While the James Webb Space Telescope is getting a lot of press lately, its predecessor the Hubble Space Telescope continues to impress; this time of the galaxy NGC 6956, a near-perfect example of a barred galaxy located about 214 million light-years away from Earth. Barred galaxies, which get their name from the very prominent “bar” of stars that cut across the galactic nucleus, are among the most common type of galaxies in the known universe, making up an estimated 70% of all galaxies (opens in new tab). Bar structures are…
Read MoreMonth: December 2022
NASA sensors could help detect landfill methane from space to help limit climate change
A NASA science instrument in orbit will form the backbone of a new initiative to survey methane emissions from landfills in a new nonprofit project to track the greenhouse gas. The new project, led by the nonprofit group Carbon Mapper, will use data collected from the International Space Station by NASA’s EMIT experiment (its name is short for Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) and other NASA science instruments to track methane, which according to NASA is the source of around a quarter to a third of human-driven global warming.…
Read MoreJuno spacecraft recovering its memory after mind-blowing Jupiter flyby, NASA says
NASA’s Juno probe is continuing to recover its memory at Jupiter after a data disruption interrupted communications between the spacecraft and its operators on Earth following a flyby of the giant planet in December. The Juno spacecraft‘s latest flyby of Jupiter, its 47th close pass of the planet, was completed on Dec. 14. But as its operators at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory were receiving science data from the flyby they found they could no longer directly access the spacecraft’s memory. The team successfully rebooted Juno’s computer and on Dec. 17…
Read MoreHubble Space Telescope delivers holiday sparkle in new image
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope can deliver New Year cheer with science. One such case is a new image from the 32-year old observatory, published on Dec. 1. Here, the Hubble Space Telescope sees the quintessential colors of the holiday season, as bright blue-white stars shine against dusty swaths shaded red. These stars are located outside the Milky Way, in a patch of sky located within a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). As the name suggests, it looks like a round smudge in the southern sky.…
Read MoreEarth looks stunning in this 1st full view from the NOAA-21 satellite (photos)
This global mosaic is the first full view of Earth captured by the VIIRS instrument on NOAA’s new NOAA-21 imaging satellite, which launched in November 2022. It shows Earth between Dec. 5 and 6, 2022. (Image credit: NOAA STAR VIIRS Imagery Team) What can you spot in this latest global picture of Earth? There are crisp turquoise seas around Cuba, an agricultural fire in Northern India and, of course, the rest of our planet as seen in the first full view from NOAA’s latest Earth-observing satellite NOAA-21. The Earth images…
Read MoreSee the rare ‘planet parade’ of 5 naked-eye planets in these photos by an astronomer
After days of clouds in Rome, the skies finally cleared for a “planet parade.” Virtual Telescope Project founder Gianluca Masi was at the ready with telescopes, cameras and broadcasting equipment to observe the five naked-eye planets on Wednesday evening (Dec. 28). The most-easily seen planets were Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. He also spotted Uranus and Neptune, which require equipment to view. “A very beautiful Christmas present from the sky,” Masi wrote (opens in new tab) of the celestial sight. “I managed to capture some great images and share…
Read MoreIs there life on Mars? A NASA scientist explains in new video
The search for life beyond Earth is a core motivation of many missions to explore the Red Planet and in this new video, a NASA scientist takes a close look at the question driving it all: Is there life on Mars? NASA has a number of missions in operation at the surface of Mars that are intensely engaged in the search for traces of life. Primary among these missions are the rovers Curiosity, which landed on Mars in 2012, and Perseverance which set down on the Martian surface in 2021.…
Read MoreSpace Station Science Highlights: Week of December 26, 2022
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of Dec. 26 that included testing an ultra-high-resolution Earth imaging camera, examining the effects of spaceflight on blood pressure regulation, and demonstrating technology for faster data processing in space.
Read MoreSPORT and petitSat CubeSats to Shed Light on Space Weather Disturbances
Two CubeSats, petitSat and SPORT, are on a quest to provide insight on space weather disturbances and the subsequent impact on communication signals. Both CubeSats deployed from the space station on Dec. 29, 2022, at 8:55 a.m. EST.
Read MoreChina’s last launch of 2022 sparks falling rocket debris warning from Philippine Space Agency
China’s last space launch of 2022, which lifted off on Thursday (Dec. 29), has prompted a warning of falling rocket space debris from the Philippine Space Agency. A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center Thursday carrying the Shiyan-10 02 satellite to be used for in-orbit verification of new space technologies, such as space environment monitoring. Related: The 12 biggest rocket failures of 2022 A Chinese Long March 3B rocket lifts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying the Shiyan-10 02 satellite on Dec.…
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