Friday, November 01, 2024

The Bubble Nebula & Star Cluster M52 | Burrell Schmidt Telescope

The Bubble Nebula & Star Cluster M52 | Burrell Schmidt Telescope

Open star cluster Messier 52 (NGC 7654) [upper-left] and the Bubble emission nebula (NGC 7635) [lower-right]. This combination of CCD images from the Kitt Peak Burrell Schmidt Telescope extends more than a degree across the sky (twice the diameter of the full moon).

What created this huge space bubble? Blown by the wind from a star, this tantalizing, head-like apparition is cataloged as NGC 7635, but known simply as the Bubble Nebula. The featured striking view utilizes a long exposure to reveal the intricate details of this cosmic bubble and its environment.

Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. Seen here above and right of the Bubble's center, a bright hot star is embedded in the nebula's reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from the star (that likely has a mass 10 to 20 times that of the Sun) has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud. 

Learn more about the Burrell Schmidt Telescope in Arizona:

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/burrell-schmidt-telescope/


Credit: N.A.Sharp, REU Program / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA

Release Date: June 30, 2020


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #StarCluster #Messier52 #NGC7654 #Nebulae #Nebula #BubbleNebula #NGC7635 #Star #BD602522 #StellarRadiation #Cassiopeia #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #NSF #AURA #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Wide-field View of The Bubble Nebula: NGC 7635 in Cassiopeia | Mayall Telescope

Wide-field View of The Bubble Nebula: NGC 7635 in Cassiopeia Mayall Telescope

The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) is one of three shells of gas surrounding the massive star BD+602522, the bright star near the center of the bubble. Energetic radiation from the star ionizes the shell, causing it to glow. About six light-years in diameter, the Bubble Nebula is located in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia. 

The magenta wisps near the bottom-right of the image are an unexpected bonus—the wisps are the remnants of a supernova that exploded thousands of years ago. This was the first optical image of the supernova remnant. It was discovered at radio wavelengths by the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey in 2005.

The Bubble Nebula lies a mere 11,000 light-years away. This mysterious ball of gas is about half a degree from Messier 52, an open star cluster.

What created this huge space bubble? Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. A bright hot star is embedded in the nebula's reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from the star (that likely has a mass 10 to 20 times that of the Sun) has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud. 

The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope is a four-meter (158 inches) reflector telescope in Arizona named after the American observational astronomer of the same name. The telescope saw first light on February 27, 1973, and was the second-largest in the world at that time.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Brad Ehrhorn/Adam Block

Release Date: June 12, 2014


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #BubbleNebula #NGC7635 #Star #BD602522 #StellarRadiation #Cassiopeia #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #MayallTelescope #KPNO #NSF #AURA #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Return of The Bubble Nebula: NGC 7635 in Cassiopeia | NOIRLab

Return of The Bubble Nebula: NGC 7635 in Cassiopeia | NOIRLab


The Bubble Nebula lies a mere 11,000 light-years away toward the constellation Cassiopeia. This mysterious ball of gas is about half a degree from Messier 52, an open star cluster.

This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.

What created this huge space bubble? Blown by the wind from a star, this tantalizing, head-like apparition is cataloged as NGC 7635, but known simply as the Bubble Nebula. The featured striking view utilizes a long exposure to reveal the intricate details of this cosmic bubble and its environment. Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. Seen here above and right of the Bubble's center, a bright hot star is embedded in the nebula's reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from the star (that likely has a mass 10 to 20 times that of the Sun) has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud. 

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Brad Ehrhorn/Adam Block

Release Date: June 12, 2014


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #BubbleNebula #NGC7635 #Star #StellarRadiation #Cassiopeia #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #NSF #AURA #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Earth's Ozone Hole Continues Healing in 2024 | NASA Goddard

Planet Earth's Ozone Hole Continues Healing in 2024 | NASA Goddard  

This year, the ozone hole over Antarctica reached its annual maximum extent on September 28th, 2024, with an area of 8.5 million square miles (22.4 square million kilometers.) The hole, a region of depleted ozone, was the 20th smallest since scientists began recording the ozone hole in 1979. The average size of the ozone hole between September and October this year was the 7th-smallest since the Montreal Protocol began to take effect. Scientists with NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project the ozone layer could fully recover by 2066.

At almost 20 million square kilometers (8 million square miles), the monthly average ozone-depleted region in the Antarctic this year was nearly three times the size of the contiguous U.S. The hole reached its greatest one-day extent for the year on September 28 at 22.4 million square kilometers (8.5 million square miles).

The improvement is due to a combination of continuing declines in harmful chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) chemicals, along with an unexpected infusion of ozone carried by air currents from north of the Antarctic, scientists said.

The ozone-rich layer high in the atmosphere acts as a planetary sunscreen that helps shield us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. Areas with depleted ozone allow more UV radiation to reach Earth's surface, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer and cataracts. Excessive exposure to UV light can also reduce agricultural yields as well as damage aquatic plants and animals in vital ecosystems.

Scientists were alarmed in the 1970s at the prospect that CFCs could eat away at atmospheric ozone. By the mid-1980s, the ozone layer had been depleted so much that a broad swath of the Antarctic stratosphere was essentially devoid of ozone by early October each year. Sources of damaging CFCs included coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as aerosols in hairspray, antiperspirant, and spray paint. Harmful chemicals were also released in the manufacture of insulating foams and as components of industrial fire suppression systems.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on September 16, 1987, and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Since then, it has undergone nine revisions, in 1990 (London), 1991 (Nairobi), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1993 (Bangkok), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), 1999 (Beijing) and 2016 (Kigali).

Countries worldwide agreed to replace the chemicals with more environmentally friendly alternatives by 2010. The release of CFC compounds has dramatically decreased following the Montreal Protocol. However, CFCs already in the air will take many decades to break down. As existing CFC levels gradually decline, ozone in the upper atmosphere will rebound globally, and ozone holes will shrink. 

As a result of the international agreement, the ozone hole in Antarctica is slowly recovering. Due to its widespread adoption and implementation, it has been hailed as an example of successful international co-operation. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that "perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol".


Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Kathleen Gaeta (GSFC AMA): Lead Producer

Paul Newman (NASA GSFC): Lead Scientist

Amy Moran (NASA GSFC): Lead Visualizer

James Riordon (NASA GSFC): Writer

Duration: 1 minute 

Release Date: Oct. 30, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Sun #UltravioletRadiation #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #AtmosphericScience #OzoneLayer #OzoneHole #Ozone #Arctic #Antarctica #EarthScience #Pollution #Chlorofluorocarbons #Physics #Chemistry #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #InternationalCooperation #MontrealProtocol #History #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 & Shenzhou-19 Crews Hold Handover Ceremony | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 & Shenzhou-19 Crews Hold Handover Ceremony | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 crews held a formal handover ceremony on Friday, November 1, 2024, transferring the symbolic key inside the China Space Station. This seamless transition marks another milestone in China's ongoing space exploration efforts.

The six astronauts will live and work together for a few more days to complete planned tasks and handover work before the Shenzhou-18 crew returns to Earth on November 4, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 04:27 on Wednesday, October 30 (Beijing Time).

Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program and the fourth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.

During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft.

The new crew will have numerous tasks to complete, including conducting 86 space science research and technology experiments, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and installing and recycling extravehicular payloads and equipment. They will also engage in science education, public welfare activities, and other payload tests.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:

Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲, commander)

Wang Haoze (王浩泽, mission specialist)

Song Lingdong (宋令东, mission specialist)

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)


Video Credit: CGTN

Duration: 38 seconds  

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CaiXuzhe #WangHaoze #SongLingdong #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Artemis III Moon Rocket Hydrogen Fuel Tank Assembly | NASA Michoud

Artemis III Moon Rocket Hydrogen Fuel Tank Assembly | NASA Michoud










This is an example of impressive NASA photos for 2024. This flight hardware will be used for Artemis III—one of the first crewed Artemis Moon missions. The liquid hydrogen tank holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen cooled to minus 432 degrees Fahrenheit and is the largest of the five elements that make up the rocket’s 212-foot-tall core stage. The liquid hydrogen tank is situated between the core stage’s intertank and engine section. The liquid hydrogen hardware, along with the liquid oxygen tank, will provide propellant to the four RS-25 engines at the bottom of the core stage to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to launch NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. 

Together with its four RS-25 engines, the rocket’s massive 212-foot-tall core stage—the largest stage NASA has ever built—and its twin solid rocket boosters produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars. 

Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit, the Human Landing System, and Orion spacecraft, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)

https://www.nasa.gov/sls

NASA's Artemis III Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Read the Artemis Plan (74-page PDF Free Download): 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/artemis_plan-20200921.pdf

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF)

https://www.nasa.gov/michoud-assembly-facility/


Image Credit: Steven B. Seipel

Capture Date: May 20, 2024


#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisIII #SLS #SLSRocket #CoreStage #LiquidHydrogenTank #Boeing #ULA #CrewedMissions #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #MSFC #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Challenges of Studying Exoplanets | James Webb Space Telescope

The Challenges of Studying Exoplanets | James Webb Space Telescope

Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered so far, prompting an abundance of questions about these distant worlds that orbit stars outside our solar system. This video explores how the James Webb Space Telescope is advancing our understanding of exoplanets, and the current challenges astronomers encounter when studying these planetary bodies.

Within its first few years, Webb has studied a variety of exoplanets, including gas giant exoplanet WASP-39 b and rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 b. With each exoplanet observation, the telescope is broadening astronomers’ knowledge about the universe.

Since exoplanets are distant and faint worlds, astronomers have developed scientific tools and innovative techniques to overcome certain observational obstacles. Although limitations still exist, even with current telescope technology, Webb is just getting started and scientists continue to learn more about exoplanets every day!


Video Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, STScI, Leah Hustak (STScI), Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI).

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Exoplanets #Planets #TRAPPIST1b #WASP39b #Atmosphere #WebbTelescope #JWST #InfraredTelescope #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Voting from Space | Week of Nov. 1, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: Voting from Space | Week of Nov. 1, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 72 crew is getting ready for a pair of missions next week to relocate a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to a new port then receive a new Dragon cargo delivery.

Expedition 72 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Suni Williams

Roscosmos (Russia): Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov

NASA: Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

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:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes, 47 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #USElection #AstronautVoting #SpaceX #CargoDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #Florida #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video