Saturn & Rhea | NASA Cassini Mission

Processed using calibrated red, green, and blue filtered images of Saturn and Rhea taken by the Cassini spacecraft on November 4, 2009.

Rhea is the second-largest moon of Saturn and the ninth-largest moon in the Solar System. It is the second smallest body in the Solar System—after the asteroid and dwarf planet Ceres—for which precise measurements have confirmed a shape consistent with hydrostatic equilibrium. It was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini.
(Source: Wikipedia)

The Cassini-Huygens mission was a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the U.S. and several European countries.

For more information about Cassini, go to:
https://www.nasa.gov/cassini
https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/CICLOPS/Kevin M. Gill
Image Date: November 4, 2009
Release Date: November 4, 2018

#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Saturn #Rings #Planet #Moon #Rhea #SolarSystem #Exploration #Cassini #Spacecraft #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #ESA #ASI #History #STEM #Education

Inside NASA's Kennedy Space Center! | Week of Nov. 2, 2018

Teams from NASA, the Department of Defense Human Space Flight Support Office, and SpaceX recently rehearsed medical triage and evacuation in preparation for Commercial Crew Program launches from American soil. Also, NASA's Exploration Ground Systems kicked off a week of Orion recovery testing off the California coast.

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Duration: 1 minute, 46 seconds
Release Date: November 2, 2018

#NASA #Space #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Astronauts #Earth #Sunset #California #Pacific #Ocean #Drone #UAV #Mars #JourneytoMars #DeepSpace #SolarSystem #Exploration #Navy #Kennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #Military #USA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Orion & US Navy: Aerial Drone Captures Recovery Test

Nov. 2, 2018: Check out this incredible aerial view of NASA’s Recovery Team and the US Navy practicing recovering a test version of the Orion crew capsule after it splashes down. Underway Recovery Test-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions.

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Duration: 3 minutes, 45 seconds
Release Date: November 2, 2018

#NASA #Space #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Astronauts #Earth #Sunset #California #Pacific #Ocean #Drone #UAV #Mars #JourneytoMars #DeepSpace #SolarSystem #Exploration #Navy #Military #USA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Jupiter's Maelstroms | NASA Juno Mission

Pictures captured by the Juno spacecraft performing its 16th close flyby of Jupiter: Perijove 16. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran created this image using data from the spacecraft’s JunoCam imager.

JPL manages the Juno mission for NASA. The mission's principal investigator is Scott Bolton of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. The mission is part of NASA's New Frontiers Program, managed at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft.

Learn more about the Juno mission, and get an up-to-date schedule of events, at: www.nasa.gov/juno and http://missionjuno.org

Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/SwRI/MSSS
Processing: Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Jupiter #Planet #Atmosphere #Weather #Meteorology #Juno #Spacecraft #Perijove16 #Exploration #SolarSystem #Technology #Engineering #STEM #Education #JPL #Pasadena #California #USA #UnitedStates #LockheedMartin #MSFC #Marshall #SwRI #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

Tonight's Sky: November 2018 | HubbleSite

In November, look for Pisces, Aries, and Triangulum in the night sky. Also be sure to catch the Taurid meteor shower, which features 5 to 10 meteors per hour on its peak night of November 5 to 6, and for meteors radiating from the constellation of Leo in the evening of November 17 and early morning of November 18.

“Tonight’s Sky” is produced by HubbleSite.org

Credit: HubbleSite
Duration: 5 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: October 24, 2018

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Taurid #Leonids #MeteorShower #Comet64P #Moon #Planets #Mars #Saturn #Rings #Venus #Stars #SolarSystem #Skywatching #STEM #Education #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthernHemisphere #HD #Video

Skywatching: What's Up for November 2018 | JPL

Thanks to Jane Houston Jones for 12 years of "What's Up"
November brings planets, an asteroid, a comet and the Leonids.

Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Duration: 2 minutes, 27 seconds
Release Date: November 1, 2018
#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Asteroid #Juno #Comet46P #Meteor #MeteorShower #Leonids #Moon #Venus #Mars #InSight #Lander #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #Constellations #MilkyWay #Galaxy #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Closest Spacecraft to the Sun on This Week @NASA | Week of Nov. 2, 2018

A new record for our mission to the Sun, the end of an era for a prolific planet hunter, and our next mission to Mars is closing in on its destination . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: NASA
Duration: 4 minutes, 4 seconds
Release Date: November 2, 2018
#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Kepler #Exoplanets #Mars #Insight #SpaceWeather #Sun #Solar #Corona #Star #Astrophysics #Spacecraft #Probe #SolarProbe #Parker #EugeneParker #Astrophysicist #Chicago #University #JHUAPL #Goddard #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Getting a Grip Week of | Nov. 2, 2018

Week of Nov. 2, 2018: NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 2 minutes, 19 seconds
Release Date: November 2, 2018

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Research #Microgravity #Astronauts #ESA #AlexanderGerst #Germany #Deutschland #DLR #SerenaAuñónChancellor #Cosmonaut #SergeyProkopyev #Russia #Россия #MikeHopkins #SpaceX #CrewDragon #Expedition57 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zoom-in on the Ghost Nebula | Hubble

This video zooms in on the emission and reflection nebula IC 63—nicknamed the Ghost Nebula—about 550 light-years away. It starts with a view of the night sky as seen from the ground. It then zooms through observations from the Digitized Sky Survey 2, and ends with a view of the nebula obtained with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Credit: Hubble, Digitized Sky Survey 2, N. Risinger (skysurvey.org)
Music: Astral Electronic
Duration: 50 seconds
Release Date: October 25, 2018

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #IC63 #Star #GammaCassiopeiae #Cassiopeia #Cosmos #Universe #Halloween #Telescope #ESA #GSFC #Goddard #STScI #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Ghost of Cassiopeia: Wide-field view

Ground-based view of the sky around IC 63
This image shows the sky around the nebula IC 63, nicknamed the Ghost Nebula. It was created from images forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The field of view is dominated by the bright star Gamma Cassiopeiae, which is having a profound influence on IC 63.

IC 63 is only one of several nebulous structures surrounding Gamma Cassiopeiae—all of which are affected by the radiation emitted by the blue-white subgiant star.

Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, Digitized Sky Survey 2
Acknowledgement: Davide de Martin
Release Date: October 25, 2018

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #IC63 #Star #GammaCassiopeiae #Cassiopeia #Cosmos #Universe #Halloween #Telescope #ESA #GSFC #Goddard #STScI #STEM #Education

The Ghost of Cassiopeia | Hubble

About 550 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia lies IC 63, a stunning and slightly eerie nebula. Also known as the ghost of Cassiopeia, IC 63 is being shaped by radiation from a nearby unpredictably variable star, Gamma Cassiopeiae, which is slowly eroding away the ghostly cloud of dust and gas. This celestial ghost makes the perfect backdrop for the upcoming feast of All Hallow's Eve—better known as Halloween.

The constellation of Cassiopeia, named after a vain queen in Greek mythology, forms the easily recognizable “W” shape in the night sky. The central point of the W is marked by a dramatic star named Gamma Cassiopeiae.

The remarkable Gamma Cassiopeiae is a blue-white subgiant variable star that is surrounded by a gaseous disc. This star is 19 times more massive and 65,000 times brighter than our Sun. It also rotates at the incredible speed of 1.6 million kilometers per hour—more than 200 times faster than our parent star. This frenzied rotation gives it a squashed appearance. The fast rotation causes eruptions of mass from the star into a surrounding disk. This mass loss is related to the observed brightness variations.

The radiation of Gamma Cassiopeiae is so powerful that it even affects IC 63, sometimes nicknamed the Ghost Nebula, that lies several light years away from the star. IC 63 is visible in this image taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

The colors in the eerie nebula showcase how the nebula is affected by the powerful radiation from the distant star. The hydrogen within IC 63 is being bombarded with ultraviolet radiation from Gamma Cassiopeiae, causing its electrons to gain energy which they later release as hydrogen-alpha radiation—visible in red in this image.

This hydrogen-alpha radiation makes IC 63 an emission nebula, but we also see blue light in this image. This is light from Gamma Cassiopeiae that has been reflected by dust particles in the nebula, meaning that IC 63 is also a reflection nebula.

This colorful and ghostly nebula is slowly dissipating under the influence of ultraviolet radiation from Gamma Cassiopeiae. However, IC 63 is not the only object under the influence of the mighty star. It is part of a much larger nebulous region surrounding Gamma Cassiopeiae that measures approximately two degrees on the sky—roughly four times as wide as the full Moon.

This region is best seen from the Northern Hemisphere during autumn and winter. Though it is high in the sky and visible all year round from Europe, it is very dim, so observing it requires a fairly large telescope and dark skies.

From above Earth’s atmosphere, Hubble gives us a view that we cannot hope to see with our eyes. This photo is possibly the most detailed image that has ever been taken of IC 63, and it beautifully showcases Hubble’s capabilities.

More information
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA
Release Date: October 25, 2018

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #IC63 #Star #GammaCassiopeiae #Cassiopeia #Cosmos #Universe #Halloween #Telescope #ESA #GSFC #Goddard #STScI #STEM #Education

Talking Moon to Mars and more on This Week @NASA

Week of Oct. 26, 2018: A week full of Moon to Mars and more, seeking ideas for future cargo deliveries to our Gateway, and an oddity of an iceberg . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 3 minutes, 49 seconds
Release Date: October 26, 2018

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Science #Mars #JourneyToMars #Moon #SLS #Orion #Spacecraft #Gateway #ISS #Astronauts #Iceberg #Antarctica #OperationIceBridge #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Neutron Dance

Week of Oct. 26, 2018 | NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. 

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 2 minutes, 53 seconds
Release Date: October 26, 2018

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Research #Combustion #Flammability #Pulsars #Neutron #Stars #Astronauts #AlexanderGerst #SerenaAuñónChancellor #Cosmonaut #SergeyProkopyev #Russia #Россия #Expedition57 #Human #Spaceflight #Spacecraft #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pirate of the Southern Skies | ESO

The Skull and Crossbones Nebula

Distance: 4500 light years
Oct. 24, 2018: FORS2, an instrument mounted on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, has observed the active star-forming region NGC 2467—sometimes referred to as the Skull and Crossbones Nebula. The image was captured as part of the ESO Cosmic Gems Program, which makes use of the rare occasions when observing conditions are not suitable for gathering scientific data. Instead of sitting idle, the ESO Cosmic Gems Program allows ESO’s telescopes to be used to capture visually stunning images of the southern skies.

This vivid picture of an active star-forming region—NGC 2467, sometimes referred to as the Skull and Crossbones Nebula—is as sinister as it is beautiful. This image of dust, gas and bright young stars, gravitationally bound into the form of a grinning skull, was captured with the FORS instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). While ESO’s telescopes are usually used for the collection of science data, they can also capture images, such as this—which are beautiful for their own sake.

It is easy to see the motivation for the nickname Skull and Crossbones. This young, bright formation distinctly resembles an ominous hollow face, of which only the gaping mouth is visible here. NGC 2467 skulks in the constellation Puppis, which translates rather unromantically as The Poop Deck.

This nebulous collection of stellar clusters is the birthplace of many stars, where an excess of hydrogen gas provided the raw material for stellar creation. It is not, in fact, a single nebula, and its constituent stellar cluster are moving at different velocities. It is only a fortuitous alignment along the line of sight from the Earth that makes the stars and gas form a humanoid face. This luminous image might not tell astronomers anything new, but it provides us all with a glimpse into the churning southern skies, bright with wonders invisible to the human eye.

Puppis is one of three nautically named constellations that sail the southern skies, and which used to make up the single, giant Argo Navis constellation, named after the ship of the mythical Jason and the Argonauts. Argo Navis has since been divided into three: Carina (the keel), Vela (the sails) and Puppis, where this nebula finds its home. While a heroic figure, Jason is most famous for his theft of the golden fleece, so NGC 2467 rests not only in the midst of a vast celestial ship, but among thieves—an appropriate abode for this piratical nebula.

This image was created as part of the 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: October 24, 2018

More information
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organization in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 16 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO carries out an ambitious program focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organizing cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-meter Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.

#ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #NGC2467 #Skull #Crossbones #Stars #Puppis #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #FORS2 #VLT #Observatory #Paranal #Atacama #Desert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Skull and Crossbones Nebula: Wide-field view

This vivid picture of an active star forming region—NGC 2467, otherwise known as the Skull and Crossbones nebula—is as sinister as it is beautiful. This image of dust, gas and bright young stars, gravitationally bound into the form of a grinning skull, was captured with the FORS instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Whilst ESO’s telescopes are usually used for the collection of science data, their immense resolving power makes them ideal for capturing images such as this—which are beautiful for their own sake.

The image is a color composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), and shows the region surrounding NGC 2467. The field of view is approximately 2.4 x 2.0 degrees.

Credit: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2
Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin
Release Date: October 24, 2018

#ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebula #NGC2467 #Skull #Crossbones #Stars #Puppis #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #FORS2 #VLT #Observatory #Paranal #Atacama #Desert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Hurricane Willa Battering Western Mexico | NASA-NOAA

On Oct. 22, 2018, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Hurricane Willa when it was battering western Mexico with heavy rainfall, rough surf and strong winds. The images shows powerful thunderstorms circling a cloud-filled eye. Willa made landfall on Oct. 23rd.

Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) /NOAA
Image Date: October 22, 2018

#NASA #NOAA #Earth #Space #Satellite #Science #HurricaneWilla #Category5 #Storm #Weather #Meteorology #Mexico #Pacific #Ocean #SuomiNPP #EarthObservation #STEM #Education