Aurora Intersects Earth's Airglow | International Space Station

Aurora Intersects Earth's Airglow | International Space Station

An aurora intersects Earth's airglow beneath a starry sky in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above western Kazakhstan near the Caspian Sea.

Airglow is not an optical illusion, but a genuine light source that results from chemical reactions in Earth’s upper atmosphere. It is far too faint to be visible during the daytime, and in most human-inhabited places it is drowned out by light pollution.

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

Earth auroras have different names depending on which pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.

NASA - About Aurora

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/aurora-news-stories/index.html

The Colors of the Aurora (National Park Service)

https://www.nps.gov/articles/-articles-aps-v8-i1-c9.htm

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

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

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. 25, 2023

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #Sun #Stars #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Aurora #Airglow #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition69 #HumanSpaceflight #ESA #Europe #JAXA #Japan #JSC #UnitedStates #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #STEM #Education

NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Un año después: 22 de septiembre de 2023

NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Un año después: 22 de septiembre 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. 

Para obtener más información sobre la ciencia de la NASA, suscríbete al boletín semanal: https://www.nasa.gov/suscribete 

Ciencia de la NASA: https://ciencia.nasa.gov/

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 4 minutes, 23 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #NASAenespañol #español #Astronauts #FrankRubio #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitiriPetelin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #JAXA #Japan #日本 #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Exploring the Origins of Planet Saturn's Rings & Moons | NASA Ames

Exploring the Origins of Planet Saturn's Rings & Moons | NASA Ames

New NASA and Durham University simulations put forth a theory of the origin of Saturn’s rings and icy moons. They may have formed following a massive collision between two moons orbiting the gas giant. The simulations used in this research are among the most detailed of their kind to study the formation of Saturn’s rings and potentially habitable icy moons. 

NASA's Ames Research Center is located in California's Silicon Valley.

Learn more: go.nasa.gov/3ti6eCw

Video Credit: NASA/Jacob Kegerreis/Luís Teodoro

Duration: 1 minute, 34 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 26, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Planet #Saturn #Rings #IcyMoons #Moons #Collisions #ComputerSimulations #Visualizations #CassiniMission #DurhamUniversity #UnitedKingdom #UK #NASAAmes #ARC #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

What Happens When a STEVE and The Milky Way "Cross" a Country Road?

What Happens When a STEVE and The Milky Way "Cross" a Country Road?

A rural road is pictured running to the horizon with rural grassy fields on both sides. Rising from the lower left is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. Rising from the horizon—just at the visible end of the road, is a thin twisting band of light twisting green and red bands—a STEVE. The STEVE crosses in front of the Milky Way band making a big entrance . . .

Not every road ends in a STEVE. A week ago, a sky enthusiast's journey began with a goal—to photograph an aurora over Lake Huron. Driving through rural Ontario, Canada, the forecasted sky show started unexpectedly early, causing the photographer to stop before arriving at the scenic Great Lake. Aurora images were taken toward the north—but over land, not sea. 

While waiting for a second round of auroras, a peculiar band of light was noticed to the west. Slowly, the photographer and friends realized that this western band was likely an unusual type of aurora: a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE). [Unlike other auroras, the STEVE seems to form from a ribbon of hot gases.] Moreover, this STEVE was putting on quite a show. It appeared to be intertwined with the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy while intersecting the horizon just near the end of the country road. After capturing this "cosmic X" on camera, the photographer paused to appreciate the unexpected awesomeness of finding extraordinary beauty in an ordinary setting.

Image Credit & Copyright: Theresa Clarke

Theresa's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/tc_1865/

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #AtmosphericOptics #Physics #NorthernLights #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #STEVE #MilkyWayGalaxy #LakeHuron #Ontario #Canada #Astrophotography #TheresaClarke #Astrophotographer #CitizenScience #STEM #Education #APoD

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Boosters Take Cross-Country Train Trip to Florida

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Boosters Take Cross-Country Train Trip to Florida

All aboard the SLS express! 🚂

Ten booster motor segments for NASA’s Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket were recently loaded into specialized transporters at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Promontory Point, Utah, for a cross-country rail trip to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The booster motor segments, which each weigh 180 tons, traveled across eight states and arrived at the spaceport on Sept. 25. Crews at Kennedy will use the segments to build the two SLS solid rocket boosters that will provide more than 75% of the total thrust for the agency’s crewed Artemis II mission. 

Artemis II will be NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon to verify today’s capabilities for humans to explore deep space and pave the way for long-term exploration and science on the lunar surface.

Learn more about the Artemis II Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii 

Learn more about Space Launch System (SLS) : nasa.gov/sls

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

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Moon #Rocket #SpaceLaunchSystem #NASASLS #SRB #NorthropGrumman #MoonToMars #DeepSpace #Propulsion #Engineering #Technology #MSFC #Train #Utah #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #Exploration #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 69-70: September 2023 Crew Photos | International Space Station

Expedition 69-70: September 2023 Crew Photos | International Space Station

NASA astronauts (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, both Expedition 70 Flight Engineers, partner together removing and replacing components inside the Cold Atom Lab aboard the International Space Station.

In the bottom row, is the homebound trio Expedition 69 trio with (from left) NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Russia. The threesome was pictured after reaching 365 days, or one year, in space aboard the International Space Station. They departed the station inside the Soyuz MS-23 crew ship on Sept. 27, 2023, after 371 days living in Earth orbit. 

From left are, Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Konstantin Borisov of Russia; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen (Denmark); Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (Russia); NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli is pictured removing and replacing components inside the Cold Atom Lab aboard the International Space Station.

European Space Agency and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Andreas Mogensen uses a vacuum cleaner to clean fans, filters, and ventilation systems aboard the International Space Station.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa works on the Kibo laboratory module's water recovery system aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio uses a glovebag and services the BioFabrication Facility, replacing and installing components inside the research device designed to print organ-like tissues in microgravity and learn how to manufacture whole, fully-functioning human organs in space.

The official Expedition 70 crew portrait with (top row from left) Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov, and Oleg Kononenko of Russia; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa; and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara. In the front row are, European Space Agency astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen (Denmark) and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli

The Soyuz MS-24 crew ship is pictured docked to the International Space Station's Rassvet module. The spacecraft launched three Expedition 69-70 crew members, NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, to the orbiting lab on Sept. 15, 2023. At left, is a portion of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter and one of its cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays.

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

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

Expedition 69 Crew (Sept. 26, 2023—)

Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)

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

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

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.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: Sept.9-26, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Earth #HumanSpaceflight #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Astronauts #JAXA #Japan #日本 #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #Expedition70 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Expedition 69 Soyuz MS-23 Landing Day Highlights: "Rubio Comes Home" | NASA

Expedition 69 Soyuz MS-23 Landing Day Highlights: "Rubio Comes Home" | NASA

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Russia gave farewell remarks ahead of hatch closure of their Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on Sept. 27, 2023. Following hatch closure, the vehicle undocked from the International Space Station’s Prichal module at 3:54 a.m. Astronaut Rubio and his two crewmates ended their record-breaking time in space with a parachute-assisted landing in the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, today at 7:17 a.m. EDT (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time). 

Rubio arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, spending 371 days in low Earth orbit. This exceeded the previous American record held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei by 16 days.

During his 371 days aboard the station, Rubio experienced:

Approximately 5,936 orbits of Earth

Approximately 157,412,306 statute miles traveled (equivalent of approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back)

Fifteen spacecraft visited the International Space Station, including four Roscosmos Progress cargo ships, two Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft, two Roscosmos Soyuz, four crewed SpaceX Dragons, and three uncrewed SpaceX Dragons.

Expedition 70 is now underway on the space station with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and new station commander Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov.

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.

Video Credit: NASA

Duration: 20 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #SoyuzMS23Spacecraft #СоюзМС23 #SoyuzLanding #Astronaut #FrankRubio #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitiriPetelin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 69 Crew Landing after 1-Year Mission | International Space Station

Expedition 69 Crew Landing after 1-Year Mission | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio ended his record-breaking time in space with a parachute-assisted landing in the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, at 7:17 a.m. EDT (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. Rubio, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Russia, began the journey back to Earth at 3:54 a.m. when the Soyuz undocked from the International Space Station.

Rubio arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, spending 371 days in low Earth orbit, and breaking the previous American record held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei by 16 days.

During his 371 days aboard the station, Rubio experienced:

Approximately 5,936 orbits of Earth

Approximately 157,412,306 statute miles traveled (equivalent of approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back)

Fifteen spacecraft visited the International Space Station, including four Roscosmos Progress cargo ships, two Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft, two Roscosmos Soyuz, four crewed SpaceX Dragons, and three uncrewed SpaceX Dragons.

Expedition 70 is now underway on the space station with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and new station commander Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov.

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.

Video Credit: NASA TV

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 3 minutes, 46 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #SoyuzMS23Spacecraft #СоюзМС23 #SoyuzLanding #Astronaut #FrankRubio #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitiriPetelin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 69 Crew Earth Return After 1-Year Mission | International Space Station

Expedition 69 Crew Earth Return After 1-Year Mission | International Space Station

Expedition 69 NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is carried to a medical tent shortly after he, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev landed in their Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. 

Expedition 69 Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev (Russia) is carried to a medical tent shortly after landing.

Expedition 69 Roscosmos cosmonaut Dmitri Petelin (Russia) is carried to a medical tent shortly after landing.

Expedition 69 NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Dmitri Petelin are seen inside their Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft just minutes after landing.

Expedition 69 NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is helped out of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft just minutes after landing.

Expedition 69 Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev (Russia)

Expedition 69 Roscosmos cosmonaut Dmitri Petelin (Russia)

Expedition 69 NASA astronaut Frank Rubio left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, center, and Dmitri Petelin of Russia sit in chairs outside the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft after landing

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio ended his record-breaking time in space with a parachute-assisted landing in the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, at 7:17 a.m. EDT (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time) Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. Rubio, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin of Russia, began the journey back to Earth at 3:54 a.m. when the Soyuz undocked from the International Space Station.

Rubio arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, spending 371 days in low Earth orbit, and breaking the previous American record held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei by 16 days.

During his 371 days aboard the station, Rubio experienced:

Approximately 5,936 orbits of Earth

Approximately 157,412,306 statute miles traveled (equivalent of approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back)

Fifteen spacecraft visited the International Space Station, including four Roscosmos Progress cargo ships, two Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft, two Roscosmos Soyuz, four crewed SpaceX Dragons, and three uncrewed SpaceX Dragons.

Expedition 70 is now underway on the space station with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and new station commander Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Konstantin Borisov.

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.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Image Capture Date: Sept. 27, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #SoyuzMS23Spacecraft #SoyuzLanding #Astronaut #FrankRubio #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitiriPetelin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #STEM #Education

OSIRIS-REx Questions Answered: Asteroid Bennu Sample | NASA Science

OSIRIS-REx Questions Answered: Asteroid Bennu Sample | NASA Science

[Replay of Live Q&A] On Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft safely delivered an estimated 8.8 ounces of rocky material collected from the surface of asteroid Bennu to Earth. The sample will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center where it will be opened and studied. 

Updates: NASA scientists found black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx science canister when the initial lid was removed on Sept. 26, 2023. The canister from the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule was delivered to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sept. 25 after landing in the Utah desert on Sept. 24. 

Johnson Space Center houses the world’s largest collection of astromaterials, and curation experts there will perform the intricate disassembly of the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to get down to the bulk sample within. These operations are happening in a new laboratory designed specifically for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The aluminum lid was removed inside a glovebox designed to enable working with the large piece of hardware.

When the TAGSAM is separated from the canister, it will be inserted in a sealed transfer container to preserve a nitrogen environment for up to about two hours. This container allows enough time for the team to insert the TAGSAM into another unique glovebox. Ultimately, this speeds up the disassembly process. There is a very high level of focus from the team—the sample will be revealed with an amazing amount of precision to accommodate delicate hardware removal so as not to come into contact with the sample inside.

Follow sample-delivery updates on NASA's OSIRIS-REx blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/

OSIRIS-REx NASA page: 

https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-REx Mission Page: 

http://www.asteroidmission.org

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-APEX Mission Page:

https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/missions/osiris-apex

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 1 hour

Release Date: Sept. 26, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #OSIRISRExMission #OSIRISAPEXMission #OSIRISRExSpacecraft #Asteroids #AstreroidBennu #ToBennuAndBack #SampleReturn #SpaceTechnology #CSA #Canada #CNES #France #JSC #GSFC #UArizona #LockheedMartin #Utah #DoD #KSC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Interacting Galaxies in Miniature: Wide-field view | Victor Blanco Telescope

Interacting Galaxies in Miniature: Wide-field view | Victor Blanco Telescope

Far, far away in the constellation Phoenix, there are two interacting galaxies spanning a hundred thousand light-years. This image was captured by the 4-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab in Chile, South America. Collectively known as NGC 454, the upper galaxy is a red elliptical galaxy called NGC 454 E, while below it is NGC 454 W, a blue, gas-rich irregular galaxy. 

Distance: 160 million light years

Despite being in the early stages of their interaction, both galaxies already show severe distortion. Remnants of both galaxies have been stretched far beyond their main bodies—from the disarray of both galaxies’ stellar populations at the top right of this image—to the globular clusters forming at NGC 454 W’s bottom-left side. 

Dust lanes from the dynamic interaction cross NGC 454 E. NGC 454 W barely looks like the disk galaxy it was thought to be. Their early merger is further evidenced by the veil of a low surface brightness halo surrounding the galaxies as well as the myriad of young stars that populate the system. Now gravitationally bound together, the interactions within NGC 454 will eventually lead to them combining.

This interacting pair was captured by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) made by the US Department of Energy as part of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys.

Credit: DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys/LBNL/DOE & KPNO/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Rodriguez (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab) & M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC454 #InteractingGalaxies #Galaxy #NGC454E #EllipticalGalaxy #NGC454W #IrregularGalaxy #Phoenix #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #CerroTololoObservatory #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #DOE #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #SouthAmerica #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Eta Carinae: A Great Stellar Eruption of the 1840s Recreated | NASA Chandra

Eta Carinae: A Great Stellar Eruption of the 1840s Recreated | NASA Chandra

After taking snapshots for over 20 years with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have learned important new details about an eruption from Eta Carinae witnessed on Earth in the middle of the 19th century.

Chandra data from 1999, 2003, 2009, 2014, and 2020 have been combined into a new video of Eta Carinae. Astronomers used these Chandra observations along with data from the European Space Agency 's XMM-Newton to watch as the stellar eruption from about 180 years ago continues to expand into space.

Eta Carinae is a system that contains two massive stars. One of the stars is about 90 times the mass of the Sun and the other is about 30 solar masses. In the middle of the 19th century, people on Earth watched as Eta Carinae temporarily became one of the brightest stars in the sky.

During this event, which astronomers call “The Great Eruption,” Eta Carinae ejected between 10 and 45 times the mass of the Sun. This material became a dense pair of spherical clouds of gas, now known as the Homunculus Nebula, on opposite sides of the two stars.

Fast-forward to the 20th century when astronomers developed new tools to study Eta Carinae. About 50 years ago, astronomers used the Einstein Observatory to discover a bright ring of X-rays around the Homunculus Nebula. Later they looked at it more closely with Chandra. The new video of Chandra observations over two decades, plus a deep image generated by adding the data together, reveal important hints about Eta Carinae’s volatile history.

The new data also reveals a faint shell of X-rays outside the bright X-ray ring. The astronomers associate this shell with a blast wave from the Great Eruption.

Because the newly discovered outer X-ray shell has a similar shape and orientation to the Homunculus Nebula, the research team think both structures have a common origin. The idea is that clumps of material were blasted away from Eta Carinae well before the mid-1840s Great Eruption—sometime between 1200 and 1800. Later, the blast wave from the Great Eruption tore through space and collided with and heated the clumps of material to millions of degrees, creating the bright X-ray ring. The blast wave has now traveled beyond the bright ring.

A detailed analysis shows that the Great Eruption likely consisted of two explosions. First there was a quick ejection of low-density gas which produced the X-ray blast wave. This was followed by the slower ejection of dense gas that eventually formed the Homunculus Nebula.

While Chandra has revealed so much about Eta Carinae, the story is not yet complete. Astronomers are eagerly awaiting the next episode of data to find out what happens.

Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Duration: 3 minutes, 25 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 26, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Star #AGCarinae #Carina #Constellation #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #ESA #XMMNewton #Europe #SpaceTelescope #XrayAstronomy  #MSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #History #Visualization #3D #HD #Video

Seeing Satellite Benefits on the Ground with the National Park Service | NASA

Seeing Satellite Benefits on the Ground with the National Park Service | NASA

From the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon to the caves of Carlsbad Caverns and the giant sequoias of Yosemite, did you know researchers use NASA satellite data in America's National Parks?

NASA's view from space can help monitor water resources, assess air quality, analyze fire patterns, track vegetation changes, and more. It all helps the National Park Service make informed decisions for protecting and restoring America’s most beautiful natural spaces.

Yosemite National Park (California)

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

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

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

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

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

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 2 minutes, 13 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 21, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #Earth #USGS #Landsat #Landsat8 #NationalParkService #NPS #YosemiteNationalPark #Yosemite #California #BryceCanyon #Utah #CarlsbadCaverns #CarlsbadCavernsNationalPark #NewMexico #UnitedStates #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Aurora Borealis over Scotland

Aurora Borealis over Scotland

Astrophotographer Alan Tough: "This was the scene around local midnight. At times, the reds were so intense the colour could be picked up by the unaided eye."

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

Earth auroras have different names depending on which pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.

Learn more:
The Colors of the Aurora (National Park Service)
https://www.nps.gov/articles/-articles-aps-v8-i1-c9.htm

NASA - About Aurora
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/aurora-news-stories/index.html
    
Image Credit & Copyright: Alan Tough
Location: Northeast Scotland, United Kingdom
Image Date: Sept. 24, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Planet #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #SolarWind #Sun #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #AlanTough #Scotland #UK #UnitedKingdom #STEM #Education #International

All Engines Added to NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage | NASA Michoud

All Engines Added to NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage | NASA Michoud

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have structurally joined all four RS-25 engines onto the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket that will send four astronauts on their journey around the Moon during the Artemis II Mission.

Technicians with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, will now focus their efforts on the complex task of fully securing the engines to the stage and integrating the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure.

Image Description: The yellow core stage is seen in a horizontal position in the final assembly area at Michoud. The engines are arranged at the bottom of the rocket stage in a square pattern, like legs on a table.

Learn more about the Artemis II Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii 

Learn more about SLS: nasa.gov/sls

Image Credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon

Image Date: Sept. 21, 2023

#NASA #Space #Moon #NASAArtemis #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #SLS #CoreStage #RS25Engines #DeepSpace #Astronauts #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #MSFC #NASAMichoud #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #STEM #Education 

Expedition 69-70 International Space Station Change of Command Ceremony

Expedition 69-70 International Space Station Change of Command Ceremony

[Event starts at 1 minute mark] Aboard the International Space Station, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev handed over command of the space station to European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark during a change of command ceremony September 26, 2023. Prokopyev and Mogensen are in the midst of long-duration missions living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. 

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

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

Expedition 69 Crew (September 26, 2023—)

Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)

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

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

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.

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: 6 minutes, 42 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 26, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Astronauts #AndreasMogensen #CommandCeremony #FrankRubio #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitiriPetelin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Denmark #ESA #Europe #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video