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Zooming on "The Eyes" Galaxies: NGC 4438 & NGC 4435 in Virgo | ESO
This striking image, taken with the FORS2 instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a beautiful yet peculiar pair of galaxies, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, nicknamed The Eyes. The larger of these, at the top of the picture, NGC 4438, is thought to have once been a spiral galaxy that was strongly deformed by collisions in the relatively recent past. The two galaxies belong to the Virgo Cluster and are about 50 million light-years away.
Learn more about the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT):
"The Eyes" Galaxies: NGC 4438 & NGC 4435 in The Virgo Cluster | ESO
This striking image, taken with the FORS2 instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows a beautiful yet peculiar pair of galaxies, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435, nicknamed The Eyes. The larger of these, at the top of the picture, NGC 4438, is thought to have once been a spiral galaxy that was strongly deformed by collisions in the relatively recent past. The two galaxies belong to the Virgo Cluster and are about 50 million light-years away.
Learn more about the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT)
M86-NGC 4438 Galactic Complex in The Virgo Cluster | Mayall Telescope
A deep new image of part of the Virgo cluster has revealed monumental tendrils of ionized hydrogen gas 400,000 light-years long connecting the elliptical galaxy M86 (right) and the disturbed spiral galaxy NGC 4438 (left). Taken with the wide-field Mosaic imager on the National Science Foundation’s 4-meter Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory using a filter that reveals the light from Hydrogen-alpha emission, the image and related spectroscopic measurements of the filament provide striking evidence of a previously unsuspected high-speed collision between the two galaxies. The red filaments in the image show H-alpha emission with low velocities (similar to the velocities of the two colliding galaxies M86 and NGC 4438). The green filaments seen near the edge-on spiral galaxy in the lower right (NGC 4388) show H-alpha emission with much higher velocities, suggesting that this galaxy might not be related to M86.
The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope is a four-meter (158 inches) reflector telescope in Arizona named after Nicholas U. Mayall. It saw first light on February 27, 1973, and was the second-largest telescope in the world at that time.
Credit: Tomer Tal and Jeffrey Kenney/Yale University and NOAO/AURA/NSF
Panning across Spiral Galaxy NGC 4423: A Matter of Perspective | Hubble
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 center, 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.
Panning across Galaxy LEDA 42160: An Unlikely Spiral | Hubble
This image shows LEDA 42160, a galaxy about 52 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. The dwarf galaxy is one of many forcing its way through the comparatively dense gas in the Virgo cluster, a massive cluster of galaxies. The pressure exerted by this intergalactic gas, known as ram pressure, has dramatic effects on star formation in LEDA 42160, which are presently being studied using the Hubble Space Telescope.
LEDA 42160 falls into the category of ‘Magellanic spiral galaxy’, or type Sm for short, under the de Vaucouleurs galaxy classification system. Magellanic spiral galaxies can be further sub-categorized as barred (SBm), unbarred (SAm) and weakly barred (SABm), where a ‘bar’ is an elongated bar-shape at a galaxy’s core. Generally speaking, Magellanic spiral galaxies are dwarf galaxies with only one single spiral arm. They are named after their prototype, the Large Magellanic Cloud—an SBm galaxy. Magellanic spiral galaxies are an interesting example of how galaxy categorization is actually more nuanced than simply ‘spiral’, ‘elliptical’ or ‘irregular’.
Image Description: A distorted dwarf galaxy, obscured by dust and by bright outbursts caused by star formation, floats roughly in the center. A few distant galaxies are visible in the background around it, many as little spirals, and also including a prominent elliptical galaxy. A bright star hangs above the galaxy in the foreground, marked by cross-shaped diffraction spikes.
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, M. Sun
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks: The View from Skull Valley, Utah
Photographer James Peirce: "Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was imaged from my Esprit 120ED telescope in the evening sky on March 8, 2024, in Skull Valley, Utah. It seems that outburst events in recent months have contributed to the fascinating tails of 12P/Pons-Brooks, including the so called horns, leading to its nickname Devil’s Comet. I have to say that this is the most dynamic and interesting comet I’ve imaged."
"Though 12P/Pons-Brooks won't have its closest approach to the Sun until April 21 (parhelion date), it's currently just visible to the unaided eye in very dark skies (Bortle Scale 1-3). For Northern Hemisphere viewers, look for it approximately 20 degrees above the horizon (2-fists held at arms-length) in the western sky (approximately 290 degrees azimuth) an hour after sunset. It's easily visible through a small telescope or binoculars if you know just where to look. This comet's brightness has been rather unpredictable thus far, but if it becomes brighter during the next two weeks, Comet12P could end up putting on a fun show—and could even be visible during the total solar eclipse on April 8 (Mexico, United States, Canada)."
12P/Pons–Brooks is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 71 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with an orbital period between 20 and 200 years. It is also one of the brightest known periodic comets, reaching an absolute visual magnitude ~5 in its approach to perihelion.
Comet Pons-Brooks was discovered at Marseilles Observatory in July 1812 by Jean-Louis Pons.
The greenish coma of this comet has become relatively easy to observe in small telescopes.
Technical details: Esprit 120ED telescope on a AM5 (Burlebach tripod) along with a ZWO ASI2600MC Duo camera. Software: Adobe Photoshop, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight.
Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Crew Flight Test Training | NASA
NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are the crewmembers of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. The duo will launch to the International Space Station aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket in May 2024 and will stay aboard the orbiting laboratory for about two weeks.
Wilmore and Williams trained for this flight test in facilities across the U.S., including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The mission will test the end-to-end capabilities of the Starliner system, including launch, docking, and a return to Earth. After successful completion of the mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the space station.
Wilmore, a U.S. Navy captain, is a veteran of two spaceflights and has accumulated 178 days in space. Selected as an astronaut in 2000, he served as a flight engineer for Expedition 41 from September to November 2014, then assumed command of Expedition 42 until his return to Earth in March 2015. During this mission, he logged 167 days in space and performed four spacewalks. In 2009, Wilmore served as a pilot aboard space shuttle Atlantis for STS-129.
Williams, a retired Navy captain, is a veteran of two space station missions, Expedition 14/15 and 32/33, and served as commander of Expedition 33. Selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998, she has logged 322 days in space, first launching on the space shuttle Discovery with the crew of STS-116, then on a Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft. Williams has completed seven spacewalks, totaling 50 hours and 40 minutes.
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.
SpaceX Carries Science to the International Space Station | This Week @NASA
Week of March 22, 2024: A commercial mission carries science to the International Space Station, highlighting progress in the fight against cancer, and preparing to test new hardware for NASA's Artemis Moon rocket . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the CRS-30 Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida on March 21, 2024 at 4:55pm. NASA and international partners are sending scientific investigations on the 30th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission, including tests of technologies to monitor sea ice, automate 3D mapping, and to create nanoparticle solar cells.
Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Expedition 71 Soyuz MS-25 Launch in Kazakhstan | International Space Station
The Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station
Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya, top, Expedition 71 NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, middle, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, wave farewell prior to boarding the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft for launch, Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya has her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Russia waves as he waits to have his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked
Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya gives a thumbs up as she waits to have her Russian Sokol suit pressure checked
Expedition 71 NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, left, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Russia, and Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya, right, wave as they depart the Cosmonaut Hotel to suit-up for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station
A Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle launched the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 23, 2024, at 12:36 UTC (17:36 local time, 08:36 EDT). Soyuz MS-25, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Russia, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, and Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya, is scheduled to autonomously dock to the Prichal module of the International Space Station (ISS) on March 25, 2024, at 15:09 UTC (11:09 EDT).
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.
Expedition 71 Soyuz MS-25 Launch in Kazakhstan | International Space Station
A Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle launched the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 23, 2024, at 12:36 UTC (17:36 local time, 08:36 EDT). Soyuz MS-25, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson and Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya, is scheduled to autonomously dock to the Prichal module of the International Space Station (ISS) on March 25, 2024, at 15:09 UTC (11:09 EDT).
Reusable Rocket Engine Tests Completed for China SpaceX-rival 'Space Pioneer'
The first-stage engine of the Tianlong-3 rocket has been successfully delivered for its first flight in July 2024. On March 21, 2024, Tianbing Technology, also known as Space Pioneer, announced that the large liquid carrier rocket Tianlong-3's first stage, equipped with 9 "Tianhuo-12" engines, has completed calibration and hot testing, setting a solid foundation for the rocket's maiden flight. The Tianlong-3 rocket, developed by Tianbing Technology, has a diameter of 3.8 meters, a total length of 71 meters, a takeoff mass of 590 tons, and a liftoff thrust of 770 tons.
The Tianlong-3 rocket will be comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9 in launch capability. The company also has plans to launch an even larger variant of the Tianlong-3 akin to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.
Chinese commercial space firms have rushed into the sector since 2014, when private investment in the industry was allowed by the state. Many started making satellites, while others, including Beijing Tianbing, focused on developing reusable rockets that can significantly cut mission costs.
Unlike solid-propellant rockets that cannot adjust their flow of fuel, liquid-propellant rockets have significantly greater control over their flight, with those, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9, capable of returning to Earth in controlled descents and making vertical landings.
Reusable rockets will help expedite the building of Chinese constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments.
In its latest five-year plan for 2021-2025, the Chinese government has called for an integrated network of satellites for communications, remote sensing and navigation. China currently has over 400 satellites in space, including commercially owned satellites, according to state media.
NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#10: March 22, 2024 | Stennis Space Center
An Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 rocket engine (RS-25 developmental engine E0525) was tested on the Fred Haise Test Stand (formerly A-1 Test Stand) at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, on March 22, 2024, at 12:47pm CDT. This was the fourth test using a new production engine nozzle providing additional performance data on the upgraded unit and the tenth 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 500 seconds, with the RS-25 engine running up to 113% 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.
Gateway - Lunar Space Station Plan | NASA's Johnson Space Center
The Gateway space station will be humanity's first space station to orbit the Moon in support of the Artemis missions to return humans to the lunar surface for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars and beyond.
Gateway is essential to the Artemis architecture, along with the Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, Human Landing System, and spacesuits that will enable extensive exploration of the Moon’s South Pole.
Learn more about the NASA-led Lunar Gateway Program:
Through Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, heralding a new era for space exploration and utilization. The NASA-led Artemis program is a new generation of lunar exploration missions designed to send humans farther into space than ever before. The Artemis missions are increasingly complex endeavors that will lay the foundation for sustainable human and robotic exploration of Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon.
While NASA is leading the Artemis missions, international partnerships will play a key role in achieving a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon while preparing to conduct a historic human mission to Mars.
SpaceX CRS-30 Cargo Resupply Mission Launch | International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the CRS-30 Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida on March 21, 2024
Falcon 9 First Stage Landing
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the CRS-30 Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida on March 21, 2024 at 4:55pm. NASA and international partners are sending scientific investigations on the 30th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission, including tests of technologies to monitor sea ice, automate 3D mapping, and to create nanoparticle solar cells.
Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage (B1080) landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral, having previously supported five missions: Ax-2, ESA Euclid, Ax-3 and two Starlink missions. CRS-30 is the fourth flight for this Dragon spacecraft. It previously flew CRS-22, CRS-24, and CRS-27 to the space station.
The Dragon cargo craft will also deliver food and supplies, as well as a set of sensors for the free-flying Astrobee robots and a new botany experiment to examine how two types of grass capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Dragon will autonomously dock to the zenith port of the Harmony module at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23.
NASA's Space to Ground: CRS-30 Launch | Week of March 22, 2024
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the CRS-30 Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida on March 21, 2024 at 4:55pm. NASA and international partners are sending scientific investigations on the 30th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission, including tests of technologies to monitor sea ice, automate 3D mapping, and to create nanoparticle solar cells.
The Dragon cargo craft will also deliver food and supplies, as well as a set of sensors for the free-flying Astrobee robots and a new botany experiment to examine how two types of grass capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Dragon will autonomously dock to the zenith port of the Harmony module at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23.
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
China's Second Moon Communications Satellite Supports New Exploration Missions
China successfully launched into preset orbit the Queqiao-2 relay communication satellite. The Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket took off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province at 8:31 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Queqiao-2, or Magpie Bridge-2, will serve as a relay platform for the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration program, providing Earth-Moon communications services for Chang'e-4, Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7, and Chang'e-8 missions. It is another key step for supporting future lunar exploration missions, such as retrieving samples from the far side of the moon.
Due to the Moon's perpetual one-sided facing away from Earth, probes landing on its far side are obstructed by the Moon itself, hindering direct measurement, control communication, and data transmission with Earth.
As the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration project focuses on landing exploration and sampling sites primarily situated in the Moon's South Pole and far side areas, the need arises for more versatile and robust relay satellites. These satellites will serve as a new relay communication station on the Moon for communication.
"As for now, following the successful launch of Queqiao-2, it is poised to fulfill subsequent missions including Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7, Chang'e-8, and other related endeavors," said Ge, China National Space Administration's spokesman for Queqiao-2's launch.
The main goal of the fourth phase is to carry out scientific exploration on the Moon's South Pole and set up a fundamental type of lunar scientific research station. The fourth phase will be carried out in three steps, with the Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 probes being launched before 2030.
The Chang'e-6 is expected to be launched in the first half of 2024. The Chang'e-8 will constitute, together with Chang'e-7, the basic model of a lunar research station.
Queqiao-1 was launched in 2018 and supported the Chang'e 4 lunar farside mission.
Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)
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