Launch of European Earth Science Missions | SpaceX Falcon 9

Launch of European Earth Science Missions | SpaceX Falcon 9

Two meteorological missions—Meteosat Third Generation Sounder-1 (MTG-S1) and the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission—have launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, United States. Both Earth observation missions were developed with European partners to address scientific and societal challenges.

The MTG-S1 satellite will generate a new type of data product, especially suited to severe weather events with three-dimensional views of the atmosphere. It is the second in the MTG constellation to be prepared for orbit and is equipped with the first European operational Infrared Sounder instrument.

Copernicus Sentinel-4 will be the first mission to monitor European air quality from geostationary orbit, providing hourly information that will forecast air pollution across Europe using its ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared light (UVN) spectrometer.

The MTG mission is a cooperation between Eumetsat and the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA is responsible developing and procuring the MTG satellites.

Learn more about the MTG-S1 satellite & Copernicus Sentinel-4: 
https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-third-generation-sounder-1-and-copernicus-sentinel-4

United Nations: What is Climate Change?
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Release Dates: July 1-2, 2025

#NASA #ESA #EUMETSAT #Space #Science #Satellites #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Environment #Weather #Meteorology #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #MTGS1 #SentinelSatellites #Sentinel4 #EarthObservation #Europe #EuropeanUnion #CivilianSpace #STEM #Education

Journey to a star that exploded twice | European Southern Observatory

Journey to a star that exploded twice | European Southern Observatory

  

This video zooms into the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5, the expanding remains of a star that died by detonating twice. This object is located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small galaxy that orbits the Milky Way.

This zoom was made by blending together images taken at separate times with a range of telescopes. The video ends with an image captured with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). It shows the distribution of different chemical elements ejected when the star died. Calcium is shown in blue, and it is arranged in two concentric shells. This indicates that the star exploded with a double detonation.

Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/N. Risinger (skysurvey.org)/Digitized Sky Survey 2/P. Das et al. Background stars (Hubble): K. Noll et al.
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: July 2, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Supernovae #SupernovaRemnants #SNR0509675 #Nebulae #LMC #Dorado #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #MUSE #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Double-detonation Supernova: SNR 0509-67.5 | European Southern Observatory

Double-detonation Supernova: SNR 0509-67.5 | European Southern Observatory

Supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5 located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small galaxy orbiting our own Milky Way.

This image marks the position on the sky of the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5, the expanding shells of a star that detonated twice. It is located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small galaxy orbiting our own Milky Way. The inset shows new observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). It shows that the original star died with two explosive blasts. The main image shows the VLT unit telescope used in these observations.

This artist’s impression illustrates the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. Observations from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) show that these are the expanding remains of a star that died with a double-detonation hundreds of years ago.

This image shows the distribution of calcium in the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. The data were captured with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). The overlaid curves outline two concentric shells of calcium that were ejected in two separate detonations when the star died several hundred years ago.

The first image was taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago in a double-detonation—the first photographic evidence that stars can die with two blasts.

The data were captured with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument at the VLT. MUSE allows astronomers to map the distribution of chemical elements, displayed here in  color. Calcium is shown in blue, and it is arranged in two concentric shells. These two layers indicate that the now-dead star exploded with a double-detonation.

Credit: ESO/P. Das et al. Background stars (Hubble): K. Noll et al.
Release Date: July 2, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Supernovae #SupernovaRemnants #SNR0509675 #Nebulae #LMC #Dorado #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #MUSE #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #Illustrations #Infographics #STEM #Education

First visual proof of a star destroyed by pair of explosions | ESO

First visual proof of a star destroyed by pair of explosions | ESO

Astronomers have found the first visual evidence that a star has died by detonating twice. Observations taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) revealed concentric shells of calcium in the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These features indicate that the now-dead star exploded with two detonations.    

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis & Martin Wallner
Editing: Angelos Tsaousis
Written by: Amy Briggs & Sean Bromilow
Footage and photos: ESO, Luis Calçada, Angelos Tsaousis, Martin Kornmesser, P. Das et al., K. Noll et al., Gerhard Hüdepohl, Daniele Gasparri
Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Release Date: July 2, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Supernovae #SupernovaRemnants #SNR0509675 #Nebulae #LMC #Dorado #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Europe Launches Earth Science Satellites: MTG-S1 & Copernicus Sentinel-4

Europe Launches Earth Science Missions: MTG-S1 & Copernicus Sentinel-4

Two meteorological missions—Meteosat Third Generation Sounder-1 (MTG-S1) and the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission—have launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, United States on July 1, 2025. Both Earth observation missions were developed with European partners to address scientific and societal challenges.

The MTG-S1 satellite will generate a new type of data product, especially suited to severe weather events with three-dimensional views of the atmosphere. It is the second in the MTG constellation to be prepared for orbit and is equipped with the first European operational Infrared Sounder instrument.

Copernicus Sentinel-4 will be the first mission to monitor European air quality from geostationary orbit, providing hourly information that will forecast air pollution across Europe using its ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared light (UVN) spectrometer.

The MTG mission is a cooperation between Eumetsat and the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA is responsible developing and procuring the MTG satellites.

Learn more about the MTG-S1 satellite & Copernicus Sentinel-4: 
https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-third-generation-sounder-1-and-copernicus-sentinel-4

United Nations: What is Climate Change?
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 3 minutes, 36 seconds
Release Date: July 2, 2025

#NASA #ESA #EUMETSAT #Space #Science #Satellites #SpaceXFalcon9Rocket #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Environment #Weather #Meteorology #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #MTGS1 #SentinelSatellites #Sentinel4 #EarthObservation #Europe #EuropeanUnion #CivilianSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

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

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

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

Look for Mars in the evening, Venus and Jupiter in the morning, and find the eagle constellation, Aquila, soaring overhead.

0:00 Intro
0:14 July planet viewing
1:43 The Constellation Aquila
3:12 July Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What's Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at 

https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Duration: 3 minutes, 33 seconds
Release Date: July 2, 2025

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

NASA Practices Abort Scenarios Ahead of Artemis II Crewed Moon Mission

NASA Practices Abort Scenarios Ahead of Artemis II Crewed Moon Mission

Off the Florida coast, using mannequin crew and the NASA Orion spacecraft mockup Crew Module Test Article (CMTA), NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team and Department of Defense participants in the sky and sea rehearsed procedures to rescue the Artemis II crew during an abort from Launch Complex 39B or during ascent to space. Teams in a C-17 aircraft dropped inflatable boats and support gear, jet skis, and survival equipment to aid rescuers below. 

For details on this practice session, visit: 
http://go.nasa.gov/4jNdtXP     

The Artemis II Mission, slated to launch in April 2026, will fly four astronauts around the Moon. This mission will last for about 10 days and will be the first crewed test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Florida needed to support them. 

Not only will this mission be the first time in over 50 years that human beings have seen the Moon close-up, Artemis II will also prepare us for future human landings on the Moon starting with the Artemis III mission and help prepare for future missions to Mars.

Learn more about the Artemis II mission: 
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: July 2, 2025

#NASA #Space #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIIMission #ArtemisII #NASASLS #SLSRocket  #Astronauts #MoonToMars #Science #DeepSpaceExploration #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #KennedySpaceCenter #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #DoD #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Russian Progress MS-31 Cargo Spacecraft: Launch Prep | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-31 Cargo Spacecraft: Launch Prep | International Space Station

Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket and Progress MS-31 cargo spacecraft (Russian) on Pad 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Emblem of the Soyuz-Apollo Flight 50th Anniversary

Launch of a Roscosmos Progress MS-31 cargo spacecraft on a Soyuz 2.1a rocket (Russian) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is scheduled for July 3, 2025. The Soyuz 2.1a launch vehicle with the Progress MS-31 spacecraft atop has been rolled out and made vertical on Pad 31. It will carry 2625 kg of cargo to the International Space Station, including equipment for scientific experiments, food, clothing, 950 kg of fuel, 420 kg of drinking water and 50 kg of nitrogen.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineers and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy of Russia, trained on a computer for the arrival and docking of the Progress 92 cargo spacecraft to the Poisk module scheduled for July 5. The duo also finished loading the Progress 90 cargo craft with trash and discarded gear and closed the spacecraft’s hatch before its undocking from Poisk on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

Apollo–Soyuz was the first crewed international space mission, carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in July 1975. Millions of people around the world watched on television as an American Apollo spacecraft docked withap a Soviet Soyuz capsule. The project, and its "handshake" in space, was a symbol of détente between the two superpowers amid the Cold War.

The Americans officially called the mission the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) while the Soviets called it Experimental flight "Soyuz"–"Apollo" (Russian: Экспериментальный полёт «Союз»–«Аполлон», romanized: Eksperimentalniy polyot "Soyuz"–"Apollon") and Soyuz 19. The unnumbered American spacecraft was left over from canceled Apollo missions and was the last Apollo module to fly.

The mission consisted of three American astronauts (Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, and Deke Slayton) and two Soviet cosmonauts (Alexei Leonov and Valery Kubasov) that performed joint and separate scientific experiments, including an arranged eclipse of the Sun by the Apollo module to allow instruments on the Soyuz to take photographs of the solar corona. The pre-flight work provided useful experience for later joint American–Russian space flights, such as the Shuttle–Mir program and the International Space Station.

Apollo–Soyuz was the last crewed United States spaceflight for nearly six years until the first launch of the Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981, and the last crewed United States spaceflight in a space capsule until Crew Dragon Demo-2 on May 30, 2020.

Image Credit: Roscosmos/Katya Pavlushchenko

Text Credit: Katya Pavlushchenko/Wikipedia

Release Dates: June 30-July 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #ПрогрессMS31 #ProgressCargoSpacecraft #SoyuzRocketLaunch #Союз #BaikonurCosmodrome #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Cosmonauts #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Expedition73 #SpaceLaboratory #SoyuzApollo50thAnniversary #ApolloSoyuz #History #STEM #Education

The Earth & Moon | China Tianwen-2 Asteroid Sample/Return & Comet Mission

The Earth & Moon | China Tianwen-2 Asteroid Sample/Return & Comet Mission

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) just released images of the Earth and the Moon taken by its Tianwen-2 spacecraft on its way to sample asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (2016HO3), a near-Earth object of the Apollo group. Tianwen-2 was launched on May 28, 2025.

Tianwen-2 will collect pristine samples from the near-Earth asteroid, 2016HO3 and return them to Earth. Next, it will go explore the main-belt comet 311P—more distant than Mars.

The probe is expected to return asteroid samples to Earth in 2027 with the entire mission to last a decade.

If successful, China will become only the third country in the world to carry out such a feat after Japan and the United States.

The Tianwen-2 mission is the latest example of China's space achievements in recent years. These include returning samples from the near and far sides of the Moon, launching a successful mission to probe Mars, operating its own national space station in orbit, and moving ahead in its plan to send humans to the lunar surface by 2030.

Liu Jianjun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) National Astronomical Observatories and deputy chief engineer of the Tianwen-2 mission, said at the press briefing that studying asteroids, known as "cosmic fossils," can provide important clues about the solar system's infancy and the Earth's evolution.

"Asteroids are a very special celestial body in our solar system. They maintain a relatively primitive state seen in the early stage of our solar system's formation, so studying them can greatly help us understand the infancy of the solar system. More importantly, studying asteroids provides very important clues for us to understand the Earth and its evolution," said Liu.

Significantly, depending on the 2016HO3's surface conditions, Tianwen-2 will employ three approaches for sample collection—hover sampling, touch-and-go, and attachment sampling. This makes China the first country in the world to design multiple asteroid sampling techniques.

Su Yan, another researcher of the CAS's National Astronomical Observatories and chief engineer of the Tianwen-2 mission's ground application system, added that China's foray into asteroid sample return demonstrates the significant advancement in its deep space exploration technologies.

"Based on the unknown features of asteroids, the probe has been specially designed with three sampling methods. It is also the first time in the world that so many sampling techniques have been designed by a country. Since we have, until now, just started to conduct exploration on this type of targets, it marks a significant improvement in our country's deep space exploration technologies," Su said.

Image Credit: CNSA
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #Asteroids #AsteroidKamooalewa #Asteroid2016HO3 #AsteroidSampleReturn #Comets #Comet311P #Comet311PPANSTARRS #CometFlyby #China #中国 #Tianwen2 #天问二号 #Tianwen2Spacecraft #DeepSpace #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

How NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Docks in Space | Lockheed Martin Space

How NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Docks in Space | Lockheed Martin Space

Orion is NASA’s next-generation spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts to the Moon and beyond. But to reach the lunar surface, it must first master one of the most complex maneuvers in spaceflight: rendezvous, proximity operations and docking—known as RPOD.

In this video, explore how we developed Orion’s advanced RPOD system using cameras, LiDAR and cutting-edge software to guide and control every step of the docking process with NASA. From high-tech simulations in California and Colorado to future Artemis missions, discover how Orion will autonomously (and safely) link up with lunar landers and space stations—hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth.

Watch to learn how this technology will pave the way for the first human return to the Moon since Apollo—and set the stage for Mars.

Learn more: https://lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2025/docking-orion.html

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Video Credit: Lockheed Martin Space
Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: July 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #LockheedMartin #OrionSpacecraft #RPOD #LiDAR #LockheedMartin #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Young Stars of Taurus | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: The Young Stars of Taurus | Hubble Space Telescope

The subject of this Hubble picture is a reflection nebula, identified as GN 04.32.8. Reflection nebulae are clouds of dust in space that do not emit their own light, as other nebulae do. Instead, the light from nearby stars hits and scatters off their dust, lighting them up. Because of the way the light scatters, many reflection nebulae tend to appear blue, GN 04.32.8 included.

GN 04.32.8 is a small part of the stellar nursery known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud. At only roughly 480 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus, it is one of the best locations for studying newly forming stars. This reflection nebula is illuminated by the system of three bright stars in the center of this image, mainly the variable star V1025 Tauri in the very center. One of those stars overlaps with part of the nebula: this is another variable star that is named HP Tauri, but is classified as a T Tauri star, for its similarity to yet another variable star elsewhere in the Taurus Molecular Complex. T Tauri stars are very active, chaotic stars at an early stage of their evolution, so it is no surprise that they appear in a prolific stellar nursery like this one. The three stars are also named HP Tau, HP Tau G2 and HP Tau G3; they are believed to be gravitationally bound to each other, forming a triple system.

Eagle-eyed viewers might notice the small, squashed, orange spot, just left of center below the clouds of the nebula, that is crossed by a dark line. This is a newly-formed protostar, hidden in a protoplanetary disc that obstructs a portion of its light. Because the disc is edge-on to us, it is an ideal candidate for study. Astronomers are using Hubble here to examine it closely, seeking to learn about the kinds of exoplanets that might be formed in discs like it.

Image Description: A long, smoky, greyish-blue cloud in the center of the image curves in an arc around three bright stars, each with long cross-shaped diffraction spikes. The cloud is lit more brightly on the inner side facing the stars, and fades into the dark background on the outer side. A few other stars and points of light surround the cloud: one small star below it has a dark band crossing its center.

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, G. Duchêne, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble35 #Nebulae #Nebula #GN04328 #ReflectionNebulae #StellarNurseries #Stars #V1025Tauri #HPTauri #TTauriStars #Taurus #Constellation #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Heart of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: MIRI view | Webb Telescope

Close-up: The Heart of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: MIRI view | Webb Telescope

This new image from Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) provides a remarkable, mostly starless view of Messier 82 (M82). The image is instead dominated by the emission from warm dust and intricate clouds of sooty organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. It is located just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds.

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

Image Description: An image of the central part of galaxy M82. Its disc, a narrow bar from the top to the bottom of the image, can be seen by its intense blue-white glow. Thick clouds of gas cover the scene, erupting from the galaxy’s core out to the left and right. The gas is mostly pale red in color and richly textured, with ridges and cavities visible in great detail. A few stars in M82 are visible scattered across the gas.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Heart of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: MIRI view | Webb Telescope

The Heart of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: MIRI view | Webb Telescope

This new image from Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) provides a remarkable, mostly starless view of Messier 82 (M82). The image is instead dominated by the emission from warm dust and intricate clouds of sooty organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. It is located just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. 

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

Image Description: An image of the central part of galaxy M82. Its disc, a narrow bar from the top to the bottom of the image, can be seen by its intense blue-white glow. Thick clouds of gas cover the scene, erupting from the galaxy’s core out to the left and right. The gas is mostly pale red in color and richly textured, with ridges and cavities visible in great detail. A few stars in M82 are visible scattered across the gas.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto

Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

New Views of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | James Webb Space Telescope

New Views of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | James Webb Space Telescope

This video showcases two new Webb views of M82. It is located just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. 

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto, N. . Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Center of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | Webb Telescope

Close-up: The Center of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | Webb Telescope

This James Webb Space Telescope picture is a nearby galaxy that outshines the Milky Way. This galaxy, called Messier 82 (M82) or the Cigar Galaxy, is situated just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. 

Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) has drawn back these clouds, revealing the full brilliance of the galactic center.

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

A previous Webb NIRCam image of M82 was released in 2024. The earlier image focused on the very core of the galaxy, where individual clusters of young stars stand out against the clumps and tendrils of gas. This new image takes a broader view of M82’s brilliant centre, capturing the light of billions of stars as well as the glow of organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. 

Researchers used the new Webb data to identify plumes traced by the emission from PAH molecules. Each plume is only about 160 light-years wide, and the Webb images show that these plumes are made up of multiple individual clouds that are 16–49 light-years across—an incredible level of detail enabled by Webb’s sensitive instruments. These clouds appear to have been caught up in the galaxy’s powerful outflowing winds and whisked away from the galactic disc.

Ultimately, this phenomenon points back to the galaxy’s remarkable abundance of massive star clusters: as these massive clusters form, their newborn stars sear the surrounding gas with high-energy radiation and particles, launching the outflowing wind that is traced by this NIRCam image.

Image Description: An image of the central part of galaxy M82. The galaxy’s disc extends from the top to the bottom of the image, emitting a blue-white glow. Gas erupts from the brightly shining center, forming an hourglass-shaped plume of red and orange dust clouds to the left and right. Ridges and cavities in the gas are visible in great detail. Many distant galaxies can be seen in the background, as well as tiny pinprick stars in M82.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto, N. . Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: A Starburst Shines in Infrared | Webb Telescope

Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major: A Starburst Shines in Infrared | Webb Telescope

This James Webb Space Telescope picture is a nearby galaxy that outshines the Milky Way. This galaxy, called Messier 82 (M82) or the Cigar Galaxy, is situated just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. 

Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) has drawn back these clouds, revealing the full brilliance of the galactic center.

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

A previous Webb NIRCam image of M82 was released in 2024. The earlier image focused on the very core of the galaxy, where individual clusters of young stars stand out against the clumps and tendrils of gas. This new image takes a broader view of M82’s brilliant centre, capturing the light of billions of stars as well as the glow of organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. 

Researchers used the new Webb data to identify plumes traced by the emission from PAH molecules. Each plume is only about 160 light-years wide, and the Webb images show that these plumes are made up of multiple individual clouds that are 16–49 light-years across—an incredible level of detail enabled by Webb’s sensitive instruments. These clouds appear to have been caught up in the galaxy’s powerful outflowing winds and whisked away from the galactic disc.

Ultimately, this phenomenon points back to the galaxy’s remarkable abundance of massive star clusters: as these massive clusters form, their newborn stars sear the surrounding gas with high-energy radiation and particles, launching the outflowing wind that is traced by this NIRCam image.

Image Description: An image of the central part of galaxy M82. The galaxy’s disc extends from the top to the bottom of the image, emitting a blue-white glow. Gas erupts from the brightly shining center, forming an hourglass-shaped plume of red and orange dust clouds to the left and right. Ridges and cavities in the gas are visible in great detail. Many distant galaxies can be seen in the background, as well as tiny pinprick stars in M82.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto
Release Date: June 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxies #UrsaMajor #Constellation #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education