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Espacio a Tierra | A continuación: 01 de marzo de 2024 | NASA
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.
Astronómos miden el par de Agujeros Negros más pesado jamás encontrado
Usando datos de archivo del telescopio Gemini Norte, un equipo de astrónomos midió un par de agujero negros supermasivos, los más pesados jamás encontrados. La fusión de estos agujeros negros supermasivos es un fenómeno que se predice desde hace mucho tiempo, aunque nunca se ha observado. Este par masivo nos entrega pistas de por qué un evento como este es tan improbable en el Universo.
Astronómos miden el par de Agujeros Negros más pesado jamás encontrado:
Astronomers Measure Heaviest Black Hole Pair Ever Found | NOIRLab
Cosmoview Episode 76: Using archival data from the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, operated by the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, a team of astronomers have measured the heaviest pair of supermassive black holes ever found. The merging of two supermassive black holes is a phenomenon that has long been predicted, though never observed. This massive pair gives clues as to why such an event seems so unlikely in the Universe.
Nearly every massive galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole at its center. When two galaxies merge, their black holes can form a binary pair, meaning they are in a bound orbit with one another. It is hypothesized that these binaries are fated to eventually merge, but this has never been observed. The question of whether such an event is possible has been a topic of discussion amongst astronomers for decades. In a recently published paper in The Astrophysical Journal, a team of astronomers have presented new insight into this question.
The team used data from the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i to analyze a supermassive black hole binary located within the elliptical galaxy B2 0402+379. This is the only supermassive black hole binary ever resolved in enough detail to see both objects separately, and it holds the record for having the smallest separation ever directly measured—a mere 24 light-years. While this close separation foretells a powerful merger, further study revealed that the pair has been stalled at this distance for over three billion years, begging the question: "Why the delay?"
The team estimates the binary’s mass to be a whopping 28 billion times that of the Sun, qualifying the pair as the heaviest binary black hole ever measured. Not only does this measurement give valuable context to the formation of the binary system and the history of its host galaxy, but it supports the long-standing theory that the mass of a supermassive binary black hole plays a key role in stalling a potential merger.
With new knowledge of the system’s extremely large mass, the team concluded that an exceptionally large number of stars would have been needed to slow the binary’s orbit enough to bring them this close. In the process, the black holes seem to have flung out nearly all the matter in their vicinity, leaving the core of the galaxy starved of stars and gas. With no more material available to further slow the pair’s orbit, their merger has stalled in its final stages.
Since 2002 Gemini North has also been known as the Frederick C. Gillett Gemini North telescope. Dr. Gillett, who died in April 2001, was one of the primary visionaries of the Gemini telescopes. He was instrumental in assuring that the design of Gemini's twin 8-meter telescopes would make major scientific contributions to astronomy.
Planet-forming Discs around Young Stars in Our Milky Way Galaxy | ESO
MWC 758 planet-forming disc
Distance: about 500 light-years away in the Taurus region
Credit: ESO/A. Garufi et al.; R. Dong et al.; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Planet-forming discs in three clouds of the Milky Way
Credit: ESO/C. Ginski, A. Garufi, P.-G. Valegård et al.
Planet-forming discs in the Orion cloud
Distance: roughly 1600 light-years
Credit: ESO/P.-G. Valegård et al.; IRAS
Planet-forming discs in the Taurus cloud
Distance: around 600 light-years
Credit: ESO/A.Garufi et al.; IRAS
Planet-forming discs in the Chamaeleon cloud
Distance: close to 600 light-years from Earth
Credit: ESO/C. Ginski et al.; ESA/Herschel
In a series of studies, a team of astronomers has shed new light on the fascinating and complex process of planet formation. The stunning images, captured using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile, represent one of the largest ever surveys of planet-forming discs. The research brings together observations of more than 80 young stars that might have planets forming around them, providing astronomers with a wealth of data and unique insights into how planets arise in different regions of our galaxy.
Research papers:
The SPHERE view of the Chamaeleon I star-forming region
NASA’s Orion Capsule Put to the Test Before Artemis II Crewed Moon Mission
Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, prepare the Orion Environmental Test Article for testing in advance of the Artemis II mission.
Artemis II will be the first flight with crew aboard NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. During their mission, four astronauts will confirm all of the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with people aboard in the actual environment of deep space, over the course of about a 10-day mission. The Artemis II flight test will pave the way to land the first woman and next man on the Moon on Artemis III.
Spiral Galaxy NGC 4423: A Matter of Perspective | Hubble Space Telescope
Here we see NGC 4423, a galaxy that lies about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. In this image NGC 4423 appears to have quite an irregular, tubular form, so it might be surprising to find out that it is in fact a spiral galaxy. Knowing this, we can make out the denser central bulge of the galaxy, and the less crowded surrounding disc (the part that comprises the spiral arms).
If NGC 4423 were viewed face-on it would resemble the shape that we most associate with spiral galaxies: the spectacular curving arms sweeping out from a bright centre, interspersed with dimmer, darker, less populated regions. However, when observing the skies we are constrained by the relative alignments between Earth and the objects that we are observing: we cannot simply reposition Earth so that we can get a better face-on view of NGC 4423!
Of course, celestial objects do not remain sedentary in space, but often move at extremely rapid velocities relative to one another. This might suggest that, should a galaxy be moving in a fortuitous direction relative to Earth, we might be able to view it from a substantially different perspective once it has moved far enough. This is theoretically possible, but the reality is that the distances in space are simply far too big, and human lifetimes far too short, for a noticeable difference in relative alignment to occur. In other words, this is more-or-less the view of NGC 4423 that we will always have!
Image Description: A broad spiral galaxy is seen edge-on, so that its spiral arms cannot be seen. Visible dust and stars trace the disc of the galaxy, surrounded by a glowing halo above and below. The color of the galaxy changes smoothly between the outer disc at the ends and the bulge in the center. A few bright stars surround the galaxy on a dark background.
Applying to be a NASA Astronaut: U.S. Citizens | Johnson Space Center
NASA is seeking a new generation of space explorers to journey beyond. Do you think you have what it takes to join NASA’s next astronaut class? Visit: https://www.NASA.gov/astronauts
Applications are open from March 5 through April 2, 2024.
The Universe is Calling: Apply to Be a NASA Astronaut
Narrator Morgan Freeman: "We’re recruiting for our next class of NASA astronauts. Selected candidates could fly on Artemis missions to the Moon and, eventually, Mars. Will you be one of them?"
Applications are open for American citizens from March 5 through April 2, 2024. Read the requirements and start your application by visiting:
Don't think you have what it takes? There's no such thing as a typical astronaut. We’re seeking out team players, passionate people, candidates who thrive under pressure and excel in what they do.
Survey Reveals Secrets of Planet Birth around Dozens of Stars | ESO
In a series of studies, a team of astronomers has shed new light on the fascinating and complex process of planet formation. The stunning images, captured using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile, represent one of the largest ever surveys of planet-forming discs. The research brings together observations of more than 80 young stars that might have planets forming around them, providing astronomers with a wealth of data and unique insights into how planets arise in different regions of our galaxy. This video summarizes the discovery.
Credits: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner
Editing: Angelos Tsaousis
Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida
Written by: Tom Howarth and Pamela Freeman
Footage and photos: ESO / Luis Calçada, Martin Kornmesser, Angelos Tsaousis, Cristoph Malin (christophmalin.com), ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/L. Cieza, F. Kamphues, C. Ginski, A. Garufi, P.-G. Valegård et al.
Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova
Welcoming NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 After Docking | International Space Station
Welcoming Ceremony at 13 minute mark!
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, arrived at the International Space Station when their Dragon spacecraft autonomously docked to the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at 2:28 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 5 following a launch on March 3 on the Endeavour spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Following docking, the quartet opened the hatch and floated onboard the orbital outpost before providing welcoming remarks as its mission aboard the space station began. The four crew members will conduct a long-duration science 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.
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.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Arrival | International Space Station
The hatch of SpaceX’s Crew-8 “Endeavour” Crew Dragon spacecraft, with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, was opened on March 5, 2024, at 3:50am EST. Crew-8 is SpaceX’s eight operational mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Crew-8 joins the International Space Station’s Expedition 70 crew of NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub of Russia.
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.
NASA Astronaut Michael Barratt is the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. This will be Barratt’s third trip to the International Space Station. In 2009, Barratt served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 19 and 20 as the station transitioned its standard crew complement from three to six, and performed two spacewalks. He flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2011 on STS-133, which delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier. He has spent a total of 212 days in space.
Born in Vancouver, Washington, he Considers Camas, Washington, to be his hometown. Barratt earned a bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a doctor of medicine from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He completed residencies in internal medicine at Northwestern and aerospace medicine along with a master’s degree at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. After nine years as a NASA flight surgeon and project physician, Barratt joined the astronaut corps in 2000.
For over 23 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, more than 244 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.
The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to more fully focus its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:
Meet NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick, Crew-8 Commander
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick is the commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. This is the first spaceflight for Dominick, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. He is from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego, California, and a master’s in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is an active-duty U.S. Navy astronaut. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and then served as a test pilot specializing in testing landing on and catapult launches from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.
For over 23 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, more than 244 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.
The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to more fully focus its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:
Meet Roscosmos Cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin (Russia), Crew-8 Mission Specialist
Roscosmos Cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin is a mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Grebenkin, who graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School, Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance, and repair of aircraft radio navigation system. He is also flying on his first mission. He graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television.
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.
