Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas over Italy's Dolomite Mountains

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas over Italy's Dolomite Mountains

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is now headed back to the outer Solar System. The massive dusty snowball put on quite a show during its trip near the Sun, resulting in many impressive pictures from planet Earth during October 2024. This image was taken in mid-October and shows a defining visual feature of the comet—its impressive anti-tail. The image captures Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) with impressively long dust and ion tails pointing up and away from the Sun, while the strong anti-tail—composed of more massive dust particles—trails the comet and points down and (nearly) toward the recently-set Sun. 

In the foreground is village of Tai di Cadore, Italy, with the Dolomite Mountains in the background. Another comet, C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), once a candidate to rival Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas in brightness, broke up last week during its close approach to our Sun.

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 passed perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million miles) on September 27, 2024.

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.

Credit & Copyright: Alessandra Masi
Subscribe to Alessandra's YouTube Channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@alessandramasi21
Release Date: Nov. 6, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #Italy #Italia #DolomiteMountains #Europe #Comets #CometTsuchinshanATLAS #C2023A3 #AntiTail #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #AlessandraMasi #Astrophotographer #China #中国 #SouthAfrica #STEM #Education #APoD

Handover Between Shenzhou-18 & Shenzhou-19 Crews | China Space Station

Handover Between Shenzhou-18 & Shenzhou-19 Crews | China Space Station

This short video provides extended coverage of the handover between China’s Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 crews at the Tiangong space station, including samples and equipment for scientific experiments.

The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2024

The Shenzhou-19 crew—Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze—successfully reached their destination and joined their Shenzhou-18 colleagues—Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu—on the same day after the spacecraft completed a rapid automated rendezvous and docking with Tianhe core module of China's Tiangong space station.

During the in-orbit rotation, the astronauts cooperated in an orderly manner to complete the handover procedure, including the transfer and sorting of items brought by Shenzhou-19, the operating precautions of the equipment on the space station, and important ground calls and requirements, to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent work.

The scientific experiments on the space station were also handed over smoothly. The Shenzhou-18 crew helped the new trio in transferring and placing the experimental components and samples brought by Shenzhou-19 to the space station.

The scientific projects to be carried out by the Shenzhou-19 crew include cell experiments, focusing on the effects of the microgravity environment on cell growth, differentiation and function.

So far, China has implemented many space medical cytology experimental projects in orbit, providing an important research platform for the physical health protection of astronauts.

During the rotation, the two crews also carried out routine medical examinations, including mass measurements, muscle ultrasound examinations, and bone density measurements. The Shenzhou-18 crew shared the experience in using relevant equipment and instruments.

The two crews held a handover ceremony in the core module on Nov. 1. The Shenzhou-18 astronauts passed the key to the new trio and signed confirmation documents together.

After the handover, the Shenzhou-18 crew made preparations for the return trip, and the three astronauts returned to Earth on Nov. 4 after completing their planned tasks aboard the space station.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:
Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)
Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)
Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)

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/CMG

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Nov. 10, 2024

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

Aurora Australis over New Zealand + STEVE, A Meteor, The Moon & Venus

Aurora Australis over New Zealand + STEVE, A Meteor, The Moon & Venus

The night sky can be full of surprises. Take the sky over Lindis Pass, South Island, New Zealand one night in early October 2024. Instead of a typically calm evening sky filled with constant stars, a busy and dynamic night sky appeared. Suddenly visible were pervasive red aurora, green picket-fence aurora, a stable auroral red (SAR) arc, a STEVE, a meteor, and the Moon. Can you spot the faint meteor at the top of this image?

On the far right side of this picture, close to the Moon, an unusual type of aurora is present. It is called a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE). This lesser-known phenomena appears to form from a 'ribbon' of hot gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

Meanwhile, planet Venus is shining just above the horizon below the Moon and a little to the left.

All the above have outshone light from the center of our Milky Way Galaxy and two satellite galaxies: the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) visible in the Earth's southern skies. These objects were captured together on 28 exposures in five minutes through this magnificent panorama.

Auroras have been lighting up many skies recently as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from our Sun unleash bursts of particles towards Earth that create colorful skies over latitudes usually too far from the Earth's poles to be viewed often.

Image Credit & Copyright: Tristian McDonald

Tristian's website: https://cre8tivestr3k.com/info-contact

Release Date: Oct. 16, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #Venus #Earth #Planets #Aurora #AuroraAustralis #SouthernLights #SAR #STEVE #SolarFlares #Sun #MilkyWayGalaxy #LMC #SMC #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #TristianMcDonald #LindisPass #SouthIsland #NewZealand #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Happy Carl Sagan Day!

Happy Carl Sagan Day!

Today, we remember astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan (1934-1996) on his birthday. He would have celebrated his 90th birthday on this date. A leading visionary in the American space program, Sagan inspired millions of people with his love for space exploration. 

Learn about Carl Sagan's important contributions to NASA and planetary exploration here: 
https://science.nasa.gov/people/carl-sagan

The founder of Friends of NASA, Dwayne Lawrence, was partly inspired by Carl Sagan to study astronomy at the University of Toronto and to found this organization in 2008. He grew up reading Carl Sagan's books, such as The Cosmic Connection published in 1973. He also watched the popular and award winning 13-part PBS television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage that Sagan narrated and co-wrote with Ann Druyan and Dr. Steven Soter in 1980. 

Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education.

Learn more about Friends of NASA here (donations are welcome):

https://www.friendsofnasa.org

Carl Sagan founded The Planetary Society in 1980 together with Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman. This American internationally-active non-governmental nonprofit organization was involved in research, public outreach, and space advocacy for engineering projects related to astronomy, planetary science, and space exploration.

Image & Caption Credit: NASA's History Office/Dwayne Lawrence (FriendsofNASA.org) 
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #PlanetEarth #Planets #CarlSagan #CarlSaganDay #Birthday  #SpaceExploration #PlanetaryExploration #SolarSystem #Mars #VikingMissions #VoyagerMissions #SETI #CarlSagan #Astronomer #Scientist #ScienceCommunicator #PaleBlueDot #Humanity #Future #Learning #Curiosity #Imagination #History #Art #Music #STEM #Education #Documentaries #Cosmos #Universe

Aurora Timelapse over Italian Alps

Aurora Timelapse over Italian Alps

Here, a red glow is visible from energetic electron and proton particles, generated by an X-class solar flare, striking oxygen atoms high in Earth's atmosphere. This video shows a one-hour timelapse, compressed to 9 seconds, as seen from the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo over Alps Mountain peaks in northern Italy. Stars from our Milky Way Galaxy dot the background while streaks from airplanes and satellites punctuate the foreground. The high recent activity of our Sun is likely to continue to produce picturesque auroras over Earth during the next year or so since the Sun has reached its solar maximum period of its current 11-year cycle.

Learn more here—"Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle":

https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-noaa-sun-reaches-maximum-phase-in-11-year-solar-cycle/

The Alps are one of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.

Video Credit & Copyright: Cristian Bigontina

Cristian's website: 

https://www.nottidelledolomiti.it/chi-sono

Caption Credit: NASA Goddard

Duration: 9 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 11, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Planet #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #SolarWind #SolarFlares #Sun #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #CristianBigontina #Alps #ItalianAlps #Italy #Italia #Europe #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video #APoD

The 'Helping Hand' Dark Nebula (LDN 1355) in Cassiopeia

The 'Helping Hand' Dark Nebula (LDN 1355) in Cassiopeia

Drifting near the plane of our Milky Way galaxy these dusty molecular clouds seem to extend a helping hand on a cosmic scale. They are part of a local complex of star-forming interstellar clouds they include LDN 1358, 1357, and 1355 from American astronomer Beverly Lynds' 1962 Catalog of Dark Nebulae. Presenting a challenging target for astrophotographers, these obscure dark nebulae are nearly 3,000 light-years away, toward rich starfields in the northern constellation Cassiopeia. At that distance, this deep, telescopic field of view would span about 80 light-years.

Lynds' Catalogue of Dark Nebulae (abbreviation: LDN) is an astronomical catalogue of dark nebulae. Objects listed in the catalog are numbered with the prefix LDN. Beverly Turner Lynds (August 19, 1929 – October 5, 2024) was best known for compiling two astronomical catalogues in the 1960s, Lynds' Catalogue of Bright Nebulae and Lynds' Catalogue of Dark Nebulae. We honor her many lasting contributions to astronomical science.

Image Credit & Copyright: Francesco Radici
Francesco's website: https://francescoradici.com
Caption Credit: NASA Goddard
Image Date: March 11, 2024
Release Date: Nov. 8, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #DarkNebulae #Nebula #DarkNebula #LDN1355 #LDN1358 #LDN1357 #StellarNurseries #Cassiopeia #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #FrancescoRadici #Europe #Italy #Italia #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Planet Mars Images: November 2024 | NASA's Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: November 2024 | NASA's Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1321

Mars 2020 - sol 1302

MSL - sol 4355

Mars 2020 - sol 1319

Mars 2020 - sol 1319

Mars 2020 - sol 1319

Mars 2020 - sol 1321

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: Nov. 6-7, 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

Shell Galaxies (Arp 227): Stellar Companions in Pisces

Shell Galaxies (Arp 227): Stellar Companions in Pisces

This spectacular intergalactic skyscape features Arp 227, a curious system of galaxies from the 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. About 100 million light-years distant within the boundaries of the constellation Pisces, Arp 227 consists of the two galaxies prominent above and left of center, the shell galaxy NGC 474 and its blue, spiral-armed neighbor NGC 470. 

The readily apparent shells and star streams of NGC 474 are likely tidal features originating from the accretion of another smaller galaxy during close gravitational encounters that began over a billion years ago. The large galaxy on the bottom righthand side of the deep image, NGC 467, appears to be surrounded by faint shells and streams too, evidence of another merging galaxy system. Intriguing background galaxies are scattered around the field that also includes spiky foreground stars. Of course, those stars lie well within our own Milky Way Galaxy. The telescopic field of view spans 25 arc minutes or just under 1/2 degree on the sky.

Image Credit & Copyright: George Williams

George's website: https://www.astrobin.com/users/KuriousGeorge/

Caption Credit: NASA Goddard

Release Date: Nov. 7, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxies #Arp227 #InteractingGalaxies #ShellGalaxies #NGC467 #NGC474 #NGC470 #SpiralGalaxy #Pisces #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #GeorgeWilliams #STEM #Education #APoD

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 6 | Burrell Schmidt Telescope

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 6 | Burrell Schmidt Telescope

The Veil Nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop, is an enormous region of diffuse gas emission, covering several degrees of the sky at about 1,500 light years away. Although this image is over a degree across (more than 40 light-years), using the full wide-field capability of the Burrell Schmidt Telescope, it still shows only the western segment (NGC 6960) of the entire object (over 100 light-years in width). These are the remains of a star that exploded 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. The original supernova would have been bright enough to be seen clearly from Earth with the naked eye. The star—that was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy. The bright star near the center of the image, known as 52 Cygnus, is not associated with the supernova. 

The nebula consists mostly of interstellar matter swept up by the material flung off by the exploding star, and it still shines because of excitation due to the collision between this expanding shock wave and the interstellar medium. The Veil Nebula also emits X-rays, although they are weaker than those from younger supernova remnants such as Cassiopeia A, since the shock loses energy as it plows through its surroundings. 

Supernova explosions are perhaps the most spectacular events in our galaxy, occurring when a star throws off its outer layers at speeds of ten to twenty thousand kilometers per second, leaving behind sometimes nothing, sometimes a shriveled remnant neutron star, or sometimes a black hole. 

The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103), located in the constellation Cygnus, is an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop. The Cygnus Loop extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky, and is tucked next to one of the “swan’s wings” in the constellation of Cygnus.

This image was made by combining a number of exposures taken by the Burrell Schmidt Telescope of the Warner and Swasey Observatory of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), situated on Kitt Peak in southern Arizona.

Learn more the Burrell Schmidt Telescope here:

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/burrell-schmidt-telescope/

Image Credit: N.A.Sharp, REU Program / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA

Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #SNR #Nebulae #Nebula #VeilNebula #CygnusLoop #W78 #Sharpless103 #IC1340 #NGC6960 #EmissionNebula #52Cygnus #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #BurrellSchmidtTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 5 | WIYN Telescope

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 5 | WIYN Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona. It shows NGC 6960—faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant (SNR) called the Cygnus Loop. These are the remains of a star that exploded 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. The original supernova would have been bright enough to be seen clearly from Earth with the naked eye. The star—that was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy. The distance to it is estimated at about 1,500 light years. The bright star near the center of the image, known as 52 Cygnus, is not associated with the supernova.

The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103), located in the constellation Cygnus, is an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop. The Cygnus Loop extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky, and is tucked next to one of the “swan’s wings” in the constellation of Cygnus.

The color image was generated by combining data from narrowband filters; data from H-alpha was assigned a red color, [OIII] is blue, and [SII] is green. North is to the left and east is down.

The WIYN Consortium, led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Indiana University, are operational responsible for the historic 0.9-meter (36-inch) WIYN Telescope at the National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO).

Image Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and WIYN/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #SNR #Nebulae #Nebula #VeilNebula #CygnusLoop #W78 #Sharpless103 #IC1340 #NGC6960 #EmissionNebula #52Cygnus #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #WIYNTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 4 | WIYN Telescope

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 4 | WIYN Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona. It shows NGC 6992—faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant (SNR) called the Cygnus Loop. These are the remains of a star that exploded 5000 to 10,000 years ago. The original supernova would have been bright enough to be seen clearly from Earth with the naked eye. The star—that was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy. The distance to it is estimated at about 1,500 light years.

The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103), located in the constellation Cygnus, is an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop. The Cygnus Loop extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky, and is tucked next to one of the “swan’s wings” in the constellation of Cygnus.

The image was generated with observations in the Oxygen [OIII] (blue), Sulphur [S II] (green) and Hydrogen-Alpha (orange) filters. In this image, North is right, East is up.

The WIYN Consortium, led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Indiana University, are operational responsible for the historic 0.9-meter (36-inch) WIYN Telescope at the National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO).

Image Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and WIYN/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #SNR #Nebulae #Nebula #VeilNebula #CygnusLoop #W78 #Sharpless103 #IC1340 #NGC6992 #EmissionNebula #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #WIYNTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 3 | WIYN Telescope

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 3 | WIYN Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona. It shows faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant (SNR) called the Cygnus Loop. These are the remains of a star that exploded 5000 to 10,000 years ago. The original supernova would have been bright enough to be seen clearly from Earth with the naked eye. The star—that was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy. The distance to it is estimated at about 1,500 light years.

Because of its immense size, the Veil Nebula contains several individually named objects, including NGC 6992 and IC 1340 on the left side as well as NGC 6960 and Pickering's Triangle on the right. To create this image, nine separate images were taken and stitched together. The full-resolution image is over 600 megapixels in size. It covers an area of the sky that is about 45 times that of the full moon. 

The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103), located in the constellation Cygnus, is an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop. The Cygnus Loop extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky, and is tucked next to one of the “swan’s wings” in the constellation of Cygnus.

The image was generated with observations in the Oxygen [OIII] (blue), Sulphur [S II] (green) and Hydrogen-Alpha (orange) filters. In this image, North is up, East is left. Please note that the full resolution version of this image is extremely large at more than 24,000 pixels on a side, and the file size of the TIFF is 1.65 Gigabytes. 

The WIYN Consortium, led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Indiana University, are operational responsible for the historic 0.9-meter (36-inch) WIYN Telescope at the National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO).

Image Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and WIYN/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Release Date: Dec. 18, 2012

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #SNR #Nebulae #Nebula #VeilNebula #CygnusLoop #W78 #Sharpless103 #IC1340 #EmissionNebula #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #WIYNTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Veil Nebula | FiIaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 2 | Mayall Telescope

The Veil Nebula | Filaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 2 | Mayall Telescope

These faint filaments (IC 1340) are part of a large supernova remnant (SNR) called the Cygnus Loop, located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. Astronomers estimate the supernova explosion that produced the Veil Nebula occurred between 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. The filaments are the remains of a star that exploded 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. The original supernova would have been bright enough to be seen clearly from Earth with the naked eye. The star—that was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy.

The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103), located in the constellation Cygnus, is an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop. The Cygnus Loop extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky, and is tucked next to one of the “swan’s wings” in the constellation of Cygnus.

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the 4-meter Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. 

The image was generated with observations in the Oxygen [OIII] (blue), Sulphur [S II] (green) and Hydrogen-Alpha (orange) filters. In this image, North is left, East is down.

The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope is a four-meter (158 inches) reflector telescope in Arizona named after the American observational astronomer of the same name. The telescope saw first light on February 27, 1973, and was the second-largest in the world at that time.

Learn more about the Mayall Telescope: 

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/kpno/telescopes/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope

Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)
Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #SNR #Nebulae #Nebula #VeilNebula #CygnusLoop #W78 #Sharpless103 #IC1340 #EmissionNebula #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #MayallTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Veil Nebula | FiIaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 1 | Mayall Telescope

The Veil Nebula | FiIaments of The Cygnus Loop: Image 1 | Mayall Telescope

These are faint filaments that are part of a large supernova remnant (SNR) called the Cygnus Loop. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth. These filaments are the remains of a star that exploded 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. The original supernova would have been bright enough to be seen clearly from Earth with the naked eye. The star—that was 20 times the mass of the Sun—lived fast and died young, ending its life in a cataclysmic release of energy.

The Cygnus Loop (radio source W78, or Sharpless 103), located in the constellation Cygnus, is an emission nebula measuring nearly 3° across. Arcs of the loop, known collectively as the Veil Nebula or Cirrus Nebula, emit in the visible electromagnetic range. Radio, infrared, and X-ray images reveal the complete loop. The Cygnus Loop extends over three times the size of the full moon in the night sky, and is tucked next to one of the “swan’s wings” in the constellation of Cygnus.

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the 4-meter Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. 

The image was generated with observations in the Oxygen [OIII] (blue), Sulphur [S II] (green) and Hydrogen-Alpha (orange) filters. In this image, North is down, East is right.

The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope is a four-meter (158 inches) reflector telescope in Arizona named after the American observational astronomer of the same name. The telescope saw first light on February 27, 1973, and was the second-largest in the world at that time.

Learn more about the Mayall Telescope: 

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/kpno/telescopes/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope

Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)
Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #Nebula #VeilNebula #CygnusLoop #W78 #Sharpless103 #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #MayallTelescope #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Spot Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over Italian Village of Vitorchiano

Spot Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over Italian Village of Vitorchiano

Featured here is a photo of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as observed on the morning of September 30, 2024, over the Borgo sospeso of Vitorchiano. The waning crescent Moon is at upper left. Because of its weekly hyperbolic orbit, it is not known if Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be ejected from our solar system and never be seen again. In late September, near perihelion (September 27), it became a naked eye object for the first time. Note that its closest approach to the Earth occurred on October 12, 2024.

Image Details: HDR of 5 shots with times from 1/25 of a second to 5 seconds exposure; 640 ISO; Nikon Z9 camera; Nikon Z70-200/2.8S lens; f/3.5; 100 mm focal length; taken at 06:20 local time.

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 passed perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million miles) on September 27, 2024.

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.

Image Credit: Marco Meniero
Location: Borgo sospeso of Vitorchiano (Vt), Italy

Coordinates: 42.4704, 12.1742
Marco's Website: https://www.meniero.it
Caption Credits: Marco Meniero; Jim Foster
Image Date: Sept. 30, 2024
Release Date: Nov. 8, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #Moon #Italy #Italia #Europe #CentralEurope #Comets #CometTsuchinshanATLAS #C2023A3 #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #MarcoMeniero #Astrophotographer #China #中国 #SouthAfrica #STEM #Education #EPoD

Stephan's Quintet: A Multi-Wavelength Exploration | Space Telescope Science Institute

Stephan's Quintet: A Multi-Wavelength Exploration | Space Telescope Science Institute

This visualization explores the galaxy group Stephan's Quintet by using observations in visible, infrared, and X-ray light. The sequence contrasts images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, Webb Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory to provide insights across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Exploring the grouping in three dimensions, the video showcases the galaxy distances, diverse shapes, and the interactions between them. In particular, the stretched and distorted galactic features, along with a ridge of high-energy emission, provide evidence of a high-speed collision occurring within the group.

Multi-wavelength views enable contrasting and complimentary studies of this complex compact group.

Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Visualization: Frank Summers (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Greg Bacon (STScI); Narration: Frank Summers (STScI); Audio: Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI); Producer: NASA's Universe of Learning

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC7319 #NGC7320 #NGC7320C #NGC7318A #NGC7318B #NGC7317 #StephansQuintet #HicksonCompactGroup92 #Pegasus #Constellation #Universe #JWST #HST #NASASpitzer #NASAChandra #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video