A Confetti-Like Collection of Stars | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

A Confetti-Like Collection of Stars | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Before the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was the largest infrared telescope. New Chandra x-ray observations have been used to make the first detection of x-ray emissions from young stars with masses similar to our Sun outside our Milky Way galaxy. The Chandra observations of these low-mass stars were made of the region known as the "Wing" of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), one of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbors. In this composite image of the Wing the Chandra data is shown in purple, optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope is shown in red, green and blue and infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope is shown in red. Astronomers call all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium - that is, with more than two protons in the atom's nucleus—"metals". The Wing is a region known to have fewer metals compared to most areas within the Milky Way. The Chandra results imply that the young, metal-poor stars in NGC 602a produce x-rays in a manner similar to stars with much higher metal content found in the Orion cluster in our galaxy.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ.Potsdam/L.Oskinova et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Image Date: April 3, 2013

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #MagellanicCloud #SMC #Tucana #Hydrus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Infrared #Hubble #Telescope #ChandraObservatory #Xray #JPL #Caltech #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy M106 | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Spiral Galaxy M106 | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

A galaxy about 23 million light years away is the site of impressive, ongoing fireworks. Rather than paper, powder and fire, this galactic light show involves a giant black hole, shock waves and vast reservoirs of gas.

This galactic fireworks display is taking place in NGC 4258, also known as M106, a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way. This galaxy is famous, however, for something that our galaxy does not have—two extra spiral arms that glow in X-ray, optical and radio light. These features, or anomalous arms, are not aligned with the plane of the galaxy, but instead intersect with it.

The anomalous arms are seen in this new composite image, where X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory are blue, radio data from the NSF’s Karl Jansky Very Large Array are purple, optical data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope are yellow and infrared data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope are red.

A new study made with Spitzer shows that shock waves, similar to the sonic booms from supersonic planes, are heating large amounts of gas—equivalent to about 10 million suns. What is generating these shock waves? Researchers think that the supermassive black hole at the center of NGC 4258 is producing powerful jets of high-energy particles. These jets strike the disk of the galaxy and generate shock waves. These shock waves, in turn, heat the gas—composed mainly of hydrogen molecules—to thousands of degrees.

The Chandra X-ray image reveals huge bubbles of hot gas above and below the plane of the galaxy. These bubbles indicate that much of the gas that was originally in the disk of the galaxy has been heated and ejected into the outer regions by the jets from the black hole.

The ejection of gas from the disk by the jets has important implications for the fate of this galaxy. Researchers estimate that all of the remaining gas will be ejected within the next 300 million years—very soon on cosmic time scales—unless it is somehow replenished. Because most of the gas in the disk has already been ejected, less gas is available for new stars to form. Indeed, the researchers used Spitzer data to estimate that stars are forming in the central regions of NGC 4258, at a rate which is about ten times less than in the Milky Way galaxy.

The European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory was used to confirm the estimate from Spitzer data of the low star formation rate in the central regions of NGC 4258. Herschel was also used to make an independent estimate of how much gas remains in the center of the galaxy. After allowing for the large boost in infrared emission caused by the shocks, the researchers found that the gas mass is ten times smaller than had been previously estimated.

Because NGC 4258 is relatively close to Earth, astronomers can study how this black hole is affecting its galaxy in great detail. 

Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Caltech/P.Ogle et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA

Image Date: July 2, 2014

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxy #Spiral #M106 #NGC4258 #CanesVenatici #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Infrared #Hubble #Telescope #ChandraObservatory #Xray #Radio #KarlJanskyVLA #JPL #Caltech #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

The Tarantula Nebula | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

The Tarantula Nebula | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Before the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was the largest infrared telescope. This composite of 30 Doradus, aka the Tarantula Nebula, contains data from Chandra (blue), Hubble (green), and Spitzer (red). Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Tarantula Nebula is one of the largest star-forming regions close to the Milky Way. Chandra's X-rays detect gas that has been heated to millions of degrees by stellar winds and supernovas. This high-energy stellar activity creates shock fronts, which are similar to sonic booms. Hubble reveals the light from massive stars at various stages of star birth, while Spitzer shows where the relatively cooler gas and dust lie.

The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) was launched by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 25, 2003. Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments, Spitzer was the largest infrared space telescope before the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in December 2021. The telescope was named in honor of American astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, who had promoted the concept of space telescopes in the 1940s. The retired Spitzer was the first observatory to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared Universe. Webb, by virtue of its significantly larger primary mirror and improved detectors, will allow us to see the infrared sky with improved clarity (better spatial resolution), enabling even more discoveries.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, managed the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Science operations were conducted at the Spitzer Science Center, at Caltech, in Pasadena, California. Spacecraft operations were based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at Caltech/IPAC. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/L.Townsley et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL/PSU/L.Townsley et al.

Image Date: April 17, 2012

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #30Doradus #TarantulaNebula #Nebula #Dorado #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Infrared #Hubble #Telescope #ChandraObservatory #Xray #JPL #Caltech #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover—New July 2022 Images | JPL

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover—New July 2022 Images | JPL

Mars2020 - sol 490 - Photo A

Left Hazard Avoidance Camera A

Core rock sampling phase.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/PipploIMP

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Mars2020-MastCam-Z-sol490-Photo B

Left MastCam-Z

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/PipploIMP

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Mars2020-MastCam-Z-sol490-Photo C

Right MastCam-Z

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/PipploIMP

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Mars2020-MastCam-Z-sol490-Photo D

Left MastCam-Z

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/PipploIMP

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Mars2020-MastCam-Z-sol 492-Photo A

Right MastCam-Z

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/PipploIMP

Date: July 9, 2022

Mars2020-sol 492-Watson

Focus merge of available non-partial images.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill

Release Date: July 10, 2022

Perseverance Rover July 7, 2022 Update: Searching for Sand Transport

"Perseverance is currently stopped for sampling at Skinner Ridge rock. Sampling activities constitute an important aspect of Perseverance’s mission, and the rover’s strategic path is developed around sampling stops. During these stops, the rover must remain stationary for at least twelve sols in order to conduct proximity science and activities related to abrasion and coring. But being parked in one location for this extended period of time is also useful for something else. "

"Sampling stops provide rare opportunities to conduct “change detection” experiments, which are used to monitor wind-driven—or aeolian—transport of sand. The basic concept behind change detection is simple: compare identical images of the surface acquired at different times to search for wind-induced movement of sand. These observations can be used to deduce information about the relative strength and direction of winds blowing in the time between the two images. Sand deposits and aeolian bedforms (such as the sand ripples seen in the accompanying Mastcam-Z image) are ideal targets for change detection."

Source: Mariah Baker, Planetary Scientist at Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

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

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit mars.nasa.gov

Image Release Dates: July 7-10, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #Jezero #Crater #Perseverance #Rover #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

Portrait of Globular Cluster Terzan 2 | Hubble

Portrait of Globular Cluster Terzan 2 | Hubble

The globular cluster Terzan 2 in the constellation Scorpio features in this observation from the NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope. Globular clusters are stable, tightly gravitationally bound clusters of tens of thousands to millions of stars found in a wide variety of galaxies. The intense gravitational attraction between the closely packed stars gives globular clusters a regular, spherical shape. As a result, images of the hearts of globular clusters, such as this observation of Terzan 2, are crowded with a multitude of glittering stars.  

Hubble used both its Advanced Camera for Surveys and its Wide Field Camera 3 in this observation, taking advantage of the complementary capabilities of these instruments. Despite having only one primary mirror, Hubble’s design allows multiple instruments to be used to inspect astronomical objects. Light from distant astronomical objects enters Hubble and is collected by the telescope's 2.4-meter primary mirror; it is then reflected off the secondary mirror into the depths of the telescope, where smaller mirrors can direct light into individual instruments. 

Each of the four operational instruments on Hubble is a masterpiece of astronomical engineering in its own right, and contains an intricate array of mirrors and other optical elements to remove any aberrations or optical imperfections from observations, as well as filters which allow astronomers to observe specific wavelength ranges. The mirrors inside each instrument also correct for the slight imperfection of Hubble's primary mirror. The end result is a crystal-clear observation, such as this glittering portrait of Terzan 2.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Cohen

Release Date: July 11, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Hubble #Stars #GlobularCluster #Terzan2 #Scorpius #Constellation #WFC3 #Science #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

Spitzer Space Telescope Mission Poster | NASA/JPL

Spitzer Space Telescope Mission Poster | NASA/JPL

Before Webb, Spitzer Revealed An Infrared Universe

This is an illustrated poster of the Spitzer Space Telescope along with the exoplanets of the TRAPPIST-1 system.

The Spitzer Space Telescope, launched in 2003, on a mission to become NASA’s premier infrared light observatory. It offered astronomers an unprecedented infrared view of the universe, allowing us to peer into regions of space that are hidden from optical telescopes with unprecedented clarity and sensitivity. One of NASA’s Great Observatories, Spitzer discovered a ring of Saturn, studied some of the farthest galaxies, and identified two of the most distant supermassive black holes ever discovered, among other accomplishments in its 16 years of operation.

The study of exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—was not one of Spitzer’s original goals. But innovations during its mission improved Spitzer's precision and enabled it to become a critical tool for exoplanet work. Spitzer marked a new age in planetary science by being the first telescope to directly detect light from exoplanets. It has played a key scientific role in everything from planets larger than Jupiter to small, rocky worlds that may be similar to Earth.

In 2017, Spitzer helped reveal TRAPPIST-1, the first known system of seven Earth-sized planets. The discovery set a new record for the greatest number of habitable-zone planets found around a single star outside our solar system. Data from Spitzer also showed that all of these planets are likely to be rocky. Studying TRAPPIST-1 leads scientists a step closer to answering the question "Are we alone?"

This poster depicts the TRAPPIST-1 planets, some of which were discovered by Spitzer. The physical characteristics of the planets are not currently known, beyond their mass and distance from the TRAPPIST-1 star, which is visualized in the background. The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to teach us more about this fascinating system.

For more information about the history of the Spitzer Space Telescope, visit:

https://nasa.gov/spitzer 

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Release Date: September 28, 2021

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Nebulae #Exoplanets #TRAPPIST1 #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #History #Art #Poster #Illustration #STEM #Education

Before Webb, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope Revealed An Infrared Universe

Before Webb, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope Revealed An Infrared Universe

Mission Overview: After 16 years of unveiling the infrared universe, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope left a singular legacy. As one of NASA’s four Great Observatories—a series of powerful telescopes including Hubble, Chandra and Compton that can observe the cosmos in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum—Spitzer quickly became a pioneer in the exploration of worlds beyond our human vision. From stars being born to planets beyond our solar system (like the seven Earth-size planets around the star TRAPPIST-1), Spitzer's science discoveries continue to inspire.  

Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments, Spitzer was the largest infrared space telescope before the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in December 2021. The telescope was named in honor of American astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, who had promoted the concept of space telescopes in the 1940s. The retired Spitzer was the first observatory to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared Universe. Webb, by virtue of its significantly larger primary mirror and improved detectors, will allow us to see the infrared sky with improved clarity (better spatial resolution), enabling even more discoveries.

For more information about the history of the Spitzer Space Telescope, visit:

https://nasa.gov/spitzer 

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/

Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2020

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Nebulae #Exoplanets #TRAPPIST1 #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Stellar Snowflake Cluster | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Stellar Snowflake Cluster | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Before the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was the largest infrared telescope. Newborn stars, hidden behind thick dust, are revealed in this image of a section of the Christmas Tree cluster from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, created in a joint effort between the Spitzer infrared array camera and multiband imaging photometer instruments.

The Snowflake Cluster was granted its name due to its unmistakable pinwheel-like shape and its assortment of bright colors. The Christmas Tree star formation consists of young stars obscured by heavy layers of dust clouds. These dust clouds, along with hydrogen and helium are producing luminous new stars. The combination of dense clouds and an array of colors creates a color map filled with varying wavelengths. As seen in this image taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope, we are able to differentiate between young red stars and older blue stars.

The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) was launched by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 25, 2003. Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments, Spitzer was the largest infrared space telescope before the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in December 2021. The telescope was named in honor of American astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, who had promoted the concept of space telescopes in the 1940s. The retired Spitzer was the first observatory to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared Universe. Webb, by virtue of its significantly larger primary mirror and improved detectors, will allow us to see the infrared sky with improved clarity (better spatial resolution), enabling even more discoveries.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, managed the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Science operations were conducted at the Spitzer Science Center, at Caltech, in Pasadena, California. Spacecraft operations were based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at Caltech/IPAC. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CfA

Image Date: December 22, 2005

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ChristmasTreeCluster #NGC2264 #Stars #Monoceros #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Coronet: A Star-Formation Neighbor | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Coronet: A Star-Formation Neighbor | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

While perhaps not quite as well known as its star formation cousin of Orion, the Corona Australis region (containing, at its heart, the Coronet Cluster) is one of the nearest and most active regions of ongoing star formation. At only about 420 light years away, the Coronet is over three times closer than the Orion Nebula is to Earth. The Coronet contains a loose cluster of a few dozen young stars with a wide range of masses and at various stages of evolution, giving astronomers an opportunity to observe "protostars" simultaneously in several wavelengths.

This composite image shows the Coronet in X-rays from the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) and infrared from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope orange, green, and cyan. The Spitzer data show young stars plus diffuse emission from dust.

Image Credit: NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/CfA

Image Date: Sept. 13, 2007

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #CoronetCluster #CoronaAustralis #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #Chandra #Xray #Observatory #CXO #JPL #Caltech #MSFC #SAO #CfA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

A Cauldron of Stars at the Milky Way's Center | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

A Cauldron of Stars at the Milky Way's Center | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Before the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was the largest infrared telescope. This dazzling infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into the swirling core of our spiral Milky Way galaxy.

The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) was launched by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 25, 2003. Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments, Spitzer was the largest infrared space telescope before the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in December 2021. The telescope was named in honor of American astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, who had promoted the concept of space telescopes in the 1940s. The retired Spitzer was the first observatory to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared Universe. Webb, by virtue of its significantly larger primary mirror and improved detectors, will allow us to see the infrared sky with improved clarity (better spatial resolution), enabling even more discoveries.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, managed the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Science operations were conducted at the Spitzer Science Center, at Caltech, in Pasadena, California. Spacecraft operations were based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at Caltech/IPAC. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Image Date: January 10, 2006 

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse

"What is the meaning of life? That was all—a simple question; one that tended to close in on one with years, the great revelation had never come. The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark; here was one."

—Virginia Woolf

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

Image Credit: Marcel Weber

Follow Marcel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tales.of.the.north_/

Location: Iceland

Image Date: October 7, 2021

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Stars #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #Iceland #Ísland #Astrophotography #Photography #STEM #Education

Trifid Nebula | Gemini North Telescope

Trifid Nebula | Gemini North Telescope

Image of the central region of the Trifid Nebula (M20 in the Messier Catalogue) taken by the Gemini North 8-meter Telescope on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, June 5, 2002. Located in the constellation of Sagittarius, the beautiful nebula is a much-photographed, dynamic cloud of gas and dust where stars are being born. One of the massive stars at the nebula's center was born approximately 100,000 years ago. The nebula's distance from the Solar System remains in dispute, but it is generally agreed to be somewhere between 2,200 to 9,000 light years away.

Credit: Gemini Observatory/GMOS Image/National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab)/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/National Science Foundation (NSF)

Release Date: Aug. 4, 2002

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Nebula #TrifidNebula #M20 #Sagittarius #Constellation #Gemini #GeminiNorth #Telescope #Science #Optical #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #JPL #Caltech #Maunakea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA F-15D Eagle Aircraft Test Flight | Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA F-15D Eagle Aircraft Test Flight | Armstrong Flight Research Center

These are award-winning photos of NASA test pilots Jim Less and Nils Larson flying heavily modified F-15D Eagle aircraft built by Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas).

NASA's Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center currently flies F-15D Eagle aircraft for research support and pilot proficiency. NASA research support aircraft are commonly called chase planes and fill the role of escort aircraft during research missions. Chase pilots are in constant radio contact with research pilots and serve as an "extra set of eyes" to help maintain total flight safety during specific tests and maneuvers. They monitor certain events for the research pilot and are an important safety feature on all research missions. The F-15Ds are also used by Armstrong research pilots for routine flight training required by all NASA pilots.

NASA Armstrong’s Flight Research Center is honoring 75 years of advancing technology and science through flight.

Stay updated with NASA Armstrong’s 75th anniversary celebrations: 

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/about/75years/index.html

The NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is an aeronautical research center. Its primary campus is located inside Edwards Air Force Base in California and is considered NASA's premier site for aeronautical research. 

Learn more about the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in California:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/home/index.html

Credit: NASA Armstrong’s Flight Research Center

Image Date: July 13, 2021

#NASA #Aerospace #Flight #Aviation #Aircraft #F15 #F15D #F15Eagle #Science #Physics #Engineering #Civilian #Research #Aeronautical #FlightTests #Boeing #McDonnellDouglas #Armstrong #AFRC #EdwardsAFB #California #UnitedStates #Photography #STEM #Education

To Mars & Back Again: A Rock's Tale with Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa! | NASA

To Mars & Back Again: A Rock's Tale with Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa! | NASA

Our guest is Dr. Meenakshi “Mini” Wadhwa, professor and the Director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University (ASU). She's a planetary scientist and isotope cosmochemist interested in the time scales and processes involved in the formation and evolution of the Solar System and planets, and she was also a recent keynote speaker for the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon). Beyond being an expert in planetary materials like meteorites, Dr. Wadhwa is also the Principal Scientist for NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) program.

What is Ask An Astrobiologist?

Once a month, SAGANet (https://www.saganet.org) and the NASA Astrobiology Program host a program called "Ask an Astrobiologist", where the public is invited to interact with a high-profile astrobiologist, who replies to Twitter and YouTube comment questions live on video. Each session lasts about an hour.

Ask An Astrobiologist: Episode 50

To Mars & Back Again: A Rock's Tale

Featuring Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa (Arizona State University)

Hosted by Dr. Graham Lau (Blue Marble Space Institute of Science)

Video Credit: NASA Astrobiology

Production Assistants:

Sarah Treadwell (Blue Marble Space Institute of Science)

Anurup Mohanty (Blue Marble Space Institute of Science)

Mariam Naseem (Blue Marble Space Institute of Science)

Directed by Mike Toillion (NASA Astrobiology Program)

Illustrations by Aaron Gronstal (NASA Astrobiology Program)

Music & Animation by Mike Toillion (NASA Astrobiology Program)

Duration: 58 minutes

Release Date: July 7, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Astrobiology #Chemistry #Geology #Mars #MSR #Planet #Scientist #MeenakshiWadhwa #Interview #Pioneer #Women #ASU #Arizona #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Pleiades Star Cluster | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

The Pleiades Star Cluster | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared)

Before the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was the largest infrared telescope in space. This is a color composite image of the Pleiades star cluster and surrounding region produced by Inseok Song of the Spitzer Science Center. The image was created by combining B, R and I band images from individual second generation Digital Sky Survey images into blue, green and red image layers, respectively. 

The Pleiades, also known as The Seven Sisters, Messier 45, and other names by different cultures, is an asterism and an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus.

The cluster is dominated by hot blue luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Reflection nebulae around the brightest stars were once thought to be left over material from their formation, but are now considered likely to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium through which the stars are currently passing.

The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) was launched by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 25, 2003. Consisting of a 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically-cooled science instruments, Spitzer was the largest infrared space telescope before the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in December 2021. The telescope was named in honor of American astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, who had promoted the concept of space telescopes in the 1940s. The retired Spitzer was the first observatory to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared Universe. Webb, by virtue of its significantly larger primary mirror and improved detectors, will allow us to see the infrared sky with improved clarity (better spatial resolution), enabling even more discoveries.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, managed the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Science operations were conducted at the Spitzer Science Center, at Caltech, in Pasadena, California. Spacecraft operations were based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at Caltech/IPAC. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Credit: Inseok Song/Digital Sky Survey/Spitzer Space Telescope/JPL/Caltech

Image Release Date: Nov. 14, 2007

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #Pleiades #Messier45 #Taurus #Constellation #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

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

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

MSL - Sol 3522 - Mastcam

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Sunrise on Kukenán Hill - MSL - sol 3522

Kukenán Hill is the stratified hill on the left, its slopes still in shadow. This hill is 125 m high and 1.3 km far from Curiosity rover.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

   Mars2020 - Sol 489 - Mastcam-Z

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill 

Mars2020-sol 489-Mastcam Z-Left

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Del-4Ri

MSL-MastCam-sol3523-right MastCam

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/PipploIMP

    MSL-ChemCam-sol3523-MastCam-Image B

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/PipploIMP

MSL-ChemCam-sol3523-MastCam-Image A

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/PipploIMP

July 8, 2022 Update for Curiosity Rover: Sols 3528-3529: Everyone Gets to Savor the Avanavero Flavors!

Both the CheMin and SAM instruments have dined on the Avanavero drill samples and have decided their appetites are sated. CheMin has completed X-ray diffraction mineralogical analysis of the Avanavero drill sample, and SAM their Evolved Gas Analysis. Both instrument teams are satisfied with their analyses and SAM are not opting to do a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry run. Now it is the turn of MAHLI, APXS and ChemCam to investigate the flavour of the drill fines around the Avanavero drill hole for texture and chemistry, finishing up observations at this site before we drive away next week. The composition of the drill fines determined by APXS and ChemCam will help the CheMin and SAM teams refine interpretations of their data. The science team are all eagerly awaiting their results as we drive through this interesting transition from clay-bearing to sulfate-bearing strata.

Source: Lucy Thompson, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick

Perseverance Rover July 7, 2022 Update: Searching for Sand Transport

"Perseverance is currently stopped for sampling at Skinner Ridge rock. Sampling activities constitute an important aspect of Perseverance’s mission, and the rover’s strategic path is developed around sampling stops. During these stops, the rover must remain stationary for at least twelve sols in order to conduct proximity science and activities related to abrasion and coring. But being parked in one location for this extended period of time is also useful for something else. "

"Sampling stops provide rare opportunities to conduct “change detection” experiments, which are used to monitor wind-driven — or aeolian — transport of sand. The basic concept behind change detection is simple: compare identical images of the surface acquired at different times to search for wind-induced movement of sand. These observations can be used to deduce information about the relative strength and direction of winds blowing in the time between the two images. Sand deposits and aeolian bedforms (such as the sand ripples seen in the accompanying Mastcam-Z image) are ideal targets for change detection."

Source: Mariah Baker, Planetary Scientist at Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

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

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit mars.nasa.gov

Image Release Dates: July 4-8, 2022

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