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Wednesday, December 06, 2023

Solar Minimum versus Solar Maximum | NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory

Solar Minimum versus Solar Maximum | NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory

Our Sun is a 4.5 billion-year-old yellow dwarf star—a hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium—at the center of our solar system. It is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from Earth and it’s our solar system’s only star. The height of the Sun’s activity cycle, known as solar maximum, is a time of greatly increased solar storm activity. Sunspots, eruptions called solar flares, and coronal mass ejections are common at solar maximum.

Although the Sun is the center of our solar system and essential to our survival, it is only an average star in terms of its size. Stars up to 100 times larger have been found. Many solar systems have more than one star. By studying our Sun, scientists can better understand the workings of distant stars.

The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way, bringing with it the planets, asteroids, comets, and other objects in our solar system. Our solar system is moving with an average velocity of 450,000 miles per hour (720,000 kilometers per hour). But even at this speed, it takes about 230 million years for the Sun to make one complete trip around the Milky Way.

Video Credit: NASA, Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS)

Duration: 20 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SpaceWeather #Sun #Star #SolarMaximum #Earth #SolarFlares #CME #Ultraviolet #Plasma #MagneticField #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Physics #Satellite #SDO #SolarSystem #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Meet the Perseverance Rover's Mars Sample "Pelican Point" | NASA/JPL

Meet the Perseverance Rover's Mars Sample "Pelican Point" | NASA/JPL

Meet the 22nd Martian sample collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover—“Pelican Point,” the first sample taken from an area in Jezero Crater that has intrigued scientists since orbital images showed it to be rich in carbonate, a mineral linked to habitability. What formed this “Margin Unit”—ancient volcanoes, an ancient shore line, or something else? By answering that question, scientists can better understand the evolution of the Red Planet.

As of early December 2023, the Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 23 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. The next stage is to get them to Earth for study.

Considered one of the highest priorities by the scientists in the Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, Mars Sample Return (MSR) 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.

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).

Read about all the carefully selected samples: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples

Learn more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHU-APL/Purdue/USGS

Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 6, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #Mars2020 #PerseveranceRover #JezeroCrater #PelicanPoint #Sample22 #MarsSampleReturn #MSR #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106: Wide View | Mayall Telescope

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106: Wide View | Mayall Telescope

This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 106, or NGC 4258, was taken with the 4-meter Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab. A popular target for amateur astronomers, Messier 106 can also be spotted with a small telescope in the constellation Canes Venatici. This view captures the entire galaxy, detailing the glowing spiral arms, wisps of gas, and dust lanes at the center of Messier 106 as well as the leisurely twisting bands of stars at the galaxy’s outer edges. Two dwarf galaxies also appear in the image—NGC 4248 is to the lower right of Messier 106, and UGC 7358 is to the left of Messier 106.

Distance: over 20 million light-years

Image Credit:

KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Acknowledgment: PI: M.T. Patterson (New Mexico State University)

Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), M. Zamani & D. de Martin

Release Date: March 16, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Galaxies #Galaxy #M106 #Messier106 #NGC4258 #SpiralGalaxy #BlackHoleJets #DwarfGalaxies #NGC4248 #UGC7358 #CanesVenatici #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #KittPeakNationalObservatory #KPNO #MayallTelescope #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Unrivaled View of Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 | Mayall Telescope

Unrivaled View of Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 | Mayall Telescope

CosmoView Episode 24: This celestial snapshot captures the majesty of the spiral galaxy Messier 106, also known as NGC 4258. The image is arguably the best yet captured of the entire galaxy. Obtained using the 4-meter Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, this image shows not only the glowing spiral arms, wisps of gas, and dust lanes at the core of the galaxy but also the leisurely twisting bands of stars at its outer edges.

Credits:

Images and Videos: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, M.T. Patterson (New Mexico State University)

Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: March 19, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Galaxies #Galaxy #M106 #Messier106 #NGC4258 #SpiralGalaxy #BlackHoleJets #DwarfGalaxies #NGC4248 #UGC7358 #CanesVenatici #Constellation #Universe #KittPeakNationalObservatory #KPNO #MayallTelescope #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 | Mayall Telescope

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 | Mayall Telescope

This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 106, or NGC 4258, was taken with the 4-meter Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab.

A popular target for amateur astronomers, Messier 106 can also be spotted with a small telescope in the constellation Canes Venatici. This view captures the entire galaxy, detailing the glowing spiral arms, wisps of gas, and dust lanes at the center of Messier 106 as well as the leisurely twisting bands of stars at the galaxy’s outer edges. Two dwarf galaxies also appear in the image—NGC 4248 in the lower right and UGC 7358 in the lower left.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Acknowledgment: PI: M.T. Patterson (New Mexico State University)

Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), M. Zamani & D. de Martin

Release Date: March 16, 2021

Tuesday, December 05, 2023

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106: Fulldome View | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106: Fulldome View | Hubble

Seen here in fulldome format, the central structure of spiral galaxy Messier 106 is observed in fantastic detail. Within the bright core, a supermassive black hole is believed to be voraciously feeding on a constant influx of gas from the surrounding galaxy, causing the accretion disc surrounding it to expel huge amounts of radiation.

Note: The full dome video display format is designed for projection systems in planetariums.

Video Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and R. Gendler (for the Hubble Heritage Team). Acknowledgment: J. GaBany

Duration: 50 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 23, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #M106 #Messier106 #NGC4258 #SpiralGalaxy #BlackHoleJets #CanesVenatici #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #Art #Visualization #FullDome #HD #Video

The Anomalous Arms of Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 | Hubble

The Anomalous Arms of Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 | Hubble

This video rotates around an artist's impression of Messier 106 (M106), showing how the 'anomalous arms' of hot gas are structured. The jets powered by matter falling into the black hole at the center of the galaxy are inclined compared to the plane of the galaxy. These disrupt the gas within the galaxy's disc, heating it up and pushing it out of the plane of the galaxy, arching away from the jets. Hubble's image of M106 clearly shows the arching red gaseous arms, though the jets coming from the galaxy's center are not visible.

Video Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), L. Calçada

Duration: 26 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 17, 2016

Zoom on Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 in Canes Venatici | Hubble

Zoom on Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 in Canes Venatici | Hubble

This video zooms in on nearby spiral galaxy Messier 106. The sequence begins with a view of the night sky centered on M 106, with the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear) visible. It then zooms through observations from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, and ends with an image that combines data from Hubble with amateur observations by astrophotographers Robert Gendler and Jay GaBany. Gendler combined these images with high resolution Hubble data to produce this stunning image.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Digitzed Sky Survey 2, R. Gendler, J. GaBany, G. Bacon

Duration: 39 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 17, 2016

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #M106 #Messier106 #NGC4258 #SpiralGalaxy #CanesVenatici #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #AmateurAstronomers #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 in Canes Venatici | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy Messier 106 in Canes Venatici | Hubble

This image combines Hubble Space Telescope observations of Messier 106 with additional information captured by amateur astronomers Robert Gendler and Jay GaBany. Gendler combined Hubble data with his own observations to produce this stunning color image.

Messier 106 is a relatively nearby spiral galaxy, a little over 20 million light-years away.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and R. Gendler (for the Hubble Heritage Team). Acknowledgment: J. GaBany

Release Date: Feb. 5, 2013

New Expedition 70 Crew Photos | International Space Station

New Expedition 70 Crew Photos | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen poses wearing a Santa Claus hat

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli works on the BioFabrication Facility

NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara treats brain cell-like samples

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli processes liver stem cell samples

O'Hara configures spacewalking tools

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa next to research hardware

Mogensen poses with a spacesuit

Furukawa removes hardware from Kibo's airlock

Expedition 70 Crew

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

Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: 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.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

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

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

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: Oct. 27-Nov. 24, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Danmark #Europe #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #Russia #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

Going For It All—Hubble’s Servicing Mission 1: Story Musgrave | NASA Goddard

Going For It All—Hubble’s Servicing Mission 1: Story Musgrave | NASA Goddard

Join us as we delve into the remarkable history of the Hubble Space Telescope and the critical role played by astronaut Story Musgrave during Servicing Mission 1.

In this interview, Story Musgrave shares firsthand accounts of the groundbreaking mission that revitalized Hubble, allowing it to capture breathtaking images and unlock the secrets of the cosmos. Discover the challenges, triumphs, and the incredible journey that made it all possible.

Hear from a true space legend as we explore the awe-inspiring achievements of both the Hubble Space Telescope and the dedicated individuals like Story Musgrave who made it all happen. Get ready to embark on a journey through the stars and beyond!

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Paul Morris: Lead Producer

Rob Andreoli: Lead Camera Operator

Story Musgrave: Interviewee

Video Credits:

Silhouetted Pole Vaulter Athlete Training Makes It Over High Bar via POND5

Duration: 6 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 5, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #HubbleServicingMission1 #Mirror #Astronaut #StoryMusgrave #Astronauts #SpaceShuttle #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Moonset | International Space Station

Moonset | International Space Station

A waning gibbous moon sets just beyond the horizon of Earth's atmosphere as the International Space Station soared 260 miles above the South Pacific Ocean.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Release Date: Nov. 30, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Moon #Moonset #WaningGibbousMoon #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Japan #Expedition70 #InternationaCooperation #STEM #Education

Monday, December 04, 2023

Russian Progress MS-25 Cargo Spacecraft Arrival | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-25 Cargo Spacecraft Arrival | International Space Station

Russian Progress 86 cargo craft approaches the International Space Station

Russian Progress 84 cargo craft departs the International Space Station

International Space Station Configuration on Dec. 3, 2023

An uncrewed Roscosmos Progress 86 spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station’s Poisk module at 6:18 a.m. EST on Dec. 3, 2023. The spacecraft launched on a Soyuz rocket at 4:25 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, (2:25 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko manually docked the spacecraft to the orbital complex after the automated rendezvous system took Progress out of its expected orientation.

Progress is delivering almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station for the Expedition 70 crew.

Expedition 70 Crew

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

Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

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

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

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: Nov. 29 - Dec. 3, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #CargoSpacecraft #Progress86Mission #ProgressMS25Spacecraft ##Progress84Mission #Cosmonauts #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Japan #Expedition70 #SpaceLaboratory #InternationaCooperation #Infographic #STEM #Education

European & U.S. Astronauts Talk with Houston Media | International Space Station

European & U.S. Astronauts Talk with Houston Media | International Space Station

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli and Lora O’Hara of NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and current space station Commander, Andy Mogensen of Denmark, discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Dec. 4, 2023, with KHOU-TV, Houston and the Houston Chronicle in Texas.

The trio are in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

Expedition 70 Crew

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

Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

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

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

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 18 minutes

Release Date: Dec. 4, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #SpaceX #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Danmark #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #Houston #UnitedStates #Russia #Japan #Expedition70 #InternationaCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Magical Night in Chile's Valley of The Moon

A Magical Night in Chile's Valley of The Moon

This image feels "alien" to look at. The upper two thirds constitute the night sky, a dark canvas painted with thousands of stars, the hazy white band of the Milky Way stretching off to the upper left, and wispy green and red features clinging near the horizon. The bottom third of the image curves like a bowl as the desert floor stretches up in front of the lens. Pointed features poke out of the dusty red ground that is speckled with white flecks of salt.

There is magic in this picture. Can you feel it? The strange geological formations protruding out of the desert floor are twisted and gnarled like old wizards’ hats, while the sky above is filled with thousands of stars and a myriad of mesmerizing colors. This is Valle de la Luna—meaning “Valley of the Moon”—in the Chilean Atacama Desert, close to where the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is located.

It is easy to see where the valley gets its name from; the moon-like formations on the dried-up salt beds have been eroded by aeons of exposure to the elements and feel far more out of this world than of it. Its altitude and dry air, as well as its distance from civilization, make it a great place for stargazing. This is particularly important for ALMA, as water vapor in the atmosphere can absorb the invisible light collected by this radio telescope.

As the night unfolds, the sky comes alive with the glowing cascade of the Milky Way, illuminated by gas and stars. The vibrant red color dancing across the Milky Way comes from hydrogen atoms distributed throughout our galaxy.

Credit: P. Horálek/European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: Nov. 27, 2023

#ESO #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Astrophotography #PetrHorálek #Astrophotographer #ValledelaLuna #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

Intracluster Light in the Abell 85 Galaxy Cluster: Enhanced image | Subaru Telescope

Abell 85 Galaxy Cluster Intracluster Light: Enhanced Image | Subaru Telescope

Image of the Abell 85 galaxy cluster, taken by the Hyper Suprime-Cam mounted on the Subaru Telescope in Hawai‘i. The enhanced teal hazy overlay is intracluster light—the collective glow of innumerable stars stripped from their home galaxies and left to wander vast intergalactic space. This ghostly glow is incredibly faint and difficult to detect, and is too faint to be seen in this image without the teal overlay, but Rubin Observatory’s 10-year survey will provide scientists with the data they need to detect intracluster light in thousands of galaxy clusters, unlocking clues to the evolutionary history of the Universe on large scales.

Image Description: A smattering of hundreds of galaxies of different shapes and sizes against a black background, semi-opaque teal blobs surround and connect many of the galaxies, tracing the distribution of the countless wandering stars that make up the intracluster light. The ghostly teal glow is primarily concentrated in an irregular shape around the galaxies in the center of the image, but larger individual galaxies off to the sides have their own separate glows.

Learn more about the Subaru Telescope:

https://subarutelescope.org/en/

Credit: Astronomical Data/Image: M. Montes (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias); Artistic Enhancement: J. Pinto (Rubin Observatory).

Release Date: Dec. 4, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyCluster #IntraclusterLight #Cassiopeia #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #SubaruTelescope #Japan #日本 #OpticalTelescope #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #Canada #STEM #Education

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