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Tuesday, April 30, 2024

China Shenzhou-17 Astronaut Jiang Xinlin after Landing in Inner Mongolia

China Shenzhou-17 Astronaut Jiang Xinlin after Landing in Inner Mongolia

Every day of the six-month stay in space was fulfilling, fascinating, and wonderful, said Shenzhou-17 astronaut Jiang Xinlin on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, after returning to Earth safe and sound.

Jiang was the last of the Shenzhou-17 crew to get out of the return capsule, after the module touched down safely at the designated Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Tuesday.

The return capsule, carrying Shenzhou-17 astronauts Tang Hongbo—the mission commander, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, landed at 17:46 Beijing Time, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Upon landing, Jiang and the two other crew members reported their good conditions to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

"During my six-month stay in space, every day was incredibly fulfilling, fascinating, and wonderful. Now that I've returned to the embrace of the motherland, my heart is filled with excitement. I feel immensely proud of our great motherland. Moving forward, I will continue to work hard, do a good job in my recovery, and strive to return to space at an early date," he said.

After all three crew members got out of the return capsule, the ground control at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center announced the Shenzhou-17 manned mission a complete success.

Since blasting off for the Chinese space station last October, the Shenzhou-17 crew had witnessed the arrival of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, performed two extravehicular activities, carried out 84 in-orbit experiments with more than 200 samples produced, and have brought back over 400 material samples retrieved after being exposed to space outside the station's Wentian lab module.

During their second spacewalk, the astronauts did repair work on the solar panels of the space station's core module, which had been subject to minor damage by space debris. This marked China's first-ever extravehicular repair mission.

The Shenzhou-17 spaceship, which was launched on Oct. 26 last year, initiated its journey back to Earth after separating from the space station combination at 08:43 Beijing Time (00:43 GMT) on Tuesday.

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 42 seconds

Release Date: April 30, 2024

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

China Shenzhou-17 Astronaut Tang Shengjie after Landing in Inner Mongolia

China Shenzhou-17 Astronaut Tang Shengjie after Landing in Inner Mongolia

Astronaut Tang Shengjie was the second to leave the return capsule of the Shenzhou-17 spaceship, after the module landed safely at the designated landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Tuesday.

The return capsule, carrying astronauts Tang Hongbo—the mission commander, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 17:46 Beijing Time (09:46 GMT), according to the China Manned Space Agency.

"Returning to the beautiful Earth after six months, I'm so happy and excited, and I'd like to thank my powerful motherland and thank all space program workers who have struggled successively generation by generation. During this mission, led by our commander, we cooperated closely with the ground teams and worked together to complete all designated tasks. For me, the past six months were also a journey of study and exploration, and I gained a lot of valuable experience. The starry sky is a vast universe, and our exploration knows no limit. I think realizing the dream of space flight is not an end but a starting point. Next, I'll fully cooperate with our staff in post-mission recovery and engage in follow-up training in the best shape," he said.

Tang Shengjie and the other two crew members of the spaceship will later be transferred to Beijing, where they will undergo post-mission medical evaluation, recovery and debriefing.

The homecoming of the Shenzhou-17 crew follows the completion of a six-month mission and in-orbit crew rotation with the newly-arrived crew members of the Shenzhou-18 mission.

Shenzhou-17 Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波, Commander)

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰, Mission Specialist)

Xinlin Jiang (江新林, Mission Specialist)

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 1 minute, 34 seconds

Release Date: April 30, 2024

China Shenzhou-17 Astronaut & Mission Commander Tang Hongbo after Landing

China Shenzhou-17 Astronaut & Mission Commander Tang Hongbo after Landing

Chinese astronaut Tang Hongbo, commander of the Shenzhou-17 mission, returned to Earth from the China Space Station on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, after a six-month stay in space.

Tang was the first of the three crew members of the spacecraft to emerge from the return capsule, after the module touched down the ground safely at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 17:46 Beijing Time, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The landing came after Tang and his crew mates, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, handed over control of the Tiangong Space Station to the newly arrived Shenzhou-18 crew on Sunday.

With his return, Tang has set the record for the longest time spent in orbit so far—279 days—among Chinese astronauts.

Upon landing, Tang said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that he felt proud to have completed the six-month mission along with his two crew mates and that he missed his loved ones on Earth very much.

The Shenzhou-17's return capsule separated from its orbiting capsule at around 08:40 Beijing Time on Tuesday, as per the flight procedure.

Soon after the return capsule landed, the ground search team arrived at the landing site. Medical personnel confirmed that the crew members were in good health.

With the return of the crew, the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission was announced a complete success.

The Shenzhou-17 crew was launched into space on Oct 26, 2023, for their stay aboard the Tiangong Space Station. During their six-month-long mission, the trio witnessed the arrival of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, completed two spacewalks, and carried out 84 in-orbit tests and space application experiments, and generated more than 200 samples, involving space life science and biotechnology, space medicine, space materials science and other fields.

Shenzhou-17 Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波, Commander)

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰, Mission Specialist)

Xinlin Jiang (江新林, Mission Specialist)

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds

Release Date: April 29, 2024

Dwarf Galaxy IC 776 in Virgo: On the Hunt for X-rays | Hubble

Dwarf Galaxy IC 776 in Virgo: On the Hunt for X-rays | Hubble

This is the dwarf galaxy IC 776. It is a swirling collection of stars new and old located in the constellation Virgo—in fact, in the Virgo galaxy cluster—100 million light-years from Earth. While a dwarf galaxy, it is also been classified as an SAB-type or ‘weakly barred’ spiral, one study naming it a “complex case” in morphology. This highly detailed view from Hubble demonstrates that complexity well. IC 776 has a ragged, disturbed disc that nevertheless looks to spiral around the core, and arcs of star-forming regions.

This image is from an observation program dedicated to the study of dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster, searching for sources of X-rays in such galaxies. X-rays are often emitted by accretion discs, where material that is drawn into a compact object by gravity crashes together and forms a hot, glowing disc. The compact object can be a white dwarf or neutron star in a binary pair, stealing material from its companion star, or it can be the supermassive black hole at the heart of a galaxy, devouring all around it. Dwarf galaxies like IC 776, travelling through the Virgo cluster, experience a pressure from the intergalactic gas which can both stimulate star formation and feed the central black hole in a galaxy. That can create energetic accretion discs, hot enough to emit X-rays.

While Hubble is not able to see X-rays, it can coordinate with X-ray telescopes, such as NASA’s Chandra, revealing the sources of this radiation in high resolution using visible light. Dwarf galaxies are thought to be very important for our understanding of cosmology and the evolution of galaxies. As with many areas of astronomy, the ability to examine these galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum is critical to their study.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy viewed tilted at a diagonal angle. The core and the disc of the galaxy are different colors, but are otherwise difficult to tell apart, with the disc having wispy, ragged edges and many arcs of glowing star-forming patches. A few distant galaxies can be seen in the background around the spiral galaxy, as well as several foreground stars.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, M. Sun

Release Date: April 29, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #Galaxy #IC776 #DwarfGalaxy #SAB #Virgo #Constellation #VirgoGalaxyCluster #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #HST #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-17 Crew Successfully Lands in North China | China Space Station

Shenzhou-17 Crew Successfully Lands in North China | China Space Station

The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceflight mission returned to Earth on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, after completing their six-month mission aboard the Tiangong space station and conducting an in-orbit rotation with the newly-arrived Shenzhou-18 crew.

Shenzhou-17 Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波, Commander)

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰, Mission Specialist)

Xinlin Jiang (江新林, Mission Specialist)

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds

Release Date: April 30, 2024

Monday, April 29, 2024

Preparations for Return of China's Shenzhou-17 Crew | China Space Station

Preparations for Return of China's Shenzhou-17 Crew | China Space Station

A search and rescue team has fully prepared for the return of the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft and its three crew members at the Dongfeng landing site in China's Gobi Desert. The Shenzhou-17 crew is due to return to Earth on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

With an area of tens of thousands of square kilometers, the landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia encompasses a multitude of terrain features, including deserts, grasslands, lakes, and saline-alkali lands, posing great challenges to the search and rescue operation.

To better handle their task in the challenging environment, the team has undertaken a range of training, including high-altitude rappelling from helicopter, anti-vertigo training, unmanned drone operation, diving and long-distance hiking with heavy loads in desert.

"Under the most challenging and complex conditions, we have conducted multiple systematic trainings and a three-month comprehensive exercise. In addition, we have carried out simulated trainings based on potential scenarios to ensure a safe return of the astronauts to the Dongfeng landing site," said Su Liming, a member of the search and rescue team.

Two comprehensive exercises involving the entire system of the landing site have been carried out, significantly enhancing the team's capabilities in performing search and rescue operations with coordinated and joint efforts.

"During the comprehensive exercises, both our personnel and equipment demonstrated outstanding performance. We have the capability and confidence to ensure a safe return of the astronauts," said Sun Liwen, another member of the search and rescue team.

Shenzhou-17 Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波, Commander)

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰, Mission Specialist)

Xinlin Jiang (江新林, Mission Specialist)

Video Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Release Date: April 27, 2024

How Solar Storms This Year Will Help Future Mars Astronauts | NASA/JPL

How Solar Storms This Year Will Help Future Mars Astronauts | NASA/JPL

Mars Report - April 2024: The Sun’s activity will be at its peak in 2024, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts and robots on Mars. This peak period—called solar maximum—will be observed by NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatiles EvolutioN) orbiter and Curiosity rover. Learn how both spacecraft have a big year ahead in this video featuring MAVEN Principal Investigator Shannon Curry of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Solar maximum occurs roughly every 11 years. During this period, the Sun is especially prone to throwing fiery tantrums in a variety of forms, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events launch radiation deep into space. When a series of these solar events erupt, it’s called a solar storm.

Earth’s magnetic field largely shields our home planet from the effects of these storms. But Mars lost its global magnetic field long ago, leaving the Red Planet more vulnerable to the Sun’s energetic particles. Researchers are excited to potentially gather data on just how intense solar activity can get at Mars. Among the preparations space agencies will need to make for sending humans to the Red Planet is what kind of radiation protection astronauts would require.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California leads the Curiosity mission.

Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/3UNS6g1

For more information on MAVEN, go to: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/maven/

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

Duration: 2 minutes, 27 seconds

Release Date: April 29, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Star #Sun #SolarMax #Planet #Mars #Atmosphere #Ultraviolet #UV #Radiation #Astronauts #MAVENMission #MAVENSpacecraft #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #GSFC #LASP #CUBoulder #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up View of The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up View of The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest infrared images to date of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. These observations show a part of the iconic nebula in a whole new light, capturing its complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution.

Webb’s new images show part of the sky in the constellation Orion (The Hunter), in the western side of the Orion B molecular cloud. Rising from turbulent waves of dust and gas is the Horsehead Nebula, otherwise known as Barnard 33, which resides roughly 1,300 light-years away.

The nebula formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of material, and glows because it is illuminated by a nearby hot star. The gas clouds surrounding the Horsehead have already dissipated, but the jutting pillar is made of thick clumps of material that is harder to erode. Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead has about five million years left before it too disintegrates. Webb’s new view focuses on the illuminated edge of the top of the nebula’s distinctive dust and gas structure.

The Horsehead Nebula is a well-known photon-dominated region, or PDR. In such a region ultraviolet light from young, massive stars creates a mostly neutral, warm area of gas and dust between the fully ionized gas surrounding the massive stars and the clouds in which they are born. This ultraviolet radiation strongly influences the gas chemistry of these regions and acts as the most important source of heat.

These regions occur where interstellar gas is dense enough to remain neutral, but not dense enough to prevent the penetration of far-ultraviolet light from massive stars. The light emitted from such PDRs provides a unique tool to study the physical and chemical processes that drive the evolution of interstellar matter in our galaxy, and throughout the Universe from the early era of vigorous star formation to the present day.

Owing to its proximity and its nearly edge-on geometry, the Horsehead Nebula is an ideal target for astronomers to study the physical structures of PDRs and the evolution of the chemical characteristics of the gas and dust within their respective environments, and the transition regions between them. It is considered one of the best objects in the sky to study how radiation interacts with interstellar matter.

This image was captured with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) instrument.

Image Description: The image is more than half-filled by a small section of the Horsehead Nebula, from the bottom up. The clouds are seen up close, showing thick, whitish streaks and dark voids, as well as textured, fuzzy-looking patterns of dust and gas. The nebula stops at a spiky edge that follows a slight curve. Above it a small number of distant stars and galaxies lie on a dark but multi-colored background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)

Release Date: April 29, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StellarNursery #Nebulae #Nebula #Barnard33 #HorseheadNebula #PDR #Orion #Constellation #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #CSA #GSFC #STSc #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Horsehead Nebula: Euclid, Hubble & Webb Space Telescope Views

The Horsehead Nebula: Euclid, Hubble & Webb Space Telescope Views

This image showcases three views of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. This object resides in part of the sky in the constellation Orion (The Hunter), in the western side of the Orion B molecular cloud. Rising from turbulent waves of dust and gas is the Horsehead Nebula, otherwise known as Barnard 33, which resides roughly 1,300 light-years away.

The first image (left), released in November 2023, features the Horsehead Nebula as seen by the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope. Euclid captured this image of the Horsehead in about one hour. It showcases the mission's ability to very quickly image an unprecedented area of the sky in high detail.

The second image (middle) shows the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope’s infrared view of the Horsehead Nebula, which was featured as the telescope’s 23rd anniversary image in 2013. This image captures plumes of gas in the infrared and reveals a beautiful, delicate structure that is normally obscured by dust.

The third image (right) features a new view of the Horsehead Nebula from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) instrument. It is the sharpest infrared image of the object to date, showing a part of the iconic nebula in a whole new light, and capturing its complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution.

Image Description: A collage of three images of the Horsehead Nebula. In the left image labelled “Euclid (Visible-Infrared)”, the Nebula is seen amongst its surroundings. A small box around it connects to the second image labelled “Hubble (Infrared)”, where the Nebula is zoomed in on. A portion of the Nebula’s head has another box, which leads with a callout to the third image, labelled “Webb (Infrared)”, of that area.

Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi, NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI), ESA/Webb, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS), M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)

Release Date: April 29, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #Nebula #Barnard33 #HorseheadNebula #PDR #Orion #Constellation #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #Hubble #Euclid #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #CSA #GSFC #STSc #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Webb Space Telescope Captures Iconic Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Detail

Webb Space Telescope Captures Iconic Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Detail

Video Credits:

Editing: Nico Bartmann

Written by: Bethany Downer

Footage and photos: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS) N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 1 minute, 53 seconds

Release Date: April 29, 2024

Zoom into The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

Zoom into The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

This video takes the viewer on a journey through space to reveal a new image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, the Horsehead Nebula.

This zoom video features three unique views of the Horsehead Nebula, including images from as European Space Agency's Euclid telescope, the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope’s infrared view of the object, and finally revealing the new image from Webb's NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) instrument. It is the sharpest infrared image of the object to date, showing a part of the iconic nebula in a whole new light, and capturing its complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution. You can learn more about this new image here.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Release Date: April 29, 2024

Panning over The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

Panning over The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

This image was captured with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) instrument.

Image Description: At the bottom of the image a small portion of the Horsehead Nebula is seen close-in, as a curved wall of thick, smoky gas and dust. Above the nebula various distant stars and galaxies can be seen up to the top of the image. One star is very bright and large, with six long diffraction spikes that cross the image. The background fades from a dark red color above the nebula to black.

Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: April 29, 2024

The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

The Horsehead Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

This image was captured with Webb’s NIRCam (Near-InfraRed Camera) instrument.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)

Release Date: April 29, 2024

United Arab Emirates Astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansoori | NASA Portrait

United Arab Emirates Astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansoori | NASA Portrait

Hazza Al Mansoori is an Emirati astronaut and was the first person from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in space. In 2019, he embarked on the UAE's first scientific mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission slogan was 'Zayed's Ambition', making the UAE the 19th country worldwide, and the first country in the Arab region, to travel to the International Space Station. Mansoori was assigned to the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft, alongside Russian commander Oleg Skripochka and American flight engineer Jessica Meir of NASA. They launched to the International Space Station on September 25, 2019. In this picture, Mansouri is wearing the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit used for extravehicular activities (EVAs) or spacewalks.

The Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is an independent anthropomorphic spacesuit that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for astronauts performing extravehicular activity (EVA) in Earth orbit. Introduced in 1981, it is a two-piece semi-rigid suit, and is currently one of two types of EVA spacesuits used by crew members on the International Space Station (ISS), the other being the Russian Orlan space suit.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC/Bill Stafford and Riley McClenaghan

Image Date: July 11, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronaut #HazzaAlMansoori #UAE #MBRSC #Astronauts #UnitedStates #JSC #Spacesuit #EMU #Spacewalk #EVA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition61 #Expedition62 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Photography #History #STEM #Education

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Star Diary: The Moon Lies in The Teapot (April 29 to May 5, 2024) | BBC

Star Diary: The Moon Lies in The Teapot (April 29 to May 5, 2024) | BBC

Northern Hemisphere Night Sky Highlights: See the Moon sit inside the Teapot asterism this week, while a quartet of asteroids moves across the night sky. Find out how to catch these and more stargazing highlights in this week’s podcast guide, Star Diary, April 29 to May 5, 2024.

Video Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Duration: 30 minutes

Release Date: April 28, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #Planets #SolarSystem #Asteroids #Comets #Stars #Planets #Constellations #StarClusters #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Universe #Skywatching #BBC #UK #Britain #Europe #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China-European Space Agency Science Mission: Einstein Probe’s First X-ray Images

China-European Space Agency Science Mission: Einstein Probe’s First X-ray Images

The first images captured by the Einstein Probe (爱因斯坦探针) were revealed during the 7th Joint Workshop of the Einstein Probe Consortium, held in Beijing, China, from April 24 to 26, 2024. The Einstein Probe (爱因斯坦探针) is a collaboration led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Germany.

The Einstein Probe is equipped with a new generation of X-ray instruments with high sensitivity and a very wide view, designed to observe powerful blasts of X-ray light coming from neutron stars and black holes. China launched the X-ray satellite Einstein Probe (EP) on January 9, 2024. It will help scientists further unlock valuable information about the universe by observing distant flashes from cosmic events.

"The Einstein Probe can capture sudden cosmic burst events, or violent activities of celestial bodies. This kind of celestial body that suddenly appears in the universe, lasts for a few moments, and then disappears quickly is called a transient," said Yuan Weimin, chief scientist of the Einstein Probe.

There are many spectacular transients and bursts in the universe from stellar activities near the solar system to gamma ray bursts from the distant early universe. They can generate huge radioactive energy in a very short period of time, concentrated in the X-ray band, producing complex and changing brightness levels like sparkling fireworks. Such transients and bursts originate from the critical stages of the formation and evolution of celestial bodies, and carry key information for studying the universe. However, due to absorption by the Earth's atmosphere, X-rays containing valuable information cannot reach the ground.

"These transients are relatively far away, and their signals are relatively dim. They appear randomly in space. We don't know when and in what direction they appear. So it is difficult for current satellites to detect them, and we need a monitor with very high sensitivity and large field-of-view. That's why we developed the Einstein Probe—to capture these more remote and dimmer transients and bursts," Yuan said.

Learn more about the international Einstein Probe X-ray Mission:

https://www.mpe.mpg.de/7984975/news20240109

Credit: EPSC, NAO/CAS; DSS; ESO/China Central Television (CCTV)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 1 minute, 47 seconds

Release Date: April 28, 2024

#NASA #ESA #CAS #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Satellite #EinsteinProbe #爱因斯坦探针 #China #中国 #Cosmos #Universe #Xray #Transients #MPE #Germany #Deutschland #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

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