Rings upon rings | Hubble

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a spiral galaxy named Messier 95 (also known as M95 or NGC 3351). Located about 35 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (The Lion), this swirling spiral was discovered by astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1781, and cataloged by French astronomer Charles Messier just four days later. Messier was primarily a comet hunter, and was often left frustrated by objects in the sky that resembled comets but turned out not to be. To help other astronomers avoid confusing these objects in the future, he created his famous catalog of Messier objects.

Most definitely not a comet, Messier 95 is actually a barred spiral galaxy. The galaxy has a bar cutting through its center, surrounded by an inner ring currently forming new stars. Also our own Milky Way is a barred spiral.

As well as hosting this stellar nursery, Messier 95 is a known host of the dramatic and explosive final stages in the lives of massive stars: supernovae. In March 2016 a spectacular supernova named SN 2012aw was observed in the outer regions of one of Messier 95’s spiral arms. Once the light from the supernova had faded, astronomers were able to compare observations of the region before and after the explosion to find out which star had “disappeared”— the progenitor star. In this case, the star was an especially huge red supergiant up to 26 times more massive than the Sun.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Release Date: October 8, 2018

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #Messier95 #M95 #NGC3351 #Spiral #Barred #Leo #SN2012aw #Supernova #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

Sixty Years of NASA and Counting, on This Week @NASA

NASA's 60th Anniversary (1958-2018)

Week of October 5, 2018: Celebrating sixty years of NASA, space station crew makes a safe return to Earth, and evidence of a possible discovery outside our solar system . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 3 minutes, 38 seconds
Release Date: October 5, 2018
#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Moon #Mars #SolarSystem #Astronomy #History #NASA60 #Anniversary #President #Eisenhower #Government #UnitedStates #Civilian #Agency #Research #Exploration #Aerospace #Aeronautics #Aviation #Astronauts #JourneyToMars #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Glory Days | International Space Station

U.S. Astronaut Drew Feustel: "I have had my 'glory days in the hot sun' and now it’s time to come home. Thank you everybody for following along on Expedition 56’s journey living on the International Space Station. I hope you continue to follow NASA as we explore the great depths of space for the benefit of humanity."

Credit: A.J. (Drew) Feustel/NASA/JSC
Release Date: October 4, 2018

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Humanity #Astronaut #DrewFeustel #UnitedStates #Expedition56 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #Photography #STEM #Education #International #OrbitalPerspective #OverviewEffect

Hubble finds strong evidence of a moon outside Solar System

Neptune-sized moon orbits Jupiter-sized planet
Artist’s impression of exomoon candidate Kepler-1625b-i
October 3, 2018: Using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and older data from the Kepler Space Telescope two astronomers have found the first compelling evidence for a moon outside our own Solar System. The data indicate an exomoon the size of Neptune, in a stellar system 8000 light-years from Earth. The new results are presented in the journal Science Advances.

The hunt for exoplanets—planets outside our own Solar System—provided its first results only 30 years ago. While astronomers now find these planets on a regular basis, the search for moons orbiting exoplanets wasn’t successful—until today.

In 2017 NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope detected hints of an exomoon orbiting the planet Kepler-1625b. Now, two scientists from Columbia University in New York (USA) have used the incomparable capabilities of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study the star Kepler-1625, 8000 light-years away, and its planet in more detail. The new observations made with Hubble show compelling evidence for a large exomoon orbiting the only known planet of Kepler-1625. If confirmed, this would be the first discovery of a moon outside our Solar System.

The candidate moon, with the designation Kepler-1625b-i, is unusual because of its large size; it is comparable in diameter to the planet Neptune. Such gargantuan moons are unknown in our own Solar System. “This may yield new insights into the development of planetary systems and may cause astronomers to revisit theories of how moons form,” Alex Teachey, a graduate student who led the study, explained excitedly [1].

Like its moon, Kepler-1625b is also bigger than its counterparts in the Solar System. The exoplanet is a gas giant, several times more massive than Jupiter [2]. It orbits its parent star at a distance similar to the distance between the Sun and Earth, which puts it—and its candidate moon—at the inner edge of the habitable zone of the star system [3].

To find evidence for the existence of the exomoon, the team observed the planet while it was in transit in front of its parent star, causing a dimming of the starlight. “We saw little deviations and wobbles in the light curve that caught our attention,” David Kipping, second author of the study, said.

The planet was observed by Hubble before and during its 19-hour-long transit. After the transit ended, Hubble detected a second and much smaller decrease in the star’s brightness approximately 3.5 hours later, consistent with the effect of a moon trailing the planet. “It was definitely a shocking moment to see that light curve—my heart started beating a little faster and I just kept looking at that signature,” David Kipping described his feelings. Unfortunately, the scheduled Hubble observations ended before the complete transit of the moon could be captured.

In addition to this second dip in the light curve, Hubble provided compelling supporting evidence for the moon hypothesis by detecting the planet’s transit more than an hour earlier than predicted. This is consistent with a model of the system in which the planet and its moon orbit a common center of gravity, causing the planet to wobble away from its predicted location [4].

In principle this anomaly could also be caused by the gravitational pull of a hypothetical second planet in the system, but the Kepler Space Telescope found no evidence for additional planets around the star during its four year mission. Still, further observations by Hubble are needed to fully confirm the existence of Kepler-1625b-i.

“If confirmed, Kepler-1625b-i will certainly provide an interesting puzzle for theorists to solve,” said Kipping. Teachey concluded: “It is an exciting reminder of how little we really know about distant planetary systems and the great spirit of discovery exoplanetary science embodies.”

Notes
[1] The moons of Jupiter and Saturn likely formed through the agglomeration into a disc of material orbiting the planets, so it is possible that this exomoon also formed in a circumplanetary disc. Another possibility is that a passing object was captured by the planet’s gravity. Tidal forces between the two objects would rob momentum from the less massive companion and eventually pull it into a permanent orbit. There are no indications of tidal capture among our Solar System’s moons. In the case of the Earth–Moon system, an early collision with a larger body is hypothesised to have blasted off material that later coalesced into a moon. However, Kepler-1625b and its candidate moon are gaseous, not rocky, so such a collision would not have led to the condensation of a satellite.

[2] Despite its size, the mass of the candidate moon is estimated to be only 1.5 percent of the mass of its companion planet. This value is close to the mass ratio between Earth and the Moon.

[3] While both the planet and its candidate moon are within the habitable zone, where moderate temperatures allow for the existence of liquid water, both bodies are considered to be gaseous and therefore unsuitable for life as we know it.

[4] A distant observer watching the Earth and Moon transit the Sun would note similar anomalies in the timing of Earth’s transit.

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

The results were presented in the paper Evidence for a large exomoon orbiting Kepler-1625b in the journal Science Advances.

The team of astronomers in this study consists of Alex Teachey and David M. Kipping (Columbia University, New York, USA).

Image Credit: NASA, ESA
Release Date: October 3, 2018

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Moon #Exomoon #Kepler1625bi #Planet #Exoplanet #Kepler1625 #Star #Transit #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #STScI #Art #Illustration #STEM #Education

MASCOT Asteroid Lander on Japan's Hayabusa2 | DLR

Animation | On December 3, 2014, the Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 embarked on a sample return mission to asteroid (162173) Ryugu (formerly designated 1999 JU3). On board is the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT), a lander built by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt; DLR) in collaboration with the French space agency CNES. The aim of the Hayabusa2 mission is to learn more about the origin and evolution of the Solar System. As asteroids account for some of the most primordial celestial bodies, researching them gives us a glimpse into our cosmic past. Furthermore, Ryugu is a near-Earth asteroid, which means it could pose a threat to Earth and must be investigated in order to reduce this threat.

Credit: German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt; DLR)
Duration: 7 minutes, 14 seconds
Release Date: May 16, 2018

#JAXA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Asteroid #162173Ryugu #Ryugu #竜宮城 #NEO #Mascot #Lander #AsteroidLanding #DLR #Germany #Deutschland #Hayabusa2 #Spacecraft #SolarSystem #Exploration #Japan #日本 #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Mascot Asteroid Landing Successful | DLR/JAXA

"Hello Earth...I promised to send you some pictures of Ryugu so here’s a shot I took during my descent. Can you spot my shadow?"
The Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) has landed on asteroid Ryugu.
Hayabusa2 is a Japanese space agency (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency; JAXA) mission to the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu. The German-French lander MASCOT on board Hayabusa2 was developed by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and built in close cooperation with the French space agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales). DLR, the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale and the Technical University of Braunschweig have contributed the scientific experiments on board MASCOT. The MASCOT lander and its experiments are operated and controlled by DLR with support from CNES and in constant interaction with the Hayabusa2 team.

The DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen was responsible for developing and testing the lander together with CNES. The DLR Institute of Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems in Braunschweig was responsible for the stable structure of the lander. The DLR Robotics and Mechatronics Center in Oberpfaffenhofen developed the swing arm that allows MASCOT to hop on the asteroid. Das DLR Institute of Planetary Research in Berlin contributed the MasCam camera and the MARA radiometer. The asteroid lander is monitored and operated from the MASCOT Control Center in the Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC) at the DLR site in Cologne.

162173 Ryugu, provisional designation 1999 JU3, is a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group. It measures approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) in diameter and is a dark object of the rare spectral type Cg, with qualities of both a C-type asteroid and a G-type asteroid.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Ryugu orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.96–1.41 AU once every 16 months (474 days; semi-major axis of 1.19 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic. It has a minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth of 95,400 km (0.000638 AU), which translates into 0.23 lunar distance. (Source: Wikipedia)

The name refers to Ryūgū (Dragon Palace), a magical underwater palace in a Japanese folktale. In the story, the fisherman Urashima Tarō travels to the palace on the back of a turtle, and when he returns, he carries with him a mysterious box, much like Hayabusa2 returning with samples.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Image Date: October 3, 2018

#JAXA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Asteroid #162173Ryugu #Ryugu #竜宮城 #NEO #Mascot #Lander #AsteroidLanding #DLR #Germany #Deutschland #Hayabusa2 #Spacecraft #SolarSystem #Exploration #Japan #日本 #STEM #Education

Explore Mars: Hebes Chasma | NASA MRO

Hebes Chasma is an isolated chasma just north of the Valles Marineris canyon system of Mars.

In planetary geology, a chasma is a deep, elongated, steep-sided depression. (Source: Wikipedia)

Imagery captured 267 km above the planet's surface (less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the right)

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado.

Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Duration: 3 minutes, 32 seconds
Release Date: October 1, 2018

#NASA #Mars #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #HebesChasma #Chasma #VallesMarineris #Canyon #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #RedPlanet #MRO #Reconnaissance #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #Camera #JPL #University #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #4K #UHD #Video

Mars: Eastern Hebes Chasma | NASA MRO

Hebes Chasma is an isolated chasma just north of the Valles Marineris canyon system of Mars.

In planetary geology, a chasma is a deep, elongated, steep-sided depression. (Source: Wikipedia)

Image captured 267 km above the planet's surface (less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the right)

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado.

Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Release Date: October 1, 2018

#NASA #Mars #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #HebesChasma #Chasma #VallesMarineris #Canyon #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #RedPlanet #MRO #Reconnaissance #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #Camera #JPL #University #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Skywatching: What's Up for October 2018 | NASA/JPL

Oct. 1, 2018: What's up in the night sky this October? International Observe the Moon Night! Here's how to spot all six Apollo lunar landing sites, plus bays, seas and impact craters on the Moon. See Jupiter, Saturn and Mars near the Moon, and Venus just before dawn.

You can find out more about International Observe the Moon Night at moon.nasa.gov/observe

Credit: NASA"s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Duration: 2 minutes, 7 seconds
Release Date: October 1, 2018

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Moon #ObserveTheMoon #Apollo #History #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #Mars #Venus #SolarSystem #Stars #Skywatching #JPL #Caltech #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA: 60 Years in 60 Seconds

NASA's 60th Anniversary (1958-2018)

Oct. 1, 2018: Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, on July 16 and President Eisenhower signed it into law on July 29, 1958. NASA opened for business on Oct. 1, 1958, with T. Keith Glennan as our first administrator. Our history tells a story of exploration, innovation and discoveries. The next 60 years, that story continues.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/60

Credit: NASA
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: October 1, 2018

#NASA #Earth #Space #Astronomy #History #NASA60th #Anniversary #Moon #Mars #Saturn #Jupiter #Venus #Planets #Sun #SolarSystem #Pluto #Mercury #Gemini #Apollo #Skylab #ISS #SpaceShuttle #SLS #Orion #Human #Spaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Greetings "Fellow Earthlings!" | International Space Station

Credit: NASA Astronaut Ricky Arnold/JSC
Release Date: October 1, 2018

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Earthlings #Astronaut #RickyArnold #UnitedStates #Expedition56 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #Photography #STEM #Education #OrbitalPerspective #OverviewEffect

A Comet's Landscape | European Space Agency

On September 30, 2016, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft came closer than ever to the target it had studied from afar for more than two years, concluding its mission with a controlled impact onto the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G).

This second comet landing followed the pioneering endeavor of Rosetta’s lander, Philae, which became the first probe to successfully touch down on a comet on November 12, 2014.

With a suite of 11 scientific instruments on board, Rosetta collected an impressive amount of images and other data at this now iconic comet, scanning its surface, probing its interior, scrutinizing the gas and dust in its surroundings, and exploring its plasma environment. Scientists have been using these measurements to advance our understanding of comets as well as of the history of our Solar System.

This image shows a portion of 67P/C-G as viewed by Rosetta on September 22, 2014, only one and a half months after the spacecraft had made its rendezvous with the comet. At the time, the spacecraft was 28.2 km from the comet center (around 26.2 km from the surface). Amateur astronomer Jacint Roger Perez, from Spain, selected and processed this view by combining three images taken in different wavelengths by the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on Rosetta.

Seen in the center and left of the frame is Seth, one of the geological regions on the larger of the two comet lobes, which declines towards the smoother Hapi region on the comet’s ‘neck’ that connects the two lobes. The landscape in the background reveals hints of the Babi and Aker regions, both located on the large lobe of 67P/C-G. For a wider image of this region in the overall context of the comet see here.

The sharp profile in the lower part of the image shows the Aswan cliff, a 134 m-high scarp separating the Seth and Hapi regions. Observations performed by Rosetta not long before the comet’s perihelion, which took place on 13 August 2015, revealed that a chunk of this cliff had collapsed—a consequence of increased activity as the comet drew closer to the Sun along its orbit.

Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA; J. Roger – CC BY 4.0
Release Date: October 1, 2018
#ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Comet #Comet67P #Philae #Lander #Rosetta #Spacecraft #OSIRIS #Churyumov #Gerasimenko #DLR #Germany #Deutschland #Europe #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education

Celestial fairy lights | Hubble

This glittering ball of stars is the globular cluster NGC 1898, which lies towards the center of the Large Magellanic Cloud—one of our closest cosmic neighbors. The Large Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy that hosts an extremely rich population of star clusters, making it an ideal laboratory for investigating star formation.

Discovered in November 1834 by British astronomer John Herschel, NGC 1898 has been scrutinized numerous times by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Today we know that globular clusters belong to the oldest known objects in the Universe and that they are relics of the first epochs of galaxy formation. While we already have a pretty good picture on the globular clusters of the Milky Way—still with many unanswered questions—our studies on globular clusters in nearby dwarf galaxies just started. The observations of NGC 1898 will help to determine if their properties are similar to the ones found in the Milky Way, or if they have different features, due to being in a different cosmic environment.

This image was taken by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). The WFC3 observes light ranging from near-infrared to near-ultraviolet wavelengths, while the ACS explores the near-infrared to the ultraviolet.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Release Date: October 1, 2018

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #GlobularCluster #Stars #Cluster #NGC1898 #LMC #LargeMagellanicCloud #Cosmos #Universe #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

Japan's Kounotori 7 Captured | International Space Station

U.S. Astronaut Drew Feustel: "Last Thursday I captured Japan’s HTV-7 resupply vehicle using the Canadarm2 robotic arm with the support of Serena Auñón-Chancellor. This cargo vehicle delivered much needed science and supplies to the International Space Station. Great teamwork with our International partners!"

Credit: A.J. (Drew) Feustel
Release Date: September 27, 2018

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #JAXA #Kounotori #Kounotori7 #HTV7 #Resupply #Cargo #Japan #日本 #Canadarm2 #Robotics #CSA #Canada #Astronaut #DrewFeustel #UnitedStates #Expedition56 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #Photography #STEM #Education #International #OrbitalPerspective #OverviewEffect

NASA's Kennedy Spaceport Magazine: September 2018

Read KSC's September 2018 Spaceport Magazine (Free 21-Page PDF)
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/spaceport-magazine.html
Direct Download:
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/spm_september2018_web.pdf
Spaceport Magazine has you covered!
In this September 2018 issue:
· Mobile launcher moves toward Exploration Mission-1
· NASA’s Parker Solar Probe begins journey to the Sun
· NASA Administrator meets Kennedy employees
· Flight tests to prove commercial systems fit for human
spaceflight
· NASA, SpaceX agree on plans for crew launch day
operations
· Heat shield install brings Orion closer to space
· Successful test proves important step toward safeguarding
astronauts
· Orion pressure vessel for Exploration Mission-2 arrives
· NASA research supported by new program at Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex
· First-time event sparks wide range of innovation
· First Nations launch winners briefed on aerospace careers

Spaceport Magazine is a monthly NASA publication that serves Kennedy Space Center employees and the American public. The magazine’s wide topic variety mirrors Kennedy's diverse spaceport operations. From launch processing to center development and employee stories, Spaceport Magazine covers it all.

Credit: NASA/Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Release Date: September 2018

#NASA #KSC #Space #Science #Astronomy #SLS #Orion #EM1 #MobileLauncher #Earth #Moon #ISS #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon #Rocket #ParkerSolarProbe #Astronauts #Kennedy #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Magazine #PDF

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center! | Week of Sept. 28, 2018

The first science observations from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, are providing valuable data to help NASA scientists discover and study exoplanets—planets beyond our solar system. Children around the world, from ages four to 12, have an opportunity to contribute to NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Winning artwork from a contest that runs through Oct. 17 will be used to create a 2019 calendar with different space themes for each month.

To learn more, go to: https://www.nasa.gov/tess

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 1 minute, 38 seconds
Release Date: September 28, 2018

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #Stars #Transit #Planets #Exoplanets #TESS #Spacecraft #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #ISS #CommercialCrew #Human #Spaceflight #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video