Globular star cluster Omega Centauri, also known as NGC 5139, is some 15,000 light-years away. The cluster is packed with about 10 million stars much older than the Sun within a volume about 150 light-years in diameter. It’s the largest and brightest of 200 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Cen may be the remnant core of Read more »

Media are invited to join NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, astronaut Megan McArthur and several special guests, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, for a Women’s Equality Day event Monday, Aug. 26 at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. from NASA https://ift.tt/320g2hU via IFTTT

This Hubble image shows a dark, gloomy scene in the constellation of Gemini (the Twins). The subject of this image confused astronomers when it was first studied — rather than being classified as a single object, it was instead recorded as two objects, owing to its symmetrical lobed structure. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Nr3vQv

Filled with almost 2,700 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo, a SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft is set to leave the International Space Station Tuesday, Aug. 27. NASA Television and the agency’s website will broadcast its departure live beginning at 10:15 a.m. EDT. from NASA https://ift.tt/2Mw2c36 via IFTTT

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir will be available from 7 to 8:15 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 4, for her final live satellite interviews before launching on a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. from NASA https://ift.tt/2TSwZrC via IFTTT

Amazon rainforest fires causing smoke to drift across the whole of Brazil. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Z9MYHv

Large spiral galaxy NGC 4945 is seen edge-on near the center of this cosmic galaxy portrait. In fact, it’s almost the size of our Milky Way Galaxy. NGC 4945’s own dusty disk, young blue star clusters, and pink star forming regions standout in the sharp, colorful telescopic image. About 13 million light-years distant toward the expansive southern constellation Centaurus, NGC 4945 is only about six times farther away than Andromeda, the nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. Though this galaxy’s central region is largely hidden from view for optical telescopes, X-ray and infrared observations indicate significant high energy Read more »

A member of the audience takes a picture with their phone as Vice President Mike Pence is introduced during the sixth meeting of the National Space Council. via NASA https://ift.tt/2ZjgohR

Media are invited to accompany NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine at 10 a.m. MDT Friday, Aug. 23, during his visit to the University of Colorado Boulder, where he will tour a newly-completed aerospace engineering complex. from NASA https://ift.tt/2KMUVtm via IFTTT

Do you recognize this constellation? Although it is one of the most recognizable star groupings on the sky, this is a more full Orion than you can see — an Orion only revealed with long exposure digital camera imaging and post-processing. Here the cool red giant Betelgeuse takes on a strong orange tint as the brightest star at the lower left. Orion’s hot blue stars are numerous, with supergiant Rigel balancing Betelgeuse on the upper right, and Bellatrix at the upper left. Lined up in Orion’s belt are three stars all about 1,500 light-years away, born from the constellation’s well-studied Read more »