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The Spanish Dancer Galaxy: NGC 1566 Twirls into View | NOIRLab
CosmoView 42: This image, taken by astronomers using the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, captures the galaxy NGC 1566 as it twirls, flinging its arms through the vastness of space. Colloquially nicknamed the Spanish Dancer, this spiral galaxy is often studied by astronomers learning about galaxy groups, stars of different ages, and galactic black holes.
Distance: 20 million light years
Video Credits: Dark Energy Survey
DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)
Zooming to The Spanish Dancer Galaxy: NGC 1566 | NOIRLab
This video zooms into the galaxy NGC 1566. The galaxy twirls into view from the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab in Chile. Colloquially nicknamed the Spanish Dancer, spiral galaxy NGC 1566 is often studied by astronomers learning about galaxy groups, stars of different ages, and galactic black holes.
Distance: 20 million light years
Video Credits: Dark Energy Survey
DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)
The Spanish Dancer Galaxy: NGC 1566 | Victor Blanco Telescope in Chile
This image, taken by astronomers using the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, captures the galaxy NGC 1566 as it twirls, flinging its arms through the vastness of space. Colloquially nicknamed the Spanish Dancer, this spiral galaxy is often studied by astronomers learning about galaxy groups, stars of different ages, and galactic black holes.
Distance:20 million light years
Image Credits: Dark Energy Survey DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)
China Unveils Initial Plans for Crewed Moon Landing | CCTV
China plans to land its taikonauts on the moon before 2030 to carry out scientific exploration, according to a preliminary plan released by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at the 9th China (International) Commercial Aerospace Forum in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, central China.
The plan is to launch two carrier rockets to send a lunar lander and a crewed spacecraft to a lunar orbit, respectively. The craft and lunar lander will rendezvous and dock with each other, and then taikonauts will enter the lander.
As the lunar lander descends and arrives at the preset area on the lunar surface, taikonauts will carry out scientific tasks and collect samples.
After completing the planned tasks, taikonauts will return to the lander, which will lift them back to the lunar orbit to dock with their spacecraft.
In the final step, the spacecraft will fly taikonauts back to Earth with lunar samples.
Chinese researchers are working on the development of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, a new generation of crewed spacecraft, lunar lander, lunar landing spacesuit, crewed lunar rover, and other equipment, explained Zhang Hailian, deputy chief designer at this space industry forum.
The new carrier rocket will have three and a half stages with a carrying capacity of about 27 tonnes to the lunar transfer orbit, and the rocket body is five meters in diameter.
The new generation of manned spacecraft has three parts—an escape tower, a re-entry capsule, and a service capsule, Zhang said, adding that the new spaceship will employ module designs that can satisfy the needs of both near-Earth and deep-space explorations.
The lunar landing spacecraft will consist of two parts—a landing section and a propulsion section, and can send two taikonauts to the lunar surface at the same time.
The lunar rover will weigh 200 kg and can accommodate two taikonauts.
In addition, the spacesuit being developed for the moon landing, with a single working time of no less than eight hours, will feature better mobilities to help taikonauts walk, climb, squat, drive, and operate machines.
Zhang said China would also explore the construction of a lunar scientific research station and carry out systematic and long-term lunar exploration and related technical tests and verification.
Unfolding the Universe: The James Webb Space Telescope
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is unfolding the universe, and revealing sights humanity has never seen before. In this video, astronomers describe working with the telescope and how the images and data are collected. From first images to routine operations: experts at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD explain how the images are processed, and turned from raw data to the spectacular full-color images seen on the internet.
China Successfully Launches First Methane-powered Rocket to Earth Orbit | CGTN
China's ZhuQue-2 has become the world's first rocket using methalox as a propellant to fly to orbit, marking a major breakthrough in the cutting-edge technology dominated U.S. companies like SpaceX. The 49.5-meter-long Zhuque-2 lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time on July 11, 2023. The Zhuque-2 mission carried no payload and the rocket’s first stage was not recovered.
A methane-liquid oxygen propellant mix offers advantages in performance and reduces issues of soot formation and coking for purposes of reusability.
Zhuque-2 surpassed a range of other methalox rockets, including SpaceX’s Starship, the ULA Vulcan, Blue Origin’s New Glenn, Rocket Lab’s Neutron and Terran R from Relativity Space, in reaching orbit. However, these other launch vehicles will be much larger and offer greater payload capacity.
This successful launch also makes Landspace the second private Chinese launch firm to reach orbit with a liquid propellant rocket. It follows the success of Space Pioneer with its Tianlong-2 rocket in April 2023.
CGTN's Zheng Yibing provides details at the launch site.
Meet the Mars Samples: Robine and Malay (Samples 6 & 7) | NASA/JPL
Meet two of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of late June 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study.
Considered one of the highest priorities by the scientists in the Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet and provides the best opportunity to reveal the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for ancient life. NASA is teaming with the European Space Agency (ESA) on this important endeavor.
Learn more about Samples No. 6 and 7—“Robine” and “Malay”—a pair of rock cores collected by Perseverance from the “Issole” outcrop in Jezero Crater. When the rover used its drill’s abrasion bit to grind away the surface of “Issole,” its cameras spotted an intriguing sulfate crystal resembling the shape of a polar bear. Mineral types within this target rock are known by scientists on Earth to be capable of preserving signs of ancient life.
A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, as well as be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).
Mission Name: Mars 2020
Rover Name: Perseverance
Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.
NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | A la mitad: 7 de julio de 2023
Espacio a Tierra, la versión en español de las cápsulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Where does space begin? Well, it depends. There is no sharp boundary that marks the end of the atmosphere and the beginning of space. However, no matter where you draw the line in the sand—or the air—Earth’s atmosphere is full of all kinds of interesting aspects. This is why scientists like Doug Rowland are studying our atmosphere's many layers.
Rho Ophiuchi Video Tour | James Webb Space Telescope
This video tours a portion of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth at a distance of 390 light-years. The image was taken to celebrate the first anniversary of the start of science operations for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disk, the makings of future planetary systems. Once our entire solar system, encompassing the entire history of life as we know it, would have appeared something like this if seen from a distance.
At bottom, a glowing cave of dust dominates the image. It was carved out by the star S1, at the center of the cavity—the only star in the image that is significantly more massive than our Sun.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Exploring the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex Star-forming Region | Webb Telescope
Space Sparks Episode 11: To celebrate its first year of science, a new Webb image has been released of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.
The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is the closest star-forming region to Earth. It is a relatively small, quiet stellar nursery, but you would never know it from Webb’s chaotic close-up. Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disc, the makings of future planetary systems.
The young stars at the center of many of these discs are similar in mass to the Sun or smaller. The heftiest in this image is the star S1, which appears amid a glowing cave it is carving out with its stellar winds in the lower half of the image. The lighter-colored gas surrounding S1 consists of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a family of carbon-based molecules that are among the most common compounds found in space.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Editing: Nico Bartmann
Web and technical support: Enciso Systems
Written by: Bethany Downer
Footage and photos: ESA, NASA, CSA, STScI, K. Pontoppidan (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Zoom into the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex | James Webb Space Telescope
This video takes the viewer on a journey through space to the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.
From our cosmic backyard in the Solar System to distant galaxies near the dawn of time, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has delivered on its promise of revealing the Universe like never before in its first year of science operations. To celebrate the completion of a successful first year, a new Webb image has been released of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. While the region is relatively quiet, its proximity at 390 light-years makes for a highly detailed close-up, with no foreground stars in the intervening space.
The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is the closest star-forming region to Earth. It is a relatively small, quiet stellar nursery, but you would never know it from Webb’s chaotic close-up. Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disc, the makings of future planetary systems.
The young stars at the center of many of these discs are similar in mass to the Sun or smaller. The heftiest in this image is the star S1, which appears amid a glowing cave it is carving out with its stellar winds in the lower half of the image. The lighter-colored gas surrounding S1 consists of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a family of carbon-based molecules that are among the most common compounds found in space.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, ESA, CSA, JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, DSS2, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), E. Slawik, N. Risinger, D. de Martin, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), K. Pontoppidan (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI)
Pan of the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex | James Webb Space Telescope
From our cosmic backyard in the Solar System to distant galaxies near the dawn of time, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has delivered on its promise of revealing the Universe like never before in its first year of science operations. To celebrate the completion of a successful first year, a new Webb image has been released of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. While the region is relatively quiet, its proximity at 390 light-years makes for a highly detailed close-up, with no foreground stars in the intervening space.
The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is the closest star-forming region to Earth. It is a relatively small, quiet stellar nursery, but you would never know it from Webb’s chaotic close-up. Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disc, the makings of future planetary systems.
The young stars at the center of many of these discs are similar in mass to the Sun or smaller. The heftiest in this image is the star S1, which appears amid a glowing cave it is carving out with its stellar winds in the lower half of the image. The lighter-colored gas surrounding S1 consists of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a family of carbon-based molecules that are among the most common compounds found in space.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, K. Pontoppidan (STScI), A. Pagan (STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex | James Webb Space Telescope
This first anniversary image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope displays star birth like it has never been seen before, full of detailed, impressionistic texture. The subject is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth. It is a relatively small, quiet stellar nursery, but you would never know it from Webb’s chaotic close-up. Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disc, the makings of future planetary systems.
The young stars at the center of many of these discs are similar in mass to the Sun or smaller. The heftiest in this image is the star S1, which appears amid a glowing cave it is carving out with its stellar winds in the lower half of the image. The lighter-colored gas surrounding S1 consists of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a family of carbon-based molecules that are among the most common compounds found in space.
Image Description: Red dual opposing jets coming from young stars fill the darker top half of the image, while a glowing pale-yellow, cave-like structure is bottom center, tilted toward two o’clock, with a bright star at its center. The dust of the cave structure becomes wispy toward eight o’clock. Above the arched top of the dust cave three groupings of stars with diffraction spikes are arranged. A dark cloud sits at the top of the arch of the glowing dust cave, with one streamer curling down the right-hand side. The dark shadow of the cloud appears pinched in the center, with light emerging in a triangle shape above and below the pinch, revealing the presence of a star inside the dark cloud. The image’s largest jets of red material emanate from within this dark cloud, thick and displaying structure like the rough face of a cliff, glowing brighter at the edges. At the top center of the image, a star displays another, larger pinched dark shadow, this time vertically. To the left of this star is a more wispy, indistinct region.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
NASA's New Artemis Crew Transport Electric Vehicles | Kennedy Space Center
Three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2023.
One of the zero-emission vehicles is shown here at Launch Pad 39B. From left are Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director; Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director; and Tony Aquila, chairman and CEO, Canoo Technologies Inc.
With the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in the background, the three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally-friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2023. The zero-emission vehicles, which will carry astronauts to Launch Complex 39B for Artemis missions, were delivered by the manufacturer, Canoo Technologies Inc. of Torrance, California.
The Anvil of Creation: Star Formation 3D Computer Simulation | NOIRLab
[No Audio] This computer simulation shows the evolution of a star formation region over several million years. It is the most realistic, highest-resolution 3D simulation of star formation to date. It is the first time an entire gas cloud—100 times more massive than previously possible and full of vibrant colors—has been simulated and also the first simulation which simultaneously models star formation, evolution and dynamics while accounting for stellar feedback, including jets, radiation, wind and nearby supernovae activity.
The color of the represented gas is determined by how turbulent the gas is (purple=low, yellow=high) and the lightness increases with the density of the gas.
Due to turbulence and gravity the cloud quickly develops a filamentary structure. In these dense filaments the gravitational force overpowers pressure forces, causing the gas to collapse and form stars. Gas continues to fall onto newly formed stars, but interactions with the local magnetic field cause a portion of the infalling gas to be launched away from the star. These high velocity materials form protostellar jets. Jets stir and disrupt the flow of gas in the cloud, allowing more stars to form.
Massive stars launch powerful stellar winds, which both heat and push away the nearby gas. Once a number of massive stars have formed, their combined effect becomes powerful enough to disrupt star formation in the entire cloud and expel the remaining gas. With most of the gas flung out, the gravitational force weakens in the remaining star cluster, leading to its expansion and eventual dissolution. Massive stars live only a relatively short time, a few million years, after which they explode as supernovae. Even one of these extremely powerful explosions could disrupt the cloud and expel all gas. However, by the time they occur the cloud has already been destroyed by radiation and stellar winds from massive stars.
Note: The full dome video display format is designed for projection systems in planetariums.
Credit: NOIRLab/STARFORGE cooperation/Planetarium Mannheim/National Science Foundation (NSF)
