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Image Description: A starfield is shown with a large brown dust nebula in the center. The nebula can appear to be shaped like a bat. One of the stars in the dust nebula can resemble a bat's eye.
What is the most spook-tacular nebula in the galaxy? One contender is LDN 43. Glowing with eerie light, this nebula is lit up from inside by dense gaseous knots that have just formed young stars. It bears an astonishing resemblance to a vast cosmic bat flying amongst the stars on a dark Halloween night. Located about 1,400 light years away in the constellation Ophiuchus, the LDN 43 molecular cloud is dense enough to block light not only from background stars, but from wisps of gas lit up by the nearby reflection nebula LBN 7. Far from being a harbinger of death, this 12-light year-long filament of gas and dust is actually a stellar nursery.
Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson & Mike Selby
Shenzhou-19 Long March-2F Y19 Rocket Launch | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Shenzhou-19 Mission Emblem
China successfully launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, sending three astronauts—including the country's first female space engineer—to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. Mission specialist, Wang Haoze, is the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed space flight, after Liu Yang who was in the Shenzhou-9 and 14 crews, and Wang Yaping, of Shenzhou-10 and 13.
The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of mission commander Cai Xuzhe and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are in good shape and the launch was a complete success, the CMSA announced.
The crew reached their destination after their spacecraft made a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the China space station's core module Tianhe at 11:00 Wednesday (Beijing Time).
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fourth manned mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
Shenzhou-19 Crew:
Cai Xuzhe (commander)
Wang Haoze (mission specialist)
Song Lingdong (mission specialist)
Image Credits: Wang Heng, Wang Jiangbo, Sun Haiying/Xinhua
Drone Footage: Shenzhou-19 Long March-2F Y19 Rocket Launch
China successfully launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft on a Long March-2F Y19 rocket on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, sending three astronauts—including the country's first female space engineer—to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. Mission specialist, Wang Haoze, is the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed space flight, after Liu Yang who was in the Shenzhou-9 and 14 crews, and Wang Yaping, of Shenzhou-10 and 13.
The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of mission commander Cai Xuzhe and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are in good shape and the launch was a complete success, the CMSA announced.
The crew reached their destination after their spacecraft made a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the China space station's core module Tianhe at 11:00 Wednesday (Beijing Time).
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fourth manned mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
Shenzhou-19 Crewed Spacecraft Launched Successfully | China Space Station
China successfully launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, sending three astronauts—including the country's first female space engineer—to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. Mission specialist, Wang Haoze, is the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed space flight, after Liu Yang who was in the Shenzhou-9 and 14 crews, and Wang Yaping, of Shenzhou-10 and 13.
The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of mission commander Cai Xuzhe and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are in good shape and the launch was a complete success, the CMSA announced.
The crew reached their destination after their spacecraft made a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the China space station's core module Tianhe at 11:00 Wednesday (Beijing Time).
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fourth manned mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
Wide-field View of The Bubble Nebula: NGC 7635 in Cassiopeia | WIYN Telescope
This wide field view of NGC 7635 shows the nebulosity carved out by the winds of the massive central star and demonstrates the exquisite image quality of the new One Degree Imager camera on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope.
What created this huge space bubble? Blown by the wind from a star, this tantalizing, head-like apparition is cataloged as NGC 7635, but known simply as the Bubble Nebula. The featured striking view utilizes a long exposure to reveal the intricate details of this cosmic bubble and its environment. Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. Seen here above and right of the Bubble's center, a bright hot star is embedded in the nebula's reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from the star (that likely has a mass 10 to 20 times that of the Sun) has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud. The Bubble Nebula lies a mere 11,000 light-years away toward the constellation Cassiopeia.
The Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOIRLab (WIYN) Observatory is situated atop Kitt Peak National Observatory, a partnership consisting of University of California Irvine, Purdue University, the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, and NASA.
The Bubble Nebula: NGC 7635 in Cassiopeia | WIYN Telescope
What created this huge space bubble? Blown by the wind from a star, this tantalizing, head-like apparition is cataloged as NGC 7635, but known simply as the Bubble Nebula. The featured striking view utilizes a long exposure to reveal the intricate details of this cosmic bubble and its environment. Although it looks delicate, the 10 light-year diameter bubble offers evidence of violent processes at work. Seen here above and right of the Bubble's center, a bright hot star is embedded in the nebula's reflecting dust. A fierce stellar wind and intense radiation from the star (that likely has a mass 10 to 20 times that of the Sun) has blasted out the structure of glowing gas against denser material in a surrounding molecular cloud. The Bubble Nebula lies a mere 11,000 light-years away toward the constellation Cassiopeia.
This central, cosmetically corrected view of NGC 7635 shows the nebulosity carved out by the winds of the massive central star and demonstrates the exquisite image quality of the One Degree Imager camera on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope.
The Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOIRLab (WIYN) Observatory is situated atop Kitt Peak National Observatory, a partnership consisting of University of California Irvine, Purdue University, the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, and NASA.
A "Colossal" Solar Prominence: The View from Argentina
Astronomer & astrophotographer Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau: "On the morning of Tuesday, October 29, at 12:44 UTC, the sun put on a spectacular show. Through my Coronado Solarmax III 90mm Double Stack solar telescope, I captured a colossal prominence on the southwestern limb, stretching over 500,000 km. This impressive yet faint structure posed a challenge to capture in detail, set against a dynamic backdrop of filaments and active regions where sunspots stand out. This image is a clear reflection that we are currently experiencing the peak activity of this solar cycle."
Argentine astronomer Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau is a longtime observer of the sun, and he is not easily impressed. "Yesterday," he says, "I was impressed. On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 29th, the sun put on a spectacular show. Through my Coronado solar telescope, I captured this colossal prominence."
"It stretched more than 500,000 km above the sun's southwestern limb (greater than the distance between Earth and the Moon)," he says. "This image is a clear reflection that we are currently experiencing Solar Maximum."
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) saw initial the stages of this explosion that quickly became too large for the spacecraft's cameras to capture fully. The debris could hit Earth on Nov. 1st, arriving in the form of a 'glancing-blow' coronal mass ejection (CME).
A solar prominence (also known as a filament when viewed against the solar disk) is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun’s surface. Prominences are anchored to the Sun’s surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, called the corona. A prominence forms over timescales of about a day, and stable prominences may persist in the corona for several months, looping hundreds of thousands of miles into space. Scientists are still researching how and why prominences are formed.
The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas comprised of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun’s internal dynamo. An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma.
Image Credit: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau Capture Location: Rafaela, Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina
NASA Perseverance Mars Rover Captures Solar Transit of Phobos Moon | JPL
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture the silhouette of Phobos, one of the two Martian moons, as it passed in front of the Sun on Sept. 30, 2024, the 1,285th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. This 32-second video shows the transit in real-time.
Perseverance has captured several Phobos transits since its landing at Mars' Jezero Crater in February 2021. By comparing the various recordings, scientists can refine their understanding of the potato-shaped moon's orbit, learning how it is changing. Eons from now, Phobos' orbit is expected to eventually send the moon toward the Red Planet's surface.
Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.
A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).
Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
NASA "Espacio a Tierra" | El regreso de Crew-8 : 25 de octubre de 2024
Espacio a Tierra, la versión en español de las cápsulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la Estación Espacial Internacional.
NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: The Spacecraft’s Journey to a Metal-Rich Asteroid
A year after a successful launch on Oct. 13, 2023, team members of NASA's Psyche mission to the metal-rich asteroid of the same name reflect on launch day, discuss mission operations and accomplishments since launch, and look forward to upcoming milestones, including a flyby of Mars in May 2026.
Whether the Psyche asteroid is the partial core of a planetesimal (a building block of the rocky planets in our solar system) or primordial material that never melted, scientists expect the mission to help answer fundamental questions about Earth’s own metal core and the formation of our solar system.
The spacecraft will begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.
Riding along with the spacecraft is the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration, which has been transmitting data at the highest rate ever achieved from deep space beyond the Moon.
Shenzhou-19 & Shenzhou-18 Crews Meet | China Space Station
The astronauts of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft met their Shenzhou-18 colleagues after arriving at the Tiangong space station on Wednesday, May 30, 2024, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. Commander Cai Xuzhe and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze successfully reached their destination after the spaceship made a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the space station's core module Tianhe at 11:00 Wednesday (Beijing Time).
At 12:51 (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-18 crew who had been aboard the space station, opened the hatch and greeted the new arrivals. The two crew teams took group photos and sent messages to the ground staff.
Commanders of the two space missions exchanged greetings.
"First of all, on behalf of the Shenzhou-18 crew, I welcome all of you. We are very happy and excited to welcome you to the space station today. Half a year ago, it was the Shenzhou 17 crew who greeted us. This time it is our turn to welcome you. Next, let us build our space home together," said Ye Guangfu, commander of the Shenzhou-18 spaceflight mission crew.
"I feel so good to be greeted by someone as soon as we arrive at the space home. I remember that two years ago today, we were expecting the arrival of the Mengtian lab capsule in the core module. In a blink of an eye, two years have passed and the space station has entered the application and development stage. Moreover, I also hope to return to the space home again and take a look. After returning again today, I feel very warm in my heart when I see the familiar environment in the cabin. Seeing that you have taken care of the space station so well, managing it so well, and that you have done a lot of outstanding work, I give you a big thumbs up. In the next period of time, I hope you can pass on good methods and good working methods to us. Finally, I hope we can spend some good time together and everything goes well," said Cai Xuzhe, commander of the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission crew.
Then the newcomers expressed their excitement for the gathering and thanked the previous crew for their hard work over the past six months.
Song Lingdong, a Shenzhou-19 crew member, said having seen the work done by the previous crew at the space station, he feels very confident about their mission.
"The ground staff all praised you for completing the mission well, and they are also very relieved and reassured when providing you support. We appreciate your hard work. We will learn from you in the next few days and please do share your valuable experience with us," Song said.
Wang Haoze, another Shenzhou-19 crew member, expressed her excitement to meet the Shenzhou-18 crew and appreciated their work in the past six months and preparations for the handover.
The Shenzhou-18 crew members also warmly welcomed the new arrivals.
Li Guangsu, a Shenzhou-18 crew member, said he looks forward to sharing their experience with their colleagues, learning from each other in exchanges and making progress together.
"We have carefully prepared some surprise foods for you. I look forward to your treasure hunt," he said.
Li Cong, another Shenzhou-18 crew member, said they had made the living space nice and tidy to welcome the new crew and even planted some fresh lettuce for a reunion dinner.
The six astronauts will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The Shenzhou-19 spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 04:27 on Wednesday (Beijing Time).
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program and the fourth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft.
The new crew will have numerous tasks to complete, including conducting 86 space science research and technology experiments, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and installing and recycling extravehicular payloads and equipment. They will also engage in science education, public welfare activities, and other payload tests.
Shenzhou-19 Astronauts Arrive at Launch Site | China Space Station
The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight mission arrived at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China after a send-off ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2024 (Beijing Time) ready to board the spacecraft for a scheduled liftoff to the Tiangong space station.
The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, later blasted off at 4:27 a.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Cai Xuzhe, the mission commander, and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze all expressed confidence in carrying out their mission aboard China's Tiangong space station.
After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft will perform a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe in about 6.5 hours, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The three astronauts will complete an in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-18 trio and stay at the Tiangong space station for approximately six months.
During the mission, they will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft.
The new crew will have numerous tasks to complete, including conducting 86 space science research and technology experiments, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and installing and recycling extravehicular payloads and equipment. They will also engage in science education, public welfare activities, and other payload tests.
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program and the fourth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
Prelaunch Ceremony for Shenzhou-19 Crew | China Space Station
A send-off ceremony for the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight mission was held on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, (Beijing Time)at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, reported to the commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Xu Xueqiang that they were ready to undertake their mission.
After receiving an order from the commander-in-chief, the astronauts boarded a vehicle and departed for the launch site amid cheers from a crowd of well-wishers.
The three astronauts will take over the command of the Tiangong space station after completing an in-orbit handover with their colleagues of the Shenzhou-18 mission.
The trio is expected to stay in orbit for around six months.
Shenzhou-19 Crewed Spacecraft Launch | China Space Station
China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, sending three astronauts—including the country's first female space engineer—to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. Mission specialist, Wang Haoze, is the third Chinese woman to take part in a crewed space flight, after Liu Yang who was in the Shenzhou-9 and 14 crews, and Wang Yaping, of Shenzhou-10 and 13.
The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of mission commander Cai Xuzhe and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are in good shape and the launch is a complete success, the CMSA announced.
The spacecraft will then perform a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe in about 6.5 hours, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fourth manned mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
Shenzhou-19 Crewed Spacecraft All Set for Liftoff | China Space Station
All systems aboard the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket are set and weather conditions are forecast to be suitable for the scheduled launch on Wednesday morning, Oct. 30, 2024, according to staff members at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Lin Xiqiang, spokesman of the agency, announced this while briefing the media on the main tasks of the Shenzhou-19 mission.
"As evaluated and decided by the mission headquarters, the Shenzhou-19 spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 04:27 on Oct 30 Beijing Time. Crew members are astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, with Cai Xuzhe as the commander," Lin said.
"Astronaut Cai Xuzhe has participated in the Shenzhou-14 space flight mission. Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, among the third batch of Chinese astronauts, were born in the 1990s and will carry out a space flight for the first time. Song Lingdong was a former air force pilot before being selected as an astronaut and Wang Haoze previously served as a senior engineer at the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. She is currently China's only female spaceflight engineer and will become the third Chinese woman to embark on a crewed spaceflight mission," he said.
The three astronauts will take over command of China’s Tiangong space station from the Shenzhou-18 crew currently in orbit and will spend about six months in space.
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the 4th crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft, sitting atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, has been transferred to the launching area, with pre-launch function checks and joint tests conducted to ensure the spaceship's readiness.
Shenzhou-19 Crew Portrait | From the left: Mission Specialist Wang Haoze, Commander Cai Xuzhe, Mission Specialist Song Lingdong
Shenzhou-19 Commander Cai Xuzhe
Shenzhou-19 Mission Specialist & China's First Female Flight Engineer Wang Haoze
Shenzhou-19 Mission Specialist Song Lingdong
Shenzhou-19 Mission Specialist & China's First Female Flight Engineer Wang Haoze
Shenzhou-19 Commander Cai Xuzhe
Shenzhou-19 Mission Specialist & China's First Female Flight Engineer Wang Haoze
Shenzhou-19 Mission Specialist Song Lingdong
China's Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft is scheduled to launch no earlier than 4:27am Wednesday, October 30, 2024, (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country's northwest, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Tuesday.
Lin Xiqiang, spokesman of the agency, announced this while briefing the media on the main tasks of the Shenzhou-19 mission.
"As evaluated and decided by the mission headquarters, the Shenzhou-19 spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 04:27 on Oct 30 Beijing Time. Crew members are astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, with Cai Xuzhe as the commander," Lin said.
"Astronaut Cai Xuzhe has participated in the Shenzhou-14 space flight mission. Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, among the third batch of Chinese astronauts, were born in the 1990s and will carry out a space flight for the first time. Song Lingdong was a former air force pilot before being selected as an astronaut and Wang Haoze previously served as a senior engineer at the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. She is currently China's only female spaceflight engineer and will become the third Chinese woman to embark on a crewed spaceflight mission," he said.
The three astronauts will take over command of China’s Tiangong space station from the Shenzhou-18 crew currently in orbit and will spend about six months in space.
Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the 4th crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.
The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft, sitting atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, has been transferred to the launching area, with pre-launch function checks and joint tests conducted to ensure the spaceship's readiness.
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