Journey to The Treasure Chest Cometary Globule in Carina | Webb Telescope

Journey to The Treasure Chest Cometary Globule in Carina | Webb Telescope

The final image is a NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture that shows piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpting dust clouds into inventive shapes within our Milky Way galaxy. The location is the Carina Nebula. It lies just 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).

Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an impressive collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star formation. This nebula houses examples of the most massive stars in our galaxy as well as tens of thousands of protostars, offering a valuable opportunity to understand how stars affect their neighborhoods.

The feature highlighted in this image, aptly called the Treasure Chest, looks right at home in such a celestial sculpture garden. The Treasure Chest is what is known as a cometary globule. A cometary globule is an isolated cloud of gas and dust with a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail. These clouds often somewhat resemble comets, but the Treasure Chest looks like "a wooden chest with its lid wide open."

This chest contains a compact cluster of young stars. These are responsible for the otherworldly glow coming from within the Treasure Chest, revealed by Webb’s sensitive Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Researchers estimate that the Treasure Chest’s cluster contains about 70 stars, the most massive is a rare O-type star roughly 19 times as massive as the Sun.

The star cluster is likely around 1.3 million years old, though earlier estimates found it to be as young as just 100,000 years old. Because of its youth, the cluster is still deeply embedded within the dusty clouds of the Treasure Chest. The individual stars in the cluster are wrapped up in dust as well; astronomers have found evidence that many of these stars are surrounded by circumstellar discs. Over time, the brilliant starlight from these young stars will dissipate the surrounding cloud and reveal the entire cluster.

The key to the Treasure Chest’s sculptural shape lies outside this image: just 39 light-years to the northwest, as measured on the sky, sits Eta Carinae, the most luminous object in the entire Carina Nebula. Eta Carinae has a star that is 100 times as massive as the Sun. This star alone is about 5 million times as luminous as the Sun. Adding to this intense radiation is the nearby star cluster Trumpler 16, containing several extremely hot massive stars.

The radiation and winds from these massive stars are largely responsible for the current appearance of the Treasure Chest, though the star cluster embedded within it is also eating away at the cloud from within. The likeliest scenario suggests that the star cluster formed first in a cloud of gas that was larger than the Treasure Chest is today. Then, the powerful stellar feedback from nearby stars eroded away the less-dense gas, leaving behind only the denser gas.

With Webb, astronomers have carried out an observing program (#5408; PI: Reiter) dedicated to studying how young stars in the Carina Nebula collect gas from their surroundings and expel it through outflows. These observations from Webb will help astronomers understand how young stars impact their environments, allowing them to craft spectacular scenes like this one.

Image Description: A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the center, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. A few brightly shining stars lie in the foreground, the largest and the brightest are in front of the chest’s lid.

Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Reiter
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Aug. 6, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Protostars #StarClusters #Nebulae #CometaryGlobules #CarinaNebula #CarinaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Treasure Chest Cometary Globule in Carina | Webb Telescope

Close-up: The Treasure Chest Cometary Globule in Carina | Webb Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture shows piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpting dust clouds into inventive shapes within our Milky Way galaxy. This scene is from the Carina Nebula. It lies just 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).

Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an impressive collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star formation. This nebula houses examples of the most massive stars in our galaxy as well as tens of thousands of protostars, offering a valuable opportunity to understand how stars affect their neighborhoods.

The feature highlighted in this image, aptly called the Treasure Chest, looks right at home in such a celestial sculpture garden. The Treasure Chest is what is known as a cometary globule. A cometary globule is an isolated cloud of gas and dust with a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail. These clouds often somewhat resemble comets, but the Treasure Chest looks like "a wooden chest with its lid wide open."

This chest contains a compact cluster of young stars. These are responsible for the otherworldly glow coming from within the Treasure Chest, revealed by Webb’s sensitive Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Researchers estimate that the Treasure Chest’s cluster contains about 70 stars, the most massive is a rare O-type star roughly 19 times as massive as the Sun.

The star cluster is likely around 1.3 million years old, though earlier estimates found it to be as young as just 100,000 years old. Because of its youth, the cluster is still deeply embedded within the dusty clouds of the Treasure Chest. The individual stars in the cluster are wrapped up in dust as well; astronomers have found evidence that many of these stars are surrounded by circumstellar discs. Over time, the brilliant starlight from these young stars will dissipate the surrounding cloud and reveal the entire cluster.

The key to the Treasure Chest’s sculptural shape lies outside this image: just 39 light-years to the northwest, as measured on the sky, sits Eta Carinae, the most luminous object in the entire Carina Nebula. Eta Carinae has a star that is 100 times as massive as the Sun. This star alone is about 5 million times as luminous as the Sun. Adding to this intense radiation is the nearby star cluster Trumpler 16, containing several extremely hot massive stars.

The radiation and winds from these massive stars are largely responsible for the current appearance of the Treasure Chest, though the star cluster embedded within it is also eating away at the cloud from within. The likeliest scenario suggests that the star cluster formed first in a cloud of gas that was larger than the Treasure Chest is today. Then, the powerful stellar feedback from nearby stars eroded away the less-dense gas, leaving behind only the denser gas.

With Webb, astronomers have carried out an observing program (#5408; PI: Reiter) dedicated to studying how young stars in the Carina Nebula collect gas from their surroundings and expel it through outflows. These observations from Webb will help astronomers understand how young stars impact their environments, allowing them to craft spectacular scenes like this one.

Image Description: A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the center, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. A few brightly shining stars lie in the foreground, the largest and the brightest are in front of the chest’s lid.

Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Reiter
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 6, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Protostars #StarClusters #Nebulae #CometaryGlobules #CarinaNebula #CarinaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Treasure Chest Cometary Globule in Carina | James Webb Space Telescope

The Treasure Chest Cometary Globule in Carina | James Webb Space Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture shows piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpting dust clouds into inventive shapes within our Milky Way galaxy. This scene is from the Carina Nebula. It lies just 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).

Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an impressive collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star formation. This nebula houses examples of the most massive stars in our galaxy as well as tens of thousands of protostars, offering a valuable opportunity to understand how stars affect their neighborhoods.

The feature highlighted in this image, aptly called the Treasure Chest, looks right at home in such a celestial sculpture garden. The Treasure Chest is what is known as a cometary globule. A cometary globule is an isolated cloud of gas and dust with a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail. These clouds often somewhat resemble comets, but the Treasure Chest looks like "a wooden chest with its lid wide open."

This chest contains a compact cluster of young stars. These are responsible for the otherworldly glow coming from within the Treasure Chest, revealed by Webb’s sensitive Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Researchers estimate that the Treasure Chest’s cluster contains about 70 stars, the most massive is a rare O-type star roughly 19 times as massive as the Sun.

The star cluster is likely around 1.3 million years old, though earlier estimates found it to be as young as just 100,000 years old. Because of its youth, the cluster is still deeply embedded within the dusty clouds of the Treasure Chest. The individual stars in the cluster are wrapped up in dust as well; astronomers have found evidence that many of these stars are surrounded by circumstellar discs. Over time, the brilliant starlight from these young stars will dissipate the surrounding cloud and reveal the entire cluster.

The key to the Treasure Chest’s sculptural shape lies outside this image: just 39 light-years to the northwest, as measured on the sky, sits Eta Carinae, the most luminous object in the entire Carina Nebula. Eta Carinae has a star that is 100 times as massive as the Sun. This star alone is about 5 million times as luminous as the Sun. Adding to this intense radiation is the nearby star cluster Trumpler 16, containing several extremely hot massive stars.

The radiation and winds from these massive stars are largely responsible for the current appearance of the Treasure Chest, though the star cluster embedded within it is also eating away at the cloud from within. The likeliest scenario suggests that the star cluster formed first in a cloud of gas that was larger than the Treasure Chest is today. Then, the powerful stellar feedback from nearby stars eroded away the less-dense gas, leaving behind only the denser gas.

With Webb, astronomers have carried out an observing program (#5408; PI: Reiter) dedicated to studying how young stars in the Carina Nebula collect gas from their surroundings and expel it through outflows. These observations from Webb will help astronomers understand how young stars impact their environments, allowing them to craft spectacular scenes like this one.

Image Description: A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the center, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. A few brightly shining stars lie in the foreground, the largest and the brightest are in front of the chest’s lid.

Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Reiter
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç
Release Date: Aug. 6, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Protostars #StarClusters #Nebulae #CometaryGlobules #CarinaNebula #CarinaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Cold, Dense Interstellar Gas around Supergiant Stars: J203441.7+405216 | Hubble

Cold, Dense Interstellar Gas around Supergiant Stars: J203441.7+405216 | Hubble

This image shows knots of cold, dense interstellar gas where new stars are forming. These are called free-floating evaporating gaseous globules (frEGGs). Because these lumps of gas are dark, they are rarely seen by telescopes. They can be observed when the newly forming stars ignite, their intense ultraviolet radiation eroding the surrounding gas away and letting the denser, more resistant frEGGs remain. These frEGGs are located in the Northern Coalsack Nebula in the direction of Cygnus.

This Hubble image also features two giant stars. The left star is a rare, giant O-type star, very bright, blue-white stars known to be the hottest in the universe. These massive stars are 10,000 to a million times the brightness of the Sun and burn themselves out quickly, in a few million years. The right star is an even more massive supergiant B-type star. Supergiant stars also burn through their fuel quickly, anywhere between a few hundred thousand years to tens of millions of years, and die in titanic supernova explosions.

Credits: NASA, ESA, and R. Sahai (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Release Date: Oct. 24, 2021

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #CoalsackNebula #Stars #InterstellarGas #frEGGs #J2034417405216 #CygnusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Highest-resolution Image Yet of the Sun's Surface | Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

Highest-resolution Image Yet of the Sun's Surface | Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

The highest-resolution image of the Sun’s surface (photosphere) ever captured, taken at 416 nm by the Inouye Solar Telescope. It reveals deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes, both associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

The highest-resolution image of the Sun’s surface (photosphere) ever captured, taken at 416 nm by the Inouye Solar Telescope. It reveals deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes, both associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

Hawai‘i-scale: The highest-resolution image of the Sun's surface (photosphere) ever captured, taken at 416 nm by the Inouye Solar Telescope. It reveals deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes, both associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

A close-up view from the Inouye Solar Telescope image highlighting a region of the solar photosphere. The enlarged inset reveals the fine-scale magnetic structures and dark striations associated with the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at a scale of tens of kilometers.

The U.S. National Science Foundation Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, built and managed by the NSF National Solar Observatory, in Maui, Hawaiʻi.

The highest-resolution image of the Sun's surface (photosphere) ever captured, taken at 416 nm by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawai’i. They reveal deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes, both associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI).

Researchers suggest that KHI may be a key reason why the Sun’s outer atmosphere gets so hot, and why magnetic energy builds up and moves around on the Sun. Magnetic energy fuels solar flares and eruptions—the kind of solar activity that can send bursts of energy toward Earth and affect satellites, power grids, and other technology. The discovery opens a new window into the fundamental physics of the Sun and other stars. It can help us better understand the physical mechanisms driving solar activity and how it can affect life on Earth.

An effect caused by fluid motion, KHI occurs when two fluids slide past each other at varying velocities creating a “shear” at the interface—causing small disturbances to grow into striking, wave-like or spiraling, vortices that look like breaking ocean waves. Since its original formulation by Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz around 1870, KHI has been observed and investigated across many areas of physics, including fluid dynamics, meteorology, oceanography, heliosphysics, and astrophysics. The instability is observed at a variety of scales from small lake and ocean waves (in windy conditions) and cloud formations on Earth, to the atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, and the interaction of the solar wind with planetary magnetospheres within our solar system.

Learn about the world's most powerful solar telescope in Maui, Hawai’i:
https://nso.edu/telescopes/dki-solar-telescope/  

Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Sun #Photosphere #KelvinHelmholtzInstability #KHI #Plasma #Physics #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #DanielKInouyeSolarTelescope #Maui #Hawaii #NSO #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #Infographics #STEM #Education

Highest-resolution Images Yet of the Sun's Surface | Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

Highest-resolution Images Yet of the Sun's Surface | Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

The highest-resolution images of the Sun's surface (photosphere) ever captured, taken at 416 nm by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawai’i. They reveal deformed boundaries of magnetic elements and ultra-fine scale stripes, both associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI).

Researchers suggest that KHI may be a key reason why the Sun’s outer atmosphere gets so hot, and why magnetic energy builds up and moves around on the Sun. Magnetic energy fuels solar flares and eruptions—the kind of solar activity that can send bursts of energy toward Earth and affect satellites, power grids, and other technology. The discovery opens a new window into the fundamental physics of the Sun and other stars. It can help us better understand the physical mechanisms driving solar activity and how it can affect life on Earth.

An effect caused by fluid motion, KHI occurs when two fluids slide past each other at varying velocities creating a “shear” at the interface—causing small disturbances to grow into striking, wave-like or spiraling, vortices that look like breaking ocean waves. Since its original formulation by Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz around 1870, KHI has been observed and investigated across many areas of physics, including fluid dynamics, meteorology, oceanography, heliosphysics, and astrophysics. The instability is observed at a variety of scales from small lake and ocean waves (in windy conditions) and cloud formations on Earth, to the atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, and the interaction of the solar wind with planetary magnetospheres within our solar system.

Learn about the world's most powerful solar telescope in Maui, Hawai’i:
https://nso.edu/telescopes/dki-solar-telescope/  

Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS
Duration: 6 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Sun #Photosphere #KelvinHelmholtzInstability #KHI #Plasma #Physics #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #DanielKInouyeSolarTelescope #Maui #Hawaii #NSO #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

 China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

China successfully sent two new hyperspectral satellites to space on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, for Indonesia and Uzbekistan. The satellites, Oriental Smart Eye 01 and Oriental Smart Eye 02, were launched at 10:38 Beijing Time (0238 GMT) atop a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from waters off the coast of Haiyang, a city in east China's Shandong province. The satellites entered their planned sun-synchronous orbits.

These satellites are part of China's "Oriental Smart Eye Constellation" project. It aims to deploy more than 200 high-resolution intelligent satellites by 2030, comprising over 100 optical satellites, over 100 radar satellites, and four hyperspectral satellites.

The customers were Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency and Uzbekistan's space research agency, Uzcosmos. They purchased hyperspectral remote sensing spacecraft from commercial satellite maker STAR.VISION Aerospace.

The offshore launch mission was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Today’s launch was the 12th mission for the Jielong-3 launch vehicle. This was also the 55th launch from China in 2026.

The SD-3 is part of China's Dragon rocket family. It was developed to launch small, commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and satellite networks. It is capable of sending a payload of 1.5 tonnes into sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

Indonesia’s satellite is dubbed Lampung-1 and is mainly tasked with supporting the nation’s growth of its marine economy, monitoring environmental changes in support of eco-governance, and providing insights into agricultural challenges.

Known as Samarqand-2028, Uzbekistan plans to use its spacecraft for supporting the agricultural sector, ecological monitoring efforts across the nation and Central Asia.

The Indonesian and Uzbek spacecraft are twins, weighing 300 kilograms. Both can collect images at a resolution of 5 meters in a 300-kilometer-wide swath while revisiting locations every five days. Supporting that, they are equipped with local artificial intelligence systems to pre-process collected data, kept within 10 terabytes of onboard storage. 

Image Credits: CGTN, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)

Text Credit: Jack C./CCTV
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Indonesia #Uzbekistan #OrienSpace #SmartDragon3Rockets #Jielong3Rockets #捷龙三号运载火箭 #SolidFueledRockets #SeaLaunches #RocketLaunches #CALT #StarVisionAerospace #地卫二空间技术 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Haiyang #Shandong #STEM #Education

China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

China Smart Dragon-3 Launches 2 Hyperspectral Satellites by Sea for Asian Countries

China successfully sent two new hyperspectral satellites to space on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, for Indonesia and Uzbekistan. The satellites, Oriental Smart Eye 01 and Oriental Smart Eye 02, were launched at 10:38 Beijing Time (0238 GMT) atop a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from waters off the coast of Haiyang, a city in east China's Shandong province. The satellites entered their planned sun-synchronous orbits.

These satellites are part of China's "Oriental Smart Eye Constellation" project. It aims to deploy more than 200 high-resolution intelligent satellites by 2030, comprising over 100 optical satellites, over 100 radar satellites, and four hyperspectral satellites.

The customers were Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency and Uzbekistan's space research agency, Uzcosmos. They purchased hyperspectral remote sensing spacecraft from commercial satellite maker STAR.VISION Aerospace.

The offshore launch mission was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. Today’s launch was the 12th mission for the Jielong-3 launch vehicle. This was also the 55th launch from China in 2026.

The SD-3 is part of China's Dragon rocket family. It was developed to launch small, commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and satellite networks. It is capable of sending a payload of 1.5 tonnes into sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

Indonesia’s satellite is dubbed Lampung-1 and is mainly tasked with supporting the nation’s growth of its marine economy, monitoring environmental changes in support of eco-governance, and providing insights into agricultural challenges.

Known as Samarqand-2028, Uzbekistan plans to use its spacecraft for supporting the agricultural sector, ecological monitoring efforts across the nation and Central Asia.

The Indonesian and Uzbek spacecraft are twins, weighing 300 kilograms. Both can collect images at a resolution of 5 meters in a 300-kilometer-wide swath while revisiting locations every five days. Supporting that, they are equipped with local artificial intelligence systems to pre-process collected data, kept within 10 terabytes of onboard storage. 

Video Credit: CCTV

Text Credit: Jack C./CCTV
Duration: 34 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Indonesia #Uzbekistan #OrienSpace #SmartDragon3Rockets #Jielong3Rockets #捷龙三号运载火箭 #SolidFueledRockets #SeaLaunches #RocketLaunches #CALT #StarVisionAerospace #地卫二空间技术 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Haiyang #Shandong #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Wide-field view: Lenticular Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Digitized Sky Survey 2

Wide-field view: Lenticular Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This image is from the Digitized Sky Survey 2. It shows the area around lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 in the constellation Centaurus.

The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group.

Credit: NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2 
Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Journey to The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

Journey to The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

In the final image captured by NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, the ghostly shells of lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 are visible, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

Credits: NASA, ESA, P. Goudfrooij (STScI), Digitized Sky Survey 2

Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

Close-up: The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

The ghostly shells of lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 are captured here in an image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

Credit: NASA, ESA, P. Goudfrooij (STScI)

Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Upper Stage Impacts Moon (simulation)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Upper Stage Impacts Moon (simulation)

The discarded upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the north (near) side of the Moon close to Einstein Crater at around 2:35 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, at a speed of 5,400 mph. The impact was expected to create a new crater and a detectable dust plume visible from Earth.

Einstein is a large lunar impact crater that lies along the western limb of the Moon, making it difficult to observe from the Earth. 

The rocket stage is left over from a January 15, 2025, launch that sent Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's Resilience lunar lander to the Moon. Since the mission, it has remained in orbit around Earth, taking 26 days to complete each trip without falling back into the atmosphere.

Video Credit: RT
Duration: 11 seconds

Release Date: Aug. 5, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Moon #EinsteinCrater #Falcon9Rocket #LunarImpact #LunarLanders #FireflyAerospace #BlueGhostLunarLander #UnitedStates #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #History #STEM #Education #Animation #Simulation #HD #Video

The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

The Ghostly Shells of Galaxy ESO 381-12 in Centaurus | Hubble

The ghostly shells of  lenticular galaxy ESO 381-12 are captured here in an image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision in its relatively recent past.

Distance from Earth: 270 million light years

Lenticular galaxies are intermediate galaxies with a central bulge and disk like spirals but lacking spiral arms, containing mostly old stars and little ongoing star formation.

Credit: NASA, ESA, P. Goudfrooij (STScI)
Release Date: July 9, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #ESO38112 #PGC42871 #LenticularGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CentaurusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

🚀An improved China Long March 8A rocket blasted off at 16:52 Beijing time (08:52 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 4, 2026, from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan, successfully delivering nine more satellites, the 23rd batch of GuoWang low-Earth orbit (LEO) Internet satellites into orbit. The Long March 8A has further demonstrated how its payload capacity is suitable for high-density satellite constellation missions.🛰️

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise and backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet services; for now, China-focused services are the immediate priority. The mega-constellations’ small satellite platform weighs about 695 kilograms each. The satellites were made by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

After today’s launch, 186 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it is planned that 310 satellites will be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

Building upon upgrades first used on the Long March 8A’s previous mission a month ago, introducing the YF-75DB engine and propellant cooling hardware, today’s saw a series of small improvements such as the introduction of electrohydraulic servos as part of mass optimizations. This launch also acted as a ‘system-wide verification’ mission for last month’s upgrades.

Meanwhile, Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. Ltd., operator of the commercial launch site, has also expanded the acceptable weather situations when this rocket can be delivered to the launch pad. Today’s was moved out on July 30th in the rain.

Back in March 2026, China Central Television reported that the Long March 8 series of launch vehicles, including the Long March 8 and 8A, is set to fly fifteen times in total this year, for eight more flights over the next five months. With current infrastructure at the launch site, the Long March 8 series is stated to be able to fly up to thirty times per year.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 8A vehicle, the 17th launch of the Long March 8 series, and the 661st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 54th launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), Xinhua, Space Lens
Text Credit: CGTN/Jack C.
Date: Aug. 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup23 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch8AY10 #LongMarch8Rockets #长征八号运载火箭 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China Long March 8A Rocket Launches GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

🚀An improved China Long March 8A rocket blasted off at 16:52 Beijing time (08:52 am Universal Coordinated Time) on August 4, 2026, from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in Hainan, successfully delivering nine more satellites, the 23rd batch of GuoWang low-Earth orbit (LEO) Internet satellites into orbit. The Long March 8A has further demonstrated how its payload capacity is suitable for high-density satellite constellation missions.🛰️

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise and backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet services; for now, China-focused services are the immediate priority. The mega-constellations’ small satellite platform weighs about 695 kilograms each. The satellites were made by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

After today’s launch, 186 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. This year, it is planned that 310 satellites will be deployed, followed by 900 in 2027, and 3,600 every year beginning in 2028 to sustain and grow the constellation. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbit.

Building upon upgrades first used on the Long March 8A’s previous mission a month ago, introducing the YF-75DB engine and propellant cooling hardware, today’s saw a series of small improvements such as the introduction of electrohydraulic servos as part of mass optimizations. This launch also acted as a ‘system-wide verification’ mission for last month’s upgrades.

Meanwhile, Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co. Ltd., operator of the commercial launch site, has also expanded the acceptable weather situations when this rocket can be delivered to the launch pad. Today’s was moved out on July 30th in the rain.

Back in March 2026, China Central Television reported that the Long March 8 series of launch vehicles, including the Long March 8 and 8A, is set to fly fifteen times in total this year, for eight more flights over the next five months. With current infrastructure at the launch site, the Long March 8 series is stated to be able to fly up to thirty times per year.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 8A vehicle, the 17th launch of the Long March 8 series, and the 661st launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 54th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CGTN
Text Credit: CGTN/Jack C.
Date: Aug. 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup23 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch8AY10 #LongMarch8Rockets #长征八号运载火箭 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Finishes Training in California | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Finishes Training in California | International Space Station

Members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 pose for a portrait after completing training at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left are NASA astronaut and crew commander Jessica Watkins, NASA astronaut and pilot Luke Delaney, plus mission specialists Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

The Crew-13 emblem is added to others on display at SpaceX's Hawthorne, California, headquaters after their crew Dragon spacecraft training is finished. From left are NASA astronaut and crew commander Jessica Watkins, NASA astronaut and pilot Luke Delaney, plus mission specialists Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

Crew-13 members and SpaceX employees at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 emblem

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 completed training in Hawthorne, California this past week. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is targeted to launch a Dragon spacecraft and four crew members from three space agencies to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition no earlier than mid-September 2026.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively. They will be joined by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia that will serve as mission specialists. After arriving at the orbiting laboratory, Crew-13 will become members of the space station’s Expedition 75.

This flight is the 13th crew rotation with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). NASA is advancing the launch date of Crew-13 from November to help increase the frequency of U.S. crew rotation missions to the space station. The crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and benefit people on Earth.

This will be the second flight to the space station for Watkins. She will be the first NASA astronaut to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft twice.

This is the first spaceflight for Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov. 

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.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
https://www.nasa.gov/station

Image Credit: SpaceX
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CanadianSpaceAgency #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #Hawthorne #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education