Friends of NASA

Wednesday, November 02, 2022

Tour of NGC 1929 Superbubble in N44 Nebula | NASA Chandra

Tour of NGC 1929 Superbubble in N44 Nebula | NASA Chandra

The star cluster known as NGC 1929 is embedded in a cloud of gas and dust, which astronomers call the N44 nebula. Many new stars, some of them very massive, are forming within this star cluster. These massive stars produce intense radiation, expel matter at high speeds, and race through their evolution to explode as supernovas. The winds and supernova shock waves carve out huge cavities called superbubbles in the surrounding gas.

X-rays from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show hot regions created by these winds and shocks. Meanwhile, infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope outline where the dust and cooler gas are found. An optical light image from a European Space Observatory (ESO) telescope in Chile shows where ultraviolet radiation from hot, young stars is causing gas in the nebula to glow.

Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/U.Mich./S.Oey, IR: NASA/JPL, Optical: ESO/WFI/2.2-m

Chandra Observation Date: Sept. 22, 2002

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: August 30, 2012

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #ChandraObservatory #Xray #N44 #Nebula #Superbubble #Dorado #Constellation #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMC #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #MaxPlanckTelescope #MSFC #JPL #CXC #ESO #UMich #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Nebula N44 Superbubble: Hubble’s Inside The Image | NASA Goddard

The Nebula N44 Superbubble: Hubble’s Inside The Image | NASA Goddard

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.5 million observations over the past 32 years. One of them is the breathtaking Nebula known as the N44 Superbubble.

N44 is a complex nebula filled with glowing hydrogen gas, dark lanes of dust, massive stars, and many populations of stars of different ages. One of its most distinctive features, however, is the dark, starry gap called a “superbubble,” visible in the upper central region.

In this video, Dr. Ken Carpenter takes us on a journey through the Nebula, teaching us some of the interesting science behind this famous Hubble image.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Producer & Director: James Leigh

Editor: Lucy Lund

Director of Photography: James Ball

Additional Editing & Photography: Matthew Duncan

Executive Producers: James Leigh & Matthew Duncan

Production & Post: Origin Films

Video Credit:

Hubble Space Telescope Animation

Credit: /Hubble (M. Kornmesser; L. L. Christensen), A. Fujii, Robert Gendler, Digitized Sky Survey

Panther Observatory, Steve Cannistra, Michael Pierce, Robert Berrington (Indiana University), Nigel

Sharp, Mark Hanna (NOAO)/WIYN/NSF

Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds

Release Date: November 2, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #N44 #Nebula #Superbubble #Dorado #Constellation #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMC #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mysterious “Superbubble” Hollows Out Nebula N44 in Dorado | Hubble

Mysterious “Superbubble” Hollows Out Nebula N44 in Dorado | Hubble

Image Description: Upper 2/3 holds a bright white and blue gas and dust-cloud ring around a central void or bubble. Lower 1/3 holds blue and white "cotton ball" like clouds, several holding bright stars. Reddish-orange stars also dot the scene throughout.

The hole is about 250 light-years wide and its presence is still something of a mystery. Stellar winds expelled by massive stars in the bubble's interior may have driven away the gas, but this is inconsistent with measured wind velocities in the bubble. Another possibility, since the nebula is filled with massive stars that would expire in titanic explosions, is that the expanding shells of old supernovae sculpted the cosmic cavern.

Astronomers have found one supernova remnant in the vicinity of the superbubble and identified an approximately 5 million year difference in age between stars within and at the rim of the superbubble, indicating multiple, chain-reaction star-forming events. The deep blue area at about 5 o’clock around the superbubble is one of the hottest regions of the nebula and the area of the most intense star formation.

N44 is an emission nebula, which means its gas has been energized, or ionized, by the radiation of nearby stars. As the ionized gas begins to cool from its higher-energy state to a lower-energy state, it emits energy in the form of light, causing the nebula to glow. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, N44 spans about 1,000 light-years and is about 170,000 light-years away from Earth.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, V. Ksoll and D. Gouliermis (Universität Heidelberg), et al.; Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Release Date: November 2, 2021

What's Up for November 2022 | Skywatching Tips from NASA

What's Up for November 2022 | Skywatching Tips from NASA

What are some skywatching highlights in the northern hemisphere for November 2022?

A total lunar eclipse brings some magic to the morning sky on November 8th, and the Leonid meteors peak after midnight on November 18th, with some glare from a 35% full moon. In addition, enjoy pretty views on other days in November when the Moon visits planets Mars and Saturn, and bright star Spica.

0:00 Intro

0:10 Total lunar eclipse

1:25 Moon & planet highlights

2:16 Leonid meteor shower

3:15 November Moon phases

Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Duration: 3 minutes, 41 seconds

Release Date: November 2, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #LunarEclipse #Planets #Mars #Saturn #Leonid #Meteors #MeteorShower #SolarSystem #Spica #Stars #Constellations #MilkyWay #Galaxy #JPL #California #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Panning on Interacting Galaxies Arp 87 | Hubble

Panning on Interacting Galaxies Arp 87 | Hubble

Panning on a stunning pair of interacting galaxies called Arp 87. Stars, gas, and dust flow from the large spiral galaxy, NGC 3808, forming an enveloping arm around its companion. The shapes of both galaxies have been distorted by their gravitational interaction. Arp 87 is located in the constellation of Leo, the Lion, approximately 300 million light-years away from Earth.

Arp 87 appears in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. As also seen in similar interacting galaxies, the corkscrew shape of the tidal material suggests that some stars and gas drawn from the larger galaxy have been caught in the gravitational pull of the smaller one. This image was taken in February 2007 with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 detector.

Credit: ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen)

Duration: 26 seconds

Release Date: October 30, 2007

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxy #Galaxies #Arp87 #Galaxy #NGC3808 #InteractingGalaxies #Leo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #ESA #Europe #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zoom in on Interacting Galaxies Arp 87: 300 Million Light Years Away | Hubble

Zoom in on Interacting Galaxies Arp 87: 300 Million Light Years Away | Hubble

A zoom from a wide-field image of Leo towards the interacting galaxies Arp 87.

Distance: 300 million light-years

Credit: European Space Agency/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen), A. Fujii, Digitized Sky Survey 2, SDSS

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: October 30, 2007

Travel 300 Million Light Years to Interacting Galaxies Arp 87 | Hubble

Travel 300 Million Light Years to Interacting Galaxies Arp 87 | Hubble

Arp 87 is a stunning pair of interacting galaxies. Stars, gas, and dust flow from the large spiral galaxy, NGC 3808, forming an enveloping arm around its companion. The shapes of both galaxies have been distorted by their gravitational interaction. Arp 87 is located in the constellation of Leo, the Lion, approximately 300 million light-years away from Earth.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Release Date: October 30, 2007

Tuesday, November 01, 2022

United States Space Force-44 Falcon Heavy Mission | SpaceX

United States Space Force-44 Falcon Heavy Mission | SpaceX

On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 9:41 a.m. ET, Falcon Heavy launched the USSF-44 mission to a geosynchronous Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This was the first launch and landing of these Falcon Heavy side boosters, which will be prepared for re-flight on a future U.S. Space Force mission later this year.

Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters (B1064 and B1065) landed at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Due to mission requirements, Falcon Heavy’s center core (B1066) was not planned to be recovered.

Credit: SpaceX
Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 7 minutes, 24 seconds

Release Date: November 1, 2022

#NASA #Space #Earth #Orbit #LEO #SpaceX #FalconHeavy #Rocket #Satellite #USSF #USSF44 #ElonMusk #GwynneShotwell #Spaceflight #Technology #Engineering #MilitarySpace #CommercialSpace #Spaceport #KSC #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Earth Science: Clouds 101 | NASA Goddard

Earth Science: Clouds 101 | NASA Goddard

Clouds can tell us a lot about what weather we might expect to see, but they are actually quite mysterious. The question is: Because clouds are produced by the climate, how will a changing climate impact clouds? And, conversely, clouds have an impact on our climate, so how will changing clouds affect a changing climate? Welcome to Clouds 101!

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

Kathleen Gaeta (GSFC AIMM): Lead Producer

Norman Loeb (GSFC): Lead Scientist

Jenny McElligott (AIMM): Lead Animator

Duration: 7 minutes

Release Date: November 1, 2022

#NASA #Science #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Weather #Meteorology #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #Clouds #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #Art #HD #Video

The Vela Supernova Remnant | European Southern Observatory (ESO)

The Vela Supernova Remnant | European Southern Observatory (ESO)

This beautiful structure is what remains of a massive star that ended its life with a supernova explosion some 11,000 years ago. The core of the star collapsed, forming a pulsar, while the outermost layers were ejected into the interstellar medium, producing the filaments that we still observe. This supernova remnant is located some 800 light years away, in the southern constellation of Vela (The Sails). The astrophotograph was taken from the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/J. Pérez

Release Date: November 7, 2011

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Odd Behavior of Star Reveals Black Hole in Giant Star Cluster NGC 3201 | ESO

Odd Behavior of Star Reveals Black Hole in Giant Star Cluster NGC 3201 | ESO

ESOcast 146 Light: Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile have discovered a star in the cluster NGC 3201 that is behaving very strangely. It appears to be orbiting an invisible black hole with about four times the mass of the Sun—the first such inactive stellar-mass black hole found in a globular cluster.

Distance: 16,000 light years

This important discovery impacts on our understanding of the formation of these star clusters, black holes, and the origins of gravitational wave events.

This short ESOcast takes a look at this discovery and its significance.

The ESOcast Light is a series of short videos bringing you the wonders of the Universe in bite-sized pieces.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Editing: Nico Bartmann

Web and technical support: Mathias André and Raquel Yumi Shida

Written by: Rosa Jesse, Nicole Shearer and Richard Hook

Footage and photos: ESO, Luís Calçada, spaceengine.org

Directed by: Nico Bartmann

Executive producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen

Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds

Release Date: January 15, 2018

#NASA #ESA #ESO #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Stars #GlobularCluster #NGC3201 #BlackHole #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Black Hole Binary System in Globular Star Cluster NGC 3201: Visualization | ESO

Black Hole Binary System in Globular Star Cluster NGC 3201: Visualization | ESO

Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s MUSE instrument on the Very Large Telescope in Chile have discovered a star in the cluster NGC 3201 that is behaving very strangely. It appears to be orbiting an invisible black hole with about four times the mass of the Sun—the first such inactive stellar-mass black hole found in a globular cluster. This important discovery impacts on our understanding of the formation of these star clusters, black holes, and the origins of gravitational wave events.

This artist’s impression shows how the star and its massive but invisible black hole companion may look, as they orbit each other in the rich heart of the globular star cluster.

Distance: 16,000 light years

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/L. Calçada/spaceengine.org

Duration: 27 seconds

Release Date: January 17, 2018

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #GlobularCluster #NGC3201 #BlackHole #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #VLT #MUSE #Chile #Europe #Art #Visualization #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zooming in on The Globular Star Cluster NGC 3201 | ESO/Hubble

Zooming in on The Globular Star Cluster NGC 3201 | ESO/Hubble

This video takes us towards the southern constellation of Vela (The Sails), where we find the bright globular star cluster NGC 3201. This huge and ancient ball of stars has been found to harbor an invisible black hole with four times the mass of the Sun. The final sharp view of the center of the cluster comes from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope.

Distance: 16,000 light years

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/European Space Agency (ESA)/NASA/Digitized Sky Survey 2/N. Risinger

Duration: 50 seconds

Release Date: January 15, 2018

Standout Stars: Globular Cluster NGC 3201 | Hubble

Standout Stars: Globular Cluster NGC 3201 | Hubble

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope reveals a glistening and ancient globular cluster named NGC 3201—a gathering of hundreds of thousands of stars bound together by gravity. NGC 3201 was discovered in 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop, who described it as a “pretty large, pretty bright” object that becomes “rather irregular” towards its center.

Distance: 16,000 light years

Globular clusters are found around all large galaxies, but their origin and role in galaxy formation remains unclear. Astronomers recently discovered a black hole lurking at the heart of NGC 3201—its position was revealed by the strange movements of a star being quickly flung around a massive, invisible counterpart. This sparkling group of stars also has some strange properties which make it unique among the over 150 globular clusters belonging to the Milky Way. NGC 3201 has an extremely fast velocity with respect to the Sun and its orbit is retrograde, meaning that it moves speedily in the opposite direction to the galactic center, which it orbits.

The unusual behavior of this cluster suggests that it may have extragalactic origins, but at some point was captured by the Milky Way’s gravity. However, the chemical makeup of this intriguing cluster tells a different story—the stars within NGC 3201 are chemically very similar to those of other galactic globular clusters, implying that they formed at a similar location and time to their neighbors.

Whether this mysterious cluster was adopted by our galaxy or has for some reason evolved very differently to the family of clusters it grew up with, it is certainly an unusual astronomical beauty.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA

Acknowledgement: Sarajedini et al.

Release Date: January 22, 2018

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Stars #GlobularCluster #NGC3201 #BlackHole #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #History #Astronomer #JamesDunlop #STEM #Education

China's Mengtian Lab Research Module Docking Succesful | China Space Station

China's Mengtian Lab Research Module Docking Succesful | China Space Station

Mengtian, the second lab module and the last major component of China's space station, docked with the front port of the Tianhe core module at 4:27 a.m (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 1, 2022, after entering the planned orbit, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The Mengtian Laboratory Module (梦天实验舱, “Dreaming of Heavens”) is the second Laboratory Module of the China Space Station. It took approximately 13 hours for the entire process of rendezvous and docking.

The module is similar to Tianhe and Wentian in size and weight. It is 17.9 meters long, with a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a takeoff mass of about 23 tons. It consists of a working cabin for astronauts/taikonauts, an airlock cabin, a payload cabin and a resource cabin. Mengtian is mainly designed for scientific experiments. Unlike Tianhe and Wentian, it does not have a sleeping cabin. Instead, it is full of cabinets that can support hundreds of experiments.

The module will focus on microgravity scientific research. It is equipped with multi-disciplinary laboratory cabinets for experiments of fluid physics, materials and combustion science, basic physics and aerospace technology.

Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 1 minute, 40 seconds

Release Date: November 1, 2022

#NASA #Space #Earth #China #中国 #Mengtian #梦天实验舱 #Shenzhou14 #神舟十四号 #Taikonauts #ChenDong #LiuYang #刘洋 #CaiXuzhe #王亚平 #Tiangong #天宫 #Laboratory #Research #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #Engineering #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Monday, October 31, 2022

Happy Halloween 2022 from NASA!

Happy Halloween 2022 from NASA!

It might be Halloween, but we have plenty of "Easter Eggs" from this video to share. The building’s mural might say Galaxy of Horrors, but it is also a galaxy of wonders. Here, you can learn about all the images painted on the building:

The Sun as seen by our orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): https://go.nasa.gov/3Wh5wQ2

Tarantula Nebula: https://go.nasa.gov/3RD7Ldt

Witch Head Nebula: https://go.nasa.gov/2DbYWFo

Black Widow Nebula: https://go.nasa.gov/3DNJ1Lv

Helix Nebula: https://go.nasa.gov/3FwVxjB

Colliding galaxies: https://go.nasa.gov/36kPZ7M

Dead comet: https://go.nasa.gov/3zyPcka

The Andromeda Galaxy: https://go.nasa.gov/3SShuwA

The cat's eyes get their own nebula (Cat Eye Nebula): https://go.nasa.gov/2Olp55Z

Did you notice who signed the mural? That's Artemis, goddess of the Moon. Our Artemis I mission is scheduled to launch around the Moon and back on November 14, 2022: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/

Whose portraits are in the building?

Lyman Strong Spitzer, the renowned astrophysicist for whom the Spitzer Space Telescope was named: https://go.nasa.gov/3UgNuMd

Nancy Grace Roman, the astronomer who is considered the "mother" of the Hubble Space Telescope: https://go.nasa.gov/2zfimsw

Posters on the buildings: The original Galaxy of Horrors.

Download them here:

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/alien-worlds/galaxy-of-horrors/

Credit: NASA

Editor: Mark Hailey

Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds

Release Date: October 31, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Halloween #Halloween2022 #Earth #Artemis #Sun #Nebula #Nebulae #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Hubble #Telescope #Spitzer #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #SDO #GSFC #UnitedStates #LymanStrongSpitzer #NancyGraceRoman #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

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