NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

April 5, 2024

The Solar Corona Unwrapped

Changes in the alluring solar corona are detailed in this creative composite image mapping the dynamic outer atmosphere of the Sun during two separate total solar eclipses. Unwrapped from the complete circle of the eclipsed Sun's edge to a rectangle and mirrored, the entire solar corona is shown during the 2017 eclipse (bottom) seen from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the 2023 eclipse from Exmouth, Western Australia. While the 2017 eclipse was near a minimum in the Sun's 11 year activity cycle, the 2023 eclipse was closer to solar maximum. The 2023 solar corona hints at the dramatically different character of the active Sun, with many streamers and pinkish prominences arising along the solar limb. Of course, the solar corona is only easily visible to the eye while standing in the shadow of the Moon.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?

NASA throwing an eclipse party in D.C.

Updated: Apr 5, 2024 / 05:02 AM CDT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The U.S. is just days away from a total solar eclipse. Millions of Americans will see the moon block the sun, or at least part of the sun.

There’s an eclipse party planned for your nation’s capital, hosted by NASA and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

Mariel O’Brien is an astronomy educator at the museum. She’s been studying the skies for more than two decades.

“It’s a really nice situation where a large swath of the U.S. is going to be able to view a total eclipse, and all of the U.S. will be able to see a partial eclipse,” O’Brien said.

At the “Solar Eclipse Festival” on the National Mall Monday, visitors will be able to view Washington D.C.,’s partial eclipse at about 3:20 p.m.ET, when 87% of the sun will be covered. 

“It’s actually the result of what we call a cosmic coincidence,” O’Brien said.

“It’ll be really impressive to see, kind of like, cookie monster taking a bite out of the sun,” NASA Partnerships Manager Anita Dey said.

Dey says an eclipse happens when the Earth, moon and sun all line up.

Total solar eclipses happen about every 18 months but often over oceans or deserts, where no one can see them. That’s what makes this one special for viewers in the U.S.

“The moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, but the sun is about 400 times further away than the moon, so they appear to be roughly the same size in the sky,” O’Brien said.

Obrien says more than 31 million people live in the path of totality. That’s where the sun will be completely covered for a few minutes. Even if you don’t live in the path of totality, you’re still in for a show.

“It should be spectacular,” Dey said.

But Dey says don’t stare directly at the sun. Make sure to wear eclipse glasses, which you can get at some libraries, museums or online.

“Those are thousands of times darker, and they have special materials to shield your eyes from all the radiation and visible light that the sun emits,” Dey said.

https://wreg.com/eclipse-2024/nasa-throwing-an-eclipse-party-in-d-c/

https://airandspace.si.edu/whats-on/events/solar-eclipse-festival-national-mall

NASA May Have Inadvertently Redirected An Asteroid At Mars

April 4, 2024

In 2022, NASA sent a spaceship to slam into an asteroid about the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza in an attempt to alter its course.

The mission was a success, and demonstrated that it is possible to redirect objects in space, great news for a planet that isn't a huge fan of being wiped out by asteroids. As well as successfully redirecting the asteroid Dimorphos, it sent huge boulders flying off from the loosely bound asteroid, ranging in size from 1 to 7 meters (3-22 feet) in diameter. These boulders are not moving at huge speeds relative to the parent rock – their average speed is 0.3 meters per second (0.7 miles per hour) – but that is enough to achieve escape velocity from Dimorphos.

Now, a team has looked at the orbital path these 37 objects will take over the next 20,000 years, discovering that the Earth is safe from impact. In a not-yet-peer-reviewed article published on pre-print server arXiv, the researchers found that the closest approach with Earth will happen in about 2,500 years, but the boulders will never be closer than 0.02 astronomical units (AU), with one AU being the distance between the Earth and the Sun. But Mars might not be so lucky.

"Numerical simulations show that all the boulders of the swarm will cross the orbit of Mars multiple times in the future 20 [thousand years]," the team wrote in the paper. "The simulated swarm is statistically representative of the set of 37 actual boulders recently discovered by using observations from the Hubble Space Telescope that were ejected during the impact of the DART spacecraft on Dimorphos. Therefore, due to the orbit crossings happening in the long-term evolution, it is possible that some of the boulders will impact Mars in the future."

These potential impacts happen twice around 6,000 years in the future, and twice again 15,000 years in the future. If the paths do cross – and there are a lot of variables that could alter the rock's path, such as the energy from sunlight – the team looked at what kind of impact the boulders would create.

"The condition of fragmentation, assuming a mean strength of about 1 MPa, is reached when the meteoroid hits the Martian soil without generating airbursts and with a speed slightly lower than the initial one because the Martian atmosphere is too thin to slow it down significantly. For this reason, in our case, a small, simple impact crater of about 200-300 m [656-984 feet] in diameter will be generated," the team explained.

"However, it cannot be ruled out that Dimorphos boulders have a strength lower than about 1 MPa. In this case, the meteoroids will fragment in the Martian atmosphere without reaching the ground intact, giving rise to a classic strewn field."

As well as assuring us that NASA has not accidentally sent meteorites at Earth during a test to redirect asteroids away from Earth, the study found further evidence that some meteorites that hit our planet could result from collisions between large and small asteroids, sending smaller rocks free from their clump.

The paper is published on pre-print server arXiv.

https://www.iflscience.com/nasa-may-have-inadvertently-redirected-an-asteroid-at-mars-73675

Hubble Peers at Pair of Closely Interacting Galaxies

APR 05, 2024

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features Arp 72, a very selective galaxy group that only includes two galaxies interacting due to gravity: NGC 5996 (the large spiral galaxy) and NGC 5994 (its smaller companion, in the lower left of the image). Both galaxies lie approximately 160 million light-years from Earth, and their cores are separated from each other by a distance of about 67,000 light-years. The distance between the galaxies at their closest points is even smaller, closer to 40,000 light-years. While this might sound vast, in galactic separation terms it is really quite close. For comparison, the distance between the Milky Way and its nearest independent galactic neighbor Andromeda is around 2.5 million light-years. Alternatively, the distance between the Milky Way and its largest and brightest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (satellite galaxies orbit around another galaxy), is about 162,000 light-years.

Given this and the fact that NGC 5996 is roughly comparable in size to the Milky Way, it is not surprising that NGC 5996 and NGC 5994 — separated by only about 40,000 light-years — are interacting with one another. In fact, the interaction likely distorted NGC 5996’s spiral shape. It also prompted the formation of the very long and faint tail of stars and gas curving away from NGC 5996, up to the top right of the image. This ‘tidal tail’ is a common phenomenon that appears when galaxies closely interact and is visible in other Hubble images of interacting galaxies.

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-peers-at-pair-of-closely-interacting-galaxies/

NASA’s stunning eclipse posters are out of this world

April 5, 2024

NASA has released a stunning collection of custom posters to commemorate the upcoming eclipse on 8 April 2024. The diverse illustrations are bursting with charm, each celebrating the celestial phenomenon in the artist's own unique style.

The awe-inspiring artworks are certainly worthy of a spot on our list of best poster designs, and what's more, they're completely free to use. Occurring once in a blue moon, the upcoming eclipse is a rare opportunity to witness one of nature's most stunning phenomenons – what better way to celebrate than with some astonishing art?

Dongjae “Krystofer” Kim

A Senior Science Animator at the Conceptual Image Lab at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Krystofer took an outside-of-the-box approach to his poster. Inspired by the sheer scale of the eclipse, he imagined how it would look in years to come, outside of his current view.

"I thought of how future space explorations with permanent settlements on the Moon will view this event," he says. The result is a captivating poster that invites us to think beyond our perception, imagining the eclipse from the unique perspective of the moon.

Genna Duberstein

Taking a playful approach, Emmy-nominated multimedia producer and graphic designer Genna Duberstein created this adorable pup-themed poster. Inspired by a wholesome picture of her parents with their family dog during the 2017 eclipse, she captures the "goofy" spirit of that precious memory with this design.

"There’s no denying an eclipse can be an awe-inspiring event, but it can be just plain fun too!” she says. Genna's stunning graphic style is a wonderful addition to the collection, embracing the lighter and brighter side of this celestial awe.

Tyler Nordgren

Taking a more retro approach, artist and professional astronomer Tyler Nordgren captures the collective awe of the millions who will witness the eclipse. Modelled after the 1930s 'See America' national park posters, the poster has a charming appeal that shows the timelessness of this momentous event.

"This will be a day people will remember and talk about with awe for the rest of their lives. I hope I captured some small part of that,” Tyler says. His design is a delightful dose of nostalgia, expertly capturing that retro feel with stylish typography and a dreamy colour scheme.

Kristen Perrin

The final poster was created by Kristen Perrin – a Senior Multimedia and Graphic Specialist on the NASA Heliophysics communications team. Kristen was keen to create a sense of community and inclusivity in her design, proving that the eclipse is "an experience for everyone".

The composition of the design is cleverly arranged to inform the viewer. "Using the spherical elements to represent the Moon and some of the planets within our solar system encouraged the overall visual to help the audience see where the eclipse takes place and understand, by the coloring, what would happen," Kristen says.

https://www.creativebloq.com/news/nasa-eclipse-posters

Harnessing the 2024 Eclipse for Ionospheric Discovery with HamSCI

APR 04, 2024

As the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, draws closer, a vibrant community of enthusiastic amateur radio operators, known as “hams,” is gearing up for an exciting project with the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) group. Our goal is clear and ambitious: to use the Moon's shadow as a natural laboratory to uncover the intricacies of the ionosphere, a layer of Earth’s atmosphere crucial for radio communication.

This rare event offers an unmatched opportunity to observe the ionosphere's response to the temporary absence of solar radiation during the eclipse. HamSCI, a collective of citizen scientists and professional researchers, plans to seize this opportunity by conducting radio experiments across North America.

Our mission centers on two main activities: the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) and the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge. For the SEQP, amateur radio operators across the continent will aim to establish as many radio contacts (called QSOs) as possible before, during, and after the eclipse, creating a lively scene filled with radio signals. This effort will generate a vast network of observations on radio wave behavior under the eclipse's unique conditions. The SEQP, a competitive yet friendly event, encourages wide participation and adds an element of excitement.

The Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge, named in honor of ham radio operator Philip Gladstone for his significant contributions to radio science, adopts a focused approach. Participants will use special equipment to monitor select radio frequencies, aiding in our observation of the ionosphere's reaction to the eclipse. This crucial aspect of our project validates scientific models of the ionosphere and enriches our understanding of its interaction with solar radiation.

Amateur radio enthusiasts of all backgrounds and skill levels are invited to join these events, united by a shared enthusiasm for scientific exploration and a collective curiosity about the upper atmosphere. Through the support of the amateur radio community, HamSCI demonstrates the profound impact of citizen science in contributing to our scientific knowledge.

As the eclipse ends, our analytical work begins. We will delve into the collected data, interpret it, and publish our findings. These efforts are expected to significantly advance our understanding of the ionosphere and showcase the value of community involvement in scientific discovery.

HamSCI is an organization that aims to inspire wonder and encourage people to participate in scientific discovery. The community of citizen scientists associated with HamSCI believe that the seamless fusion of science and amateur radio is an excellent example of what can be achieved when people come together, driven by curiosity and a passion for exploration.

For more information about HamSCI and details on the SEQP and the Gladstone Signal Spotting Challenge, please visit:

HamSCI's Eclipse Information: https://hamsci.org/eclipse

Contest Information: https://hamsci.org/contest-info

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/2024-eclipse-ionospheric-discovery-with-hamsci/

Tech Today: Synthetic DNA Diagnoses COVID, Cancer

APR 04, 2024

At first glance, the search for life beyond Earth might not seem related to human illness, but to biochemist Steven Benner, the connection is clear.

“In diagnostics for an infectious disease, you’re looking for alien life inside of a patient,” said Benner, who has spent nearly two decades conducting NASA-funded research on what alien life might look like at the molecular level.

“It’s actually a bit easier to build a diagnostics assay to detect COVID than to build an agnostic life finder to search for Martian DNA, whose structure would be unknown,” he said.

Benner is the co-founder and CEO of Firebird Diagnostics LLC, based in Alachua, Florida, which sells synthetic DNA and molecule packages to researchers, who use them to develop tools to detect and treat ailments like cancer, hepatitis, and HIV. The company also sold COVID tests during the pandemic.

Benner holds that while some of what we know about biochemistry on Earth may be universal, most is Earth-specific. He and his partners developed DNA-like molecular systems with six and eight nucleotides, or building blocks, based on research funded partly by NASA’s Astrobiology Program. These systems add to the four building blocks in Earth-based DNA an additional two or four synthetic nucleotides.

Mary Voytek, head of the Astrobiology Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said Benner’s work shows there are alternatives to Earth-based biological molecules, “This helps us understand what else is possible and may be found in life beyond Earth.”

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/tech-transfer/tech-today-synthetic-dna-diagnoses-covid-cancer/

>>20682336

>Anonosphere.

kek

Patchwork frogs

Dying SpaceX rocket creates eerie 'dashed' line in new photos. What's going on?

April 5, 2024

Striking new photos show a perfect dashed line of light left behind by a dying SpaceX rocket in the night sky above Arizona. The luminous streak, which is the result of some clever photo trickery, is the latest reminder of the company's rapidly increasing launch schedule.

On Saturday (March 30th), SpaceX launched two of their Falcon 9 rockets in less than four hours, Space.com reported. The first rocket, which was carrying the Eutelsat 36D telecommunications satellite, took off at 5:52 p.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The second rocket, which was carrying 23 of the company's Starlink satellites, launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Center, located next door to KSC, at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

After deploying their payloads, the rockets' second stages — the main part of the rocket that separates from the rocket's reusable boosters — underwent controlled deorbit burns, which caused them to fall toward Earth and burn up in the planet's upper atmosphere.

Photographer Jeremy Perez had initially planned to capture the deorbit burn of the first rocket from near his home in Flagstaff, AZ but was left empty-handed due to thick cloud coverage. But by the time the second rocket began the same maneuver, the skies had cleared and Perez was able to catch some stunning images of the deorbiting debris, Spaceweather.com reported.

In the new images, Perez combined multiple long-exposure shots of the ignited second stage as it passed overhead. The breaks in the luminous streak represent points where the camera's shutter was closed.

In real-time the event appeared very differently: "It looked like a delicate, cometary dandelion poof drifting overhead," Perez told Spaceweather.com. The light also appeared white in real-time instead of the bright blues seen in the photos, he added.

In zoomed-in versions of the photos, you can also see a second dimmer line alongside the falling space junk. This streak is made up of light from the satellites deployed by the rocket, which were drifting alongside it before it started its final maneuver.

An increasingly common sight

Saturday's twin launches were not the only SpaceX launches this week.

On Monday (April 1), another Falcon 9 lifted off from the Vandenburg Space Force base in California and later deployed 22 more Starlink satellites into orbit, Space.com reported. The company also plans to launch two more Falcon 9 rockets on Friday (April 5) and Sunday (April 7), which will both deploy more satellites into orbit, according to SpaceFlightNow.com.

The continued increase in SpaceX launches greatly enhances the chances of people seeing deorbiting material or other phenomena caused by the dying rockets, such as SpaceX spirals — swirls of light created by frozen rocket fuel ejected from deorbiting Falcon 9 boosters. For example, on March 4, one of these spirals briefly outshone the northern lights across large parts of the Arctic.

Falcon 9 rockets can also be seen for miles as they rise into space and can occasionally punch holes in the upper atmosphere, triggering blood-red aurora-like light shows.

But these light shows are not the only aspect of these ever-increasing launches that are catching people's eyes. Experts are also concerned with the number of Starlink satellites that are being deployed into low-Earth orbit, which are obscuring our ability to study the cosmos.

When these newly-launched satellites inevitably fail and are sent to burn up in the upper atmosphere, they will also release high levels of metal pollution in our skies, which could have potentially damaging impacts.

https://www.space.com/spacex-rocket-creates-dashed-line-new-photos

>>20682446

SpaceX Starlink Mission

SpaceX is targeting Friday, April 5 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including six with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 7:31 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 11:25 p.m. PT. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Saturday, April 6 starting at 7:25 p.m. PT.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

This is the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-8-1