Wide-field View: Star Cluster NGC 6440 | James Webb Space Telescope

Wide-field View: Star Cluster NGC 6440 | James Webb Space Telescope

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope features NGC 6440, a globular cluster that resides roughly 28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The object was first discovered by William Herschel in May 1786.

Globular clusters like NGC 6440 are roughly spherical, tightly packed, collections of old stars bound together by gravity. They can be found throughout galaxies, but often live on the outskirts. They hold hundreds of thousands to millions of stars that are on average about one light-year apart, but they can be as close together as the size of our Solar System. NGC 6440 is known to be a high-mass and metal-rich cluster that formed and is orbiting within the Galactic bulge. It is a dense, near-spherical region of old stars in the inner part of the Milky Way.

This image was obtained with 2023 data from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) as part of an observation program to explore the stars in the cluster and to investigate details of the cluster’s pulsars. A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. To us, that beam appears as a short burst or pulse as the star rotates. Pulsars spin extremely fast. Astronomers have clocked the fastest pulsars at more than 716 rotations per second, but a pulsar could theoretically rotate as fast as 1500 rotations per second before slowly losing energy or breaking apart.

The new data obtained by the science team indicate the first evidence from Webb observations of abundance variations of helium and oxygen in stars in a globular cluster. These results open the window for future, in-depth investigations of other clusters in the Galactic bulge, which were previously infeasible with other telescope facilities given the significant crowding of stars in the cluster and the strong reddening caused by interstellar dust between the cluster and Earth.

Image Description: A spherical collection of stars fills the entire view. The cluster is dominated by a concentrated group of bright white stars at the center, with several large yellow stars scattered throughout the image. Many of the stars have visible diffraction spikes. The background is black.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, P. Freire

Acknowledgement: M. Cadelano and C. Pallanca

Release Date: May 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #NGC6440 #Sagittarius #GalacticBulge #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Pan over Star Cluster NGC 6440 | James Webb Space Telescope

Pan over Star Cluster NGC 6440 | James Webb Space Telescope

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope features NGC 6440, a globular cluster that resides roughly 28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The object was first discovered by William Herschel in May 1786.

Globular clusters like NGC 6440 are roughly spherical, tightly packed, collections of old stars bound together by gravity. They can be found throughout galaxies, but often live on the outskirts. They hold hundreds of thousands to millions of stars that are on average about one light-year apart, but they can be as close together as the size of our Solar System. NGC 6440 is known to be a high-mass and metal-rich cluster that formed and is orbiting within the Galactic bulge. It is a dense, near-spherical region of old stars in the inner part of the Milky Way.

This image was obtained with 2023 data from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) as part of an observation program to explore the stars in the cluster and to investigate details of the cluster’s pulsars. A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. To us, that beam appears as a short burst or pulse as the star rotates. Pulsars spin extremely fast. Astronomers have clocked the fastest pulsars at more than 716 rotations per second, but a pulsar could theoretically rotate as fast as 1500 rotations per second before slowly losing energy or breaking apart.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, P. Freire, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)  

Acknowledgement: M. Cadelano and C. Pallanca  

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: May 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #NGC6440 #Sagittarius #GalacticBulge #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star-studded Cluster NGC 6440 | James Webb Space Telescope

Star-studded Cluster NGC 6440 | James Webb Space Telescope

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope features NGC 6440, a globular cluster that resides roughly 28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The object was first discovered by William Herschel in May 1786.

Globular clusters like NGC 6440 are roughly spherical, tightly packed, collections of old stars bound together by gravity. They can be found throughout galaxies, but often live on the outskirts. They hold hundreds of thousands to millions of stars that are on average about one light-year apart, but they can be as close together as the size of our Solar System. NGC 6440 is known to be a high-mass and metal-rich cluster that formed and is orbiting within the Galactic bulge. It is a dense, near-spherical region of old stars in the inner part of the Milky Way.

This image was obtained with 2023 data from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) as part of an observation program to explore the stars in the cluster and to investigate details of the cluster’s pulsars. A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. To us, that beam appears as a short burst or pulse as the star rotates. Pulsars spin extremely fast. Astronomers have clocked the fastest pulsars at more than 716 rotations per second, but a pulsar could theoretically rotate as fast as 1500 rotations per second before slowly losing energy or breaking apart.

The new data obtained by the science team indicate the first evidence from Webb observations of abundance variations of helium and oxygen in stars in a globular cluster. These results open the window for future, in-depth investigations of other clusters in the Galactic bulge, which were previously infeasible with other telescope facilities given the significant crowding of stars in the cluster and the strong reddening caused by interstellar dust between the cluster and Earth.

Image Description: A spherical collection of stars fills the entire view. The cluster is dominated by a concentrated group of bright white stars at the center, with several large yellow stars scattered throughout the image. Many of the stars have visible diffraction spikes. The background is black.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, P. Freire

Acknowledgement: M. Cadelano and C. Pallanca

Release Date: May 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #NGC6440 #Sagittarius #GalacticBulge #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test: The Atlas V Rocket | United Launch Alliance

Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test: The Atlas V Rocket | United Launch Alliance

Continuing Atlas' legacy of launching humans to space, ULA is using an Atlas V rocket to launch the Crew Flight Test (CFT) Mission to the International Space Station for NASA with Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. See how the Atlas V rocket was stacked ahead of launch. Go Atlas.  Go Centaur.

For more info on Starliner, visit: boeing.com/starliner

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

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at: 

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Video Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: April 30, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Boeing #Starliner #CST100 #AtlasVRocket #CommercialCrewProgram #CFT #Astronauts #SuniWilliams #BarryWilmore #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Engineering #LaunchAmerica #NASAKennedy #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Completes Ignition Tests for Powerful Reusable Liquid-fueled Rocket Engine

China Completes Ignition Tests for Powerful Reusable Liquid-fueled Rocket Engine

China successfully completed an ignition test on Sunday, April 28, 2024, for its liquid-propellant engine with the highest thrust, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), four YF-100K rocket engines have been successfully tested in parallel at the Tongchuan Test Center, Shaanxi Province, China. YF-100K is a “130-ton reusable liquid oxygen/kerosene rocket engine” that may be used by the Long March-10 launch vehicle. This marks a new breakthrough in the country's liquid propulsion development. It is also the first-ever parallel ignition test of four large-thrust liquid oxygen (LOX) kerosene engines. The 130-tonne class LOX kerosene engine, developed by the CASC, has a total thrust of over 500 tonnes. 

Compared to the currently operational 120-tonne class LOX kerosene engines, it boasts not only a larger thrust and better performance, but also a more compact structure, effectively enhancing the rocket's carrying capacity.

"The successful test assessed the coordination of the multi-engine operation of our system, and the operating reliability of the engines in extreme thermal and force environment. [The result] indicates that the engines are fully qualified to participate in [rocket launching] tests," said Li Bin, deputy head of the Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion Technology under CASC.  

The engine used in this test was designed with the "pump back swing" technology, referring to an engine with a swing device at the rear. Compared with the main liquid oxygen kerosene engines currently in service, this kind of engine has a greater thrust, better performance, and a more compact structure. 

With the pump back swing technology, more engines can be set within the same rocket diameter, which can effectively improve rocket carrying capacity.  

"An engine with the pump back swing technology has a compact structure. For instance, we can place four engines within a diameter of 3.8 meters, and seven engines within a diameter of 5 meters," Li said. 

The parallel ignition test refers to the integration of four mature engine systems, working in unison rather than simply being bundled together. This approach provides a larger thrust for the rocket while also reducing the overall complexity of the system.

The successful trial run validates the coordination of multiple engines and their reliability in high thermal environments, demonstrating that the engines are fully capable of flight applications. 

After the test run, the engines will be delivered for rocket launching missions upon an engine check.

Video Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)

Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds

Release Date: April 29, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #China #中国 #TongchuanTestCenter #铜川试验中心 #XianCity #ShaanxiProvince #YF100K #LongMarch10Rocket #长征十 #RocketEngine #Reusability #LOX #EngineTesting #CASC #Moon #月亮 #嫦娥 #Spaceflight #CASC #Science #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Waning Gibbous Moon above Earth's Horizon | International Space Station

Waning Gibbous Moon above Earth's Horizon | International Space Station

The waning gibbous Moon is pictured above Earth's horizon from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above the Pacific Ocean northeast of Japan.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

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

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

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)

Image Date: April 26, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Moon #WaningGibbousMoon #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Russia #Россия #Expedition70 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

China Readies Chang'e-6 Sample Return Mission to Moon's Far Side South Pole

China Readies Chang'e-6 Sample Return Mission to Moon's Far Side South Pole

The Chang'e-6 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched at an appropriate time in the beginning of May 2024, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). This is China's second lunar sample return mission. In 2020, Chang'e 5 was the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. The mission made China the third country to return samples from the Moon after the United States and the Soviet Union.

The combination of the Chang'e-6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket was transferred vertically on Saturday, April 27, 2024, to the launch area at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, the CNSA said.

"Comparing Chang'e-6 with Chang'e-5, the most significant difference is that Chang 'e-5 conducted the sample-return mission on the near side of the moon, while the Chang 'e-6 will conduct the sample-return mission on the far side of the moon. The Chang'e-6 aims to achieve breakthroughs in the design and control technology of the Moon's retrograde orbit, intelligent sampling, take-off and ascent technologies, and automatic sample-return on the far side of the Moon. At present, the Long March-5 carrier rocket and the Chang'e-6 probe are in good condition. All preparations for the launch are progressing in an orderly manner, following normal working procedures," said Ge Ping, deputy director of the Center of Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering, China National Space Administration.

"At present, the launch site has ensured the normal testing of Chang'e-6 and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket. Our Hainan launch site features high temperatures, high humidity, and high salt mist. We have made corresponding preparations for the environmental conditions, and we have also prepared some typhoon prevention plans to adapt to the weather in Hainan," said Liao Guorui, an engineer at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds

Release Date: April 27, 2024

嫦娥六号

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Moon #Change6 #嫦娥六号 #LunarSampleReturn #FarSide #SouthPole #LongMarch5Y8Rocket #Queqiao2 #鹊桥二号中继星 #CNSA #CASC #Wenchang #Hainan #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch Preparations | International Space Station

Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch Preparations | International Space Station

During a mission dress rehearsal, NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are photographed in their Boeing spacesuits at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, part of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, April 26, 2024. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Wilmore and Williams are the first to launch to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Liftoff to the International Space Station atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. ET Monday, May 6, 2024.

NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/people/sunita-l-williams/

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/williams-s.pdf

NASA Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/barry-e-wilmore/biography

For more info on Starliner, visit: 

boeing.com/starliner

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

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at: 

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Image Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

Image Date: April 26, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Boeing #Starliner #CST100 #Spacecraft #CommercialCrew #CCP #CFT #Astronauts #SuniWilliams #BarryWilmore #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology #Engineering #LaunchAmerica #NASAKennedy #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

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.

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.

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

#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 & 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

#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

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

#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

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

#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

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