TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
May 26, 2024
A Solar Filament Erupts
What's happened to our Sun? Nothing very unusual – it just threw a filament. Toward the middle of 2012, a long standing solar filament suddenly erupted into space, producing an energetic coronal mass ejection (CME). The filament had been held up for days by the Sun's ever changing magnetic field and the timing of the eruption was unexpected. Watched closely by the Sun-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, the resulting explosion shot electrons and ions into the Solar System, some of which arrived at Earth three days later and impacted Earth's magnetosphere, causing visible auroras. Loops of plasma surrounding the active region can be seen above the erupting filament in the featured ultraviolet image. Our Sun is nearing the most active time in its 11-year cycle, creating many coronal holes that allow for the ejection of charged particles into space. As before, these charged particles can create auroras.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
China’s secretive spaceplane releases object into orbit
May 26, 2024
HELSINKI — China’s experimental reusable spacecraft has released an unknown object into orbit while conducting its third mission.
U.S. Space Force space domain awareness teams cataloged the object as 59884 (International designator 2023-195G). The suspected spaceplane launched Dec. 14, 2023 and has been in orbit 164 days. The object appears to have been released May 24.
Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and a space activity tracker, first flagged the event. He speculated on X, formerly Twitter, that the object could be a subsatellite deployment, or a piece of hardware ejected prior to end of mission and deorbit.
The object may also be used for proximity and capture maneuvers. The spaceplane used a released object to perform multiple recaptures as part of on-orbit testing during its second flight.
China has maintained strict secrecy around the mission. The country’s space authorities have not released images nor descriptions of the spacecraft. The only official Chinese report on the activity is a short launch report hours after the event.
“During this period, reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space,” the report stated.
The spacecraft is seen as China’s attempt to develop similar capabilities to the X-37B. It is currently on its third mission. Reusable spacecraft represent a significant advancement in space technology, offering the potential for reduced costs and increased frequency of missions.
The Long March 2F rocket which launched the spacecraft has a payload capacity of just over eight metric tons to low Earth orbit. This suggests that the spacecraft could be somewhat similar in size and function to U.S. Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane.
This notion is reinforced by apparent images of the payload fairing wreckage recovered from the second launch and posted on the Sina Weibo social media site. The images give possible clues as to the dimensions and shape of the spacecraft.
The first flight, in 2020, lasted two days, while the second, launched in 2022, had a duration of 276 days. Both visits to orbit included the release of an object while in orbit.
The gap between the spacecraft’s first and second missions—launching in 2020 and 2022 respectively—was one year and 11 months. The third mission saw a seven-month turnaround.
The third flight has seen the spacecraft perform maneuvers to alter its orbit.
The spacecraft entered an initial 333 by 348-kilometer-altitude orbit inclined by 50 degrees.
U.S. Space Force space domain awareness data shows the spacecraft later raised its orbit, via a series of maneuvers, to a current orbit of 602 by 609 kilometers.
The reusable spacecraft may be the orbital segment which will operate in combination with a reusable suborbital first stage. A reusable suborbital spacecraft was tested for the first time in 2021.
A second mission launched in August 2022. The suborbital craft uses a vertical takeoff and a horizontal landing.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the spacecraft’s developer, announced plans to develop a fully reusable, two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) space transportation system prior to its first launch.
CASC’s spaceplane project acquired national level funding from the Natural Science Foundation of China in 2022.
Meanwhile the U.S. Space Force X-37B spaceplane launched on its seventh mission Dec. 28 last year.
Flying on a Falcon Heavy for the first time, space activity watchers suggest the spacecraft was sent to a highly elliptical, high inclination orbit, and to a much higher altitude than previous missions.
The secretive and autonomous X-37B reusable vehicle began flights in 2010.
https://spacenews.com/chinas-secretive-spaceplane-releases-object-into-orbit/
32 stunning photos of auroras seen from space
May 25, 2024
Auroras are perhaps the most spectacular natural light shows on Earth — and they look even more majestic from above.
Also called the northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis), auroras occur when charged particles from the sun crash into our planet's atmosphere and ride its magnetic-field lines toward the poles. As they zip along, those particles knock into other molecules in the atmosphere, exciting them and causing them to emit vibrant colors that are visible to the naked eye. Still, the full scope of this natural wonder is hard to take in from the ground.
Here are 32 of the most spectacular aurora photos taken by astronauts in orbit, showcasing the incredible scale and unbelievable beauty of Earth's atmospheric lights.
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/stunning-photos-of-auroras-seen-from-space
Elon Musk claims he’s an alien but nobody believes him
Published on May 26, 2024 at 4:10PM (UTC+4)
In a recent event, Elon Musk, the famous CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, made a surprising claim.
He said, “I am an alien.”
This declaration left many people amused and wondering if he was serious.
This exciting incident happened at an event called Viva Tech, where Musk shared his ideas and perspectives on various topics.
It all started when during the event, Musk was asked about rumors suggesting he might be of extraterrestrial origin.
In response, he joked, “Yeah, I keep saying I’m an alien, but nobody believes me.”
Musk’s statement about being an alien is just one of the many quirky things he’s known for.
He surely knows how to maintain his online presence at all times.
Whether it’s his witty predictions on AI or his reaction to a Cybertruck made of wood, Musk always manages to keep people talking.
The part of the interview where Elon Musk gave this reply was called ‘Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Elon Musk But Were Afraid to Ask.’
At the event, Musk also talked about SpaceX’s big goal of living on other planets.
He stressed the need to colonize Mars and the Moon for humanity’s long-term survival.
We know how relentlessly he is working on his Mars missions, and on the Starship’s expansion.
Musk said in the interview that becoming a multi-planetary species is not only possible but necessary for our continued existence.
So, as the interview progressed further, he also addressed concerns about artificial intelligence.
He stressed that AI should prioritize truth over political correctness, warning against programming AI to lie.
While Elon Musk’s claim of being an alien was made in jest (hopefully), he got everyone talking about him.
Love him or hate him, Elon Musk continues to be one of the most fascinating figures in the tech industry.
https://supercarblondie.com/elon-musk-claims-hes-an-alien/
Kash Patel
@Kash
Monday night, @realDonaldTrump and me on Tim Pool…
May 26, 2024, 7:10 AM
https://truthsocial.com/@Kash/posts/112507789410082957
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHrGC_-vCWA