India's Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Lander Observed by Korea's Danuri Lunar Orbiter

India's Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Lander Observed by Korea's Danuri Moon Orbiter

The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), also known as Danuri ( 다누리), imaged ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 lander, named Vikram, about 600 kilometers from the Moon's South Pole at Shiv Shakti Point (69.373 S, 32.319E), on August 27, 2023.

Video Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 1 minute, 12 seconds

Release Date: Sept, 12, 2023

#NASA #ISRO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #SouthPole #ShivShaktiPoint #KPLO #LunarOrbiter #Danuri #다누리 #Korea #한국 #India #Chandrayaan3Mission #Chandrayaan3Lander #VikramLander #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #BhāratGaṇarājya #HD #Video

Earth View from SpaceX Dragon Endurance | NASA's SpaceX Crew-7

Earth View from SpaceX Dragon Endurance | NASA's SpaceX Crew-7

This view of Earth was captured from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft as it approached the International Space Station. Pictured below is the Strait of Gibraltar that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, which separates the continents of Europe and Africa.

Aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft was NASA's SpaceX Crew-7: NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli (Commander), European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark (Pilot), JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of Japan (Mission Specialist) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Russia (Mission Specialist).

"The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space. It is the experience of seeing first-hand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, 'hanging in the void', shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. The effect may also invoke a sense of transcendence and connection with humanity as a whole, from which national borders appear petty."

The term and concept were coined in 1987 by American author, Frank White, who explored the theme in his book The Overview Effect — Space Exploration and Human Evolution.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: Aug. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Morocco #Spain #StraitofGibraltar #Africa #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew7 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JasminMoghbeli #ESA #AndreasMogensen #Europe #Cosmonaut #KonstantinBorisov #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #SatoshiFurukawa #Japan #日本 #JAXA #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education

Expedition 69-70 International Space Station Crew Prepares for Kazakhstan Launch

Expedition 69-70 International Space Station Crew Prepares for Kazakhstan Launch

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the International Space Station’s Expedition 69-70 crew, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos and NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara participated in a variety of activities as they prepared for their upcoming mission on the International Space Station. Kononenko, Chub, and O’Hara are set to launch Sept. 15, 2023, from Baikonur in the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft for long duration missions on the outpost. The footage includes the crew’s arrival in Baikonur, their Soyuz fit checks in the Cosmodrome’s Integration Facility, and other training milestones.

Astronaut Loral O’Hara Official NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/loral-o-hara-nasa-astronaut

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 11 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 11, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #AstronautTraining #StarCity #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #GagarinCosmonautTrainingCenter #Cosmonauts #OlegKononenko #NikolaiChub #Astronaut #LoralOHara #FlightEngineer #AerospaceEngineer #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans: A Proud History

NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans: A Proud History

For more than half a century, NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans has been “America’s Rocket Factory,” the nation’s premiere site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems. The government-owned manufacturing facility is one of the largest in the world at 829-total acres, with 43 acres of manufacturing space under one roof—a space large enough to contain more than 31 professional football fields. Michoud, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, includes several areas within its facility that are used by commercial firms of NASA Contractors.

Credit: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Duration: 10 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 11, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #ApolloProgram #SpaceShuttleProgram #STS #ArtemisProgram #Rockets #LaunchVehicles #Science #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #MichoudAssemblyFacility #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tianzhou-5 Cargo Ship Separates from China Space Station for Earth Reentry

Tianzhou-5 Cargo Ship Separates from China Space Station for Earth Reentry

China's Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft separated from the orbiting space station at 4:46pm Beijing Time (BJT) on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, and switched to independent flight mode after completing all assigned tasks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The ship will conduct a controlled reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on Tuesday, Sept. 12 during which most parts of the ship will burn up.

Shenzhou-16 China Space Station Crew: 

Jing Haipeng (Commander) 

Zhu Yangzhu

Gui Haichao

Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 55 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 11, 2023

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #Tianzhou6 #CargoSpacecraft #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #Shenzhou16 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #JingHaipeng #ZhuYangzhu #GuiHaichao #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceResearch #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Webb Discovers Methane & Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of Exoplanet K2-18 b

Webb Discovers Methane & Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of Exoplanet K2-18 b

This artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18 in the habitable zone and lies 120 light-years from Earth.

Spectra of exoplanet K2-18 b

A new investigation with the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope into exoplanet K2-18 b has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules, including methane and carbon dioxide. The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, and shortage of ammonia, support the hypothesis that there may be an ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b.

While K2-18 b lies in the habitable zone and is now known to harbor carbon-bearing molecules, this does not necessarily mean that the planet can support life. The planet's large size—with a radius 2.6 times the radius of Earth—means that the planet’s interior likely contains a large mantle of high-pressure ice, like Neptune, but with a thinner hydrogen-rich atmosphere and an ocean surface. Hycean worlds are predicted to have oceans of water. However, it is also possible that the ocean is too hot to be habitable or be liquid.

"Although this kind of planet does not exist in our solar system, sub-Neptunes are the most common type of planet known so far in the galaxy," explained team member Subhajit Sarkar of Cardiff University. "We have obtained the most detailed spectrum of a habitable-zone sub-Neptune to date, and this allowed us to work out the molecules that exist in its atmosphere.”

Image 1 Description: Illustration of an exoplanet planet and its red cool dwarf star on a black background that is speckled with some small stars. 

Image 2 Description: The graphic shows the spectra of the exoplanet K2-18 b from NIRISS and NIRSpec in the form of a graph, with the vertical y-axis labelled as Amount of Light Blocked and the horizontal axis labelled as Wavelength of Light (microns). The spectra is plotted as dots with vertical short vertical lines across the plot, with the best-fit model as a blue jagged white line.There are green, yellow and light blue vertical columns of varying thicknesses scattered across the plot indicating where variations in the line represent the presence of methane, carbon dioxide, and dimethyl sulphide, respectively.

Credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmstead (STScI), N. Madhusudhan (Cambridge University)

Release Date: Sept. 11, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #K218 #Exoplanet #K218b #Atmosphere #CarbonDioxide #Methane #Leo #Constellation #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #JWST #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #JPL #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Art #Illustration #Infographic #STEM #Education

Reflection Nebula NGC 6914 in Cygnus | Steward Observatory

Reflection Nebula NGC 6914 in Cygnus | Steward Observatory

NGC 6914 is a reflection nebula located approximately 6,000 light-years away in the Cygnus constellation. It was discovered by French astronomer, Édouard Stephan, on August 29, 1881. Ultraviolet radiation from stars in the Cygnus OB2 association ionize the nebula's hydrogen.

Technical Details:

Optics: Phillips 24-inch RCOS Telescope

Camera: SBIG STL11000

Credit: Adam Block/Steward Observatory/University of Arizona 

Release Date: June 1, 2010

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC6914 #ReflectionNebula #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #PhillipsTelescope #MountLemmonSkyCenter #StewardObservatory  #UArizona #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Comet Nishimura & Planet Venus over Slovakia

Comet Nishimura & Planet Venus over Slovakia

This scene would be beautiful even without the comet. By itself, the sunrise sky is an elegant deep blue on high, with faint white stars peeking through, while near the horizon is a pleasing tan. On its own, the foreground hills of eastern Slovakia are appealingly green, with the Zadňa hura and Veľká hora hills in the distance, and with the lights of small towns along the way. Venus, on the far right, appears unusually exquisite, surrounded by a colorful atmospheric corona. However, what attracts the eye most is the comet. On the left side of this composite image, taken just before dawn yesterday morning, is Comet Nishimura. 

On recent mornings around the globe, Comet Nishimura's bright coma and long ion tail make many a morning panoramic photo unusually beautiful. Tomorrow, C/2023 P1 (Comet Nishimura) will pass its nearest to the Earth for about the next 434 years.

Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek/Institute of Physics in Opava

Petr's website: https://www.petrhoralek.com

Institute of Physics in Opava (Czech Republic): https://www.slu.cz/phys/en/

Image Date: Sept. 10, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #Planets #Earth #Venus #Comets #Comet2023P1 #CometNishimura #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #PetrHorálek #HideoNishimura #Astrophotographers #CitizenScience #Slovakia #Slovenská #CentralEurope #Japan #日本 #STEM #Education #APoD

Galaxy NGC 3156 in Sextans: The Measure of a Great Galactic Disc | Hubble

Galaxy NGC 3156 in Sextans: The Measure of a Great Galactic Disc | Hubble

This dream-like image features the galaxy known as NGC 3156. It is a lenticular galaxy, meaning that it falls somewhere between an elliptical and a spiral galaxy. It lies about 73 million light-years from Earth in the minor equatorial constellation Sextans. 

Sextans is a small constellation that belongs to the Hercules family of constellations. It is a constellation with an astronomical theme, being named for the instrument known as the sextant. Sextants are often thought of as navigational instruments that were invented in the 18th century by Europeans. However, the sextant as an astronomical tool has been around for much longer. Islamic scholars developed astronomical sextants many hundreds of years earlier in order to measure angles in the sky. A particularly striking example is the enormous sextant with a radius of 36 meters that was developed by Ulugh Beg of the Timurid dynasty in the fifteenth century, located in Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan. These early sextants may have been a development of the quadrant, a measuring device proposed by Ptolemy. A sextant, as the name suggests, is shaped like one-sixth of a circle, approximately the shape of the constellation.

Sextants are no longer in use in modern astronomy, having been replaced by instruments that are capable of measuring the positions of stars and astronomical objects much more accurately and precisely. NGC 3156 has been studied in many ways other than determining its precise position—from its cohort of globular clusters, to its relatively recent star formation, to the stars that are being destroyed by the supermassive black hole at its center.

Image Description: A large elliptical galaxy. It appears to be formed of faint, grey, concentric ovals that grow progressively brighter towards the core, where there is a very bright point, and fade away at the edge. Two threads of dark red dust cross the galaxy’s disc, near the center. The background is black and mostly empty, with only a few point stars and small galaxies.

Credit: European Space Agency/Hubble & NASA, R. Sharples, S. Kaviraj, W. Keel

Release Date: Sept. 11, 2023

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC3156 #LenticularGalaxy #Sextans #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The History of Space Food | Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

The History of Space Food | Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

When we first ventured into low Earth orbit, NASA was not completely certain that humans would be able to eat like we do on Earth. Fortunately for us, astronaut John Glenn proved that we could. However, being able to eat was just the first step. In this short video, we will look at food that is suitable for spaceflight, some that is not, and space food’s evolution from fueling the body during short flights to promoting psychological health on long duration ones. 

This “clip” is part of the STEM in 30 episode: "Food on the Fly".  

For more information about how to use this resource in your classroom, please visit Food on the Fly Teacher Tips: https://s.si.edu/3qnJWhY 

STEM in 30 is a free educational series for kids produced by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. We cover all the cool, fun, and weird ways that aviation and spaceflight touch our lives. Check out more episodes: https://airandspace.si.edu/stem-30

Credit: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Duration: 2 minutes, 23 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 8, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts  #MercuryProgram #GeminiProgram #ApolloProgram #ShuttleProgram #History #ArtemisProgram #SpaceFood #Health #ISS #Smithsonian #NASM #Students #Teachers #LessonPlans #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: Sand Dunes & Inverted Craters | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Sand Dunes & Inverted Craters | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

This image shows dark sand dunes and inverted craters in the Arabia Terra region of Mars. The sand is dark because it was probably derived from basalt, a black volcanic rock that is common on Mars. Unlike traditional craters that are depressions, those here stick up above the surrounding plains. Such “inverted topography” is found on Mars and Earth where erosion has stripped away surrounding topography. 

In this case, the craters were filled with sediment. Subsequent erosion stripped away the terrain around the filled craters, leaving the inverted topography visible here.

This is a non-narrated clip and uses the center enhanced color (infrared-red-blue) swath. It is less than 1 km (under 1 mi) across and is 272 km (169 mi) above the surface.

Image Date: Jan. 29, 2010

Latitude (centered): 3.120°

Longitude (East): 4.553°

This image was taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the HiRISE instrument, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.

Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Caption Credit: Nathan Bridges

Duration: 3 minutes, 32 seconds

Release Date: June 29, 2021

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #ArabiaTerra #SandDunes #Volcanism #Craters #InvertedCraters #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Milky Way Meets Moonrise over Ranger Station | Yosemite National Park

Milky Way Meets Moonrise over Ranger Station | Yosemite National Park

Milky Way and moonrise over Thorofare Ranger Station in Yosemite National Park on Sept. 1, 2023. Thorofare Ranger Station is deep in the south-eastern corner of Wyoming. 

Yellowstone National Park is located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. 

Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially the Old Faithful geyser—one of its most popular. While it represents many types of biomes, the subalpine forest is the most abundant. Yosemite is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion.

Yosemite National Park: 

https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Image Credit: National Park Service (NPS)/Jacob W. Frank

Image Date: September 1, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #Moonrise #MilkyWayGalaxy #Stars
#Astrophotography #Photography #NationalPark #Yosemite #YosemiteNationalPark #NPS
#ThorofareRangerStation #Wyoming #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

SpaceX Starship 2 | SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas

SpaceX Starship 2 | SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas

SpaceX is moving ahead with preparations for a second integrated Starship/Super Heavy flight, collectively called Starship 2. It rolled out a Starship vehicle designated Ship 25 to the pad on Sept. 5, 2023, and installed it atop Booster 9, which completed a static-fire test on Aug. 25, 2023.

“Starship is ready to launch, awaiting FAA license approval,” posted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Neither SpaceX nor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have estimated how long it will take to get a license approved.

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket—collectively referred to as Starship—represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry up to 150 metric tonnes to Earth orbit reusable, and up to 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Key Starship Parameters:

Height: 120m/394ft

Diameter: 9m/29.5ft

Payload to LEO: 100 – 150 t (fully reusable)

Capabilities:

Satellites: "Starship is designed to deliver satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb."

Landing on Mars: "Starship will enter Mars’ atmosphere at 7.5 kilometers per second and decelerate aerodynamically. The vehicle’s heat shield is designed to withstand multiple entries, but given that the vehicle is coming into Mars' atmosphere so hot, we still expect to see some ablation of the heat shield (similar to wear and tear on a brake pad)."

Starship's Engines: Raptors

"The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown."

Raptor Engine Parameters:

Diameter: 1.3m/4ft

Height: 3.1m/10.2ft

Thrust: 230tf/500 klbf

First Lunar Private Mission

"Later this decade, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and the crew of dearMoon will become the first civilian passengers on a lunar Starship mission, featuring a fly-by of the Moon during their week-long journey. This flight is an important step toward enabling access for people who dream of traveling to space."

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF): 

https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)

Caption Credit: SpaceX/Jeff Foust at SpaceNews.com

Release Date: Sept. 9, 2023

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Moon #ArtemisIII #Mars #Starship #Starship2 #SuperHeavyBooster9 #ElonMusk #GwynneShotwell #Science #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #Crew #Cargo #CommercialSpace #Starbase #BocaChica #Texas #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Orbital Sunset over Argentina | International Space Station

Orbital Sunset over Argentina | International Space Station

In this image, the International Space Station soars 266 miles above the coast of Argentina near the Rio de la Plata as it flies into an orbital sunset. In the foreground from left are, the station's main solar arrays, the Canadarm2 robotic arm, and the Kibo laboratory module's external research platform.

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 69 Crew (Sept. 2023)

Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin, Konstantin Borisov

European Space Agency: Flight Engineer Andreas Mogensen (Denmark)

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Jasmin Moghbeli (USA)

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

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: Sept. 5, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Argentina #ISS #Canadarm2 #Kibo #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #JAXA #Japan #日本 #ESA #Europe #Canada #UnitedStates #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #STEM #Education

Wide-field View of The Serpent's Nebula | European Southern Observatory

Wide-field View of The Serpent's Nebula | European Southern Observatory

This image from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) shows the area around the Serpens Nebula. The Serpens star-forming region is a compact region of star formation. At a distance of about 1,300 light-years, it is close enough for detailed, spatially-resolved studies of its individual young stellar objects.

Credit: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2

Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin

Release Date: Oct. 31, 2018

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #Nebula #Sh264 #EmissionNebula #Sharpless64 #Westerhout40 #W40 #RCW174 #Serpens #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #DSS2 #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Serpent’s Nebula | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

Serpent’s Nebula | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

The emission nebula Sh2-54 glows brightly in this image from the SMARTS 0.9-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab. Gathering the fine details of this particular image required almost twenty minutes of observations and three different wavelength filters. Situated within the constellation of Serpens (The Serpent), Sh2-54 forms part of a much wider nebulosity which includes the famous Eagle Nebula. Serpens is a unique constellation, the only one of the official 88 used today that is split into two unconnected parts: Serpens Caput—the Serpent’s Head—and Serpens Cauda—The Serpent’s Tail. 

Distance: 6,000 light years

Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Acknowledgments: Image Processing: Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Mahdi Zamani & Davide de Martin

Release Date: Jan. 27, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #EmissionNebula #Sh254 #SerpensCauda #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SMARTSTelescope #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education