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The Milky Way Galaxy's Sagittarius A* Black Hole: An Introduction (Part 1)
We cannot photograph our entire galaxy because we live inside it. However, we can photograph small sections of our galaxy. Images from the Chandra X-ray Observatory show the very center of our Milky Way galaxy. This is the most chaotic and dangerous part of the Galaxy, and home to a supermassive black hole.
L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus: Wide Field View (Infrared) | ESO
This image shows the L1688 region in the Ophiuchus constellation. New stars are born in the colorful clouds of gas and dust seen here. The infrared observations underlying this image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust.
Distance:450 light years
This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the upper left part. It features amorphous clouds in red, green, blue and yellow colors. A similar, but smaller, cloud can be seen both in the upper right and lower right part of the image.
The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observations were done as part of the VISIONS survey, which will allow astronomers to better understand how stars form in these dust-enshrouded regions.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Meingast et al.
Zooming into L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus | ESO
This video takes us on a journey to the L1688 region, where new stars are being born. We first see the Milky Way in visible light, and then we switch to an infrared view, which reveals young stars hidden by dust in this region.
The L1688 Star-forming Region in Ophiuchus | European Southern Observatory
This image shows the environment around the L1688 star-forming region in visible light. This area, located in the Ophiuchus constellation, features prominent dark lanes and glowing nebulae.
Distance:450 light years
This image shows dark brownish clouds, on the right, and glowing bluish ones, on the left, both over a starry background. Among the stars, a few of them are much brighter and bigger than the others.
This image was taken from the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory with a 10-cm Takahashi FSQ106Ed f/3.6 telescope and a SBIG STL CCD camera, as part of the Gigagalaxy Zoom project.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/S. Guisard
The Coronet Star Cluster: Wide Field View (Infrared) | ESO
This image shows the regions around the Coronet star cluster in the Corona Australis constellation. New stars are born in the colorful clouds of gas and dust seen here. The infrared observations underlying the image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust.
Distance: 400 light years
This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features an amorphous cloud in a red, brown and yellow hue. Several brightly shining stars in blue and yellow can be seen around the cloud.
The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observations were done as part of the VISIONS survey, which will allow astronomers to better understand how stars form in these dust-enshrouded regions.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Meingast et al.
Taikonauts Enter Tianzhou-6 Spacecraft to Unload Cargo | China Space Station
China's Shenzhou-15 crew, currently living and working aboard the orbiting Tiangong Space Station, opened the hatch of the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-6 on Friday morning, May 12, 2023—one day after it docked with the space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
At around 8:00 a.m., the crew opened the hatch of the cargo craft and started transferring packages.
The cargo craft is loaded with supplies for the upcoming Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 crews, as well as propellant for the space station, payloads for scientific applications and experiments, weighing over seven tonnes in total.
The first task for the crews is to move the equipment carrying stem cell samples to the experiment cabinet in the Wentian module, as it requires strict time and temperature controls.
This equipment was installed in the cargo craft only five hours before the launch. The supplies for the crew include apparel, food, and water. In total, there are 70 kilograms of fresh fruit sent to the China Space Station on this trip, twice the weight of what the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft carried.
Shenzhou-15 Crew Members:
Fei Junlong (commander), Zhang Lu (taikonaut), and Deng Qingming (taikonaut)
A Spacecraft Changes Parking Spots | This Week @NASA | Week of May 12, 2023
A spacecraft changes parking spots at the International Space Station, a surprising look at a star in another solar system, and small satellites that could be a big help tracking tropical storms . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!
Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Video Producer, Editor & Narrator: Andre Valentine
NASA's Space to Ground: Dragon Shuffle | Week of May 12, 2023
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon, with Expedition 69 crew members Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg of NASA, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia aboard, successfully docked to the forward port of the Harmony module of the International Space Station at 8:01 a.m. EDT on May 6, 2023.
This was the 27th spacecraft relocation in space station history. The move made room for the arrival of the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon carrying cargo to station as part of the company’s 28th commercial resupply services mission for NASA, targeted to launch in June.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 members are scheduled to return to Earth in August.
Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev
Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg
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.
The Coronet Region (Visible Light) | European Southern Observatory
This image, taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows the nearby star-forming region around the Coronet star cluster, in the Corona Australis constellation.
Distance:400 light years
This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features an amorphous cloud in blue, white, brown colors. Several bright white and blue stars can be seen within the cloud. A handful of stars in the lower part of the picture shine more brightly in yellow and white colors in comparison to the other stars that are distributed uniformly in the image.
IRAS 11051-7706 Object in Chamaeleon (Infrared View) | ESO
This image shows the IRAS 11051-7706 object in the Chamaeleon constellation. New stars are born in the colorful clouds of gas and dust seen here. The infrared observations underlying the image reveal new details in the star-forming regions that are usually obscured by the clouds of dust.
Distance:1,200 light years
This image shows stars and clouds of gas and dust distributed over a dark background. A prominent cloud of gas and dust can be seen in the central part of the image. It features an amorphous cloud in a red and brown hue. A blue star shines brightly in the upper part, and a yellow star shines brightly in the lower right part of the image.
The image was produced with data collected by the VIRCAM instrument, which is attached to the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The observations were done as part of the VISIONS survey, which will allow astronomers to better understand how stars form in these dust-enshrouded regions.
Expedition 69 Astronaut Sultan Alneyadi of UAE Talks with Mauritius Students
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview May 11, 2023, with students in Mauritius. Alneyadi is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.
Sultan Alneyadi is making history as the first astronaut from the Arab world to spend six months aboard the International Space Station. He recently became the first United Arab Emirates astronaut to conduct a spacewalk.
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.
STEMonstrations: Properties of Water | International Space Station
Ever wonder what it is about water that makes it so important for life? In this STEMonstration, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann demonstrates the role water’s solvent properties play aboard the International Space Station and explains what makes water so important for life as we know it. Get an insider look at the Vegetable Production System investigation on station and discover how astronauts water vegetables growing in microgravity. Explore the six properties of water that distinguish it from other liquids and check out the corresponding classroom connection to determine how water’s molecular structure relates to its unique properties.
Nicole is the first Indigenous woman from NASA that has gone to space!
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.
A Black Hole Primer | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
A supermassive black hole weighing about 4 million times the mass of our Sun sits at the center of our Galaxy. Astronomers call this black hole “Sagittarius A*” or “Saj A-star” for short. Sgr A* sits in a complex and dynamic environment surrounded by stars, hot gas, supernova remnants and more. Learn more about this black hole and others in our black hole primer video.
"Cosmic Cycles: A Space Symphony" is a groundbreaking collaboration between acclaimed composer Henry Dehlinger, NASA, and the National Philharmonic, featuring a unique fusion of music and video in seven multimedia works on the Sun, Earth, Moon, Planets, and Cosmos. This transformative project takes the audience on a captivating voyage through the universe, showcasing the beauty and power of the marriage between music and science.
Music Credit: "Earth, Our Home" from Cosmic Cycles: A Space Symphony by Henry Dehlinger. Courtesy of the composer.
Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev
Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg
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.
