Sunday, May 19, 2024

Zebrafish in Good Condition after 20 Days at China’s Space Station

Zebrafish in Good Condition after 20 Days at China’s Space Station

The four zebrafish brought into orbit by the Shenzhou-18 crew spacecraft on April 26, 2024, are in good condition after staying 20 days at China’s Tiangong space station, according to researchers.

The four fish are living in a small "aquarium" in the station's Wentian laboratory module. They were sent to the space station for a life science and ecological experiment. It required the three Shenzhou-18 astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, to create a simplified version of an aquatic ecosystem using zebrafish and hornwort to study how the space environment affects their growth and system balance.

So far, the astronauts have successfully carried out two water sampling measurements and a fish food container replacement. They have found abnormal directional behaviors of the zebrafish in microgravity, such as making rotational movements, going in circles, and even swimming upside-down.

The water samples, fish eggs, and video recordings of zebrafish spatial movement behaviors will be sent back to Earth for scientists to study the influence of the space environment on the growth and behavior of vertebrates. This will provide reference for research on material circulation of contained ecosystems in space.

If the experiment succeeds, it will be a significant breakthrough for cultivating vertebrates in China's space program. Not only will the astronauts find joy in the space "aquarium," but it may also pave the way for their future counterparts to enjoy nutritious fish from their own in-orbit harvests.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)


Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 2 minutes, 53 seconds

Release Date: May 17, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #FishExperiment #Zebrafish #LifeScience #SpaceEcology #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

It’s Time to Change Hubble’s Clock | NASA Goddard

It’s Time to Change Hubble’s Clock | NASA Goddard

Remember that Y2K thing a few years ago?  Everyone was afraid the world was going to end because computer programmers saved space by putting dates as . . . 77 for 1977, 85 for 1985, Or 90 for 1990? However, then it became clear that when the year 2000 finally rolled around all of the computers would think it was actually 00. Or the year 1900.

Well, it turns out Hubble has something similar, only Hubble’s clock restarts every 6,213 days, 18 hours, 48 minutes, and 31.875 seconds. Or roughly every 17 years for those of you who like counting.

This is because Hubble’s computers have a different way of tracking time than we have here on the ground. You would think it would be as simple as synching our ground clocks with Hubble’s personal timepiece, but you would be surprised!


Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Paul Morris: Lead Producer 

Video Credit:

2000 Millennium Celebrations On A 80S 90S Retro Television by Vulk via POND5

2000 To 2024 Year Countdown Spiral Time Tunnel Animation Video by Shurshart via POND5

Flip Calendar - 365 Days Video by BeauPhoto via POND5

Calendar Month Red Video by EnchantedStudios via POND5

Time-Lapse Of Milky Way Stars Over Mountain Tops by BlackBoxGuild via POND5

Green Digital Code On Monitor Seamless Loop Video by gonin via POND5

Paper Animation Texture by vistoff via MotionArray

Retro Computer Hacking by RelativeMedia via MotionArray

Duration: 4 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: May 3, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #ComputerClocks #SpaceTechnology #Stars #Nebulae #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronaut Answers Arizona Student Questions | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Answers Arizona Student Questions | International Space Station

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview May 14, 2024, with students participating in the TRiO Upward Bound program at the Desert Vista campus of the Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. 

Epps is in the midst of a long-duration mission aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.  

NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps Official Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jeanette-j-epps/biography

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 


Expedition 70 Crew
Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, 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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

For more information about STEM on Station:
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 17 minutes

Release Date: May 14, 2024


#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Students #Arizona #ArtemisGeneration #Astronauts #JeanetteEpps #HumanSpaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #SpaceLaboratory #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Shenzhou-18 Crew Update: First Mission Milestones Achieved | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Crew Update: First Mission Milestones Achieved | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 astronaut update: Experimental materials exposed outside the station have been tested and retrieved. Medical rescue training in orbit has been performed and quality control measurements have been made. 

The three Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu were sent to the orbiting Tiangong space station for a six-month mission on April 25, 2024.

During their stay in space, the Shenzhou-18 astronauts will carry out more than 90 experiments, two to three extravehicular activities (EVAs), and implement six cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module. 

The trio will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and later welcome the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship to the space station.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)


Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Duration: 2 minutes, 53 seconds

Release Date: May 17, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 70 Crew Photos: April-May 2024 | International Space Station

Expedition 70 Crew Photos: April-May 2024 | International Space Station

Expedition 71 crew members (from left) Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos (Russia) and Mike Barratt from NASA view laptop computer operations aboard the International Space Station's Unity module.
Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps practices cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or chest compressions, on Flight Engineer Mike Barratt, both NASA astronauts, as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin monitors. The trio reviewed medical procedures, hardware configurations, and commnication protocols in the unlikely event of an emergency aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps extracts DNA samples from bacteria colonies for genomic analysis aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module. The research work may help researchers understand how bacteria adapts to weightlessness and develop ways to protect space crews and humans on Earth.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson performs a Zero Robotics tech demonstration with Astrobee. Zero Robotics allows students on Earth to write software to control one of three free-flying Astrobee robots aboard the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing educational activity, students can then observe the performance of the robot without directly interacting with it.
    NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson monitors a free-flying Astrobee robotic assistant inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module. The Astrobee was being tested ahead of the Astrobee-Zero Robotics competition for students on Earth to write software that controls the cube-shaped, toaster-sized device on the orbital lab.
Expedition 71 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt smiles for a portrait aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.
   Expedition 71 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is pictured during a video crew conference aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt reads maintenance procedures on a computer tablet as he works on a pair of spacesuits inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.


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 Dominick, 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.


Image & Caption Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: April 15-May 15, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronauts #MikeBarratt #JeanetteEpps #TracyDyson #JSC #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #AlexanderGrebenkin #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Friday, May 17, 2024

X-Class Solar Flares Dominate Sun in May 2024 | NASA Goddard

X-Class Solar Flares Dominate Sun in May 2024 | NASA Goddard

During the week of May 10 to May 16, 2024, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observed nine X-class solar flares erupting from the Sun, including the largest in this solar cycle to date on May 14 that peaked at X8.7. 

This video shows these flares using SDO observations in two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, 131 angstroms (colorized as teal) and 171 angstroms (colorized as gold).

These flares originated primarily from an active region on the Sun called AR 13664. This region, along with another called AR 13663, was responsible for the majority of strong solar flares from May 3 through May 9.  

A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation, or light, on the Sun. Flares are our solar system’s most powerful explosive events. Light only takes about eight minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth, so that’s how long it would take the energy from a flare to reach our planet. 

Solar flares are rated into different classes based on their strength, or energy output, and the effect a flare will have on Earth depends on what class it is (B, C, M, and X classes, with X being the most intense). Earth’s atmosphere absorbs most of the Sun’s intense radiation, so flares are not directly harmful to humans on the ground. However, energetic particles associated with flares can create a harmful radiation environment for astronauts, especially for human exploration activities beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field.

Stronger solar flares—those rated class M5 or above—can have impacts on technology that depends on Earth’s ionosphere (our electrically charged upper atmosphere), like high-frequency radio used for navigation and GPS. 

To see how such space weather may affect Earth,visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. 

NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.


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

Producer: Lacey Young (MORI Associates)

Writer: Mara Johnson-Groh (Telophase)

Data Visualizers: Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: May 17, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #SpaceWeather #Sun #Star #Solar #SolarFlares #XClassFlares #Ultraviolet #Plasma #MagneticField #Heliophysics #Physics #Spacecraft #Satellites #ElectricalGrids #SDO #SolarSystem #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Practicing Artemis Moonwalks in the Desert | This Week @NASA

Practicing Artemis Moonwalks in the Desert | This Week @NASA

Week of May 17, 2024 | Practicing Artemis Moonwalks in the desert, a developmental milestone for our lunar-roving robot, and previewing our new polar climate mission . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Video Producer & Editor: Andre Valentine

Narrator: Emanuel Cooper

Duration: 2 minutes, 47 seconds

Release Date: May 17, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ViperRover #ArtemisIII #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #JETT5 #Moonwalks #MoonwalkSimulation #Training #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #GSFC #JSC #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Science Mission to Better Understand Earth’s Polar Regions | NASA/JPL

A Science Mission to Better Understand Earth’s Polar Regions | NASA/JPL

NASA’s PREFIRE mission aims to improve global climate change predictions by expanding our understanding of heat loss at the polar regions. The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) will send two shoebox-size satellites into space to study the Arctic and Antarctic. They will be the first to systematically measure heat in the form of far-infrared radiation emitted from those regions. 

Earth absorbs much of the Sun’s energy at the tropics. Weather and ocean currents then move that heat toward the poles, which help regulate Earth’s climate by radiating that heat back into space. However, the Arctic is warming about three times faster than anywhere else on Earth. This is leading to increased ice sheet melt and sea level rise in coastal communities. The data from PREFIRE will help scientists better understand how Earth’s polar regions respond to climate change and what that might mean for the future.

For more information: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/prefire 


Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin

Duration: 3 minutes, 38 seconds

Release Date: May 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #Earth #Planet #EarthScience #PolarRegions #Arctic #Antarctic
#Meltwater #PREFIREMission #Infrared #Atmosphere #Oceans #Land #Climate #ClimateChange #GreenhouseGases #GlobalWarming #GlobalHeating #EarthSystemObservatory #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Gravitationally Lensed Supernova Refsdal | Hubble’s Inside the Image

Gravitationally Lensed Supernova Refsdal | Hubble’s Inside the Image

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken an image of a lensing galaxy cluster that caught the same supernova, nicknamed Refsdal, exploding four different times!

In this video, Dr. Brian Welch explains this breathtaking image and how important Hubble is to exploring the mysteries of the universe.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble


Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Producer, Director & Editor: James Leigh

Director of Photography: James Ball

Executive Producers: James Leigh & Matthew Duncan

Production & Post: Origin Films 

Video Credits:

Hubble Space Telescope Animation:

ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen

 Animations of Galaxy Cluster With Gravitational Lensing & Lensed Supernova: 

ESA/Hubble - L. Calçada

Artist’s Impression of Gravitational Lensing:

ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser

Animations of Lensed Supernova Detections: 

NASA & ESA

Release Date: May 17, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #MACSJ114962223 #Supernovae #SupernovaRefsdal #Supernova #Leo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: The ISS Toolbox | Week of May 17, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: The ISS Toolbox | Week of May 17, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station (ISS). On Earth, NASA, Boeing, and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) teams continue working toward the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. The teams are targeting launch no earlier than 4:43 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Follow Expedition 71 Updates: 


Expedition 71 Crew
Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, 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.

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at: 

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

For more information about STEM on Station:
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 4 minutes, 33 seconds

Release Date: May 17, 2024


#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Tools #Boeing #Starliner #CST100 #AtlasVRocket #CommercialCrewProgram #CFT #Astronauts #SuniWilliams #BarryWilmore #HumanSpaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #LaunchAmerica #NASAKennedy #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Expedition71 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Astronauts Practice Simulated Moonwalks in Arizona Desert | NASA Artemis Program

Astronauts Practice Simulated Moonwalks in Arizona Desert | NASA Artemis Program

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas raises an American flag as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins looks on during their first simulated moonwalk in a week-long field test consisting of four simulated moonwalks and six advanced technology runs in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas collects soil samples during the first in a series of four simulated moonwalks in Arizona.
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins (left) and Andre Douglas (right) congratulate each other after the completion of the first simulated moonwalk in a week-long field test

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins observes a geology sample she collected during a simulated moonwalk.
NASA astronaut Andre Douglas takes a picture of the lunar-like landscape during a simulated moonwalk
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas push a tool cart loaded with lunar tools through the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff, Arizona
The Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team and NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas before the start of a week-long field test consisting of four simulated moonwalks

To prepare for exploring the Moon during NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency is conducting a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona to practice moonwalk scenarios.

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas are serving as the crewmembers and wearing mockup spacesuit systems as they traverse through the desert, completing a variety of technology demonstrations, hardware checkouts and Artemis science-related operations. 

During the test, two integrated teams will work together as they practice end-to-end lunar operations. The field team consists of astronauts, NASA engineers, and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, while a team of flight controllers and scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston monitor and guide their activities.

“Field tests play a critical role in helping us test all of the systems, hardware, and technology we’ll need to conduct successful lunar operations during Artemis missions,” said Barbara Janoiko, director for the field test at Johnson. “Our engineering and science teams have worked together seamlessly to ensure we are prepared every step of the way for when astronauts step foot on the Moon again.”   

The test consists of four simulated moonwalks that follow operations planned for Artemis III and beyond, as well as six advanced technology runs. During the advanced runs, teams will demonstrate technology that may be used for future Artemis missions, such as display and navigation data stream capabilities in the form of a heads-up display using augmented reality or lighting beacons that could help guide crew back to the lander. 

Ahead of the field test, the science team at Johnson that was competitively selected and tasked with developing the science objectives for the field test, followed a planning process designed for Artemis missions. Their preparation included generating geologic maps, a list of science questions, and prioritized moonwalk locations for both the primary and back-up “landing sites” for the test. 

“During Artemis III, the astronauts will be our science operators on the lunar surface with an entire science team supporting them from here on Earth,” said Cherie Achilles, science officer for the test at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This simulation gives us an opportunity to practice conducting geology from afar in real time.” 

The test will evaluate gaps and challenges associated with lunar South Pole operations, including data collection and communications between the flight control team and science team in Houston for rapid decision-making protocols. 

At the conclusion of each simulated moonwalk, the science team, flight control team, crewmembers, and field experts will come together to discuss and record lessons learned. NASA will take these lessons and apply them to operations for NASA’s Artemis missions, commercial vendor development, and other technology development. 

This field test is the fifth in the series conducted by the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team led out of Johnson. This test expands on previous field tests the team has performed and is the highest fidelity Artemis moonwalk mission simulation to date. 

NASA uses field tests to simulate missions to prepare for deep space destinations. The Arizona desert has been a training ground for lunar exploration since the Apollo era because of the many similarities to the lunar terrain, including craters, faults and volcanic features. 

Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon, paving the way for long-term lunar exploration and serving as a steppingstone for astronaut missions to Mars. 

Learn more about NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/extravehicular-activity-and-human-surface-mobility/


Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Josh Valcarcel

Release Date: May 14, 2024


#NASA #Space #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #JETT #JETT5 #Moonwalks #MoonwalkSimulation #Training #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #GSFC #JSC #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Tarim Basin | China Space Station

Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Tarim Basin | China Space Station

In this video, China's Tiangong space station passes over Africa and the Arabian Peninsula before arriving at the Tarim Basin in China. 

Let's explore our world together!

The three Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu were sent to the orbiting Tiangong space station for a six-month mission on April 25, 2024.

During their stay in space, the Shenzhou-18 astronauts will carry out more than 90 experiments, two to three extravehicular activities (EVAs), and implement six cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module. 

The trio will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and later welcome the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship to the space station.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)


Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA) Watcher

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: May 15, 2024


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Africa #ArabianPeninsula #TarimBasin #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #CrewSpacecraft #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Panning over Lenticular Galaxy NGC 4753 in Virgo | Hubble

Panning over Lenticular Galaxy NGC 4753 in Virgo | Hubble


In this new image from the NASA/European Space Agency's Hubble Space Telescope is a nearly edge-on view of the lenticular galaxy NGC 4753. These galaxies have an elliptical shape and ill-defined spiral arms.

This image is the object's sharpest view to date, showcasing Hubble’s resolving power and ability to reveal complex dust structures. NGC 4753 resides around 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by the astronomer William Herschel in 1784. It is a member of the NGC 4753 Group of galaxies within the Virgo II Cloud. It is made up of roughly 100 galaxies and galaxy clusters.

This galaxy is believed to be the result of a galactic merger with a nearby dwarf galaxy roughly 1.3 billion years ago. NGC 4753’s distinct dust lanes around its nucleus are believed to have been accreted from this merger event. 

It is now believed that most of the mass in the galaxy lies in a slightly flattened spherical halo of dark matter. Dark matter is a form of matter that cannot currently be observed directly, but is thought to comprise about 85% of all matter in the Universe. It is referred to as ‘dark’ because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, and therefore does not seem to emit, reflect or refract light.

This object is also of scientific interest to test  theories of formation of lenticular galaxies, given its low-density environment and complex structure. Furthermore, this galaxy has been host to two known Type Ia supernovae. These types of supernovae are extremely important as they are all caused by exploding white dwarfs which have companion stars, and always peak at the same brightness—5 billion times brighter than the Sun. Knowing the true brightness of these events, and comparing this with their apparent brightness, gives astronomers a unique chance to measure distances in the Universe.

Image Description: Lenticular galaxy NGC 4753 is featured with a bright white core and surrounding defined dust lanes around its nucleus, that predominantly appear dark brown in color. A variety of faint stars fill the background of the image.


Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Kelsey, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: May 16, 2024

 

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC4753 #LenticularGalaxy #GalacticMergers #DarkMatter #VirgoIICloud #Virgo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pan of Region around ZS7 Galaxy System Black Hole Merger | Webb Telescope

Pan of Region around ZS7 Galaxy System Black Hole Merger | Webb Telescope

This image shows the environment of the galaxy system ZS7 from the JWST PRIMER program (PI: J. Dunlop) as seen by Webb's NIRCam instrument. New research using the NIRSpec instrument on the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has determined the system to be evidence of an ongoing merger of two galaxies and their massive black holes when the Universe was only 740 million years old. This marks the most distant detection of a black hole merger ever obtained and the first time that this phenomenon has been detected so early in the Universe. 

The team has found evidence for very dense gas with fast motions in the vicinity of the black hole, as well as hot and highly ionised gas illuminated by the energetic radiation typically produced by black holes in their accretion episodes. Webb also allowed the team to spatially separate the two black holes and determined that one of the two black holes has a mass that is 50 million times the mass of the Sun. The mass of the other black hole is likely similar, although it is harder to measure because this second black hole is buried in dense gas.


Video Credit:

ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, J. Dunlop, D. Magee, P. G. Pérez-González, H. Übler, R. Maiolino, et. al, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: May 15, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Galaxies #BlackHoles #ZS7 #BlackHole #GalacticMerger #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Most Distant Black Hole Merger to Date Detected | James Webb Space Telescope

Most Distant Black Hole Merger to Date Detected | James Webb Space Telescope 

This image shows the environment of the galaxy system ZS7 from the JWST PRIMER program (PI: J. Dunlop) as seen by Webb's NIRCam instrument.
This image shows the location of the galaxy system ZS7 from the JWST PRIMER program (PI: J. Dunlop).

An international team of astronomers have used the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope to find evidence for an ongoing merger of two galaxies and their massive black holes when the Universe was only 740 million years old. This marks the most distant detection of a black hole merger ever obtained and the first time that this phenomenon has been detected so early in the Universe.

Astronomers have found supermassive black holes with masses of millions to billions times that of the Sun in most massive galaxies in the local Universe, including in our Milky Way galaxy. These black holes have likely had a major impact on the evolution of the galaxies they reside in. However, scientists still do not fully understand how these objects grew to become so massive. The finding of gargantuan black holes already in place in the first billion years after the Big Bang indicates that such growth must have happened very rapidly, and very early. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope is shedding new light on the growth of black holes in the early Universe.

The new Webb observations have provided evidence for an ongoing merger of two galaxies and their massive black holes when the Universe was just 740 million years old. The system is known as ZS7.

Massive black holes that are actively accreting matter have distinctive spectrographic features that allow astronomers to identify them. For very distant galaxies, like those in this study, these signatures are inaccessible from the ground and can only be seen with Webb. 

“We found evidence for very dense gas with fast motions in the vicinity of the black hole, as well as hot and highly ionised gas illuminated by the energetic radiation typically produced by black holes in their accretion episodes,” explained lead author Hannah Übler of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. “Thanks to the unprecedented sharpness of its imaging capabilities, Webb also allowed our team to spatially separate the two black holes.”

The team found that one of the two black holes has a mass that is 50 million times the mass of the Sun. “The mass of the other black hole is likely similar, although it is much harder to measure because this second black hole is buried in dense gas,” explained team member Roberto Maiolino of the University of Cambridge and University College London in the United Kingdom.

“Our findings suggest that merging is an important route through which black holes can rapidly grow, even at cosmic dawn,” explained Übler. “Together with other Webb findings of active, massive black holes in the distant Universe, our results also show that massive black holes have been shaping the evolution of galaxies from the very beginning.”

"The stellar mass of the system we studied is similar to that of our neighbor the Large Magellanic Cloud," shared team member Pablo G. Pérez-González of the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC/INTA, in Spain. "We can try to imagine how the evolution of merging galaxies could be affected if each galaxy had one super massive black hole as large or larger than the one we have in the Milky Way". 

The team also notes that once the two black holes merge, they will also generate gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are invisible ripples in the fabric of spacetime. Events like this will be detectable with the next generation of gravitational wave observatories, such as the upcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission that was recently approved by the European Space Agency. It will be the first space-based observatory dedicated to studying gravitational waves.

“Webb’s results are telling us that lighter systems detectable by LISA should be far more frequent than previously assumed,” shared LISA Lead Project Scientist Nora Luetzgendorf of the European Space Agency in the Netherlands. “It will most likely make us adjust our models for LISA rates in this mass range. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

This discovery was from observations made as part of the Galaxy Assembly with NIRSpec Integral Field Spectroscopy program. The team has recently been awarded a new Large Program in Webb’s Cycle 3 of observations, to study in detail the relationship between massive black holes and their host galaxies in the first billion years. An important component of this program will be to systematically search for and characterise black hole mergers. This effort will determine the rate that black hole merging occurs at early cosmic epochs and will assess the role of merging in the early growth of black holes and the rate at which gravitational waves are produced from the dawn of time.

These results have been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.


Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, J. Dunlop, D. Magee, P. G. Pérez-González, H. Übler, R. Maiolino, et. al

Release Date: May 16, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Galaxies #BlackHoles #ZS7 #BlackHole #GalacticMerger #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

NASA's Europa Clipper Science Mission: Why Explore Jupiter’s Ocean Moon?

NASA's Europa Clipper Science Mission: Why Explore Jupiter’s Ocean Moon?

Everywhere there is water on Earth, there is life. Does that hold true elsewhere in our solar system? NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will investigate Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. With its subsurface ocean, Europa is one of the most promising places in our solar system to find environments capable of supporting life.

While Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission, it will be the first to conduct a detailed survey of this icy moon to answer questions about Europa’s potential habitability and composition. The mission’s main goals are to determine the thickness of Europa’s icy shell; confirm the presence of an ocean; investigate the make-up of that ocean; and characterize the geology of the surface. The spacecraft will orbit Jupiter and make approximately 50 flybys of Europa. It is equipped with an extensive suite of instruments that will work in sync to gather measurements and high-resolution images. 

Europa Clipper is expected to launch in October 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will arrive at the Jupiter system in 2030. 

For more information on the mission, visit: https://europa.nasa.gov/


Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/APL

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: May 15, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Jupiter #Europa #Moon #Ocean #Astrobiology #Biosignatures #Habitability #Radiation #EuropaClipper #Spacecraft #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #APL #MSFC #JPL #Caltech #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video