid Nebula is about 40 light-years across. Too faint to be seen by the unaided eye, it almost covers the area of a full Moon on planet Earth's sky.
Axiom Thruster Vacuum Testing: "And the rockets’ (blue) glare!" | Axiom Space
Axiom Space’s Propulsion Team conducted a Thruster Vacuum Test—over 600 starts on the thruster with the longest continuous burn time at 3 minutes. This test validates design, function, and performance. Vacuum testing is important because it simulates the space environment the thruster will ultimately operate in.
"Axiom Space is building for beyond, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station—the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, which will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."
Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Complete Second Spacewalk | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-18 astronauts aboard China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 22:51 (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, July 4, 2024 according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu worked for about 6.5 hours to accomplish multiple tasks with Li Guangsu remaining inside the space station.
With the assistance of the space station's robotic arm and researchers on Earth, they installed space debris protection devices for the pipelines, as well as cables and key equipment outside the Tiangong space station, and conducted an extravehicular inspection.
At 16:19, Li Cong opened the hatch door of the Wentian space lab module and began his first spacewalk.
With the assistance of the space station's robotic arm, Li came to the operation point. Then Ye Guangfu transferred the relevant equipment and devices out of the space station and exited the capsule at 17:41.
Ye climbed to the operation point by himself, and cooperated with Li to install protection devices for the cables of the Wentian lab module and the pipelines of the Tianhe core module.
In the meantime, Li Guangsu carried out monitoring of the robotic arm and provided necessary support from inside the Tianhe core module.
"The main purpose of the spacewalk this time is to install protection devices for extravehicular equipment, mainly cables and pipelines, so as to improve the space station's ability to operate safely and steadily over the long term," said Liu Ming, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
After installing protection devices, Li Cong mounted the robotic arm and conducted an extravehicular inspection of the space station's facilities through his helmet camera.
After completing the predetermined tasks, Ye Guangfu and Li Cong returned safely to the Wentian lab module.
"The Chinese space station is very beautiful. Whenever the robotic arm moves to the highest point, I can't help taking more glances at the space station despite the glaring sunlight. I really feel the greatness of the project from my heart, and I applaud all the space professionals and our motherland. We will make continuous efforts to successfully and efficiently complete the follow-up tasks to the end. Let's meet again inside the cabin," Li Cong said outside the space station.
In their previous spacewalk on May 28, the Shenzhou-18 trio mainly installed protection devices for the extravehicular cables of the Mengtian lab module.
The Shenzhou-18 crew, sent to the space on April 25 this year, have completed one third of their space journey and are scheduled to carry out a large amount of in-orbit scientific experiments and technological tests, the agency said.
"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission through the Human Landing System (HLS) program."
Fourth SpaceX Starship Flight on June 6, 2024
SpaceX statement on the results:
On June 6, 2024, Starship successfully lifted off at 7:50 a.m. CT from Starbase in Texas and went on to deliver maximum excitement: The Super Heavy booster lifted off successfully and completed a full-duration ascent burn.
Starship executed another successful hot-stage separation, powering down all but three of Super Heavy’s Raptor engines and successfully igniting the six second stage Raptor engines before separating the vehicles.
Following separation, the Super Heavy booster successfully completed its flip maneuver, boostback burn to send it towards the splashdown zone, and jettison of the hot-stage adapter.
The booster’s flight ended with a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico seven minutes and 24 seconds into the flight.
Starship's six second stage Raptor engines successfully powered the vehicle to space and placed it on the planned trajectory for coast.
Starship made a controlled reentry, successfully making it through the phases of peak heating and max aerodynamic pressure and demonstrating the ability to control the vehicle using its flaps while descending through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
Starlink on Starship once again enabled real-time telemetry and live high-definition video throughout every phase of entry, with external cameras providing views all the way to the flight’s conclusion.
Flight 4 ended with Starship igniting its three center Raptor engines and executing the first flip maneuver and landing burn since our suborbital campaign, followed by a soft splashdown of the ship in the Indian Ocean one hour and six minutes after launch.
The fourth flight of Starship made major strides to bring us closer to a rapidly reusable future. Its accomplishments will provide data to drive improvements as we continue rapidly developing Starship into a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an inspired fourth flight test of Starship! And thank you to our customers, Cameron County, spaceflight fans, and the wider community for the continued support and encouragement.
At NASA, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation and scientific discovery. Like the spirit of Independence Day, our mission is to strive to achieve new heights and forge a path forward in space exploration.
We wish you a safe and happy 4th of July!
Image Description: Astronaut Harrison Schmitt was the first scientist and geologist to visit the Moon. In this picture, astronaut Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, stands near the deployed United States flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. The Lunar Module (LM) is at left background and the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at right background (partially obscured). The photo was made by astronaut Eugene Cernan, commander. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the LM "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit. As he returned to the Lunar Module before Cernan, Schmitt is the next-to-last person to have walked on the Moon's surface. Since the death of Cernan in 2017, Schmitt is the most recent person to have walked on the Moon that is still alive.
Learn more about former NASA astronaut Harrison Schmitt:
NASA Astronauts Send Fourth of July Wishes from International Space Station
NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams share a Fourth of July message and extend their best wishes to those back on Earth in a video recorded on June 28, 2024.
The crew members are currently living and working aboard the International Space Station. Their missions aim to advance scientific knowledge and test new technologies for future human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars, including NASA's Artemis lunar missions.
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
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 Station:
Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Prepare for Second Spacewalk | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-18 crew members, currently on board China's orbiting Tiangong space station, have been preparing for their second extravehicular activities (EVAs), scheduled to occur in the next few days, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
In video footage released by the CMSA, the space station combination is now in a stable status with all equipment functioning well, and the Shenzhou-18 crew, also in good condition, was testing extravehicular spacesuits, preparing maintenance items and consumables, readying equipment and tools for operations outside the spacecraft, and installing the robotic arm console.
The trio also had in-orbit training on donning spacesuits, and carried out targeted training for EVAs, according to the CMSA.
The Shenzhou-18 crew was launched into space on April 25, 2024, as the third manned mission in the application and development stage of China's space station, and the 32nd flight mission of the country's overall crewed space program.
Since completing their first spacewalk on May 28, the crew has successfully completed tasks, including maintaining the experiment cabinets and installing components, monitoring environmental conditions inside the space station, and preparing for their second EVA, the CMSA said.
They have made steady progress in experiments in fields, such as space materials science, space life sciences, and aerospace medicine.
Hurricane Beryl in Caribbean Sea | International Space Station
Hurricane Beryl is pictured as a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above.
The eye of Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea, is pictured as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above.
Hurricane Beryl is pictured as a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above.
Hurricane Beryl is pictured as a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above.
Hurricane Beryl was pictured east of Barbados as a Category 3 storm from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Beryl was pictured east of Barbados as a Category 3 storm from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Beryl is now producing heavy rain, 145 mph winds and storm surge affecting the island country of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea.
Visit the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) for updates:
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
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 Station:
Earth Observation from The International Space Station | NASA
Stunning images of Earth captured by crew members on the International Space Station are actively supporting life on our planet, helping monitor climate change, and advancing our understanding of Earth’s changing landscapes.
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
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 Station:
Binary Star Eta Carinae—A Source of Very High-energy Cosmic Gamma Radiation
The binary star Eta Carinae may be about to explode. However, no one knows when. It may be next year. It may be a million years from now. Eta Carinae's mass—about 100 times greater than our Sun—makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown supernova. Historical records do show that about 170 years ago Eta Carinae underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky. This binary star in the Homunculus Nebula is located 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Carina. Eta Carinae is the only star system currently thought to emit natural LASER light.
With the gamma-ray telescopes of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), astrophysicists have detected very high energy gamma rays from Eta Carinae. It constitutes a new type of source for such high-energy radiation. The DESY animation by Science Communication Lab takes you on an interstellar roadtrip to this extraordinary system.
Video Credit: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Sentando las bases: 28 de junio 2024
Espacio a Tierra, la versión en español de las cápsulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Global Atmospheric Methane (CH₄) | NASA Earth Observatory
Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat 28 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over a 100-year timescale. Concentrations of methane have increased by more than 150% since industrial activities and intensive agriculture began. After carbon dioxide, methane is responsible for about 20% of climate change in the twentieth century. Methane is produced under conditions where little to no oxygen is available.
About 30% of methane emissions are produced by wetlands, including ponds, lakes and rivers. Another 20% is produced by agriculture, due to a combination of livestock, waste management and rice cultivation. Activities related to oil, gas, and coal extraction release an additional 30%. The remainder of methane emissions come from minor sources such as wildfires, biomass burning, permafrost, termites, dams, and the ocean.
Scientists around the world are working to better understand the budget of methane with the ultimate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving prediction of environmental change.
The NASA SVS visualization presented here shows the complex patterns of methane emissions produced around the globe and throughout the year from the different sources described above. The visualization was created using output from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), GEOS modeling system, developed and maintained by scientists at NASA. Wetland emissions were estimated by the LPJ-wsl model, which simulates the temperature and moisture dependent methane emission processes using a variety of satellite data to determine what parts of the globe are covered by wetlands. Other methane emission sources come from inventories of human activity.
Video Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
Shenzhou-18 Crew Continues Experiments for 2nd Month | China Space Station
The crew of the Shenzhou-18 mission has been continuously conducting experiments aboard China's Tiangong space station for the second month. The three Chinese astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, were sent to the orbiting Tiangong space station for a six-month mission on April 25, 2024.
The crew regularly maintained the combustion science laboratory cabinet by replacing burners, vacuuming and exhausting, and organizing related materials to better carry out the following experimental projects.
The combustion science laboratory cabinet has been used in experiments since the in-orbit ignition experiment in 2023. The facility is expected to contribute to scientific achievements in improving the fundamental theory of combustion and developing advanced combustion technology.
The crew recently installed slide positioning kits for the glovebox. The glovebox provides a sealed and clean space for crew members to manipulate objects in experiments.
The astronauts have also regularly replaced experimental samples, cleaned the chamber and maintained the axial mechanism electrodes for the containerless materials laboratory cabinet to ensure the stable and smooth operation of relevant experiments.
In addition, the crew also replaced samples in the fluid physics laboratory cabinet. The cabinet is used to conduct on-orbit microgravity experiments on the kinetic processes, diffusion processes, phase transitions and self-organization behavior of different fluid systems.
Stellar Nursery L1527 & Protostar in Taurus | James Webb Space Telescope
L1527, shown in this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is a molecular cloud that harbors a protostar. The protostar is a relatively young object of about 100,000 years. It resides about 460 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. The more diffuse blue light and the filamentary structures in the image come from organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while the red at the center of this image is an energized, thick layer of gases and dust that surrounds the protostar. The region in between, appearing in white, is a mixture of PAHs, ionized gas, and other molecules.
The effects of stellar outflows are visible. They are emitted in opposite directions along the protostar’s rotational axis as the object consumes gas and dust from the surrounding cloud. These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud. They appear as filamentary structures throughout. They are also responsible for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or excite, the surrounding matter and cause the regions above and below it to glow. This creates an effect reminiscent of fireworks brightening a cloudy night sky.
As the protostar continues to age and release energetic jets, it will consume, destroy, and push away much of this molecular cloud, and many of the structures we see here will begin to fade. Eventually, once it finishes gathering mass, this impressive display will end, and the star itself will become more apparent, even to visible-light telescopes.
What's Up for July 2024 | Skywatching Tips from NASA
Here are examples of skywatching highlights for the northern hemisphere in July 2024:
The Moon and planets come together twice in the morning sky—at the start and end of July, find the elusive planet Uranus with some help from Mars, and two star clusters—M6 and M7—are well placed for viewing in the evening.
Planet Earth: Polar Ice Mass Loss | NASA GRACE Mission
The mass of the polar ice sheets have changed over the last decades. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-On (since 2018-) indicates that between 2002 and 2023, Antarctica shed approximately 150 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.4 millimeters per year; and Greenland shed approximately 270 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.03 inches (0.8 millimeters) per year.
These images, created from GRACE and GRACE-FO data, show changes in polar land ice mass since 2002. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2002.
The average flow lines (grey; created from satellite radar interferometry) of the icesheets converge into the locations of prominent outlet glaciers, and coincide with areas of highest mass loss. This supports other observations that warming ocean waters near polar icesheets play a key role in contemporary ice mass loss.
The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was a joint mission of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) that measured Earth's gravity field anomalies
Global Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) | NASA Earth Observatory
The visualization featured here shows the atmosphere in three dimensions and highlights the accumulation of CO₂ during a single calendar year (January 1-December 31, 2021). Every year, the world’s vegetation and oceans absorb about half of human CO₂ emissions, providing an incredibly valuable service that has mitigated the rate of accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, around 2.5 parts per million remain in the atmosphere every year causing a steady upward march in concentrations that scientists have tracked since the 1950s at surface stations.
NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, 2 (OCO-2) provides the most complete dataset tracking the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), the main driver of climate change. Every day, OCO-2 measures sunlight reflected from Earth’s surface to infer the dry-air column-averaged CO₂ mixing ratio and provides around 100,000 cloud-free observations. Despite these advances, OCO-2 data contain many gaps where sunlight is not present or where clouds or aerosols are too thick to retrieve CO₂ data. In order to fill gaps and provide science and applications users a spatially complete product, OCO-2 data are assimilated into NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS), a complex modeling and data assimilation system used for studying the Earth’s weather and climate.
GEOS is also informed by satellite observations of nighttime lights and vegetation greenness along with about 1 million weather observations collected every hour. These data help scientists infer CO2 mixing ratios even when a direct OCO-2 observation is not present and provide additional information on the altitude of CO₂ plumes that the satellite is not able to see. Together, OCO-2 and GEOS create one of the most complete pictures of CO₂.
The volumetric visualization starts in January 1, 2021, showing the higher CO₂ concentrations, which are closer to the ground, revealing the seasonal movement of high CO₂ at a global scale. During the months of June-September (summer months for northern hemisphere), global CO₂ concentrations tend to be lowest because northern hemisphere plants actively absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. During northern hemisphere fall and winter months, much of this CO₂ is re-released to the atmosphere due to respiration and can be seen building up. By June and July 2021, plants again draw CO₂ out of the atmosphere, but notably higher concentrations remain in contrast to the nearly transparent colors of the previous year.
The diurnal rhythm of CO₂ is apparent over our planet's largest forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in South America and the Congo rainforest in Central Africa. The fast-paced pulse in those rainforests is due to the day-night cycle; plants absorb CO₂ during the day via photosynthesis when the sun is out, then stop absorbing CO₂ at night. In addition to highlighting the buildup of atmospheric CO₂, this visualization shows how interconnected the world’s greenhouse gas problem is. NASA’s unique combination of observations and models plays a critical role in helping scientists track increases in CO₂ as they happen to better understand their climate impact.
Saturn Moons Titan & Tethys | NASA Cassini Mission
NASA's Cassini spacecraft arrived in the Saturn system in 2004 and ended its mission in 2017 by deliberately plunging into Saturn's atmosphere. This method was chosen because it is necessary to ensure protection and prevent biological contamination to any of the moons of Saturn thought to offer potential habitability. The Cassini Mission mapped more than 620,000 square miles (1.6 million square kilometers) of liquid lakes and seas on the surface of Saturn's largest moon Titan (visible in foreground). This work was performed with its radar instrument that sent out radio waves and collected a return signal (or echo) that provided information about the terrain and the liquid bodies' depth and composition, along with two imaging systems that could penetrate the moon's thick atmospheric haze.
Titan is larger than the planet Mercury and is the second largest moon in our solar system. Titan is the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object in space, other than Earth, where clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found. Titan’s subsurface water could be a place to harbor life as we know it, while its surface lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons could conceivably harbor life that uses different chemistry than we are used to—that is, life as we do not yet know it.
Tethys (visible in background) is Saturn's fifth largest moon. This cold, airless and heavily scarred body is very similar to sister moons Dione and Rhea except that Tethys is not as heavily cratered as the other two. This may be because its proximity to Saturn causes more tidal warming, and that warming kept Tethys partially molten longer, erasing or dulling more of the early terrain.
Tethys' density is 0.97 times that of liquid water. This suggests that Tethys is composed almost entirely of water ice plus a small amount of rock.
Tethys has a high reflectivity (or visual albedo) of 1.229 in the visual range, again suggesting a composition largely of water ice. However, this would behave like rock in the Tethyan average temperature of -305 degrees Fahrenheit (-187 degrees Celsius). Many of the crater floors on Tethys are bright, suggesting an abundance of water ice. Also contributing to the high reflectivity is that Tethys is bombarded by Saturn E-ring water-ice particles generated by geysers on Enceladus.
Tethys appeared as a tiny dot to astronomers until the Voyager (1 and 2) encounters in 1980 and 1981. The Voyager images showed a major impact crater and a great chasm. The Cassini spacecraft has added details including a great variety of colors at small scales suggesting a variety of materials not seen elsewhere.
The Cassini-Huygens mission was a cooperative project of NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The Cassini radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the U.S. and several European countries.
The World's Largest Optical Telescope Takes Shape | ESO's ELT in Chile
This drone footage shows the European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) taking shape in the Chilean Atacama Desert. We can see the insulating cladding being used to dress the dome and the white lattice structure at the center—now almost complete—that will support the ELT’s 39-meter primary mirror. Around the 1:30 mark, we can also see two arc-shaped tracks, currently protected with tan wooden plates, bracketing the white lattice. These tracks will allow the telescope to move in altitude. The grey beams at opposite sides of the lattice, seen more clearly at the 2:15 mark, will support the so-called Nasmyth platforms—two tennis-court-sized areas where the scientific instruments will rest.
The current largest optical telescopes have diameters of up to ten meters, and the ELT's diameter will thus be four times greater.
Altitude: 3046 meters
Planned year of technical first light: 2027
Learn more about the European Southern Observatory's ELT at: https://elt.eso.org
Flyover of Hurricane Beryl in Caribbean: July 1, 2024 | International Space Station
The International Space Station flew 260 miles over Hurricane Beryl at approximately 9 a.m. EDT Monday, July 1, 2024. External cameras on the orbiting laboratory captured views of the storm as it traveled across the Caribbean near the Windward Islands as a Category 4 hurricane with winds around 130 miles per hour.
Visit the NOAA's National Hurricane Center for updates:
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
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 Station:
This picture from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope depicts the galaxy NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy that is located 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The data used to make this image were captured by Hubble as part of a program to examine how matter and energy travel in nearby galaxies. Galaxies continuously undergo a cycle of star formation as the gas in a galaxy forms molecular clouds. This can collapse to create new stars, dispersing the clouds they formed from with powerful radiation or stellar winds in a process called feedback. The remaining gas is left to create new clouds elsewhere. This cycle of moving matter and energy determines how fast a galaxy forms stars and how quickly it burns through its supplies of gas—that is, how it evolves over the course of its life. Understanding this evolution depends on the nebulae, stars and star clusters in the galaxy—when they formed and their past behavior. Hubble has always excelled at measuring populations of stars, and the task of tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception.
NGC 4951 is also a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a very bright and energetic nucleus called an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This image demonstrates well how energetic the galaxy is, and how dynamic galactic activity transports matter and energy throughout it. It is a shining core surrounded by swirling arms, glowing pink star-forming regions, and thick dust.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy, tilted diagonally. It has thick, cloudy spiral arms wrapping around the core. They are filled with pink patches marking new star formation, young blue stars, and dark wisps of dust that block light. The galaxy glows brightly from its core. It is on a dark background, with a few distant galaxies and unrelated stars around it.
Video Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble), N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)
Spiral Galaxy NGC 4951 in Virgo: A Maelstrom of Matter & Energy | Hubble
This picture from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope depicts the galaxy NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy that is located 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The data used to make this image were captured by Hubble as part of a program to examine how matter and energy travel in nearby galaxies. Galaxies continuously undergo a cycle of star formation as the gas in a galaxy forms molecular clouds. This can collapse to create new stars, dispersing the clouds they formed from with powerful radiation or stellar winds in a process called feedback. The remaining gas is left to create new clouds elsewhere. This cycle of moving matter and energy determines how fast a galaxy forms stars and how quickly it burns through its supplies of gas—that is, how it evolves over the course of its life. Understanding this evolution depends on the nebulae, stars and star clusters in the galaxy—when they formed and their past behavior. Hubble has always excelled at measuring populations of stars, and the task of tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception.
NGC 4951 is also a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a very bright and energetic nucleus called an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This image demonstrates well how energetic the galaxy is, and how dynamic galactic activity transports matter and energy throughout it. It is a shining core surrounded by swirling arms, glowing pink star-forming regions, and thick dust.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy, tilted diagonally. It has thick, cloudy spiral arms wrapping around the core. They are filled with pink patches marking new star formation, young blue stars, and dark wisps of dust that block light. The galaxy glows brightly from its core. It is on a dark background, with a few distant galaxies and unrelated stars around it.
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)
Ten Impact Craters Seen from Space | European Space Agency
Have you ever wondered what an impact crater looks like from space? Today, we’re counting down examples of our favorite impact craters here on Earth—captured by Earth-observing satellites.
Craters are inevitably part of being a rocky planet. They occur on every planetary body in our solar system—no matter the size. By studying impact craters and the meteorites that cause them, we can learn more about the processes and geology that shape our entire solar system.
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