Friday, March 01, 2024

What's Up for March 2024: Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL

What's Up for March 2024: Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL

Here are examples of skywatching highlights for March 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere:

Jupiter plows through the Pleiades on March 14, a chance to spot Mercury at month's end along with a subtle lunar eclipse, and a comet worth keeping an eye on!

0:00 Intro 

0:12 Moon & planet highlights

0:51 Penumbral lunar eclipse

1:47 Comet 12p/Pons-Brooks

1:23 March Moon phases

Find astronomy events & clubs: 

NASA's Night Sky Network

https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/night-sky-network/

Skywatching resources from NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching


Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 3 minutes, 46 seconds

Release Date: March 1, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #LunarEclipse #Planets #Jupiter #Comets #Comet12pPonsBrooks #SolarSystem #Stars #Pleiades #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #Caltech #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#8: Feb. 29, 2024 | Stennis Space Center

NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#8: Feb. 29, 2024 | Stennis Space Center

An Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 rocket engine (RS-25 developmental engine E0525) was tested for 615 seconds on the Fred Haise Test Stand (formerly A-1 Test Stand) at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, on February 29, 2024, at 1:40pm CST). This was the second test using a new production engine nozzle providing additional performance data on the upgraded unit and the eight hot fire test out of the 12 planned in the final round of certification testing ahead of production of an updated set of engines for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) that will be used beginning with Artemis V. The test had a planned duration of 615 seconds, with the RS-25 engine running up to 111% power level.

As NASA aims to establish a long-term presence on the Moon for scientific discovery and exploration, and prepare for future missions to Mars, new engines will incorporate dozens of improvements to make production more efficient and affordable while maintaining high performance and reliability.

With completion of the certification test series, all systems will be “go” to produce the first new RS-25 engines since the space shuttle era. NASA has contracted with Aerojet Rocketdyne to produce 24 new RS-25 engines using the updated design for missions beginning with Artemis V. NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne modified 16 former space shuttle missions for use on Artemis missions I through IV.

Through Artemis, NASA will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.


Video Credit: NASA

Duration: 11 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 29, 2024


#NASA #Space #Artemis #ArtemisV #Moon #Rocket #SpaceLaunchSystem #SLS #Engine #RS25 #RS25Testing #AerojetRocketdyne #MoonToMars #DeepSpace #Propulsion #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #NASAStennis #Mississippi #MSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

North America's Great Lakes Ice at Historic Low | NOAA

North America's Great Lakes Ice at Historic Low | NOAA


For the second consecutive year, ice cover on the Great Lakes remains significantly below average for this time of year. Typically, peak ice cover at levels are around 53 percent. As of February 11, 2024, total ice coverage across all lakes measured a mere 2.7 percent. Lakes Erie and Ontario are basically at—or tied with—their respective historic lows for this time of year, making both essentially ice-free. This record low ice cover is largely attributed to unusually warm temperatures throughout the region in December 2023, paired with the generally short duration of Arctic air blasts.

The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the east-central interior of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. The five lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario and are in general on or near the Canada–United States border.


Credits: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) 

Duration: 2 minutes, 20 seconds

Release Date: March 1, 2024

#NASA #NOAA #Science #Planet #Earth #Meteorology #Weather #Atmosphere #FreshwaterLakes #GreatLakes #LakeOntario #LakeErie #IceCover #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GSFC #CIRA #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthAmerica #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tonight's Sky: March 2024 (Northern Hemisphere)

Tonight's Sky: March 2024 (Northern Hemisphere)

In March 2024, the stars of spring lie eastward. Look for the constellations Gemini and Cancer to spot interesting celestial features like star clusters M35 and the Beehive Cluster, and NGC 3923, an oblong elliptical galaxy with an interesting ripple pattern. Keep watching for space-based views of the galaxies.

“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning. 

This video was produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University. 


Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Duration: 5 minutes, 21 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 25, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Planets #SolarSystem #Galaxies #Stars #StarClusters #Nebulae #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Skywatching #STScI #JPL #Caltech #SSU #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-8: Falcon 9 Rocket Launch Ready | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-8: Falcon 9 Rocket Launch Ready | International Space Station

The crew members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission pose for a photo in front of the assembled Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. From left to right are Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, plus Pilot Michael Barratt, Commander Matthew Dominick, and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps—all from NASA. The SpaceX Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft is now targeted to launch at 11:16 p.m. EST Saturday, March 2, 2024.

Learn more about the SpaceX Crew-8 Mission:

    
NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps Official Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jeanette-j-epps/biography

NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/people/matthew-dominick

NASA Astronaut Michael Barratt Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/michael-reed-barratt/biography

Alexander Grebenkin graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School, Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance, and repair of aircraft radio navigation systems. He graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.

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: SpaceX

Release Date: Feb. 24, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #SpaceXCrew8 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Earth #Astronauts #MatthewDominick #MichaelBarratt #JeanetteEpps #Cosmonaut #AleksandrGrebenkin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Coming Up Next | Week of March 1, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: Coming Up Next | Week of March 1, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what is happening aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft is now targeted to launch at 11:16 p.m. EST Saturday, March 2, 2024. Crew-8 Commander Matthew Dominick, Pilot Mike Barratt, and Mission Specialists Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin of Russia will take a short, automated trip to the station aboard Dragon and dock to the Harmony module’s forward port at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 3.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

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

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.

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


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

Duration: 2 minutes 41 seconds

Release Date: March 1, 2024 


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew8 #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Europe #ESA #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Thursday, February 29, 2024

NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Todo es cuestión de ciencia: 23 de febrero de 2024

NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Todo es cuestión de ciencia: 23 de febrero de 2024

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.

Aprende más sobre la ciencia a bordo de la estación espacial: 

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/ciencia-en-la-estacion/

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

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


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

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 29, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #NASAenespañol #español #Progress87Spacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Europe #ESA #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Remembers Astronaut Richard Truly

NASA Remembers Astronaut Richard Truly

"We're saddened by the passing of Astronaut Richard Truly at the age of 86."

In 1965, Truly became one of the first military astronauts selected to the Air Force’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory program and transferred to NASA as an astronaut in August 1969. He served as capsule communicator for all three Skylab missions in 1973 and the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. He was pilot for one of the two-astronaut crews that flew the 747/Space Shuttle Enterprise approach and landing test flights during 1977. He then was backup pilot for STS-1, the first orbital test of the Shuttle. His first space flight was as pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-2), significant as the first piloted spacecraft to be reflown in space. His second flight (STS-8) was as commander of Space Shuttle Challenger, the first night launch and landing in the Shuttle program.

The former Shuttle astronaut served as the first commander of the Naval Space Command in Dahlgren, Virginia, established Oct. 1, 1983.

Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly returned to NASA to become NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Flight on February 20, 1986. In this position, he led the painstaking rebuilding of the Space Shuttle program. This was highlighted by NASA’s celebrated “return to flight” on September 29, 1988, when Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on the first Shuttle mission in almost 3 years.

He served as NASA’s eighth Administrator from February 1989 to 1992.

NASA News Release: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-honors-life-of-former-administrator-astronaut-richard-truly/


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Video Producer: Sonnet Apple

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 29, 2024


#NASA #Space #HumanSpaceflight #Astronaut #AssociateAdministrator #RichardTruly #Pilot #CivilSpace #SkyLab #SpaceShuttle #STS2 #STS8 #USAF #MilitarySpace #History #NASARemembers #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Himalayas | International Space Station

The Himalayas | International Space Station

The Himalayas, separating the Indian subcontinent from China, home to the South Asian nations of Nepal and Bhutan, and with Lakes Mansarovar and Rakshastal on the Chinese side, are pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above. The Himalayas, or Himalaya, is a mountain range in Asia. The range has a number of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 peaks exceed elevations of 7,200 meters (23,600 feet) above sea level in the Himalayas.

The Himalayas cross five countries: Nepal, China, Pakistan, Bhutan and India.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

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

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.


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

Image Date: Feb. 11, 2024 


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Asia # Himalayas #EarthObservation #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Europe #ESA #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Earth Views: February 2024 | China Space Station

Earth Views: February 2024 | China Space Station

This new China's Space Station video presents a stunning sunrise and more Earth views . . .

The Shenzhou-17 crew continues to research human adaptation to the space environment. So far, they have successfully completed many tasks, including spacewalks, moving equipment out of the space station for space experiments, managing equipment and facilities, and maintaining experiment facilities for long term science research.

Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program.

Shenzhou-17 Crew:

Hongbo Tang (Commander)

Shengjie Tang (Mission Specialist)

Xinlin Jiang (Mission Specialist)


Video Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)/China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) 

Duration: 2 minutes, 55 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 29, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou17 #神舟十七号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HongboTang #ShengjieTang #XinlinJiang #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #TiangongSpaceStation #中国空间站 #CMSA #国家航天局  #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Link Found Between Water and Planet Formation | ESO

New Link Found Between Water and Planet Formation | ESO

Researchers have found water vapor in the disc around a young star exactly where planets may be forming. Water is a key ingredient for life on Earth, and is also thought to play a significant role in planet formation. Yet, until now, we had never been able to map how water is distributed in a stable, cool disc—the type of disc that offers the most favorable conditions for planets to form around stars. The new findings were made possible thanks to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner. This video summarizes the discovery. 


Video Credits: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner.

Editing: Angelos Tsaousis and Luis Calçada.

Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida

Written by: Pamela Freeman and Tom Howarth.

Footage and photos: ESO/L. Calçada, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Facchini et al., A. Tsaousis, C. Malin (christophmalin.com), B. Tafreshi, General Dynamics C4 Systems.  

Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova.

Duration: 1 minute, 29 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 29, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Planets #Exoplanets #Water #PlanetaryFormation #ESO #ALMA #RadioTelescope #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Annual Minimum, Second Lowest On Record | NASA Goddard

Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Annual Minimum, Second Lowest On Record | NASA Goddard

On February 20th, 2024, Antarctic sea ice officially reached its minimum extent for the year. This cycle of growth and melting occurs every year, with the ice reaching its smallest size during the Southern Hemisphere's summer. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, this marks the second-lowest sea ice extent recorded by satellites, reflecting a trend of declining coverage over time.


Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Scientific Visualization Studio

Grace Weikert (eMITS AMA): Lead Producer

Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Lead Visualizer

Walt Meier (NASA/GSFC): Scientist

Project Support: Katie Jepson (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

Project Support: Jefferson Beck (eMITS MORI)

Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellites #Science #Planet #Earth #Oceans #SouthernHemisphere #Antarctica #SeaIce #AirborneScience #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #ClimateChange #Climate #GlobalHeating #Environment #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Falcon 9 Rocket Static Fire Test & Launch Update | NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission

Falcon 9 Rocket Static Fire Test & Launch Update NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission

SpaceX and NASA are now targeting no earlier than March 2, 2024, at 11:16 p.m. ET for launch of Crew-8 to the International Space Station due to high winds in the ascent corridor. Teams will continue to keep an eye on weather. 

Follow updates here: → http://spacex.com/launches

Four Commercial Crew members are preparing for their launch to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. Commander Matt Dominick (NASA), Pilot Mike Barratt (NASA), and Mission Specialists Jeanette Epps (NASA) and Alexander Grebenkin of Roscosmos (Russia).

Learn more about the SpaceX Crew-8 Mission:
    
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.

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: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Image Date: Feb. 27, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew8 #Falcon9Rocket #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #MatthewDominick #MichaelBarratt #JeanetteEpps #Cosmonaut #AleksandrGrebenkin #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Three Moon Surface Images Released | Intuitive Machines Odysseus Lunar Lander

Three Moon Surface Images Released Intuitive Machines Odysseus Lunar Lander
"Taken on February 27th, flight controllers commanded Odysseus to capture a new image using its narrow-field-of-view camera. Previous attempts to send photos from landing and the days following returned unusable imagery. After successfully transmitting the image to Earth, flight controllers received additional insight into Odysseus' position on the lunar surface."
"This image illustrates Odysseus' landing strut performing its primary task, absorbing first contact with the lunar surface to preserve mission integrity."

"The IM-1 Mission successfully landed the first spacecraft on the Moon's south pole region, marking the United States' first return since Apollo 17 and the first commercial lunar lander to transmit valuable science data of each NASA payload from the lunar surface . . ."
On February 28, 2024, Intuitive Machines provided an update on the status of the Odysseus Lunar Lander located near the Malapert A crater in the Moon’s South Pole region. They released three new images of the moon's surface from the landing area.

On February 22, 2024, the IM-1 Mission Nova-C Moon Lander, named "Odysseus," became the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon’s surface since the NASA Apollo 17 moon landing in 1972.

Follow IM-1 Mission Updates: 

https://www.intuitivemachines.com/im-1

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


Image Credit: Intuitive Machines

Image Dates: Feb. 22-28, 2024

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #LRO #SouthPole #ArtemisProgram #IntuitiveMachines #IM1Mission #IM1Spacecraft #NovaCLander #CommercialSpace #CLPS #SpaceTechnology #MSFC #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

First Photos from Moon Surface | Intuitive Machines Odysseus Lunar Lander

First Photos from Moon Surface Intuitive Machines Odysseus Lunar Lander

On February 28, 2024, NASA and Intuitive Machines provided an update on the status of the Odysseus Lunar Lander located near the Malapert A crater in the Moon’s South Pole region.

On February 22, 2024, the IM-1 Mission Nova-C Moon Lander, named "Odysseus," became the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon’s surface since the NASA Apollo 17 moon landing in 1972.

Follow IM-1 Mission Updates: 

https://www.intuitivemachines.com/im-1

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


Image Credits: Intuitive Machines/NASA
Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 2 minutes, 35 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #LRO #SouthPole #ArtemisProgram #IntuitiveMachines #IM1Mission #IM1Spacecraft #NovaCLander #CommercialSpace #CLPS #SpaceTechnology #MSFC #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dwarf Galaxies Reionized the Universe: Galaxy Cluster Abell 2744 | Webb Telescope

Dwarf Galaxies Reionized the Universe: Galaxy Cluster Abell 2744 | Webb Telescope


Using the unprecedented capabilities of the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of scientists have obtained the first spectroscopic observations of the faintest galaxies during the first billion years of the Universe. These findings help answer a longstanding question for astronomers: what sources caused the reionization of the Universe? These news results have effectively demonstrated that small dwarf galaxies are the likely producers of prodigious amounts of energetic radiation.

Researching the evolution of the early Universe is an important aspect of modern astronomy. Much remains to be understood about the time in the Universe’s early history known as the era of reionization. It was a period of darkness without any stars or galaxies, filled with a dense fog of hydrogen gas, until the first stars ionized the gas around them and light began to travel through. Astronomers have spent decades trying to identify the sources that emitted radiation powerful enough to gradually clear away this hydrogen fog that blanketed the early Universe.

“This discovery unveils the crucial role played by ultra-faint galaxies in the early Universe's evolution,” said team member Iryna Chemerynska of the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris in France. “They produce ionizing photons that transform neutral hydrogen into ionized plasma during cosmic reionization. It highlights the importance of understanding low-mass galaxies in shaping the Universe's history.”

“These cosmic powerhouses collectively emit more than enough energy to get the job done,” added team leader Hakim Atek, Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, France, and lead author of the paper describing this result. “Despite their tiny size, these low-mass galaxies are prolific producers of energetic radiation, and their abundance during this period is so substantial that their collective influence can transform the entire state of the Universe.”

Astronomers estimate 50,000 sources of near-infrared light are represented in this image from the James Webb Space Telescope. Their light has travelled through various distances to reach the telescope’s detectors, representing the vastness of space in a single image. A foreground star in our own galaxy, to the right of the image center, displays Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes. Bright white sources surrounded by a hazy glow are the galaxies of Pandora’s Cluster, a conglomeration of already-massive clusters of galaxies coming together to form a mega cluster. The concentration of mass is so great that the fabric of spacetime is warped by gravity, creating a natural, super-magnifying glass called a 'gravitational lens' that astronomers can use to see very distant sources of light beyond the cluster that would otherwise be undetectable, even to Webb.

These lensed sources appear red in the image, and often as elongated arcs distorted by the gravitational lens. Many of these are galaxies from the early Universe, with their contents magnified and stretched out for astronomers to study. 

Image Description: A crowded galaxy field on a black background, with one large star dominating the image just right of center. Three areas are concentrated with larger white hazy blobs on the left, lower right, and upper right above the single star. Scattered between these areas are many smaller sources of light; some also have a hazy white glow, while many other are red or orange.

These results have been published today in the journal Nature: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07043-6


Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, I. Labbe (Swinburne University of Technology), R. Bezanson (University of Pittsburgh), A. Pagan (STScI)

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyCluster #Abell2744 #Sculptor #Constellation #GravitationalLensing #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #Reonization #Astrophysics #Cosmology #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education