Close-up view of The Antlia Galaxy Cluster: Abell S636 | Victor Blanco Telescope

Close-up view of The Antlia Galaxy Cluster: Abell S636 | Victor Blanco Telescope

FriendsofNASA.org: Happy New Year! | The Antlia Cluster (Abell S636) is a group of at least 230 galaxies located about 130 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). It hosts a rich variety of galaxy types, including lenticular galaxies, irregular galaxies and ultra-compact dwarfs. The cluster is dominated by two massive elliptical galaxies—NGC 3268 (center) and NGC 3258 (lower right).

This image was taken with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. It captures only a portion of the 230 of galaxies that so far have been found to make up the Antlia Cluster. DECam’s ultra-deep view showcases the variety of galaxies within and beyond the cluster in incredible detail.

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Dark Energy Camera (DECam)

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/victor-blanco-4m-telescope/decam/

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

Image Processing: R. Colombari & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 1, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #AntliaCluster #AbellS636 #Antlia #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DECam #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Antlia Galaxy Cluster: Abell S636 | Victor Blanco Telescope

The Antlia Galaxy Cluster: Abell S636 | Victor Blanco Telescope

FriendsofNASA.org: Happy New Year! | The Antlia Cluster (Abell S636) is a group of at least 230 galaxies located about 130 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump). It hosts a rich variety of galaxy types, including lenticular galaxies, irregular galaxies and ultra-compact dwarfs. The cluster is dominated by two massive elliptical galaxies — NGC 3268 (center) and NGC 3258 (lower right).

This image was taken with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. It captures only a portion of the 230 of galaxies that so far have been found to make up the Antlia Cluster. DECam’s ultra-deep view showcases the variety of galaxies within and beyond the cluster in incredible detail.

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Dark Energy Camera (DECam)

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/victor-blanco-4m-telescope/decam/

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

Image Processing: R. Colombari & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Release Date: Jan. 1, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #AntliaCluster #AbellS636 #Antlia #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DECam #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Ancient Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas at Lake Clifton, Western Australia

Ancient Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas at Lake Clifton, Western Australia

Astrophotographer Trevor Dobson: "This is an 8 shot stack of comet A3 aka Tsuchinshan ATLAS as it sets above Lake Clifton, one hour south of Perth in Western Australia."

"No, this isn't a dry salt lake, the strong wind this night, coupled with the long exposure, created a sheen on the water. It's taken not long after sunset which probably explains the red hues in the sky."

The Oort Cloud comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, was discovered in 2023, approaching the inner solar system on its highly elliptical orbit for the first time in documented human history. It was identified by observers at China’s Tsuchinshan – or “Purple Mountain” – Observatory and an ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa. The comet was officially named in honor of both observatories. 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. As of Oct. 14, 2024, the comet’s path may take it out of the solar system altogether—it might not be back.

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).

Image details: Nikon d810a, 50mm, f/2.2, ISO 4000, 8 x 25 seconds

Image Credit: Trevor Dobson
Image Date: Oct. 23, 2024
Release Date: Dec. 31, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Earth #Comets #CometTsuchinshanATLAS #C2023A3 #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #LakeClifton #WesternAustralia #Australia #China #中国 #SouthAfrica #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-19 Crew Sends New Year Greetings | China Space Station

Shenzhou-19 Crew Sends New Year Greetings | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-19 crew members aboard China's orbiting space station on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, sent their New Year greetings, wishing for more remarkable achievements for the country's crewed space program in 2025.

On Tuesday, the last day of 2024, Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze remained busy and completed the retrieval of extravehicular experiment payloads.

The three astronauts also sent their New Year greetings from the Tiangong space station.

"Hello everyone, I am astronaut Cai Xuzhe. Today is the last day of 2024, and I hope that all of you can join me, full of energy, forge ahead courageously, and running into the year of 2025. Let's go," Cai said.

"I am astronaut Song Lingdong. Recently, we have been conducting experiments on musculoskeletal loading using the equipment cabinet in human systems research. We are also using advanced equipment such as ultrasound equipment and instrument for counteracting bone loss to carry out in-orbit weightlessness protection. As the new year is just around the corner, I wish for our space laboratory to achieve fruitful results and for everyone to have a bumper harvest and an endless good fortune," Song said.

"I am astronaut Wang Haoze, and I will introduce our new friend Xiaohang to everyone. Xiaohang, up a little, Xiaohang, down a little, Xiaohang, take a photo. In the future, Xiaohang will be upgraded to perform tasks such as cabin inspection, inventory management, product status checks, and question answering, becoming our smart assistant. Finally, together with Xiaohang, I wish everyone a happy New Year," Wang said.

As the new year arrives, the astronauts have also captured the first light of dawn in 2025 in the space station.

The Shenzhou-19 crew has been in orbit for two months. In 2025, the crew will continue to routinely conduct space science and application experiments and tests, as well as extravehicular activities.

"Let us look forward to more remarkable achievements in China's crewed space program in 2025. May you all come true in the New Year, fireworks to the stars," said the three astronauts.

"Daring to lead at the forefront of the tide and striving with oars raised to sail towards excellence, the China Astronaut Research and Training Center wishes all the people across the country a Happy New Year," said the staff of the center.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:

Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)

Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)

Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes, 49 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #NewYear2025 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #CAS #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Sierra Space Dream Chaser Spaceplane Debuts in 2025 | International Space Station

Sierra Space Dream Chaser Spaceplane Debuts in 2025 | International Space Station

The Neil Armstrong Test Facility, part of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, is home to multiple test facilities, including the Space Environments Complex and the In-Space Propulsion Facility—both were stops for Dream Chaser. The complex is home to the Mechanical Vibration Facility. It subjects test articles to the rigorous conditions of launch.

While at Armstrong, the Dream Chaser winged spacecraft was stacked atop its Shooting Star cargo module on the vibration table to experience vibrations like those during launch and re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere.

Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space's uncrewed cargo spaceplane is lifted and moved by crane inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024. Dream Chaser Tenacity will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing inside the high bay of the SSPF ahead of its inaugural launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral. The reusable transportation system is contracted to perform a minimum of seven cargo missions to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s efforts to expand commercial resupply services to low Earth orbit.

Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space's uncrewed cargo spaceplane is processed inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024, after arriving by truck inside a climate-controlled transportation container, completing the journey from the agency's Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Dream Chaser Tenacity will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing inside the high bay of the SSPF ahead of its inaugural launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral. 

The versatile Dream Chaser spaceplane fleet is meticulously designed to facilitate the transportation of cargo and, in the future, crew to low-Earth orbit (LEO). This multi-mission platform offers customization options to cater to the needs of both domestic and international customers, further enhancing its role in global space operations. Under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract, Dream Chaser has been selected to provide essential cargo delivery, return, and disposal services for the International Space Station.

Dream Chaser showcases its mettle by safely withstanding temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees during re-entry, all while being cool to the touch mere minutes after landing. The incorporation of the most advanced autonomous flight system, ensuring a minimum 15-mission lifespan, marks a monumental leap forward in space transportation.

Learn more about Dream Chaser: https://www.sierraspace.com/space-transportation/dream-chaser-spaceplane/

Image Credit: NASA/GRC/Jordan Salkin
Image Date: Jan 4, 2024
Release Date: December 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #CommercialCargo #CRS #SierraSpace #DreamChaser #ReusableSpacecraft #DreamChaserSpacecraft #CargoSpacecraft #Tenacity #VulcanCentaurRocket #ULA #Spaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #NASAGlenn #Cleveland #Ohio #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

A Meteor, Comet Lovejoy, The California Nebula & The Pleiades Star Cluster

A Meteor, Comet Lovejoy, The California Nebula & The Pleiades Star Cluster

In this European Southern Observatory (ESO) image, nightfall raises the curtain on a theatrical display taking place in the cloudless skies over La Silla. In a scene humming with activity, the major players captured here are Comet Lovejoy, glowing green in the center of the image; the Pleiades above and to the right; and the California Nebula, providing some contrast in the form of a red arc of gas directly to the right of Lovejoy.

At a distance of about 444 light-years, the Pleiades star cluster is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky.

A meteor adds its own streak of light to the scene, seeming to plunge into the hazy pool of green light collecting along the horizon.

The telescopes of La Silla provide an audience for this celestial performance, and a thin shroud of low altitude cloud clings to the plain below the observatory streaked by the Panamericana Highway.

Comet Lovejoy’s long tail is being pushed away from the comet by the solar wind. Carbon compounds that have been excited by ultraviolet radiation from the Sun give it its striking green hue.

This was the first time the comet has passed through the inner Solar System and ignited so spectacularly in over 11,000 years. Its highly elliptical orbit about the Sun—adjusted slightly due to meddling planets — means that it will not grace our skies for another 8,000 years after it rounded the Sun and began its lonely voyage back into the cold outer regions of the Solar System.

Credit: P. Horálek/ESO
Release Date: Jan. 26, 2015

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Airglow #Meteor #CometLovejoy #StarCluster #Pleiades #Messier45 #Nebulae #CaliforniaNebula #NGC1499 #Sh2220 #EmissionNebula #Perseus #Taurus #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The California Nebula & The Pleiades Star Cluster | La Silla Observatory

The California Nebula & The Pleiades Star Cluster | La Silla Observatory

On the left, the red patch is an emission nebula called NGC 1499 or the California Nebula. It is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. Its name comes from its resemblance to the outline of the American state of California in long exposure photographs.

On the left is the Pleiades, also known as "the Seven Sisters". The Pleiades, located in the constellation of Taurus (The Bull), are an open star cluster containing middle aged, hot blue stars. At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky.

This image was taken from the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Credit: Zdeněk Bardon/ESO
Release Date: Sept. 13, 2017

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #StarClusters #StarCluster #Pleiades #SevenSisters #Messier45 #Nebulae #CaliforniaNebula #NGC1499 #Sh2220 #EmissionNebula #Perseus #Taurus #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

NASA's Artemis III Moon Spacesuits: AxEMU 2024 Developments | Axiom Space

NASA's Artemis III Moon Spacesuits: AxEMU 2024 Developments | Axiom Space

"We are suiting up for a new year. As we say goodbye to 2024, let us take a moment to recap this year's developments of the AxEMU. Axiom Space is building for beyond, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station—the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit. It will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home." 

For more information about Axiom Space's AxEMU, visit:
https://www.axiomspace.com/axiom-suit

Video Credit: Axiom Space
Duration: 3 minutes, 35 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 31, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Astronauts #Spacesuit #EVA #AxEMU #AxiomSpace #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Europe #ArtemisGeneration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Space Station Experiments to Bring Benefits for Space & People on Earth

China Space Station Experiments to Bring Benefits for Space & People on Earth

A report released on Monday, Dec. 31, 2024, highlights research conducted aboard the China Space Station to date. It aims to provide solutions for long-term space survival and to develop technologies that can benefit industries and daily life on Earth. Published by the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), the 2024 report provides a comprehensive summary of the scientific research and applications conducted at the China Space Station over the past two years. It highlights 34 representative research and application achievements, as well as science communication and cultural activities. 

China has currently outlined four major research areas in space: space life and human body research, microgravity physics, space astronomy and earth science, and space technologies and applications, encompassing 32 research topics. As of December 1, 2024, a total of 181 scientific and application projects have been conducted in orbit. Nearly two tons of scientific materials have been delivered to the station, and almost 100 types of experimental samples have been brought back to Earth. The report also highlighted several world records, including the development of the first germplasm resources of rice and ratoon rice developed in space and the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into hematopoietic stem/precursor cells in space.

"We hope to offer solutions to the challenges of long-term human survival in space through these studies. At the same time, the key materials developed in space are expected to be applied on Earth, offering new processes, methods, and technologies to improve production and daily life," said Zhang Wei, a researcher at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Zhang noted that the report primarily highlights results from completed experiments, while many others are still in progress.

"In our scientific experiments, particularly in microgravity fluids, several international cooperation projects are underway. Projects initiated through the United Nations are progressing, and joint China-Europe projects are also been carried out," said the researcher.

According to the report, the China Space Station, serving as the national space lab, will conduct over 1,000 research projects in the next 10-15 years. It aims to promote science outreach and international collaboration, attract high-level teams from around the world, and advance China's space science, technology, and applications.

China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship on Oct. 30, 2024, sending three astronauts—including the country's first female space engineer—to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:

Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)

Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)

Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 31, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityResearch #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #CAS #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Milky Way over Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) in Chile

Milky Way over Visible & Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) in Chile

In this view of the Paranal Observatory, the Milky Way galaxy forms an arc across the Atacama night sky, along with colorful atmospheric airglow. Below it stands VISTA, the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy.

Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation.

Unlike auroras, which are episodic and fleeting, airglow constantly shines throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and the result is a tenuous bubble of light that closely encases our entire planet. (Auroras, on the other hand, are usually constrained to Earth’s poles.) Just a tenth as bright as all the stars in the night sky, airglow is far more subdued than auroras, too dim to observe easily except in orbit or on the ground with clear, dark skies and a sensitive camera. However, it is a marker nevertheless of the dynamic region where Earth meets space . . .

Learn more about VISTA:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/

Credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky
Image Date: Oct. 15, 2014

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Atmosphere #Airglow #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #VISTA #ParanalObservatory #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Flight Testing Lidar Hazard Detection Instrument for Artemis Lunar Missions | NASA

Flight Testing Lidar Hazard Detection Instrument for Artemis Lunar Missions | NASA

With support from NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, Astrobotic tested an engineering model of its hazard detection light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor over the company's simulated lunar terrain. During this Nov. 14, 2024, flight campaign, the technology successfully captured high-precision data to enhance hazard detection, benefiting future lunar lander missions, including Astrobotic’s upcoming NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Mission.

Learn more here: 
https://www.nasa.gov/armstrong/

https://www.astrobotic.com

Video Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)
Duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 30, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ArtemisProgram #Moon #Astrobotic #LunarLanders #LIDARSensor #Navigation #HazardDetection #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #DeepSpace #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #CLPS #AFRC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Sun Releases 3 Strong X-class Solar Flares in Succession | NOAA GOES Satellite

Sun Releases 3 Strong X-class Solar Flares in Succession | NOAA GOES Satellite

The Sun emitted three strong solar flares on Dec. 29, 2024, peaking at 2:18 a.m. ET, 11:14 p.m. ET, and 11:31 p.m. ET. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) watches the Sun constantly and captured images of the events.

The Sun, shown in blue, against a black background. In several areas on the Sun, small flashes appear sporadically. On the right, multiple bright flashes burst from one area.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Solar Ultraviolet Imager captured these images of the solar flares—seen as the bright flashes on the right side of the Sun–on Dec. 29, 2024. The images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares. This is colorized in blue. 

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

The first flare is classified as an X1.1 flare. The second flare is classified as an X1.5 flare, and the third is classified as an X1.1 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. 

NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Image Credit: NOAA
Caption Credit: Abbey Interrante
Release Date: Dec. 30, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #SpaceWeather #Sun #Star #Solar #SolarFlares #Sunspots #Ultraviolet #Plasma #MagneticField #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Physics #Spacecraft #Satellites #ElectricalGrids #SDO #SolarSystem #GSFC #UnitedStates #GIF #Animation #STEM #Education

What's Up for January 2025: Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL

What's Up for January 2025: Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL

Here are examples of skywatching highlights for the northern hemisphere in January 2025:

This month, four bright planets greet you in the early evening. Venus and Saturn cozy up on the 17th and 18th, while Mars is at its brightest in the past two years. The Moon occults Mars for those in the U.S. and Eastern Canada on Jan. 13. Plus, the Quadrantid meteors peak on the morning of Jan. 3 before dawn.

0:00 Intro
0:14 Four planets at once
1:02 Venus & Saturn Get Close
1:39 Mars at Opposition
2:31 Quadrantid Meteors Peak
3:07 January Moon phases

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Narration: Preston Dyches
Duration: 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 30, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #Planets #Venus #Mars #Saturn #Quadrantids #QuadrantidMeteorShower #Meteors #MeteorShowers #SolarSystem #Stars #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #California #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pale Blue (Supernova) Dot: Ghostly Galaxy LEDA 22057 in Gemini | Hubble

Pale Blue (Supernova) Dot: Ghostly Galaxy LEDA 22057 in Gemini | Hubble

This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture features the galaxy LEDA 22057. It is located about 650 million light-years away in the constellation Gemini. LEDA 22057 is the site of a supernova explosion, named SN 2024PI, that was discovered by an automated survey in January 2024. The survey covers the entire northern half of the night sky every two days and has cataloged over 10,000 supernovae.

The supernova is visible in this image: located just down and to the right of the galactic nucleus, the pale blue dot of SN 2024PI stands out against the galaxy’s ghostly spiral arms. This image was taken about a month and a half after the supernova was discovered, so the supernova is seen here many times fainter than its maximum brilliance.

SN 2024PI is classified as a Type Ia supernova. This type of supernova requires a remarkable object called a white dwarf, the crystallized core of a star with a mass less than about eight times the mass of the Sun. When a star of this size uses up the supply of hydrogen in its core, it balloons into a red giant, becoming cool, puffy and luminous. Over time, pulsations and stellar winds cause the star to shed its outer layers, leaving behind a white dwarf and a colorful planetary nebula. White dwarfs can have surface temperatures higher than 100,000 degrees and are extremely dense, packing roughly the mass of the Sun into a sphere the size of Earth. 

While nearly all of the stars in the Milky Way will one day evolve into white dwarfs—this is the fate that awaits the Sun some five billion years in the future—not all of them will explode as Type Ia supernovae. For that to happen, the white dwarf must be a member of a binary star system. When a white dwarf syphons material from a stellar partner, the white dwarf can become too massive to support itself. The resulting burst of runaway nuclear fusion destroys the white dwarf in a supernova explosion that can be seen many galaxies away.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy with two thin, slowly-curving arms, one fainter than the other, coming off the tips of a bright, oval-shaped core region. The disc of the galaxy is also oval-shaped and filled with fuzzy dust under the arms. It has bright spots where stars are concentrated, especially along the arms. The core has a white glow in the center and thick bands of gas around it. A supernova is visible as a pale blue dot near the core.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz)
Release Date: Dec. 30, 2024

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #LEDA22057 #Supernovae #SN2024PI #TypeIA #Gemini #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Seagull Nebula: IC 2177 in Monoceros

The Seagull Nebula: IC 2177 in Monoceros

This nebula forms the “wings” of an area of sky known as the Seagull Nebula—named for its resemblance to a gull in flight. This celestial bird contains a fascinating mix of intriguing astronomical objects. Glowing clouds weave amid dark dust lanes and bright stars. The Seagull Nebula—made up of dust, hydrogen, helium, and traces of heavier elements—is the hot and energetic birthplace of new stars. It is located in the constellation of the Big Dog (Canis Major) at an estimated ~3,700 light-year distance. This cloud of gas, also known as Sh 2-292, RCW 2, and Gum 1, seems to form the head of the seagull and glows brightly due to the energetic radiation from a very hot young star lurking at its heart.

Astrophotographer Ian Inverarity: "IC 2177—the Seagull Nebula! A 2 panel mosaic taken over 4 nights after Christmas, over 22 hours! Takahashi FSQ106N telescope, QHY268M camera, Astronomik R, G and B filters, Warp Astron WD-20 EQ mount controlled by PHD2 and NINA. Processing with Astro Pixel Processor and Photoshop."

Image Credit: Ian Inverarity

Capture Location: Australia
Release Date: Dec. 29, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #SeagullNebula #IC2177 #Sharpless2296 #Sh2296 #RCW2 #Gum1 #Monoceros #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #IanInverarity #Australia #STEM #Education

Aurora over Lake Inari, Finland

Aurora over Lake Inari, Finland

Lake Inari is the largest lake in Sápmi and the third-largest lake in Finland. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is 117–119 meters (384–390 ft) above sea level. The freezing period normally extends from November to early June.

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, occurs in an upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere called the ionosphere, but they typically originate with activity on the Sun. Occasionally, during explosions called coronal mass ejections, the Sun releases charged particles that speed across the solar system. 

Auroras are produced when the Earth's magnetosphere is sufficiently disturbed by the solar wind that the trajectories of charged particles in solar wind and magnetospheric plasma, mainly in the form of electrons and protons, precipitate them into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere) due to Earth's magnetic field, where their energy is lost. The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emits light of varying color and complexity. [Wikipedia]

Solid Colored Aurora

Green is common at the upper latitudes, while red is rare. On the other hand, aurora viewed from lower latitudes tend to be red.

Element Emission Colors

Oxygen: The big player in the aurora is oxygen. Oxygen is responsible for the vivid green (wavelength of 557.7 nm) and also for a deep brownish-red (wavelength of 630.0 nm). Pure green and greenish-yellow aurorae result from the excitation of oxygen.

Nitrogen: Nitrogen emits blue (multiple wavelengths) and red light.

Other Gases: Other gases in the atmosphere become excited and emit light, although the wavelengths may be outside of the range of human vision or else too faint to see. Hydrogen and helium, for example, emit blue and purple. Although our eyes cannot see all of these colors, photographic film and digital cameras often record a broader range of hues.

Aurora Colors According to Altitude

Above 150 miles: red, oxygen

Up to 150 miles: green, oxygen

Above 60 miles: purple or violet, nitrogen

Up to 60 miles: blue, nitrogen

NASA - About Aurora

https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/auroras/

https://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/polar/EPO/auroral_poster/aurora_all.pdf

The Colors of the Aurora (National Park Service)
https://www.nps.gov/articles/-articles-aps-v8-i1-c9.htm

Image Credit: Role Bigler
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2024

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