Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Zooming into The BH3 Black Hole System in The Milky Way Galaxy | ESO

Zooming into The BH3 Black Hole System in The Milky Way Galaxy | ESO

This video zooms into BH3, the most massive stellar black hole discovered so far in our galaxy. The black hole was detected thanks to the wobbling it induces on a companion star, seen here as a bright point at the center of the frame towards the end of the zoom. An inset at the end of the video shows an artist’s animation of what the orbits of BH (in red) and its companion star (in blue) around their common center of mass look like.

The various images shown here were taken with different telescopes at different times, and have been blended together to create this zoom. The final animation is an artistic creation.


Credit: ESO/L. Calçada, N. Risinger, DSS

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: April 16, 2024


#NASA #ESO #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #BlackHoles #BlackHole #GaiaSpaceObservatory #GaiaBH3 #Aquila #Constellation #VLT #SolarSystem #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #Art #Animation #HD #Video

Record-breaking Stellar Black Hole Found Nearby in the Milky Way Galaxy | ESO

Record-breaking Stellar Black Hole Found Nearby in the Milky Way Galaxy | ESO

Astronomers have found the most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy, thanks to the wobbling motion it induces on a companion star. This wobbling was measured over several years with the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. Additional data from other telescopes, including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, confirmed that the mass of this black hole, dubbed Gaia BH3, is 33 times that of our Sun. The chemical composition of the companion star suggests that the black hole was formed after the collapse of a massive star with very few heavy elements, or metals, as predicted by theory. This video summarizes the discovery. 

Distance: ~1926 light years


Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Written by: L. Spillman, D. Curic, E. Reiriz Martínez.

Footage and Photos: ESO, M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada, D. Gasparri, Space Engine

Duration: 1 minute, 18 seconds

Release Date: April 16, 2024


#NASA #ESO #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #BlackHoles #BlackHole #GaiaSpaceObservatory #GaiaBH3 #Aquila #Constellation #VLT #SolarSystem #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Monday, April 15, 2024

Panning over Spiral Galaxy NGC 3783 & Star HD 101274 in Centaurus | Hubble

Panning over Spiral Galaxy NGC 3783 & Star HD 101274 in Centaurus | Hubble

This image features NGC 3783, a bright barred spiral galaxy about 130 million light-years from Earth, that also lends its name to the eponymous NGC 3783 galaxy group. Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are aggregates of gravitationally bound galaxies. Galaxy groups, however, are less massive and contain fewer members than galaxy clusters do: where galaxy clusters can contain hundreds or even thousands of constituent galaxies, galaxy groups do not typically include more than 50. The Milky Way is actually part of a galaxy group, known as the Local Group. It contains two other large galaxies (Andromeda and the Triangulum galaxy), as well as several dozen satellite and dwarf galaxies. The NGC 3783 galaxy group, meanwhile, contains 47 galaxies. It also seems to be at a fairly early stage of its evolution, making it an interesting object of study. 

Whilst the focus of this image is the spiral galaxy NGC 3783, the eye is equally drawn to the very bright object in the lower right part of this image. This is the star HD 101274. The perspective in this image makes the star and the galaxy look like close companions, but this is an illusion. HD 101274 lies only about 1,530 light-years from Earth, meaning it is about 85 thousand times closer than NGC 3783. This explains how a single star can appear to outshine an entire galaxy! 

NGC 3783 is a type-1 Seyfert galaxy. This is a galaxy with a bright central region. Thus, it is particularly bright itself, as far as galaxies go. In this image it is recorded by Hubble in incredible detail, from its glowing central bar to its narrow, winding arms and the dust threaded through them, thanks to five separate images taken in different wavelengths of light. In fact, the galactic center is bright enough to Hubble that it exhibits diffraction spikes, normally only seen on stars such as HD 101274.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen face-on to the viewer. The bright center of the galaxy is crossed by a glowing bar, and it is surrounded by tightly-wound spiral arms, forming a circular shape with relatively clear edges. Faraway galaxies can be seen around it, along with a few bright stars, on a dark background. One star to the right of the galaxy is very large and extremely bright with long diffraction spikes around it.


Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, M. C. Bentz, D. J. V. Rosario, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: April 15, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC3783 #Barred #Spiral #Type1Seyfert #Star #HD101274 #Centaurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mars Images: April 2024 | NASA Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars Images: April 2024 | NASA Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1119
Mars 2020 - sol 1119
Farewell to the Ingenuity Helicopter! Mars 2020 - sol 1110
Mars 2020 - sol 1120
MSL - sol 4152
Mars 2020 - sol 1116
Mars 2020 - sol 1110
MSL - sol 4148

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 11+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)
Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
Rover Name: Curiosity
Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 
Launch: Nov. 6, 2011
Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 3+ Years on Mars
Mission Name: Mars 2020
Rover Name: Perseverance
Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.
Launch: July 30, 2020    
Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Processing: Kevin M. Gill
Image Release Dates: April 5-15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

The Helix Galaxy: NGC 2685 | Gemini North Telescope

The Helix Galaxy: NGC 2685 | Gemini North Telescope


The very unusual galaxy NGC 2685, also known as the Helix Galaxy, is located about 40 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. This image was captured by the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, operated by National Science Foundation's NOIRLab. It is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. NGC 2685 is a peculiar lenticular galaxy known as a polar ring galaxy. A ring of gas, stars, and dust orbits NGC 2685 perpendicular to the flat plane of the host galaxy. This odd crossing of planes is believed to be evidence of galaxy interactions, mergers, or tidal accretion events. 

Current research suggests that the present structure of NGC 2685 was formed when it captured material from another galaxy, which was strung out into an encircling ring. This galaxy is one of our closest known polar ring galaxies and is therefore one of the easiest of its kind to study. Owing to its odd characteristics, it has been called the most unusual galaxy in the Shapley-Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies and appears as number 336 in astronomer Halton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

The 8.1-meter diameter optical/infrared North Gemini Telescope is located on Hawaii‘s Maunakea as part of the international community of observatories built to take advantage of the superb atmospheric conditions on this long-dormant volcano that rises about 4,214 meters (13,825 feet) into the dry, stable air of the Pacific. The Gemini Observatory's international headquarters is located in Hilo, Hawai‘i at the University of Hawaii Hilo's University Park. 

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.

Learn more here: https://www.gemini.edu


Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/L. Bassino

Image Processing: J. Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Rodriguez (Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab), & M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)

Release Date: April 10, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC2685 #LenticularGalaxy #PolarRingGalaxy #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #Optical #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #Maunakea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara Post-Flight News Conference: April 15, 2024 | JSC

NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara Post-Flight News Conference: April 15, 2024 | JSC

Event starts at 2 minute mark: After spending six-and-a-half-months aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara participates in a news conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

A look at some of the scientific activities O’Hara conducted during her mission: https://go.nasa.gov/43tVfUV

O’Hara ended her time in space with a parachute-assisted landing in the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan on April 6, 2024.

O’Hara, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Russia, and cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, began the journey back to Earth when the Soyuz undocked from the International Space Station earlier in the day.

O’Hara arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 15, 2023, spending 204 days in low Earth orbit.

During her 204 days aboard the station, O’Hara experienced:

Approximately 3,264 orbits of Earth

Approximately 86,555,554 statute miles traveled

Eight spacecraft visiting the International Space Station, including two Roscosmos Progress cargo ships, one Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft, one Roscosmos Soyuz, two crewed SpaceX Dragons, and two uncrewed SpaceX Dragons.

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: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 22 minutes

Release Date: April 15, 2024


#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #SoyuzMS24Spacecraft #СоюзМС24 #Astronaut #LoralOHara #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #OlegNovitskiy #Russia #Россия #MarinaVasilevskaya #Belarus #Беларусь #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #Houston #Texas #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Near-Earth Asteroids Discovered to Date: April 2024 | NASA Planetary Defense

Near-Earth Asteroids Discovered to Date: April 2024 | NASA Planetary Defense

What do we know about the asteroids and comets in Earth's neighborhood? Planetary defense is part of NASA's mission. It includes finding, tracking, and characterizing near-Earth objects (NEOs). 

Here is what we have found so far.

Learn more about Planetary Defense at NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense


Video Credit: NASA 360

Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds

Release Date: April 15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #Planet #PlanetaryDefense #April2024 #Asteroids #AsteroidBelt #Comets #NEO #NEA #SolarSystem #Science #Technology #DARTMission #JHUAPL #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Makes Progress in Developing Reusable Carrier Rockets

China Makes Progress in Developing Reusable Carrier Rockets

China successfully completed two consecutive ignition tests of a 130-tonne reusable liquid oxygen-kerosene engine on Friday, April 12, 2024, laying the foundation for maiden flights of reusable carrier rockets, said the Sixth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC).

Chinese engineers have overcome many technical difficulties in developing a new engine for reusable rockets. It underwent its 30th ignition test on Friday.

The engine is known as the heart of rocket that produces thrust for the lift-off. How to develop a reusable engine that can make the rocket land accurately, be more durable, and easier to repair are among the most daunting challenges facing Chinese researchers.

"First of all, it [the engine] has to be used for a long time or for multiple ignitions. The most important thing is that we must figure out the lifespan of every component and the entire machine after extremely accurate adjustment, which cannot be achieved through simulation. The only way is to have constant test runs," said Song Yaqing, who is in charge of digitalization for the liquid oxygen-kerosene engine at the 11th Institute of the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology (Sixth Academy) of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

Another major problem the research team need to resolve is using what kind of materials and how to control the manufacturing process to produce an engine with high technical standards and reliable quality.

"Focusing on the requirement of technical indicators including repeatability, durability and reliability of the reusable engine, we have tackled a series of key issues and carried out a series of research projects. There were nearly 70 major research projects, which have greatly improved the technological level and stability of our engine's manufacturing process, and ensured the consistency and reliability of our products' quality," said Liu Chaofeng, a senior engineer at Xi'an Aerospace Engine Company of CASC Sixth Academy.


Video Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: April 14, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #RocketEngineTests #ReusableEngines #ReusableCarrierRockets #ResusableRockets #LiquidPropellant #OxygenKerosene #SpaceTechnology #Science #Engineering #XianCity #ShaanxiProvince #NorthwestChina #CASC #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3783 & Star HD 101274 in Centaurus | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3783 & Star HD 101274 in Centaurus | Hubble


This image features NGC 3783, a bright barred spiral galaxy about 130 million light-years from Earth, that also lends its name to the eponymous NGC 3783 galaxy group. Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are aggregates of gravitationally bound galaxies. Galaxy groups, however, are less massive and contain fewer members than galaxy clusters do: where galaxy clusters can contain hundreds or even thousands of constituent galaxies, galaxy groups do not typically include more than 50. The Milky Way is actually part of a galaxy group, known as the Local Group. It contains two other large galaxies (Andromeda and the Triangulum galaxy), as well as several dozen satellite and dwarf galaxies. The NGC 3783 galaxy group, meanwhile, contains 47 galaxies. It also seems to be at a fairly early stage of its evolution, making it an interesting object of study. 

Whilst the focus of this image is the spiral galaxy NGC 3783, the eye is equally drawn to the very bright object in the lower right part of this image. This is the star HD 101274. The perspective in this image makes the star and the galaxy look like close companions, but this is an illusion. HD 101274 lies only about 1,530 light-years from Earth, meaning it is about 85 thousand times closer than NGC 3783. This explains how a single star can appear to outshine an entire galaxy! 

NGC 3783 is a type-1 Seyfert galaxy. This is a galaxy with a bright central region. Thus, it is particularly bright itself, as far as galaxies go. In this image it is recorded by Hubble in incredible detail, from its glowing central bar to its narrow, winding arms and the dust threaded through them, thanks to five separate images taken in different wavelengths of light. In fact, the galactic center is bright enough to Hubble that it exhibits diffraction spikes, normally only seen on stars such as HD 101274.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen face-on to the viewer. The bright center of the galaxy is crossed by a glowing bar, and it is surrounded by tightly-wound spiral arms, forming a circular shape with relatively clear edges. Faraway galaxies can be seen around it, along with a few bright stars, on a dark background. One star to the right of the galaxy is very large and extremely bright with long diffraction spikes around it.


Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, M. C. Bentz, D. J. V. Rosario 

Release Date: April 15, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC3783 #Barred #Spiral #Type1Seyfert #Star #HD101274 #Centaurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Planetary Nebulae HFG1 & Abell 6 in Cassiopeia

Planetary Nebulae HFG1 & Abell 6 in Cassiopeia

Planetary nebulae like Heckathorn-Fesen-Gull 1 (HFG1) and Abell 6 in the constellation Cassiopeia are remnants from the last phase of a medium sized star like our Sun. In spite of their shapes, planetary nebulae have nothing in common with actual planets. Located in the bottom left part of the featured photo, HFG1 was created by the binary star system V664 Cas. It consists of a white dwarf star and a red giant star. Both stars orbit their center of mass over about half an Earth day. Traveling with the entire nebula at a speed about 300 times faster than the fastest train on Earth, V664 Cas generates a bluish arc shaped shock wave. The wave interacts most strongly with the surrounding interstellar medium in the areas where the arc is brightest. After roughly 10,000 years, planetary nebulae become invisible due to a lack of ultraviolet light being emitted by the stars that create them. Displaying beautiful shapes and structures, planetary nebulae are highly desired objects for astrophotographers.


Image Credit & Copyright: Julien Cadena & Mickael Coulon

Julien's website:

https://www.astrobin.com/users/JulienCadena/

Mickael Coulon: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2ScF5tsmRT

Text: Natalia Lewandowska (SUNY Oswego)

Release Date: Feb. 12, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebula #HFG1 #Stars #V664Cas #BinaryStarSystem #Cassiopeia #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #JulienCadena #MickaelCoulon #Astrophotography #CitizenScience #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Planetary Nebula HFG1 in Cassiopeia | Mayall Telescope

Planetary Nebula HFG1 in Cassiopeia | Mayall Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the 4-meter Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. HFG1 is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It was produced by a binary star system (V664 Cas) that is moving rapidly through our Galaxy. The star is moving towards the upper-right of the image. As HFG1 plows through the interstellar medium, a bluish bowshock is produced; and a red trail of gas is left behind in its wake. The image was generated with observations in the Hydrogen alpha (red) and Oxygen [OIII] (blue) filters. In this image, North is down and East is to the right.

Distance: ~3,100 light years

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: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/National Science Foundation (NSF)/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy)

Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebula #HFG1 #Stars #V664Cas #Cassiopeia #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #KittPeakNationalObservatory #KPNO #MayallTelescope #Optical #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education 

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks over California

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks over California

In dark evening skies over June Lake, California, northern hemisphere, planet Earth, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks stood just above the western horizon on March 30, 2024. Its twisted turbulent ion tail and diffuse greenish coma are captured in this two degree wide telescopic field of view along with bright yellowish star Hamal also known as Alpha Arietis. Now Pons-Brooks has moved out of the northern night though, approaching perihelion on April 21. On April 8 you might still spot the comet in daytime skies. However, to do it, you will have to stand in the path of totality and look away from the spectacle of an alluring solar corona and totally eclipsed Sun.

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.


Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett

Dan's website: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2404/12P_Pons_Brooks_2024_03_30_JuneLake_DEBartlett.jpg

Location: June Lake, California

Capture Date: March 30, 2024

Release Date: April 4, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #Earth #Comets #Comet #Comet12PPonsBrooks #Perihelion #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #DanBartlett #Astrophotographer #CitizenScience #JuneLake #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

How a Total Solar Eclipse Ends

How a Total Solar Eclipse Ends

How does a total solar eclipse end? Yes, the Moon moves out from fully blocking the Sun, but in the first few seconds of transition, interesting things appear. The first is called a diamond ring. Light might stream between mountains or through relative lowlands around the Moon's edge, as seen from your location, making this sudden first light, when combined with the corona that surrounds the Moon, look like a diamond ring. Within seconds other light streams appear that are called, collectively, Bailey's beads. 

In the featured video, it may seem that the pink triangular prominence on the Sun is somehow related to where the Sun begins to reappear, but it is not. Observers from other locations saw Bailey's beads emerge from different places around the Moon, away from the iconic triangular solar prominence visible to all. The video was captured with specialized equipment from New Boston, Texas, USA on April 8, 2024.


Video Credit & Copyright: David Duarte

David's website: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidduarte_astro/

Location: New Boston, Texas, USA

Capture Date: Date: April 8, 2024

Release Date: April 13, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse #SolarEclipse2024 #TotalSolarEclipse #BaileysBeads #Canada #Mexico #Astrophotographer #DavidDuarte #CitizenScience #NewBoston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video #APoD

The Story of NASA Astronaut John Herrington: First Native American in Space | PBS

The Story of NASA Astronaut John Herrington: First Native American in Space | PBS

We bring you the story of John Herrington, a trailblazing astronaut. When astronaut John Herrington made his voyage to space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour’s STS-113 mission in 2002, he became the first Native American in space. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, Herrington carried its flag on his 13-day trip to space, as well as several personal items with him. Among those items was this traditional flute.

Born in Wetumka, Oklahoma, into the Chickasaw Nation, Herrington built his career on service. He received his commission from Aviation Officer Candidate School in March 1984 and was designated a Naval Aviator in March 1985. He was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996, after earning a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering in June 1995.

In July 2004, Herrington served as the commander of the NEEMO 6 mission, an analog mission that served as a field test in locations that have physical similarities to the extreme space environments. He and his crew lived and worked underwater for 10 days. Herrington retired from the Navy and NASA in July 2005.


Video Credit: PBS NewsHour

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Nov. 12, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #NorthAmerica #UnitedStates #NativeAmericans #FirstNations #AboriginalPeople #ChickasawNation #Oklahoma #Astronaut #JohnHerrington #Engineer #Pilot #NavalAviator #USNavy #STS113 #SpaceShuttle #History #STEM #Education #PBSNewsHour #HD #Video

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Download Free NASA eBook: Hubble Focus: Dark Universe

Download Free NASA eBook "Hubble Focus: Dark Universe"

Download:

PDF Format (10 MB): 

https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/nasa-hubble-focus-dark-universe-2024-apr-v2.pdf

ePub Format (70 MB)

https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/nasa-hubble-focus-dark-universe-2024-apr-v2.epub

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope team has released a new downloadable, free e-book in the Hubble Focus series, called “Hubble Focus: The Dark Universe.” This e-book highlights the mission’s recent discoveries about two mysterious components of our universe, known as dark energy—an unexplained cosmic pressure that is speeding up the universe’s expansion—and dark matter, an invisible substance detectable only by seeing how it gravitationally influences visible matter.

This e-book is part of a series called Hubble Focus. It presents examples of Hubble's recent cosmic discoveries. Its cover, shown here, features the Abell S1063 galaxy cluster. A soft blue haze, called intracluster light, casts an otherworldly glow among innumerable galaxies. The stars producing this glow were thrown free of their home galaxies. These stars now live solitary lives, no longer part of a galaxy but aligning themselves with the gravity of the overall cluster. Astronomers using Hubble found that tracing intracluster light offers a good indicator of how invisible dark matter is distributed in the cluster.

“This new e-book is a wonderful summary of all the work that Hubble, in cooperation with other observatories on the ground and in space, has put into improving our understanding of two of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics today: the true nature and origin of dark matter and dark energy,” said Ken Carpenter, Hubble’s operations project scientist. “Much remains to be done, but this book will give you a front row seat to what’s been happening in this quest!”

A Cosmic Ghost Hunt

The trillions of stars, planets, galaxies, and other visible objects strewn throughout the cosmos represent less than 5 percent of what is truly out there. Visible matter is like the tip of an iceberg, or the foam on top of a latte. All the rest of the universe, dark matter and dark energy, is mired in mystery.

Dark matter is a phantom in the machinery of the universe. Though it makes up the vast majority of the universe’s bulk, dark matter would evade even the best “ghost hunters” because it is invisible, detectable only through its effects on normal matter. Its gravitational pull is the muscle of the cosmos, holding together both individual galaxies and galaxy clusters. Although scientists have long seen evidence of its existence, dark matter’s true nature remains one of the biggest mysteries in modern physics.

Hubble’s cosmic detective work offers clues by exploring the way matter, normal and dark, is structured and distributed throughout space. The mission’s observations have even tested theories about the type of particle that could make up dark matter. However, Hubble’s observations have not always matched predictions, hinting that our theoretical models still have several missing pieces.

Under Pressure

Shock waves of surprise rippled through the scientific community in 1998, when Hubble observations of supernovae in more distant galaxies helped show that the universe actually expanded more slowly in the past than it does today. This meant the expansion of the universe was not slowing down due to the attractive force of gravity, as many thought it should—it was speeding up.

Today, we still do not know the exact cause of this mysterious acceleration, but theoretical cosmologists coined the term “dark energy” to describe it. Dark energy is so weak that gravity overpowers it on the scale of humans, planets, and even within the galaxy, which is why it was unobserved for so long.

Dark energy is present in the room with you as you read, even within your body, but gravity is much stronger at smaller scales. This is why you do not fly out of your seat. It is only on an intergalactic scale that dark energy becomes noticeable—and since it is everywhere, it even overwhelms the dark matter! Hubble has helped gather very precise measurements of the universe's expansion rate, but its findings underscore a nagging discrepancy. The universe is expanding faster now than was expected from its trajectory seen shortly after the big bang, and no one yet knows why.

The perplexity surrounding dark energy and dark matter indicates that for all we have learned about the universe, we still do not know much about its underpinnings. Studying these mysteries opens the door to discovering exciting new physics.

“Hubble’s incredible scientific power continues to drive modern astronomy,” said Jennifer Wiseman, Hubble’s senior project scientist. “Dark matter and dark energy were not in mind when Hubble was first designed, and yet by detecting the impacts of these unseen cosmic phenomena, the Hubble Space Telescope is once again transforming our understanding of the universe.”

Scientists will expand upon Hubble’s insights about dark matter and dark energy with complementary observations from the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission that includes NASA contributions, along with NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and a variety of other space and ground-based telescopes. We have far more left to learn among the stars.

As the fifth edition of the series, this e-book builds on the wealth of information shared in previous renditions that focused on the solar system, galaxies, stars, and exoplanets. Upcoming editions will zoom in on other cosmic topics, such as black holes—astronomical objects with such strong gravity that nothing, not even light, can escape their clutches.

The new e-book is compatible with most electronic devices and can be downloaded in multiple formats for free from: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/multimedia/e-books

For more information about Hubble, visit: www.nasa.gov/hubble


Image Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Caption Credit: Ashley Balzer

Release Date: April 6, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #eBook #ePub #PDF #Planets #Stars #Supernovae #BlackHoles #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #DarkEnergy #DarkMatter #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Studying Planet Earth's Oceans from Space | NASA Goddard

Studying Planet Earth's Oceans from Space | NASA Goddard

NASA's exploration of our planet's oceans from space spans a rich history. Delving into the depths of Earth's oceans unveils the mysteries of our home planet. Therefore, NASA remains steadfast in leading the way in oceanic research.

Learn more about NASA's PACE Earth Mission: 

https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov


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

Grace Weikert (AMA): Lead Producer

Katie Jepson (KBR): Lead Writer

Kathleen Gaeta (AMA): Support

Jefferson Beck (MORI): Support

Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: April 12, 2024


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