NASA has released an incredibly beautiful image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope for the Barred Spiral Galaxy Messier 77.
This Hubble image shows the Messier 77, a Barred Spiral Galaxy, about 62 million light years away in the Cetus constellation. Color images were created from individual exposures taken with UV rays. The visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum feature Hubble’s advanced camera (ACS) and widefield camera 3 (WFC3) equipment. Based on data obtained through six filters. Colors are attributed to assigning different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/LC Ho/D. Thilker.
Messier 77 is located 62 million light years from Earth in the constellation of Cetus.
Also known as the Squid Galaxy, NGC 1068, Leda 10266, and Cetus A. This galaxy is 9.6 in size.
It was discovered in 1780 by French astronomer Pierre Messhin and originally identified it as a nebula.
Mechine then conveyed the discoveries to her colleague, the French astronomer Charles Messier.
Messier believed that the very bright objects he saw were a herd of stars, but it was realized that technology had truly achieved its position as a galaxy.
“The Messier 77 designation comes from the location of the Galaxy, a well-known catalogue edited by French astronomer Charles Messier,” the Hubble astronomer said in a statement.
“Pierre Messhin, another French astronomer, discovered the galaxy in 1780.”
“Messier and Messhin were both comet hunters cataloguing ambiguous objects that could be mistaken for comets.”
“Messier, Méchain and other astronomers of that era mistaken the Squid Galaxy for either a spiral nebula or a star cluster.”
“This false characteristic is not surprising. For over a century, we pass between discovering squid galaxies and the realization that the “spiral nebulae” scattered across the sky are not part of our galaxies, but are actually millions of light years away. ”
“The appearance from the small telescope of the squid galaxy (a very bright center surrounded by ambiguous clouds) closely resembles one or more stars in a wreath to the nebula.”
At 100,000 light years, Messier 77 is one of the largest galaxies in the Messier catalog.
This galaxy is also one of the closest galaxies with an active galactic nucleus (AGN).
Such active galaxies are one of the brightest objects in the universe, ejecting at best, if not all, wavelengths, from gamma rays and x-rays to microwaves and radiation waves.
However, despite its status as a popular target for astronomers, the Galaxy’s accretion disk is obscure by thick clouds of dust and gas.
“The name ‘Squid Galaxy’ has only happened recently,” the astronomer said.
“The name comes from an extended filament structure that curls around the galaxy’s discs like squid tentacles.”
“The squid galaxy is a great example of how advances in technology and scientific understanding can completely change the perception of astronomical objects.
Canadarm2, ISS robot arm built by the Canadian Space Agency
ESA/NASA
The most accurate clock in space will start within a few days and start building highly synced networks from the best clocks on the planet. However, the project will only work for a few decades, and only a few years before it burns out as hair removal for the International Space Station at the end of the decade.
Atomic Clock in Space (ACES) is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission that generates time signals with unprecedented accuracy and transmits them to nine ground stations via lasers as they pass over the overhead at 27,000 km/h. This watch network is very closely synchronized and provides extremely accurate timekeeping around the world.
As a result, ACES can test Einstein’s theory of general relativity. This states that the passage of time is influenced by the strength of gravity and is very accurately affected. It also supports all research, from dark matter to string theory.
ACES is scheduled to be released on April 21st for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Upon reaching the ISS, the Canadarm2, the Canadian Space Agency’s robotic arm, attaches it to the outside of ESA’s Columbus Laboratory, where it remains in a vacuum in the space.
The package actually consists of two clocks. One is called SHM, which can be kept stable for a short period of time. Together, these watches are extremely accurate, losing less than a second for over 300 million years. It is 10 times more accurate than a GPS satellite clock.
Pharaohs are basically modeled on Paris’ atomic clocks that occupy the entire room. Its technology was no more than a cubic meter, miniaturization to something that could allow rocket launches and survive the harshness of living in space was by no means a feat.
To generate an accurate clock signal, the pharaoh expels a fountain of cesium atoms cooled to absolute zero and observes its interaction with the microwave field. On Earth, devices of 3 meters are required, but at microgravity, these atoms move slowly and are sprayed into smaller fountains, making them much smaller.
Simon Weinberg The ESA says that simply placing a teaspoon close can create an electromagnetic field strong enough to destroy the watch. “Just putting it in context, it’s better than the 100 million seconds we’re trying to measure here,” says Weinberg. “So it’s one hell of challenging work.”
The ACES concept dates back to the 1990s and was originally scheduled to be released at the Space Shuttle, which retired in 2011. Once you reach space, the first signal will not reach the Earth-bound clock for a year and a half. It takes about six months to outsource the device.
The ACES then operates until 2030, after which the ISS intentionally crashes into the Earth’s atmosphere and burns out. By that point, the new ultra-precision watch known as optical watches likely have created an atomic clock that has become obsolete on Earth, but by then it may not be small or robust enough to be used in space.
At one point, Weinberg says the ESA is aiming to launch a new generation of ACEs to replace what was lost in the ISS, whatever the technology was most appropriate back then. “We’ll go a long way from doing it, and we have to gather support, fundraising and more to make sure that happens.”
This Hubble image shows Messier 104, a galaxy 28 million light years away in the Virgo constellation. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/K. Noll.
Messier 104 It is about 28 million light years away from the Virgo constellations.
Also known as the Sombrero Galaxy, M104 or NGC 4594, this galaxy is I discovered it May 11, 1781, by French astronomer Pierre Mechine.
It has a diameter of approximately 49,000 light years. This is about three times the Milky Way galaxy.
The Messier 104 has a very large central bulge, hosting an ultra-high Massive black hole.
At a 6-degree angle south of the plane, you can see the Galaxy Edge-On. That dark Dustlane dominates the scenery.
Over the past 20 years, Hubble has released several images of the Messier 104. This well-known image Since October 2003.
“It’s packed with stars, but the Sombrero galaxy is surprisingly not a hotbed of star formation,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Less than one solar mass gas is converted into a star in a dusty disk with a fading knot.”
“At the 9 billion solar mass, even the central, ultra-huge black holes in a large galaxy, more than 2,000 times the central black holes in the Milky Way, are pretty calm.”
“The galaxy is not too faint to find with sincerity, but it is easily viewed with a modest amateur telescope.”
“From Earth’s perspective, galaxies are about a third of the diameter of a full moon.”
“The galaxy in the sky is too large to fit in Hubble’s narrow field of view, so this image is actually a mosaic of several images sewn together.”
“One of the things that make this galaxy particularly noteworthy is its viewing angle, tilting just six degrees away from the galaxy’s equator.”
“From this perspective, the complex clumps and shattering chains stand out in the nucleus and bulge of the bright white galaxy, unlike Saturn and its rings, produce an effect on the scale of the epic galaxy.”
“At the same time, this extreme angle makes it difficult to identify the structure of the Sombrero galaxy,” they said.
“It’s not clear if it’s a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way or an elliptical galaxy.”
“Unbelievably, galaxy disks look like fairly typical discs of spiral galaxies. The spheroid bulge and halos look quite typical in oval galaxies, but the combination of the two components is neither a spiral nor an elliptical galaxy.”
Two recent epic astronomical discoveries may seem unrelated at first glance.
One is an image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope showing newborn stars in our galaxy, approximately 450 light years away. This incredible picture depicts the birth of the solar system with thin dust discs slowly forming.
The other discovery combines optical and wireless data to reveal a massive astrophysical system larger than the Milky Way. This discovery provides a glimpse into the intergalactic violence caused by supermassive black holes actively consuming their surroundings.
Despite their differences, a striking similarity can be observed between the two discoveries. Both display objects emitting long, straight jets of light or material into the universe, resembling double-sided lightsabers.
Discovered by JWST, the HH 30 is a primitive disk illuminated with a newborn star in the center, expelling a jet of gas and dust. Approximately 450 light years away from the Taurus Molecular Cloud – Photo Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, Tazaki et al
Astrophysical jets are a common phenomenon in space, driven by the basic features of gravity, rotation, and magnetic fields.
The formation of discs in space involves a few simple steps driven by gravity and rotation. Material is attracted towards an object creating discs like spiral galaxies, protoplanetary discs, and accretion discs around black holes.
Gravity and rotation explain the formation of these discs, while magnetic fields play a crucial role in the generation of jets. Charged particles in space generate magnetic fields when in motion, leading to the creation of long, straight jets perpendicular to the disc plane.
Using wireless and optical data, astronomers discovered this huge astrophysical jet. This extends farther than the Milky Way – lofar/decals/desi regacy imaging surveys/lbnl/doe/ctio/noirlab/nsf/auraImage Processing: m zamani (nsf noirlab).
These jets vary in strength and size depending on the magnetic field and rotation that drives them. From protostars to supermassive black holes, jets can extend vast distances into space, showcasing the extreme power of gravity and magnetic forces in the universe.
Astrophysical jets provide a mesmerizing insight into the mechanisms driving the most extreme wonders of the universe, from stars being devoured by black holes to pulsars emitting light across space.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope took an incredible new photo of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 4941.
This Hubble image shows NGC 4941, a spiral galaxy in Virgo’s constellation, about 67 million light years away. The color image consists of near-infrared, optical and ultraviolet observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Six filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Colors are attributed to assigning different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Thilker.
NGC 4941 It is approximately 67 million light years away from Earth, the Virgo constellation.
Also known as AGC 530009, IRAS 13016-0516, Leda 45165, or UGCA 321. 60,000 light years Crossing.
It was discovered on April 24, 1784 by German and British astronomer William Herschel.
NGC 4941 is a member of two galaxy groups, the NGC 4941 group and the NGC 4697 group.
“Because this galaxy is nearby, in cosmic terms, Hubble’s sharp instruments can choose exquisite details such as individual star clusters and filament clouds of gas and dust,” said the Hubble astronomer.
“The Hubble data used to construct this image was collected as part of an observation program that investigates star formation and stellar feedback cycles in nearby galaxies.”
“When stars form in densely cold gas clusters, they start to affect their surroundings.”
“The stars heat and stir the gas clouds created by exploding as supernoves for the wind, starlight, and ultimately the large stars.”
“These processes collectively are called stellar feedback and affect the rate at which galaxies can form new stars.”
“After all, stars aren’t the only entities that provide feedback in NGC 4941,” they added.
“When a black hole accumulates gas from the surroundings, it swirls into an overheated disk that glows brightly at wavelengths throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.”
“It resembles a star, but on a much larger scale – the active galactic nucleus shapes its surroundings through wind, radiation and powerful jets, changing not only the formation of stars but also the evolution of the entire galaxy.”
Earlier this month, a mysterious spaceship named X-37B landed at Vandenburg Space Force base near Santa Barbara, California. This experimental project, shrouded in secrecy, has been ongoing for over a decade.
Details about the X-37B and its mission are scarce, but fragments of information have been gradually unveiled over the years, allowing us to piece together the puzzle of what is happening in space.
While the public eye is fixed on the race to the moon by private companies and national space agencies, a more secretive competition is taking place in the background.
The X-37B is just one of many clandestine experiments conducted by countries like the US, Russia, and China. Recent revelations shed light on the features of this mysterious spacecraft and give a glimpse into the future of military space operations.
The X-37B is seen here on the runway after a successful completion of the sixth mission. – Staff Sergeant Adam Shanks / US Space Force
What do you know about the X-37B?
The X-37B, built by Boeing, is a cutting-edge spacecraft born out of NASA’s X-37 program. It embarked on its first flight in 2010 and has since been managed by various US military entities, including the US Space Force.
The US Space Force, established in 2019, recognizes the importance of space in future conflicts and aims to achieve space superiority through operations like space control.
The X-37B, despite not being a weapon itself, plays a crucial role in preparing the US for potential space warfare scenarios. Its capabilities are key in collecting data and testing new technologies in the space domain.
Recent maneuvers like the “aero brake” operation have showcased the agility and versatility of the X-37B, hinting at its potential role in future defense strategies.
While the specifics of the X-37B’s missions remain classified, its significance lies in its contribution to the US military’s readiness for an evolving space landscape.
War in Space: Where does the X-37B fit?
As space becomes increasingly congested with satellites and new technologies, the X-37B’s role in collecting data and testing capabilities is vital for understanding the evolving space environment.
The spacecraft’s ability to operate autonomously and perform complex maneuvers like aero braking sets it apart as a valuable asset in modernizing US space defense strategies.
While countries like China and Russia are also developing secretive space capabilities, the X-37B represents the US’s commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in space while adapting to new threats.
Overall, the X-37B serves as a reminder that space is no longer just a realm of exploration, but a frontier where countries must prepare for defense and strategic advantage.
About our experts
Vivienne Machi: Military space editor at Aviation Week, with a decade of experience covering international military and space technology.
Todd Harrison: Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute specializing in defense strategy, budget, and space policy.
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After a period of time, smoking indoors, wearing a flamboyant wide tie, and typing away on a typewriter at the office desk became socially acceptable. Norms evolve, and that’s often for the best. However, when it comes to cafe laptops, I urge society to reconsider. Don’t be the nuisance in my cafe – that’s the only place that keeps a solitary freelancer like me going, similar to the WFH Brigade.
My kitchen table, where I spend most of my working hours, is adequate. There’s a window nearby. You can make yourself a cup of tea whenever you please. You can transition to the couch, listen to your own music, take loud calls, or stand up. But variety is the spice of life, and if cafes were my only option, I’d truly be disheartened. Yes, I’m aware of coworking spaces, but they are a) filled with unpleasant individuals, and b) not within my budget. Thankfully, the calming ambient noise of distant conversations, keyboard clicks, is as close to a cafe as I can get for now.
The freedom to work from anywhere is one of the perks of being a writer, but this privilege is being misused by fellow laptop users, risking its potential revocation. Clogging up tables, engaging in hours of minimal spending, the antics of cafe owners – just buying a cup of tea and occupying space all day is clearly rude, not to mention bad for business.
It’s undeniable that a sea of laptops alters the ambiance of a place, transforming friendly hangouts to unbearable coworking spots. Consequently, our laptop-user to other patron ratio needs to be managed diligently. After years of observing this trend – even before the pandemic hit, I’ve drafted a code of conduct to maintain harmony within the cafe laptop ecosystem. And it’s essential to adhere to it, as if we continue to disrupt this balance, it might be back to the kitchen table for good.
The initial rule is to limit laptop usage in cafes to four hours and spend around £5 on two items. If you plan to occupy the space all day, you must also order at least one meal. Additionally, no Zoom calls or phone conversations are permitted under any circumstances. The objective of working with a laptop in a cafe is to blend in seamlessly, rather than disrupting the environment with endless productivity tasks. If you need to make a call, stay at home or step outside.
It goes without saying that you should choose the smallest available table. Don’t occupy a larger table when it’s just you and your laptop. Furthermore, if power outlets are visibly accessible, don’t hassle the staff to charge your devices. They are there to serve food and drinks, not to make your impromptu office setup easier. And of course, do not play loud music. It shouldn’t need to be said, but a recent encounter at a coffee shop proved otherwise. I wonder what he’s reading now. Otherwise, our refuge in local cafes is at risk.
In conclusion, be respectful, pay your dues, and don’t take advantage of the privilege of being in a cafe. Essentially: Don’t abuse the system.
Many British people abroad may wish to hide me under a rock or imagine French accents. While I feel ashamed to be grouped with them, there’s no reason why we can’t change the narrative.
Cafes not only provide a conducive work environment but also serve as a natural habitat. As historical origins suggest, they have always been a breeding ground for ideas. The vibrant, intellectual cafe setting is often what’s needed to spark creativity, while also reminding us of the presence of others (a aspect often missing in traditional office settings). It’s truly a valuable resource that shouldn’t be taken for granted. If cafes were no longer an option, and the kitchen table or coworking spaces were the only alternatives, I might have to reluctantly resort to seeking traditional employment.
Do you have any opinions on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to send a response of up to 300 words by email to consider being published in our Letters section, please click here.
The Euclidean Mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) has just released its first significant batch of research data, offering a fascinating glimpse into the vast cosmos.
This newly revealed image, covering a 63-square patch of the sky (over 300 times the size of a full moon), showcases millions of galaxies in intricate detail.
But this is just the beginning. The Euclidean mission, aimed at mapping the universe and unraveling the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, which constitute 95% of the universe, has only just begun.
Launched in February 2024 and released in July 2023, Euclid is designed to survey a third of the sky, eventually capturing images of 1.5 billion galaxies. In just a week of observations, the mission has already spotted 26 million galaxies, some located an astounding 10.5 billion light years away.
Professor Carole Mandel, ESA’s director of science, described the release as “a treasure trove of information for scientists to delve into.” In an official statement, she highlighted Euclid’s role as the “ultimate discovery machine,” enabling astronomers to explore the grand structure of the universe with unparalleled precision.
The initial observations of the mission showcase Euclid’s capability to map the large-scale structures of the universe using high-resolution visible instruments (VIS) and near-infrared spectrometers (NISPs), capturing galaxies across vast distances and helping scientists track the intricate web-like structure of space.
This image shows not only light, gravity lenses within the cluster, but also a variety of huge galaxy clusters. The cluster near the center is called J041110.98-481939.3 and is almost 6 billion light years away. -ESA/EUCLID/EUCLID Image processing by CONSORTIUM/NASA, J.-C, Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi
“Euclid’s potential to unveil more about dark matter and dark energy from the massive structure of the Cosmic Web can only be realized once the entire survey is completed,” stated Dr. Clotilde Laigle, a scientist from the Euclidean Consortium.
“Nevertheless, this first data release offers a unique view into the vast organization of galaxies, providing insights into the formation of galaxies over time.”
With an immense data stream – sending back 100 GB of data to Earth per day – scientists are challenged with cataloging and analyzing an unprecedented number of galaxies. To tackle this, AI algorithms, in collaboration with thousands of citizen scientists, have categorized over 380,000 galaxies in their initial dataset.
The AI model known as “Zoobot” was trained over a month on the Galaxy Zoo platform with the help of nearly 10,000 volunteers to enhance their galaxy classification skills.
Dr. Mike Walmsley, an expert in astronomical deep learning at the University of Toronto, highlighted the significance of AI in processing Euclid’s vast datasets.
While scientists are still grappling with this first data release, many are already envisioning the future.
“Euclid will truly revolutionize our understanding of the universe,” stated Professor Christopher Conselice from the University of Manchester. He depicted the results as just “the tip of the iceberg,” foreseeing Euclid’s revelations about dark energy and a complete picture of galactic evolution throughout the ages.
The mission is still in its nascent stages, with the released data accounting for only 0.4% of Euclid’s final investigation scope. Setting the stage for even more profound discoveries, the initial data release indicates that Euclid is poised to offer a remarkable new perspective on the universe. In October 2026, ESA is expected to release Euclid’s first major cosmological dataset, covering larger research areas and multiple deep field paths.
If this initial glimpse is any indication, the coming years promise a deluge of data and discoveries that could redefine our understanding of the universe.
Galactic sea photographed by the Euclidean Space Telescope
ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, J.-C. Image processing by Cuillandre, E. Bertin, G. Anselmi
The extraordinary image from the Euclidean Space Telescope has acquired 26 million galaxies.
Euclid was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in July 2023, and in November of that year it sent its first image back. The six-year mission will image about a third of the sky and build the most detailed 3D map of Cosmos ever created. Once completed, this investigation will help to lighten how dark matter and dark energy behave on a cosmic scale.
ESA is currently being released The first large data on this missionstarts with three “deep fields.” This is an area where the telescope becomes a more detailed peer than the rest of the study area. These three spots represent 63 squares of sky, which corresponds to an area where the full moon is covered 300 times. Over the next few years, Euclide will pass these regions 30-52 times to build more detailed images.
It'll be Percival The University of Waterloo in Canada says that current batches of images are less than 50% of what gather on missions, but there is already plenty of researchers to collaborate. “There's so much you can do about many individual galaxies and their properties because it's not something that's done in space-based research with nearby infrared light or optics like this,” he says. “It's not exactly the same quality as HST [the Hubble Space Telescope]but it's so close that it doesn't just point to individual objects and shoot. We are conducting an investigation. ”
Researchers have already used Euclidean data to find hundreds of powerful gravity lenses. These phenomena are formed when the gravity of an object in the foreground distorts light from a distant galaxy, creating an arc shape or a complete ring. Previously, scientists had to hunt these individually, point them to the HST, and collect more images. Currently, astronomers can search for survey data from Euclidean and find more at once. This helps to gather insights into the evolution of galaxies and the universe.
Using AI models, researchers were able to find and catalog 500 galaxies with powerful gravity lenses with this first data alone, doubling the total seen to date. “The statistics are incredible,” Percival says. “Euclidean ultimately gets this amount of data 200 times.”
The data released so far represents only one week of images from Euclidean, but up to 35 terabytes. This is equivalent to 200 days of high quality video streaming. The next batch of data is expected to be released later next year, and will be a year's worth of images covering 2,000 square degrees and over 2,000 terabytes of storage space.
It can take over 100 years to view each galaxy manually, so AI is used to dramatically speed up the process, he says. Mike Walmsley At the University of Toronto. “We can ask new questions in weeks, not years, but in weeks,” he says.
SpaceX Crew Capsules finally reached the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla. more than a day after the explosion. They are there to provide an alternative to NASA’s two occupied astronauts.
The four new arrivals from the US, Japan, and Russia will spend the next few days learning about the space station from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. They will then secure themselves in their own SpaceX capsule later this week. One of the astronauts has been aboard the station since last year, concluding an unexpected extended mission that began last June.
Originally, Wilmore and Williams expected their space trip on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to only last a week. However, they have now spent nine months in space, waiting for the Starliner capsule while encountering numerous issues.
Upon arrival at the space station, Wilmore opened the hatch and rang the ship’s bells as the new astronauts floated in one by one, greeted with hugs and handshakes.
“It’s been a great day. It’s nice to see our friends arrive,” Williams reported to Mission Control.
Wilmore and Williams arrived in late September with a reduced crew of two, leaving two empty seats reserved on the crew. However, delays occurred when the new capsules needed extensive battery repairs, forcing the old capsules to be replaced and pushing the return home to mid-March.
Assuming the weather permits, the SpaceX capsules carrying Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts will detach from the space station before Wednesday and will land off the coast of Florida.
Currently, there are 11 astronauts stationed in the orbital labs, representing the US, Russia, and Japan.
Four astronauts were launched into orbit on their way to the International Space Station on Friday evening. The astronauts included NASA’s Anne McLain and Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Onysia, and Russian astronaut Kirill Peskov. They were lifted from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:03 pm and soared into the blue sky over Florida approximately 48 hours after the initial launch.
“This mission is evidence of what humans can achieve when we work together,” Ayers radioed mission control during the smooth countdown.
The Crew 10 mission is part of the regular rotation of NASA crew members to the space station. This particular mission is drawing more attention as it involves the anticipated return of NASA astronauts Snie Williams and Butch Willmore back to Earth.
Crew-10 Mission Roscosmos Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, NASA ASTRONUTS NICHOLE AYERES and ANNE MCCLAIN and JAXA ASTRONAUT TAKUYA ONISHI on Wednesday.Gregg Newton / AFP / Getty Images
Williams and Wilmore have been in the spotlight for months due to unusual circumstances in orbit. They were initially scheduled for a one-week stay in June as part of a test flight for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft but encountered vehicle issues that extended their stay at the space station.
The new crew will relieve Williams, Wilmore, and two others for a six-month stint at the space station, including NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Alexander Golvnov.
The crew of Crew 10 was launched atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The first reusable booster stage successfully returned to Earth about ten minutes after liftoff, landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
“Tonight was an honor to fly with you,” said a SpaceX flight director to the crew in orbit. “We will support you on your journey and wish you the best.”
The crew of 10 astronauts will spend over 28 hours in low-Earth orbit traveling to the space station. They are expected to reach the space station on Saturday. The return crew could depart as early as March 19th, according to NASA.
More than 270 people arrived at the space station. NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams arrived on June 6th.NASA
The recent launch attempts added drama to the situation. The countdown was halted on Wednesday with 40 minutes remaining due to a ground system issue at the launch pad. The astronauts were already strapped inside the dragon capsule when the decision was made.
The Crew 10 Group consists of a mix of experienced astronauts and first-timers, all with a background as pilots. McLain and Onisi are visiting the space station for the second time, while Ayers and Peskov are on their first space flight journey.
Arrivals at the space station mark the beginning of a handover period which includes training new crews and catching up on scientific experiments, maintenance work, and other projects.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is being prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday.Craig Bailey/Reuters
Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Golbunov are expected to return to Earth via the SpaceX Dragon Capsule, where Hague and Golbunov originally flew to the space station. The Starliner spacecraft, which encountered issues, is being brought back to Earth without any crew onboard.
The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore in low-earth orbit has gained political attention, with claims by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump regarding their return to Earth. However, NASA has planned to use SpaceX vehicles for the return journey since the announcement in August.
NASA is preparing for substantial budget cuts that could force cancellations of ongoing and upcoming missions across the solar system, and experts warn that it is facing a “brutal” future.
The space agency has already launched several layoffs as part of a broad restructuring of the US federal agency by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an independent task force led by Elon Musk. Earlier this week it announced it would close its offices for technology, policy and strategy. Chief scientist’s office. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Branch, located in Washington, DC’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, represents a total of 23 employment for its agents.
“This magnitude change is by no means easy, but our strength comes from our mission and our shared commitment to each other,” NASA’s acting administrator, Janet Petro, emailed staff members. “We encourage each other to support us as we move forward.”
One employee in the Technology, Policy and Strategy office who learned they were fired this week and given anonymity for fear of retaliation says that their office is a “easy target” as it was set up under Joe Biden’s control. “Some people thought this might come,” they say.
The role of NASA’s Chief Technologist and Chief Economist is within the office, and “supported strategic planning across the agency,” the employee says. This includes managing recent increases in recent lunar missions when planning lunar-based landing sites and operations and “preventing these missions from interfering with each other.”
“There’s a lot of interest in the Antarctic of the Moon, and there’s concern that it works close to each other,” they said. “I don’t think we’ll address these issues moving forward.”
These losses are expected to be just the beginning of NASA’s much larger ull. Casey Drier American Space Exploration Advocacy Group says there are rumours that in his upcoming budget request, President Donald Trump will direct NASA’s overall scientific budget to be cut by 50%. This is a blow to NASA’s office of Science Mission Directors, and “everything that isn’t pretty much everything NASA does is not a space flight mission,” says Dreier. Currently, we have a budget of around $7 billion from NASA’s total annual budget of $25 billion.
Scientists familiar with NASA policy-making say they spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation and say that the cuts requested by the president must be approved by Congress. “NASA is really loved on a bipartisan basis,” they say. But if the cut goes on, they add that they “essentially end to NASA science.” “The mission is not safe.”
Throwing the budget by half “will be a very brutal outcome, symbolizing the nation’s return to space,” Dreyer said, and would result in the cancellation of many missions. Like James Webb’s Space Telescope, some of their Prime missions will likely survive, but the most at risk are early planning or later missions. These include the climate satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Voyager Mission, where patience and curiosity on Mars was the first spacecraft to leave the solar system.
The impact on NASA may be permanent. “If you completely destroy a people’s pipeline, you’ll have serious, long-term consequences,” says Dreier. “It’s an extinction level event.”
In this week’s letter to Peter, California’s Zoe Lofgren, a top Democrat on the House of Representatives’ Science and Space Technology Committee, urged NASA to cut and fight back. “Doge is trying to reduce and burn NASA’s core capabilities,” she wrote. “It’s essential to stand up to NASA’s important work.”
I’ll talk New ScientistLofgren warned that the situation could have international consequences. “Destroying NASA’s highly skilled workforce will be a major leap for the US and a major leap for China,” she said. “Meanwhile-less reductions will undermine cutting edge innovation, curious science, and institutional ability to maintain leadership in human exploration.”
The journey to the International Space Station for the four astronauts has been delayed due to issues with one of the clamp arms holding the SpaceX rocket in place on the launch pad. The mission controller stopped the planned launch on Wednesday, and NASA has not yet announced the new release date and time.
Originally, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore were expected to stay at the ISS for just a week in June as part of a test flight for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but due to vehicle issues, they are now in orbit for nine months.
Astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams will be on the ISS in June. AP
The launch for Crew 10 was scrubbed with about 43 minutes left on the countdown clock. The lift-off was scheduled for 7:48pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket.
There are additional opportunities for the launch this week on Thursday at 7:26pm and Friday at 7:03pm, pending resolution of clamp arm hydraulic issues.
SpaceX Crew-10 Commander Anne McClain is waving alongside his crew at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. From left are pilots Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronauts Onish and McClain, and astronaut Kiril Peskov. Greg Newton / AFP-Getty Images
Once Crew 10 arrives at the space station, they will take over from the current crew, including Williams, Wilmore, and two other members, preparing for the astronauts’ return home.
Williams and Wilmore will return home on the SpaceX Dragon Capsule, which arrived at the space station in September. This will mark the end of their months-long mission on the ISS.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spaceship is being prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. Terry Renna / AP
The situation has sparked political discussion, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump involved. Trump claimed that the Biden administration returned the astronauts to Earth for political reasons, which has been refuted. Plans for NASA to use SpaceX vehicles for the return journey remain unchanged.
NASA has not yet announced the date of the crew’s closure and landing, which typically occurs after a handover period for exchanging information about ongoing projects at the space station.
A team of four astronauts is gearing up for launch to the International Space Station on Wednesday. This marks the beginning of the process to bring NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore back to Earth.
Williams and Wilmore have been capturing public interest since their launch in June on a test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Initially planned to stay at the space station for a week, they are now set to spend nine months in orbit.
During their journey to the ISS, the Boeing capsule faced various challenges like thruster malfunctions and propellant leaks. Consequently, NASA decided to return the Starliner craft to Earth with only one crew member, leaving the two astronauts aboard the orbiting outpost.
NASA then rearranged crew rotations to free up seats on the SpaceX Dragon Capsule for Williams and Willmore to return home.
On September 29th, the capsule arrived at the space station carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The plan is for Willmore and Williams to hitch a ride back with them at the end of their approximately six-month mission.
As the new crew gets ready to launch, NASA astronauts Anne McLain and Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Onishi, and Russian astronaut Kiril Peskov are set to blast off into space on Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew-10 mission.
The liftoff is scheduled for 7:48pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Crew-10 astronauts are expected to dock around 6am on Thursday and reach the space station later that day, taking over from the current crew of four.
Physicists have long known that electrons can form vortices from quantum materials. What's new is evidence that these small particles create tornado-like structures in momentum space.
In quantum materials called Tantalum harsenide (TAAS), electrons form vortices in momentum space. Image credits: Think-Design / Jochen Thamm.
Momentum space is a fundamental physics concept that explains electron motion in terms of energy and orientation rather than precise physical location.
The counterpart, the position space, is an area where familiar phenomena such as water vortices and hurricanes occur.
Until now, even quantum vortices of materials have been observed only in positional space.
Eight years ago, Dr. Roderrich Mossner of the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems and the Excellence ct.qmat of the Würzburg Denden cluster theorized that quantum tornadoes could also form in momentum spaces.
At the time, he described this phenomenon as a smoke ring. Because, like a ring of smoke, it is made up of vortices.
But up until now, no one knew how to measure them.
To detect quantum tornadoes in momentum space, Dr. Moessner and colleagues have enhanced a well-known technique called ARPES (angle-resolved light emission spectroscopy).
“ARPES is a fundamental tool in experimental solid-state physics,” explained Dr. Maximilian ünzelmann, researcher at the University of Werzburg, the experimental Physik VII and the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence Cluster.
“It involves shining light on a material sample, extracting electrons, and measuring energy and outlet angles.”
“This allows us to see the electronic structure of the material directly in the momentum space.”
“By skillfully adapting this method, we were able to measure orbital angular momentum.”
Team's work It will be displayed in the journal Physics Review x.
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T. figgemeier et al. 2025. Imaging of orbital vortex lines in three-dimensional momentum space. Phys. Rev. X 15, 011032; doi:10.1103/physrevx.15.011032
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have produced the epic image of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 4900.
This Hubble image shows the NGC 4900, a spiral galaxy about 45 million light years away in the Virgo constellations. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/SJ Smartt/C. Kilpatrick.
NGC 4900 It is about 45 million light years away from the Virgo constellations.
Also known as the Leda 44797 or IRAS 12580+0246, this Spiral Galaxy has 66,000 light years.
The NGC 4900 was discovered by German and British astronomer William Herschel on April 30, 1786.
Galaxy is a member of the NGC 4753 group and a member of the Virgo II group.
“The data are more than 20 years apart in two different observational programs. This is a true testament to Hubble's long scientific life,” said the Hubble astronomer.
“Both programs aimed to understand the end of a giant star.”
“For one, researchers were aiming to study the locations of past supernovaes, estimate the masses of the exploded stars, and investigate how the supernova interacts with their surroundings.”
“NGC 4900 was selected for research because it hosted a named supernova SN 1999BR. ”
“In other programs, researchers have laid the foundation for studying future supernovaes by collecting images of more than 150 nearby galaxies.”
“After a supernova is detected in any of these galaxies, researchers can look up these images and search for stars at the supernova location.”
“Identifying supernova progenitor stars in pre-explosion images gives valuable information about how, when, and why supernovae occur.”
A traditional traction elevator operates using cables to move the cabin up and down within the building shaft. An attached counterweight at the opposite end of the cable helps facilitate the movement of the cabin. Simply enter the cabin, select a floor, press a button, and let the electric motor transport you to your desired level. As the cabin ascends, the counterweight descends, and vice versa.
Enter the concept of space elevators, a more ambitious take on this idea. The system relies on cables, spanning several thousand meters, extending from space to Earth. Instead of launching rockets into space, the cabin travels along these cables. By utilizing some of the energy from rocket launches, the cable eliminates pollution.
Although it may seem far-fetched, the idea of space elevators has been under serious consideration for many years. The concept was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist and space exploration pioneer Konstantin Ziolkovsky, who introduced the concept of the Sky Ladder.
The primary challenge lies in establishing the connection point of the cable to space. Geostationary orbit satellites provide a solution. Positioned at a specific distance from Earth, geostationary orbit satellites remain fixed in one spot above the Earth, creating an ideal anchor point approximately 36,000km (22,200 miles) above the equator.
The process involves dropping lengthy cables from the satellite, causing the satellite to rise and counteract the weight of the cable to maintain its position. To counteract gravity’s effect on the cable under geostationary orbit, the centrifugal effect also contributes to stabilization.
The cables must be anchored and secured to the ground. Some proposals suggest securing anchors on mountaintops or towers to reduce the length of cables required. Another innovative concept suggests utilizing a mobile base on marine aviation vessels or platforms in international waters, allowing for flexibility in avoiding inclement weather or mitigating potential failures at the top.
Currently, a space elevator prototype, known as the “Climber,” is used to transport payloads up the cable. However, experts propose the idea of pulling the entire system into space once payloads reach orbit. Calculations indicate that payloads representing up to 1% of the cable’s mass can be accommodated. Despite the challenges, such as developing a cable 50 times stronger than steel, advancements in materials like carbon nanotubes or graphene offer promising solutions.
With predictions suggesting that space elevators could become a reality in the near future, ongoing research continues to explore innovative approaches to overcome the remaining obstacles.
This article addresses the question posed by Thomas Bletso, “Can we really build a space elevator?”
To submit a question, please email Questions@sciencefocus.com or message us on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Page (be sure to include your name and location).
For fascinating science content, visit our Ultimate Fun Facts page.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have created a beautiful new image of the Intermediate Spiral Galaxy NGC 5042.
This Hubble image shows NGC 5042, a mid-spiral galaxy, about 48 million light years away in the Hydra constellations. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Thilker.
NGC 5042 It is located approximately 48 million light years from Earth, the Hydra constellation.
The galaxy has a diameter of 80,000 light years, known as ESO 508-31, LEDA 46126 or IRAS 13127-2343.
That's what NGC 5042 was I discovered it by British astronomer John Herschel on March 25, 1836.
“The NGC 5042 fills this frame of Hubble image nicely, and there is a single milky star marked with cross-shaped diffraction spikes that attempt to blend in with bright stars along the edge of the galaxy,” the Hubble astronomer said in a statement.
The NGC 5042 is packed with ancient stars, and the galaxy's spiral arms are decorated with patches of young blue stars.
“The elongated yellow orange objects scattered around the image are background galaxies that are far more distant than NGC 5042,” the astronomer said.
“Perhaps the most impressive feature of the NGC 5042 is its collection of vibrant pink gas clouds scattered throughout the spiral arm.”
“These flashy clouds are called the H II region and get a unique color from hydrogen atoms ionized by ultraviolet rays.”
“If you look closely at this image, it appears that many of these reddish clouds are associated with a mass of blue stars, often appearing to form shells around the stars.”
“The H II region is generated by vast clouds of hydrogen gas, producing sufficient high energy light to create the HI II region, and only hot, large stars are produced.”
“The stars that can create the H II region only live for millions of years, and therefore the eye blinks from the galaxy's perspective, so this image represents a fleeting snapshot of the life of this galaxy.”
Six filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Colors are attributed to assigning different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“Hubble observed NGC 5042 in six wavelength bands ranging from ultraviolet to infrared and created this multicolored portrait,” the researchers said.
Soyuz MS Rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
Rhiannon Adam
This ghostly image of Soyuz Ms Rocket in Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, was taken the night before it took off to the International Space Station in December 2021, and has a particularly moving resonance for the photographer. Rhiannon Adam.
About a month ago, she was said to be one of the eight-person crew members of the Dearmoon Project. It was set to become the first civilian mission to the moon, and was scheduled to be released in 2023 using a rocket developed by SpaceX, but was later cancelled.
Adam was part of a large crowd that was taken that night to see the Soyuz rocket. When the others began to leave, she strolled around to get a shot of her before being escorted by security. “Before I fired the shutter, I didn’t have a cable release so I held my breath and closed my eyes,” she says. “It was a creepy alien green light, and the flood lights mixed with the fog, so I thought it was a sight I might never see again.”
Adam had to take two frames and cross the fingers that came from the photo before being guided to the waiting bus. “Fortunately, I did. This image is a bit bittersweet for what’s symbolic to me now, but when I can separate it from my life, I still think it’s a beautiful monument to human achievement,” she says.
she, 2025 Sony World Photography AwardsCreate a cut in the “Creative” category of the Photo Series on Mission Cancellation. The overall winner of Photographer of the Year will be named on April 16th.
Impressions of the artists of Spherex Space Telescope
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The latest addition to NASA's Space Telescope Fleet will be launched this weekend and will soon scan the entire sky in near-infrared wavelength ranges, collecting a wealth of data on more than 450 million galaxies.
The history of the universe, the reionization epoch, and the spectrophotometer for Ice Explorer (Spherex) will be released on March 2nd on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:09 pm local time.
It carries a camera with filters that divide the light that enters like a prism and beams different parts of the spectrum into 102 separate color sensors. As the telescope pans around the sky, it slowly tightens the full image pixels pixel by pixel. This strategy allows you to use a relatively small and simple camera to do what you need to have a heavy, expensive suite of sensors, even without moving parts.
“If you slowly scan the sky slowly by moving the telescope, after a sufficient amount of time, every pixel in the sky is observed over a very wide wavelength range, giving you a coarse spectrum of every bit of the sky that has never been done before.” Richard Ellis University College London. “It's a very small space telescope, but it has some very unique features.”
Ellis says this rich dataset allows for accidental discoveries. “There's a high chance that you'll find something unexpected,” he says.
Infrared data is outside the human vision range, allowing scientists to determine the distance of objects and learn how to form galaxies. It can also be used to determine the chemical composition of an object, potentially revealing the presence of water and other important components.
The interesting stuff thrown by Spherex can be investigated in a more focused way using NASA's existing space telescope fleet.
Christopher Conseris At the University of Manchester in the UK, Spherex says it doesn't match the JWST solution or create similarly adoring images, but it says it will become a “maintainer” for scientific discovery.
“JWST can point to a part of the sky and take some big photos [and reveal] Something completely new. And Spherex really can't do the same thing,” he says. “It's going to be an analysis that takes years, and it's going to cover the sky many times.”
Spherex orbits the Earth 14.5 times a day away from the Earth's surface, completing 11,000 orbits over a two-year lifespan. Three cone-shaped shields protect the instrument from the Earth's radiant heat and interference from the sun.
The same rocket will be released on the polarimeter, another NASA mission to unify the Corona and Heliosphere Fair (punch), which will study the solar winds of the sun.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope produced excellent images of a small portion of the Veil Nebula, part of the remnants of a supernova called the Cygnus loop.
This Hubble image shows part of the Veil Nebula. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/R. Sankrit.
Cygnus loop It is a large donut-shaped nebula located approximately 2,400 light years from Earth.
Also known as the W78 and Sharpless 103, it is actually an explosive blast from a supernova explosion that occurred 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.
Its name comes from the position of the northern constellations of Cygnus and covers an area 36 times the full moon.
The visual part of the supernova remains is known as the veil nebula, also known as the caterpillar or filamentous nebula.
“This nebula is about 20 times more star remnants than the sun that exploded 10,000 to 20,000 years ago,” said Hubble astronomers.
This new image consists of observations from Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Optical part of the spectrum.
“This view combines images taken with three different filters to highlight the release from hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen atoms,” the astronomer said.
“The image shows just a small part of the Veil Nebula. If we could see the entire nebula without the help of a telescope, it would be as wide as six full moons were placed side by side.”
“The image captures the Veil Nebula at just one point, but it helps researchers understand how the remnants of the supernova have evolved over the decades.”
“Combining this snapshot with Hubble observations from 1994 reveals the movement of individual knots and gas filaments over that time, improving our understanding of this stunning nebula.”
The new NASA Space Observatory is set to launch into orbit on Thursday with a crucial mission to map over 450 million galaxies.
The Spherex mission, short for the spectrophoton meter of space history, reionization epoch, and Ice Explorer history, will map the entire sky four times over two years, giving scientists the chance to study galaxy formation and uncover insights into the universe’s evolution.
“That’s going to answer the fundamental question: how did we get here?” Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA headquarters, stated in a recent news briefing.
Spherex is scheduled to be launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:09 pm on Thursday.
The cone-shaped spacecraft will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket along with four suitcase-sized satellites deployed simultaneously for another NASA mission to study the sun.
A spacecraft preliminary design that includes a hexagonal solar shield to help keep your instrument cool. NASA / JPL-Caltech
The $488 million Spherex mission has been in development for approximately 10 years. According to NASA, it aims to map objects using 102 infrared colors and light.
Infrared technology allows scientists to see through dust and gas, observing some of the oldest stars and galaxies in the universe. By utilizing spectroscopy, scientists can analyze the composition, density, temperature, and movement of celestial objects.
The Spherex Observatory employs spectrometers to explore the sky in three dimensions and study hundreds of millions of galaxies’ properties, as stated by Jamie Bock, a lead investigator at the Spherex mission and a physics professor at the California Institute of Technology.
Bock mentioned that these observations could provide insights into galaxy formation and allow researchers to examine the origins of water and other organic materials in the Milky Way galaxy.
“When you dissect light, you can determine the galaxy’s distance, construct a three-dimensional map, and identify the water fingerprint,” Bock explained.
Unraveling the origins of water can enhance scientific understanding of life’s evolution on Earth and possibly reveal clues about vital life components elsewhere in the galaxy.
“This new capability can lead to discoveries or surprises,” Bock added.
By mapping the celestial sky, the Spherex mission addresses one of astronomy’s enduring mysteries: The Big Bang that Created the Universe approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
One theory proposed in the late 1970s and early 1980s suggests the universe experienced a staggering trillion-fold expansion in the first fraction of a second post-big bang. Known as cosmic inflation, this theory aims to explain the universe’s curved geometry, structure formation, and rapid expansion.
However, astronomers have grappled with connecting the driving force behind this cosmic inflation and why it occurred. By meticulously mapping hundreds of millions of galaxies, the Spherex mission can test theories in new ways, aiding scientists in refining the physics underlying the universe’s inflation and rapid expansion.
“What Spherex does is test specific inflation models by tracking hundreds of millions of galaxies in three dimensions,” Brock noted.
Domagal-Goldman expressed that the Spherex Mission’s exploration of galaxies, cosmic inflation, and the universe’s origins could deepen human comprehension of basic physics.
“We are fortunate to live in an era where we can uncover answers about the universe’s long narrative of human existence on this planet,” he remarked.
Musk referred to Mogensen as an “idiot” and used a light pejorative term that escalated quickly.
“SpaceX could have brought them back a few months ago.” The tweet was posted. “I presented this directly to the Biden administration, and they rejected it. The return was delayed for political reasons. Idiot.”
Mogensen, who shuttled between the space station on a SpaceX rocket and capsule, replied 13 minutes later, acknowledging Musk’s earlier praise for his work with SpaceX.
“Like me, you know that Butch and Suni are back with Crew-9, just like me, as planned since September last year.” He mentioned in another tweet about NASA’s plan to bring Willmore and Williams back to Earth alongside two current space station crews. “Even now, you haven’t sent a rescue ship to bring them back. They’ve returned to the Dragon Capsules they’ve been working on with the ISS since September last year.”
Mogensen was the commander of the Space Station from September 2023 to March 2024, continuing to be stationed at his recent orbital post.
Neither the White House nor NASA immediately responded to requests for comment.
Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who led the space station in 2013, also reiterated his initial comment on X on February 14th.
“Suni and Butch have never been ‘stuck’ in space,” Hadfield stated. “They are well-prepared and dedicated to their missions, like all professional astronauts. Leading the Space Station Commander is Suni, and they are onboard spacecraft working diligently on behalf of NASA and all their partners. I commend their dedication.”
Spatt’s role as one of Trump’s top political advisers has raised new questions about his tendency to disseminate false and misleading information. Musk has also recently spread several misleading claims regarding fraud and spending within the US government.
Wilmore and Williams were launched on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 to the International Space Station, intending to spend about a week as part of their test flight.
However, the capsule encountered several issues and was forced to prolong its stay at the space station. Ultimately, NASA decided to return the Starliner to Earth in September.
Elon Musk in Washington on February 13th. Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Under the Biden administration, NASA has requested SpaceX to bring Willmore and Williams back to Earth. Their return, initially set for this month, was postponed to late March. NASA cited the need to “finalize” the new SpaceX spacecraft that will transport four new crews to the space station.
This flight, called Crew-10, is scheduled to carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, Russian astronaut Kiril Peskov, and Japanese astronaut Onishi to the space station.
Upon their arrival, Wilmore and Williams will depart the station in another Dragon capsule, alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Alexander Golbunov.
Typically, incoming crews overlap with outgoing ones during handover periods, allowing astronauts to exchange information about ongoing experiments, maintenance tasks, and other protocols.
Musk also reiterated on Thursday. He suggested that the space station should be deorbited, proposing a timeline of two years instead of NASA’s plan to deorbit the facility by 2030.
“It has served its purpose. There are limited further utilities,” he stated. “Let’s aim for Mars.”
Using Gemini South Telescope, NSF's Noirlab astronomers imaged a beautiful nebula around the young open cluster NGC 2040.
The nebula, including the NGC 2040, resembles the vivid roses in this image taken by a Gemini Southeres scope. Image credits: International Gemini Observatory / Neur Love / NSF / Aura / J. Miller & M. Rodriguez, International Gemini Observatory & NSF No Arab/TA Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage & NSF No Arab/NSF No Arab/NSF No Arab, NSF No Arab.
NGC 2040 It is about 160,000 light years away from Earth, the constellation of Dorado.
This cluster, also known as the Cal 60 or ESO 56-164, resides within the large Magellan cloud, a satellite d-star galaxy of the Milky Way.
NGC 2040 is a so-called OB association, usually a stellar group containing stars between 10 and 100 stars O and B.
“O- and B-spectral types of stars live a short life of just millions of years, burning very hot before they explode like supernovae during that time,” Noirlab astronomers said in a statement.
“The energy released by these massive star explosions will be fed into the formation of NGC structures in the 2040s, while the material emitted sowing the growth of the next generation of stars.”
Most of our galaxy stars are thought to have been born in the OB Association, as well as NGC 2040.
“NGC 2040 is part of a large structure of interstellar gas known as LH 88, one of the largest active star-forming regions within the large Magellan cloud,” the astronomer said. Ta.
“Thousands of new stars will be born in the region over the millions of years to come.”
“When stars O and B end their supernovae life, they enrich the clusters with elements like carbon, oxygen and iron,” they said.
“Along with the rich hydrogen in the cluster, these elements provide the components necessary for the formation of new stars, planets, and perhaps life.”
“The bright stars seen in the image are widely separated, but their movements through space are similar, indicating that they have a common origin.”
“The layered ambiguous structure of LH 88 is the remains of an already dead star.”
“The delicate leaves of the rose were formed by both the shock waves of the supernova and the stellar winds of the stars of O and B.”
The 11 -year survey of particles near our sun and anti -particles has emerged the history of our solar system and causes a new mystery about the particles itself.
“It seems like I stepped into a dark room and saw a lot of new things.” Samuel Tin At Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Energy particles are filled in the space, which is moved by burst called cosmic rays. When the cosmic ray enters the Alpha Magnetic Difference (AMS) detector of the International Space Station (ISS), the magnetic field separates particles based on the charge, and the detector measures mass and energy. This separation is important because it helps to identify the differences between particles and their anti -particles.
AMS collaboration, and his colleagues, analyzed more than 11 years of AMS data, and found that we didn’t know much about the particle behavior as we thought. For example, this survey reveals how the number of particles tends to be over time and how different types of particles interact with each other. Ting says that there are more than 600 theoretical models that can explain each of these trends, but there is nothing to explain both surveys at the same time.
And the results of the survey may be important for more than a single particle. Researchers say that the changing characteristics may be useful as a record of the history of the solar system, so they are shooting cosmic rays with different detectors for more than a century. Jamie Lankin At Princeton University. However, she says that we have never understood how the solar cycle affects the light rays.
This is because 11 years is the length of one solar cycle, so collecting data during that period captures all repeated fluctuations in the sun magnetic field, and the behavior of cosmic rays changes. She says that such a detailed investigation can be a key to solving a method of using cosmic rays in “solar system archeology”.
However, he says that the cosmic ray itself is still mysterious. Gavin Lowell At Adelaide University in Australia. “The measured value of the particle AMS is essentially from outside the solar system,” he says. Detailed amounts of new analysis, including how different particle nuclei on the cosmic ray acts, may help researchers focus on more decisive theories of cosmic rays.
There is also a question of other unexplored universe. “It’s a big mystery for me that AMS can observe antiproton because we don’t see antimatters in our world.” Ian Low At Northwestern University, Illinois. He says that the origin of these anti -particles is connected to a mysterious dark substance, and otherwise it may be better than our current universe.
Ting and his colleagues are currently working on upgrading the AMS detector, can detect more particles, and are adjusted as astronauts who support the installation.
The melodious high-pitched sound of birdsong is not something typically associated with the vastness of space, usually serving as a delightful indication of the arrival of spring. However, to the surprise of many, scientists at China’s Beijing Aviation University have recently stumbled upon a similar occurrence over 100,000 kilometers away from Earth.
Through the analysis of data collected from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellite, researchers have pinpointed a phenomenon referred to as “chorus waves,” which consist of bursts of electromagnetic radiation traveling along Earth’s magnetic field lines.
If one were to venture into space, this sound would remain unheard due to the absence of air for sound waves to propagate. Interestingly, upon conversion into an audio signal for examination, this “chirp” is actually the auditory representation of these waves.
So, what exactly causes these electromagnetic chirps? Contrary to expectations, it is not a celestial songbird. In reality, chorus waveforms are relatively common. However, the peculiarity lies in their location, as highlighted by their distance from Earth.
The energy transfer induced by chorus waves prompts electron acceleration to speeds nearing that of light, crucial for the formation of Earth’s radiation belts which shield against the sun’s energetic particles.
While these accelerated particles contribute to the magnificent aurora borealis, they are also dubbed “killer electrons” due to the hazards they pose to satellites, astronauts, and crucial communication systems.
Typically, these waves are found around 51,000 km (32,000 miles) away, in a region influenced by the “magnetic dipole effect,” defining the Earth’s magnetic field with north and south poles.
However, a 2016 study published in nature unveiled that for the first time, these chorus waves have been observed at distances up to 165,000 km (103,000 miles) from Earth, in regions where the magnetic field is distorted and dipole effects are absent.
Furthermore, these waves exhibit similar properties to those closer to Earth, lasting around 0.1 seconds with frequencies reaching nearly 100Hz (akin to the noise of a revving car engine).
Chorus waves are part of the complex magnetic field system that causes auroras – Photo credit: Getty
Why is this discovery significant? It indicates that Earth’s environmental conditions are not prerequisites for wave generation as previously assumed by scientists.
“Though this finding does not refute existing theories… it certainly prompts a deeper investigation,” remarked Professor Richard Horne, head of space weather at the British Antarctic Survey, not involved in the study.
“The unexpected presence of chorus waves in this region calls for further exploration in areas where the Earth’s magnetic field displays substantial deviations from the dipole.”
Chorus waves play a vital role in shielding Earth from solar storms, yet they also pose potential dangers. Enhanced understanding of these waves can lead to better protective measures.
Horne expressed that this breakthrough “will significantly enhance our comprehension of these waves and refine our capacity to forecast them.”
An estimated 15% of American adults (260 million people) and 9 million Britons participated in last year’s Dry January. And recent scientific discoveries show that just one month of abstaining from alcohol can have many lasting benefits. Here’s what you can expect, including a timeline of the changes you’ll experience after a year of sobriety.
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invisible
The urge to be invisible goes back a long way. Hunters and soldiers have been finding ways to camouflage themselves for centuries, but scientists are inching closer to making things truly invisible. Using new materials and technologies, we can hide ourselves from sensors…and soon we will be able to hide ourselves from human eyes.
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How to make your New Year’s resolutions last:Why so many New Year’s resolutions fail…and how to make positive new habits stick forever.
Best coffee machines for making perfect homemade coffee: Want to take your morning wake-up juice to the next level?Tech expert Alex Hughes puts your taste buds to the test with the cups of five coffee machines.
Q&A:Your questions answered! This month: How can I shake off the January blues? Is the cat liquid? What is Tally Monster? How can I burn more calories while walking? What happens (to my body) when I quit vaping? Why can’t I lose weight when I drink alcohol? How can I see Jupiter?
“Alien Clay sends some serious criminals to a labor camp on a remote planet.”
Shutterstock / Space Creator
They say you shouldn’t start a story by waking up, but when you’ve been in a deep sleep for 30 years, you don’t know where else to start.
It may begin with awakening and end with awakening.
I’ve heard that hard sleep is a technical term. It’s hard because you’re shut down, dry, and frozen for your journey from star to star. They make it into art – it takes 11 minutes like clockwork. The whole ship is full of villains and they are dry to the point of being able to do anything. . . Well, I was going to say that you can survive indefinitely, but of course that’s not the case. you don’t survive. You die, but you’re flash-frozen in a very specific way, allowing you to more or less pick up where you left off on the other side. After all, a detour about it would kill any body that is not withered – a permanent and irreparable kind of killing.
They are full of things that re-expand you to more or less previous dimensions – you will notice that there are many more or less In this process. It’s an exact science, but it doesn’t bother you exactly. The thought process does not pick up where it left off. Short-term memory is not stored. The mental path these days doesn’t work. Therefore, start by waking up. Because until you can establish a connection with an old memory, that’s all you have at that moment. I know who I am, but I don’t know where I am or how I got there. It sounds scary, but let me tell you, when you wake up, you’ll find yourself in a real hell. The roar of massive structural damage echoes as ships are destroyed around you. The jostling impact when the little translucent plastic bubble you’re riding on loosens and starts rolling. A cacophony of vibrations that travels through the curved surface to you. The death knell of the vessel that carried you here, carried you out into the void, and is now fragmenting. At that time, there is a world below that is not in your head and that you know nothing about. And above you there is only a cosmic murder field. The fact that there is a bottom and a top indicates that the earth has already won a certain battle for your soul and you are falling. The oldest fear of apes is the fear of involuntarily clenching a baby’s rubbery hand. It is a fall from grace that neither mankind nor apes ever imagined.
You can also see other people around you, through the celluloid walls of the prison. Because there can be no hell without fellow sinners to suffer. Each in its own bubble, torn from the collapsing ship. His face was contorted with fear, he screamed and banged on the wall, his eyes were like wells and his mouth was like the gate of a tomb. Please excuse the excessive explanation. I’m an ecologist, not a poet, but mere biology isn’t enough to appreciate the horrific spectacle of 500 humans being brought back to life at once and no one understanding why. you For reasons unknown, the ship falls apart in the cracks, and the world below is the hungry mouth of a gravity well. oh my god! When I remember that, my stomach hurts. And above all, in the midst of that confusion, I remember that I’m an ecologist. A universe without even an ecosystem. Has any self-knowledge ever been so useless?
Some of us have not yet woken up. I see at least two bubbles flying past me. Inside, the crew was left as desiccated corpses, and the systems malfunctioned. “Acceptable waste” is a technical term, but it’s also a concept you don’t want to suddenly remember. Because there will always be people at the end who will not wake up. They say this is an inevitable violation of entropy on a very long journey. Maybe so. Or maybe those who don’t wake up are the worst troublemakers. It’s hard to tell who it is when the skin clings to the skull without any familiar flesh intervening, but I notice my old colleague Markein El whirling past. I think I saw it. She was transported all the way from Earth here at minimal cost with a boiled-down process, but it might have been better to throw her in an incinerator to achieve the same effect.
Another piece of knowledge comes from remembering minimal costs. Another couple of my neurons resume a severed acquaintance, bringing with it a related but unwelcome understanding. This is intentional. Not the traumatic wreck of the Hesperus. It’s a feature, not a bug. Sending people into space used to be expensive, and it’s still expensive for anyone interested in space. It is recommended to provide practical medical care and life support, waking up from time to time to check on your very sensitive physical and mental health to ensure you stay alive while on the move. And, noticeably, it is recommended to arrange means of bringing them. return After completing the mission, return home. Large, expensive ships capable of complex maneuvers such as refueling, decelerating, accelerating, and turning.
But if you just want to send felons to a labor camp on a remote planet, it’s literally cheaper and easier than having a machine do the same job, so you don’t have to worry about them coming back. Because they don’t. It’s a life sentence, a one-way trip. Even as my head falls into the temptation of Imno 27g along with the rest of me, further unwelcome revelations fall upon my head.
I should have smashed my newly revived fist into the inside of the bubble, but it was falling from the collapsing ship and swirling around, the world below growing larger and larger. The void became a yellow-blue sky. Do you have yellow and blue? This is not the earth, but this is the sky of Immuno. Blue represents the oxygen that the planet’s biosphere pumps into the atmosphere as a byproduct of metabolic pathways, just like on Earth. Yellow is a diffuse cloud of aerial plankton. Alternatively, it is actually yellow-black due to its dark photosynthetic surface. Blue, yellow, and black should not be colors, and above all, should not be the color of the sky.
we fall At some point the chute will open. It is a film-like transparent plastic that is biodegradable the moment it comes into contact with the atmosphere. Like a ship, it is designed to last for the minimum amount of time possible to accomplish its mission. The ship is just a nameless piece of plastic junk printed as a single piece in Earth’s orbit, with a single engine and a pod to hold us all like peas. Probably an egg case. It is designed to carry a cargo of corpses across space to one of what the Mandate’s expansion division calls one of its current “active planets.” It carries us up to Immuno 27g and then breaks us apart in the upper atmosphere. Single-shot medical units reanimate their cargo from the dead, crushing lost souls as they scream and tumble to our doom. Some people don’t wake up, and even if they wake up, others don’t survive the descent. Destruction is certainly something we all face, but for some it lasts less than for others. Every time the chute unfolds, the bones tremble, and while I see others similarly torn from the teeth of the ground, I also watch a handful of bones fall as the chute fails. They’re still screaming because they remember just knowing that they’re going to die all over again.
You won’t die by not waking up, and you won’t die by falling off the edge of the atmosphere. I am not recorded in the ledger as acceptable waste. They will have to calculate very carefully the exact level of expense required and the exact proportion of delivery failures, or deaths, that this will entail. After all, who would want to spend a penny more than necessary to send a death row inmate to a concentration camp in a faraway world? People who rebelled against the system and now have to pay their dues for the rest of their lives. Some people are like me. You’ll hear the numbers later, but acceptable waste is 20 percent. If that sounds like an absurd loss of investment, you don’t know the history of people transporting others from place to place against their will.
They loaded the pods with maneuver jets. small plastic thing. One shot. It seems like it will take a lot of time to fall! – I see them firing. Each injects a bottle of gas, destroying itself in the process. If you can land where you need to land, that’s fine. Even if I end up far away from the work camp, they aren’t going to waste the labor time it takes to retrieve me. I would die trapped in a bubble or trapped outside a bubble because Immuno 27g is full of things that will kill you. Especially when you’re alone and only half your brain is with you. There was nothing in my head that would help me survive in this other world.
But that doesn’t happen to me either. I land at the same spot with everyone else who is not subject to waste regulations and they are waiting for us there. The camp commander sent a large crowd in case we managed to form a revolutionary subcommittee during our descent. When I saw riot control armor and guns – the “minimally lethal” security equipment I (now) remembered from Earth, that only killed an acceptable percentage of the time – I I remembered it there. had I was on a revolutionary subcommittee. Of course not on the ship. Because we were all flash-frozen corpses. And it wasn’t on the way down. Because we were too busy shouting. But back on Earth, before they invade our networks, track our contacts, and arrest everyone we know for betraying our friends and family, I actually I got this because it was part of the problem. When I returned to Earth, I was stubbornly proud of that fact. In the cramped orbital quarters of a prison attached to a spaceport, yes, I knew I would be deported to a concentration camp, but even a junior scholar like me could at least do what I could. I’ve been trying to do that. .
Now, after plummeting to this fate and then watching the Death Slash Welcome Committee, I regret everything. If a political official magically appeared and offered me a pardon if I signed a confession, I would reach for a pen. Quite unlike this song, I regret every single choice in my life that led me to this point. This is a moment of weakness.
Bubbles deflate around me. I struggled to fight it off for a minute to avoid choking on the sticky plastic before it cut me off. They have special tools, such as heated knives, to do this. I got a shallow glowing cut along my thigh, which attests to their general carelessness in handling it. One more person will be wasted when the last one is released and by then it will be too late. Everything is within tolerance, you understand. That’s it. I’m depressed. Look up at the foreign sky.
This is an excerpt from alien clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor, £10.99);New Scientist Book Club’s latest book recommendations. Register here and read along
IThis was one of the most impressive technology events of the year. On October 13, Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, blasted into space from a launch pad in Texas. The main booster reached an altitude of more than 65 km and then began returning to Earth at speeds exceeding the speed of sound.
A crash was averted when the rocket, developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, reignited its engines, slowed, and came to a grinding halt above the tower from which it had launched just seven minutes earlier. The scissor’s claws grabbed the massive launcher, gripping it tightly, ready to refurbish and fire again.
“Today is textbook day in engineering history,” said SpaceX engineer Kate Tice.
prestigious research journal science “This feat heralds a new era of affordable heavy-lift rockets that can reduce the cost of doing science in space,” the company said last month in awarding Starship’s October flight. Announced. This year’s breakthroughs.
Elon Musk’s company plans 25 Starship flights in 2025. Photo: Argi February Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Musk’s company has already cut the cost of putting cargo into Earth orbit by one-tenth, the magazine said. Further reductions of similar magnitude can be expected when Starship, the most powerful launcher ever built and designed to be completely and rapidly reusable, becomes fully operational later this year, it added.
This view is shared by many space engineers, who believe Starship is poised to take a major leap forward with a schedule of launches every two to three weeks. SpaceX engineers have learned how to salvage and reuse the main booster stage and plan to do the same with the upper stage this year.
With a total of 25 flights planned over the next year, this is an incredibly ambitious program. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand that their research schedule is unprecedented,” astrophysicist Ehud Behar, a Technion professor at the Israel Institute of Technology, told the website Space.com.
For scientists, the benefits of Starship are clear. The cost of missions on reusable launch vehicles could drop significantly from current levels, making it possible to conduct research in space that was previously unaffordable. This point is important, he said. science In an editorial about Starship’s achievements, he said:
Until now, access to space was too precious to risk failure, the magazine said, and NASA missions tested components over and over again, driving up costs. “But regular Starship flights will give scientists more opportunities, allowing them to build instruments using inexpensive off-the-shelf parts and launch them more frequently.”
In addition to single vehicles, fleets of robotic probes could be sent to Mars, and fleets of mirror segments could be flown in formation to create giant self-assembling telescopes in space. While such a vision is exciting, there are downsides to Musk’s rocket success.
Elon Musk has grand ambitions to colonize Mars. Photo: Dot Zebra/Alamy
First, Starship could destroy NASA’s own rocket system, the troubled and extremely expensive Space Launch System (SLS), which the agency has been planning for decades. Unlike the reusable Starship, its rocket is expendable, while launching SLS will cost billions of dollars compared to the $10 million goal Musk has planned for the system. It is expected that it will cost. Many scientists predict that Starship will eliminate the need for SLS within a few years.
Another major problem for many scientists involved with SpaceX is that they have difficulty accepting Musk’s right-wing politics and close ties to Donald Trump. He is a vocal critic of U.S. immigration policy, has disdain for many Democratic politicians, and was recently given permission by President Trump to cut $500 billion from the U.S. federal budget.
In any case, Musk’s hopes for Starship have less to do with scientific aspirations and much more to do with his desire to eventually begin colonizing Mars using giant rockets. Last September, he promised that SpaceX would launch its first unmanned Starship mission to Mars in two years. If successful, manned flights would follow within four years. Ultimately, Musk said he envisions a potential colony of up to 1 million people on Mars within 30 years.
The controversial billionaire’s plans brought him a lot of attention and ridicule. Indeed, we have sent humans on a 140-meter-mile journey to the Red Planet, survived blasts of dangerous cosmic radiation, and figured out how to grow food in an atmosphere where water is scarce and the average pressure is less than 1% that of Earth’s oceans. Finding the level – challenging to say the least.
NASA’s Space Launch System at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Photo: Jennifer Briggs/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Leaving Earth for Mars is “like leaving a cluttered room to live in a toxic waste dump,” Kelly and Zach Weinersmith write in their book. Cities on Mars: Can and should we settle in space? And have we really thought about this?, which one Winner of the 2024 Royal Society Trivedi Scientific Book Award.
This is a view echoed by Astronomer Royal’s Martin Rees, who has also attacked Musk’s Mars proposal. “We should never expect mass immigration from Earth,” he says. “It’s a dangerous delusion to think that space can escape Earth’s problems. We have to solve them here. Dealing with climate change may seem daunting, but Mars Nowhere in our solar system are environments as harsh as Antarctica, the ocean floor, or the top of Mount Everest.
“For ordinary risk-averse people, ‘Planet B’ does not exist.”
From this perspective, Starships may have some impact on space science, but they are unlikely to change the course of human history.
The coming year is expected to be filled with ambitious space missions.
Multiple robotic landers are expected to be launched to the moon in the coming weeks or months.
China and India also each hope to achieve new milestones in space later this year.
From robotic expeditions to the moon to new observatories in space and rendezvous with asteroids, 2025 promises to be full of ambitious space exploration.
NASA and U.S. commercial space companies aren’t the only ones busy. Launch plans planned for this year include potential milestones in China, Japan and India.
Here are some of the biggest upcoming space missions.
Moon fever continues
In 2025, the moon will once again be in the spotlight.
Later this month, SpaceX rockets are scheduled to launch two new missions to the moon. One, a lander called Blue Ghost developed by Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace, is intended to spend about two weeks collecting scientific data on the moon. The second is a privately built Japanese lunar lander with an attached small rover.
The Blue Ghost attempts to land on a region of the moon known as the Moon.Mare Crisium is thought to be the site of an ancient asteroid impact.
The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Initiative. The space agency has signed contracts with three private companies, including Firefly Aerospace, to transport scientific experiments, technology and other cargo to the moon’s surface. The effort is part of NASA’s larger Artemis mission, which aims to eventually return humans to the moon. The Blue Ghost mission will carry out 10 NASA science and technology experiments.
Riding into orbit on the same rocket booster will be a resilient lander developed by a Japanese company called ispace and the Tenacious “micro rover.” It aims to take a longer route to the moon, consuming less energy than the Blue Ghost, and land on the lunar surface approximately four to five months after launch.
The touchdown target is located in the far north of the moon, in an area called Mare Frigoris.
iSpace’s bid to become the first private company to land a spacecraft on the moon ended in disappointment last year. The company’s lander, Hakuto, accelerated unexpectedly during its descent and crashed onto the lunar surface.
A third lunar launch by the company, which was the first to land a privately built ship on the moon, could also take place this month.
Texas-based Intuitive Machines also won a contract under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Last year, the company’s lander became the first American vehicle to land on the moon in more than 50 years. The company aims to send its next-generation lander to the moon’s south pole on another SpaceX rocket in the coming weeks.
The mission will include a drill to extract lunar soil and a robot that will hop into nearby craters to take images and perform scientific experiments.
Exploring the origin of the universe
NASA aims to launch the SPHEREx mission, a space observatory designed to map the entire sky in optical and near-infrared light, in late February.
The SPHEREx observatory is shown in a horizontal position, showing its telescope and three-layer photon shield.BAE Systems / NASA
The spacecraft will observe more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way and collect data on more than 450 million other galaxies.
As part of its planned two-year mission, the observatory will also search for signs of life as we know it, such as water and organic molecules, in the Milky Way. Experts hope the expedition will provide insight into how galaxies form and how the universe came into being.
Two NASA astronauts finally return home
Two NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station since a problem aboard their Boeing spacecraft in June are finally scheduled to return home in March.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the International Space Station.NASA
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were launched to the ISS on the first manned flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The original plan was for the two to spend about a week on the space station, then return to Earth on the Starliner. However, the capsule encountered fuel leaks and thruster problems, so NASA opted to leave Williams and Wilmore in orbit and return the spacecraft unmanned.
They will have spent more than nine months in space before returning to Earth in a SpaceX capsule with two other space station crew members.
India’s spaceflight ambitions
India is poised to make major strides in its human spaceflight program this year.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shubhansh Shukla will fly to the International Space Station on a commercial mission run by Texas-based startup Axiom Space.
The launch, expected by spring at the earliest, will include government-backed crew members from Poland and Hungary. The crew will spend up to 14 days on the ISS.
Meanwhile, India is also working on developing its own manned spacecraft, aiming to launch its first one in 2026.
A new private space station?
California-based startup Vast plans to launch its first commercial space station into orbit this year. The civilian outpost, called Haven-1, is scheduled to launch by August on a SpaceX rocket.
Haven-1 is designed to accommodate four astronauts on missions of up to 30 days. The space station will initially function as an independent outpost, but Vasto plans to eventually connect it to a larger module in development.
In partnership with SpaceX, Vast intends to someday launch a crewed mission to the Haven-1 outpost, but the company has not yet announced a target date for that launch.
China encounters an asteroid
China’s space exploration shows no signs of slowing down even in 2025.
This spring, the country plans to launch a mission to collect asteroid samples, the first such expedition.
The plan calls for a spacecraft called Tenbun-2 to rendezvous with a near-Earth asteroid called Kamoorewa, which some scientists have suggested. maybe part of the moon It was ejected during an ancient collision.
The mission aims to collect debris from the asteroid, release a capsule containing samples, and return to Earth in 2026. After that, the Tenbun-2 probe is expected to orbit around the Earth and fly using the Earth’s gravity as a slingshot. Heading toward the comet known as 311P/Panstars. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the comet in the mid-2030s.
If China’s asteroid sampling mission is successful, it would be a major accomplishment for the country’s space agency. This would be an achievement that follows several recent milestones. China has already become the first company to collect and return samples from the far side of the moon, landed a rover on Mars and completed construction of its own Tiangong space station.
NASA announced on Tuesday that two astronauts have been stranded on the International Space Station since a problem with their Boeing spacecraft in June. Due to delays, they will have to remain there even longer.
The next astronaut launch to the ISS, originally scheduled for February, has been postponed to late March. This is to allow the new SpaceX spacecraft used for the mission more time to complete processing.
The four crew members currently on board the station must wait for the next crew member to arrive before departing in another SpaceX Dragon capsule. Among them are NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are set to embark on the first test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Originally planned to spend about a week on the space station, Williams and Wilmore have now been living and working in orbit for over nine months, including additional time due to the recent delay.
Typically, new crew members overlap with departing crew members for a short period on the ISS, known as the handover period. During this time, astronauts exchange information about ongoing experiments, maintenance projects, and other protocols.
When Williams and Wilmore finally depart, NASA astronaut Nick Haig and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov will also return home with them.
December 2, 2024, ISS astronaut Suni Williams. NASA (via Flickr)
According to officials, the new Dragon capsule scheduled for launch in late March should arrive at NASA’s processing facility in Florida in early January. Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, emphasized the meticulous attention to detail required in manufacturing, assembling, testing, and integrating a new spacecraft.
The capsule, known as Crew 10, will be launched by NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese cosmonaut Takuya Onishi. Until then, the quartet will continue training for the mission at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Hubble team has released a striking new image of the center of NGC 5643, a spectacularly designed spiral galaxy in the constellation Lupus.
This Hubble image shows NGC 5643, the Grand Design Spiral in the constellation Lupus, about 55 million light-years away. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / A. Riess / D. Thilker / D. De Martin, ESA & Hubble / M. Zamani, ESA & Hubble.
NGC5643 It is located approximately 55 million light years away in the constellation Lupus.
The planet, also known as ESO 272-16 and LEDA 51969, was discovered by James Dunlop on May 10, 1826.
NGC 5643 is classified as a Grand Design Spiral due to its prominent and graceful spiral arm.
It is approximately 100,000 light-years in diameter and contains an active galactic nucleus of type Seyfert 2.
“NGC 5643 is what is known as a Grand Design Spiral, which refers to how the galaxy's two large, sinuous spiral arms are clearly visible,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“The spiral arms are defined by bright blue stars, lacy reddish-brown dust clouds, and pink star-forming regions.”
“As fascinating as the galaxy is at visible wavelengths, some of NGC 5643's most interesting features are invisible to the human eye.”
New images of NGC 5643 consist of observations from. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 Found in the ultraviolet, infrared, and optical portions of the spectrum.
Nine filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“The ultraviolet images, X-ray images, and spectra of NGC 5643 show that this galaxy has an active galactic nucleus, a particularly bright galactic nucleus driven by a feast of supermassive black holes,” the astronomers said. said.
“When a supermassive black hole takes in gas from its surroundings, it collects in a disk and heats it up to hundreds of thousands of degrees.”
“Superheated gases glow brightly across the electromagnetic spectrum, but especially at X-ray wavelengths.”
“However, NGC 5643's active galactic nucleus is not the brightest X-ray source in the galaxy,” the researchers added.
“Researchers using ESA's XMM Newton discovered an even brighter X-ray emitting object called NGC 5643 X-1 on the outskirts of the galaxy.”
“What source of X-rays is more powerful than a supermassive black hole? Surprisingly, the answer appears to be a much smaller black hole.”
“The exact identity of NGC 5643 X-1 is not yet known, but evidence points to it being a black hole with about 30 times the mass of the Sun.”
“A black hole trapped in an orbital dance with a companion star captures gas from the companion star, creating a superheated disk above the center of the galaxy.”
Hubble astronomers previously released images of NGC 5643 in 2020.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have provided an unparalleled snapshot of intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 1637.
This Hubble image shows NGC 1637, an intermediate spiral galaxy located about 38 million light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Tilker.
NGC1637 It is located in the constellation Eridanus, about 38 million light years from Earth.
This galaxy, also known as LEDA 15821 or UGCA 93, is located around this galaxy. 30,000 light years Across.
it was discovered It was discovered on February 1, 1786 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.
At first glance it looks like NGC1637 will be displayed Despite being a fairly symmetrical galaxy, it has some interesting features that have led astronomers to classify it as a biased spiral galaxy.
“The new images of NGC 1637 come from an observational program dedicated to studying star formation in nearby galaxies,” Hubble astronomers said.
“Stars form in cold, dusty gas clouds that collapse under their own gravity.”
“As young stars grow, they heat the nursery with starlight, wind, and strong outflow.”
“Together, these factors play a role in controlling the rate of star formation in future generations.”
“Evidence of star formation is scattered around NGC 1637, if you know where to look.”
“The spiral arms of the galaxy are dotted with what look like pink clouds, many with bright blue stars.”
“The pinkish color comes from hydrogen atoms excited by ultraviolet radiation from young, massive stars.”
“This contrasts with the warm yellow glow at the galactic center, where older, redder stars are densely clustered.”
“The stars that sparkle their birthplaces are relatively short-lived, and many of these stars explode as supernovae just a few million years after their birth.”
In 1999, Lick Observatory's supernova search discovered a type II supernova in NGC 1637.
named SN 1999emThis supernova was hailed as the brightest supernova observed that year.
It has been closely tracked by astronomers and has been shown to have dimmed relatively slowly over the years.
“When a massive star annihilates as a supernova, its explosion outstrips its entire home galaxy for a short period of time,” the astronomers said.
“Supernovae mark the end of a star's life, but by compressing nearby gas clouds, they can also jump-start the formation of new stars, starting a star's life anew.”
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are ready to break Thanksgiving bread in orbit.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams said she and her fellow crew members will be taking the day off to celebrate.
“I’m packing a lot of Thanksgiving-y food,” Williams said Wednesday in an interview with NBC News. “Smoked turkey, cranberries, apple cobbler, green beans and mushrooms, and mashed potatoes.”
She added that she plans to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade before dining with American and Russian colleagues.
Williams has been living and working on the International Space Station for almost six months. She and fellow NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore arrived at the orbiting outpost in early June as test pilots for the first manned flight of Boeing’s Starliner space capsule.
The two were scheduled to stay on the ISS for only about a week, then return to Earth on the Starliner. However, problems with the spacecraft kept them in orbit for months longer than expected. Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to return home in February in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Starliner’s difficult mission was a dramatic, months-long story for NASA and Boeing. But Williams said she doesn’t feel like she’s “stranded” in space.
“Our control team and management always had the option of us returning home,” she said. “Yes, we came here on the Starliner. We’re coming back on the Dragon, but there was always a plan for how we were going to get home.”
In the last few weeks, NASA dodged the rumors Williams reportedly suffered from health problems while in space. Although some news articles suggested that the astronauts had lost significant weight, the agency’s medical director said on Nov. 14 that the health of Williams and others on board the space station was He said the condition was good.
Williams told NBC News that he is enjoying his time in orbit and is in good spirits.
“We feel good, we exercise and we eat properly,” she said. “We’re having a lot of fun here, too. So people are worried about us. Really, don’t worry about us.”
June 5, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Chris O’Meara / AP File
Despite problems that occurred during Starliner’s voyage (mainly thruster and helium leaks), the capsule returned to Earth without a crew on September 7th. Williams said he wished he had been able to see Starliner’s mission to completion.
She added that Boeing and NASA would not hesitate to send Starliner into space again if they ironed out the problems that arose during the test flight.
“It might not be tomorrow because we need to incorporate some of the lessons we learned,” she said. “But once we knew we were on the right path, we fixed some of the issues we had — absolutely.”
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken surprising new photos of spiral galaxy NGC 2090.
This Hubble image shows NGC 2090, a spiral galaxy located south of the constellation Columba, about 40 million light-years away. Color images were created from separate exposures taken in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum using Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). This is based on data obtained through six filters. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Tilker.
NGC2090 It is a spiral galaxy located south of the constellation Columba.
Also known as ESO 363-23, IRAS 05452-3416, LEDA 17819. discovered It was announced by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on October 29, 1826.
“NGC 2090 is notable as part of a group of galaxies being studied. Hubble's Extragalactic Distance Scale Key Project“This study aimed to determine a new, state-of-the-art value for the Hubble constant, one of the main scientific goals of the then-new telescope,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“NGC 2090's contribution was to calibrate the Tully-Fisher (TF) distance method by observing Cepheid variable stars in the galaxy.”
“Cepheid-based measurements from a 1998 study estimated the distance of NGC 2090 to be 37 million light-years.”
“Latest measurements in 2020 using the TF method place NGC 2090 slightly further away, at 40 million light-years.”
Before and after that project, NGC 2090 has been well studied as a very prominent nearby example of star formation.
It has been described as a cotton-like spiral, meaning a spiral galaxy with a speckled, dusty disk and flaky or no visible arms.
“This Hubble image gives a good indication of why NGC 2090 received such a description, with its spiral arms looking like lanes of light winding through the dust,” the astronomers said. said.
“NGC 2090 remains an active galaxy, with clusters of star formation in various stages of evolution spread throughout the disk.”
“Investigating star formation and the movement of matter within galaxies was the motivation for these Hubble observations taken in October of this year.”
“Likewise, Hubble's partner in space astronomy, NASA/ESA/CSA's James Webb Space Telescope, also scouted this galaxy to add infrared data to the picture of galaxy evolution.”
There's a lot to keep in mind when working in space
NASA (from Getty Images)
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have shown declines in memory, attention, and processing speed after six months, raising concerns about the impact of cognitive impairment on future space missions to Mars.
The extreme environment of space, including reduced gravity, harsh radiation, and lack of regular sunrises and sunsets, can have dramatic effects on astronauts' health, from muscle loss to increased risk of heart disease. There is a gender. However, the cognitive effects of long-term space travel are less well documented.
now, Sheena Dev Researchers from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, examined the cognitive abilities of 25 astronauts while on the ISS.
The team conducted 10 tests on the astronauts, some on Earth once before and after the mission, and others on the ISS early and late in the mission. These tests measure specific cognitive abilities, such as finding patterns on a grid to test abstract reasoning, or choosing when to stop an inflated balloon before it bursts to test risk-taking. I did.
The researchers found that on the ISS, astronauts took longer to complete tests measuring processing speed, working memory, and attention than on Earth, but the accuracy was the same. Although there were no overall cognitive impairments or lasting effects on the astronauts' abilities, some measures, such as processing speed, took longer to return to normal after returning to Earth.
Having clear data on the cognitive effects of space travel is critical for future human spaceflight. Elisa Raffaella Ferre But before we know the full story, it's important to collect more data both on Earth and in space.
“Mission to Mars is not only long in terms of time, but also in terms of autonomy,” Ferre says. “Human performance is key as people on the ground will have a completely different interaction with ground control due to distance and communication delays and will need to be fully autonomous in making decisions. You wouldn't want an astronaut on Mars who has slow reaction times in terms of attention, memory, and processing speed. ”
Given the unusual environment of space, it's not surprising that there was a certain decline in cognitive performance, he said. Joe Bower at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. “It's not necessarily a huge cause for alarm, but it's useful to know, especially to know your limits when you're in such an extreme environment,” she says.
That awareness could be especially helpful for astronauts on long-duration missions, Bower added. “It’s not just about how well you do on a test, it’s also about how you perceive your abilities,” she says. “For example, when you're sleep deprived, your performance often suffers, but you don't even realize it's happening.”
IThis was one of history’s monumental moments, but if John Glenn had not stopped at a supermarket on his way aboard Friendship 7 to pick up a Contax camera and 35mm film, the visual record may not have existed. A photograph taken by an American astronaut through the window of a capsule while in Earth orbit on February 20, 1962, provided unprecedented evidence of Project Mercury’s first orbital mission. The Soviet Union may have beaten the Americans in the race to human spaceflight, but the Americans were also taking the first color photographs of the galaxy.
German gallerist Daniel Blau points out that these photos are also “the most expensive photographs ever taken.” Billions of dollars were spent to obtain them. Blau has an original print of Glenn’s first photograph taken in space. Photos from Paris this yearalong with NASA’s cache of rare photographic prints, many of which have never been publicly displayed before, most of them by unknown scientists and astronauts.
“At that time, NASA didn’t provide cameras to astronauts,” Blau says. “In a way, this was Glenn’s private photograph.” Despite their scientific motivations, Glenn’s images convey the inescapable mystery of the universe. A warm, glowing ball of light spreads out from the center of the frame. Luminescent flashes blaze into the deep darkness of the void, dancing like the “fireflies” described by Glenn. It must have been terrifying to watch. In fact, the spark turned out to be condensation.
Traveling at 28,000 km/h, humans managed to reach space, but they had not yet designed a photographic machine powerful enough to keep up with the journey. Lacking much visual information or detail, Glenn’s photographs probably reveal less about the universe and have become totems of human ambition. Glenn later added a personal caption, warning, “I guarantee you a photo will never be able to recreate the brilliance of a real scene.”
Blau began carrying vintage NASA prints in the 1990s. “The Space Race and the Cold War were the defining forces of the second half of the 20th century. Of course, my generation remembers all the important moments.” Some of the photos were published at the time, but original prints It is difficult to obtain. “These scientists and the people who worked on the missions passed down their personal archives to their children, and now their grandchildren, so there is still a lot of material on the market. It was natural for me to start searching and working with these photographs.”
At Paris Photo, a crowd gathered around a series of six silver gelatin photographs from 1948 overlooking the Rio Grande from a V-2 rocket at 73,000 feet. Also on display were humanity’s first close-up photo of Mars, taken in 1965, and the first panoramic photo of Earth seen from the moon. The latter was not photographed by humans, but was sent by radio signal from an unmanned mission in August 1966. They were then stitched together pixel by pixel into a single image at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
By 1979, the interstellar probe Voyager was able to take better pictures of the planet, and its images of Jupiter and its four moons suspended like marble in an onyx atmosphere were particularly startling.
The impressive large-scale mosaic of Mercury’s pockmarked surface, created in 1974, is “the only mosaic of this size I’ve ever seen,” Blau says. “It was probably produced for a NASA presentation, similar to Voyager’s photo of Mars.” This photo only shows part of the solar system’s smallest planet, but it doesn’t fit our understanding and You get another glimpse of what lies beyond your control.
By the late ’70s, photography had taken on a more central role in missions and the advancement of space science. “NASA was and still is dependent on public funding, but Glenn’s color photographs taken in Earth orbit showed that the best and most positive way for NASA to demonstrate its accomplishments was through photography.” It became clear that there was one thing,” Blau said. “Of course, the scientific side of things is the driving force, but photography tells a first-hand story.”
Blau’s footage was released the day after the US presidential election. He said he wanted to remind visitors of the “positive common efforts of many countries.” They are certainly humble. “Perhaps no photograph embodies more than this photograph the combination of mystical awe and mastery of nature that constitutes the human condition,” Blau muses. “Humans escape from the confines of the earth to see and record things that have never been seen or recorded before – the impossible.”
The first cosmonaut to cast a vote from space was actually a cosmonaut (individuals trained by the Russian Space Agency for space travel) who flew from the Salyut-1 space station to the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1971. I voted.
Subsequently, three more cosmonauts voted in the 1989 Soviet parliamentary elections from the Mir space station, which operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001. Their votes were not confidential, and they communicated their choices to ground controllers instead of using regular communications. This public vote could have been great publicity for those seeking support from space.
However, when it came to democratic voting with secure ballots, there was a challenge. In November 1996, during the United States presidential election featuring candidates Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and Ross Perot, astronaut John Blaha, a U.S. citizen residing in Texas, wanted to vote. As he was on the Mir space station, NASA facilitated secure communications for his voting process. Yet, the Texas Secretary of State intervened due to the lack of provisions in Texas election law for electronic voting, preventing Mr. Blaha from casting his vote.
This situation led to the signing of a new bill in 1997 by Governor George W. Bush, explicitly allowing voting from space. Astronaut David Wolfe’s first vote took place in a local election in Texas.
Since then, astronauts have been able to vote from space, with most opting to do so. The majority of astronauts relocated to Texas for training, enabling them to vote legally under the new law. There are also provisions for residents of other states to vote through collaboration with NASA.
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So, how do astronauts actually vote from space? Before their launch, all military personnel overseas must register for a federal postcard application. When it’s time to vote, NASA’s Johnson Space Center sends test ballots provided by the relevant county clerk to the astronauts. The astronauts use a training computer to complete the ballot, ensuring it is correctly received on Earth. The authentic ballot, along with credentials from the county clerk, is securely transmitted to the astronaut’s computer for electronic completion, then sent to NASA.
The ballot transmission occurs through NASA’s Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) to the White Sands Complex in New Mexico, and then via landline to Mission Control at Johnson Space Center. The completed ballot is emailed as a password-protected secure file to the county clerk for formalization.
STS-86 crew member David Wolfe, first American to vote in space – Photo credit: NASA
With the upcoming US presidential election in November 2024, stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may still be in space, necessitating the need for them to vote from space. Originally scheduled to return in June 2024, delays have extended their stay, with their planned return now set for February 2025 by SpaceX.
The crucial question remains: did they submit the federal postcard application for voting prior to launch? Failure to do so may still prevent them from voting.
Check out our ultimatefun factsMore amazing science pages.
Our planet’s new small satellite, 2024 PT5, arrived in Earth’s orbit on September 29, 2024.
2024 PT5 is scheduled to capture a temporary flyby from September 29th to November 25th in 2024. Image credit: University of Colorado.
2024 PT5 was discovered by the Asteroid Earth Impact Final Warning System in Sutherland, South Africa on August 7, 2024.
This near-Earth asteroid is about 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and follows an orbit similar to that of 2022 NX1.
2024 PT5 will become a mini-Earth satellite on September 29 and return to heliocentric orbit 56.6 days later on November 25.
“Near-Earth objects like this offer a glimpse into the formation process of the solar system,” said astrophysicist Dr. Nico Cappellutti. University of Miami.
“Most asteroids in our solar system are rocky remnants left over from the formation of our solar system.”
2024 PT5 is part of Arjuna, an asteroid belt made up of space rocks that follow an orbit around the sun very similar to Earth’s orbit.
“So sometimes they can remain temporarily trapped in our gravitational field,” Dr. Cappellutti said.
“Bringing them this close is a fascinating opportunity.”
“The asteroid, the size of a school bus, is too faint and small to be seen with the naked eye or with amateur telescopes, but its two-month stay around Earth has reinforced our intense interest in space rocks. It helps maintain.”
Two years ago, in what was called the first test of the planetary defense system, NASA crashed a spacecraft into the giant space rock Dimorphos, which could change direction if the asteroid was on a collision course with Earth. proved something.
Private companies also want to send spacecraft to asteroids in hopes of mining the precious metals they contain.
“Asteroids are classified based on their orbits and their contents,” said Dr. Bertrand Dano, also from the University of Miami.
“Some are made entirely of stone, while others contain high concentrations of rare metals, such as platinum and gold for electronics, nickel and cobalt for catalysts and fuel cell technology, and, of course, iron.”
“Mining asteroids is not far off. There are currently millions of asteroids in our solar system, about 2 million of which are larger than 1 km.”
“The resources it contains are a new dream for El Dorado, and there are several companies currently betting on it.”
“Recent missions to rendezvous with, orbit and land on asteroids have proven that space mining may be only a matter of time.”
“However, proceeding with asteroid mining will require huge investments, from the mining equipment that needs to operate in a vacuum to the technology needed to transport the extracted minerals to Earth.”
“And then there’s the spacecraft itself. A dedicated ship that would travel to an asteroid for the purpose of extracting minerals from the asteroid would probably be a robotic ship.”
“A trip to Mars would take about eight months under the best conditions. The space and equipment needed to support life would be put to good use as storage for backup equipment and resources.”
“Because it takes a lot of energy to leave Earth’s gravity, mining missions are better launched from space or from low-gravity bodies such as the Moon, Mars, or Titan, one of Saturn’s natural moons. Sho.”
“Returning to Earth is relatively easy, but dangerous for the material. It would be a shame if all the prizes disappeared. Refining will take place in space, and purified products can be shipped regularly. As far as I know, no one is thinking that far.”
“Yet, asteroid mining could have a 100-fold or more return.”
“Mining platinum or gold from an asteroid and returning it could make you a trillionaire overnight, potentially upending entire economies, trade and markets.”
“Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, ‘The first billionaire in history was the one who exploited the natural resources of asteroids.'”
In a new study, astronomers compared high-resolution images of Uranus from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope with more distant views from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. Their results could serve as “ground truth” observations to use as a baseline for interpreting exoplanet direct imaging data from future observatories.
In this image, two three-dimensional shapes of Uranus (top) are compared to the actual views of Uranus from Hubble (bottom left) and New Horizons (bottom right). Image credits: NASA/ESA/STScI/Samantha Hasler, MIT/Amy Simon, NASA-GSFC/New Horizons Planetary Science Theme Team/Joseph DePasquale, STScI/Joseph Olmsted, STScI.
Direct imaging of exoplanets is an important technique for understanding their potential habitability and provides new clues to the origin and formation of our own solar system.
Astronomers use both direct imaging and spectroscopy to collect light from observed planets and compare their brightness at different wavelengths.
However, exoplanets are notoriously difficult to image because they are so far away.
Their images are just pinpoints, so they aren’t as detailed as our close-up view of the world around the sun.
Astronomers can also directly image exoplanets only in “partial phase,” when only part of the planet is illuminated by its star as seen from Earth.
Uranus was an ideal target as a test to understand future long-range observations of exoplanets by other telescopes for several reasons.
First, many known exoplanets are gas giants with similar properties. Also, at the time of the observation, New Horizons was on the far side of Uranus, 10.5 billion kilometers (6.5 billion miles) away, and was able to study the twilight crescent moon. This is not possible from Earth.
At that distance, New Horizons’ view of the planet was just a few pixels wide of its color camera (Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera).
Meanwhile, Hubble’s high resolution allowed it to see atmospheric features such as clouds and storms on the dayside of the gas world from its low orbit, 2.7 billion kilometers (1.7 billion miles) from Uranus. .
Samantha Hassler, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: “We expected Uranus to look different depending on the observation filter, but New Horizons data taken from different perspectives actually show that Uranus looks different than expected.'' It turned out to be much darker than that.”
The gas giant planets in our solar system have dynamic and variable atmospheres with changing cloud cover. How common is this in exoplanets?
Knowing the details of what Uranus’ clouds looked like from Hubble will allow researchers to test what they can interpret from New Horizons’ data.
In the case of Uranus, both Hubble and New Horizons observed that the brightness does not change as the planet rotates. This indicates that the cloud characteristics are not changing due to the rotation of the planet.
But the significance of New Horizons’ detection has to do with how the planet reflects light at a different phase than what Hubble and other observatories on or near Earth can see.
New Horizons showed that exoplanets can be dimmer than predicted at partial and high phase angles, and that their atmospheres reflect light differently at partial phase.
“The groundbreaking New Horizons study of Uranus from a vantage point that cannot be observed by any other means adds to the mission’s treasure trove of new scientific knowledge and, like many other data sets obtained on the mission, will Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of New Horizons and Research Scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, said:
“NASA’s next Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled to launch by 2027, will use a coronagraph to block out starlight and directly observe gas giant exoplanets,” Hassler said. Ta.
“NASA’s Habitable World Observatory, in its early planning stages, will be the first telescope specifically designed to search for biosignatures in the atmospheres of rocky Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars. .”
“Studying how known benchmarks like Uranus appear in distant images will help us have more solid expectations as we prepare for these future missions. And it will help our It’s critical to success.”
Scientists are result this week’s DPS56Annual Meeting of the Planetary Science Division of the American Astronomical Society.
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S. Hassler others. 2024. Observations of Uranus at high phase angles by New Horizons Ralph/MVIC. DPS56
This article has been adapted from the original release by NASA.
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