Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education.
This image of the spiral galaxy NGC 3344, located about 20 million light-years from Earth, is a composite of images taken through seven different filters. They cover wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the optical and the near-infrared. Together they create a detailed picture of the galaxy and allow astronomers to study many different aspects of it.
Bubbles of Brand New Stars in The Large Magellanic Cloud: Wide-field View | ESO
This dazzling region of newly-forming stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was captured by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The relatively small amount of dust in the LMC and MUSE’s acute vision allowed intricate details of the region to be picked out in visible light.
Distance: around 160,000 light-years
The image is a color composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, and shows the region surrounding LHA 120-N 180B, visible at the center of the image.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2
Tour Bubbles of Brand New Stars in The Large Magellanic Cloud | ESO
ESOcast 193 Light: This dazzling region of newly-forming stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was captured by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory ’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The relatively small amount of dust in the LMC and MUSE’s acute vision allowed intricate details of the region to be picked out in visible light.
Deep within the glowing cloud of the HII region LHA 120-N 180B, MUSE spotted a jet emitted by a fledgling star—a massive young stellar object. This was the first time such a jet has been observed in visible light outside the Milky Way. Usually, such jets are obscured by their dusty surroundings, meaning they can only be detected at infrared or radio wavelengths by telescopes such as ALMA. However, the relatively dust-free environment of the LMC allowed this jet—named Herbig–Haro 1177, or HH 1177 for short—to be observed at visible wavelengths. At nearly 33 light-years in length, it is one of the longest such jets ever observed.
Panning across Bubbles of Brand New Stars in The Large Magellanic Cloud | ESO
This pan video explores a dazzling region of newly-forming stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The HII region LHA 120-N 180B—also known as N180—was captured by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The relatively small amount of dust in the LMC and MUSE’s acute vision allowed intricate details of the region to be picked out in visible light.
Deep within the glowing cloud of N180, MUSE spotted a jet emitted by a fledgling star—a massive young stellar object. This was the first time such a jet had been observed in visible light outside the Milky Way. Usually, such jets are obscured by their dusty surroundings, meaning they can only be detected at infrared or radio wavelengths by telescopes, such as Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). However, the relatively dust-free environment of the LMC allowed this jet—named Herbig–Haro 1177, or HH 1177 for short—to be observed at visible wavelengths. At nearly 33 light-years in length, it is one of the longest such jets ever observed.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO), A McLeod et al.
Zooming into Bubbles of Brand New Stars in The Large Magellanic Cloud | ESO
This zoom video starts with a wide view of the Milky Way and ends with a close-up look at a dazzling region of newly-forming stars in the HII region LHA 120-N 180B—also known as N180. This glowing region of newborn stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was captured by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The relatively small amount of dust in the LMC and MUSE’s acute vision allowed intricate details of the region to be picked out in visible light.
Distance: around 160,000 light-years
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2/N. Risinger
Bubbles of Brand New Stars in The Large Magellanic Cloud | ESO
This dazzling region of newly-forming stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) was captured by the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The relatively small amount of dust in the LMC and MUSE’s acute vision allowed intricate details of the region to be picked out in visible light.
Distance: around 160,000 light-years
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO), A McLeod et al.
SpaceX Dragon CRS-25 Resupply Ship Undocking | International Space Station
The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship, packed with over 4,000 pounds of return cargo and science experiments for analysis, backs away from the International Space Station moments after undocking from the Harmony module's forward port on August 19, 2022. The station was soaring into an orbital sunrise 260 miles above Hawaii's big island in the Pacific Ocean at the time of this photograph.
SpaceX’s uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down at 2:53 p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, north of Cape Canaveral off the Florida coast, marking the return of the company’s 25th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft carried more than 4,000 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth.
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 Station:
The Seven-member Expedition 67 Crew | International Space Station
The seven-member Expedition 67 crew poses for a portrait inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. Clockwise from bottom are, Roscosmos cosmonauts Commander Oleg Artemyev and Flight Engineer Denis Matveev; NASA Flight Engineers Bob Hines and Kjell Lindgren; Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA); Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov; and NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins.
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 Station:
Jupiter's Auroras, Moons, Rings & Hazes | James Webb Space Telescope
With giant storms, powerful winds, auroras, and extreme temperature and pressure conditions, Jupiter has a lot going on. Now, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of the planet. Webb’s Jupiter observations will give scientists even more clues to Jupiter’s inner life.
These images come from the observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which has three specialized infrared filters that showcase details of the planet. Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light has been mapped onto the visible spectrum. Generally, the longest wavelengths appear redder and the shortest wavelengths are shown as more blue. Scientists collaborated with citizen scientist Judy Schmidt to translate the Webb data into images.
These images were created from a composite of several images from Webb. Visible auroras extend to high altitudes above both the northern and southern poles of Jupiter. The auroras shine in a filter that is mapped to redder colors, which also highlights light reflected from lower clouds and upper hazes. A different filter, mapped to yellows and greens, shows hazes swirling around the northern and southern poles. A third filter, mapped to blues, showcases light that is reflected from a deeper main cloud. The Great Red Spot, a famous storm so big it could swallow Earth, appears white in these views, as do other clouds, because they are reflecting a lot of sunlight.
Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt
Jupiter's Auroras, Moons, Rings & Hazes: Wide View | James Webb Space Telescope
With giant storms, powerful winds, auroras, and extreme temperature and pressure conditions, Jupiter has a lot going on. Now, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of the planet. Webb’s Jupiter observations will give scientists even more clues to Jupiter’s inner life.
In these wide-field views, Webb sees Jupiter with its faint rings, which are a million times fainter than the planet, and two tiny moons called Amalthea and Adrastea. The fuzzy spots in the lower background are likely galaxies “photobombing” this Jovian view.
This is a composite image from Webb’s NIRCam instrument (two filters) and was acquired on July 27, 2022.
Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Ricardo Hueso (UPV/EHU) and Judy Schmidt
With giant storms, powerful winds, auroras, and extreme temperature and pressure conditions, Jupiter has a lot going on. Now, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of the planet. Webb’s Jupiter observations will give scientists even more clues to Jupiter’s inner life.
This image comes from the observatory’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which has three specialized infrared filters that showcase details of the planet. Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light has been mapped onto the visible spectrum. Generally, the longest wavelengths appear redder and the shortest wavelengths are shown as more blue. Scientists collaborated with citizen scientist Judy Schmidt to translate the Webb data into images.
This image was created from a composite of several images from Webb. Visible auroras extend to high altitudes above both the northern and southern poles of Jupiter. The auroras shine in a filter that is mapped to redder colors, which also highlights light reflected from lower clouds and upper hazes. A different filter, mapped to yellows and greens, shows hazes swirling around the northern and southern poles. A third filter, mapped to blues, showcases light that is reflected from a deeper main cloud. The Great Red Spot, a famous storm so big it could swallow Earth, appears white in these views, as do other clouds, because they are reflecting a lot of sunlight.
Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt
Delivery of NASA's Most Powerful Moon Rocket: Artemis I
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will soon launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its flight test, Artemis I. However, the rocket did not arrive at the Cape fully assembled. Major parts of the rocket were built in locations across America. More than 1,000 companies in 45 states supplied parts and components for America’s Moon rocket. Custom barges, cargo planes, and trains then delivered the large parts of the Moon rocket to Kennedy. Watch to learn more about how NASA delivered the individual pieces of SLS to assemble them at KSC and form the SLS rocket that will send Orion to the Moon on the historic Artemis I mission.
Although it looks more like an entity seen through a microscope than a telescope, this rounded object, named NGC 2022, is certainly no alga or tiny, blobby jellyfish. Instead, it is a vast orb of gas in space, cast off by an ageing star. The star is visible in the orb's center, shining through the gases it formerly held onto for most of its stellar life.
When stars like the Sun grow advanced in age, they expand and glow red. These so-called red giants then begin to lose their outer layers of material into space. More than half of such a star's mass can be shed in this manner, forming a shell of surrounding gas. At the same time, the star's core shrinks and grows hotter, emitting ultraviolet light that causes the expelled gases to glow.
This type of object is called, somewhat confusingly, a planetary nebula, though it has nothing to do with planets. The name derives from the rounded, planet-like appearance of these objects in early telescopes.
NGC 2022 is located in the constellation of Orion (The Hunter). It was first observed by William Herschel on December 28, 1785, who described it as: considerably bright, nearly round, like a star with a large diameter, like an ill-defined planetary nebula.
Credit: European Space Agency/Hubble & NASA, R. Wade
Wide-field View of Star-forming Region Around Newborn Star in Vela | ESO
This wide-field view shows a rich region of dust clouds and star formation in the southern constellation of Vela. Close to the center of the picture the jets of the Herbig-Haro object HH 46/47 can be seen emerging from a dark cloud in which infant stars are being born.
Distance:1,400 light years
This view was created from images forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2
This zoom sequence starts with a wide view of the southern Milky Way and then closes in on a rich region of dark clouds and young stars in the constellation of Vela (The Sails). One of these dark star-forming clouds features the Herbig-Haro object HH 46/47 where jets from a young star are colliding with the surrounding material. This object was the target of a study using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) during the Early Science phase.
Distance:1,400 light years
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2/Nick Risinger
V1.jpg)
V2.jpg)
V3.jpg)
V4.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
