Friends of NASA

Monday, May 23, 2022

Elliptical Galaxy NGC 541 Fuels an Irregular Galaxy | Hubble

Elliptical Galaxy NGC 541 Fuels an Irregular Galaxy | Hubble

Image Description: Center, right: Bright, white elliptical galaxy with very bright core from which a diffuse glow extends outward. Another bright, smaller/more distant galaxy is below it, while bright blue/white irregular is to its lower left.

This striking pair is an elliptical galaxy NGC 541 and an unusual star-forming, irregular dwarf galaxy known as Minkowski’s Object (the bluish object to the lower left of NGC 541). Elliptical galaxies are nearly spherical to egg-shaped groups of stars that form when galaxies merge. NGC 541 shoots out radio jets that are invisible to human eyes but detectable by radio telescopes. These jets originate in the accretion disk around the galaxy’s central black hole.

The radio jet from NGC 541 likely caused the star-formation in Minkowski’s Object. Radio galaxies like NGC 541 are surrounded by gaseous halos and/or debris from recent merger events—which may have triggered the radio galaxy activity in the first place. The jet plows into the moderately dense, warm gas around the galaxy and the shock compresses and heats the gas, causing it to become energized, or ionized. As the ionized gas reverts from its higher-energy state to a lower-energy state, energy leaves the cloud in the form of radiation. As the clouds cool, they collapse, giving rise to starbirth. Minkowski’s Object is about 7.5 million years old and consists of about 20 million stars.

Hubble observed Minkowski’s Object and NGC 541 to get a better sense of how star formation occurs in this region, what kind of star formation takes place, and the properties of the jet that triggers it.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and S. Croft (Eureka Scientific Inc.); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA Goddard/Catholic University of America)

Release Date: May 23, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC541 #Elliptical #Irregular #Dwarf #MinkowskisObject #RadioJets #Constellation #Science #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Space Frost on Window | International Space Station

Space Frost on Window | International Space Station

This unique image was captured by Cosmonaut Sergey Korsakov aboard the International Space Station.

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: Sergey Korsakov (Roscosmos)

Release Date: May 23, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Planet #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Cosmonaut #SergeyKorsakov #Cosmonauts #Photography #Art #Science #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #Expedition67 #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #International #STEM #Education

James Webb Space Telescope Instrument Overview | NASA Goddard

James Webb Space Telescope Instrument Overview | NASA Goddard

An overview of the instruments onboard the Webb Telescope: the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), and the Fine Guidance Sensor/Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph. Learn how each instrument will help Webb unfold the universe.

Learn more about Webb’s mission: http://webb.nasa.gov

Learn more about the search for life: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Producer

Michael Starobin (KBRwyle): Producer

Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Producer

Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator

Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator

Chris Meaney (KBRwyle): Animator

Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Videographer

Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Editor

Rich Melnick (KBRwyle): Editor

Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Host

Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Narrator

Duration: 3 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: May 23, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JamesWebb #Webb #Telescope #JWST #NIRCam #NIRSpec #MIRI #Cosmos #Universe #Exoplanets #Atmospheres #Biosignatures #Astrobiology #Europe #CSA #Canada #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education #HD #Video

United Launch Alliance Atlas V OFT-2 Starliner Launch Highlights

United Launch Alliance Atlas V OFT-2 Starliner Launch Highlights

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program lifted off on May 19 at 6:54 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

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

Release Date: May 23, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Boeing #Spacecraft #Starliner #CST100 #CommercialCrew #CCP #OFT2 #Astronaut #SamanthaCristoforetti #FlightEngineer #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Engineering #LaunchAmerica #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Northrop Grumman & NASA's Lunar Gateway: Preparing for Moon Exploration

Northrop Grumman & NASA's Lunar Gateway: Preparing for Moon Exploration

"Listen to our very own Rick Mastracchio, a former NASA astronaut, as he talks about our contributions to NASA's Lunar Gateway, including our work on the Habitation and Logistics Outpost—humanity’s first home away from Earth as we begin to explore the Moon and the rest of our solar system with NASA’s Artemis program."

Learn more about our work on NASA's Gateway program: https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/nasas-artemis-program/

Credit: Northrop Grumman

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: May 20, 2022

#NASA #Space #Artemis #Moon #LunarGateway #Gateway #Astronauts #RickMastracchio #HaloModule #NorthropGrumman #DeepSpace #Cislunar #Orbit #Technology #Engineering #Navigation #HumanSpaceflight #Mars #JourneyToMars #MoonToMars #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Globular Cluster Liller 1 Surrounded by Blue Stars | Hubble

Globular Cluster Liller 1 Surrounded by Blue Stars | Hubble

The muted red tones of the globular cluster Liller 1 are partially obscured in this image by a dense scattering of piercingly blue stars. In fact, it is thanks to Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) that we are able to see Liller 1 so clearly in this image, because the WFC3 is sensitive to wavelengths of light that the human eye cannot detect. Liller 1 is only 30,000 light-years from Earth—relatively neighborly in astronomical terms—but it lies within the Milky Way’s ‘bulge’, the dense and dusty region at our galaxy’s center. Because of that, Liller 1 is heavily obscured from view by interstellar dust, which scatters visible light (particularly blue light) very effectively.

Fortunately, some infrared and red visible light are able to pass through these dusty regions. WFC3 is sensitive to both visible and near-infrared (infrared that is close to the visible) wavelengths, allowing us to see through the obscuring clouds of dust, and providing this spectacular view of Liller 1.

Liller 1 is a particularly interesting globular cluster, because unlike most of its kind, it contains a mix of very young and very old stars. Globular clusters typically house only old stars, some nearly as old as the Universe itself. Liller 1 instead contains at least two distinct stellar populations with remarkably different ages: the oldest one is 12 billion years old and the youngest component is just 1-2 billion years old. This led astronomers to conclude that this stellar system was able to form stars over an extraordinary long period of time.

Credit:

European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, F. Ferraro

Release Date: May 23, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #GlobularCluster #Liller1 #Stars #StarCluster #Scorpius #Constellations #Science #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #WFC3 #Telescope #ESA #Europe #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Sunday, May 22, 2022

The Astromaterials Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center

The Astromaterials Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center

For more than 50 years, NASA astronauts and scientists have explored the Earth and sky, searching for ways to study the elements and materials that make up the Solar System. NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, or ARES is responsible to preserve lunar and other samples for current and future scientific research. The samples are protected inside secure and environmentally controlled vaults. As part of the agency’s Artemis program, NASA is preparing to go back to the Moon, this time to the South Pole. Astronauts will bring back more samples for current and future generations to study.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: May 20, 2022

#NASA #Space #Science #Moon #Apollo #Artemis #Geology #ARES #Astromaterials #Laboratory #Research #SolarSystem #Exploration #JourneyToMars #MoonToMars #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Five Canadian Astronauts Share Their Experiences | McGill University

Five Canadian Astronauts Share Their Experiences | McGill University

Since 1983, 14 Canadians have been named astronauts, including five McGill University graduates. This public talk features "McGill astronauts" Julie Payette, David Saint-Jacques, Robert Thirsk and Dave Williams—plus special guest Montreal astronaut Marc Garneau—discussing the contributions they have made to the fields of space/aerospace and the exploration of the universe. Hear them share their adventures in space and their experiences at McGill!

Learn about Canada's astronauts (past and present):

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/default.asp

Credit: McGill University

Duration: 1 hour, 27 minutes

Release Date: May 3, 2022

#NASA #CSA #Canada #Space #ISS #SpaceShuttle #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #MarcGarneau #RobertThirsk #DaveWilliams #JuliePayette #DavidSaintJacques #Science #Technology #Engineering #McGill #University #Montreal #Quebec #International #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Dazzling Hubble Collection of Supernova Host Galaxies

A Dazzling Hubble Collection of Supernova Host Galaxies

Spanning from 2003 to 2021, this featured collection of images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope includes galaxies that are all hosts to both Cepheid variables and supernovae. These two celestial phenomena are both crucial tools used by astronomers to determine astronomical distance, and have been used to refine our measurement of Hubble’s constant, the expansion rate of the Universe.

Credit: HubbleESA

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: May 19, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Galaxy #NGC2525 #Supernovae #CepheidVariables #SN2018gv #Star #Puppis #Constellations #Stars #Galaxies #Science #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Galactic "Conjunction" | Hubble

A Galactic "Conjunction" | Hubble

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the spiral galaxy NGC 105, which lies roughly 215 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces. While it looks like NGC 105 is plunging edge-on into a collision with a neighboring galaxy, this is just the result of the chance alignment of the two objects in the night sky. NGC 105’s elongated neighbor is actually far more distant and remains relatively unknown to astronomers. These misleading conjunctions occur frequently in astronomy—for example, the stars in constellations are at vastly different distances from Earth, and only appear to form patterns thanks to the chance alignment of their component stars.

The Wide Field Camera 3 observations in this image are from a vast collection of Hubble measurements examining nearby galaxies which contain two fascinating astronomical phenomena—Cepheid variables and cataclysmic supernova explosions. Whilst these two phenomena may appear to be unrelated—one is a peculiar class of pulsating stars and the other is the explosion caused by the catastrophic final throes of a massive star’s life—they are both used by astronomers for a very particular purpose: measuring the vast distances to astronomical objects. Both Cepheids and supernovae have very predictable luminosities, meaning that astronomers can tell precisely how bright they are. By measuring how bright they appear when observed from Earth, these “standard candles” can provide reliable distance measurements. NGC 105 contains both supernovae and Cepheid variables, giving astronomers a valuable opportunity to calibrate the two distance measurement techniques against one another.

Astronomers recently carefully analysed the distances to a sample of galaxies including NGC 105 to measure how fast the Universe is expanding—a value known as the Hubble constant. Their results do not agree with the predictions of the most widely-accepted cosmological model, and their analysis shows that there is only a 1-in-a-million chance that this discrepancy was caused by measurement errors. This discrepancy between galaxy measurements and cosmological predictions has been a long-standing source of consternation for astronomers, and these recent findings provide persuasive new evidence that something is either wrong or lacking in our standard model of cosmology.

Credit:

ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Jones, A. Riess et al.

Acknowledgement: R. Colombari

Release Date: January 3, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Galaxy #NGC105 #Galaxies #Stars #Pisces #Constellations #Science #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Boeing Starliner Meets Crew Aboard International Space Station for First Time

Boeing Starliner Meets Crew Aboard International Space Station for First Time

Astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station entered Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for the first time today. The crew welcomed the spacecraft and began unloading the cargo.

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

Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft have been developed and tested to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station from U.S. soil.

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Credit: Boeing

Duration: 3 minutes, 47 seconds

Release Date: May 21, 2022

Boeing Starliner Hatch Opening & Welcoming Remarks | International Space Station

Boeing Starliner Hatch Opening & Welcoming Remarks | International Space Station

[Crew Remarks on Historic Importance at 1 hour, 33 minute mark]

Following launch on May 19, 2022, and docking on May 20, the hatch of the Boeing Starliner vehicle was opened for the first time. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins as well as European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Korsakov, Space Station Commander, Oleg Artemyev, and Denis Matveev provided welcoming remarks during an in-flight event on May 21. Starliner will complete a series of test objectives as part of the OFT-2 test flight and will remain docked to the space station until May 25, 2022, when it will undock and land at White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico.

Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft have been developed and tested to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station from U.S. soil.

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: NASA Video

Duration: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Release Date: May 21, 2022

Artemis: From The Moon to Mars—A New Era for Human Spaceflight | NASA

Artemis: From The Moon to Mars—A New Era for Human Spaceflight | NASA

Forward to the Moon and on to Mars, NASA is exploring deep space like never before. Preparing to launch soon, Artemis I will be the first uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft around the Moon. We will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.

Through Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, heralding a new era for space exploration and utilization.

The Artemis missions are increasingly complex endeavours that will lay the foundation for sustainable human and robotic exploration of Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon.

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test in 2022 that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about a three-week mission. Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

Learn more about Artemis I at:

NASA's Artemis Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1

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

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

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

NASA's Orion Spacecraft

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/about/index.html

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

#NASA #ESA #Space #Artemis #Moon #Mars #MoonToMars #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Boeing #Rocket #DeepSpace #LockheedMartin #NorthropGrumman #Orion #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #Europe #International #Poster #STEM #Education

ULA Atlas V Rocket Launch with NASA's Boeing Starliner OFT-2

ULA Atlas V Rocket Launch with NASA's Boeing Starliner OFT-2

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, launching for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, lifted off from from Space Launch Complex-41 at 6:54 p.m. EDT on May 19, 2022.

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

Image Credit: United Launch Alliance

Image Date: May 19, 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

Boeing's Starliner Crew Spacecraft Docks Successfully to International Space Station

Boeing's Starliner Crew Spacecraft Docks Successfully to International Space Station

The unpiloted Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked to the International Space Station on May 20, 2022, following a launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on May 19. Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) will remain at the station to complete a series of test objectives before departing the complex on May 25 where it will land at White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico. This test flight comes as a precursor to a future crewed Starliner test flight.

Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft have been developed and tested to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station from U.S. soil.

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

Image Credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy/NASA/JSC

Release Date: May 20, 2022

Europe's Jupiter Icy Moons Misson: Juice Spacecraft Fully Integrated | ESA

Europe's Jupiter Icy Moons Misson: Juice Spacecraft Fully Integrated | ESA

Scheduled Launch Date: April 2023

The European Space Agency's Juice, JUpiter ICy moons Explorer, mission has entered its final phase of development, with the spacecraft moving to an Airbus Defence and Space facility in Toulouse, France, for the next round of testing. The spacecraft has been fully integrated, and these tests will be done in full flight configuration, as Juice is scheduled for launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in April 2023.

The Juice mission is a perfect example of collaboration between several national space agencies and European industry. Its objective is to explore the gas giant Jupiter, its environment, and three of its moons: Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. By studying this planetary system, the European Space Agency (ESA) hopes to learn more about the icy worlds around Jupiter and the origins and possibility of life in our Universe.

Learn more about the Juice Mission to Jupiter: https://bit.ly/JuiceESAScience

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: May 20, 2022

#NASA #ESA #JAXA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Jupiter #JUICE #Spacecraft #Europa #Callisto #Ganymede #Moons #Moon #Ocean #Astrobiology #Biosignatures #Habitability #Radiation #SolarSystem #Exploration #Europe #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

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