Sunday, January 07, 2024

Pandora's Cluster: Abell 2744 | Hubble’s Inside The Image | NASA

Pandora's Cluster: Abell 2744 | Hubble’s Inside The Image | NASA

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.5 million observations over the years. One of them is the incredible image of Abell 2744. Abell 2744, known as Pandora's Cluster, nestled in the Sculptor constellation, emerges as a celestial marvel. This cosmic spectacle showcases an intricate dance of galaxies, clusters, and dark matter, captivating astronomers and enthusiasts alike.

In this video, Dr. Brian Welch explains this breathtaking image and how important Hubble is to exploring the mysteries of the universe.


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

Producer, Director & Editor: James Leigh

Director of Photography: James Ball

Executive Producers: James Leigh & Matthew Duncan

Production & Post: Origin Films 

Video Credits:

Hubble Space Telescope Animation:

ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen

Hubble Space Eclipsing The Sun Animation:

ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser

 Animation of Galaxy Cluster With Gravitational Lensing

ESA/Hubble - L. Calçada

 Artist’s Impression of Gravitational Lensing:

ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser

Duration: 2 minutes, 28 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 7, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #PandorasCluster #Abell2744 #Sculptor #Constellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Cosmos #Universe #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Exploring The Moon with NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)

Exploring The Moon with NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)

NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative allows NASA to send science investigations and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface. Under Artemis, NASA will study more of the Moon than ever before, and CLPS will demonstrate how NASA is working with commercial companies to achieve robotic lunar exploration.

Learn more about CLPS:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/commercial-lunar-payload-services


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 1 minute, 54 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 1, 2022


#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #LunarPayloadServices #CLPS #CommercialSpace #ArtemisProgram #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Saturday, January 06, 2024

Performing Science on The Moon with Radioisotopes | NASA Apollo Missions

Performing Science on The Moon with Radioisotopes | NASA Apollo Missions

Apollo 12 Mission: NASA astronaut Alan Bean unloads Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) fuel element.
Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, is photographed at quadrant II of the Lunar Module (LM) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the Moon. This picture was taken by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander. Here, Bean is using a fuel transfer tool to remove the fuel element from the fuel cask mounted on the LM's descent stage. The fuel element was then placed in the RTG, the power source for the ALSEP that was deployed on the moon by the two astronauts. The RTG is next to Bean's right leg. While astronauts Conrad and Bean descended in the LM "Intrepid" to explore the Ocean of Storms region of the moon, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Yankee Clipper" in lunar orbit.
Image Date: 11-19-1969

Alan Bean has just offloaded Apollo 12 ALSEP package No. 2 from the Scientific Equipment (SEQ) Bay using a retractable boom, pulleys, and cables. Cooling fins on the RTG can be seen just to the right of Alan's right knee.
Image Date: 11-19-1969


 Apollo 16 Mission: This shows the dark grey doors of the Scientific Equipment (SEQ) Bay to the left of center, with a silver-colored, cosmic ray detector panel to the right of the doors and the protective cask for the RTG plutonium fuel element beyond the doors on the far left.  A lanyard was used to pull the  main door up and out of the way, revealing side doors which could be opened by hand.
Image Date: 04-21-1972

 Apollo 16 Mission: Astronaut John Young stands at ALSEP deployment site during first EVA 
Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, stands at the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) deployment site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. The components of the ALSEP are in the background. The lunar surface drill is just behind and to the right of astronaut Young. The drill's rack and bore stems are to the left. The three-sensor Lunar Surface Magnetometer is beyond the rack. The dark object in the right background is the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG). Between the RTG and the drill is the Heat Flow Experiment. A part of the Central Station is at the right center edge of the picture. This photograph was taken by astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot.
Image Date: 04-21-1972

A partial view of the Apollo 16 Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) in deployed configuration on the lunar surface as photographed during the mission's first extravehicular activity (EVA), on April 21, 1972. The Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) is in the foreground center; Central Station (C/S) is in center background, with the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) to the left. One of the anchor flags for the Active Seismic Experiment (ASE) is at right. While astronauts John W. Young, commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.
Image Date: 04-21-1972

Apollo 14 Mission: View of the Central Station of the ALSEP deploy by Apollo 14 astronauts
A close-up view of the central station (CS) of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package (ALSEP), which was deployed on the moon by the Apollo 14 astronauts during their first extravehicular activity (EVA). While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.
Image Date: 02-05-1971

Apollo 11 Mission: A close-up view of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module as it rested on the surface of the Moon. This photograph was take with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the extravehicular activity of Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on July 20, 1969. This photo shows Aldrin off-loading the Passive Seismometer package from the left-hand Scientific Equipment (SEQ) Bay compartment. The laser reflector is in the righthand compartment.
Image Date: 07-20-1969

 Apollo Radioactive Fuel Case: Cylindrical-shaped assembly with assorted wires and sockets mounted inside a metallic bar cradle. This artifact was transferred to the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in 1974 from NASA's Johnson Space Center.

The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) was a set of experiments that were placed on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts. The ALSEP received electrical power from heat produced by a radioactive substance. The power generator is called an radioisotope thermal generator (RTG). The radioactive material used for fuel by the RTG was stored outside the Lunar Module, mounted in a casing prior to transfer to the RTG.

The LSEP contained a collection of geophysical instruments designed to continue to monitor the environment of each Apollo landing site for a period of at least a year after the astronauts had departed. Designed for a life of one year (Apollo 17 was for two), they ended up working for up to 8 years, the experiments permanently shut down by Mission Control on September 30, 1977. Due to the experimental nature of the first landing of Apollo 11, especially the mechanics of getting to the lunar surface and back, science took a lesser role, so Apollo 11 had a simpler version known as the Early Apollo Surface Experiments Package (EASEP), with only two experiments.

The ALSEP/EASEP packages were stowed in Scientific Equipment Bay (SEQ Bay)/Quad II during the flight from Earth. The height of the pallets was at the limit for easy manual deployment on level terrain. There were booms to help with off-loading, particularly if the Lunar Module was tilted in such a way that the Bay was higher than normal.  Lanyards were used to release the packages and allow them to swing free and then be lowered by pulley to the surface. On Apollo 15, the LM tilt put the package in easy reach and the off-loading was done entirely by hand. The pulleys were removed for Apollo 17 since the crew felt they were not needed.  The mission timelines show offloading as a coordinated activity and allowed 8 to 9 minutes for both crewmen.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC/Smithsonian
Apollo Image Dates: July 20, 1969- April 21, 1971

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #Geology #ApolloProgram #LunarLander #ALSEP #PowerSystems #Radioisotopes #RTG #RadioisotopeThermalGenerator #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #DOE #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs): Pull-apart Animation | NASA Space Tech

Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs): Pull-apart Animation | NASA Space Tech

This 3D animation shows the main components of a radioisotope heater unit, or RHU, that is used to provide heat for many NASA missions that explore the solar system. 

RHUs have a rich history of use on NASA missions. They were first used with the science experiments that were left on the surface of the Moon in 1969 by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Later NASA missions have carried them to Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. All told, the United States has flown 300 RHUs on 32 space missions.

RHUs are small devices that use the decay of plutonium-238 to provide heat to keep spacecraft components and systems warm so that the equipment can survive long enough in the cold space environment to complete its mission. This heat is transferred to spacecraft structures, systems, and instruments directly, without moving parts or intervening electronic components.

By using RHUs, the spacecraft designer can allocate scarce spacecraft electrical power to operate the spacecraft systems and instruments. RHUs also provide the added benefit of reducing potential interference (electromagnetic interference) with instruments or electronics that might be generated by electrical heating systems.

An RHU contains a Pu-238 fuel pellet about the size of a pencil eraser and outputs about 1 Watt of heat. (The entire RHU is about the size of a C-cell battery.) A number of missions employ just a few RHUs for extra heat, while others have dozens.

Download NASA RHU Fact Sheet here:

https://rps.nasa.gov/resources/55/radioisotope-heater-units/

For more information about radioisotope power systems, visit http://rps.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Duration: 37 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2013


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Spacecraft #PowerSystems #RadioisotopeHeaterUnits #RHU #Moon #Mars #CuriosityRover #PerseveranceRover #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #SolarSystem #JPL #Caltech #DOE #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #3DAnimation #HD #Video

First NASA Artemis Robotic Launch to The Moon on New ULA Vulcan Rocket

First NASA Artemis Robotic Launch to The Moon on New ULA Vulcan Rocket

United Launch Alliance (ULA)'s first Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle (VC2S) was transported to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on January 5, 2024. For its first certification mission (Cert-1), Vulcan will launch Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander (Peregrine Mission One – PM1) and Celestis Memorial Spaceflights deep space Voyager mission (Enterprise Flight). They are currently targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface.

This launch is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis program. Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA and commercial payloads to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and the radiation environment of the lunar surface. 

Learn more about Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander (Adobe PDF):

https://www.astrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peregrine-Launch_Info_Packet-Web-1.pdf

Learn about NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) - Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-lunar-payload-services/ 


Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky/United Launch Alliance

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 6, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ArtemisProgram #Moon #SouthPole #MonsMouton #WaterIce #Astrobotic #PeregrineLunarLander #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #DeepSpace #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #ULA #VulcanRocket #CLPS #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) | NASA Space Exploration Technology

Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) | NASA Space Exploration Technology

One small, simple type of radioisotope power system that is extremely versatile is known as a radioisotope heater unit, or RHU. 

A single RHU passively radiates about one watt of heat. When placed carefully aboard a spacecraft or inside a rover, the heat energy from RHUs serves to keep a mission’s hardware at proper operating temperatures, compensating for the very cold temperatures often encountered in space exploration.

RHUs have a rich history of use on NASA missions. They were first used with the science experiments that were left on the surface of the Moon in 1969 by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Later NASA missions have carried them to Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. All told, the United States has flown 300 RHUs on 32 space missions.

Download NASA RHU Fact Sheet here:

https://rps.nasa.gov/resources/55/radioisotope-heater-units/


Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 5 minutes, 28 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 5, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Spacecraft #PowerSystems #RadioisotopeHeaterUnits #RHU #Moon #Mars #CuriosityRover #PerseveranceRover #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #SolarSystem #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The First Artemis Robotic Launch to The Moon | This Week @NASA

The First Artemis Robotic Launch to The Moon This Week @NASA 

Week of January 5, 2024: The first Artemis robotic launch to the Moon, an Artemis lunar robotic rover is halfway built, and an up-close look at a volcanic moon . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Video Producer, Editor & Narrator: Andre Valentine

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 6, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ArtemisProgram #Moon #SouthPole #MonsMouton #WaterIce #Astrobotic #PeregrineLunarLander #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #Jupiter #Io #SolarSystem #ULA #VulcanRocket #CLPS #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Friday, January 05, 2024

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander: Preparing for Launch | NASA CLPS

Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander: Preparing for Launch | NASA CLPS









As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis program, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Astrobotic are currently targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface. Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA and commercial payloads to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and the radiation environment of the lunar surface. 

Learn more about Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander (Adobe PDF):

https://www.astrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peregrine-Launch_Info_Packet-Web-1.pdf

Learn about NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) - Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-lunar-payload-services/ 


Image Credits: United Launch Alliance (ULA), NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Image Date: Jan. 5, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ArtemisProgram #Moon #SouthPole #MonsMouton #WaterIce #Astrobotic #PeregrineLunarLander #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #DeepSpace #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #ULA #VulcanRocket #CLPS #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Hydrogen-seeking Instrument Headed to The Moon

NASA's Hydrogen-seeking Instrument Headed to The Moon


The Neutron Spectrometer System is a science instrument capable of indirectly detecting potential water present in the lunar soil at the landing site of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lander, as a result of the water in the exhaust deposited by the lander’s engines. After landing, the system will measure any changes in the characteristics of the lunar soil over the course of a lunar day.

As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis program, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Astrobotic are targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface. Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Through Artemis, NASA is working with multiple CLPS initiative vendors to establish a regular cadence of payload deliveries to the Moon to perform experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the lunar surface. With CLPS, as well as with human exploration near the lunar South Pole, NASA will establish a long-term cadence of Moon missions in preparation for sending the first astronauts to Mars.

Learn more about Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander (Adobe PDF):

https://www.astrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peregrine-Launch_Info_Packet-Web-1.pdf

Learn about NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) - Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-lunar-payload-services/ 


Credit: NASA's Ames Research Center (ARC)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 5, 2023 


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ArtemisProgram #Moon #SouthPole #MonsMouton #Hydrogen #WaterIce #Astrobotic #PeregrineLunarLander #DeepSpace #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #CLPS #NASAAmes #ARC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Birthplaces of Stars in The Whirlpool Galaxy | Max Planck Institute

The Birthplaces of Stars in The Whirlpool Galaxy | Max Planck Institute

An international research team led by astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) has meticulously mapped expansive cold and dense gas regions, the future stellar nurseries, in a galaxy outside the Milky Way with unprecedented detail. Utilizing the NOEMA interferometer, these observations cover a vast expanse within the galaxy, providing insight into varying conditions conducive to star formation. The data marks a ground-breaking achievement in this type of measurement, allowing researchers, for the first time, to scrutinize the early phases of star formation beyond the Milky Way on scales as minute as individual gas clouds birthing stars.

This video belongs to the MPIA press release of the same name and shows an animation of the distribution of diazenylium and hydrogen cyanide within the Whirlpool Galaxy. Starting from an overview of the galaxy captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, the animation zooms in on the central region. Subsequently, overlays of the signatures of both molecules are presented. While their intensity uniformly increases and decreases across the spiral arms, the brightness of hydrogen cyanide emission rises more significantly in the central area than diazenylium.

MPIA Press Release:

https://www.mpia.de/news/science/2023-17-whirlpool-galaxy-swan


Credits: Thomas Müller (HdA/MPIA); molecular data: S. Stuber et al. (MPIA); background image: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Duration: 26 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 5, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #M51 #WhirlpoolGalaxy #SpiralGalaxy #NGC5194 #CanesVenatici #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #MPIA #Deutschland #Germany #Europe #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

The Pillars of Creation | Hubble’s Inside The Image | NASA Goddard

The Pillars of Creation Hubble’s Inside The Image | NASA Goddard

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.5 million observations over the years. One of them is the incredible image of The Pillars of Creation.

The Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, situated in the Serpens constellation, stand as celestial marvels. Composed of interstellar gas and dust, these towering structures captivate astronomers and stargazers alike. Shaped by the potent forces of stellar winds and radiation, the pillars, resembling cosmic sentinels, showcase vibrant hues. Functioning as crucibles for stellar birth, they facilitate the creation of new stars in a delicate dance of destruction and formation. The Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula offer a captivating spectacle, inviting observers to contemplate the profound dynamics at play within our ever-evolving cosmic tapestry.

In this video, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman explains this breathtaking image and how important Hubble is to exploring the mysteries of the universe.


Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Producer, Director & Editor: James Leigh

Director of Photography: James Ball

Executive Producers: James Leigh & Matthew Duncan

Production & Post: Origin Films 

Video Credits:

Hubble Space Telescope Animation

ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen) 

Light Echo Animation

NASA/ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 5, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Stars #Nebula #EagleNebula #PillarsOfCreation #Infrared #SerpensCauda #Constellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Cosmos #Universe #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Trapezium Cluster: At the Heart of The Orion Nebula

The Trapezium Cluster: At the Heart of The Orion Nebula

Near the center of this sharp cosmic portrait, at the heart of the Orion Nebula, are four hot, massive stars known as the Trapezium. Gathered within a region about 1.5 light-years in radius, they dominate the core of the dense Orion Nebula Star Cluster. Ultraviolet ionizing radiation from the Trapezium stars, mostly from the brightest star Theta-1 Orionis C powers the complex star forming region's entire visible glow. 

About three million years old, the Orion Nebula Cluster was even more compact in its younger years and a dynamical study indicates that runaway stellar collisions at an earlier age may have formed a black hole with more than 100 times the mass of the Sun. The presence of a black hole within the cluster could explain the observed high velocities of the Trapezium stars. The Orion Nebula's distance of some 1,500 light-years would make it one of the closest known black holes to planet Earth. 

The Trapezium Cluster was discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1617.


Image Credit & Copyright: Fred Zimmer, Telescope Live

Fred's Website: https://telescope.live/user/24785

Release Date: Jan. 5, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Trapezium #TrapeziumCluster #Nebulae #Nebula #OrionStarCluster #OrionNebula #Orion #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #STEM #Education #APoD

Thursday, January 04, 2024

Ax-3 Crew Send-off | Axiom Space | International Space Station

Ax-3 Crew Send-off | Axiom Space | International Space Station


"Prior to entering quarantine, Axiom Space employees came together to celebrate the Ax-3 crew. Crew send-off is a tradition that pays tribute to the dedication and tireless efforts of the Axiom Team leading a human spaceflight mission. God Speed Ax-3 Crew!"

"Ax-3 will be the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the ISS—redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and helping chart a course toward Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station."

"As part of Ax-3, Türkiye is sending its first astronaut to space in a larger effort to expand the nation’s space exploration capabilities and establish a national human spaceflight program. Ax-3 will also be the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut. For Italy, the Ax-3 mission represents a whole-of-country effort to expand its access to space for the purposes of research, development, and innovation."

"The Ax-3 crewmembers are Commander Michael López-Alegría of the U.S. and Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and the European Space Agency (ESA). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-3 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than January 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida."

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com


Video Credit: Axiom Space

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 4, 2024 


#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Ax3 #AX3Crew #TeamAxiom #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #WalterVilladei #AlperGezeravcı #MarcusWandt #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #ESA #Italy #Türkiye #Sweden #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mighty Star Merak in Ursa Major

Mighty Star Merak in Ursa Major

Astrophotographer Greg Parker: "Front and center here is the bright star Merak in the asterism of the Big Dipper—in the constellation of Ursa Major. It’s one of the Dipper’s pointer stars, showing the way to the North Star. Some 80 light years from us, Merak is the 2nd brightest star in Ursa Major. Compared to the Sun, it’s nearly 3 times as big, but owing to its considerably greater luminosity, it’s much brighter than our home star. Note that to the right of Merak, just below a bright orange star, 'Broken Engagement Ring' is another asterism."


Image Credit: Greg Parker  

Caption Credit: Greg Parker, Jim Foster  

Location: New Forest Observatory in Hampshire, England, UK Coordinates: 51.063202, -1.308000

Release Date: Dec. 27, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Star #Merak #Asterism #UrsaMajor #Constellation #BigDipper #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #GregParker #Astrophotographer #CitizenScience #NewForestObservatory #Hampshire #England #UK #USRA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #EPoD

30 Doradus B Supernova Remnant | NASA Space Telescopes

30 Doradus B Supernova Remnant | NASA Space Telescopes

A colorful, festive image shows different types of light containing the remains of not one, but at least two, exploded stars. This supernova remnant is known as 30 Doradus B (30 Dor B for short) and is part of a larger region of space where stars have been continuously forming for the past 8 to 10 million years. It is a complex landscape of dark clouds of gas, young stars, high-energy shocks, and superheated gas, located 160,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

X-rays from Chandra have provided evidence for at least two explosions tied to the supernova remnant 30 Doradus B.

Typically, there is only one supernova associated with a supernova remnant.

30 Doradus B is found in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small neighbor galaxy to the Milky Way.

This new image of 30 Doradus B contains X-rays, optical, and infrared data.

The new image of 30 Dor B was made by combining X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (purple), optical data from the Blanco 4-meter telescope in Chile (orange and cyan), and infrared data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope (red). Optical data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was also added in black and white to highlight sharp features in the image.

A team of astronomers led by Wei-An Chen from the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, have used over two million seconds of Chandra observing time of 30 Dor B and its surroundings to analyze the region. They found a faint shell of X-rays that extends about 130 light-years across. (For context, the nearest star to the Sun is about 4 light-years away). The Chandra data also reveals that 30 Dor B contains winds of particles blowing away from a pulsar, creating what is known as a pulsar wind nebula.

When taken together with data from Hubble and other telescopes, the researchers determined that no single supernova explosion could explain what is being seen. Both the pulsar and the bright X-rays seen in the center of 30 Dor B likely resulted from a supernova explosion after the collapse of a massive star about 5,000 years ago. The larger, faint shell of X-rays, however, is too big to have resulted from the same supernova. Instead, the team thinks that at least two supernova explosions took place in 30 Dor B, with the X-ray shell produced by another supernova more than 5,000 years ago. It is also quite possible that even more happened in the past.

This result can help astronomers learn more about the lives of massive stars, and the effects of their supernova explosions.

Image Description:

The entire image is awash in intricate clouds, and swathes of superheated gas. At our upper left-hand corner is a thick, coral pink and wine-colored cloud with a texture resembling cotton candy. At our lower and upper right is a network of deep red clouds that resemble streaks of thick red syrup floating in water. A layer of wispy blue cloud appears to be present across the entire image, but is most evident at our lower left which is free of overlapping gas. Glowing pink, orange, and purple specks of light, which are stars, dot the image.

In the center of the frame is a bright purple and pink cloud, aglow with brilliant white dots, and streaked with lightning-like veins. This is 30 Doradus B, which is delineated by a faint shell of X-rays identified by Chandra. Within this supernova remnant are high energy shocks and winds of particles blowing away from a pulsar.

Learn more about Chandra:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/


Image Credits: 

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Penn State Univ./L. Townsley et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI/HST; Infrared: NASA/JPL/CalTech/SST; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, N. Wolk, K. Arcand

Release Date: Jan. 3, 2024


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Hubble Observes Exoplanet Atmosphere Changing Over 3 Years | NASA/ESA

Hubble Observes Exoplanet Atmosphere Changing over 3 Years | NASA/ESA

By combining several years of observations from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope along with conducting computer modeling, astronomers have found evidence for massive cyclones and other dynamic weather activity swirling on a hot, Jupiter-sized planet 880 light-years away. 

This video shows the temperature forecast spanning 130 exoplanet-days, across sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight, for the exoplanet WASP-121 b, also known as Tylos. The brighter yellow regions depict areas on the day side of the exoplanet where the temperature soars well above 2000 Kelvins because of its close proximity to its host star, roughly 2.6% of the distance between Earth and the Sun. Owing to the extreme temperature difference between the day and night sides, astronomers suspect evaporated iron and other heavy metals escaping into the higher layers of atmosphere on the day side partially fall back onto lower layers, making it rain iron on the night side. These heavy metals also escape the planet's gravity from the upper atmosphere.

It only takes WASP-121 b roughly 30 hours to complete an orbit around its star.

The Jupiter-sized planet WASP-121 b is no place to call home. For starters, it orbits very close to a star that is brighter and hotter than the Sun. The planet is so dangerously close to its star that its upper atmosphere reaches a blazing 3,400 degrees Fahrenheit—hotter than a steel blast furnace.

A torrent of ultraviolet light from the host star is heating the planet's upper atmosphere. This is causing the magnesium and iron gas to escape into space. Powerful gravitational tidal forces from the star have altered the planet's shape so that it appears more football shaped. By combining several years of Hubble Space Telescope observations with computer modelling, astronomers have found evidence for massive cyclones swirling on the hellish planet. The cyclones are repeatedly created and destroyed due to the large temperature difference between the star-facing side and dark night-time side of the exoplanet.

An international team of astronomers assembled and reprocessed Hubble observations of the exoplanet made in the years 2016, 2018 and 2019. This provided them with a unique dataset that allowed them not only to analyze the atmosphere of WASP-121 b, but also to compare the state of the exoplanet’s atmosphere across several years. They found clear evidence that the observations of WASP-121 b were varying in time. The team then used sophisticated modelling techniques to demonstrate that these temporal variations could be explained by weather patterns in the exoplanet's atmosphere, as seen here.


Video Credit: NASA, ESA, Q. Changeat et al., M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 1 minute, 24 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 4, 2024 

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