TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
Jan 24, 2024
Earth and Moon from Beyond
What do the Earth and Moon look like from beyond the Moon? Although frequently photographed together, the familiar duo was captured with this unusual perspective in late 2022 by the robotic Orion spacecraft of NASA's Artemis I mission as it looped around Earth's most massive satellite and looked back toward its home world. Since our Earth is about four times the diameter of the Moon, the satellite’s seemingly large size was caused by the capsule being closer to the smaller body. Artemis II, the next launch in NASA’s Artemis series, is currently scheduled to take people around the Moon in 2025, while Artemis III is planned to return humans to lunar surface in late 2026. Last week, JAXA's robotic SLIM spacecraft, launched from Japan, landed on the Moon and released two hopping rovers.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
NASA’s DC-8 to Fly Low-Altitude Over Central Valley, CA
JAN 23, 2024
What: NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s DC-8 aircraft will fly over Central Valley and surroundings areas as part of an air quality field study. Residents in the areas below will see and hear the aircraft as it flies to achieve these measurements.
Where: Central Valley, CA and surrounding areas
When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at mid-morning to early afternoon
Additional details: All flyovers are conducted at a safe altitude without harm to public, wildlife, or infrastructure. Jet aircraft are loud and those with sensitivity to loud noises should be aware of the flyover window.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-dc-8-to-fly-low-altitude-over-central-valley-ca/
TESS Discovers New Exoplanets with Longer Orbital Periods
January 24, 2024
TESS, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, has once again revolutionized our understanding of the universe. In a groundbreaking study, researchers have discovered 85 candidate exoplanets with longer periods of orbit, enabling the possibility of finding planets at cooler temperatures.
Unlike previous methods that required at least three transits to detect an exoplanet, this study focused on systems that only showed two transits. These longer periods of orbit, ranging from 20 to 700 days, offer a unique opportunity to explore exoplanets in a temperature range that could potentially sustain life. These planets reside within the “habitable zone,” which scientists believe is the optimal distance from a star to support liquid water and, therefore, potentially harbor life.
While further observations are needed to confirm these candidates as exoplanets, the researchers are optimistic about the future. By making their discoveries public, they are inviting astronomers worldwide to contribute to the study and gain a deeper understanding of these fascinating exoplanets.
The team used an algorithm to search for transits among a sample of 1.4 million stars. Through a meticulous vetting process, they narrowed down their search to 85 star systems that appear to host exoplanets exhibiting only two transits in the TESS dataset. This breakthrough method allows for the detection of planets that are much cooler and potentially more diverse than those found by traditional transit searches.
The discovery of these 85 potential exoplanets is both significant and exciting. Sixty of the candidates are entirely new discoveries, while 25 were identified by independent research teams using alternative techniques. The range of findings highlights the collaborative and inclusive nature of the TESS mission, fostering greater knowledge and exploration in the field of exoplanets.
The study, led by Faith Hawthorn, a PhD researcher at the University of Warwick, marks a significant contribution to the scientific community. It was published in the Monthly Notices Of The Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), solidifying its place as an esteemed piece of research that expands our understanding of the universe and potentially brings us closer to discovering habitable exoplanets.
https://worldreportnow.com/nasa/tess-discovers-new-exoplanets-with-longer-orbital-periods/578706/#gsc.tab=0
shemanenugent
Jan 20, 2024
Did anyone see or hear anything unusual last night? We did! Here is a video our neighbor took of 3 low flying helicopters in a circular pattern, chasing some type of bright white light or orb. 😳 A friend said when she was driving, she saw the bright light and it almost blinded her. Interestingly, flight aware, which is an app that displays the tail numbers of helicopters and planes showed that there was nothing in the sky at this time. 🛸What do you think it is? Have you been seeing and hearing strange things at night, as well? #Helicopter #ufo #centraltexas #waco
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2Syth_OAq8/
Collision of gas truck and car in Mongolia sets off explosions that kill 3 firefighters
Updated 12:25 AM PST, January 24, 2024
A truck carrying 60 tons of liquefied natural gas and a car collided at an intersection in the Mongolian capital early Wednesday, causing a massive fireball and a series of explosions that killed three firefighters and injured 11 people, officials said.
Images showed the huge blaze at the scene of the crash outside a shopping center, close to an apartment building and an international school in Ulaanbaatar. The 12-story apartment building caught fire, with firefighters working until early morning to extinguish the flames.
Mongolia’s Emergency Management Office told The Associated Press that a total of three explosions occurred after the crash, the last of which killed the three firefighters. The authority expressed condolences to the firefighters’ families in a Facebook post.
Ten people were taken to a hospital to be treated for burns and another person was being treated at a poison center, authorities said. Forty-three people were evacuated from the burning apartment building.
More than two dozen cars caught fire in the explosions.
https://apnews.com/article/mongolia-lng-explosion-ulaanbaatar-b53ed3a5755b12850ced671704550cfb
‘Did a double take’: Stunning photos show massive UFO-like cloud formation in sky over New Hampshire
January 23, 2024 at 6:35 pm EST
A rare lenticular cloud formation was spotted in the sky over New Hampshire on Monday afternoon.
Photos shared by the Mount Washington Observatory and Boston 25 News viewer Michael Griffin showed the unique, UFO-shaped formation.
According to the Observatory, strong winds and westerly flow resulted in several standing lenticular clouds around the summit.
“Lenticular clouds form in the crests of gravity waves created by relatively stable, fast-moving air when it is forced up and over a mountain-oriented perpendicular to the wind direction,” the Observatory said in a Facebook post. “Typically, there are only one to two layers in a lenticular cloud, but the biggest one this afternoon had over seven!”
Griffin and the Observatory weren’t the only ones to capture images of the formation. Dozens of Facebook users posted their own photos.
The formation was also seen from Bretton Woods, Mount Willard, North Conway, Ossipee, as well as parts of Maine.
“I did a double take! I have seen pictures of this but never seen in person,” one person wrote on Facebook. “Awesome!”
https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/did-double-take-stunning-photos-show-massive-ufo-like-cloud-formation-sky-over-new-hampshire/7TEBMUMIU5AIPNTOFRBOQKUDSA/