NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

February 14, 2025

A Cosmic Rose: NGC 2237 in Monoceros

The Rosette Nebula, NGC 2237, is not the only cosmic cloud of gas and dust to evoke the imagery of flowers, but it is probably the most famous. At the edge of a large molecular cloud in Monoceros some 5,000 light years away, the petals of this cosmic rose are actually a stellar nursery. The lovely, symmetric shape is sculpted by the winds and radiation from its central cluster of hot young, O-type stars. Stars in the energetic cluster, cataloged as NGC 2244, are only a few million years young, while the central cavity in the Rosette Nebula, is about 50 light-years in diameter. The nebula can be seen with a small telescope toward the constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn. This natural appearing telescopic portrait of the Rosette Nebula was made using broadband color filters, but sometimes roses aren't red.

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

>>22581615

Some Batman shit right there

Anybody see this yesterday?

Wrestler Triple H sitting behind Linda McMahon at hearing delights social media: ‘I guess she brought her own security’

February 13, 2025

Social media users were quick to react after spotting a familiar face at Linda McMahon’s Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education – pro-wrestling star Triple H.

Some joked that McMahon, estranged wife of WWE mogul Vince McMahon, had “brought her own security,” while others remarked on the sheer absurdity of the moment on Thursday.

“Triple H is currently sitting behind Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as she testifies before the Senate to become the Secretary of Education. America is back,” wrote one user.

“I guess she brought her own security… Wild times,” added another.

Another wrote: “I count 4 people in the room for Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing who’ve taken a Stone Cold Stunner on national television: Linda McMahon, Paul Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon.”

A Stone Cold Stunner refers to the signature wrestling move of pro-wrestler Steve Austin, aka “Stone Cold.”

Shane and Stephanie McMahon are the children of Linda and Vince McMahon. Stephanie is married to Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque.

McMahon introduced her children and Lavesque to the Senate in her opening remarks.

“Yeah, the U.S. is a f** joke,” another social media user commented.

But others continued to riff on the WWE theme. "Okay thank you everyone for joining us today, and wait what's that? OH MY GOD IT'S SHAWN MICHAELS! AND HE'S GOT A STEEL CHAIR!” quipped one user.

Triple H ready to body slam [Senate Minority leader Chuck] Schumer in Linda McMahon’s hearing,” added another.

McMahon’s first committee confirmation hearing for the head of the Department of Education comes just a day after Donald Trump ranted about closing that very department, after recently claiming McMahon should eventually “put herself out of a job.”

The president has been arguing for the removal of the DoE for years and has said he “immediately” wants to shut it down while pushing lawmakers to conduct the final execution.

rump cannot remove the department without an act of the legislative branch.

McMahon’s confirmation hearing also comes after the so-called “Ring Boys” lawsuit being brought against her and her estranged husband, is set to resume.

The civil lawsuit, which claims the McMahons knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a longtime WWW employee, was subject to a temporary pause in the Maryland Supreme Court’s ruling over the Child Victims Act.

On Monday, justices voted four-three to preserve the act, eliminating the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse to sue their alleged abusers. The McMahon family denies all allegations.

The Independent stands for many things, often uniquely so. It stands independent of political party allegiance, and makes its own mind up on the issues of the day.

The Independent has always been committed to challenge and debate. It launched in 1986 to create a new voice and in that time has run campaigns for issues ranging from the legalisation of marijuana to the Final Say Brexit petition.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/wrestler-triple-h-sitting-behind-linda-mcmahon-at-hearing-delights-social-media-i-guess-she-brought-her-own-security/ar-AA1yZAEx

https://twitter.com/_johnnymaga/status/1890064406387839095

https://twitter.com/RyanSchmelzFOX/status/1890069953266782505

>>22581521

kek

Tropical Cyclone Zelia approaches Western Australia

Feb 13, 2025

This true-color corrected reflectance image of Tropical Cyclone Zelia approaching Western Australia on February 13, 2025, was acquired by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the joint NASA/NOAA NOAA-20 platform.

Tropical Cyclone Zelia is currently a Category 5 storm, the highest rating, and will bring destructive winds and heavy rain to the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

This severe storm has a high risk of affecting lives, homes, and infrastructure in the region.

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/worldview-image-archive/tropical-cyclone-zelia-approaches-western-australia

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/projects/lance

Vein Scans, Muscle Study on Station Informing Ways to Keep Crews Healthy

February 13, 2025

Human research, the series of ongoing investigations to understand how to keep astronauts healthy while living long-term in space, was the main science topic aboard the International Space Station on Thursday.

The Expedition 72 residents also continued packing a cargo craft for its upcoming departure and conducted an emergency drill to stay familiar with response, communication, and coordination procedures.

Four NASA astronauts took turns Thursday morning in the Columbus laboratory module using the Ultrasound 2 device to scan their neck, shoulder, and leg veins.

Flight Engineers Butch Wilmore and Nick Hague kicked off the biomedical work as Wilmore powered up the Human Research Facility and its ultrasound hardware.

Next, Wilmore scanned Hague’s veins as doctors on the ground monitored in real-time guidance.

Hague then took control of the Ultrasound 2 and scanned the veins of station Commander Suni Williams while she relaxed in the Columbus lab.

Afterward, Hague handed over the ultrasound device to Flight Engineer Don Pettit taking his turn as crew medical officer to scan the veins of Wilmore with remote guidance from specialists on Earth.

Doctors will use the downlinked medical data to gain insights into crew health and learn how the human body adjusts to living and working in weightlessness.

After the vein scans, Pettit began setting up hardware and connecting electrical gear for the new Muscle Stimulation experiment that seeks to counter space-caused muscle atrophy in crew members’ legs with improved exercise methods.

Hague collected his urine samples and stowed them in a science freezer for future testing. Wilmore finalized packing radio communications hardware that had been removed from outside the orbital outpost during a Jan. 30 spacewalk.

Williams also activated an Astrobee robotic free flyer that maneuvered inside the Kibo laboratory module demonstrating its ability to capture and stream live video back to Earth.

Williams then retrieved samples of engineered yeast from an incubator and stowed them in a science freezer for later analysis to determine their ability to produce on-demand nutrients on future missions.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov pointed a camera out a Zvezda service module window and photographed Earth landmarks in a variety of wavelengths.

Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin collected trash and obsolete gear for disposal aboard the Progress 89 cargo craft before its departure at the end of February.

Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner worked on ventilation maintenance in the Nauka science module.

At the end of their shift, all seven Expedition 72 crewmates gathered together and practiced a regularly scheduled emergency drill.

The orbital septet worked in conjunction with mission controllers around the world and followed simulated emergency drill steps on computer tablets.

The crew then reviewed procedures to follow in the unlikely event of a depressurization, chemical leak, or fire aboard the space station.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/02/13/vein-scans-muscle-study-on-station-informing-ways-to-keep-crews-healthy/

NASA Moon Records Suddenly Go Missing

Feb 14, 2025 at 9:18 AM EST

NASA appears to have paused the activities of several key advisory groups, leading to the disappearance of numerous documents from its affiliated websites.

Newsweek has contacted the Lunar and Planetary Institute to confirm the reason for the documents' removal via email.

President Donald Trump made expanding U.S. space exploration a key part of his 2025 agenda, campaigning closely with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has long-term aims of establishing a colony on Mars.

However, if the sweeping changes that the Trump Administration has made in the first weeks of government have impacted space research, then future advances in space could be impacted.

The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), which was established to guide NASA's lunar exploration objectives, has seen its website replaced by the line:

"The LEAG website is being reviewed in response to guidance given by NASA leadership."

Collections of publicly funded scientific and technical documents that were stored by LEAG have become inaccessible, including the 2023 CLOC-SAT report that determined the feasibility of lunar orbit, which is expected to be a key part of the long-term Artemis program.

Similarly, the Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG), which supports NASA's solar system sample return missions, has had its document archives rendered inaccessible.

Instead, directions from NASA's Science Mission Directorate say: "As NASA continues to review and ensure compliance with presidential actions, we are requesting that you please pause all meetings and activities of Planetary Science Analysis/Assessment Groups."

In response, over 500 scientists have written an open letter to NASA leadership and congressional representatives, calling on authorities to restore access to the documents.

In the open letter to NASA leadership, a coalition of scientists said: "We write as members of the space science community who are dismayed by the impact of recent events on taxpayer-funded, NASA-supported science, missions, and communities.

"Many of us chose this profession motivated by a desire to push the boundaries of what is possible and widen our understanding of the universe, and to do so in the public interest.

Space science research has inspired generations of scientists and engineers, while pushing U.S. innovation forward.

"Space science technologies have supported advances in fields ranging from medicine to consumer electronics, and space exploration continues to offer a multitude of new ways for all of us to contemplate our deep connections with the cosmos and with each other.

Recent events and actions directly damage our ability to do the work we value."

NASA will finish its reviews of the groups affected before making further decisions on their research.

https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-moon-records-go-missing-space-2031102

https://sites.google.com/view/space-science-for-everyone/

NASA engineer shares countries that may be hit by asteroid that could strike Earth in seven years

14:22 13 Feb 2025 GMT

There’s a chance an asteroid is going to come hurtling through space and crash into Earth.

Yeah, OK, I know that sounds scary but when I say ‘chance’, I mean a 2.3 percent (1 in 43) chance. But hey, that’s still more than no chance at all.

Named 2024 YR4, the big bit of rock is travelling away from us at the moment, having passed by at a distance of 828,800 kilometres on Christmas Day 2024.

It’s going to come back though, estimated to be getting pretty close in December 2032.

Measuring approximately 40 to 100 metres wide, people have been nicknaming the asteroid ‘the city destroyer’ as it has the capability of making quite the impact on Earth.

And with that, a NASA engineer has shared the countries that might be hit by the chunk of rock if it comes crashing down from space in seven years.

The current line from officials at the agency is that they are monitoring YR4 as an object of interest, so again, it’s really not something to be massively worrying about right now.

But if it does hit, NASA state that the damage would be ‘localised’ instead of us being wiped out like the dinosaurs.

Looking at this (small, small) possibility of collision, experts such as engineer with NASA’s Catalina Sky Survey Project David Rankin have drawn up a ‘risk corridor’.

Wired report that according to the asteroid’s current path, if it was to hit Earth, the experts reckon 2024 YR4 should fall somewhere in a band of territory stretching from northern South America, across the Pacific Ocean, to southern Asia, the Arabian Sea, and Africa.

So, countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador would be at risk.

The space agency explain that as more observations of the asteroid’s orbit are obtained, ‘its impact probability will become better known’.

And in some good news, it adds that it’s possible that 2024 YR4 ‘will be ruled out as an impact hazard’ which has previously happened with many other objects that have previously been on the NASA JPL asteroid risk list.

However, the space agency does point out: “It is also possible its impact probability will continue to rise.”

n the rather unlikely event it does hit the planet in 2032, the asteroid would impact at a high velocity, said to be roughly 17 kilometres per second (around 38,000 miles per hour).

https://www.ladbible.com/news/science/asteroid-2024-yr4-where-could-it-hit-705811-20250213

>>22581895

>alleged live feed been gone forever and a day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCem0E-0Q6Y

>>22581915

What timing.

feed just came back on.

>>22581942

Butch and Sunita up there cruising 8kun, switched it back on after seeing that post.

kek