Interview with Indian Space Agency Chairman Dr. S. Somanath | NDTV

Interview with Indian Space Agency Chairman Dr. S. Somanath | NDTV

In an ambitious push to space, India's Union Cabinet approved new funding for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) missions over the next 15 years. The Chandrayaan-4 Mission; a mission to Venus; and the enhanced Gaganyaan Mission to include the Bhartiya Antariksha Space Station; and the development of a more powerful rocket all received approval. ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath stated that "India's ambitious space vision and roadmap have now been given the wings to fly high."

 

Video Credit: NDTV

Duration: 25 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2024  

#NASA #ISRO #Space #Earth #India #BhartiyaAntarikshaSpaceStation #Moon #Chandrayaan4 #Venus #VenusMission #GaganyaanMission #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #Science #Engineering #SpaceResearch #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Celestial Dance: Galactic Pair ESO 77-14 in Indus | Hubble Space Telescope

Celestial Dance: Galactic Pair ESO 77-14 in Indus | Hubble Space Telescope

This Hubble image of ESO 77-14 is a snapshot of a celestial dance performed by a pair of similar-sized galaxies. Two clear signatures of the gravitational tug of war between the galaxies are the bridge of material that connects them and the disruption of their main bodies. The galaxy on the right has a long, bluish arm while its companion has a shorter, redder arm. This interacting pair is in the constellation of Indus, the Indian, around 550 million light-years away from Earth. The dust lanes between the two galaxy centers show the extent of the distortion to the originally flat discs that have been pulled into three-dimensional shapes.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)  

Release Date: April 24, 2008

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #ESO7714 #InteractingGalaxies #Indus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Galactic Close Encounters in Lepus | Hubble

Galactic Close Encounters in Lepus | Hubble

From objects as small as Newton's apple to those as large as a galaxy, no physical body is free from the stern bonds of gravity, as evidenced in this picture captured by the Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys onboard the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope.

Here we see two spiral galaxies engaged in a cosmic tug-of-war—but in this contest, there will be no winner. The structures of both objects are slowly distorted to resemble new forms, and in certain cases, merge together to form new, super galaxies. This particular fate is similar to that of the Milky Way Galaxy, when it will ultimately merge with our closest galactic partner, the Andromeda Galaxy. There is no need to panic however, as this process takes several hundreds of millions of years.

Not all interacting galaxies result in mergers though. The merger is dependent on the mass of each galaxy, as well as the relative velocities of each body. It is quite possible that the event pictured here, romantically named 2MASX J06094582-2140234, will avoid a merger event altogether, and will merely distort the arms of each spiral without colliding—the cosmic equivalent of a hair ruffling!

These galactic interactions also trigger new regions of star formation in the galaxies involved, causing them to be extremely luminous in the infrared part of the spectrum. For this reason, these types of galaxies are referred to as LIRGs, or Luminous Infrared Galaxies. This image was taken as part of as part of a Hubble survey of the central regions of LIRGs in the local Universe, which also used the NICMOS instrument.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Acknowledgement: Luca Limatola

Release Date: July 28, 2014

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #2MASXJ060945822140234 #InteractingGalaxies #LIRG #Lepus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Samples from Moon's Far Side Unveiled for First Time

China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Samples from Moon's Far Side Unveiled for First Time

The lunar samples collected by China's Chang'e-6 mission from the far side of the Moon were unveiled for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. The samples, weighing a total of 1,935.3 grams, were retrieved by Chang'e-6 in June this year, marking the first time humans have obtained research samples directly from the Moon's far side.

Earlier the week, a Chinese team of scientists published the first research paper on these lunar samples, saying that they exhibit "distinct characteristics" compared to previously obtained lunar samples.

The team found out that the Chang'e-6 soil samples have a lower density than previous samples, indicating a more porous and loosely structured composition. The plagioclase content of the Chang'e-6 samples is significantly higher than that of the Chang'e-5 samples, while their olivine content is significantly lower.

The study has also revealed that the Chang'e-6 lithic fragment samples are primarily composed of basalt, breccia, agglutinate, glasses and leucocrate.

Geochemical analysis of the Chang'e-6 lunar samples has shown that their concentration of trace elements such as thorium, uranium and potassium is markedly different from the samples retrieved by the Apollo missions and the Chang'e-5 mission.

The Chang'e-6 samples also appear slightly lighter in color due to their different mineral composition.

"The Chang'e-6 lunar samples contain a significant amount of white material, including feldspar minerals, which are more abundant than in the Chang'e-5 samples. Additionally, there are significantly more glass fragments, contributing to a lighter overall appearance for the Chang'e-6 samples," said Li Chunlai, deputy chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission and researcher with the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In the lunar sample laboratory, the surface samples have largely be separated and packaged. Experts explained that the process of unsealing, dividing, and preparing the samples for experimentation took approximately two months.

"For the surface samples, we will separate any rock fragments larger than 1 millimeter. These larger samples may have originated from different locations, and their research methods differ from those used for powdered samples. The remaining powder samples, smaller than 1 millimeter, will be thoroughly mixed and packaged into 10-11 bottles, each containing approximately 150 grams," Li said.

In contrast, the processing of the drilled samples is more complex and is expected to take an additional one to two months. Researchers are currently handling the remaining samples in a nitrogen-filled unit.

"In terms of weight, the scooped samples make up the majority of the total 1935.3 grams, roughly 1610 grams, and the remaining is drilled samples. But a significant portion of these drilled is stuck to the sample bag and cannot be removed, complicating the determination of their exact weight. The drilled samples account for less than 20 percent of the total and are all contained within a single sample bag. We need to divide them into 1.5-centimeter segments to represent different depths. This process, which involves separating over 100 individual samples, requires extreme care. So, we may still need another month or two to finish the pre-processing," Li said.

The Chang'e-6 probe was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on May 3, 2024. It touched down on the far side of the moon on June 2. During its two-day stay, Chang'e-6 used a scoop and drill, collecting nearly 2 kilograms of lunar material. On June 25, its returner brought back the samples and made a landing in north China.

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 21, 2024

#NASA #CNSA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #Change6 #嫦娥六号 #LunarSampleReturn #Geology #FarSide #SouthPole #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #InternationalCooperation #France #CNES #Italy #ASI #Sweden #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Galaxy Cluster Abell 3827: Our Giant Universe | Hubble Space Telescope

Galaxy Cluster Abell 3827: Our Giant Universe | Hubble Space Telescope

This detailed image features Abell 3827, a galaxy cluster that offers a wealth of exciting possibilities for study. It was observed by Hubble in order to study dark matter. This is one of the greatest puzzles cosmologists face today. The science team used Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to complete their observations. The two cameras have unique specifications and can observe distinct parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, so this allowed astronomers to collect additional information. Abell 3827 has also been observed previously by Hubble, due to the interesting gravitational lens at its core. 

Looking at this cluster of hundreds of galaxies, it is amazing to recall that until less than 100 years ago, many astronomers thought that the Milky Way was the only galaxy in the Universe. The possibility of other galaxies had been debated previously, but the matter was not truly settled until Edwin Hubble confirmed that the Great Andromeda Nebula was in fact far too distant to be part of the Milky Way. The Great Andromeda Nebula became the Andromeda Galaxy, and astronomers recognized that our Universe was much, much larger than humanity had imagined. We can only imagine how Edwin Hubble—after whom the Hubble Space Telescope was named—would have felt if he had seen this spectacular image of Abell 3827.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Massey

Release Date: May 3, 2021

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyCluster #Abell3827 #Indus #Constellation #GravitationalLensing #DarkMatter #Cosmology #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Spacecraft, Star Trails & City Lights of Asia | International Space Station

Spacecraft, Star Trails & City Lights of Asia | International Space Station

The long exposure photograph taken by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shows star trails, streaks of city lights, and two Roscosmos crew ships, the Soyuz MS-26 docked to the Rassvet module (foreground) and the Soyuz MS-25 (background) docked to the Prichal docking module, as the International Space Station orbited 265 miles above central China.

This long exposure photograph taken by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick with a camera programmed for low sensitivity shows star trails and streaks of city lights as the International Space Station orbited 257 miles above the Molucca Sea in Indonesia.

This long exposure photograph taken by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick with a camera programmed for high sensitivity shows star trails and streaks of city lights as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam near Ho Chi Minh City.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

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/M. Dominick

Image Date: Sept. 2, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planet #Earth #Asia #China #中国 #Indonesia #Vietnam #Astronauts #MatthewDominick #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition71 #InternationalCooperation #Photography #Timelapse #STEM #Education

Flight 5 Starship & Heavy Booster Moved to Launch Pad | SpaceX Starbase

Flight 5 Starship & Heavy Booster Moved to Launch Pad | SpaceX Starbase

In these images, Starbase tower lifts the Super Heavy booster for Flight 5 to its expected catch height and Flight 5 Starship is moved to the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission through the Human Landing System (HLS) program."

Key Starship Parameters:

Height: 121m/397ft

Diameter: 9m/29.5ft

Payload to LEO: 100 – 150t (fully reusable)

Satellites: "Starship is designed to deliver satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb."

Super Heavy is the first stage, or booster, of the Starship launch system. Powered by 33 Raptor engines using sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX), Super Heavy is fully reusable and will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere to land back at the launch site.

Starship's Engines: Raptors

"The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown."

Raptor Engine Parameters:

Diameter: 1.3m/4ft

Height: 3.1m/10.2ft

Thrust: 230tf/500 klbf

Learn more:

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):

https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Release Dates: Aug. 8-Sept. 20, 2024

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #Starship5 #HeavyBooster #Spacecraft #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #Starbase #BocaChica #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Outer Stars of The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble Space Telescope

Outer Stars of The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble Space Telescope

The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. Distance: 2 million light-years

It is thought that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies will collide several billion years from now.

Images 1&2: Stars in the Andromeda Galaxy’s giant stellar stream

These NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope images are of a small part of the giant stellar stream of the Andromeda Galaxy. The stream is a long structure thought to be the remains of a companion galaxy torn apart by the Andromeda Galaxy’s gravity and engulfed in it.

Images 3&4: Stars in the Andromeda Galaxy’s halo with background galaxies 

These NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope images are of a small part of the halo of the Andromeda Galaxy. The halo is the huge and sparse sphere of stars that surrounds a galaxy. While there are relatively few stars in a galaxy’s halo, studies of the rotation rate of galaxies suggest that there is a great deal of invisible dark matter here.

Hubble’s position above the distorting effect of the atmosphere, combined with this galaxy’s relative proximity, means that these images can be resolved into individual stars, rather than the cloudy white wisps usually seen in observations of galaxies. In the background, many faraway galaxies are visible, billions of light-years further away than the Andromeda Galaxy.

Andromeda’s proximity to the Milky Way means it looks larger than other galaxies from Earth: Seen with the naked eye, Andromeda would be about six times the width of the Moon (about 3 degrees)

These observations were made in order to observe a wide variety of stars in Andromeda, ranging from faint main sequence stars like our own Sun, to the much brighter RR Lyrae stars—a type of variable star. With these measurements, astronomers can determine the chemistry and ages of the stars in each part of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Image Credits: NASA, ESA and T.M. Brown/Space Telescope Science Institute

Release Date: July 21, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #AndromedaGalaxy #Messier31 #M31 #Andromeda #Constellation #AndromedaGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Members | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Members | International Space Station

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Pilot Nichole Ayers of NASA, Mission Specialists Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, Takuya Onishi of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Commander Anne McClain of NASA pose for a selfie portrait in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center during a pre-flight training session.

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Pilot Nichole Ayers of NASA, Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, and Commander Anne McClain of NASA pose for a portrait in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Commander Anne McClain of NASA, and Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia have a discussion during pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia listens to a presentation during pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia participates in pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi participates in pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi prepares for spacewalk training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Pilot Nichole Ayers of NASA, Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Commander Anne McClain of NASA, and Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos (Russia) participate in water survival training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Four crew members are preparing to launch for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Commander Anne McClain and Pilot Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia will join astronauts at the orbiting laboratory no earlier than February 2025.

Veteran Astronaut Anne McClain NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/anne-c-mcclain/

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/anne-c-mcclain/

Astronaut Nichole Ayers NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers/

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi Biography

https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/astronaut/onishi-takuya/

The flight is the 10th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. While aboard, the international crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions and benefit people on Earth.

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 Dates: May 14-Sept. 19, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew10 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Falcon9Rocket #Astronauts #AnneMcClain #Commander #NicholeAyers #TakuyaOnishi #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #KirillPeskov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #CCP #Expedition72 #Expedition73 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers | International Space Station

Astronaut Candidate Individual Portrait, Nichole Ayers - ASCAN Class of 2021

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers prepares for spacewalk training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers is seated in a T-38 aircraft trainer during pre-flight mission training at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers walks on the tarmac toward a T-38 aircraft trainer.

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers listens to a presentation during pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers poses for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut candidate Nichole Ayers pictured here in an event at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Nichole Ayers is currently training for her first spaceflight where she will serve as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. Four crew members are preparing to launch for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Commander Anne McClain and Pilot Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia will join astronauts at the orbiting laboratory no earlier than February 2025.

Astronaut Nichole Ayers NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers/

The flight is the 10th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. While aboard, the international crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions and benefit people on Earth.

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 Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Josh Valcarcel/Robert Markowitz

Release Dates: Dec. 3, 2021-Aug. 12, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew10 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Falcon9Rocket #Astronauts #NicholeAyers #Pilot #AnneMcClain #TakuyaOnishi #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #KirillPeskov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #CCP #Expedition72 #Expedition73 #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Sunita in Charge | Week of Sept. 20, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: Sunita in Charge | Week of Sept. 20, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia are scheduled to launch no earlier than 2:05 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.

Crew-9 will be the first human spaceflight mission to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral. This is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will spend approximately five months at the station, conducting more than 200 science and research demonstrations before returning in February 2025.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner 

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

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

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 (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew9 #Astronauts #NickHague #SunitaWilliams #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #AleksandrGorbunov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

First Views of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | International Space Station

First Views of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick: "So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows. But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1/8s exposure you can really start to see it. This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun. For now a timelapse preview."

Note: The cupola is a small space station module with seven windows for observing the Earth and activities outside.

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) is a comet from the solar system's Oort cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory east of Nanjing, China, on January 9, 2023, and independently found by the automated Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa on February 22, 2023. ATLAS is funded by NASA's planetary defense office, and developed and operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. C/2023 A3 will pass perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million miles) on September 27, 2024. This is when it can be best viewed with the naked eye from the ground on Earth.

The Oort cloud is theorized to be a vast cloud of icy planetesimals surrounding the Sun at distances ranging from 2,000 to 200,000 AU (0.03 to 3.2 light-years). The concept of such a cloud was proposed in 1950 by the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort, in whose honor the idea was named. Oort proposed that the bodies in this cloud replenish and keep constant the number of long-period comets entering the inner Solar System—where they are eventually consumed and destroyed during close approaches to the Sun.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/M. Dominick

Duration: 9 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 19, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planet #Earth #Comets #CometTsuchinshanATLAS #C2023A3 #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition71 #China #中国 #SouthAfrica #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

A Galaxy Cluster with Crossing Gas Streams | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

A Galaxy Cluster with Crossing Gas Streams | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have found a galaxy cluster that has two pairs of streams of superheated gas crossing one another. Researchers have discovered a pair of enormous, comet-like tails of hot gas—spanning over 1.6 million light-years long—trailing behind a galaxy within the galaxy cluster called Zwicky 8338, or Z8338 for short. This tail was spawned as the galaxy had part of its gas stripped off by the hot gas it is hurtling through.

What makes this remarkable is that this is the second pair of tails trailing behind a galaxy in this system. Previously, astronomers discovered a shorter pair of tails from another galaxy nearby to this latest one. This newer and longer set of tails was only visible due to a deeper observation with Chandra that revealed fainter X-rays.

Astronomers also found evidence that the streams trailing behind the speeding galaxies have crossed one another, causing the shorter pair of tails to be detached from the galaxy they are trailing.

These galaxies are in motion because they were part of two galaxy clusters that collided with each other to create Z8338. This makes Z8338 a chaotic landscape of galaxies, superheated gas, and shock waves. These are similar to sonic booms created by supersonic jets.

Why is this important? Z8338 is helping to teach astronomers how these galaxy clusters, among the largest objects in the Universe held together by gravity, evolve over time. More specifically, this result gives them information about how the galaxies that are part of the cluster interact. This includes how this complex system can allow new stars, planets, and other structures to grow in the future.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Credits:

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Xiamen University/C. Ge Optical: DESI collaboration

Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 19, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyCluster #Zwicky8338 #Constellation #Hercules #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #Xray #SpaceTelescope #XiamenUniversity #China #中国 #CXC #CfA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronaut Tracy Dyson Powers International Space Station Research

NASA Astronaut Tracy Dyson Powers International Space Station Research

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson is returning home after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. While on orbit, Dyson conducted an array of experiments and technology demonstrations that contribute to advancements for humanity on Earth and the agency’s trajectory to the Moon and Mars. Here is a look at some of the science Dyson conducted during her mission: https://go.nasa.gov/4euV5kt

Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tracy-caldwell-dyson

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tracy-caldwell-dyson/biography

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner 

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

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

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 (JSC)

Duration: 2 minutes, 48 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2024

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Shenzhou-18 Crew Give China Space Station Video Tour to German Students

Shenzhou-18 Crew Give China Space Station Video Tour to German Students

The Shenzhou-18 crew members, currently in orbit aboard China's Tiangong space station, sent a video message to German students, providing a station tour and conveying Mid-Autumn Festival greetings during a special cultural event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, in Berlin, Germany.

On April 25, 2024, China launched the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship, carrying three astronauts—Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu—to the space station for a six-month mission. Shenzhou-18 represents the seventh crew of three astronauts to operate China's Tiangong 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: CCTV

Duration: 2 minutes, 21 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 17, 2024

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Nebula N11: Billowing Bubbles of Stellar Floss in Dorado | Hubble

Nebula N11: Billowing Bubbles of Stellar Floss in Dorado | Hubble

This Hubble image shows a complex cluster of emission nebulae, nestled within the Large Magellanic Cloud.

This inset image shows where N11 is located within the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Here is a bubbling region of stars old and new. It lies around 160,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. This complex cluster of emission nebulae, known as N11, was discovered by American astronomer and NASA astronaut Karl G. Henize in 1956. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of the cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way.

This region is named LHA 120-N 11, informally known as N11, and is one of the most active star formation regions in the nearby Universe. 

About 1,000 light-years across, N11’s sprawling filaments weave stellar matter in and out of each other like sparkling candy floss. These cotton-spun clouds of gas are ionized by a burgeoning host of young and massive stars, giving the complex a cherry-pink appearance. Throughout N11, colossal cavities burst from the fog. These bubbles formed as a result of the vigorous emergence and death of stars contained in the nebulae. Their stellar winds and supernovae carved the surrounding area into shells of gas and dust.

N11’s stellar activity caught the attention of many astronomers. It is one of the largest and most energetic regions in the LMC. To investigate the distribution of stars in N11, scientists used Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys, taking advantage of its sensitivity and excellent wide-field resolution. The cluster houses a wide array of stars for Hubble to examine, including one area that has stopped forming stars, and another that continues to form them. Hubble’s unique capabilities allowed astronomers to comprehensively study the diversity of stars in the N11 complex, and map the differences between each region.

Image 1 Description: Glowing clouds of pink and red gas and dust fill the image, along with several stars—foreground stars shine with diffraction spikes, and more distant stars fill the background.

Image 2 Description: The bottom half of the image shows N11. Glowing clouds of pink and red gas and dust fill the image, along with several stars—foreground stars shine with diffraction spikes, and more distant stars fill the background. Above it to the right, a smaller image shows a starry region of space with orange tendrils of gas and dust with a white rectangle designating the portion that shows N11. To its left, another small image shows a wide view of a diffuse galaxy with a white rectangle designating the portion that shows N11.

Image 1 Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. M. Apellaniz (Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC/INTA Inst. Nac. de Tec. Aero.); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Image 2 Credit: The above plus ESO VMC Survey, and DSS2

Release Date: Aug. 19, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #Nebula #N11 #LMCN11 #LHA120N11 #Astronaut #KarlHenize #Dorado #Constellation #LMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education