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Astrophotographer Ian Inverarity: "I finally managed to get the data to finish this shot! An 8 panel mosaic (2 x 4) shot with a Nikon D810A, Sigma Art 135mm, mounted to a ZWO AM5 mount, controlled by an ASIAIR mini, focusing with a ZWO focuser. Stitching and initial processing in APP, final processing in PS. Around 45 hours of shooting for this shot, and this is half resolution!"
The Dark Horse Nebula or Great Dark Horse (sometimes called the Prancing Horse) is a large dark nebula that, from Earth's perspective, obscures part of the upper central bulge of the Milky Way. The Dark Horse lies in the equatorial constellation Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer), near its borders with the more famous constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius.
The Blue Horsehead Nebula (IC 4592) is a reflection nebula in the Scorpius constellation that is lit by the Nu Scorpii star system.
Supernova Remnant E0102 in Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | Hubble
In the nearby galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, a massive star exploded as a supernova, and has begun to dissipate its interior into a spectacular display of colorful filaments. The supernova remnant (SNR), known as "E0102" for short, is the greenish-blue shell of debris. Its name is derived from its cataloged placement (or coordinates) in the celestial sphere. More formally known as 1E0102.2-7219, it is located almost 50 light-years (15 parsecs) away from of the edge of the massive star-forming region, N 76, also known as Henize 1956, in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf galaxy close to our own Milky Way. It is visible in the Southern Hemisphere, in the direction of the constellation Tucana, and lies roughly 210,000 light-years distant.
The composition and thus, the coloring, of the diffuse remnant in comparison to its star-forming neighbor is due to the presence of very large quantities of oxygen compared to hydrogen. E0102 is a member of the oxygen-rich class of SNRs showing strong oxygen and other more metal-like abundances in its optical and X-ray spectra, and an absence of hydrogen and helium. N 76 in contrast is made up primarily of glowing hydrogen emission. One explanation for the abundance of oxygen in the SNR is that the parent star was very large and old, and had blown away most its hydrogen as stellar wind before it exploded. It is surmised that the progenitor star that caused the supernova explosion may have been a Wolf-Rayet.
These stars can be upward of 20 times the mass of the sun and tens of thousands times more luminous. They are famous for having a strong stellar wind throughout their lifetime. This stellar wind carried off material from the outer-most shells of the star (the hydrogen and helium shells), leaving the next most abundant element, oxygen, as a visible signature after the star exploded as a supernova. Determined to be only about 2,000 years old, E0102 is relatively young on astronomical scales and is just beginning its interactions with the nearby interstellar medium. Young supernova remnants like E0102 allow astronomers to examine material from the cores of massive stars directly. This in turn gives insight on how stars form, their composition, and the chemical enrichment of the surrounding area. As well, young remnants are a great learning tool to better understand the physics of supernova explosions.
Image Credits: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.
Earth auroras have different names depending on which pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.
Journey to Star-forming Region NGC 346 in Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy| ESO
Zooming in on the star-forming region NGC 346, the brightest star-forming region in the neighboring Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy, about 210,000 light-years away from Earth. The light, wind and heat given off by massive stars have dispersed the glowing gas within and around this star cluster, forming a surrounding wispy nebular structure that looks like a cobweb. NGC 346 is located in the constellation Tucana (the Toucan) and spans approximately 200 light-years.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2/NOAO/S. Brunier
Close-up Views of Star-forming Region NGC 346 | MPG/ESO Telescope
A close-up zoom on the star-forming region NGC 346, the brightest star-forming region in the neighboring Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy, some 210,000 light-years away from Earth. The light, wind and heat given off by massive stars have dispersed the glowing gas within and around this star cluster, forming a surrounding wispy nebular structure that looks like a cobweb. NGC 346 is located in the constellation Tucana (the Toucan) and spans approximately 200 light-years.
Star-forming Region NGC 346 in Tucana (optical light) | MPG/ESO Telescope
This is wide-field view of NGC 346—the brightest star-forming region in the neighboring Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy, some 210,000 light-years away from Earth. The light, wind and heat given off by massive stars have dispersed the glowing gas within and around this star cluster, forming a surrounding wispy nebular structure that looks like a cobweb. NGC 346 is located in the constellation Tucana (the Toucan) and spans approximately 200 light-years. This particular image was obtained using the Wide Field Imager (WFI) instrument at the 2.2-meter MPG/ESO telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Images like this help astronomers chronicle star birth and evolution, while offering glimpses of how stellar development influences the appearance of the cosmic environment over time. This is an enhanced color image based on three different broadband filters (B, V, R), as well as a narrowband filter (H-alpha, shown in blue). The field of view is about 30 arcminutes wide.
The 2.2 meter telescope at La Silla has been in operation since early 1984 and is on indefinite loan to the European Southern Observatory from the Max Planck Gesellschaft. The telescope time is shared between Max Planck Institute and ESO Observers. Operation and maintenance of the telescope is the responsibility of ESO.
Star-forming Region NGC 346: X-ray, Infrared & Visible Light Views
This portrait of the bright star-forming region NGC 346, in a multiple wavelengths of light swirl together like watercolors, revealed new information about how stars form. NGC 346 is located 210,000 light-years away in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring dwarf galaxy of the Milky Way. The image is based on data from ESA XMM-Newton (X-rays; blue), the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope (visible light; green), and NASA's Spitzer (infrared; red). The infrared light shows cold dust, while the visible light denotes glowing gas, and the X-rays represent very hot gas. Ordinary stars appear as blue spots with white centers, while young stars enshrouded in dust appear as red spots with white centers.
Credit: ESO/ESA/JPL-Caltech/NASA/ D. Gouliermis (MPIA) et al.
Star Cluster NGC 346 in Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxy (UV view) | Hubble
A grouping of large, glowing, and purplish stars dominate the image’s center. Dark ridges of gas and dust are visible around them, with more background stars crowding the view. NGC 346 is nestled within the Small Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy to our Milky Way.
Roughly 210,000 light-years away, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is one of our Milky Way galaxy’s closest neighbors. In fact, this small galaxy is one of the Milky Way’s “satellite” galaxies. It orbits our home spiral galaxy.
Nested within the SMC is this spectacular star cluster, known as NGC 346. Its hot stars unleash a torrent of radiation and energetic outflows, which erode the denser portions of gas and dust in the surrounding nebula, N66. Dozens of hot, blue, and high-mass stars shine within NGC 346, and astronomers believe this cluster contains more than half of the known high-mass stars in the whole SMC.
The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope has observed this cluster before, but its new view shows NGC 346 in ultraviolet light, along with some visible-light data. Ultraviolet light helps scientists understand more about star formation and evolution, and Hubble—with its combined sharp resolution and position above our UV-blocking atmosphere—is the only telescope with the ability to make sensitive, ultraviolet observations.
These specific observations were gathered to learn more about how star formation shapes the interstellar medium. This is the gas distributed throughout seemingly empty space, in a low-metallicity galaxy like the SMC. Astronomers call elements heavier than hydrogen and helium “metals,” and the SMC contains fewer metals when compared to most parts of our Milky Way. This condition helps make it an excellent example of a galaxy similar to those that existed in our early universe, when very few heavy elements were around to incorporate.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and C. Murray (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Spiral Galaxy IC 4709 in Telescopium: Black Hole-powered | Hubble
The Hubble Space Telescope's view here is studded with stars. Many appear particularly large and bright thanks to their nearby locations in our own galaxy. They feature the characteristic diffraction patterns caused by Hubble’s optics. Much further away—around 240 million light-years distant, in fact, in the southern constellation Telescopium—is the spiral galaxy IC 4709. Its swirling disc, filled with stars and dust bands, is beautifully captured, as is the faint halo surrounding it. The compact region at its core might be the most remarkable sight, however, this is an active galactic nucleus (AGN).
If IC 4709’s core were just filled with stars, it would not be nearly so bright. Instead it hosts a gargantuan black hole, 65 million times the mass of our Sun. A disc of gas spirals around and eventually into this black hole, with the gas crashing together and heating up as it spins. It reaches such high temperatures that it emits vast quantities of electromagnetic radiation, from infrared to visible to ultraviolet light and beyond—in this case including X-rays. The AGN in IC 4709 is obscured by a lane of dark dust, just visible at the center of the galaxy in this image. This blocks any optical emission from the nucleus itself. Hubble’s spectacular resolution, however, gives astronomers a detailed view of the interaction between the quite small AGN and its host galaxy. This is essential to understanding supermassive black holes in galaxies much more distant than IC 4709, where resolving such fine details is not possible.
This image incorporates data from two Hubble surveys of nearby AGNs that were identified by the Swift X-ray/UV telescope, as does the image from last week. Swift will collect new data on these galaxies—with an X-ray telescope, it is possible to directly see the X-rays from IC 4709’s AGN breaking through the obscuring dust. The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope—currently surveying the dark Universe in optical and infrared light—will also image IC 4709 and other local AGNs. The complementary use of space telescopes across the electromagnetic spectrum is key to fully researching black holes and their impact on their host galaxies.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy is situated right of center. It has a white, brightly-shining core, a glowing disc that is thick with swirling patterns of dark dust, and a faint halo around the disc. It is on a black background with small, distant galaxies and foreground stars around it. Six stars along the left side appear particularly large and bright, with two opposing sets of spikes surrounding each one.
Milky Way Galaxy, Airglow, Aurora & Sunrise | International Space Station
NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick: "A timelapse of solar arrays reflecting aurora and city lights as they align themselves for the impending sunrise."
"The solar array light reflections were so mind blowing that I stayed up till 1AM to shoot a few more sunrises. Luckily, we get sunrises every 90 minutes."
"One of the techniques I have learned over the past few months to get great still photos is to setup lots of timelapses to find great lighting. With a timelapse the camera takes a RAW photo on a time interval that is typically every 0.5s and saves the image. Our camera has an option to automatically create a video from the sequence of images. We then watch the video afterwards to find what part of the of the orbit amongst thousands of individual images has the best lighting or subject matter to either go back later to the same part of an orbit and take a still image or pull the still image saved from the timelapse process."
"Yesterday the Moon was not up during the night portions of our orbits so I knew I had a shot at getting the Milky Way core and some aurora. The timelapse was setup in a module we call МИМ2. It has a great view of the service module solar arrays. There are were so many great still shots in the timelapse series but the ”dance” the solar arrays do reflecting aurora and city lights is so cool to see with a timelapse video. A still image does not fully capture it."
Technical details: 1.6s, 15mm, T1.8, ISO 6400, 2s intervals. Exposure and a few items adjusted on a few hundred individual frames simultaneously before making a 15fps timelapse.
Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation. Airglow can be red, green, purple and yellow swaths of light emanating from the Earth's upper atmosphere. In this video, it is green.
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.
Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/M. Dominick
What's in the Night Sky? September 2024 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what is in the night sky this month in the Northern Hemisphere, including the planets improving, a partial lunar eclipse on September 18, 2024, and Saturn and Jupiter moon events.
Shenzhou-18 Crew Continues Advanced Science Experiments | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-18 crew members, with their mission entering its latter half, have continued to conduct studies, research and to carry out essential daily tasks aboard the China space station Tiangong.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, released the latest footage of the crew, showcasing their ongoing work in space science experiments, station environment monitoring and station management.
Since the Shenzhou-18 mission launched on April 25, 2024, astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu have been in orbit for more than four months, with their space mission now entering its latter half.
Last week, the crew focused on a program to improve the habitability of the space station, completing panoramic imaging and 3D scanning of the station.
This research collects data on spatial dimensions, equipment layout, and user interface usability to identify and analyze habitability issues, offering data support for improving the design of future space stations.
In addition, the astronauts also used the space Raman spectrometer for in-orbit nutritional metabolomics research, analyzing metabolites in urine samples.
They have also collected relevant data and completed pharmacokinetic studies to assess the impact of long-duration flights and provide reference for in-orbit medication.
In the field of space life sciences and biotechnology, the crew conducted research on space radiation damage and adaptability of anaerobic archaea using a small centrifuge module.
The research aims to test their survival under Mars-like conditions and extreme cosmic radiation, contributing to the search for extraterrestrial life.
Other experiments in microgravity fluid physics, combustion science, and space materials science also proceeded as planned.
The crew has been involved in replacing samples in fluid physics cabinets and containerless cabinets and performing vacuum operations in the combustion chamber.
Furthermore, Shenzhou-18 crew conducted regular medical check-ups, including ultrasound, electrocardiograph, and blood pressure tests, to monitor their health dynamically.
In terms of station management, they have completed tasks such as cabin cleaning and maintenance.
An Ocean in Bloom: The PACE Earth Satellite Mission | NASA Goddard
NASA scientists aim to expand their knowledge of how our ocean, atmosphere, and ecosystems interact with one another after the successful launch of the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite on Feb. 8, 2024. By identifying and examining harmful algal blooms around the world, PACE will inform communities ranging from from local fishermen to large corporations on what is occurring in their backyard and beyond. From sea to space, NASA's PACE satellite will monitor Earth in unique ways for decades to come.
Milky Way Galaxy, Earth Aurora & Sunrise Blues | International Space Station
NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick: "Reds and greens from the aurora as well as city lights reflect off the service module solar arrays with the Milky Way core behind the space station. The solar arrays and service module are bathed in a light horizon blue from a sun about to rise behind the camera."
Technical details: Single image taken from a timelapse . . .
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:
NASA's Cold Atom Lab: How Atoms are Defying Gravity | International Space Station
NASA’s Cold Atom Lab studies the quantum nature of atoms, the building blocks of our universe, in a place that is out of this world—the International Space Station. This animated explainer explores what quantum science is and why NASA wants to do it in space.
Quantum science has revolutionized our understanding of the physical world and led to new technologies including cellphones, computers, medical devices, and GPS. However, Earth’s gravity poses challenges for studying the quantum behaviors of atoms.
To overcome those challenges, Cold Atom Lab operates in microgravity. Using lasers and magnetic fields, scientists run the lab remotely from Earth, cooling groups of atoms to temperatures colder than any naturally occurring matter in the universe. Cold atoms, nearly motionless, reveal their behaviors more clearly. The absence of Earth’s gravity allows for prolonged atom study, opening new avenues in quantum exploration.
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.
Tonight's Sky: September 2024 (Northern Hemisphere)
In September 2024, Pegasus becomes increasingly prominent in the southeastern sky, allowing stargazers to locate globular star clusters and a nearby double star, Alpha Capricorni. Keep watching for space-based views of densely packed, spherical collections of ancient stars in visible and X-ray light.
“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning: Caltech/IPAC, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University.
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