Mars: Spring Fans and Polygons | NASA MRO

Mars: Spring Fans and Polygons | NASA MRO

Both water and dry ice have a major role in sculpting Mars' surface at high latitudes. Water ice frozen in the soil splits the ground into polygons. Erosion of the channels forming the boundaries of the polygons by dry ice sublimating in the spring adds plenty of twists and turns to them.

Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is the second longest-lived spacecraft to orbit Mars, after 2001 Mars Odyssey. It has been studying the Red Planet since March 2006. The spacecraft collects and relays daily science and weather data. It also scouts for landing locations for Mars landers and serves as a critical relay station for science beamed back from the Red Planet.

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

Video Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/University of Arizona

Narration: Tre Gibbs

Tre's website: www.tregibbs.com

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #WaterIce #DryIce #Polygons #Terrain #MRO #Reconnaissance #Orbiter #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #CitizenScience #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dawn of The James Webb Space Telescope: First Images This Summer

Dawn of The James Webb Space Telescope: First Images This Summer

"Want to discover new worlds from our world? The James Webb Space Telescope has been brought to reality by NASA and Northrop Grumman. First images out this summer."

Credit: Northrop Grumman

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Telescope #JWST #JamesWebb #NorthropGrumman #Cosmos #Universe #Science #Engineering #Technology #ESA #CSA #Goddard #GSFC #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Celebrating 13 Years at the Moon!

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Celebrating 13 Years at the Moon!

This year, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) celebrates its 13th anniversary orbiting the Moon. This mission has given scientists the largest volume of data ever collected by a planetary science mission at NASA. Considering that success and the continuing functionality of the spacecraft and its instruments, NASA has awarded the mission an extended mission phase to continue operations. This is LRO's 5th extended science mission (ESM5), and during this time there will be 4 major areas of focus. This video dives into those details and shows how LRO continues to be one of NASA's most valuable tools for advancing lunar science.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) 

Produced and Edited by: David Ladd (AIMM)

Data Visualizations by: Ernie Wright (USRA)

Spacecraft Animations by: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)

Music provided by Universal Production Music: "We're Getting Started" - Frederick Kron; "Whoop It Up" - Paul Joseph Smith.

Duration: 3 minutes, 47 seconds

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Apollo #Artemis #Moon #Science #Geology #Lunar #LRO #Orbiter #Technology #Engineering #NASAGoddard #GSFC #Greenbelt #Maryland #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animations #Visualizations #HD #Video

Cygnus Departure | International Space Station

Cygnus Departure | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy and her Expedition 67 crewmates said goodbye to the Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft as it departed the International Space Station (ISS). Samantha shared this image with the following caption:

"Last night on ISS for Cygnus! Vehicle is fully loaded, hatch is closed, robotic arm has grappled it for unberthing early tomorrow morning. Thanks for bringing us supplies, for the orbit reboost and….last but not least….for taking our trash! Mission Minerva."

The Expedition 67 crew on the International Space Station said farewell to a U.S. cargo craft on Tuesday morning, June 28, 2022, and is planning for the arrival of another resupply ship in mid-July. 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter completed its four-month cargo mission attached to the Unity module after the Canadarm2 robotic arm released it into Earth orbit at 7:07 a.m. EDT on Tuesday morning. The trash-filled commercial cargo craft will descend into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up safely above the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. Cygnus delivered over 8,300 pounds of science and supplies when it arrived for capture and installation to Unity on Feb. 21, 2022.

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: ESA/NASA-S.Cristoforetti

Capture Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #ISS #Sun #Star #Earth #Planet #Astronauts #Expedition67 #Science #Technology #Engineering #NorthropGrumman #Cygnus #Spacecraft #Cargo #CommercialResupply #Photography #JSC #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #STEM #Education

Cygnus Cargo Ship Prepared for Release | International Space Station

Cygnus Cargo Ship Prepared for Release | International Space Station

The Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman, with its prominent cymbal-shaped solar arrays, is pictured attached to the International Space Station's Unity module as the orbiting lab flew 263 miles above the coast of Lisbon, Portugal.

Image Date: June 20, 2022

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is pictured attached to the International Space Station's Unity module as the orbiting lab flew 268 miles above the south Atlantic into an orbital sunset.

Image Date: June 25, 2022

Images 3-6

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is positioned away from the International Space Station in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm prior to its release ending a four-month stay attached to the orbiting lab's Unity module.

Image Date: June 28, 2022

The Expedition 67 crew on the International Space Station said farewell to a U.S. cargo craft on Tuesday morning, June 28, 2022, and is planning for the arrival of another resupply ship in mid-July. 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter completed its four-month cargo mission attached to the Unity module after the Canadarm2 robotic arm released it into Earth orbit at 7:07 a.m. EDT on Tuesday morning. The trash-filled commercial cargo craft will descend into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up safely above the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. Cygnus delivered over 8,300 pounds of science and supplies when it arrived for capture and installation to Unity on Feb. 21, 2022.

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 Capture Dates: June 20-28, 2022

#NASA #ISS #Sun #Star #Earth #Planet #Astronauts #Expedition67 #Science #Technology #Engineering #NorthropGrumman #Cygnus #Spacecraft #Cargo #CommercialResupply #Photography #JSC #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #STEM #Education

China's Taikonaut, Wang Yaping, Found 'Beauty and Tranquility' on Space Mission

China's Taikonaut, Wang Yaping, Found 'Beauty and Tranquility' on Space Mission

The Shenzhou-13 crew members held their first press conference since returning from space 74 days ago in Beijing on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. The three Chinese astronauts briefed the media on their health status and experiences on their 6-month orbital mission on China's Tiangong Space Station. Wang Yaping, the female taikonaut of the Shenzhou-13 manned mission, said she was deeply touched by the "beauty and tranquility" of the universe. 

Wang Yaping is China's second female astronaut or taikonaut. On November 7, 2021, Wang Yaping became China's first female spacewalker. Wang became China's second female spacefarer as a member of the Shenzhou 10 spaceship crew when it orbited the Earth in June 2013.

China's Tiangong Space Station is expected to be fully assembled in 2022.

Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN) 

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 28, 2022

#Earth #Space #China #中国 #Taikonaut #Astronaut #Women #WangYaping #Pilot #Leader #王亚平 #Tiangong #天宫 #SpaceStation #Shenzhou13 #UNOOSA #UnitedNations #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Solar System Portrait over Slovakia

Solar System Portrait over Slovakia

The Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are visible over Slovakia in Central Europe. Slovakia is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the southwest, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.

Location: Holíš Hill (533m), Slovakia.

Below is the longest river in Slovakia "Váh".

Holíš Hill is located between the cities of Považská Bystrica and Púchov.

Technical details: Canon 6D, Sigma 35mm, f1.4. Panorama

Image Credit: Ondrej Králik

Image Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Moon #Venus #Mars #Jupiter #Saturn #CitizenScience #OndrejKrálik #Astrophotographer #Astrophotography #Skywatching #Cosmos #Universe #SolarSystem #Europe #Slovakia #Slovenská #STEM #Education

Samantha Wishes Cygnus Goodbye | International Space Station

Samantha Wishes Cygnus Goodbye | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy and her Expedition 67 crewmates say goodbye to the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as it departs the International Space Station (ISS). Samantha shared the following update on June 28, 2022:

"Last night on ISS for Cygnus! Vehicle is fully loaded, hatch is closed, robotic arm has grappled it for unberthing early tomorrow morning. Thanks for bringing us supplies, for the orbit reboost and…last but not least…for taking our trash! MissionMinerva"

Learn about Samantha's Minerva Mission: https://bit.ly/MissionMinerva

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

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: ESA/NASA-Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti

Image Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Planet #Cygnus #Cargo #CommercialResupply #Spacecraft #NorthopGrumman #ESA #Astronaut #SamanthaCristoforetti #Minerva #MissionMinerva #Italy #Italia #ASI #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition67 #Europe #UnitedStates #International #STEM #Education

Launch of NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission | Rocket Lab

Launch of NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission | Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab has successfully launched NASA's CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) satellite to the Moon aboard their Electron rocket. Liftoff occurred at 5:55 AM EDT (09:55 UTC) on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, from Launch Complex 1B at Rocket Lab’s launch facility on Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. This mission made Electron the smallest rocket to launch a payload toward the Moon and the first lunar flight to lift off from New Zealand. The second stage of the Electron placed the payload in an initial low Earth orbit. To propel the 25 kg (55 lbs) CubeSat to the moon, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon—optimized especially for Lunar missions—will give the payload the extra thrust needed to get it to the Moon. Powered by green-hypergolic propellants, its onboard Hypercurie engine will place the CAPSTONE satellite on a ballistic lunar transfer orbit. Once in the vicinity of the Moon, the CAPSTONE satellite will use its onboard propulsion systems to place itself in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around it.

This is the first mission to launch that directly supports NASA’s Artemis program.

Like Gateway, CAPSTONE continues the tradition of NASA's commercial partnerships, including American small businesses. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California, operated by Advanced Space, and was launched by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.

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

Image Credit: Rocket Lab

Caption Credit: NASASpaceflight.com

Capture Date: June 28, 2022

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Artemis #Moon #CAPSTONE #CubeSat #RocketLab #PeterBeck #Rocket #Electron #Cislunar #Orbit #Technology #Engineering #Navigation #Experiment #LunarGateway #Gateway #DeepSpace #Spaceflight #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education

The People at Rocket Lab Behind NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission

The People at Rocket Lab Behind NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission

Rocket Lab: "Going to the Moon is no small feat. Our team has been working on the historic CAPSTONE mission for more than 2 years, developing innovative tech to help us explore the Moon and beyond with small sats. Here is just a tiny glimpse of our incredible people behind the mission."

CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a new small satellite that will explore a unique orbit around the Moon, and blaze a trail for future lunar exploration. CAPSTONE will test a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon and lead the way for our future Artemis lunar space station, called Gateway. 

CAPSTONE is scheduled to launch on June 28 at 5:55 a.m. EDT (9:55 UTC) on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Watch live June 28 at 5 a.m. EDT (9 UTC) on NASA TV: NASA.gov/NASATV  and on NASA social media.

Like Gateway, CAPSTONE continues the tradition of commercial partnerships, including American small businesses. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California, operated by Advanced Space, and will be launched by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.

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

Credit: Rocket Lab

Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: June 26, 2022

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Artemis #Moon #CAPSTONE #CubeSat #RocketLab #PeterBeck #Rocket #Electron #Cislunar #Orbit #Technology #Engineering #Navigation #Experiment #LunarGateway #Gateway #DeepSpace #Spaceflight #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Manned Space Agency Releases Photos Shot in Space

China Manned Space Agency Releases Photos Shot in Space

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has released its first batch of photos captured by Shenzhou-13 taikonauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, aboard China's Tiangong Space Station. They show splendid views of space during their six-month mission that was completed on April 16, 2022.

Wang Yaping is China's second female astronaut or taikonaut. On November 7, 2021, Wang Yaping became China's first female spacewalker. Wang became China's second female spacefarer as a member of the Shenzhou 10 spaceship crew when it orbited the Earth in June 2013.

China's Tiangong Space Station is expected to be fully assembled in 2022.

Credit: China's Manned Space Agency (CMSA)/China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 1 minute, 25 seconds

Release Date: June 25, 2022

#Earth #Space #China #中国 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #NieHaisheng #YeGuangfu #Women #WangYaping #王亚平 #Tiangong #天宫 #SpaceStation #Shenzhou13 #UNOOSA #UnitedNations #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #Photography #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Belize Barrier Reef | International Space Station

Belize Barrier Reef | International Space Station

The Belize Barrier Reef captured by European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy from aboard the International Space Station. 

Belize is a country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It borders Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 meters (980 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometers (25 mi) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300-kilometer (190 mi) long section of the 900-kilometer (560 mi) Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and down to Honduras, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. [Wikipedia]

Learn about Samantha's Minerva Mission: https://bit.ly/MissionMinerva

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

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: ESA/NASA-Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti

Image Date: June 26, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Planet #CaribbeanSea #AtlanticOcean #Belize #BarrierReef #CentralAmerica #ESA #Astronaut #SamanthaCristoforetti #Minerva #MissionMinerva #Italy #Italia #ASI #Photography #Art #Science #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #Expedition67 #Europe #UnitedStates #International #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins Talks with California TV Station

NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins Talks with California TV Station

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 67 Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight event June 27, 2022, with KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, California. Watkins is in the midst of a science expedition mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory. The goal of her mission is 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 Jessica Watkins' Official Biography:

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

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on ISS: https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

Credit: NASA Video

Duration: 11 minutes

Release Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Space #ISS #Earth #Artemis #Moon #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Astronaut #FlightEngineer #JessicaWatkins #Geologist #Women #Pioneers #Leaders #LongDuration #HumanSpaceflight #KNBCTV #LosAngeles #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's CAPSTONE Mission to the Moon: Preparing for Rocket Lab Launch

NASA's CAPSTONE Mission to the Moon: Preparing for Rocket Lab Launch

CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a new small satellite that will explore a unique orbit around the Moon, and blaze a trail for future lunar exploration. CAPSTONE will test a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon and lead the way for our future Artemis lunar space station, called Gateway. 

CAPSTONE is scheduled to launch on June 28 at 5:55 a.m. EDT (9:55 UTC) on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Watch live June 28 at 5 a.m. EDT (9 UTC) on NASA TV: NASA.gov/NASATV  and on NASA social media.

Like Gateway, CAPSTONE continues the tradition of commercial partnerships, including American small businesses. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California, operated by Advanced Space, and will be launched by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.

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

Credit: NASA

Duration: 58 seconds

Release Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Artemis #Moon #CAPSTONE #CubeSat #RocketLab #PeterBeck #Rocket #Electron #Cislunar #Orbit #Technology #Engineering #Navigation #Experiment #LunarGateway #Gateway #DeepSpace #Spaceflight #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Globular Cluster NGC 6569: An Astronomical Treasure Trove | Hubble

Globular Cluster NGC 6569: An Astronomical Treasure Trove | Hubble

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the sparkling globular cluster NGC 6569 in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble explored the heart of this cluster with both its Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing a glittering hoard of stars in this astronomical treasure trove. 

Globular clusters are stable, tightly bound clusters containing tens of thousands to millions of stars, and are associated with all types of galaxies. The intense gravitational attraction of these closely packed clusters of stars means that globular clusters have a regular spherical shape with a densely populated center—as can be seen in the heart of this star-studded image.

This observation comes from an investigation of globular clusters which lie close to the center of the Milky Way. These objects have been avoided in previous surveys, as the dust spread throughout the center of our galaxy blocks light from these globular clusters and alters the colors of the stars residing in them. The last factor is particularly important for astronomers studying stellar evolution, as the colors of stars can give astronomers insights into their ages, compositions, and temperatures. 

The astronomers who proposed these observations combined data from Hubble with data from astronomical archives, allowing them to measure the ages of globular clusters including NGC 6569. Their research also provided insights into the structure and density of globular clusters towards the center of the Milky Way.

Video Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Cohen

Music: Stellardrone - "Billions and Billions"

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Hubble #Star #Stars #Cluster #GlobularCluster #NGC6569 #Sagittarius #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Science #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Globular Cluster NGC 6569: An Astronomical Treasure Trove | Hubble

Globular Cluster NGC 6569: An Astronomical Treasure Trove | Hubble

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the sparkling globular cluster NGC 6569 in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble explored the heart of this cluster with both its Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing a glittering hoard of stars in this astronomical treasure trove. 

Globular clusters are stable, tightly bound clusters containing tens of thousands to millions of stars, and are associated with all types of galaxies. The intense gravitational attraction of these closely packed clusters of stars means that globular clusters have a regular spherical shape with a densely populated center—as can be seen in the heart of this star-studded image.

This observation comes from an investigation of globular clusters which lie close to the center of the Milky Way. These objects have been avoided in previous surveys, as the dust spread throughout the center of our galaxy blocks light from these globular clusters and alters the colors of the stars residing in them. The last factor is particularly important for astronomers studying stellar evolution, as the colors of stars can give astronomers insights into their ages, compositions, and temperatures. 

The astronomers who proposed these observations combined data from Hubble with data from astronomical archives, allowing them to measure the ages of globular clusters including NGC 6569. Their research also provided insights into the structure and density of globular clusters towards the center of the Milky Way.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Cohen

Release Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Hubble #Star #Stars #Cluster #GlobularCluster #NGC6569 #Sagittarius #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Science #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education