Astronomy (RSS)
- www.nasa.gov NASA, DARPA Experts to Discuss Nuclear Rocket Program Developments
Experts from NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will hold a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 26, to discuss the latest developments in the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program.
- www.newscientist.com Water seen in young planet system shows Earth may have always been wet
The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted water vapour in an area where planets may be forming, which could present an answer to the debate over how Earth got its water
- www.nasa.gov NASA Sets Coverage for Cargo Launch to International Space Station
NASA and commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman are targeting 8:31 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 1, for the launch of the company’s 19th resupply mission to the International Space Station from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
- www.newscientist.com Stunning photo of a young star hints how Jupiter-like planets form
This mesmerising image of star V960 Mon spitting out gas jets to create arms larger than our entire solar system shows how massive planets may come together via gravitational instability
- www.nasa.gov NASA Partners with American Companies on Key Moon, Exploration Tech
NASA has selected 11 U.S. companies to develop technologies that could support long-term exploration on the Moon and in space for the benefit of all.
- www.theguardian.com Scottish spaceport near protected areas approved despite local opposition
Project close to bird sanctuaries in Outer Hebrides gets go-ahead after no objections from Scotland’s environment agencies
Project close to bird sanctuaries in Outer Hebrides gets go-ahead after no objections from Scotland’s environment agencies Plans to build a spaceport on the small Hebridean island of North Uist, close to heavily protected bird sanctuaries, have been given the green light despite significant local opposition. The proposed spaceport at Scolpaig Farm, on the north-west coast of the island in the Outer Hebrides, will host up to 10 launches a year, firing small sub-orbital rockets out over the Atlantic. Continue reading...
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https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230724.html
Meteors can be colorful.
- www.theguardian.com Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May to release 3D atlas of asteroid
The rocker astrophysicist is co-author of a three-dimensional atlas of Bennu, an asteroid explored by the Osiris-Rex probe in 2020
The rocker astrophysicist is co-author of a three-dimensional atlas of Bennu, an asteroid explored by the Osiris-Rex probe in 2020 A new book on the world’s first complete atlas of an asteroid is set to be released by University of Arizona planetary science expert Dante Lauretta and the more unlikely figure of Queen’s lead guitarist and little-known astrophysicist Brian May. The duo have teamed up to author Bennu 3-D: Anatomy of an Asteroid, a book that has been described as the first complete and three-dimensional atlas of an asteroid. Continue reading...
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Apollo 11: Armstrong's Lunar Selfie
apod.nasa.gov APOD: 2023 July 22 - Apollo 11: Armstrong's Lunar SelfieA different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.
Apollo 11: Armstrong's Lunar Selfie
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Galactic Cirrus: Mandel Wilson 9
apod.nasa.gov APOD: 2023 July 21 - Galactic Cirrus: Mandel Wilson 9A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.
The combined light of
- www.nasa.gov El administrador de NASA viajará a Sudamérica, hablará de cooperación
Como parte de una serie de reuniones con destacados funcionarios gubernamentales, el administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson, viajará a Brasil, Argentina y Colombia a partir del lunes 24 de julio.
- www.nasa.gov NASA Administrator to Head to South America; Discuss Space Cooperation
As part of a series of meetings with key government officials, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will travel to Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia beginning Monday, July 24.
- www.newscientist.com NASA probably discovered quakes on Mars in the 1970s
The Viking 1 and 2 Mars probes looked for evidence of quakes on Mars, but failed to find anything definitive. Now a reanalysis suggests Viking 2 found marsquakes after all
- www.nasa.gov Louisiana Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts Aboard Space Station
As part of the state’s first Earth-to-space call, students from Louisiana will have an opportunity soon to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
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M64: The Black Eye Galaxy
apod.nasa.gov APOD: 2023 July 20 - M64: The Black Eye GalaxyA different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.
This magnificent spiral galaxy is
- www.nasa.gov NASA, White House Advance Historically Black Scholar Recognition
NASA and the Department of Education, in support of STEM and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, are hosting a competition to engage students at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), ultimately bringing diverse talent into the future science, technology, engi...
- www.newscientist.com NASA's asteroid-smashing space debris spotted by Hubble telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope has snapped the results of smashing a spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphous
- www.nasa.gov NASA Awards Integrated Mission Operations Contract III
NASA has selected KBR Wyle Services, LLC, of Fulton, Maryland, to provide mission and flight crew operations support for the International Space Station and future human space exploration.
- www.newscientist.com How to spot the 2023 Perseid meteor shower wherever you are
The Perseids are a major meteor shower - here is your guide to spotting them in July and August 2023
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https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230718.html
What's happening in the night sky?
- www.nasa.gov NASA Solar System Ambassadors: Sharing the Science for 25 Years
Volunteers with the program, which is managed by JPL, share the latest updates from scientists and engineers working at the leading edge of NASA’s solar system exploration.
- www.nasa.gov NASA Langley STEM Outreach Pays Dividends with Virginia Beach Schools
Students took part in a variety of activities with Langley subject matter experts related to landing humans on the Moon via the Artemis mission and modeling a spacecraft docking station.
- www.nasa.gov Maryland Students, Navy Pilots to Hear from NASA Astronauts in Space
Pilots from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and students across southern Maryland will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
- www.nasa.gov NASA Marshall Center Director to Retire After 38 Years of Service
Jody Singer, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Director, announced Monday her retirement, effective Saturday, July 29, after more than 38 years of service. Among many firsts in her career, Singer was appointed as the first female center director at Marshall in 2018, after serving as deputy directo...
- www.nasa.gov Wyoming Students to Hear from NASA Astronaut Aboard Space Station
Students from Wyoming will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station during the state’s first Earth-to-space call.
- www.nasa.gov Update: NASA to Discuss Climate Work in Wake of Record High Temps
NASA leadership, including climate experts, will be available at 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 20, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington to shed light on recent extreme weather events, and discuss how NASA research and data is enabling climate solutions.
- www.nasa.gov NASA Maintains ‘A’ for Investing in Small Businesses
During an Investing in America event Tuesday with NASA leadership, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the space agency earned an “A” for the sixth consecutive year for its work with small businesses, exceeding its goals by 18%.
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Saturn’s Rings Shine in Webb’s Observations of Ringed Planet
Editor’s Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process. Image of Saturn and some of its moons, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument on June 25, 2023. In this monochrome image, NIRCam filter F323N (3.23 microns) was color mapped with an orange hue. Download the full-resolution image, both labeled and unlabeled, from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, M. Tiscareno (SETI Institute), M. Hedman (University of Idaho), M. El Moutamid (Cornell University), M. Showalter (SETI Institute), L. Fletcher (University of Leicester), H. Hammel (AURA); image processing by J. DePasquale (STScI) On June 25, 2023, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope turned to famed ringed world Saturn for its first near-infrared observations of the planet. The initial imagery from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) is already fascinating researchers. Saturn itself appears extremely dark at this infrared wavelength observed by the telescope, as methane gas absorbs almost all of the sunlight falling on the atmosphere. However, the icy rings stay relatively bright, leading to the unusual appearance of Saturn in the Webb image. This image was taken as part of Webb Guaranteed Time Observation program 1247. The program included several very deep exposures of Saturn, which were designed to test the telescope’s capacity to detect faint moons around the planet and its bright rings. Any newly discovered moons could help scientists put together a more complete picture of the current system of Saturn, as well as its past. This new image of Saturn clearly shows details within the planet’s ring system, along with several of the planet’s moons – Dione, Enceladus, and Tethys. Additional deeper exposures (not shown here) will allow the team to probe some of the planet’s fainter rings, not visible in this image, including the thin G ring and the diffuse E ring. Saturn’s rings are made up of an array of rocky and icy fragments – the particles range in size from smaller than a grain of sand to a few as large as mountains on Earth. Researchers recently used Webb to explore Enceladus, and found a large plume jetting from the southern pole of the moon that contains both particles and plentiful amounts of water vapor – this plume feeds Saturn’s E ring. Saturn’s atmosphere also shows surprising and unexpected detail. Although the Cassini spacecraft observed the atmosphere at greater clarity, this is the first time that the planet’s atmosphere has been seen with this clarity at this particular wavelength (3.23 microns), which is unique to Webb. The large, dark, diffuse structures in the northern hemisphere do not follow the planet’s lines of latitude, so this image is lacking the familiar striped appearance that is typically seen from Saturn’s deeper atmospheric layers. The patchiness is reminiscent of large-scale planetary waves in the stratospheric aerosols high above the main clouds, potentially similar to those seen in early Webb NIRCam observations of Jupiter. When comparing the northern and southern poles of the planet in this image, the differences in appearance are typical with known seasonal changes on Saturn. For example, Saturn is currently experiencing northern summertime, with the southern hemisphere emerging from the darkness at the end of a winter. However, the northern pole is particularly dark, perhaps due to an unknown seasonal process affecting polar aerosols in particular. A tiny hint of brightening towards the edge of Saturn’s disk might be due to high-altitude methane fluorescence (the process of emitting light after absorbing light), emission from the trihydrogen ion (H3+) in the ionosphere, or both; spectroscopy from Webb could help confirm this. Missions like NASA’s Pioneer 11, Voyagers 1 and 2, the Cassini spacecraft, and the Hubble Space Telescope have tracked Saturn’s atmosphere and rings for many decades. These observations from Webb are just a hint at what this observatory will add to Saturn’s story in the coming years as the science team delves deep into the data to prepare peer-reviewed results. Science Credits NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Matt Tiscareno (SETI Institute), Matt Hedman (University of Idaho), Maryame El Moutamid (Cornell University), Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Heidi Hammel (AURA) Image Processing Credits J. DePasquale (STScI) About the Authors Heidi B. Hammel is a Webb interdisciplinary scientist leading Webb’s Cycle 1 Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) of the solar system. She is the vice president for science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) in Washington, D.C. Leigh Fletcher is a professor of planetary science at the University of Leicester in England. Leigh is the principal investigator for several of Webb’s Guaranteed Time Observation Programs, including Program 1247 highlighted here. Matt Tiscareno is a Senior Research Scientist at the SETI Institute, California, where he studies the dynamics of planetary systems, including planetary rings. He is an integral member of the Webb Guaranteed Time Observation team for the study of Saturn. Unannotated Version of Image: Download the full-resolution image, both labeled and unlabeled, from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
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Join Celebrations of Webb’s First Year of Science
July 12 marks the first anniversary of science and amazing discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. To celebrate the year of spectacular discoveries, on July 12, 14 and throughout the summer, there will be multiple events online and live across the U.S. where the public can join in. The schedule of Webb first anniversary events follows: Wednesday, July 12 6 a.m. EST: Release of a new Webb image online Visit www.nasa.gov/webb for the unveiling of a new Webb science image to commemorate the first year of science. High-resolution downloads and supplemental content will be available for download at https://webbtelescope.org/news from the Space Telescope Science Institute. 4– 5p.m. EST: NASA Science Live event online Two Webb experts will be featured on a NASA Science Live episode, highlighting the year of stunning Webb images and discoveries. They will discuss how Webb has made an impact on exploring the distant universe, characterizing exoplanet atmospheres, and understanding the solar system. Watch on NASA Live or on NASA Science Live homepage. Ask your questions about the anniversary image or about other interesting Webb discoveries by using the hashtag “askNASA” and you may see your questions answered during this program. Friday, July 14 1– 4p.m. EST: Webb Anniversary Event at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland Webb team members will host this in-person event at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Visitors of all ages can learn about the telescope and how it studies the universe with its infrared eyes. There will be talks about Webb, a Virtual Reality experience, hands-on activities for children, and educational giveaway items. This Summer: Webb Anniversary Community Events, Nationwide Throughout the summer, locations around the country are hosting Webb Community Events to celebrate the Webb anniversary. These free, public events will be held at schools, libraries, museums, and other community locations in 25 states and Washington, D.C., in July, August, and September. Each event will be different, but all will highlight Webb science and accomplishments with information, activities, or a presentation.
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https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230717.html
What's happening around this star?
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https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
apod.nasa.gov Astronomy Picture of the DayA different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.
What's happening around this star?