NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Training Views & Portraits | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Training Views & Portraits | International Space Station

(From left to right) Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Russia, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli (USA), and astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

These are portraits and views of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 during training with SpaceX. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will be the spacecraft commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the agency’s seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station. 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 of Denmark, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Russia and astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). 

Mogensen will be the spacecraft pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the first non-US astronaut assigned in this capacity. This will be the first long-duration mission for Mogensen. He previously served as a flight engineer on a ten-day mission to the International Space Station in 2015. Crew-7 will be his second trip to space.

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.

Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli Official NASA Biography:

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

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

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)/NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Bill Stafford & Robert Markowitz

Image Capture Dates: June 23, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew7 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JasminMoghbeli #Commander #ESA #AndreasMogensen #Pilot #Denmark #Danmark #Europe #KonstantinBorisov #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #SatoshiFurukawa #Japan #日本 #JAXA #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

European Astronaut Andreas Mogensen: NASA Crew-7 Pilot in EMU Spacesuit

European Astronaut Andreas Mogensen: NASA Crew-7 Pilot in EMU Spacesuit

View of Earth taken by European Space Agency Astronaut Andreas Mogensen on Sept. 8, 2015, during his first mission to the International Space Station

These are portraits of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen from Denmark in an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU)—the spacesuit worn by astronauts during spacewalks on the International Space Station. Mogensen will be the spacecraft pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the first non-US astronaut assigned in this capacity. Crew-7 will be NASA’s seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station.

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

This will be the first long-duration mission for Mogensen. He previously served as a flight engineer on a ten-day mission to the International Space Station in 2015. Crew-7 will be his second trip to space.

Andreas Mogensen Official European Space Agency Biography

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Andreas_Mogensen

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Release Date: June 30, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #ISS #Moon #ArtemisProgram #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew7 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #EMUSpacesuit #Spacewalks #EVA #Astronaut #AndreasMogensen #SpacecraftPilot #Engineer #Denmark #Danmark #HumanSpaceflight #Houston #Texas #JSC #UnitedStates #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

Milky Way & Aurora over Antarctica

Milky Way & Aurora over Antarctica

"It was one of the better skies of this long night. In parts of Antarctica, not only is it winter, but the Sun can spend weeks below the horizon. At China's Zhongshan Station, people sometimes venture out into the cold to photograph a spectacular night sky. The featured image from one such outing was taken in mid-July of 2015, just before the end of this polar night. Pointing up, the wide angle lens captured not only the ground at the bottom, but at the top as well. In the foreground, a colleague is taking pictures." 

"In the distance, a spherical satellite receiver and several windmills are visible. Numerous stars dot the night sky, including Sirius and Canopus. Far in the background, stretching overhead from horizon to horizon, is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. Even further in the distance, visible as extended smudges near the top, are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, satellite galaxies near our huge Milky Way Galaxy."

Image Credit & Copyright: Li Hang

Li Hang on Weibo: 

https://www.weibo.com/lihang999

Image Date: July 2015

Release Date: July 2, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Earth #Antarctica #ZhongshanStation #China #中国 #AuroraAustralis #Aurora #Stars #Sirius #Canopus #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #LMC #SMC #Astrophotography #LiHang #Astrophotographer #STEM #Education #APoD

Launch of Europe's Euclid Space Telescope to Explore The Dark Universe | SpaceX

Launch of Europe's Euclid Space Telescope to Explore The Dark Universe | SpaceX

The European Space Agency’s latest astrophysics mission, Euclid, was successfully launched 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.

Find out more about the Euclid Mission: 

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

Image Credit: SpaceX

Release Date: July 1, 2023

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

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

Narration: Tre Gibbs

Duration: 34 seconds

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 #HD #Video

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

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