Hubble Spies a Glittering Gathering of Stars

Hubble Spies a Glittering Gathering of Stars

This glittering gathering of stars is the globular cluster NGC 6558, and it was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. NGC 6558 is closer to the center of the Milky Way than Earth is, and lies about 23,000 light years away in the constellation Sagittarius.

Globular clusters like NGC 6558 are tightly bound collections of tens of thousands to millions of stars, and they can be found in a wide range of galaxies. As this observation shows, the stars in globular clusters can be densely packed; this image is thronged with stars in a rich variety of hues. Some of the brightest inhabitants of this globular cluster are surrounded by prominent diffraction spikes, which are imaging artefacts caused by starlight interacting with the inner workings of Hubble.

Globular clusters equip astronomers with interesting natural laboratories in which to test their theories, as all the stars in a globular cluster formed at approximately the same time with similar initial composition. These stellar clusters therefore provide unique insights into how different stars evolve under similar conditions. This image comes from a set of observations investigating globular clusters in the inner Milky Way. Astronomers were interested in studying these globular clusters to gain greater insight into how globular clusters in the inner Milky Way form and evolve.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, R. Cohen

Release Date: May 16, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #GlobularCluster #NGC6558 #Stars #Sagittarius #Constellation  #Science #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Galaxies #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

May 2022 Lunar Eclipse

May 2022 Lunar Eclipse 

The entire surface of the Moon has been obscured by the shadow of the Earth. A small amount of indirect sunlight is still reaching the Moon, passing through Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a reddish hue. Totality lasted for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Technical details: 

Lunar Eclipse May 15-16, 2022. Image taken with Canon T7i camera and Celestron C6 SCT.

Credit: James Willinghan

Location: Frostburg, Maryland, United States

Image Date: May 15-16, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Eclipse #LunarEclipse #Moon #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Sun #Science #Totality #Astrophotography #Maryland #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Seeks Novel Food Systems in Deep Space Food Challenge Phase 2

NASA Seeks Novel Food Systems in Deep Space Food Challenge Phase 2

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency have coordinated to open Phase 2 of the Deep Space Food Challenge, targeted at developing novel food production system technologies for long-duration deep space missions. The challenge incentivizes the public to develop novel food system solutions for long duration space missions. 

NASA invites both new and existing teams to build and demonstrate prototypes of their designs and produce food for judging. Interested participants from the United States can compete in Phase 2 for part of a prize purse up to $1 million. Competitors are asked to create a food production technology, system, or approach that could potentially be integrated into a complete food system to sustain a crew of four on a three-year deep space mission. Everything needed to store, prepare and deliver food to the crew, including production, processing, transport, consumption, and disposal of waste should be considered. 

For more information, go to: https://www.deepspacefoodchallenge.org

Credit: NASA Space Tech

Duration: 1 minute, 48 seconds

Release Date: May 13, 2022

#NASA #Space #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Food #Artemis #Moon #Mars #DeepSpace #DeepSpaceFoodChallenge #Science #Health #Astronauts #LongDuration #HumanSpaceflight #JourneyToMars #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island & New Brunswick | International Space Station

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island & New Brunswick | International Space Station

The Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, are pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the North American continent. The major bodies of water seen in the photograph (from right) are the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Northumberland Strait, and New London Bay.

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.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: May 7, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #CSA #Canada #Provinces #NewBrunswick #NovaScotia #PrinceEdwardIsland #PEI #Atlantic #Maritimes #AtlanticOcean #Astronauts #FlightEngineers #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Research #Laboratory #UnitedStates #OverviewEffect #Expedition67 #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins Talks with AccuWeather, KMGH-TV in Colorado

NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins Talks with AccuWeather, KMGH-TV in Colorado

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESSICA!

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 67 Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview May 13, 2022, with AccuWeather Network and KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado. Watkins 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. 

Jessica Watkins Official NASA Biography

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

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Duration: 20 minutes

Release Date: May 13, 2022

#NASA #ESA #ISS #Space #Earth #Science #Astronaut #JessicaWatkins #Geologist #FlightEngineer #Interview #HumanSpaceflight #AccuWeather #Colorado #CU #UnitedStates #Media #Research #Laboratory #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Hubble Captures Image of Giant Elliptical Galaxy

Hubble Captures Image of Giant Elliptical Galaxy

Image: A field of galaxies. A large elliptical galaxy in the top left quadrant, with more distant galaxies visible through its fringes. 

This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image spotlights the giant elliptical galaxy, UGC 10143, at the heart of galaxy cluster, Abell 2147, about 486 million light-years away in the head of the serpent, the constellation Serpens. UGC 10143 is the biggest and brightest member of Abell 2147, which itself may be part of the much larger Hercules Supercluster of galaxies. UGC 10143’s bright center, dim extended halo, and lack of spiral arms and star-forming dust lanes distinguish it as an elliptical galaxy. Ellipticals are often near the center of galaxy clusters, suggesting they may form when galaxies merge.

This image of UGC 10143 is part of a Hubble survey of globular star clusters associated with the brightest galaxies in galaxy clusters. Globular star clusters help astronomers trace the origin and evolution of their galactic neighbors. The Hubble survey looked at the distribution, brightness, and metal content of more than 35,000 globular star clusters.

The image uses data from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. Any gaps were filled by Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 and the Pan-STARRS collaboration. The color blue represents visible blue light, and reddish-orange represents near infrared light.

Image Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and W. Harris (McMaster University); Image processing: G. Kober (NASA Goddard/Catholic University of America)

Release Date: May 13, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #EdwinHubble #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

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