A Bubblegum-pink Nebula: Gum 46 in Crux | European Southern Observatory

A Bubblegum-pink Nebula: Gum 46 in Crux | European Southern Observatory

This picture shows Gum 46, a stunning gas cloud 5500 light-years away, observed in detail with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Why does it glow pink?

At the heart of Gum 46 there is a young, hot, and blue star called HD311999. Its intense radiation excites atoms in the surrounding gas. This then re-emit this energy at very specific colors or wavelengths. The pink shade that dominates this image is due to hydrogen atoms, the most abundant element in this nebula and the Universe as a whole.

The dark wispy clouds that surround the nebula make for a stunning sight, too. These clouds are not intrinsically dark. They are extremely dense regions of dust that block light passing through them, enshrouding the glowing heart of Gum 46.

This image was created as part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Cosmic Gems program, an outreach initiative to produce images of interesting, intriguing or visually attractive objects using ESO telescopes, for the purposes of education and public outreach. The program makes use of telescope time that cannot be used for science observations. All data collected may also be suitable for scientific purposes, and are made available to astronomers through ESO’s science archive.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: May 13, 2024

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Gum46 #EmissionNebulae #Stars #HD311999 #CruxConstellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VST #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Planets Venus, Jupiter & Mercury: View from Arizona

Planets Venus, Jupiter & Mercury: View from Arizona

Astrophotographer David Blanchard: "The planets Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter continue to put on a show during evening twilight, including a reflection of Mercury in the calm waters of the lake."

In astronomy, a conjunction refers to an event where two or more celestial bodies appear to meet or pass each other in the sky. A conjunction is an apparent phenomenon caused by an observer's perspective. However, the two objects involved are not actually close to one another in space.

Arizona is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest.

Image Credit: David Blanchard
Location: Lake Mary, Flagstaff, Arizona
Image Details: Nikon D850, 35mm, f/2.8, ISO 100, 8 seconds
Date: June 13, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Mercury #Venus #Jupiter  #PlanetaryConjunctions #Astrophotography #Astrophotographers #DavidBlanchard #CitizenScience #LakeMary #Flagstaff #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Achieves Higher Launch Frequency

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Achieves Higher Launch Frequency

A Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) Y14 rocket, developed by Chinese commercial space company CAS Space, blasted off at 11:44 am Beijing Time (BJT) on June 15, 2026, from Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone in Northwest China delivering eight rideshare satellites into their designated orbits. These remote sensing satellites are now in Earth orbit and will image a variety of areas on behalf of Chinese provincial and municipal operators.

Kinetica-1 is now the first vehicle from a private Chinese provider to launch 100 satellites. Today’s launch was the 14th launch for Kinetica-1, and the 15th for CAS Space through its Kinetica family of launch vehicles. This was also the 40th launch from China in 2026. The CAS Space team continues to expand rocket production and launch frequency to meet rising commercial demand. The CAS Space factory in Guangzhou aims for low-cost, mass-production. The Kinetica-1 launch vehicle has flown for the third time in three months, delivering eight Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGSTL) built satellites into orbit where they will begin imaging Earth below for provincial and municipal operators including:

CGSTL manufactured several satellites for this  launch mission, starting with its own Jilin Gaofen-07C04 (吉星高分07C04星), for an expansion of its Jilin-1 (吉林一号) Earth imaging constellation. Caiyun Opitcal-01 (彩云光学01星), a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite dedicated to Yunnan province for geological disaster prevention and monitoring of natural resources, jointly backed by the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and the Yunnan Geological and Mining Group (云南地矿集团).

Antie-03 (安铁03星), also a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite for Quanzhou Zhongke Xingqiao Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd. (泉州中科星桥空天技术有限公司), supported by Anxi County People’s Government for ‘smart’ crop monitoring and management for Fujian province’s tea industry as part of its digital upgrade plans.

‘Lichuan Red (利川红)’, another a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite that is for the city of Lichuan in Hubei province, to monitor its ecological situation and resources, while supporting its tea industry, backed by Lichuan Municipal People's Government, who have technical support from Hubei Lirui Technology Co. Ltd.

Cultural Relics-01 (文物01星), tasked with monitoring cultural heritage sites from space by the National Cultural Heritage Administration via its high-resolution optical remote sensing capabilities.

Three other satellites launched were not yet named by CAS Space or their owner/operators.

Kinetica-1 is CAS Space’s first launch vehicle and consists of four stages, all burning solid fuel. CAS Space offers the ability to launch a single satellite to utilize all of the rocket’s payload capacity, however more ‘rideshare’ missions occur for multiple satellites to be delivered in one launch.

The payload capacity of the launch vehicle is:

2,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit

1,500 kilograms to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit

The first-stage is powered by a solid rocket booster that burns an unspecified solid fuel, generating 200 tons of thrust. The second-stage is also powered by a solid rocket booster, producing 110 tons of thrust with the same unidentified propellant. The-third stage, also using the undisclosed propellant, generates 45 tons of thrust. Finally, the fourth-stage is powered by another solid rocket booster, providing 8 tons of thrust with the same solid propellant.

On its launch pad, Kinetica-1 stands at 30 meters tall. The first two stages have a diameter of 2.65 meters, the fairing has a diameter of either 2.65 or 3.35 meters. When prepared for launch Kinetica-1 weighs a believed 135,000 kilograms.

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. CAS Space was founded in 2018 and is majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Video Credit: CAS Space/SMG
Text Credits: CAS Space, Xinhua, CGTN

Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Date: June 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Kinetica1 #Lijian1 #Lijian1Y14Rocket #Lijian1Y14 #LaunchVehicles #SolidFuelRockets #CGSTL #SatelliteLaunches #CommercialSpace #CAS #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #JSLC #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Launch of Eight Earth Observation Satellites

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Launch of Eight Earth Observation Satellites

A Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) Y14 rocket, developed by Chinese commercial space company CAS Space, blasted off at 11:44 am Beijing Time (BJT) on June 15, 2026, from Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone in Northwest China delivering eight rideshare satellites into their designated orbits. These remote sensing satellites are now in Earth orbit and will image a variety of areas on behalf of Chinese provincial and municipal operators.

Kinetica-1 is now the first vehicle from a private Chinese provider to launch 100 satellites. Today’s launch was the 14th launch for Kinetica-1, and the 15th for CAS Space through its Kinetica family of launch vehicles. This was also the 40th launch from China in 2026. The CAS Space team continues to expand rocket production and launch frequency to meet rising commercial demand. The CAS Space factory in Guangzhou aims for low-cost, mass-production. The Kinetica-1 launch vehicle has flown for the third time in three months, delivering eight Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGSTL) built satellites into orbit where they will begin imaging Earth below for provincial and municipal operators including:

CGSTL manufactured several satellites for this  launch mission, starting with its own Jilin Gaofen-07C04 (吉星高分07C04星), for an expansion of its Jilin-1 (吉林一号) Earth imaging constellation. Caiyun Opitcal-01 (彩云光学01星), a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite dedicated to Yunnan province for geological disaster prevention and monitoring of natural resources, jointly backed by the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and the Yunnan Geological and Mining Group (云南地矿集团).

Antie-03 (安铁03星), also a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite for Quanzhou Zhongke Xingqiao Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd. (泉州中科星桥空天技术有限公司), supported by Anxi County People’s Government for ‘smart’ crop monitoring and management for Fujian province’s tea industry as part of its digital upgrade plans.

‘Lichuan Red (利川红)’, another a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite that is for the city of Lichuan in Hubei province, to monitor its ecological situation and resources, while supporting its tea industry, backed by Lichuan Municipal People's Government, who have technical support from Hubei Lirui Technology Co. Ltd.

Cultural Relics-01 (文物01星), tasked with monitoring cultural heritage sites from space by the National Cultural Heritage Administration via its high-resolution optical remote sensing capabilities.

Three other satellites launched were not yet named by CAS Space or their owner/operators.

Kinetica-1 is CAS Space’s first launch vehicle and consists of four stages, all burning solid fuel. CAS Space offers the ability to launch a single satellite to utilize all of the rocket’s payload capacity, however more ‘rideshare’ missions occur for multiple satellites to be delivered in one launch.

The payload capacity of the launch vehicle is:

2,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit

1,500 kilograms to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit

The first-stage is powered by a solid rocket booster that burns an unspecified solid fuel, generating 200 tons of thrust. The second-stage is also powered by a solid rocket booster, producing 110 tons of thrust with the same unidentified propellant. The-third stage, also using the undisclosed propellant, generates 45 tons of thrust. Finally, the fourth-stage is powered by another solid rocket booster, providing 8 tons of thrust with the same solid propellant.

On its launch pad, Kinetica-1 stands at 30 meters tall. The first two stages have a diameter of 2.65 meters, the fairing has a diameter of either 2.65 or 3.35 meters. When prepared for launch Kinetica-1 weighs a believed 135,000 kilograms.

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. CAS Space was founded in 2018 and is majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Video Credit: CAS Space
Text Credits: CAS Space, Xinhua, CGTN

Duration: 27 seconds
Date: June 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Kinetica1 #Lijian1 #Lijian1Y14Rocket #Lijian1Y14 #LaunchVehicles #SolidFuelRockets #CGSTL #SatelliteLaunches #CommercialSpace #CAS #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #JSLC #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Launch of Eight Earth Observation Satellites

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Launch of Eight Earth Observation Satellites

A Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) Y14 rocket, developed by Chinese commercial space company CAS Space, blasted off at 11:44 am Beijing Time (BJT) on June 15, 2026, from Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone in Northwest China delivering eight rideshare satellites into their designated orbits. These remote sensing satellites are now in Earth orbit and will image a variety of areas on behalf of Chinese provincial and municipal operators.

Kinetica-1 is now the first vehicle from a private Chinese provider to launch 100 satellites. Today’s launch was the 14th launch for Kinetica-1, and the 15th for CAS Space through its Kinetica family of launch vehicles. This was also the 40th launch from China in 2026. The CAS Space team continues to expand rocket production and launch frequency to meet rising commercial demand. The CAS Space factory in Guangzhou aims for low-cost, mass-production. The Kinetica-1 launch vehicle has flown for the third time in three months, delivering eight Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGSTL) built satellites into orbit where they will begin imaging Earth below for provincial and municipal operators including:

CGSTL manufactured several satellites for this  launch mission, starting with its own Jilin Gaofen-07C04 (吉星高分07C04星), for an expansion of its Jilin-1 (吉林一号) Earth imaging constellation. Caiyun Opitcal-01 (彩云光学01星), a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite dedicated to Yunnan province for geological disaster prevention and monitoring of natural resources, jointly backed by the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and the Yunnan Geological and Mining Group (云南地矿集团).

Antie-03 (安铁03星), also a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite for Quanzhou Zhongke Xingqiao Aerospace Technology Co. Ltd. (泉州中科星桥空天技术有限公司), supported by Anxi County People’s Government for ‘smart’ crop monitoring and management for Fujian province’s tea industry as part of its digital upgrade plans.

‘Lichuan Red (利川红)’, another a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite that is for the city of Lichuan in Hubei province, to monitor its ecological situation and resources, while supporting its tea industry, backed by Lichuan Municipal People's Government, who have technical support from Hubei Lirui Technology Co. Ltd.

Cultural Relics-01 (文物01星), tasked with monitoring cultural heritage sites from space by the National Cultural Heritage Administration via its high-resolution optical remote sensing capabilities.

Three other satellites launched were not yet named by CAS Space or their owner/operators.

Kinetica-1 is CAS Space’s first launch vehicle and consists of four stages, all burning solid fuel. CAS Space offers the ability to launch a single satellite to utilize all of the rocket’s payload capacity, however more ‘rideshare’ missions occur for multiple satellites to be delivered in one launch.

The payload capacity of the launch vehicle is:

2,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit

1,500 kilograms to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit

The first-stage is powered by a solid rocket booster that burns an unspecified solid fuel, generating 200 tons of thrust. The second-stage is also powered by a solid rocket booster, producing 110 tons of thrust with the same unidentified propellant. The-third stage, also using the undisclosed propellant, generates 45 tons of thrust. Finally, the fourth-stage is powered by another solid rocket booster, providing 8 tons of thrust with the same solid propellant.

On its launch pad, Kinetica-1 stands at 30 meters tall. The first two stages have a diameter of 2.65 meters, the fairing has a diameter of either 2.65 or 3.35 meters. When prepared for launch Kinetica-1 weighs a believed 135,000 kilograms.

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. CAS Space was founded in 2018 and is majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Image Credits: CAS Space
Text Credits: CAS Space, Xinhua, CGTN
Date: June 15, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Kinetica1 #Lijian1 #Lijian1Y14Rocket #Lijian1Y14 #LaunchVehicles #SolidFuelRockets #CGSTL #SatelliteLaunches #CommercialSpace #CAS #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #JSLC #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education

Unexpected Fireworks Found in Aftermath of Stellar Explosions | NASA Chandra

Unexpected Fireworks Found in Aftermath of Stellar Explosions | NASA Chandra

The aftermath of a stellar explosion should be a slowly fading cloud of hot gas. Thus, when astronomers pointed NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the nearby galaxy M83, the last thing they expected to find was a population of supernova remnants appearing to dramatically change in brightness.

The new results were made possible by analyzing Chandra data of the galaxy Messier 83, or M83, that span 14 years from 2000 to 2014. Stars are forming at a high rate in M83 and the galaxy is about 15 million light-years from Earth.

Using this extensive set of data, the researchers caught surprising variations in the x-ray brightness of sources previously identified as supernova remnants, the debris from supernova explosions. Supernova remnants older than a century or so will fade gradually in x-rays, but they should not dramatically change in brightness.

The team found that roughly half of the x-ray sources associated with supernova remnants in their sample showed changes in x-ray brightness over the 14-year span of observations—a result that was completely unexpected.

While researchers knew that individual x-ray sources could vary dramatically, it was surprising to find that so many supernova remnants were behaving this way. Pinpointing the cause remains a challenge, however, since M83's distance limits the detail astronomers can observe.

The most likely explanation is that the team has uncovered a population of stellar survivors—stars that lived through their partner's destruction in a supernova explosion. In this scenario, each variable x-ray source began as a pair of massive stars orbiting each other. The more massive star collapsed and exploded as a supernova, leaving behind a black hole or ultra-dense neutron star. Its companion survived.

These results are not unique to M83. A follow-up study of the nearby star-forming galaxy Messier 51 has uncovered a similar population of variable x-ray sources associated with supernova remnants, suggesting that such systems may be a feature of galaxies undergoing vigorous star formation. Astronomers will continue to look at these and other galaxies to investigate these sources further.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 15, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnants #Galaxies #Messier83 #M83 #HydraConstellation #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Journey to Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope

Journey to Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope

This video zooms in on the spiral galaxy NGC 3256, about 100 million light-years away. It starts with a view of the night sky focused on the constellation of Vela (The Sails), as seen from the ground. It then zooms through observations from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, and ends with a view of the galaxy obtained with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope.

NGC 3256 is an impressive example of a peculiar galaxy that is actually the relict of a collision of two separate galaxies that took place in a distant past. The telltale signs of the collision are two extended luminous tails swirling out from the galaxy. NGC 3256 belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus supercluster complex and provides a nearby template for studying the properties of young star clusters in tidal tails. The system hides a double nucleus and a tangle of dust lanes in the central region. The tails are studded with a particularly high density of star clusters.

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

Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, Digitized Sky Survey 2 
Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin
Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: May 31, 2018

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3256 #VV65 #InteractingGalaxies #StarburstGalaxies #HydraCentaurusSupercluster #VelaConstellation #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope

This video pans over NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope observations of the starburst galaxy NGC 3256, located about 100 million light-years from Earth. The galaxy is the result of a merger between galaxies with similar masses. Although the collision is estimated to have happened 500 million years ago, the galaxy still bears the marks of this event: luminous tails of gas and dust surround the galaxy and in its center, new stars are born at a rapid rate.

NGC 3256 is an impressive example of a peculiar galaxy that is actually the relict of a collision of two separate galaxies that took place in a distant past. The telltale signs of the collision are two extended luminous tails swirling out from the galaxy. NGC 3256 belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus supercluster complex and provides a nearby template for studying the properties of young star clusters in tidal tails. The system hides a double nucleus and a tangle of dust lanes in the central region. The tails are studded with a particularly high density of star clusters.

Credit: ESA/Hubble; Risinger/Digitized Sky Survey 2

Duration: 25 seconds
Release Date: May 31, 2018

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3256 #VV65 #InteractingGalaxies #StarburstGalaxies #HydraCentaurusSupercluster #VelaConstellation #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #DSS2 #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope

Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | Hubble Space Telescope

NGC 3256 is an impressive example of a peculiar galaxy that is actually the relict of a collision of two separate galaxies that took place in a distant past. The telltale signs of the collision are two extended luminous tails swirling out from the galaxy. NGC 3256 belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus supercluster complex and provides a nearby template for studying the properties of young star clusters in tidal tails. The system hides a double nucleus and a tangle of dust lanes in the central region. The tails are studded with a particularly high density of star clusters.

Distance from Earth: ~100 million light years

Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
Release Date: April 24, 2008

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3256 #VV65 #InteractingGalaxies #StarburstGalaxies #HydraCentaurusSupercluster #VelaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Wide-field view: Star-forming Region Gum 19 in Vela | Digitized Sky Survey 2

Wide-field view: Star-forming Region Gum 19 in Vela | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This image shows the area around the star-forming region Gum 19 (also known as RCW 34), in the direction of the constellation of Vela (The Sails), as seen by the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The image covers an area of 3 by 3 degrees on the sky. Gum 19 is approximately 22,000 light years from Earth. 

The furnace that fuels Gum 19’s luminosity is a gigantic, superhot star called V391 Velorum. Shining brightest in the scorching blue range of visible light—V391 Velorum boasts a surface temperature in the vicinity of 30,000 degrees Celsius. Within the neighborhood of this fitful supergiant, new stars nonetheless continue to grow. In several million years—a blink of an eye in cosmic time—they will eventually reach the high density at their centers necessary to ignite nuclear fusion. The fresh outpouring of energy and stellar winds from these newborn stars will also modify the gaseous landscape of Gum 19.

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

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2
Release Date: March 31, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #V391Velorum #Nebulae #Gum19 #RCW34 #StellarNurseries #HIIRegion #EmissionNebulae #VelaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NTT #InfraredAstronomy #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Journey to Star-forming Region Gum 19 in Vela | New Technology Telescope

Journey to Star-forming Region Gum 19 in Vela | New Technology Telescope

This video zooms in onto the star-forming region Gum 19, located towards the constellation of Vela (the Sail). The final image of the Gum 19 star-forming region was obtained with SOFI, an infrared instrument mounted on the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope (NTT) that operates at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Gum 19 is located in the direction of the constellation Vela (the Sail) at a distance of approximately 22,000 light years. 

The furnace that fuels Gum 19’s luminosity is a gigantic, superhot star called V391 Velorum. Shining brightest in the scorching blue range of visible light—V391 Velorum boasts a surface temperature in the vicinity of 30,000 degrees Celsius. Within the neighborhood of this fitful supergiant, new stars nonetheless continue to grow. In several million years—a blink of an eye in cosmic time—they will eventually reach the high density at their centers necessary to ignite nuclear fusion. The fresh outpouring of energy and stellar winds from these newborn stars will also modify the gaseous landscape of Gum 19.

The image is based on data obtained in three near-infrared bands (J, H, K; associated respectively to blue, green, and red). The image is 4.7 arcminutes across.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2/A. Fujii

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: March 31, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #V391Velorum #Nebulae #Gum19 #RCW34 #StellarNurseries #HIIRegion #EmissionNebulae #VelaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NTT #InfraredAstronomy #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star-forming Region Gum 19 in Vela (infrared) | New Technology Telescope

Star-forming Region Gum 19 in Vela (infrared) | New Technology Telescope

This image of the Gum 19 star-forming region was obtained with SOFI, an infrared instrument mounted on the European Southern Observatory's New Technology Telescope (NTT) that operates at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. Gum 19 is located in the direction of the constellation Vela (the Sail) at a distance of approximately 22,000 light years. 

The furnace that fuels Gum 19’s luminosity is a gigantic, superhot star called V391 Velorum. Shining brightest in the scorching blue range of visible light—V391 Velorum boasts a surface temperature in the vicinity of 30,000 degrees Celsius. Within the neighborhood of this fitful supergiant, new stars nonetheless continue to grow. In several million years—a blink of an eye in cosmic time—they will eventually reach the high density at their centers necessary to ignite nuclear fusion. The fresh outpouring of energy and stellar winds from these newborn stars will also modify the gaseous landscape of Gum 19.

The image is based on data obtained in three near-infrared bands (J, H, K; associated respectively to blue, green, and red). The image is 4.7 arcminutes across.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: March 31, 2010

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #V391Velorum #Nebulae #Gum19 #RCW34 #StellarNurseries #HIIRegion #EmissionNebulae #VelaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NTT #InfraredAstronomy #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Europe-China SMILE Science Mission Tracks Solar Storms around Planet Earth

Europe-China SMILE Science Mission Tracks Solar Storms around Planet Earth

🛰️📡For the first time, we are able to capture a global view of how the solar wind interacts with the Earth’s magnetosphere. How do we track a solar storm for 40 hours? From a highly elliptical orbit above the polar region, SMILE studies where the solar wind meets Earth's magnetic field. This provides a fuller picture of the effects of space weather.

Scientific questions being examined include:
How does the solar wind reshape our magnetic shield?
What triggers auroral substorms?
How do solar eruptions spark geomagnetic storms?

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) is an international space science mission designed to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere. By observing these dynamic processes from space, SMILE will help scientists better understand space weather and its effects on our planet's magnetic environment.

The European Space Agency (ESA) was responsible for providing SMILE’s payload module (carrying three of the four science instruments), one of the spacecraft’s four science instruments (the soft X-ray imager, SXI), the launcher, and the Assembly Integration and Testing facilities and services. ESA contributed to a second science instrument (the ultraviolet imager, UVI) and the mission operations once SMILE is in orbit.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences provided the other three science instruments and the spacecraft platform, and is responsible for operating the spacecraft in orbit.

Video Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Duration: 1 minute, 35 seconds
Date: June 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Sun #Earth #SpaceWeather #SolarWind #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #Aurorae #Europe #ESA #China #中国 #CAS #中国科学院 #SMILEMission #Heliophysics #Physics #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mammatus Clouds over Sicily | Earth Science

Mammatus Clouds over Sicily | Earth Science

Photographer Giuseppe Pappa: "A spectacular display of mammatus clouds (Cumulonimbus mammatus) captured this afternoon over Pedara, a village located on the southern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. These bulbous, pouch-like structures formed at the base of a severe thunderstorm cell, creating an ominous yet mesmerizing sky. Mammatus clouds typically occur when cold, saturated downdrafts sink rapidly into warmer, drier air beneath the storm's anvil, causing ice crystals to sublimate and produce these smooth, pocketed shapes."

Mammatus clouds are actually altocumulus, cirrus, cumulonimbus, or other types of clouds that have these pouch-like shapes hanging out of the bottom. The pouches are created when cold air within the cloud sinks down toward the Earth. They can indicate a risk of severe weather.

Image Credit: Giuseppe Pappa
Location: Pedara, Sicily, Italy

Image Details: Camera—Canon EOS 760D; Lens: 17-50mm

Location: Pedara, Catania (Sicily, Italy)

Release Date: June 11, 2026

#NASA #Science #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #Weather #Meteorology #Clouds #MammatusClouds #Pedara #Sicily #Italy #Italia #Photography #CitizenScience #Photographers #STEM #Education

Elliptical Galaxy Messier 49 in Virgo: 200 Billion Stars Plus | Hubble

Elliptical Galaxy Messier 49 in Virgo: 200 Billion Stars Plus | Hubble

This fuzzy orb of light is a giant elliptical galaxy filled with an incredible 200 billion stars. Unlike spiral galaxies that have a well-defined structure and boast picturesque spiral arms, elliptical galaxies appear fairly smooth and featureless. This is likely why this galaxy, named Messier 49, was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771. At a distance of 56 million light-years, and measuring 157,000 light-years across, M49 was the first member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies to be discovered, and it is more luminous than any other galaxy at its distance or nearer.

Elliptical galaxies tend to contain a larger portion of older stars than spiral galaxies and also lack young blue stars. Messier 49 itself is very yellow. This indicates that the stars within it are mostly older and redder than the Sun. In fact, the last major episode of star formation was about six billion years ago—before the Sun was even born!

Messier 49 is also rich in globular clusters; it hosts about 6,000, a number that dwarfs the 150 found in and around the Milky Way. On average, these clusters are 10 billion years old. Messier 49 is also known to host a supermassive black hole at its center with the mass of more than 500 million Suns, identifiable by the x-rays pouring out from the heart of the galaxy (as this Hubble image comprises infrared observations, these x-rays are not visible here).

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Blakenslee, P Cote et al.
Release Date: March 18, 2019

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Messier49 #M49 #EllipticalGalaxies #VirgoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Meet the Earth “Space Eye” Detecting Climate Heating Gases | China Space Station

Meet the Earth “Space Eye” Detecting Climate Heating Gases | China Space Station

🌍🚀 The Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), also known as the Tianyun Camera, was launched aboard the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft last month. Designed to detect carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emissions from orbit, MUSICO provides high-resolution monitoring of greenhouse gases across low- and mid-latitude regions worldwide, helping to pinpoint major emission sources. It was jointly developed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It represents a new step forward for space-based climate science.

Video Credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Duration: 25 seconds
Date: June 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #Climate #ClimateChange #MUSICO #GreenhouseGases #China #中国 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #SpaceResearch #CAS #HKUST #CMSA #HumanSpaceflight #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #STEM #Education #HD #Video