Zooming into Gas at The Milky Way's Core | ALMA

Zooming into Gas at The Milky Way's Core | ALMA

This video zooms into the complex molecular gas in the center of the Milky Way—a chaotic and extreme environment where stars do not necessarily form in the same way as they do in the outskirts of our galaxy. It is called the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). 

The video combines images taken with telescopes at various times and wavelengths. The clip begins with a wide view of the night sky in visible light, and ends with an image taken at millimeter wavelengths with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Molecules are shown in distinct colors.

Cold molecular gas flows along filaments feeding into clumps of matter that stars can grow from. In the outskirts of the Milky Way we know how this process happens, but within the central region the events are much more extreme. “The CMZ hosts some of the most massive stars known in our galaxy, many of which live fast and die young, ending their lives in powerful supernova explosions, and even hypernovae,” says ACES leader Steve Longmore, a professor of astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. With ACES, astronomers hope to better understand how these phenomena influence the birth of stars and whether our theories of star formation hold in extreme environments.

“By studying how stars are born in the CMZ, we can also gain a clearer picture of how galaxies grew and evolved,” Longmore adds. “We believe the region shares many features with galaxies in the early Universe, where stars were forming in chaotic, extreme environments.”

Credit: ESO/L. Calçada/N. Risinger/Digitized Sky Survey 2/ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al.
Duration: 51 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #CentralMolecularZone #CMZ #MolecularGas #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #ESO #ALMA #RadioAstronomy #Europe #UnitedStates #VISTA #InfraredAstronomy #Chile #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Hidden Chemistry at The Heart of Our Galaxy | ALMA

The Hidden Chemistry at The Heart of Our Galaxy | ALMA

   

This video explores the molecular gas in the center of the Milky Way in unprecedented detail. This new image, obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), shows the distribution of molecules, each displayed in a distinct color. This map will allow astronomers to understand how stars form in the extreme and chaotic environment in the center of our galaxy.

This map is part of ACES—the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey—a project designed to understand how gas condenses into stars in the extreme and chaotic environment at the heart of our galaxy. The survey has charted the distribution of dozens of molecule types, five are shown here: sulphur monoxide (cyan), silicon monoxide (green), isocyanic acid (red), cyanoacetylene (blue), and carbon monosulphide (magenta).

Cold molecular gas flows along filaments feeding into clumps of matter out of which stars can grow. In the outskirts of the Milky Way we know how this process happens, but within the central region the events are much more extreme. “The CMZ hosts some of the most massive stars known in our galaxy, many of which live fast and die young, ending their lives in powerful supernova explosions, and even hypernovae,” says ACES leader Steve Longmore, a professor of astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. With ACES, astronomers hope to better understand how these phenomena influence the birth of stars and whether our theories of star formation hold in extreme environments.

“By studying how stars are born in the CMZ, we can also gain a clearer picture of how galaxies grew and evolved,” Longmore adds. “We believe the region shares many features with galaxies in the early Universe, where stars were forming in chaotic, extreme environments.”

Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al. Background: ESO/D. Minniti et al.
Script: J. C. Muñoz
Editing: M. Martins
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #CentralMolecularZone #CMZ #MolecularGas #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #ESO #ALMA #RadioAstronomy #Europe #UnitedStates #VISTA #InfraredAstronomy #Chile #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of The Milky Way | ALMA

Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of The Milky Way | ALMA

This image shows the complex distribution of molecular gas in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way. It was obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The European Southern Observatory is a partner. This map is as long as three full Moons side-by-side in the sky, and it is in fact the largest ALMA image ever obtained.

This image shows the location of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a region at the core of our galaxy rich in dense and intricate gas clouds. This zone has been mapped with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), as part of the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey or ACES. The inset is an ACES image where molecules are displayed in a variety of colors. The entire image – the largest ever made with ALMA—is as long as three full Moons side-by-side in the sky.

A wispy cosmic cloud against a dark starry background. The cloud is horizontally elongated. It has an overall pinkish shade, but it is full of intricate filaments in distinct colors.

This image shows the complex distribution of molecular gas in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way. It was obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The European Southern Observatory is a partner. This map is as long as three full Moons side-by-side in the sky, and it is in fact the largest ALMA image ever obtained.

This map is part of ACES—the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey—a project designed to understand how gas condenses into stars in the extreme and chaotic environment at the heart of our galaxy. The survey has charted the distribution of dozens of molecule types, five are shown here: sulphur monoxide (cyan), silicon monoxide (green), isocyanic acid (red), cyanoacetylene (blue), and carbon monosulphide (magenta).

The stars in the foreground of this image were observed at infrared wavelengths (Y, Z and J filters) with ESO’s Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) telescope as part of another project. The actual density of stars in the CMZ is much higher than what is shown here, where we have opted to highlight the details in the molecular cloud. Note that the edges of the ALMA map appear sharper because the ALMA observations do not cover the entire rectangular area here.

Cold molecular gas flows along filaments feeding into clumps of matter that stars can grow from. In the outskirts of the Milky Way we know how this process happens, but within the central region the events are much more extreme. “The CMZ hosts some of the most massive stars known in our galaxy, many of which live fast and die young, ending their lives in powerful supernova explosions, and even hypernovae,” says ACES leader Steve Longmore, a professor of astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. With ACES, astronomers hope to better understand how these phenomena influence the birth of stars and whether our theories of star formation hold in extreme environments.

“By studying how stars are born in the CMZ, we can also gain a clearer picture of how galaxies grew and evolved,” Longmore adds. “We believe the region shares many features with galaxies in the early Universe, where stars were forming in chaotic, extreme environments.”

Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al. Background: ESO/D. Minniti et al.
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #CentralMolecularZone #CMZ #MolecularGas #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #ESO #ALMA #RadioAstronomy #Europe #UnitedStates #VISTA #InfraredAstronomy #Chile #STEM #Education

A Quick Listen to This Month's "Planetary Parade" | NASA Chandra

A Quick Listen to This Month's "Planetary Parade" | NASA Chandra

In late February 2026, people in the northern hemisphere can look up for a special sight—six planets will all be visible from clear and dark night skies. Since the planets in our Solar System travel around the Sun in same plane, known as the ecliptic, they will sometimes appear bunched together on the sky if their orbits find them on the same side of the Sun at the same time. When this happens, it looks like the planets have roughly formed a line from our vantage point on Earth.

New sonifications from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory help commemorate this latest so-called planetary parade. In the latest sonifications, three of the planets that will be on display—Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus—can be seen and heard in ways that they cannot from the ground on Earth.

While Chandra is best known for its X-ray insight into black holes and other extreme objects, the telescope has also played an important role in the exploration of our Solar System. The Sun gives off X-rays that travel out into the Solar System and can be reflected by planets, moons, and other bodies. This gives astronomers a unique window into certain physics that cannot be discovered through other kinds of telescopes.

The sonification of Jupiter combines X-ray data from Chandra with an infrared image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Woodwind sounds reveal Chandra’s X-ray data including emission from the planet’s auroras. More instruments join in to represent the planet’s complex cloud layers. Next, by combining an optical image from NASA’s Cassini mission with X-rays from Chandra, we can experience Saturn like never before. A siren-like sound follows the arc of the rings and tones of synthesizers play as the scan passes the planet itself. Finally, we can hear the ice giant of Uranus through the data collected by Chandra and the W.M. Keck Observatory. The data in this sonification reflect the amount of the different light detected from the planet and the orientation of its ring.

Sonifications are translations of astronomical data into sounds. This process of translation preserves the integrity of the data that arrives on Earth as a series of ones and zeroes (binary code), and shifts it into a form that our brains can process through hearing. Sonifications expand options for people to explore what telescopes discover in space, an example of NASA’s ongoing commitment to share its data as widely as possible.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 46 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #Uranus  #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #Sonifications #Audio #HD #Video

A "Planetary Parade" of Sonifications | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

A "Planetary Parade" of Sonifications | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

In late February 2026, people in the northern hemisphere can look up for a special sight—six planets will all be visible from clear and dark night skies. Since the planets in our Solar System travel around the Sun in same plane, known as the ecliptic, they will sometimes appear bunched together on the sky if their orbits find them on the same side of the Sun at the same time. When this happens, it looks like the planets have roughly formed a line from our vantage point on Earth.

New sonifications from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory help commemorate this latest so-called planetary parade. In the latest sonifications, three of the planets that will be on display—Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus—can be seen and heard in ways that they cannot from the ground on Earth.

While Chandra is best known for its X-ray insight into black holes and other extreme objects, the telescope has also played an important role in the exploration of our Solar System. The Sun gives off X-rays that travel out into the Solar System and can be reflected by planets, moons, and other bodies. This gives astronomers a unique window into certain physics that cannot be discovered through other kinds of telescopes.

The sonification of Jupiter combines X-ray data from Chandra with an infrared image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Woodwind sounds reveal Chandra’s X-ray data including emission from the planet’s auroras. More instruments join in to represent the planet’s complex cloud layers. Next, by combining an optical image from NASA’s Cassini mission with X-rays from Chandra, we can experience Saturn like never before. A siren-like sound follows the arc of the rings and tones of synthesizers play as the scan passes the planet itself. Finally, we can hear the ice giant of Uranus through the data collected by Chandra and the W.M. Keck Observatory. The data in this sonification reflect the amount of the different light detected from the planet and the orientation of its ring.

Sonifications are translations of astronomical data into sounds. This process of translation preserves the integrity of the data that arrives on Earth as a series of ones and zeroes (binary code), and shifts it into a form that our brains can process through hearing. Sonifications expand options for people to explore what telescopes discover in space, an example of NASA’s ongoing commitment to share its data as widely as possible.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 3 minutes, 18 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #Uranus  #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #Sonifications #Audio #HD #Video

PMR 1: The Exposed Cranium Nebula in Vela (MIRI image) | Webb Telescope

PMR 1: The Exposed Cranium Nebula in Vela (MIRI image) | Webb Telescope

Exposed Cranium Nebula (MIRI image)

The differences in what Webb’s infrared instruments reveal and conceal within the PMR 1 “Exposed Cranium” nebula is apparent in this side-by-side view. More stars and background galaxies shine through the view of Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), while cosmic dust glows more prominently in the light captured by the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

In this image captured by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), more of the dusty material in the nebula PMR located in the Vela constellation shows up. Fewer stars and background galaxies appear in this image than in the near-infrared light captured by Webb’s  Near-Infrared Camera NIRCam instrument. Seeing the nebula in distinct wavelengths of infrared light gives astronomers a better idea of how much material the dying star at the heart of the nebula is shedding, and what phase of its decline Webb has captured.

Distance from Earth: ~5,000 light years

Like NIRCam, MIRI also shows two distinct phases of the nebula’s formation—an outer shell primarily of hydrogen that was blown off first, then a more complex and structured mix of material closer to the centre of the nebula. Together, these give the nebula the unusual appearance of a brain inside a semi-transparent skull.

The MIRI instrument shows the ejection of material at the top of the nebula more prominently than NIRCam, interrupting the overall oval, brain-like shape. Less prominent is a potential twin ejection on the opposite, bottom side, hinting at a potential bipolar outflow that, with further analysis, can shed light on the dynamics at play inside this “exposed cranium.”

Image Description: A nebula appears like a transparent bubble with a blue edge, inside which are two hemispheres of off-white material being blown out from the center, interspersed vertically by a dark lane that gives the overall appearance of a brain seen from above. At the top of the nebula the dark lane ends in an oval with the inner off-white material arcing overtop, giving the impression of an eruption. The bottom of the nebula mirrors this effect, but less dramatically. A few scattered background galaxies can be seen around the outer bubble.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, 

Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) 
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #PMR1 #ExposedCraniumNebula #VelaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

PMR 1—The Exposed Cranium Nebula: MIRI & NIRCam images | Webb Telescope

PMR 1—The Exposed Cranium Nebula: MIRI & NIRCam images | Webb Telescope

Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust located in the Vela constellation that bears an uncanny resemblance to a brain in a transparent skull, inspiring its nickname, the “Exposed Cranium” nebula. The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope Webb captured its unusual features in both near- and mid-infrared light using two instruments that reveal enhancing details of the nebula’s brain-like appearance.

Distance from Earth: ~5,000 light years

The first image shown that reveals the light captured by Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), while stars and background galaxies shine through in the second image from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).

The dark center lane that contributes to this nebula’s distinctive brain-like appearance is more noticeable in NIRCam, but its apparent role in the ejection of material at the top and bottom of the nebula is seen more clearly in MIRI’s view. Observing the cosmos in multiple wavelengths of light provides a more complete picture of how the universe works.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #PMR1 #ExposedCraniumNebula #VelaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: PMR 1—The Exposed Cranium Nebula in Vela | Webb Telescope

Close-up: PMR 1—The Exposed Cranium Nebula in Vela | Webb Telescope

A distinct dark lane between two cosmic clouds adds to the brainy appearance of the planetary nebula PMR 1 located in the Vela constellation. The Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument on the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope shows multiple phases of a dying star’s outbursts in one image—the skull-like, whitish outer bubble is from an initial ejection, mostly of hydrogen, followed by other heavier material, shown in orange in the nebula’s interior. As with many NIRCam images, many stars and even distant galaxies can be seen behind the nebula.

Distance from Earth: ~5,000 light years

Beyond its unusual appearance there is still much to be uncovered about PMR 1. It is unclear if the star creating the nebula is massive enough to undergo a supernova, or if it will evolve into a dense white dwarf once it has shed all its outer layers.

Image Description: A nebula appears like a transparent bubble with a white edge. Inside are two hemispheres of orange clouds being blown out from the center, split by a dark lane, giving the overall appearance of a see-through skull with a brain inside, as seen from above. A few stars appear with six points, and small background galaxies can be seen around and through the outer bubble.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #PMR1 #ExposedCraniumNebula #VelaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

PMR 1: The Exposed Cranium Nebula in Vela (NIRCam image) | Webb Telescope

PMR 1: The Exposed Cranium Nebula in Vela (NIRCam image) | Webb Telescope

A distinct dark lane between two cosmic clouds adds to the brainy appearance of the planetary nebula PMR 1 located in the Vela constellation. The Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument on the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope shows multiple phases of a dying star’s outbursts in one image—the skull-like, whitish outer bubble is from an initial ejection, mostly of hydrogen, followed by other heavier material, shown in orange in the nebula’s interior. As with many NIRCam images, many stars and even distant galaxies can be seen behind the nebula.

Distance from Earth: ~5,000 light years

Beyond its unusual appearance there is still much to be uncovered about PMR 1. It is unclear if the star creating the nebula is massive enough to undergo a supernova, or if it will evolve into a dense white dwarf once it has shed all its outer layers.

Image Description: A nebula appears like a transparent bubble with a white edge. Inside are two hemispheres of orange clouds being blown out from the center, split by a dark lane, giving the overall appearance of a see-through skull with a brain inside, as seen from above. A few stars appear with six points, and small background galaxies can be seen around and through the outer bubble.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, 

Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) 
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #PMR1 #ExposedCraniumNebula #VelaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Saturn Quadruple Moon Transit | Hubble Space Telescope

Saturn Quadruple Moon Transit | Hubble Space Telescope

This Hubble video shows four of Saturn's moons moving across the face of their parent planet on February 24, 2009. Icy moons Enceladus and Dione are on the far left, while the large orange moon Titan and icy Mimas are on the right. The closer the moon is to Saturn, the faster it orbits, according to the laws of gravity.

In astronomy, a transit (or astronomical transit) is the passage of a celestial body directly between a larger body and the observer. As viewed from a particular vantage point, the transiting body appears to move across the face of the larger body, covering a small portion of it.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)
Duration: 33 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2026

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Saturn #Moons #Titan #Enceladus #Dione #Mimas #SolarSystem #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

Open Star Cluster NGC 2477 in Puppis | European Southern Observatory

Open Star Cluster NGC 2477 in Puppis | European Southern Observatory

NGC 2477 (also known as Caldwell 71) is an open star cluster in the constellation Puppis. It contains about 300 stars, and was discovered by Abbe Lacaille in 1751. The cluster's age has been estimated at about 700 million years.

Distance from Earth: ~3600 light years

NGC 2477 is a stunning cluster, almost as extensive in the sky as the full moon. It has been called "one of the top open clusters in the sky", like a highly-resolved globular cluster without the dense center characteristic of globular clusters.

Credit: ESO/J.Pérez
Release Date: April 16, 2013

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #NGC2477 #Caldwell71 #PuppisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

March 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse over The Americas: Shadow Preview

March 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse over The Americas: Shadow Preview

Map showing where the March 3, 2026 lunar eclipse is visible. Contours mark the edge of the visibility region at eclipse contact times, labeled in UTC.

Alignment of the Moon, Earth, and Sun during a lunar eclipse (not to scale).

On March 3, 2025, the Moon enters the Earth's shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse, the first visible in the Americas since March 2025. This animation shows the changing appearance of the Moon as it travels into and out of the Earth's shadow, along with times at various stages. Celestial north is up in this imagery, corresponding to the view from mid-northern latitudes. Rotating the images by 180 degrees would create the south-up view for southern hemisphere observers.

The penumbra is the part of the Earth’s shadow where the Sun is only partially covered by the Earth. The umbra is where the Sun is completely hidden. The Moon's appearance is not affected much by the penumbra. The real action begins when the Moon starts to disappear as it enters the umbra at about 1:50 a.m. Pacific Sstandard Time. An hour and a half later, entirely within the umbra, the Moon is a ghostly copper color. The totally eclipsed Moon is 10 or more f-stops dimmer than a normal full Moon. This is captured in the animation by simulating an abrupt change of exposure near the start and end of totality. Totality lasts for about an hour before the Moon begins to emerge from the central shadow. During the eclipse, the Moon is moving through the constellation Leo.

Learn more here:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/march-2026-total-lunar-eclipse-your-questions-answered/

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio
Ernie Wright (USRA): Lead Visualizer
Release Date: Jan. 28, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Moon #Earth #LunarEclipse #Umbra #Penumbra #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #Infographics #STEM #Education

March 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse over The Americas: Shadow Preview

March 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse over The Americas: Shadow Preview

On March 3, 2025, the Moon enters the Earth's shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse, the first visible in the Americas since March 2025. This animation shows the changing appearance of the Moon as it travels into and out of the Earth's shadow, along with times at various stages. Celestial north is up in this imagery, corresponding to the view from mid-northern latitudes. Rotating the images by 180 degrees would create the south-up view for southern hemisphere observers.

The penumbra is the part of the Earth’s shadow where the Sun is only partially covered by the Earth. The umbra is where the Sun is completely hidden. The Moon's appearance is not affected much by the penumbra. The real action begins when the Moon starts to disappear as it enters the umbra at about 1:50 a.m. Pacific Sstandard Time. An hour and a half later, entirely within the umbra, the Moon is a ghostly copper color. The totally eclipsed Moon is 10 or more f-stops dimmer than a normal full Moon. This is captured in the animation by simulating an abrupt change of exposure near the start and end of totality. Totality lasts for about an hour before the Moon begins to emerge from the central shadow. During the eclipse, the Moon is moving through the constellation Leo.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio
Ernie Wright (USRA): Lead Visualizer
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 28, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Moon #Earth #LunarEclipse #Umbra #Penumbra #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

NASA Career Spotlight: Aerospace Welder

NASA Career Spotlight: Aerospace Welder

When you think of NASA, you might picture astronauts floating in space or scientists in control rooms. However, behind every rocket launch, orbiting satellite, and space station mission, there are welders making it possible. 

Learn more about the important role welders play at NASA: 
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/career-spotlight-welder-ages-14-18/

We are inviting students to participate in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities. Join us and our contractors as we apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to explore space, improve aeronautics, examine Earth, and strive to land the next humans on the Moon with the Artemis program.

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #Engineering #Earth #Moon #SpaceExploration #Spaceflight #SolarSystem #ArtemisProgram #HumanSpaceflight #Aerospace #Welders #AerospaceWelders #Spacecraft #Satellites #Careers #JobOpportunities #CareerOpportunities #JobTraining #Students #HighSchool #College #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Bright Supernova in Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 | Hubble Space Telescope

Bright Supernova in Nearby Galaxy NGC 2403 | Hubble Space Telescope

This detailed view of spiral galaxy NGC 2403 shows the location of Supernova 2004dj, numerous star clusters, and several other stars that exploded in previous years. The region was observed with the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys on Aug. 17, 2004

The image at left represents a small region of NGC 2403, a galaxy located 11 million light-years from Earth. The photo was taken two months before a massive star exploded. The image pinpoints the location of the stellar blast, known as supernova 2004dj, within a cluster of massive, generally blue (but some red) stars called Sandage 96. The cluster's total mass is estimated at about 24,000 times the mass of the Sun. The stars in this cluster are so far away that their light blends together, appearing as the light of a single star. The yellow object below and to the left of the cluster is a foreground star in our Milky Way Galaxy. The pink blob at bottom, center is a star-birth region. This image was taken May 8, 2004, with the WIYN 0.9-meter mosaic camera at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

The image at right pinpoints the supernova blast. The photo was taken on Aug. 17, 2004, with the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The light from this outburst outshines every star in the massive cluster. Similar blue clusters of stars can be seen throughout the image. The bluish-pink blob towards the bottom of the image is a large star-birth region.

The explosion of a massive star blazes with the light of 200 million Suns in this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image. The arrow at top right in the second image points to the stellar blast, called a supernova. The supernova is so bright in this image that it easily could be mistaken for a foreground star in our Milky Way Galaxy. And yet, this supernova, called SN 2004dj, resides far beyond our galaxy. Its home is in the outskirts of NGC 2403, a galaxy located 11 million light-years from Earth.

A supernova is the biggest explosion that humans have ever seen. Each blast is the extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star.

Learn more about supernovae:
https://www.nasa.gov/universe/stars/supernovae/

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/supernova/en/

Credit: NASA, ESA, A.V. Filippenko (University of California, Berkeley), P. Challis (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), et al.
Release Date: Sept. 2, 2004

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC2403 #Caldwell7 #Supernovae #SN2004dj #StellarLifecycles #CamelopardalisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

A Galaxy of "Birth and Death": NGC 2403 in Camelopardalis | Mayall Telescope

A Galaxy of "Birth and Death": NGC 2403 in Camelopardalis | Mayall Telescope

Captured by the Mosaic camera on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab, the spiral galaxy NGC 2403, also known as Caldwell 7, highlights the dynamic birth and death of stars. The glowing red spots dotting the galaxy are clouds of ionized hydrogen gas known as HII regions. These areas indicate the birth of young, hot stars that often ionize nearby hydrogen gas during their dynamic formation. Conversely, NGC 2403 has also been the home of the supernova SN 2004dj. The region in NGC 2403 containing the star that became a supernova in 2004 had been observed before, during, and after the explosion, providing a fascinating timeline of the impact of the event. 

Since star formation occurs on a timescale much longer than a human lifetime, the process has to be pieced together like a puzzle through observations of stars at distinct stages of the stellar life cycle. It is very satisfying for astronomers to be able to observe supernovae that occur incredibly quickly even by human standards, to confirm and develop theories of the life cycle of stars.

Learn more about the Mayall Telescope: 
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/kpno/telescopes/nicholas-mayall-4m-telescope

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. T. Patterson (New Mexico State University)
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab)
Release Date: May 25, 2022

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