cougarox the geophotocacher
Credit: ManuelJ
Release Date: August 1, 2018
Technical details:
Samyang 135 F/2 @ F/2.8
Moravian G3 11002 + Astrodon LRGB E series gen 2
Astro Physics 1200
#Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Sun #Moon #Mars #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Stars #Lunar #Eclipse #LunarEclipse #LunarEclipse2018 #SolarSystem #Skywatching #Astrophotography #Photography #Art #STEM #Education
July 11, 2018: New observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope show the star cluster RCW 38 in all its glory. This image was taken during testing of the HAWK-I camera with the GRAAL adaptive optics system. It shows RCW 38 and its surrounding clouds of brightly glowing gas in exquisite detail, with dark tendrils of dust threading through the bright core of this young gathering of stars.
This image shows the star cluster RCW 38, as captured by the HAWK-I infrared imager mounted on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. By gazing into infrared wavelengths, HAWK-I can examine dust-shrouded star clusters like RCW 38, providing an unparalleled view of the stars forming within. This cluster contains hundreds of young, hot, massive stars, and lies some 5500 light-years away in the constellation of Vela (The Sails).
The central area of RCW 38 is visible here as a bright, blue-tinted region, an area inhabited by numerous very young stars and protostars that are still in the process of forming. The intense radiation pouring out from these newly born stars causes the surrounding gas to glow brightly. This is in stark contrast to the streams of cooler cosmic dust winding through the region, which glow gently in dark shades of red and orange. The contrast creates this spectacular scene—a piece of celestial artwork.
Previous images of this region taken in optical wavelengths are strikingly different—optical images appear emptier of stars due to dust and gas blocking our view of the cluster. Observations in the infrared, however, allow us to peer through the dust that obscures the view in the optical and delve into the heart of this star cluster.
HAWK-I is installed on Unit Telescope 4 (Yepun) of the VLT, and operates at near-infrared wavelengths. It has many scientific roles, including obtaining images of nearby galaxies or large nebulae as well as individual stars and exoplanets. GRAAL is an adaptive optics module which helps HAWK-I to produce these spectacular images. It makes use of four laser beams projected into the night sky, which act as artificial reference stars, used to correct for the effects of atmospheric turbulence—providing a sharper image.
This image was captured as part of a series of test observations — a process known as science verification—for HAWK-I and GRAAL. These tests are an integral part of the commissioning of a new instrument on the VLT, and include a set of typical scientific observations that verify and demonstrate the capabilities of the new instrument.
More information
The Principal Investigator of the observing proposal which led this spectacular image was Koraljka Muzic (CENTRA, University of Lisbon, Portugal). Her collaborators were Joana Ascenso (CENTRA, University of Porto, Portugal), Amelia Bayo (University of Valparaiso, Chile), Arjan Bik (Stockholm University, Sweden), Hervé Bouy (Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Bordeaux, France), Lucas Cieza (University Diego Portales, Chile), Vincent Geers (UKATC, UK), Ray Jayawardhana (York University, Canada), Karla Peña Ramírez (University of Antofagasta, Chile), Rainer Schoedel (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Spain), and Aleks Scholz (University of St Andrews, UK).
The Science Verification of HAWK-I with the GRAAL adaptive optics module was presented in an article in ESO’s quarterly journal The Messenger entitled HAWK-I GRAAL Science Verification.
The science verification team was composed of Bruno Leibundgut, Pascale Hibon, Harald Kuntschner, Cyrielle Opitom, Jerome Paufique, Monika Petr-Gotzens, Ralf Siebenmorgen, Elena Valenti and Anita Zanella, all from ESO.
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It has 15 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a strategic partner. ESO carries out an ambitious program focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organizing cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-meter Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: July 11, 2018
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
#ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Cluster #RCW38 #Vela #VLT #Telescope #HAWKI #Camera #GRAAL #AdaptiveOptics #Paranal #Observatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education
[Notice the fine shadows in the upper left corner…]
Most of the oldest terrains on Mars have eroded into branching valleys, as seen here in by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), much like many land regions of Earth are eroded by rain and snowmelt runoff. This is the primary evidence for major climate change on Mars billions of years ago. How the climate of Mars could have supported a warmer and wetter environment has been the subject of scientific debates for 40 years. A full-resolution enhanced color closeup reveals details in the bedrock and dunes on the valley floor (upper left). The bedrock of ancient Mars has been hardened and cemented by groundwater.
The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Image Date: December 2016
Release Date: May 10, 2017
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Solar System Exploration
The University of Arizona
Ball Aerospace
USGS News: Everything We’ve Got
#NASA #Mars #Space #Astronomy #Science #Valley #Bedrock #Groundwater #Climate #ClimateChange #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #MRO #Reconnaissance #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #Camera #JPL #STEM #Education
This image from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) shows NGC 1448, a spiral galaxy located about 50 million light-years from Earth in the little-known constellation of Horologium (The Pendulum Clock). We tend to think of spiral galaxies as massive and roughly circular celestial bodies, so this glittering oval does not immediately appear to fit the visual bill. What’s going on?
Imagine a spiral galaxy as a circular frisbee spinning gently in space. When we see it face on, our observations reveal a spectacular amount of detail and structure—a great example from Hubble is the telescope’s view of Messier 51, otherwise known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. However, the NGC 1448 frisbee is very nearly edge-on with respect to Earth, giving it an appearance that is more oval than circular. The spiral arms, which curve out from NGC 1448’s dense core, can just about be seen.
Although spiral galaxies might appear static with their picturesque shapes frozen in space, this is very far from the truth. The stars in these dramatic spiral configurations are constantly moving and spinning around the galaxy’s core, with those on the inside whirling around faster than those sitting further out. This makes the formation and continued existence of a spiral galaxy’s arms something of a cosmic puzzle, because the arms wrapped around the spinning core should become wound tighter and tighter as time goes on—but this is not what we see. This is known as the winding problem.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Release Date: March 13, 2017
Hubble Space Telescope
European Space Agency, ESA
NASA Goddard
Space Telescope Science Institute
#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Science #Galaxy #NGC1448 #Horologium #STScI #Goddard #GSFC #Cosmos #Universe #STEM #Education
Yuri: “King of the night…Mysterious night on Easter Island in the Southern Pacific. And only statues of moai are always awake, looking into the starry sky. When you are staying next to those giants at night its difficult to describe the atmosphere—its truly incredible and spiritual. Orion constellation as well as Sirius are glowing above illuminating the landscape with bluish soft light. This is the real magic of the Island.”
Easter Island is a Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park. (Source: Wikipedia)
Credit: Yuri Beletsky
Yuri’s website: https://500px.com/ybeletsky
Location: Easter Island, Chile
Release Date: October 5, 2016
Yuri Beletsky
UNESCO
#Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Orion #EasterIsland #Easter #Island #Pacific #Ocean #Chile #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #Art #STEM #Education #Isla #Pascua
What’s that next to the Moon? Jupiter—and its four largest moons. Skygazers around planet Earth enjoyed the close encounter of planets and Moon during the predawn skies of July 15, 2012. And while many saw bright Jupiter next to the slender, waning crescent, Europeans also had the opportunity to watch the ruling gas giant pass behind the lunar disk, occulted by the Moon as it slid through the night. Clouds threaten in this telescopic view from Montecassiano, Italy, but the frame still captures Jupiter after it emerged from the occultation along with all four of its large Galilean moons. The sunlit crescent is overexposed with the Moon’s night side faintly illuminated by Earthshine. Lined up left to right beyond the dark lunar limb are Callisto, Ganymede, Jupiter, Io, and Europa. In fact, Callisto, Ganymede, and Io are larger than Earth’s Moon, while Europa is only slightly smaller. Last week, NASA’s Juno became the second spacecraft ever to orbit Jupiter.
Image Credit & Copyright: Cristian Fattinnanzi
Cristian’s website: www.cristianfattinnanzi.it
Release Date: July 10, 2016
Astronomy Picture of the Day (APoD)
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Goddard
Lunar and Planetary Institute
National Science Teachers Association
STEM on Google+ Community
PBS KIDS
PBS Parents
#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Jupiter #Planet #Moons #Callisto #Ganymede #Jupiter #Io #Europa #Earth #Occultation #Moon #Astrophotography #Art #Montecassiano #Italy #APoD
July 1, 2016: Following its historic first-ever flyby of Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons mission has received the green light to fly onward to an object deeper in the Kuiper Belt, known as 2014 MU69. The spacecraft’s planned rendezvous with the ancient object—considered one of the early building blocks of the solar system—is Jan. 1, 2019.
“The New Horizons mission to Pluto exceeded our expectations and even today the data from the spacecraft continue to surprise,” said NASA’s Director of Planetary Science Jim Green. “We’re excited to continue onward into the dark depths of the outer solar system to a science target that wasn’t even discovered when the spacecraft launched.”
Based upon the 2016 Planetary Mission Senior Review Panel report, NASA this week directed nine extended missions to plan for continued operations through fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Final decisions on mission extensions are contingent on the outcome of the annual budget process.
The Kuiper belt is a circumstellar disc in the Solar System beyond the planets, extending from the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to approximately 50 AU from the Sun. It is similar to the asteroid belt, but it is far larger—20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive. Like the asteroid belt, it consists mainly of small bodies, or remnants from the Solar System’s formation. Although many asteroids are composed primarily of rock and metal, most Kuiper belt objects are composed largely of frozen volatiles (termed “ices”), such as methane, ammonia and water. (Source: Wikipedia)
Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
Release Date: July 1, 2016
NASA New Horizons
NASA Solar System Exploration
NASA’s Marshall Center
NASA Goddard
JHU Applied Physics Laboratory
Johns Hopkins University
Lunar and Planetary Institute
#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #2014MU69 #KuiperBelt #NewHorizons #Pluto #Dwarf #Planet #Spacecraft #JPL
#SolarSystem #MSFC #JohnsHopkins #JHUAPL #APL #STEM
#Education #PlutoFlyby #Exploration #History #SwRI
#SouthwestResearchInstitute
“In the days before the Mercury transit of May 9, 2016, many images of the Venus Transit of 2012 were published and people were told that the upcoming transit of Mercury would look similar.”
“Well not quite. Mercury has only 40% the diameter of Venus and lies at its nearest point to earth about twice as far away.”
“This means that the disk of Mercury had only 8% the area of Venus and was not visible to the naked eye.”
“While I missed the Venus transit of 2012, I was in a prime position for the 2004 transit and was able to catch it on film—yes, I am that old! I started photography in the film age… :-)”
“This image shows the Mercury transit of 2016, combined with the path of Venus in June 2004. The different size and transit path is obvious.”
Credit: Flickr user Skypointer
Release Date: May 12, 2016
Technical details:
Equipment:
Celestron NexStar 8GPS with Baader solar filter (it was brand new in 2004)
Vintage Pentax camera with Kodak Gold 200 ASA film for the Venus transit
Canon EOS 6D for the Mercury transit
#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Mercury #Venus #Transit #Sun #Solar #Orbit #Earth #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #Art #STEM #Education #Timelapse
Brian Christian 