NASA's Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers—New May 2022 Images | JPL

NASA's Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers—New May 2022 Images | JPL

A pareidolia is an optical illusion that makes us see a familiar pattern, here a "door", where there is none. 

Pareidolia: Dictionaries describe this term as a human tendency to see recognizable shapes in objects or data that are otherwise not familiar to us.

Learn more about pareidolia and Martian "space oddities:"

https://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/space-oddities/

Image Technical Details: Mosaic of 113 pictures taken by MastCam Right camera (110mm focal length) aboard Curiosity rover on sol 3466 (May 7, 2022) at 11:19 am Martian local time. Sky extended in post-processing.

Perseverance May 2022 Update: One of the prime objectives of NASA's Mars Perseverance rover mission is to collect a diverse cache of rock samples for eventual return to Earth. Among the highest priority rocks to sample are those that make up the well-preserved delta located on the western side of Jezero crater. This delta was one of the key attributes that made this landing site so appealing in our search for ancient Martian life. Close examination of deltaic rocks is critical for interpreting their depositional environment and establishing whether this paleoenvironment may have been habitable.

Since landing in Jezero crater last year, the rover has been investigating and drilling crater floor rocks to add to the sample cache. However, the rover has not yet had access to coveted deltaic rocks—until now, that is. After conducting a “rapid traverse” toward the delta, Perseverance finally arrived at the delta front. Last week the rover parked at a site called Enchanted Lake, where the team was hopeful we might sample deltaic rocks for the very first time. 

Unfortunately, the rover can only collect a finite number of samples so the team has to carefully weigh all options, keeping in mind what has already been sampled and also trying to anticipate what we might encounter along the rest of the traverse. Although we are eager to drill into the delta, we have to be judicious.

Therefore, our first action item at Enchanted Lake was to examine the rocks there using the rover’s remote science instruments in order to decide whether they fit the desired criteria for sampling. The rocks at this site displayed many distinct—and interesting—characteristics compared to the others we have studied thus far in Jezero. Yet, after a thorough assessment, the team decided to forego sampling at this location. It was a difficult decision to make, but we feel optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead. The data collected at Enchanted Lake will be used instead to build context for future investigations of the delta.

The rover is now headed east toward a location called Hawksbill Gap, another promising location for sampling the delta. While traversing along the delta front, Perseverance will continue to collect data to help characterize the contact between the crater floor and deltaic rocks before ascending onto the delta itself. What about our long-awaited sample of delta rocks? For that, we will have to wait a bit longer.

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

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

Image & Caption Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Thomas Appéré

Image Release Dates: May 11-13, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #Jezero #Gale #Crater #Perseverance #Curiosity #Rover #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #ThomasAppéré #Human #Perception #Pareidolia #STEM #Education

Orbital Sunset above Atlantic Ocean Off the Coast of South Africa

Orbital Sunset above Atlantic Ocean Off the Coast of South Africa

The International Space Station flies into an orbital sunset at an altitude of 266 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Africa.

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: May 7, 2022 

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Star #Sun #Sunset #AtlanticOcean #SouthAfrica #Africa #ESA #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #FlightEngineers #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Research #Laboratory #UnitedStates #Italy #Italia #Europe #Russia #Россия #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education

The Milky Way Down Under

The Milky Way Down Under

Our Milky Way at Bejoording, Western Australia

The Fading Milky Way

Light pollution is a growing environmental problem that threatens to erase the night sky before its time. A recent study revealed that perhaps two-thirds of the world's population can no longer look upwards at night and see the Milky Way—a hazy swath of stars that on warm summer nights spans the sky from horizon to horizon.

The Milky Way is dimming, not because the end of the Universe is near, but rather as a result of light pollution: the inadvertent illumination of the atmosphere from street lights, outdoor advertising, homes, schools, airports and other sources. Every night billions of bulbs send their energy skyward where microscopic bits of matter—air molecules, airborne dust, and water vapor droplets—reflect much of the wasted light back to Earth. 

(Source: NASA)

Learn more:

International Dark-Sky Association

https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution

Globe at Night

https://www.globeatnight.org

Night Sky Network (NASA JPL)

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Technical details: 

Nikon d810a, 85mm, ISO 5000, f2.8

Foreground: 6 x 30 seconds, Sky: 16 x 30 seconds, iOptron SkyTracker

Hoya Starscape filter

Trevor: "This is a 24 shot panorama of the Milky Way rising above a barren farm, with yours truly looking on in awe, at Bejoording, about 1.5 hours north east of Perth in Western Australia."

Credit: Trevor Dobson

Image Date: May 2, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #MilkyWay #Stars #LightPollution #CitizenScience #TrevorDobson #Astrophotographer #Astrophotography #Skywatching #Cosmos #Universe #SolarSystem #Earth #Bejoording #Perth #Australia #STEM #Education

The Webb Telescope is Closer to Starting Its Science Mission | This Week@NASA

The Webb Telescope is Closer to Starting Its Science Mission | This Week@NASA

Week of May 13, 2022: The Webb Telescope is closer to starting its mission of science, an historic look at the center of our galaxy, and the Crew-3 astronauts reflect on their mission … a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 4 minutes, 22 seconds

Release Date: May 13, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #ISS #SpaceX #Crew3 #Astronauts #Science #Telescope #JWST #JamesWebb #Cosmos #Universe #ESA #CSA #Goddard #GSFC #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren Talks with Coloradoan Newspaper & Fox News

NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren Talks with Coloradoan Newspaper & Fox News 

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 67 Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview May 11 with the Coloradoan Newspaper and Fox News Media. Lindgren is in the midst of a six-month long mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. 

NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren Official Biography

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

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

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/lindgren-kn.pdf

Credit: NASA Video

Duration: 23 minutes

Release Date: May 11, 2022

#NASA #ESA #ISS #Space #Earth #Science #Astronaut #KjellLindgren #Interview #Medicine #HumanSpaceflight #FortCollins #Colorado #CU #UnitedStates #TheColoradoan #Newspaper #FoxNews #Media #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Waning Crescent Moon above Atlantic Ocean | International Space Station

Waning Crescent Moon above Atlantic Ocean | International Space Station

The waning crescent Moon is pictured from the International Space Station as it flew into an orbital sunrise 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of the United States.

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: May 8, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Moon #Artemis #CrescentMoon #AtlanticOcean #ESA #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #FlightEngineers #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Research #Laboratory #UnitedStates #Italy #Italia #Europe #Russia #Россия #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education

ULA Atlas V Rocket Boeing Starliner OFT-2 Mission Profile | NASA

ULA Atlas V Rocket Boeing Starliner OFT-2 Mission Profile | NASA

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will launch Boeing's Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner spacecraft on its Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA and Boeing mission managers completed a Flight Readiness Review on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, and are proceeding toward the launch of the OFT-2 mission at 6:54 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 19. Boeing’s unpiloted Starliner will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and automatically dock to the Harmony module’s forward port about 24 hours later. It will stay at the station for cargo and test operations for five to 10 days before parachuting back to Earth.

For more info on OFT-2 and Starliner, visit: boeing.com/starliner

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA)

Duration: 2 minutes, 53 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Boeing #Spacecraft #Starliner #CST100 #ULA #Rocket #Atlas5 #CommercialCrew #CCP #Test #OFT2 #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #CapeCanaveral #SpaceForce #Spaceport #Florida #LaunchAmerica #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Science Season | Week of May 13, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground: Science Season | Week of May 13, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what is happening aboard the International Space Station. Human research, space botany, and robotics were among the main research themes for the Expedition 67 crew aboard the International Space Station this week. NASA and Boeing mission managers completed a Flight Readiness Review on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, and are proceeding toward the launch of the OFT-2 mission at 6:54 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 19. Boeing’s unpiloted Starliner will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and automatically dock to the Harmony module’s forward port about 24 hours later. It will stay at the station for cargo and test operations for five to 10 days before parachuting back to Earth.

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

ESA Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 2 minutes, 43 seconds

Release Date: May 13, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Space #ISS #Boeing #Spacecraft #Starliner #CST100 #CommercialCrew #OFT2 #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #LaunchAmerica #Research #Laboratory #UnitedStates #Italy #Europe #Russia #Россия #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Unveiling Our Galaxy's Black Hole | Center for Astrophysics

Unveiling Our Galaxy's Black Hole | Center for Astrophysics

On Thursday, May 12, 2022, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration released the first-ever image of the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Scientists at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian were key players in this achievement.

Credit for Sgr A* Zoom in:

ESO/L. Calçada, N. Risinger (skysurvey.org), DSS, VISTA, VVV Survey/D. Minniti DSS, Nogueras-Lara et al., Schoedel, NACO, GRAVITY Collaboration, EHT Collaboration (Music: Azul Cobalto)/Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (SAO)

Duration: 6 minutes, 16 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #BlackHole #BlackHoles #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #M87 #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #VLT #Telescope #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comparing Black Holes: M87* and Sgr A* in Our Milky Way Galaxy

Comparing Black Holes: M87* and Sgr A* in Our Milky Way Galaxy  

How do the black holes M87* and Sgr A* differ in size—and how did this affect imaging each black hole? Learn how the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration captures images of these objects that are constantly on the move. 

Video Credit: Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (SAO) / Crazybridge Studios

Duration: 1 minute, 25 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #NSF #ESO #Space #Astronomy #BlackHoles #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #M87 #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #VLT #Telescope #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comparing Two Black Holes: Sagittarius A* in Our Milky Way and M87*

Comparing Two Black Holes: Sagittarius A* in Our Milky Way and M87*

Size comparison of the two black holes imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration: M87*, at the heart of the galaxy Messier 87, and Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), at the center of the Milky Way. The image shows the scale of Sgr A* in comparison with both M87* and other elements of the Solar System such as the orbits of Pluto and Mercury. Also displayed is the Sun’s diameter and the current location of  NASA's Voyager 1 space probe, the furthest spacecraft from Earth launched in 1977. M87*, which lies 55 million light-years away, is one of the largest black holes known. While Sgr A*, 27,000 light-years away, has a mass roughly four million times the Sun’s mass, M87* is more than 1000 times more massive. Because of their relative distances from Earth, both black holes appear the same size in the sky.

Credit: EHT collaboration (acknowledgment: Lia Medeiros, xkcd)/European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #NSF #ESO #Space #Astronomy #BlackHole #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #VLT #Telescope #Infographic #STEM #Education

Anatomy of a Black Hole | ESO

Anatomy of a Black Hole | ESO

This artist’s impression depicts a rapidly spinning supermassive black hole surrounded by an accretion disc. This thin disc of rotating material consists of the leftovers of a Sun-like star which was ripped apart by the tidal forces of the black hole. The black hole is labeled, showing the anatomy of this fascinating object.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #NSF #ESO #Space #Astronomy #BlackHole #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #VLT #Telescope #Infographic #Artist #Art #STEM #Education

What it Takes to Image a Black Hole | ESO

What it Takes to Image a Black Hole | ESO

What does it take to capture an image of the black hole at the center of our galaxy? This video explains how the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) works, and how astronomers managed to create one massive Earth-sized telescope big enough to “see” at the edge of black holes.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Directed by: Martin Wallner and Herbert Zodet.

Editing : Herbert Zodet and Martin Wallner.

Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida.

Written by: Martin Wallner, Giulio Mazzolo and Bárbara Ferreira.

Narration: Colin Griffiths-Brown.

Music: Stellardrone — Ethereal/Open Cluster and Azul Cobalto 

Footage and photos: ESO, EHT Collaboration, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser, Nick Risinger ( skysurvey.org ), Digitized Sky Survey 2, VISTA, VVV Survey/D. Minniti DSS, Nogueras-Lara et al., Schoedel, NACO, GRAVITY Collaboration, NASA, ESA/Hubble, RadioAstron, De Gasperin et al., Kim et al., mediomix, IRAM/Diverticimes/Cinedia, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, BlackHoleCam/Radboud University/Jordy Davelaar et al ./Cristian Afker/Cafker Productions, M. Moscibrodzka, Glen Petitpas/SMA, H. Zodet, C. Malin ( christophmalin.com ), LMT/INAOE Archive, Thalia Traianou (Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy), Space Engine ( spaceengine.org ), William Montgomerie/JCMT/EAO, Robert Schwarz ( www.antarctic-adventures.de ), Nicolle R. Fuller/NSF, SMT/University of Arizona by Bob Demers /©2019 Arizona Board of Regents, Junhan Kim (Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona) and B. Tafreshi ( twanight.org )

Scientific consultant: Paola Amico

Duration: 7 minutes

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #NSF #ESO #Space #Astronomy #BlackHole #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #VLT #Telescope #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zoom into Black Hole at the Center of Our Milky Way Galaxy | ESO

Zoom into Black Hole at the Center of Our Milky Way Galaxy | ESO

Watch as this video sequence zooms into the black hole (Sgr A*) at the centre of our galaxy. Beginning with a broad view of the Milky Way, we dive into the dense clouds of gas and dust at our galactic center. The stars here have been observed with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope and ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer for decades, the black hole’s immense gravitational pull distorting the orbits of the stars closest to it.  Finally, we arrive at Sgr A*, the first image of which has been captured by the EHT collaboration. The black hole is shown by a dark central region called a shadow, surrounded by a ring of luminous gas and dust. 

The various observations used here were taken at different times, by different teams and with different facilities, and put together for the purpose of the zoom effect. The images go from visible wavelengths at the beginning to infrared, with the very final image being taken at radio wavelengths.

Credit:

ESO/L. Calçada, N. Risinger (skysurvey.org), DSS, VISTA, VVV Survey/D. Minniti DSS, Nogueras-Lara et al., Schoedel, NACO, GRAVITY Collaboration, EHT Collaboration (Music: Azul Cobalto)

Duration: 52 seconds

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #NSF #ESO #Space #Astronomy #BlackHole #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #VLT #Telescope #STEM #Education #HD #Video

First Image of Black Hole at Center of Milky Way Galaxy | Event Horizon Telescope

First Image of Black Hole at Center of Milky Way Galaxy | Event Horizon Telescope

This is the first image of Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. It is the first direct visual evidence of the presence of this black hole. It was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), an array which links together eight existing radio observatories across the planet to form a single Earth-sized virtual telescope. The telescope is named after the "event horizon", the boundary of the black hole beyond which no light can escape.

Although we cannot see the event horizon itself, because it cannot emit light, glowing gas orbiting around the black hole reveals a telltale signature: a dark central region, called a "shadow," surrounded by a bright ring-like structure. The new view captures light bent by the powerful gravity of the black hole, which is 4 million times more massive than our sun. The image of the Sgr A* black hole is an average of the different images that the EHT Collaboration has extracted from its 2017 observations.

Learn more here: 

https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=305148

Credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

Release Date: May 12, 2022

#NASA #NSF #Space #Astronomy #BlackHole #SagittariusA #SgrA #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe  #EventHorizonTelescope #EHT #STEM #Education

European Robotic Arm Installed by Russian Cosmonauts | International Space Station

European Robotic Arm Installed by Russian Cosmonauts | International Space Station

The European robotic arm (ERA) is pictured extending out from the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module during a mobility test several days after Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev activated the ERA during a seven-hour and 42-minute spacewalk.

The European Robotic Arm (ERA) successfully made its first moves in orbit during the 250th spacewalk to upgrade the International Space Station (ISS).

Two spacewalkers worked outside the orbiting lab for 7 hours and 42 minutes on April 28, 2022. Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev removed thermal blankets and then unlocked the robotic arm.

The duo released the launch locks that held the arm in its folded configuration for the journey to space last year. Inside the International Space Station, crewmate Sergey Korsakov monitored the first commanded movements of the robotic arm.

The robotic arm brings new ways of operating automated machines to the orbital complex. ERA has the ability to perform many tasks automatically or semi-automatically, can be directed either from inside or outside the ISS, and it can be controlled in real time or preprogrammed.

The International Space Station already has two robotic arms—Canadian and Japanese robots play a crucial role in berthing spacecraft and transferring payloads and astronauts.

ERA is the first robot capable of ‘walking’ around the Russian parts of the orbital complex. It can handle components up to 8000kg with 5mm precision, and it will transport astronauts from one working site to another.

More information about the European Robotic Arm: https://bit.ly/3PdQibl

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: May 5, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #ESA #Roscosmos #Cosmonauts #OlegArtemyev #DenisMatveev #EVA #Spacewalk #Soyuz #Союз #Robotics #RoboticArm #Europe #Nauka #Laboratory #SoyuzMS21 #Prichal #Docking #Роскосмос #Russia #Россия #JSC #UnitedStates #Expedition67 #International #Cooperation #UNOOSA #STEM #Education