Ax-2 Mission Patch: USA & Saudi Arabia | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission Patch: USA & Saudi Arabia | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission Patch: International Crew

Full mission patch description available here:

https://www.axiomspace.com/ax2-patch

Tune in on Sunday, May 21, 2023 on http://axiomspace.com to watch the historic launch of Ax-2—the second private mission to the International Space Station.

Mission Commander Peggy Whitson  (United States) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson

Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/ali-alqarni

Mission Specialist Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/rayyanah-barnawi

Pilot John Shoffner (United States) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/john-shoffner

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Release Date: May 15, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #JohnShoffner #AliAlqarni #RayyanahBarnawi #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #SaudiArabia #SaudiSpaceCommission #UnitedStates #Art #MissionPatch #STEM #Education

Ax-2 Mission to the International Space Station: Crew Photos | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission to the International Space Station: Crew Photos | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission Commander Peggy Whitson (USA) & Pilot John Shoffner (USA) Dress Rehearsal

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia) Dress Rehearsal

Ax-2 Crew: Mission Specialist Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia), Mission Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Pilot John Shoffner (USA), Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia)

Ax-2 Mission Commander Peggy Whitson (USA)

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia)

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia)

Ax-2 Mission Pilot John Shoffner (USA)

Tune in on Sunday, May 21, 2023, starting at 2:09 PM ET on http://axiomspace.com to watch the historic launch of Ax-2—the second private mission to the International Space Station.

Mission Commander Peggy Whitson  (United States) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson

Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/ali-alqarni

Mission Specialist Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/rayyanah-barnawi

Pilot John Shoffner (United States) Axiom Space Biography

https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/john-shoffner

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Release Date: May 15, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #JohnShoffner #AliAlqarni #RayyanahBarnawi #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #SaudiArabia #SaudiSpaceCommission #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Ax-2 Mission to the International Space Station | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission to the International Space Station | Axiom Space

Tune in on Sunday, May 21, 2023, 2:09 PM ET on http://axiomspace.com to watch the historic launch of Ax-2—the second private mission to the International Space Station.

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Duration: 42 seconds

Release Date: May 15, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #JohnShoffner #AliAlqarni #RayyanahBarnawi #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #SaudiArabia #SaudiSpaceCommission #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-15 Astronaut Zhang Lu Talk on Science Payloads | China Space Station

Shenzhou-15 Astronaut Zhang Lu Talk on Science Payloads | China Space Station

Shenzhou-15 astronaut Zhang Lu gave an online public lecture about how an extravehicular mission involving the automatic transfer of a particle detector experiment to the exterior of the China Space Station is performed.

Credit: CCTV Video News Agency

Duration: 2 minutes, 41 seconds

Release Date: May 20, 2023

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国 #空间站 #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiments #ParticleDetector #Shenzhou15 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #FeiJunlong #ZhangLu #DengQingming #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Artemis II Moon Crew Visits U.S. Capitol

NASA's Artemis II Moon Crew Visits U.S. Capitol

NASA astronauts, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch pose for a photograph at the conclusion of a media gathering, May 18, 2023, on the Capitol Hill grounds in Washington. Wiseman, Glover, Hammock Koch, and Hansen, who will fly around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II flight test, visited Washington to discuss their upcoming mission with members of Congress and others.

Learn more about the upcoming Artemis II Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii

1. Victor Glover is part of the 2013 class of NASA astronauts and was the pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. He has logged 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft, and will pilot NASA's Orion spacecraft around the Moon.

NASA Astronaut Victor Glover Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/victor-j-glover

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/victor-j-glover/biography

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/glover-vj.pdf

2. Mission specialist Christina Koch visited the International Space Station in 2019, where she took part in the first all-woman spacewalk. She began her career as an electrical engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

3. Representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on Artemis II to the Moon is Jeremy Hansen from London, Ontario. Jeremy Hansen was an air force pilot before joining CSA, and currently works with NASA on astronaut training and mission operations. This will be Hansen’s first space mission.

Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen Official Biography

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/active/bio-jeremy-hansen.asp

4. Reid Wiseman lived and worked aboard the International Space Station as a flight engineer in 2014. He also commanded the undersea research mission NEEMO21, and most recently served as chief of NASA's astronauts.

NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/reid-g-wiseman

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/g-reid-wiseman/biography

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Image Date: May 18, 2023

#NASA #CSA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisII #Astronauts #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #ReidWiseman #Americans #Canadians #MoonToMars #Science #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #USCapitol #WashingtonDC #UnitedStates #Canada #STEM #Education

Ax-2 Mission Pilot Profile: John Shoffner | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission Pilot Profile: John Shoffner | Axiom Space

The Pilot for Ax-2 is private astronaut John Shoffner. A STEM advocate, business pioneer, and life-long space enthusiast, he has been a pilot since age 17. Shoffner participates in extreme sports, from hang gliding to base jumping to high-performance racing. 

Ax-2: The second private mission to the International Space Station

"The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) astronauts are part of the latest class of space pioneers and Axiom Space's next crew to expand access to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, the four-person, multinational crew will conduct extensive research, investigate novel technologies, and engage with audiences around the world as champions of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Their efforts will continue to lay the groundwork and establish the key capabilities needed to build out and operate Axiom Station, the world's first commercial space station."

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Duration: 2 minutes, 28 seconds

Release Date: May 20, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #JohnShoffner #Astronaut #Pilot #Ax2Pilot #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Profile: Ali Alqarni of Saudi Arabia | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Profile: Ali Alqarni of Saudi Arabia | Axiom Space

Ax2 Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni will represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Alqarni will make history as the second Saudi male astronaut and one of the first Saudi astronauts to visit the International Space Station.

Ax-2: The second private mission to the International Space Station

"The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) astronauts are part of the latest class of space pioneers and Axiom Space's next crew to expand access to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, the four-person, multinational crew will conduct extensive research, investigate novel technologies, and engage with audiences around the world as champions of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Their efforts will continue to lay the groundwork and establish the key capabilities needed to build out and operate Axiom Station, the world's first commercial space station."

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Duration: 2 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: May 20, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #AliAlqarni #Astronaut #Pilot #Ax2MissionSpecialist #SaudiSpaceCommission #SaudiArabia #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Profile: Rayyanah Barnawi of Saudi Arabia | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Mission Specialist Profile: Rayyanah Barnawi of Saudi Arabia | Axiom Space

Serving as Mission Specialist, Rayyanah Barnawi is representing the Saudi Space Commission. Rayyanah Barnawi has a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Ax-2: The second private mission to the International Space Station

"The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) astronauts are part of the latest class of space pioneers and Axiom Space's next crew to expand access to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, the four-person, multinational crew will conduct extensive research, investigate novel technologies, and engage with audiences around the world as champions of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Their efforts will continue to lay the groundwork and establish the key capabilities needed to build out and operate Axiom Station, the world's first commercial space station."

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Duration: 2 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: May 20, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #RayyanahBarnawi #Astronaut #Scientist #Ax2MissionSpecialist #SaudiSpaceCommission #SaudiArabia #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ax-2 Commander Profile: Former NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson | Axiom Space

Ax-2 Commander Profile: Former NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson | Axiom Space

The Ax-2 Mission Commander is Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight and retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. During the next ten days, she will extend her record as the American with the most amount of time spent in space! 

Ax-2: The second private mission to the International Space Station

Peggy Whitson's Official NASA Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/peggy-a-whitson

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/peggy-a-whitson/biography

"The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) astronauts are part of the latest class of space pioneers and Axiom Space's next crew to expand access to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, the four-person, multinational crew will conduct extensive research, investigate novel technologies, and engage with audiences around the world as champions of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. Their efforts will continue to lay the groundwork and establish the key capabilities needed to build out and operate Axiom Station, the world's first commercial space station."

"Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor—a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home."

More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Axiom Space

Duration: 2 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: May 20, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #PeggyWhitson #Astronaut #Scientist #Ax2MissionCommander #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Falcon9Rocket #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Planet Mars Images: May 2023 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

New Planet Mars Images: May 2023 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

Mars2020 - sol 792

Mars2020 - sol 793

Mars2020 - sol 792

Mars2020 - sol 792

Mars2020 - sol 796

MSL - sol 3831

MSL - sol 3830

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 10 Years+ on Mars! (2012-2023)

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 2+ Years on Mars (2021-2023)

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 possible return to Earth.

Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity)

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/Arizona State University/Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS)

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: May 14-18, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #IngenuityHelicopter #JezeroCrater #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MSSS #UnitedStates #MoonToMars #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

The Legendary Crab Nebula | Kitt Peak National Observatory

The Legendary Crab Nebula | Kitt Peak National Observatory

The nebula that keeps on giving, the Crab Nebula (Messier 1), is captured here by the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope from Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab. The storied history of this supernova remnant in modern astronomy begins when it was recorded in 1731 by British astronomer John Bevis, who believed it was nothing more than a cloudy blob. It was more than three decades later that French comet hunter Charles Messier clarified that the object was in fact something, and it became the first entry in his catalog of nebulae and star clusters. Then in the early 20th century astronomers connected Messier 1 to a supernova explosion observed by Chinese astronomers in 1054. This made the Crab Nebula the first astronomical object to be connected to a previously observed supernova. 

Distance: 6,500 light years

A pulsar—the ultra-dense, rapidly spinning remnant of a star—inside the Crab Nebula was discovered in 1968 at radio wavelengths. Its presence in the optical part of the spectrum was confirmed a year later by Americans John Cocke and Donald Taylor and British astronomer Michael Disney using the University of Arizona 0.9-meter Spacewatch Telescope at KPNO. The Crab Pulsar then became integral in advancing scientific understanding of supernova remnants. It was the first of its kind to link a historical supernova to a pulsar whose precise age is known.

This image was the last taken with the Mayall telescope before the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) was installed. The Crab Nebula was also the first target for the telescope’s first light in 1973. 

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)

Release Date: March 15, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #CrabNebula #NGC1952 #M1 #Messier1 #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #MayallTelescope #KPNO #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Visits D.C. | This Week @NASA

The Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Visits D.C. | This Week @NASA

Week of May 19, 2023: The Artemis II Moon mission crew visits D.C., another partner to land humans on the Moon, and preparing to get to the heart of “cosmic matter” . . . a few of the stories to tell you about–This Week at NASA!

Video Credits: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

Video Producer, Editor & Narrator: Andre Valentine

Duration: 2 minutes, 36 seconds

Release Date: May 19, 2023

#NASA #CSA #Space #Moon #Comets #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #BlueOrigin #BlueMoonLunarLander #Astronauts #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #ReidWiseman #Americans #Canadians #MoonToMars #DeepSpaceExploration #Science #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #WashingtonDC #UnitedStates #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Discusses Life in Space with Students

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Discusses Life in Space with Students

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview May 18, 2023, with students at the National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, D.C. Rubio is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.

Astronaut Frank Rubio’s Official NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/frank-rubio/biography/

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 20 minutes

Release Date: May 18, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Astronauts #FrankRubio #LatinoAmerican #Doctor #Physician #FlightSurgeon #Cosmonauts #Роскосмос #Russia #Россия #UAE #MBRSC #Science #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition69 #JSC #UnitedStates #MicrogravityResearch #Students #ArtemisGeneration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Earth's Ice is Melting Faster than Ever | European Space Agency

Earth's Ice is Melting Faster than Ever | European Space Agency

As global temperatures increase, the melting of the massive ice sheets that blanket Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated, making a significant contribution to sea-level rise. In total, Earth is losing around a trillion tonnes of ice each year—which is not being replenished.

Andrew Shepherd of the University of Leeds is a leading climate scientist working with the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. Join Andrew as he discusses how long-term satellite observations from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative are key in monitoring changes in ice sheets over decades.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: May 19, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Space #Satellites #Science #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #GlobalHeating #ClimateChange #MeltingIce #IceSheets #FreshWater #Antarctica #Greenland #UnitedStates #Europe #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Sonification of Star V838 Monocerotis Light Echo | NASA Goddard

Sonification of Star V838 Monocerotis Light Echo | NASA Goddard

This data sonification of the star V838 Monocerotis, or V838 Mon, shows two Hubble images taken almost seven months apart. A pulse of light from the central star illuminates clouds of dust and gas surrounding V838 Mon. 

This star is located about 20,000 light-years away, at the outer edge of our Milky Way Galaxy. In this sonification, scientists mapped brightness to pitch and volume, and the surrounding stars are pitched to musical notes.

 

Sonification credits: System Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

Duration: 46 seconds

Release Date: May 19, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Star #V838Monocerotis #V838Mon #Monoceros #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #DataSonification #HD #Video

The Many Layers of Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1808 | NOIRLab

The Many Layers of Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1808 | NOIRLab

NGC 1808 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the southern constellation Columba (the dove). This image was captured using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), which is mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, in Chile. 

The core of NGC 1808 is thought to house a supermassive black hole, characterized by its accretion of material and higher-than-normal brightness. The smoldering center is closely surrounded by a faint blue ring populated with star clusters and supernova remnants. This region is defined by its starburst activity, producing an exceptional number of hot, bright, young stars.

Distance: 40 million light years

The abundance of rapid star formation is thought to be the result of past tidal interactions with the nearby galaxy NGC 1792. Laced throughout this middle region of NGC 1808 are dark dust lanes resulting from large outflows of hydrogen gas from the galactic nucleus. The softly glowing outer arms surrounding the galaxy are slightly warped, again pointing to tidal interactions with NGC 1792. Such an interaction could have created the asymmetrical shape of NGC 1808 and hurled gas towards the nucleus, igniting the rapid star formation in its surrounding ring.

Image Credit: Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Image Processing: R. Colombari and M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)

Release Date: May 17, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #NGC1808 #Barred #Spiral #Columba #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #CTIO #Optical #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #Chile #SouthAmerica #UnitedStates #STEM #Education