Saturday, July 01, 2023

Planet Mars: Colorful Bedrock Layers | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Colorful Bedrock Layers | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Much of Mars’ surface is covered by fine-grained materials that hide the bedrock, but elsewhere, such as in this scene, the bedrock is well exposed (except where covered by sand dunes).

Colors are enhanced in the cutout of a pit exposing reddish layers. 

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured these images.

Local Mars time: 14:13

Latitude (centered): -27.797°

Longitude (East): 203.166°

Spacecraft altitude: 255.2 km (158.6 miles)

MRO is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California.

For more information, visit:

https://mars.nasa.gov/mro

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/mission/index.html


Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Caption Credit: Alfred McEwen 

Image Date: Jan. 9, 2017

Release Date: Feb. 23, 2017


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Science #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #Bedrock #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #Camera #JPL #Caltech #UniversityOfArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education

1968 Photo from Space Changed Our Earth Views | National Air & Space Museum

1968 Photo from Space Changed Our Earth Views | National Air & Space Museum

During NASA's Apollo 8 mission (December 21–27, 1968), the combination of everyday photography technology and out-of-this-world space technology led to the iconic Earthrise photo. It transformed how we think about our home planet.

To learn about how NASA studies the Earth, check out: https://nasa.gov/earth

Read about NASA's Apollo 8 Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-8.html

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: 

https://airandspace.si.edu/


Credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds

Release Date: June 28, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Earth #Environment #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #GlobalHeating #Earthrise #Moon #ApolloProgram #Apollo8 #Astronauts #FrankBorman #JimLovell #BillAnders #History #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #Technology #HasselbladCamera #Photography #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Three Galaxies in Draco

Three Galaxies in Draco

This tantalizing trio of galaxies sometimes called the Draco Group, is located in the northern constellation of (you guessed it) Draco, the Dragon. From left to right are face-on spiral NGC 5985, elliptical galaxy NGC 5982, and edge-on spiral NGC 5981, all found within this single telescopic field of view that spans a little more than the width of the full moon. While the group is far too small to be a galaxy cluster, and has not been cataloged as a compact galaxy group, the three galaxies all do lie roughly 100 million light-years from planet Earth. Not as well known as other tight groupings of galaxies, the contrast in visual appearance still makes this triplet an attractive subject for astroimagers. 

On close examination with spectrographs, the bright core of striking spiral NGC 5985 shows prominent emission in specific wavelengths of light, prompting astronomers to classify it as a Seyfert, a type of active galaxy. This impressively deep exposure hints at a faint dim halo along with sharp-edged shells surrounding elliptical NGC 5982, evidence of past galactic mergers. It also reveals many even more distant background galaxies.


Image Credit & Copyright: David Vernet, Jean-François Bax, Serge Brunier, OCA/C2PU

Team Omicron's Website:

http://www.astrosurf.com/topic/162191-new-apodteam-omicron-le-trio-du-dragon/

Côte d'Azur Observatory:

https://www.oca.eu/fr/c2pu-accueil

Release Date: July 1, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxies #NGC5985 #SeyfertGalaxy #NGC5982 #NGC5981 #DracoGroup #Draco #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #CôtedAzurObservatory #CôtedAzur #FrenchRiviera #France #STEM #Education #APoD

Lift-off of Europe's Euclid Space Telescope to Explore The Dark Universe | SpaceX

Lift-off of Europe's Euclid Space Telescope to Explore The Dark Universe | SpaceX

The European Space Agency’s latest astrophysics mission, Euclid, lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, at 11:12 am ET on July 1, 2023. Euclid has now started its month-long journey to Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2, located 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, in the opposite direction from the Sun. The space telescope will survey one third of the sky with unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity. By observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years, it will create the most extensive 3D-map of the Universe, with the third dimension representing time.

The European Space Agency’s Euclid Mission is designed to explore the composition and evolution of the dark Universe. Euclid will chart how the Universe has expanded and how large-scale structure is distributed across space and time, revealing more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

Four weeks after launch, Euclid will enter its orbit around L2. Once in orbit, mission controllers will start the activities to verify all functions of the spacecraft, check out the telescope and finally turn the instruments on.

Following this, scientists and engineers will be engaged in an intense two-month phase of testing and calibrating Euclid’s scientific instruments, and preparing for routine observations. The telescope begins its early phase of the survey of the Universe three months after launch.

00:00 - 01:05 Lift-off

01:05 - 02:28 MAX-Q

02:28 - 03:20 First Stage Engine Cutoff

03:20 - 05:20 Fairing deployment

05:20 - 06:02 Booster landing in the ocean

Find out more about the Euclid Mission: 

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid


Video Credit: SpaceX

Duration: 6 minutes

Release Date: July 1, 2023


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #Liftoff #EuclidMission #EuclidSpacecraft #SpaceTelescope #3DMapping #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #Cosmos #Universe #Cosmology #Astrophysics #Gravity #DarkMatter #DarkEnergy #Europe #Spaceport #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pre-Launch: Europe's Euclid Space Telescope to Explore The Dark Universe | SpaceX

Pre-Launch: Europe's Euclid Space Telescope to Explore The Dark Universe | SpaceX

Euclid on launch pad




Euclid roll-out to launchpad
Last glimpse of Euclid space telescope on Earth
Eye of Euclid
The 1.2-m diameter main mirror of ESA’s Euclid mission to unveil the dark Universe, seen during assembly, integration and testing.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission at its launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it was successfully launched at 11:12 am ET on July 1, 2023.

The European Space Agency’s Euclid mission is designed to explore the composition and evolution of the dark Universe. Euclid will chart how the Universe has expanded and how large-scale structure is distributed across space and time, revealing more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter.  

Four weeks after launch, Euclid will enter in orbit around Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. Once in orbit, mission controllers will start the activities to verify all functions of the spacecraft, check out the telescope and finally turn the instruments on.  

The goal of the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission is to bring the dark side of the Universe to light. Based on the way galaxies rotate and orbit one another, and the way in which the Universe is expanding, astronomers believe that two unseen entities dominate the composition of our cosmos. They call these mysterious components dark matter and dark energy, yet to date we have not been able to detect either of them directly, only inferring their presence from the effects they have on the Universe at large.

The European Space Agency’s Euclid mission will create a 3D-map of the Universe, with the third dimension representing time itself. The further away a galaxy is located, the longer its light has taken to reach us and so the earlier in cosmic history we will see it. By observing billions of galaxies out to a distance of 10 billion light-years, scientists will be able to chart the position and velocity of galaxies over immense distances and through most of cosmic history, and trace the way the Universe has expanded during that time. Euclid’s extraordinary optics will also reveal subtle distortions in the appearance of galaxies.

From this wealth of new data, astronomers will be able to infer the properties of dark energy and dark matter more precisely than ever before. This will help theorists pin down the nature of these mysterious components and develop a refined understanding of how gravity behaves at the largest distances.

Find out more about the Euclid Mission: 

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid


Image Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)/Airbus/SpaceX

Release Dates: June 30-July 1, 2023


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #EuclidMission #EuclidSpacecraft #SpaceTelescope #3DMapping #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #Cosmos #Universe #Cosmology #Astrophysics #Gravity #DarkMatter #DarkEnergy #Europe #Spaceport #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Commander & Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Commander & Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli




Official portraits of NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)—the spacesuit worn by the astronauts during spacewalks on the International Space Station. Moghbeli will be the spacecraft commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the agency’s seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station. Moghbeli is a naval aviator, test pilot, and aerospace engineer. This will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will join European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Russia, and astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). 

Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli Official NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jasmin-moghbeli

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jasmin-moghbeli/biography

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than mid-August 2023 for the launch of Crew-7, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four astronauts will join an expedition crew aboard the International Space Station.


Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Robert Markowitz

Image Date: Sept. 6, 2022

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Moon #ArtemisProgram #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew7 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #EMU #Spacesuit #Spacewalks #EVA #Astronaut #Commander #JasminMoghbeli #NavalAviator #TestPilot #AerospaceEngineer #Women #Leaders #Pioneers #HumanSpaceflight #Houston #Texas #JSC #UnitedStates #Photography #STEM #Education

Happy Canada Day from Artemis II Moon Astronaut Jeremy Hansen! | CSA

Happy Canada Day from Artemis II Moon Astronaut Jeremy Hansen! | CSA

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will make history as the first Canadian to fly to the Moon, as part of the Artemis II mission. In this video, he highlights how Canada Day is a perfect opportunity to connect and create memorable moments with your community, as well as a chance to reflect on our past and what we have set our sights on.

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen Official Biography

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-jeremy-hansen.asp

Learn more about Artemis II: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii

Follow progress on Artemis II: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/


Credit: Canadian Space Agency (CSA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds

Release Date: June 28, 2023


#NASA #CSA #Space #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #AretmisIIMission #SLSRocket #OrionSpacecraft #ArtemisAccords #Canada #Astronaut #JeremyHansen #CanadaDay #CanadaDay2023 #Science #Technology #STEM #Education #InternationalCooperation #History #HD #Video

Friday, June 30, 2023

Saturn’s Rings & Moons Dione, Enceladus & Tethys | James Webb Space Telescope

Saturn’s Rings & Moons Dione, Enceladus & Tethys | James Webb Space Telescope

Webb took its first near-infrared look at Saturn on June 25, 2023. The planet appears extremely dark at this wavelength, as methane gas in its atmosphere absorbs sunlight, but its rings stay bright!

Description: The background is mostly dark. At the center is a dark orange-brownish circle, surrounded by several blazing bright, thick, horizontal whiteish rings. This is Saturn and its rings. There are three tiny dots in the image—one to the upper left of the planet, one to the direct left of the planet, and the lower left of the planet. They are labeled Dione, Enceladus, and Tethy, respectively. There is a slightly darker tint at the northern and southern poles of the planet. The rings surrounding Saturn are mostly broad, with a few singular narrow gaps between the broader rings. At the right side of the planet, labels are applied to the rings. The innermost, thicker ring is labeled “C ring.” Next to that, a brighter, wider ring is labeled “B ring.” Traveling farther outward, a small dark gap is labeled “Cassini division” before another thicker ring labeled “A ring.” Within the “A ring,” a narrow faint band is labeled “Encke gap.” The outermost, faintest, thinnest ring is labeled “F ring.

This image was taken as part of a Webb science program designed to test the telescope’s capacity to detect faint moons around the planet and study its bright rings. Take a closer look here to find details within the planet's ring system, as well as the moons Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys. Saturn’s rings are made up of an array of rocky and icy fragments—the particles range in size from smaller than a grain of sand to a few as large as mountains on Earth.


Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Matt Tiscareno (SETI Institute), Matt Hedman (University of Idaho), Maryame El Moutamid (Cornell University), Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Heidi Hammel (AURA)

Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #JWST #SolarSystem #Planet #Saturn #Moons #Dione #Enceladus #Tethys #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The James Webb Space Telescope Makes a Crucial Find | This Week @NASA

The James Webb Space Telescope Makes a Crucial Find | This Week @NASA 

A crucial find by our James Webb Space Telescope, learning how life might be on Mars, and some tricky testing for a lunar roving robot . . . 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

Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #ESA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Moon #Mars #JWST #ProtoplanetaryDisc #Proplyds #CarbonChemistry #AstroChemistry #Stars #TrapeziumCluster #Orion #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Extreme Heat and Severe Weather Plague Parts of North America | NOAA

Extreme Heat and Severe Weather Plague Parts of North America | NOAA

A dangerous heat wave that has been affecting more than 50 million people across the southern U.S. and Mexico expanded its reach this week, bringing more dangerous triple-digit temperatures to the region. At the same time, many others were affected by numerous thunderstorms and some tornadoes within the Plains and central U.S. NOAA satellites and forecasting models have been monitoring the record-breaking temperatures, which are being brought on by what is called a “heat dome,” in addition to the severe weather.  

A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high-pressure traps heat over a particular area, and it can linger for days to weeks. Heat domes are typically linked to the behavior of the jet stream, which is a band of fast-moving winds high in the atmosphere that move in meandering wavelike patterns. When the jet stream meanders north, it moves slower and can sink, which lowers humidity. This allows the sun to create progressively hotter conditions on the ground. Air descending down mountains can also contribute to heat domes, as it warms even more. 


Credits: NOAA/NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: June 29, 2023


#NASA #NOAA #Space #Science #Satellites #SolarSystem #Sun #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Weather #Meteorology #NorthAmerica #HeatWave #HeatDome #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GreenhouseGases #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Saturn’s Rings & Moons Dione, Enceladus & Tethys | James Webb Space Telescope

Saturn’s Rings & Moons Dione, Enceladus & Tethys | James Webb Space Telescope



Webb took its first near-infrared look at Saturn on June 25, 2023. The planet appears extremely dark at this wavelength, as methane gas in its atmosphere absorbs sunlight, but its rings stay bright!

Image 1 Description: The background is mostly dark. At the center is a dark orange-brownish circle, surrounded by several blazing bright, thick, horizontal whiteish rings. This is Saturn and its rings. There are three tiny dots in the image—one to the upper left of the planet, one to the direct left of the planet, and the lower left of the planet. They are labeled Dione, Enceladus, and Tethy, respectively. There is a slightly darker tint at the northern and southern poles of the planet. The rings surrounding Saturn are mostly broad, with a few singular narrow gaps between the broader rings. At the right side of the planet, labels are applied to the rings. The innermost, thicker ring is labeled “C ring.” Next to that, a brighter, wider ring is labeled “B ring.” Traveling farther outward, a small dark gap is labeled “Cassini division” before another thicker ring labeled “A ring.” Within the “A ring,” a narrow faint band is labeled “Encke gap.” The outermost, faintest, thinnest ring is labeled “F ring.

This image was taken as part of a Webb science program designed to test the telescope’s capacity to detect faint moons around the planet and study its bright rings. Take a closer look here to find details within the planet's ring system, as well as the moons Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys. Saturn’s rings are made up of an array of rocky and icy fragments—the particles range in size from smaller than a grain of sand to a few as large as mountains on Earth.


Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Matt Tiscareno (SETI Institute), Matt Hedman (University of Idaho), Maryame El Moutamid (Cornell University), Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Heidi Hammel (AURA)

Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #JWST #SolarSystem #Planet #Saturn #Moons #Dione #Enceladus #Tethys #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education

‘Asteroid City’ Cast Asks NASA About OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Mission

‘Asteroid City’ Cast Asks NASA About OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Mission

In September 2023, scientists with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission will gather in the Utah desert for the arrival of the largest asteroid sample ever received on Earth. “Asteroid City” actors, including Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend and Jeffrey Wright, join NASA OSIRIS-REx sample expert Dr. Danny Glavin to discuss how studying the asteroid sample will give scientists insight into how the early solar system formed and how life began on Earth.

After a seven-year round trip journey that included mapping Bennu’s surface (a near-Earth asteroid that is no threat to our planet), identifying minerals and chemicals, and collecting a sample from the surface, OSIRIS-REx is on its way back to Earth with more than eight ounces of material. 

For more information on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission: https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessica Wilde, Emily Furfaro, Sami Aziz, Molly Wasser

Editor: Jessica Wilde

Movie Footage courtesy of Focus Features Asteroid City

Duration: 3 minutes, 41 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #OSIRISREx #Spacecraft #Asteroid #Bennu #ToBennuAndBack #SampleReturn #Technology #GSFC #CSA #JAXA #Japan #日本 #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #AsteroidCity #Film #Movie #ScarlettJohansson #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tonight's Sky: July 2023 (Northern Hemisphere)

Tonight's Sky: July 2023 (Northern Hemisphere)

In July, find the Scorpius constellation to identify the reddish supergiant Antares, which will lead you to discover a trio of globular star clusters. Keep watching for space-based views of these densely packed, spherical collections of ancient stars, as well as three nebulas: the Swan Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Trifid Nebula.

About this Series

“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky in Earth's northern hemisphere. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning.


Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: June 27, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #Antares #RedSupergiant #Constellations #Nebulae #SwanNebula #LagoonNebula #TrifidNebula #MilkyWayGalaxy #Skywatching #STScI #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #STEM #Education #HD #Video

What's Up for July 2023? | Skywatching Tips from NASA

What's Up for July 2023? Skywatching Tips from NASA

What are some skywatching highlights in July 2023 for the Northern Hemisphere?

Mars and Venus start the month close together, but part ways and head lower as July goes on. Mars appears very near Regulus in Leo on the 9th and 10th. Saturn and Jupiter rule the night, along with bright star Fomalhaut. And July is prime time for viewing the Milky Way core from dark sky locations.

0:00 Intro 

0:12 Mars & Venus in the evening

0:31 Mars close to Regulus

1:07 Saturn & Jupiter in the morning 

1:49 Fomalhaut's debris disk

2:38 Viewing the Milky Way

3:17 July Moon phases


Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Narrator: Preston Dyches

Duration: 3 minutes, 39 seconds

Release Date: June 29, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #Planets #Venus #Mars #Saturn #Jupiter #SolarSystem #Stars #Fomalhaut #Regulus #Leo #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #Caltech #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #SouthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Making a Splash | Week of June 30, 2023

NASA's Space to Ground: Making a Splash | Week of June 30, 2023

    

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down at 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday, June 30, 2023, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, marking the return of the company’s 28th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft carried approximately 3,600 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth.

Scientific hardware and samples returning on the mission include the GRIP—Dexterous Manipulation in Microgravity chair used in the European Space Agency (ESA)-sponsored neurology experiments GRIP and GRASP (Gravitational References for Sensimotor Performance: Reaching and Grasping). GRIP studies how microgravity affects the manipulation of objects, while GRASP provides further insight into how the central nervous system adapts to the microgravity environment. The experiments have been on the space station almost six years, and the final in-orbit tests were completed in early 2023.

Samples from BioNutrients-2, Monoclonal Antibodies, and Myotones investigations also are returning to Earth for scientific analysis.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #Science #SpaceXDragonCargoSpacecraft #SpaceExperiments #Astronauts #FrankRubio #StephenBowen #WoodyHoburg #SultanAlneyadi #UAE #UAESA #MBRSC #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #Technology #Russia #Роскосмос #Microgravity #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #UnitedStates #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Orbits of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids | NASA/JPL

Orbits of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids | NASA/JPL

Are asteroids dangerous? Some are, but the likelihood of a dangerous asteroid striking the Earth during any given year is low. Some past mass extinction events have been linked to asteroid impacts. However, humanity has made it a priority to find and catalog those asteroids that may one day affect life on Earth. Pictured here are the orbits of the over 1,000 known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). These documented tumbling boulders of rock and ice are over 140 meters across and will pass within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth—about 20 times the distance to the Moon. Although none of them will strike the Earth in the next 100 years—not all PHAs have been discovered, and past 100 years, many orbits become hard to predict. Were an asteroid of this size to impact the Earth, it could raise dangerous tsunamis, for example. To investigate Earth-saving strategies, NASA successfully tested the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission last year. Of course, rocks and ice bits of much smaller size strike the Earth every day, usually pose no danger, and sometimes create memorable fireball and meteor displays.


Illustration Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech

Release Date: June 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #Planet #PlanetaryDefense #InternationalAsteroidDay #Asteroids #PHAs #AsteroidBelt #Comets #NEO #NEA #SolarSystem #Science #Technology #DARTMission #JHUAPL #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #Art #Infographic #Illustration #STEM #Education