[NASA] NASA is Going Green, in Space
NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission, or GPIM, will prove a sustainable and efficient approach to spaceflight. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2Ejz6y2
Planets of the Solar System: Tilts and Spins
How does your favorite planet spin? Does it spin rapidly around a nearly vertical axis, or horizontally, or backwards? The featured video animates NASA images of all eight planets in our Solar System to show them spinning side-by-side for an easy comparison. In the time-lapse video, a day on Earth — one Earth rotation — takes just a few seconds. Jupiter rotates the fastest, while Venus spins not only the … Read More →
A Circumhorizontal Arc Over Ohio
Why would clouds appear to be different colors? The reason here is that ice crystals in distant cirrus clouds are acting like little floating prisms. Sometimes known as a fire rainbow for its flame-like appearance, a circumhorizon arc lies parallel to the horizon. For a circumhorizontal arc to be visible, the Sun must be at least 58 degrees high in a sky where cirrus clouds are present. Furthermore, the numerous, … Read More →
[NASA] Apollo 10 Launches Into History on May 18, 1969
When Apollo 10 launched on May 18, 1969, it was the fifth launch of the Saturn V. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2WO33xp
[NASA] Galaxy Blazes With New Stars Born From Close Encounter
The irregular galaxy NGC 4485 shows all the signs of having been involved in a hit-and-run accident with a bypassing galaxy. Rather than destroying the galaxy, the chance encounter is spawning a new generation of stars, and presumably planets. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2JKUjES
[NASA] Jonny Kim: NASA’s 2017 Astronaut Class
Jonny Kim was selected as a member of NASA’s 2017 astronaut class, nicknamed “the Turtles.” via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2LJ0742
Anemic Spiral NGC 4921 from Hubble
How far away is spiral galaxy NGC 4921? It’s surpringly important to know. Although presently estimated to be about 300 million light years distant, a more precise determination could be coupled with its known recession speed to help humanity better calibrate the expansion rate of the entire visible universe. Toward this goal, several images were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in order to help identify key stellar distance markers … Read More →
[NASA] Good Vibrations: Orion Crew Module Undergoes Testing
On April 29 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Orion’s service module moved to the lift station inside the assembly bay. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2WFNs2N
Young Star Cluster Trumpler 14 from Hubble
Why does star cluster Trumpler 14 have so many bright stars? Because it is so young. Many cluster stars have formed only in the past 5 million years and are so hot they emit detectable X-rays. In older star clusters, most stars this young have already died — typically exploding in a supernova — leaving behind stars that are fainter and redder. Trumpler 14 spans about 40 light years and … Read More →
[NASA] Waxing Crescent Moon Above Earth’s Limb
The waxing crescent moon is photographed just above Earth’s limb. via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2VzrTEB