Nebula IRAS 05437+2502 in Taurus | Hubble Space Telescope

Nebula IRAS 05437+2502 in Taurus | Hubble Space Telescope

The little-known nebula IRAS 05437+2502 billows out among the bright stars and dark dust clouds that surround it in this striking image from the Hubble Space Telescope. It is located in the constellation of Taurus (the Bull), close to the central plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Unlike many of Hubble’s targets, this object has not been studied in detail and its exact nature is unclear. 

At first glance it appears to be a small, rather isolated, region of star formation and one might assume that the effects of fierce ultraviolet radiation from bright young stars probably were the cause of the eye-catching shapes of the gas. However, the bright boomerang-shaped feature may tell a more dramatic tale. The interaction of a high velocity young star and the cloud of gas and dust may have created this unusually sharp-edged bright arc. Such a reckless star would have been ejected from the distant young cluster where it was born and would travel at 200,000 km/hour or more through the nebula.

This faint cloud was originally discovered in 1983 by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), the first space telescope to survey the whole sky in the infrared. IRAS was run by the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom and found huge numbers of new objects that were invisible from the ground.

This image was taken with the Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on Hubble. It was part of a “snapshot” survey. These are lists of observations that are fitted into Hubble’s busy schedule when possible. 

This picture was created from images taken through yellow (F606W) and near-infrared (F814W) filters. The exposure times were about eleven minutes per filter and the field of view is about 100 arcseconds across.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble, R. Sahai and NASA

Release Date: June 14, 2010

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StellarNursery #Nebulae #Nebula #IRAS054372502 #Taurus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #SpaceTelescopes #IRAS #Infrared #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Drought Expands across the United States | NASA Earth Observatory

Drought Expands across the United States | NASA Earth Observatory

Unusually dry conditions gripped over half the contiguous United States in October 2024. On October 29, abnormal dryness and drought affected over 78 percent of the American population—the highest percentage in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s 25-year-long record.

Drier- and warmer-than-normal weather dominated the country during much of October, caused by a strong ridge of high pressure that lingered high in the atmosphere for weeks. According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center, 100 weather stations across the U.S. recorded no rain in October, including the cities of Philadelphia, Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Sacramento. Over 70 weather stations recorded the driest October on record.

This map shows conditions in the contiguous U.S. on October 29, 2024, as reported by the U.S. Drought Monitor, a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The map depicts drought intensity in progressive shades of yellow to red. It is based on an analysis of climate, soil, crop, and water condition measurements from more than 350 federal, state, and local observers around the country. NASA contributes several measurements and models that aid the drought monitoring effort.

Drought had expanded from covering just 12 percent of the country in June to 54 percent as of October 29. The rapid development created what NOAA describes as a “flash drought” in many parts of the country. Flash droughts are typically brought on by lower-than-normal rates of precipitation, accompanied by abnormally high temperatures, wind, or radiation.

“Although droughts usually develop slowly over the course of months and years, a flash drought rapidly intensifies over the course of a few weeks to a couple of months,” said Caily Schwartz, a scientist at the Global Water Security Center at the University of Alabama. Schwartz noted that in Nebraska, where the National Drought Mitigation Center is located, there has been little rain and higher-than-normal temperatures in October. Much of the state was in severe drought (represented as orange in the map) in late October.

Almost the entire country was warmer than normal the week of October 23-29, and drought was present in every state except Alaska and Kentucky. The High Plains and South were the warmest regions, with temperatures 10 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit (6 to 7 degrees Celsius) above normal.

Even in the Southeast where Hurricane Helene dropped significant precipitation in late September, many places dried out rapidly, with some recording zero precipitation since the hurricane.

“This fall has been a prime example of flash drought across parts of the U.S.,” said Jason Otkin, a meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “These events can take people by surprise because you can quickly go from being drought-free to having severe drought conditions.”

Otkin co-authored research published in Science that showed that droughts have intensified more rapidly since the 1950s due to human-caused climate change. According to the research team, flash droughts have become more common over much of the world, making drought monitoring and forecasting more difficult.

Read Science journal article "A global transition to flash droughts under climate change":

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn6301

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using data from the United States Drought Monitor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Article Credit: Emily Cassidy

Release Date: Nov. 2, 2024

#NASA #NOAA #USGS #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #Precipitation #Climate #ClimateChange #Drought #FlashDrought #Agriculture #GlobalHeating #Environment #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #DOA #UNL #UnitedStates #Infographic #STEM #Education

Earth's Dim Atmospheric Glow over Gulf of Thailand | International Space Station

Earth's Dim Atmospheric Glow over Gulf of Thailand | International Space Station

Earth's dim atmospheric glow blankets the Gulf of Thailand dotted with the lights of fishing boats in this orbital nighttime photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 259 miles above. The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula.

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 picture, it is green.

Expedition 72 Updates:

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

Expedition 72 Crew

Station Commander: Suni Williams
Roscosmos (Russia): Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov
NASA: Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

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)
Capture Date: Nov. 1, 2024
Release Date: Nov. 5, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Atmosphere #Airglow #PacificOcean #SouthChinaSea #GulfOfThailand #Meteorology #LightningStrorm #Weather #Thailand #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #Florida #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

The New 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope in Chile | Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The New 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope in Chile | Vera C. Rubin Observatory

This photo shows Rubin Observatory's Simonyi Survey Telescope taking on-sky observations with the 144-megapixel test camera called the Commissioning Camera on the night of October 24, 2024. It is the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy. The camera is roughly the size of a small car and weighs almost 6200 lbs (2800 kg). The goal of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently under construction in Chile, is to conduct a 10-year optical survey of the visible sky that will deliver a 500 petabyte set of images and data products that will address some of the most pressing questions about the structure and evolution of the universe and the objects in it.

The 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope features a unique three-mirror design. This gives the telescope an exceptionally wide field of view, while maintaining a compact shape that allows it to move quickly across the sky. The design and construction of Rubin Observatory took more than a decade.

The Simonyi Survey Telescope is named after Charles Simonyi's family, in recognition of his significant gift early in the construction phase in support of the design, development, and fabrication of the telescope’s primary mirror.

A team of engineers and technicians at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory constructed the LSST Camera. 

The focal plane consists of 189 charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors arranged on 21 “rafts” for a combined 3200 megapixels.

Every night, Rubin Observatory’s intricate data network, designed and built by a distributed team of data management experts, will move 20 terabytes of data from the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile to the US Data Facility and then to other data processing facilities around the world.  

Rubin Observatory is supported by funding from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). Rubin Observatory is operated by NSF’s NOIRLab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/H. Stockebrand

Release Date: Oct. 28, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #VeraRubinObservatory #SimonyiSurveyTelescope #Telescope #OpticalTelescope #LSSTCamera #CCD #Cosmos #Universe #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #DOE #SLAC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Earth Crepuscular Rays & Cumulonimbus Clouds | International Space Station

Earth Crepuscular Rays & Cumulonimbus Clouds | International Space Station

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this oblique photograph of crepuscular rays while orbiting over southern Asia. The combined off-nadir perspective and low Sun angle highlight the varied cloud structures and warm hues from the setting Sun.

Crepuscular rays, named after the Latin word for twilight, are shafts of light that can appear at any time of day but are most often visible near sunrise or sunset. In this astronaut photograph, gaps between the clouds allow rays of light to penetrate through and partially illuminate regions of shadow cast by the tall clouds. Water vapor and aerosol particles in the atmosphere scatter light, accentuating the bright crepuscular rays.

These rays are known by a variety of names, including sunbeams and antisolar rays. The optical effect is often visible from the ground. However, the high-altitude perspective from the space station is distinctive because astronauts can capture a greater field of view, showing the truly vast distances spanned by the sunbeams. Crepuscular rays can also occur at night when clouds or other high-altitude features block incoming moonlight.

The clouds visible in the photo are cumulonimbus clouds formed by updrafts of warm, moist air. Cumulonimbus clouds are also called thunderclouds because they are often associated with extreme weather, such as lightning, hail, and tornadoes. The flat upper surface of mature cumulonimbus clouds, which resembles an anvil, is caused by strong winds that prevent clouds from growing upward past the tropopause—the layer of the atmosphere that forms a boundary between the troposphere below and stratosphere above.

Astronaut photograph ISS069-E-88621 was acquired on September 16, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 105 millimeters. 

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: ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center

Article Credit: Cadan Cummings, Amentum, JETS II Contract at NASA-JSC

Capture Date: Sept. 16, 2023

Release Date: Nov. 3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #ISS #Science #Sun #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #Sunlight #CrepuscularRays #Clouds #CumulonimbusClouds #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #SolarSystem #Expedition69 #STEM #Education

Young Star V1331 Cyg Takes Center Stage in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

Young Star V1331 Cyg Takes Center Stage in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

With its helical appearance resembling a snail’s shell, this reflection nebula seems to spiral out from a luminous central star in this new NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image. 

Distance: 1,800 light years

The star in the center, known as V1331 Cyg and located in the dark cloud LDN 981—or, more commonly, Lynds 981—had previously been defined as a T Tauri star. A T Tauri is a young star —or Young Stellar Object—that is starting to contract to become a main sequence star similar to the Sun.

What makes V1331Cyg special is the fact that we look almost exactly at one of its poles. Usually, the view of a young star is obscured by the dust from the circumstellar disc and the envelope that surround it. However, with V1331Cyg we are actually looking in the exact direction of a jet driven by the star that is clearing the dust and giving us this magnificent view.

This view provides an almost undisturbed view of the star and its immediate surroundings allowing astronomers to study it in greater detail and look for features that might suggest the formation of a very low-mass object in the outer circumstellar disc.

Image Credits:

ESA/Hubble, NASA, Karl Stapelfeldt (GSFC), B. Stecklum and A. Choudhary (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany)

Release Date: March 2, 2015

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Star #V1331Cyg #VariableStar #TTauriStar #Nebula #LDN981 #Lynds981 #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-18 Science Experiment Samples Arrive in Beijing | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Science Experiment Samples Arrive in Beijing | China Space Station

Experimental samples brought to Earth by the return capsule of China’s Shenzhou-18 spacecraft are expected to spur further scientific progress in a range of fields, say researchers. The temperature-controlled life science experimental samples were transported to Beijing and delivered to scientists on Monday, November 4, 2024.

The return capsule carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday morning.

The Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft was launched on April 25, 2024. During the three astronauts' six-month stay in the Tiangong space station, they conducted 90 experiments and tests in material science, life science, medicine, space technology, and in the basic physics of microgravity.

The crew brought back 55 categories of scientific experiment samples, involving 28 subjects in space life sciences, space materials sciences, microgravity combustion science and other fields. The samples weigh 34.6 kilograms in total.

There are 24 categories of life science samples, including zebrafish culture medium, amino acids, and radiation-resistant microorganisms. The zebrafish culture medium focuses on the study of the substance circulation mechanism of aquatic ecosystems in space environment, so as to provide theoretical support for the construction of complex ecosystems in long-term stable operation in space.

"What was conducted in orbit mainly were to collect fish egg boxes and water samples in the early stage. We sampled water three times in total, respectively on the 10th, 20th and 30th day (from the beginning of the experiment), and replaced the fish food boxes in the middle stage. Next, we will study the physical and chemical properties of the collected water samples to explore the law for stable operation of the binary system composed of zebrafish and hornwort," said Tao Yi, a senior engineer at the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The material and combustion samples brought back this time will be transported to Beijing later along with the return capsule of Shenzhou-18. There are 30 categories of material samples, including composite lubricating materials, optical fibers, and optical films.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:
Commander Ye Guangfu (叶光富)
Mission Specialist Li Cong (李聪)
Mission Specialist Li Guangsu (李广苏)

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket CRS-31 Mission Launch | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket CRS-31 Mission Launch | Kennedy Space Center

The moment when the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines fire for launch.

Filled with nearly 6,000 pounds of supplies, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket was launched at 9:29 p.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was SpaceX's 31st commercial resupply services mission (CRS-31). At 9:52 a.m. EST, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module successfully delivering NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. CRS-31 is the fifth flight for this Dragon spacecraft. It previously flew CRS-21, CRS-23, CRS-25, and CRS-28 to the International Space Station. 

To view the launch webcast, visit:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=crs-31

Scientific investigations for the International Space Station on the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission include studies of solar wind, a radiation-tolerant moss, spacecraft materials, and cold welding in space.

More information: https://go.nasa.gov/3zZrxg8

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Release Dates: Nov. 4-5, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #DragonCargoSpacecraft #CRS31 #CommercialResupplyServices #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Spaceport #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #Russia #Roscosmos #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket CRS-31 Mission Liftoff | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket CRS-31 Mission Liftoff | International Space Station

SpaceX launched its 31st commercial resupply services mission at 9:29 p.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. The Dragon cargo spacecraft will deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.

For updates and to view the webcast, visit:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=crs-31

Scientific investigations launching to the International Space Station on the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission include studies of solar wind, a radiation-tolerant moss, spacecraft materials, and cold welding in space.

Filled with nearly 6,000 pounds of supplies, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CRS-31 is the fifth flight for this Dragon spacecraft. It previously flew CRS-21, CRS-23, CRS-25, and CRS-28 to the International Space Station. After an almost 13-hour flight, Dragon will autonomously dock with the station on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at approximately 10:15 a.m. ET.

More information: https://go.nasa.gov/3zZrxg8

Image Credit: SpaceX

Duration: 31 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #DragonCargoSpacecraft #CRS31 #CommercialResupplyServices #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Spaceport #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #Russia #Roscosmos #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Commercial Resupply Mission 31 | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Commercial Resupply Mission 31 | International Space Station

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 9:29 p.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, for the next launch to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This is the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.

For updates and to view the webcast, visit:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=crs-31

Scientific investigations launching to the International Space Station on the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission include studies of solar wind, a radiation-tolerant moss, spacecraft materials, and cold welding in space.

Filled with nearly 6,000 pounds of supplies, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CRS-31 is the fifth flight for this Dragon spacecraft, which previously flew CRS-21, CRS-23, CRS-25, and CRS-28 to the International Space Station. After an almost 13-hour flight, Dragon will autonomously dock with the station on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at approximately 10:15 a.m. ET.

More information: https://go.nasa.gov/3zZrxg8

Image Credit: SpaceX
Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #DragonCargoSpacecraft #CRS31 #CommercialResupplyServices #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Spaceport #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #Russia #Roscosmos #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

Astronomers Discover Fastest-Feeding Black Hole in Early Universe | NOIRLab

Astronomers Discover Fastest-Feeding Black Hole in Early Universe | NOIRLab

Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Chandra X-ray Observatory, a team of U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab astronomers have discovered a low-mass supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. It is accreting matter at a phenomenal rate—over 40 times the theoretical limit. While short lived, this black hole’s ‘feast’ could help astronomers explain how supermassive black holes grew so quickly in the early Universe.

Supermassive black holes exist at the center of most galaxies, and modern telescopes continue to observe them at surprisingly early times in the Universe’s evolution. It is difficult to understand how these black holes were able to grow so large so rapidly. However, with the discovery of a low-mass supermassive black hole feasting on material at an extreme rate, seen just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, astronomers now have valuable new insights into the mechanisms of rapidly growing black holes in the early Universe.

LID-568 was discovered by a cross-institutional team of astronomers led by International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab astronomer Hyewon Suh. They used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe a sample of galaxies from the Chandra X-ray Observatory’s COSMOS legacy survey. This population of galaxies is very bright in the X-ray part of the spectrum, but are invisible in the optical and near-infrared. Webb’s unique infrared sensitivity allows it to detect these faint counterpart emissions.

LID-568 stood out within the sample for its intense X-ray emission, but its exact position could not be determined from the X-ray observations alone, raising concerns about properly centering the target in JWST’s field of view. Thus, rather than using traditional slit spectroscopy, JWST’s instrumentation support scientists suggested that Suh’s team use the integral field spectrograph on Webb’s NIRSpec. This instrument can get a spectrum for each pixel in the instrument’s field of view rather than being limited to a narrow slice.

“Owing to its faint nature, the detection of LID-568 would be impossible without JWST. Using the integral field spectrograph was innovative and necessary for getting our observation,” says Emanuele Farina, International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab astronomer and co-author of the paper appearing in Nature Astronomy.

Read the science paper here: 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02402-9

JWST’s NIRSpec allowed the team to get a full view of their target and its surrounding region, leading to the unexpected discovery of powerful outflows of gas around the central black hole. The speed and size of these outflows led the team to infer that a substantial fraction of the mass growth of LID-568 may have occurred in a single episode of rapid accretion. “This serendipitous result added a new dimension to our understanding of the system and opened up exciting avenues for investigation,” says Suh.

Suh and her team found that LID-568 appears to be feeding on matter at a rate 40 times its Eddington limit. This limit relates to the maximum luminosity that a black hole can achieve, as well as how fast it can absorb matter, such that its inward gravitational force and outward pressure generated from the heat of the compressed, infalling matter remain in balance. When LID-568’s luminosity was calculated to be so much higher than theoretically possible, the team knew they had something remarkable in their data.

“This black hole is having a feast,” says International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab astronomer and co-author Julia Scharwächter. “This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism above the Eddington limit is one of the possible explanations for why we see these very heavy black holes so early in the Universe.”

These results provide new insights into the formation of supermassive black holes from smaller black hole ‘seeds’, which current theories suggest arise either from the death of the Universe’s first stars (light seeds) or the direct collapse of gas clouds (heavy seeds). Until now, these theories lacked observational confirmation. “The discovery of a super-Eddington accreting black hole suggests that a significant portion of mass growth can occur during a single episode of rapid feeding, regardless of whether the black hole originated from a light or heavy seed,” says Suh.

The discovery of LID-568 also shows that it is possible for a black hole to exceed its Eddington limit, and provides the first opportunity for astronomers to study how this happens. It is possible that the powerful outflows observed in LID-568 may be acting as a release valve for the excess energy generated by the extreme accretion, preventing the system from becoming too unstable. To further investigate the mechanisms at play, the team is planning follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Credits:

Images and Videos: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/M. Zamani/NASA/CXC/J.Vaughan/A. M. Gutierrez/J. Davelaar/Radboud University/BlackHoleCam/N. Bartmann (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 1 minute, 39 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #LID568 #BlackHoles #EddingtonLimit #Astrophysics #EarlyUniverse #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #InternationalGeminiObservatory #NASAChandra #XrayObservatory #JWST #NASAWebb #InfraredTelescope #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #UnitedStates #Animation #HD #Video

Visiting Martian 'Rock Gardens' | NASA's Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Visiting Martian 'Rock Gardens' | NASA's Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - Sol 1313 

Mars 2020 - Sol 1316

Mars 2020 - Sol 1315

Mars 2020 - Sol 1315

Mars 2020 - Sol 1310

MSL - Sol 1350

Mars 2020 - Sol 1310

Mars 2020 - Sol 1318

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 3+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

NASA Science on SpaceX's 31st Cargo Resupply Mission | International Space Station

NASA Science on SpaceX's 31st Cargo Resupply Mission | International Space Station

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 9:29 p.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, for the next launch to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This is the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.

For updates and to view the webcast, visit:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=crs-31

Scientific investigations launching to the International Space Station on the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission include studies of solar wind, a radiation-tolerant moss, spacecraft materials, and cold welding in space.

Filled with nearly 6,000 pounds of supplies, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

More information: https://go.nasa.gov/3zZrxg8

Credit: NASA
Producer: Nicole Rose
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Oct. 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #DragonCargoSpacecraft #CRS31 #CommercialResupplyServices #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Spaceport #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #Russia #Roscosmos #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NOAA's Upcoming SWFO-L1 Satellite: Dedicated to Space Weather Monitoring

NOAA's Upcoming SWFO-L1 Satellite: Dedicated to Space Weather Monitoring

From its unique vantage point, a million and a half kilometers from Earth at Lagrange Point 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will introduce a "next generation satellite called Space Weather Follow On L1 (SWFO-L1). The SWFO-L1 observatory is the first of its kind, designed to be dedicated to full time operational space weather observations. By keeping an eye on the Sun’s activity without interruption, it will give us quicker and more accurate forecasts than ever before." 

Learn more about the SWFO-L1 mission: 

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/our-satellites/future-programs/swfo/space-weather-follow-l1-mission

Stay tuned for the SWFO-L1 launch, scheduled for 2025 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SWFO-L1's solar wind plasma sensor (SWiPS)

instruments are intended to replace Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) monitoring of solar wind, energetic particles, and the interplanetary magnetic field, while SWFO-L1's compact coronagraph (CCOR) will replace SOHO's LASCO (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph) imaging of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Video Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Duration: 32 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #NOAA #Sun #Planet #Earth #Science #Satellites #GeostationarySatellites #SpaceWeather #Coronagraph #Weather #Meteorology #SWFOL1 #LagrangePoint1 #L1 #NorthAmerica #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #L3Harris #GSFC #SpaceXFalcon9 #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 Crew Return to Earth after Successful 6-Month Space Station Mission

Shenzhou-18 Crew Return to Earth after Successful 6-Month Space Station Mission

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-18 crewed spacecraft, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, safely touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 1:24am Beijing time. The three astronauts, after staying in orbit for 192 days, were all in good health and the Shenzhou-18 crewed mission was declared a success, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said. All three astronauts were out of the capsule by 02:15am Beijing Time.

The crew will enter a period of medical quarantine and undergo comprehensive medical examinations and health evaluations, it said, adding that they will meet with the press in Beijing afterward.

Shenzhou-18 commander Ye Guangfu, who now holds the longest duration of stay in orbit among Chinese astronauts, was the first of the three crew members to emerge from the return capsule.

"I am proud of my motherland. I am grateful to the great motherland, the people of China, and the entire project team for making our dream of spaceflight a reality and ensuring our safe return. Our Shenzhou spacecraft family has continued the relay of space exploration, and I believe that the new record of time spent in orbit by Chinese astronauts will soon be set," he said.

"During this trip to realize our space dream, our crew members united as one, and collaborated effectively with the ground teams. The two extravehicular activities were completed smoothly, as were the in-orbit scientific research experiments," said Li Cong, the second astronaut to come out of the return capsule.

"Space is vast, magical and beautiful. We all enjoy the pleasure brought by weightlessness. Returning to Earth from space is a mixture of the excitement and joy of being back home, as well as a sense of attachment to space. The greatest feeling at this moment is that I am so proud of our great motherland," said Li Guangsu, the third astronaut.

The Shenzhou-18 astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, were launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on April 25, 2024. They completed all planned tasks during their long duration mission that lasted over six months.

During the mission, the Shenzhou-18 crew conducted 100+ scientific experiments and tests and completed two spacewalks.

They became the country's first astronauts to bring fish into space, raising them in an experiment cabinet, while collecting water samples and fish eggs for research. They will bring back the samples with them. This is expected to provide valuable insights for scientists to study the life of vertebrates in space.

After the arrival of the Shenzhou-19 trio at the space station on Oct 30, 2024, the two crews each comprising three astronauts spent five days together in orbit. A handover ceremony was held Friday night in which Shenzhou-18 commander Ye Guangfu transferred the keys of the space station to Shenzhou-19 commander Cai Xuzhe.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Commander Ye Guangfu (叶光富)

Mission Specialist Li Cong (李聪)

Mission Specialist Li Guangsu (李广苏)

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 4 minutes, 40 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #LongDurationSpaceflight #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 in Dorado | Hubble Space Telescope

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 in Dorado | Hubble Space Telescope

This image depicts NGC 1672, a spiral galaxy in the Dorado constellation. It was created using six Hubble images taken over fifteen years. 

Distance: 49 million light years

Image Description: "A spiral galaxy with an oval-shaped disc. Two large arms curve out away from the ends of the disc. The arms are traced by bright pink patches where stars are forming and by dark reddish threads of dust. The core is very bright and star-filled. Several large stars appear in front of the galaxy."

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, O. Fox, L. Jenkins, A. Filippenko, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team, D. de Martin (ESA/Hubble), M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)

Release Date: Nov. 4, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Hubble #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC1672 #SpiralGalaxy #Supernovae #Supernova #SN2017GAX #Dorado #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education