Friends of NASA

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Pan of Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Intermediate Black Hole Evidence | Hubble

Pan of Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Intermediate Black Hole Evidence | Hubble

An international team of astronomers has used more than 500 images from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope spanning two decades to detect seven fast-moving stars in the innermost region of Omega Centauri, the largest and brightest globular cluster in the sky. These stars provide compelling new evidence for the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH).

Omega Centauri is visible from Earth with the naked eye and is one of the favorite celestial objects for stargazers in the southern hemisphere. Although the cluster is 17,000 light-years away, lying just above the plane of the Milky Way, it appears almost as large as the full Moon when seen from a dark rural area. The exact classification of Omega Centauri has evolved through time, as our ability to study it has improved. It was first listed in Ptolemy's catalog nearly two thousand years ago as a single star. Edmond Halley reported it as a nebula in 1677, and in the 1830s the English astronomer John Herschel was the first to recognize it as a globular cluster. Omega Centauri consists of roughly 10 million stars that are gravitationally bound.

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

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: June 28, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #StarCluster #GlobularCluster #OmegaCentauri #BlackHole #IntermediateMass #IMBH #Centaurus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zoom into Omega Centauri to Newly-discovered Medium-mass Black Hole

Zoom into Omega Centauri to Newly-discovered Medium-mass Black Hole

Omega Centauri is a spectacular collection of about ten million stars, visible as a smudge in the night sky from Southern latitudes. Through a small telescope, it looks no different from other so-called globular clusters: a spherical collection of stars, so dense towards the centre that it becomes impossible to distinguish individual stars. However, a new study, led by Maximilian Häberle (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), confirms what astronomers had been suspecting—Omega Centauri contains a central black hole. The black hole appears to be the “missing link” between its stellar and supermassive kin. It is stuck in an intermediate stage of evolution. It is considerably less massive than typical black holes in the centers of galaxies. Omega Centauri seems to be the core of a small, separate galaxy whose evolution was cut short when the Milky Way swallowed it.

Learn more here:

https://www.mpia.de/news/science/2024-10-omega-cen-imbh

Video: T. Müller (MPIA/HdA)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: July 10, 2024

#NASA #MPIA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #StarCluster #GlobularCluster #OmegaCentauri #BlackHole #IntermediateMass #IMBH #Astrophysics #Centaurus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Germany #Deutschland #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Evidence for Intermediate-Mass Black Hole | Hubble

Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Evidence for Intermediate-Mass Black Hole | Hubble

Intermediate-mass black holes are a long-sought “missing link” in black hole evolution. They are smaller than the supermassive black holes that lie at the cores of large galaxies, but larger than stellar-mass black holes formed by the collapse of massive stars. Only a few candidates have been found to date.

Now, a team of astronomers analyzed over 500 images from 20 years of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observations to find evidence of an intermediate-mass black hole by tracking seven fast-moving stars in the Omega Centauri globular star cluster.

Scientists think a massive object is gravitationally pulling on the stars within Omega Centauri, keeping them close to its center. From the motions of the stars, they estimate it has a mass of at least 8,200 times that of our Sun, the mass range for an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole is between 100 and 100,000 solar masses, therefore the only object that can be so massive is a black hole.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Duration: 1 minute, 44 seconds

Paul Morris: Lead Producer

Release Date: July 10, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #StarCluster #GlobularCluster #OmegaCentauri #BlackHole #IntermediateMass #IMBH #Astrophysics #Centaurus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Intermediate Black Hole Evidence | Hubble

Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Intermediate Black Hole Evidence | Hubble

Globular Star Cluster Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri (cropped)

Location of intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri is visible from Earth with the naked eye and is one of the favorite celestial objects for stargazers in the southern hemisphere. Although the cluster is 17,700 light-years away, lying just above the plane of the Milky Way, it appears almost as large as the full Moon when seen from a dark rural area. The exact classification of Omega Centauri has evolved through time, as our ability to study it has improved. It was first listed in Ptolemy's catalog nearly two thousand years ago as a single star. Edmond Halley reported it as a nebula in 1677, and in the 1830s the English astronomer John Herschel was the first to recognize it as a globular cluster. Omega Centauri consists of roughly 10 million stars that are gravitationally bound.

Science Paper:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07511-z

Image Description: A globular cluster, appearing as a highly dense and numerous collection of shining stars. A number appear a bit larger and brighter than others with the majority of stars appearing blue and orange. They are scattered mostly uniformly, but in the center they crowd together more and more densely, and merge into a stronger glow at the cluster’s core.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA)

Release Date: July 10, 2024

NASA Moon Rocket Stage for Artemis II Moved & Prepped for Shipment

NASA Moon Rocket Stage for Artemis II Moved & Prepped for Shipment

The Artemis II Core Stage moves from final assembly at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in preparation for delivery to Kennedy Spaceflight Center later this month.

NASA is preparing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage that will help power the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis campaign for shipment. On July 6, 2024, NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, moved the Artemis II rocket stage to another part of the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The move comes as teams prepare to roll the massive rocket stage to the agency’s Pegasus barge for delivery to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in mid-July.

Prior to the move, technicians began removing external access stands, or scaffolding, surrounding the rocket stage in early June. NASA and Boeing teams used the scaffolding surrounding the core stage to assess the interior elements, including its complex avionics and propulsion systems. The 212-foot core stage has two huge propellant tanks, avionics and flight computer systems, and four RS-25 engines. Together, these enable the stage to operate during launch and flight.

The stage is fully manufactured and assembled at Michoud. Building, assembling, and transporting is a joint process for NASA, Boeing, and lead RS-25 engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company.

Four astronauts will venture around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II. It will be the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through the Artemis campaign.

NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

For more information about SLS, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/sls

Image Credit: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center/Michael DeMocker

Release Date: July 8, 2024

#NASA #ESA #CSA #Space #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIIMission #ArtemisII #SLS #SLSCoreStage #DeepSpace #Astronauts #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #ReidWiseman #MoonToMars #Science #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #NASAMichoud #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education

Watch NASA Teams Move, Prep Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage for Shipment

Watch NASA Teams Move, Prep Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage for Shipment

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are preparing the core stage of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) for shipment to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 212-foot-tall core stage and its four RS-25 engines will help power Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis campaign.

In this video, watch as workers remove the external access stands, or scaffolding, before moving the rocket hardware to another area of the facility.

For more information about SLS, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sls

Video Credit: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

Duration: 52 seconds

Release Date: July 8, 2024

Tuesday, July 09, 2024

Firefly Aerospace Alpha Rocket Launches NASA CubeSats in California

Firefly Aerospace Alpha Rocket Launches NASA CubeSats in California

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Learn more about Firefly Aerospace:

https://fireflyspace.com

Image Credit: Firefly Aerospace / Trevor Mahlamann / Pauline Acalin

Image Date: July 3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #CubeSats #CSLI #FireflyAerospace #AlphaRocket #RocketLaunch #FLTA005 #NoiseOfSummer #Vandenburg #California #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Launch of Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket | European Space Agency

Launch of Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket | European Space Agency

On July 9, 2024, Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket successfully powered into space taking with it a selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations that represent thousands across Europe—from students to industry and experienced space actors.

This inaugural demonstration flight, designated VA262, is to show the capabilities of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth's gravity and operating in space.

Ariane 6 was built by prime contractor and design authority ArianeGroup. In addition to the rocket, the liftoff demonstrated the functioning of the launch pad and operations on ground at Europe's Spaceport. The new dedicated launch zone was custom-built by France's space agency CNES and allows for a faster turnover of Ariane launches.

Ariane 6 is Europe’s newest heavy-lift rocket, designed to provide great power and flexibility at a lower cost than its predecessors. The launcher’s configuration—with an upgraded main stage, a choice of either two or four powerful boosters and a new restartable upper stage—will provide Europe with greater efficiency and possibilities. It can launch multiple missions into selected orbits on a single flight, while its upper stage will deorbit itself at the end of mission.

The European Space Agency’s main role in the Ariane 6 program is as a contracting authority—managing the budget from Member States participating in the Ariane 6 development program; and as launch system architect—ensuring that the rocket and launch pad infrastructure work together.

Ariane 6 is the latest in Europe's Ariane rocket series, taking over from Ariane 5 featuring a modular and versatile design that can launch missions from low-Earth orbit and farther out to deep space.

Image & Caption Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Image Date: July 9, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Space #Arianespace #Ariane6 #Ariane6Rocket #HeavyLift #RocketLaunch #FlightVA262 #Satellites #Science #GuianaSpaceCentre #Spaceport #Kourou #FrenchGuiana #SouthAmerica #France #CNES #ArianeGroup #Europe #History #STEM #Education

First Liftoff of Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket | European Space Agency

First Liftoff of Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket | European Space Agency

On July 9, 2024, Europe’s new rocket Ariane 6 powered Europe into space taking with it a selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations that represent thousands across Europe—from students to industry and experienced space actors.

This inaugural demonstration flight, designated VA262, is to show the capabilities of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth's gravity and operating in space.

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 4 minutes, 19 seconds

Release Date: July 9, 2024

Liftoff of Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket | European Space Agency

Liftoff of Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket | European Space Agency

Liftoff of Europe's new Ariane 6 heavy lift rocket on its inaugural Flight VA262 from Europe's spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana in South America on July 9, 2024.

Learn more about Ariane 6:

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Launch_vehicles/Ariane_6_overview

Image Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Image Dates: July 8-9, 2024

5 Major Geomagnetic Storms that Affected Earth (1859-1989) | USGS

5 Major Geomagnetic Storms that Affected Earth (1859-1989) | USGS

Every 11 years the Sun's magnetic field flips. This period is referred to as a solar cycle. As we approach the peak of Solar Cycle 25, activity on the Sun’s surface will increase, including more solar flares, sunspots, and coronal mass ejections. If one of these events is directed towards Earth, it could cause a magnetic storm and disturb our planet’s geomagnetic field. A geomagnetic storm may leave us in the dark and unable to communicate. It’s happened before and it will happen again.

While our attention turns toward the upcoming solar peak, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on five geomagnetic storms that have reshaped societies.

0:00 Introduction

1:29 5. The Carrington Event

2:02 4. New York Railroad Storm

2:28 3. 1940 Superstorm

2:57 2. Solar Storms of ‘72

3:28 1. Quebec Blackout

Video Credit: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Duration: 4 minutes, 36 seconds

Release Date: July 9, 2024

#NASA #USGS #NOAA #Space #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #SpaceWeather #Planet #Earth #CME #Solarflares #Sunspots #GeomagneticStorms #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #AuroraAustralis #NorthernLights #SouthernLights #GSFC #UnitedStates #Quebec #Canada #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

NASA CubeSat Launch at Vandenburg in California | Firefly Aerospace

NASA CubeSat Launch at Vandenburg in California | Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2023. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Learn more about Firefly Aerospace: https://fireflyspace.com

Image Credit: Firefly Aerospace/Trevor Mahlamann/Pauline Acalin

Image Dates: July 1-3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #CubeSats #FireflyAerospace #AlphaRocket #RocketLaunch #FLTA005 #NoiseOfSummer #Vandenburg #California #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA CubeSat Launch at Vandenburg in California | Firefly Aerospace

NASA CubeSat Launch at Vandenburg in California | Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) lifts off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT Wednesday, July 3, 2023. The successful launch of the rocket, named “Noise of Summer,” completed the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 (VCLS Demo 2) contract with the agency. The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers to conduct climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.

Learn more about Firefly Aerospace: https://fireflyspace.com

Image Credit: Firefly Aerospace/Trevor Mahlamann/Pauline Acalin

Image Dates: July 1-3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #CubeSats #FireflyAerospace #AlphaRocket #RocketLaunch #FLTA005 #NoiseOfSummer #Vandenburg #California #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Monday, July 08, 2024

Tasmania: Island State of Australia | International Space Station

Tasmania: Island State of Australia | International Space Station

Tasmania: Island State of Australia: Original high-res image (Jan. 5, 2024)

Tasmania: Island State of Australia (Jan. 5, 2024) - annotated version

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo of Australia’s island state of Tasmania while the station orbited almost directly overhead. From this vantage point, the island’s broad geographic features stand out, including its rugged terrain and coasts.

Along the west coast, a line of bright tan beaches contrasts with the darker waters and mountainous interior. Clouds cover much of the northern part of the island. Mainland Tasmania spans about 400 kilometers (250 miles) at its widest, from roughly north to south. Some of the state’s smaller islands lie outside the scope of this scene, including several in the Bass Strait. The strait separates Tasmania from the nearby Australian mainland.

The photo's wide field of view, achieved with a relatively short focal-length lens, makes roads and towns difficult to see, though both are found throughout the island. Approximately half a million people live in Tasmania. The capital city of Hobart lies on the south end of the island, where the River Derwent meets the ocean.

Agricultural land is interspersed across the island’s inland and coastal areas. To the north, agriculture plots dominate the relatively flat land. In contrast, the terrain to the south (north of Hobart) is characterized by agricultural plots selectively etched into the hillsides.

Less infrastructure has been developed in the west-central part of the island, where protected land, such as the Central Plateau Conservation Area, makes up much of the Central Highlands region. This region also includes several large lakes, such as Lake Gordon.

Astronaut photograph ISS070-E-53369 was acquired on January 5, 2024, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 32 millimeters.

The International Space Station (ISS) Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth

Caption Credit: Andrea Wenzel/Jacobs-JETS II Contract at NASA/JSC

Image Date: Jan. 5, 2024

Release Date: July 8, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Australia #Tasmania #Island #SouthernOcean #PacificOcean #IndianOcean #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Japan #Expedition70 #InternationaCooperation #EarthObservation #STEM #Education

The Earth and The Moon | China Chang'e 5-T1 Lunar Mission

The Earth and The Moon: October 2014 | China Chang'e 5-T1 Lunar Mission

The Earth and the Moon image captured by Chang'e 5-T1 service module in October 2014.

Chang'e 5-T1 was an experimental pre-cursor robotic spacecraft (test vehicle) that was launched to the Moon on October 23, 2014, by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to conduct atmospheric re-entry tests on the capsule design planned to be used for the later Chang'e 5 Mission.

Chang'e 5-T1's successor, Chang'e 5, launched in 2020, was a Moon sample return mission. Like its predecessors, the spacecraft was named after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e. The craft consisted of a return vehicle capsule, a lander, an ascender, and a service module orbiter.

The CE-5-T1 Service Module's orbit took it past the Moon with a closest approach altitude of about 11,300 km on October 27, 2024, and an apogee of approximately 380,000 km, and then around the Moon and back to Earth.

The return capsule of Chang'e 5-T1, named Xiaofei, meaning "little flyer" in Chinese, landed in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, on October 31, 2014.

The purpose of the Chang'e 5-T1 mission was to demonstrate hyper-speed semi-ballistic skip reentry technologies, including the circumlunar free return trajectory design, aerodynamic design and verification, thermal protection, guidance, navigation and control as well as a lightweight and minimized recovery system.

Image Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/CLEP-China Lunar Exploration Program

Image Date: October 2014

#NASA #China #中国 #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #Change5T1Mission #嫦娥五号T1 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #Spacecraft #Orbiter #Robotics #CASC #CLEP #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #History #STEM #Education

NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Orion Spacecraft Prepared for Vacuum Testing

NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Orion Spacecraft Prepared for Vacuum Testing

The Artemis II Orion spacecraft is pictured surrounded by the metal walls of the altitude chamber.

Technicians used a 30-ton crane to lift NASA’s Orion spacecraft on Friday, June 28, 2024, from the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell to the altitude chamber inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This spacecraft will be used for the Artemis II mission to orbit the Moon. It underwent leak checks and end-to-end performance verification of the vehicle’s subsystems.

The integrated spacecraft has been undergoing final rounds of testing and assembly, including end-to-end performance verification of its subsystems and checking for leaks in its propulsion systems.

The spacecraft now will undergo a series of vacuum chamber qualification testing. The tests will subject the spacecraft to a near-vacuum environment by removing air, thus creating a space where the pressure is extremely low. This results in no atmosphere, similar to the one the spacecraft will experience during future lunar missions.

Testing will span approximately a week, with technicians collecting data from the spacecraft’s chamber, cabin, and the environmental control and life support system to test spacesuit functionality. The data recorded during these tests will be used to qualify the spacecraft to safely fly the Artemis II astronauts through the harsh environment of space.

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Image Credit: NASA/Radislav Sinyak

Image & Release Date: June 28, 2024

#NASA #ESA #CSA #Space #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIIMission #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #DeepSpace #Astronauts #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #ReidWiseman #MoonToMars #Science #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #KSC #NASAKennedy #Florida #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education

Pages

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Tuesday, July 09, 2024

Monday, July 08, 2024