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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
February 10, 2025
Auroral Hummingbird over Norway
Is this the largest hummingbird ever? Although it may look like a popular fluttering nectarivore, what is pictured is actually a beautifully detailed and colorful aurora, complete with rays reminiscent of feathers. This aurora was so bright that it was visible to the unaided eye during blue hour – just after sunset when the sky appears a darkening blue. However, the aurora only looked like a hummingbird through a sensitive camera able to pick up faint glows. As reds typically occurring higher in the Earth's atmosphere than the greens, the real 3D shape of this aurora would likely appear unfamiliar. Auroras are created when an explosion on the Sun causes high energy particles to flow into the Earth's atmosphere and excite atoms and molecules of nitrogen and oxygen. The featured image was captured about two weeks ago above Lyngseidt, Norway.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Totally
Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project
Feb 10, 2025
FjordPhyto is a collective effort where travelers on tour expedition vessels in Antarctica help scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Universidad Nacional de La Plata study phytoplankton.
Now project leader Dr. Allison Cusick has a Ph.D.! . Dr. Cusick studies how melting glaciers influence phytoplankton in the coastal regions.
She wrote her doctoral dissertation based on the data collected by FjordPhyto volunteers.
“Travelers adventure to the wild maritime climate of Antarctica and help collect samples from one of the most data-limited regions of the world,” said Cusick.
“While on vacation, they can volunteer to join a FjordPhyto science boat experience where they spend an hour collecting water measurements like salinity, temperature, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, as well as physical samples for molecular genetics work, microscopy identification, and carbon biomass estimates.
It’s a full immersion into the ecosystem and the importance of polar research!”
Cusick successfully defended her thesis on December 18, 2024, earning a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Hers is the second Ph.D. based on data from the FjordPhyto project. Martina Mascioni from FjordPhyto team earned her Ph.D. from the National University of La Plata (Argentina) in 2018.
The project is a hit with travelers, too.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to be part of a program like this that’s open to non-specialist involvement,” said one volunteer, a retired biology teacher aboard the Viking Octantis ship, who continued to say, “Thank you for letting us be a part of the science and explaining so clearly why it matters to the bigger picture.”
https://science.nasa.gov/get-involved/citizen-science/newly-minted-ph-d-studies-phytoplankton-with-nasas-fjordphyto-project/
https://fjordphyto.ucsd.edu/
Euclid Discovers Einstein Ring in Our Cosmic Backyard
Feb 10, 2025
Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, has made a surprising discovery in our cosmic backyard: a phenomenon called an Einstein ring.
An Einstein ring is light from a distant galaxy bending to form a ring that appears aligned with a foreground object.
The name honors Albert Einstein, whose general theory of relativity predicts that light will bend and brighten around objects in space.
In this way, particularly massive objects like galaxies and galaxy clusters serve as cosmic magnifying glasses, bringing even more distant objects into view. Scientists call this gravitational lensing.
Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri noticed a hint of an Einstein ring among images from the spacecraft’s early testing phase in September 2023.
“Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, we could see a perfect Einstein ring,” Altieri said. “For me, with a lifelong interest in gravitational lensing, that was amazing.”
The ring appears to encircle the center of a well-studied elliptical galaxy called NGC 6505, which is around 590 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco.
That may sound far, but on the scale of the entire universe, NGC 6505 is close by. Thanks to Euclid’s high-resolution instruments, this is the first time that the ring of light surrounding the galaxy has been detected.
Light from a much more distant bright galaxy, some 4.42 billion light-years away, creates the ring in the image.
Gravity distorted this light as it traveled toward us. This faraway galaxy hasn’t been observed before and doesn’t yet have a name.
“An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing,” explained Conor O’Riordan, of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany, and lead author of the first scientific paper analyzing the ring.
“All strong lenses are special, because they’re so rare, and they’re incredibly useful scientifically. This one is particularly special, because it’s so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.”
Einstein rings are a rich laboratory for scientists to explore many mysteries of the universe. For example, an invisible form of matter called dark matter contributes to the bending of light into a ring, so this is an indirect way to study dark matter.
Einstein rings are also relevant to the expansion of the universe because the space between us and these galaxies — both in the foreground and the background — is stretching. Scientists can also learn about the background galaxy itself.
“I find it very intriguing that this ring was observed within a well-known galaxy, which was first discovered in 1884,” said Valeria Pettorino, ESA Euclid project scientist.
“The galaxy has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring was never observed before.
This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well.
This discovery is very encouraging for the future of the Euclid mission and demonstrates its fantastic capabilities.”
By exploring how the universe has expanded and formed over its cosmic history, Euclid will reveal more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter.
Dark energy is the mysterious force that appears to be causing the universe’s expansion. The space telescope will map more than a third of the sky, observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years.
It is expected to find around 100,000 strong gravitational lenses.
“Euclid is going to revolutionize the field with all this data we’ve never had before,” added O’Riordan.
Although finding this Einstein ring is an achievement, Euclid must look for a different, less visually obvious type of gravitational lensing called “weak lensing” to help fulfil its quest of understanding dark energy.
In weak lensing, background galaxies appear only mildly stretched or displaced. To detect this effect, scientists will need to analyze billions of galaxies.
Euclid launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, July 1, 2023, and began its detailed survey of the sky Feb. 14, 2024. The mission is gradually creating the most extensive 3D map of the universe yet.
The Einstein ring find so early in its mission indicates Euclid is on course to uncover many more secrets of the universe.
https://www.nasa.gov/universe/euclid-discovers-einstein-ring-in-our-cosmic-backyard/
DRIVE ME TO THE MOON Elon Musk to drop ‘extreme’ Nasa space car on Moon for first lunar drivers to brave brutal south pole in daring roadtrip
Updated: 1:21, 10 Feb 2025
VISITORS to the Moon could race across the planet's surface in an "extreme" car dropped there by Elon Musk.
That's the vision of a Nasa-backed company that is working on a vehicle for lunar roadtrips of the future.
Lunar Outpost, the company behind the space-age motor, says its vehicle will be capable of navigating the Moon's treacherous south pole.
And the company recently signed a contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX to delivery the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to the Moon's surface.
Musk's rocket company agreed to blast the LTV to the Moon on a SpaceX Starship.
And Lunar Outpost says its car will be used to "provide surface mobility to future Nasa Artemis astronauts".
Lunar Outpost bagged its contract from Nasa to build a human-friendly Moon rover back in 2022.
It means Lunar Outpost has been tasked with designing and building a rover that could take part in the Artemis missions.
Artemis is Nasa's program that's meant to re-establish a human presence on the Moon.
It's picking up where Nasa left off in 1972 with the Apollo 17 mission – the last time humans set foot on the Moon.
"Lunar Outpost's LTV is designed to be the backbone of lunar surface operations,"
"By enabling science and exploration, building and maintaining interplanetary infrastructure, and facilitating space resource utilisation."
He continued: "We're confident that SpaceX is advancing the most capable launch system ever created.
"And will successfully land our Eagle vehicles on the surface of the Moon."
And Justin added: "This contract is instrumental to accelerating Lunar Outpost's mission of enabling a sustainable human presence in space and we look forward to working with SpaceX to make that happen."
Nasa is working with three different companies for building an LTV. They include Intuitive Machines and Venturi Astrolab – as well as Lunar Outpost.
The space agency is forking out up to $4.6 billion on the project. And it says that the space car will need to be decent enough to satisfy Nasa's lunar exploration needs right through to 2039.
"We look forward to the development of the Artemis generation lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we learn at the Moon," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions."
Nasa says that the space car needs to be able to handle the "extreme conditions" of the Moon's South Pole.
It's a treacherous part of the Moon where temperatures can range from 54C in the day during sunlight, right down to -203C in shadowy areas.
In fact, some of the craters are permanently shadowed and won't have seen sunlight in billions of years, Nasa says.
The vehicle will need to be able to safely operate in these extreme temperatures – and comfortably travel across the rocky terrain.
Nasa has also asked that the rovers feature autonomous driving so that it can move around without human input.
And when the rover isn't on the clock for Nasa, it'll be free for use for other commercial jobs – like if Lunar Outpost gets any special space contracts.
“We will use the LTV to travel to locations we might not otherwise be able to reach on foot," said Nasa's Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist.
"Increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries.
"With the Artemis crewed missions, and during remote operations when there is not a crew on the surface, we are enabling science and discovery on the Moon year around."
Nasa's Artemis program kicked off with Artemis 1 in November 2022.
This was an uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission to test the Orion spacecraft, as well as Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
It's set to be followed in April 2026 with Artemis II, a crewed flyby of the Moon.
Then Artemis III is scheduled for the middle of 2027, which will be the first crewed landing on the Moon since the early seventies.
After that comes Artemis IV in September 2028, which will see an habitation module added to the upcoming Lunar Gateway orbital outpost.
It's a space station that will circle the Moon, making it easier to travel to and from the lunar surface.
There are at least 10 planned Artemis missions right now, taking Nasa through until 2035.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/33233277/lunar-outpost-nasa-ltv-moon-elon-musk-spacex-contract/
NASA images reveal full extent of toxic golden river devastating region
UPDATED: 09:20 ET, Mon, Feb 10, 2025
It's actually shocking what can be seen from space, like a military base being built in the Middle East and an iceberg aboout to collide with an island.
In 2022, scientists identified a potentially toxic "golden river" of waste, visible from space, following a deadly disaster at a diamond mine that caused chemicals to seep through the South African countryside.
The eerie satellite image revealed a glistening trail of dried, chemically-enriched mud left in the wake of a wastewater flood that devastated the town of Jagersfontein, resulting in three fatalities and approximately 40 injuries, reports the Daily Star.
NASA's Earth Observatory disclosed that the tailings swept through the outskirts of the town and into the surrounding countryside, causing extensive damage including the destruction of dozens of houses, damage to cell phone towers, road closures, temporary contamination of drinking water, and the loss of hundreds of sheep.
A dam at a diamond mine in the central South African town unexpectedly collapsed, unleashing a torrent of mining waste, known as tailings.
At that point, the tailings cascaded down the hillside in a massive, one-mile wide wave that eventually funneled into the nearby Wolwas Dam before overflowing into the adjoining Prosesspruit river.
An aerial image captured the day prior to the disaster illustrates the magnitude of the unleashed torrent.
In total, the dried tailings blanketed roughly ten square miles of farmland, and the Earth Observatory suggested that parts of the Prosesspruit river appear to have widened, indicating that the waste may have eroded the river's banks.
Tailings, a muddy mix of dust, crushed rock, water and other byproducts left over from mining, often contain trace quantities of metals including copper, mercury, cadmium and zinc, as well as other compounds like petroleum, sulphuric acid and cyanide.
This mixture gives it a golden appearance when viewed from above.
The Jagersfontein diamond mine, once the deepest hand-excavated hole in the world, produced two of the world's eight largest diamonds the Excelsior Diamond and the Reitz Diamond, also known as the Golden Jubilee Diamond.
However, the mine has been closed since it was damaged by flooding, and it remains uncertain when, or even if, it will reopen
https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/162835/nasa-toxic-river-south-africa
Russia’s plasma engine could reach Mars in 30 days, drastically reduce space travel time
Updated: Feb 10, 2025 03:36 AM EST
Rosatom scientists have announced the development of a plasma electric rocket engine that they claim could send spacecraft to Mars in just one to two months.
As reported by Russia’s Izvestia newspaper, unlike traditional rocket engines that rely on fuel combustion, this innovative propulsion system utilizes a magnetic plasma accelerator and promises to reduce interplanetary travel time significantly.
“A plasma rocket motor is a type of electric motor. It is based on two electrodes. Charged particles are passed between them, and at the same time a high voltage is applied to the electrodes,” Egor Biriulin, a junior researcher at Rosatom’s scientific institute in Troitsk, told Izvestia.
“As a result, the current creates a magnetic field that pushes the particles out of the engine. Thus, the plasma receives directional motion and creates thrust.”
Plasma propulsion offers unprecedented speeds
Under this approach, hydrogen is used as fuel, and the engine accelerates charged particles – electrons and protons – to a speed of 100 km/s (62 miles/s).
“In traditional power units, the maximum velocity of matter flow is about 4.5 km/s, which is due to the conditions of fuel combustion.
In contrast, in our engine, the working body is charged particles that are accelerated by an electromagnetic field,” said Alexei Voronov, first deputy general director for science at the Troitsk Institute, as reported by Izvestia.
A faster journey to Mars would not only increase efficiency but also minimize the risks associated with prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation for astronauts.
A laboratory prototype of the engine has already been developed at Rosatom’s Troitsk Institute.
This prototype will be subjected to extensive ground testing to refine its operational modes and pave the way for the creation of a flight model, expected to be ready by 2030.
“The engine operates in pulse-periodic mode. Its power is about 300 kW. Earlier, the engine resource of more than 2400 h was justified, which is enough for a transportation operation to Mars,” Konstantin Gutorov, the project’s scientific adviser, told the Russian newspaper.
Testing of plasma engine
A specialized experimental stand has been built to simulate the conditions of space, reported World Nuclear News.
This 4-meter diameter, 14-meter long chamber is equipped with advanced sensors, vacuum pumping systems, and heat removal mechanisms.
While the initial launch into orbit will rely on traditional chemical rockets, the plasma engine will be activated once the spacecraft reaches its designated orbit.
This technology could also be incorporated into space tugs used for transporting cargo between planets.
The engine’s design involves two electrodes with a high voltage applied across them. As charged particles pass between the electrodes, a magnetic field is created, propelling the particles out of the engine and generating thrust.
“Another positive feature of the new installation – in the proposed mechanism, the plasma does not need to be strongly heated.
As a result, parts and components of the engine do not experience temperature overloads, and the electrical energy used for its operation is almost completely converted into motion,” concluded Biriulin.
With a calculated thrust of approximately 6N, the highest among comparable projects, the engine is expected to enable smooth acceleration and deceleration phases during interplanetary travel.
While these developments are promising, it’s important to note that peer-reviewed scientific papers or detailed technical documentation are yet to be published to verify these claims independently.
Future of space propulsion
The arena of space propulsion technology has been witnessing several advances.
Recently, an Italy-based research team revealed that they are working on developing a space propulsion system that will use water as fuel.
Scientists are also testing the concept of lightsails that use the pressure from lasers or starlight to propel spacecraft.
However, it must be noted that these technologies are still in their nascent stages, and it may take years before they can be used in real-world missions.
https://interestingengineering.com/space/russia-plasma-engine-could-reach-mars-early
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/mars-in-30-days-russia-unveils-prototype-of-plasma-rocket-engine
Never lose cell service again with this space-age satellite tech
February 9, 2025 6:00am EST
Imagine never being without a cell signal again, anywhere, any time on the planet. That's exactly what AST SpaceMobile is working to achieve.
Founded in the heart of Texas in 2017, this innovative company is developing the world's first global cellular broadband network that can connect directly to your everyday smartphone, no special equipment required.
Its mission? To ensure that no matter where you are around the globe – from remote mountain ranges to isolated islands – you'll never be out of touch again.
A historic achievement
AST SpaceMobile made history in April 2023 by completing the first two-way phone call via space on an unmodified cellphone.
This milestone was achieved using its low Earth orbit satellite, Blue Walker 3 (BW3), which was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in September 2022.
Rapid progress and expansion
Since its inception, AST SpaceMobile has made remarkable technological advancements. In September 2023, it achieved a 14-Mbps data stream on the BW3 satellite.
A year later, in September 2024, the company launched five additional satellites, BlueBird 1 through 5. The ultimate goal is to establish a constellation of 168 satellites, offering speeds up to 120 Mbps.
Partnerships and global reach
AST SpaceMobile has forged strategic partnerships with major telecom players across the globe. In the United States, it has partnered with AT&T and Verizon.
Internationally, it has teamed up with Bell Canada, Rakuten, Vodafone and other telecommunications providers. These partnerships potentially give about 2.8 billion people worldwide access to its satellite network.
Technology and manufacturing
AST SpaceMobile's approach to satellite connectivity is uniquely innovative. It focuses solely on direct-to-cell service, distinguishing itself from other competitors.
Its current BlueBird satellites unfold to approximately 700 square feet in space, with future satellites planned to be three times larger and offer ten times the data capacity.
Impressively, 95% of its manufacturing process is completed in house in the United States.
Comparing with Starlink
While both AST SpaceMobile and Elon Musk's Starlink aim to provide global connectivity, their approaches significantly differ. AST SpaceMobile is built for direct-to-cell service, requiring no special equipment for users.
Starlink, primarily a data-focused service, has only recently launched modified satellites for direct-to-cell capabilities. AST's focus on unmodified smartphones gives it a unique advantage in accessibility.
Potential challenges
Despite the promising technology, the company faces several challenges. The brightness of satellites like BW3 could potentially interfere with astronomical observations.
There are concerns about possible interference with radio-quiet zones used for scientific research. The increasing number of satellites also contributes to growing space debris concerns.
Cost and availability
As of January 2025, AST SpaceMobile has not yet announced specific pricing for its services.
However, given its partnerships with major carriers like AT&T and Verizon, it's likely that the service will be offered as an add-on to existing cellular plans.
The company aims to provide coverage to remote areas and eliminate dead zones, suggesting that pricing may be competitive to attract a wide user base.
Kurt's key takeaways
AST SpaceMobile's innovative approach to global connectivity has the potential to revolutionize how we stay connected, especially in remote areas.
While challenges remain, the benefits of ubiquitous communication, particularly in emergency situations, are compelling.
As the company continues to expand its satellite network and partnerships, we may soon see a world where being "out of range" is a thing of the past.
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/never-lose-cell-service-again-space-age-satellite-tech
https://ast-science.com/