Cometary Globules of Interstellar Gas & Dust in Puppis & Vela

Cometary Globules of Interstellar Gas & Dust in Puppis & Vela

What are these unusual interstellar structures? Bright-rimmed, flowing shapes gather near the center of this rich starfield toward the borders of the nautical southern constellations Puppis and Vela. Composed of interstellar gas and dust. This grouping of light-year sized cometary globules is about 1,300 light-years distant. 

Energetic ultraviolet light from nearby hot stars has molded the globules and ionized their bright rims. The globules also stream away from the Vela supernova remnant. This may have influenced their swept-back shapes. Within them, cores of cold gas and dust are likely collapsing to form low mass stars. Their formation will ultimately cause the globules to disperse. In fact, cometary globule CG 30 (on the upper left) sports a small reddish glow near its head, a telltale sign of energetic jets from a star in the early stages of formation.

Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson & Martin Pugh, Observatorio El Sauce

Martin Pugh's website: 

https://www.martinpughastrophotography.space/about

Mark Hanson's website: 

https://www.hansonastronomy.com/bio

Release Date: July 16, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #CometaryGlobules #CG30 #Gas #Dust #Jets #VelaSupernovaRemnant #Vela #Puppis #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #MartinPugh #MarkHanson #Astrophotography #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

NASA Artemis II Orion Spacecraft: 2nd Vacuum Chamber Test Round

NASA Artemis II Orion Spacecraft: 2nd Vacuum Chamber Test Round

The Artemis II Orion spacecraft is lifted from the Final Assembly and Testing (FAST) Cell and placed in the west altitude chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’S Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 28, 2024. Inside the altitude chamber, the spacecraft underwent a series of tests simulating deep space vacuum conditions.

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.

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

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

Image Credit: NASA/Radislav Sinyak 

Image Date: June 28, 2024

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

Kitt Peak National Observatory Discovers Extremely Strange Orbit of Rare Exoplanet

Kitt Peak National Observatory Discovers Extremely Strange Orbit of Rare Exoplanet

Using the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, astronomers have discovered the extreme orbit of an exoplanet that is on its way to becoming a "hot Jupiter". This exoplanet not only follows one of the most drastically stretched-out orbits of all known transiting exoplanets but is also orbiting its star backwards, lending insight into the mystery of how hot Jupiters evolve.

Planets that are more than twice the diameter of Earth have about ten Earth masses and enough gravity to hold onto hydrogen, the most abundant element in the Universe. Such large planets turn into gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is more than ten times the diameter of Earth and more than 300 times the mass of Earth. Most of the 300 plus exoplanets that have been detected so far are gas giants. However, unlike Jupiter that is five times as far from the Sun as Earth, exoplanets, referred to as "hot Jupiters", are much closer to their stars than Earth is to the Sun.

Video Credit: NOIRLab

Images and Videos: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/KPNO/R. Proctor/J. da Silva/Spaceengine/M. Zamani/ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser/N. Bartmann

Duration: 1 minute, 31 seconds

Release Date: July 17, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Planets #Exoplanets #HotJupiters #Orbit #Cosmos #Universe #WIYNTelescope #KPNO #NSF #AURA #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage Loaded onto Pegasus Barge

NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage Loaded onto Pegasus Barge

The NASA Michoud Assembly Facility workforce and with other agency team members take a “family photo” with the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage for Artemis II in the background. 

These images show team members at Michoud Assembly Facility loading the first core stage that will help launch the first crewed flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the agency’s Artemis II mission onto the Pegasus barge on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The barge will ferry the core stage on a 900-mile journey from the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to its Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The core stage for the SLS mega rocket is the largest stage NASA has ever produced. At 212 feet tall, the stage consists of five major elements, including two huge propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super chilled liquid propellant to feed four RS-25 engines at its base. During launch and flight, the stage will operate for just over eight minutes, producing more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send a crew of four astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft onward to the Moon. All the major structures for every SLS core stage are fully manufactured at NASA Michoud.

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 and Gateway in orbit around the Moon and commercial human landing systems, next-generation space, next-generational spacesuits, and rovers on the lunar surface. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

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

For more information about SLS, visit: 

https://www.nasa.gov/sls

Image Credit: NASA/Steven Seipel

Image Date: July 16, 2024

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

Stennis Space Center Celebrates 55th Anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 Moon Mission

Stennis Space Center Celebrates 55th Anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 Moon Mission

We’re celebrating a giant leap for all of humanity with the 55th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 mission today! Apollo 11 lifted off July 16, 1969, at 9:32 am EDT, setting off on its history-making journey to land humans on the Moon. The Saturn V S-IC-6 first stage that launched Apollo 11 was tested on NASA Stennis’ B-2 Test Stand on August 13, 1968. The S-II-6 second stage was tested on the A-2 Test Stand on October 3, 1968. 

Learn more about NASA's historic Apollo 11 Moon Mission: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-11/

Learn more about NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi: https://www.nasa.gov/stennis/

Video Credit: John C. Stennis Space Center

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: July 16, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #ApolloProgram #Apollo11 #SaturnVRocket #SaturnV #EngineTesting #HumanSpaceflight #NeilArmstrong #BuzzAldrin #MichaelCollins #NASAStennis #Mississippi #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Strong X1.9 Solar Flare Erupts from Sun | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

Strong X1.9 Solar Flare Erupts from Sun | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 9:26 A.M. ET on July 16, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, watching the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. It came  from departing active (sunspot) region 3738. The flare was associated with radio signatures that suggest a coronal mass ejection (CME) was likely associated with this activity, but due to its far southwestern location, an Earth-directed one is not anticipated.

The Sun, shown in gold, against a black background. On the right is a bright white flash, on the limb of the star. The Sun has swirls of bright gold and darker gold regions, and one very large, dark black splotch toward the top called a coronal hole.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare—seen as the bright flash on the right—on July 16, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares. It is colorized in gold.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X1.9 (R3-Strong) flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center: https://spaceweather.gov

NOAA is 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/SDO

Capture Date: July 16, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #SpaceWeather #Sun #Star #Solar #SolarFlares #Ultraviolet #Plasma #MagneticField #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Physics #Spacecraft #Satellites #ElectricalGrids #SDO #SolarSystem #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-18 Astronauts: Second Spacewalk Photos | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Astronauts: Second Spacewalk Photos | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-18 astronauts aboard China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk on Wednesday, July 4, 2024, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu worked for about 6.5 hours to accomplish multiple tasks with Li Guangsu remaining inside the space station.

With the assistance of the space station's robotic arm and researchers on Earth, they installed space debris protection devices for the pipelines, as well as cables and key equipment outside the Tiangong space station, and conducted an extravehicular inspection.

"The main purpose of the spacewalk this time is to install protection devices for extravehicular equipment, mainly cables and pipelines, so as to improve the space station's ability to operate safely and steadily over the long term," said Liu Ming, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

After installing protection devices, Li Cong mounted the robotic arm and conducted an extravehicular inspection of the space station's facilities through his helmet camera.

After completing the predetermined tasks, Ye Guangfu and Li Cong returned safely to the Wentian lab module.

"The Chinese space station is very beautiful. Whenever the robotic arm moves to the highest point, I can't help taking more glances at the space station despite the glaring sunlight. I really feel the greatness of the project from my heart, and I applaud all the space professionals and our motherland. We will make continuous efforts to successfully and efficiently complete the follow-up tasks to the end. Let's meet again inside the cabin," Li Cong said outside the space station.

In their previous spacewalk on May 28, the Shenzhou-18 trio mainly installed protection devices for the extravehicular cables of the Mengtian lab module.

The Shenzhou-18 crew, sent to the space on April 25 this year, have completed one third of their space journey and are scheduled to carry out a large amount of in-orbit scientific experiments and technological tests, the agency said.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)

Image Credit: CMSA

Release Date: July 16, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #EVA #Spacewalks #ScientificExperiments #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CASC #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

When Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collided with Planet Jupiter | Hubble

When Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collided with Planet Jupiter | Hubble

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 left an indelible mark on our understanding of the cosmos when it collided with Jupiter. Discover the significance of this event and the crucial role of the Hubble Space Telescope in capturing its dramatic impact.

Join us on a journey to explore the dynamic forces that shape our solar system, unveiling the intricate interactions between comets and planets.

In this video, Dr. Heidi Hammel delves into the story of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and highlights the importance of Hubble in exploring the mysteries of the universe.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

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

SL-9 Comet Jupiter Impact Animation: 

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

SL-9 Comet Fragments Animation:

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

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: July 16, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Hubble #Jupiter #Planet #Comet #CometShoemakerLevy9 #SolarSystem #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #Animation #History #HD #Video

Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Ship Departure | International Space Station

Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Ship Departure | International Space Station

On July 12, 2024, the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm. It had detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module earlier. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean.

The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the International Space Station more than five and a half months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory to deliver about 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA.

The Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2), stowed inside Cygnus, later recorded measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth’s atmosphere. This can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations.

Following a deorbit engine firing on Saturday, July 13, Cygnus began its planned destructive re-entry. The spacecraft—filled with trash packed by the station crew—"safely burn up" in Earth’s atmosphere.

Cygnus arrived at the space station Feb. 1, following a launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. It was the company’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

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

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

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

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 Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: July 12, 2024 

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #NorthropGrumman #CygnusSpacecraft #Canadarm2 #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Canada #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Expedition 71 Crew Photos: July 2024 | International Space Station

Expedition 71 Crew Photos: July 2024 | International Space Station

Clockwise from bottom, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Mike Barratt, Tracy C. Dyson, and Butch Wilmore, pose for a team portrait inside the vestibule between the Unity module and the Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman. Dyson holds a photograph of NASA astronaut Patrica Hilliard for whom the Cygnus spacecraft, S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson, is named after.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson is pictured in the galley aboard the International Space Station's Unity module showing off food packets from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

NASA astronaut and Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore performs spacesuit maintenance inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps is pictured inside the International Space Station's Columbus laboratory module. She was exploring ways to control a robot on the ground from a spacecraft. Epps coordinated with robotics engineers on Earth remotely manipulating a robot using a computer while testing its ergonomic features and haptic feedback for conditions such as wind and gravity. Results may inform future exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick is pictured inside the Unity module after preparing Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter for its depressurization and departure from the International Space Station. At left, is the Quest airlock where astronauts service spacesuits and stage spacewalks. To the right, is the vestibule in between Unity and the Zarya module that leads to the orbital outpost's Roscosmos segment.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Tracy C. Dyson is pictured inside the vestibule between the Unity module and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter. She had just closed Cygnus' hatch in preparation for its depressurization and departure from the International Space Station.

Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko (foreground) and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub, Roscosmos cosmonauts of Russia, are pictured inside the International Space Station's Zvezda service module monitoring the automated rendevous and docking of the Progress 88 cargo craft to the Poisk module. The duo was at the controls of Zvezda's TORU, or telerobotically-operated rendezvous unit, ready to take remote control of the Progress 88, packed with about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 71 crew, in the unlikely event the spacecraft would be unable to dock on its own.

The long duration photograph from the International Space Station highlights the Rassvet module (left) and the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft (right) docked to the Prichal module which is itself attached to the Nauka science module. 255 miles below the orbital outpost is a cloudy Pacific Ocean blanketing islands northeast of Indonesia's province of Papua. Above Earth's horzon is the planet's atmospheric glow and star trails glittering in the vastness of space.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

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

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

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

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:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

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

Image Dates: July 1-11, 2024 

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #CygnusSpacecraft #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Engineering #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Star Diary: Mars Meets The Pleiades: July 15-21, 2024 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Star Diary: Mars Meets The Pleiades: July 15-21, 2024 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Watch Mars as it passes by the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, in this week’s night sky, while bright Jupiter shines nearby. Find out how to see the sight for yourself by listening to this week’s episode of Star Diary, July 15 to 21, 2024, the podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

Transcript: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/podcasts/star-diary-15-jul-202

Video Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Duration: 18 minutes, 40 seconds

Release Date: July 14, 2024

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

The Sun: Abundant Sunspot Activity | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Sun: Abundant Sunspot Activity | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory

An abundance of sunspot groups are present on the visible solar disk—at least 12 active regions. Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are a sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing, or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots. The southern solar hemisphere has the most and largest sunspot complexes at this time, to include the most likely flare sources: Regions 3738, 3743, and 3751. Region 3738 is the most magnetically complex, but growth has slowed and it will rotate out to the western solar limb by Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) solar flares remain likely between July 15-18, 2024.  

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of sunspot activity on July 13, 2024. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center: https://spaceweather.gov

NOAA is 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.

Image Credit: NASA/SDO

Release Date: July 14, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #SpaceWeather #Sun #Star #Solar #Sunspots #ActiveRegions #SolarFlares #Ultraviolet #Plasma #MagneticField #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Spacecraft #Satellites #ElectricalGrids #SDO #SolarSystem #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Take a Ride on Artemis Astronaut Launchpad Emergency Escape System | NASA

Take a Ride on Artemis Astronaut Launchpad Emergency Escape System | NASA

Take a look inside one of the emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the Artemis missions. In the event of an emergency at the pad during the launch countdown, these baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, will take the astronauts and pad personnel safely from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad where emergency transport vehicles will drive them away.

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.

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

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

Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Duration: 49 seconds

Release Date: July 15, 2024

#NASA #ESA #CSA #Space #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIIMission #ArtemisII #LaunchPad39B #Astronauts #EscapeSystem #MoonToMars #Science #DeepSpace #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #KSC #NASAKennedy #Florida #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Spots Unusual Rock in Ancient River Channel

NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Spots Unusual Rock in Ancient River Channel

As NASA’s Perseverance rover prepares to ascend to the rim of Jezero Crater, its team is investigating a rock unlike any that they have seen so far on Mars. Deputy project scientist Katie Stack Morgan explains why this rock, found in an ancient channel that funneled water into the crater, could be among the oldest that Perseverance has investigated—or the youngest. 

Plus, learn how the rover is equipped to determine when rocks are formed, and get a preview of where it will journey next. 

NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021 with a key objective to collect and cache samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. 

For more information on Perseverance, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: July 15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MSSS #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Artemis II Moon Mission Progress at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

Artemis II Moon Mission Progress at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

Teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center have been progressing toward the launch of four astronauts around the Moon on the Artemis II mission. Engineers and technicians with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) are ensuring they are ready to build, launch and recover the rocket and spacecraft for the mission.

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.

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

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

Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Duration: 3 minutes, 13 seconds

Release Date: July 15, 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 #HD #Video

A Surprising Ring 10 Billion Light Years Away: Galaxy PJ0116-24 | ESO

A Surprising Ring 10 Billion Light Years Away: Galaxy PJ0116-24 | ESO

This picture shows the distant galaxy PJ0116-24, a so-called Hyper Luminous Infrared Galaxy (HyLIRG). HyLIRGs are incredibly bright galaxies, lit up by the extremely rapid star formation within them. What triggers this?

Previous studies suggested that such extreme galaxies must result from galactic mergers. These galactic collisions are thought to create dense gas regions where rapid star formation is triggered. However,  isolated galaxies can also become HyLIRGs via internal processes alone, if star-forming gas is rapidly funneled towards the galaxy’s center.

In a new paper led by Daizhong Liu of the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, observations from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) were combined to study the motion of gas within PJ0116-24. ALMA traces cold gas, seen here in blue, whereas the VLT, with its new Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph (ERIS), traces warm gas, shown in red. Thanks to these detailed observations, the team discovered that the gas in this extreme galaxy was rotating in an organized way, rather than in the chaotic way expected after a galactic collision––a surprising result! This shows convincingly that mergers are not always needed for a galaxy to become a HyLIRG.

PJ0116-24 is so far away that its light took about 10 billion years to reach us. Luckily, a foreground galaxy (not shown here) acted as a gravitational lens, bending and magnifying the light of PJ0116-24 behind it into the Einstein ring seen here. This precise cosmic alignment allows astronomers to zoom in on very distant objects and see them in a level of detail that would otherwise be very hard to achieve.

Learn more: 

https://www.mpe.mpg.de/8025063/news20240715

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/ESO/D. Liu et al.

Release Date: July 15, 2024

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #PJ011624 #HyLIRG #Constellation #Cetus #ALMA #RadioTelescope #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Cosmos #Universe #Chile #MPE #Germany #Deutschland #Europe #STEM #Education