NASA and commercial cargo provider Northrop Grumman are targeting 5:50 a.m. EST, Sunday, Nov. 6, for launch of the company’s 18th resupply mission to the International Space Station.
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Seven Years of Halley Dust
History’s first known periodic comet Halley (1P/Halley) returns to the inner Solar System every 75 years or so. The famous comet made its last appearance to the naked-eye in 1986. But dusty debris from Comet Halley can be seen raining through planet Earth’s skies twice a year during two annual meteor showers, the Eta Aquarids in May and the Orionids in October. Including meteors near the shower maximum on October 21, this composite view compiles Orionid meteors captured from years 2015 through 2022. About 47 bright meteors are registered in the panoramic night skyscape. Against a starry background extending along the Milky Way, the Orionid meteors all seem to radiate from a point just north of Betelgeuse in the familiar constellation of the Hunter. In the foreground are mountains in eastern Slovakia near the city of Presov. via NASA https://ift.tt/xu2W7J5
Lucy Spots Earth and Moon
On Oct. 13, 2022, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captured this image of the Earth and the Moon from 890,000 miles (1.4 million km) away. via NASA https://ift.tt/ROLQmuH
NASA’s Economic Benefit Reaches All 50 States
NASA released the results of its second agencywide economic impact report on Thursday, demonstrating how its Moon to Mars activities, climate change research and technology, as well as other work generated more than $71.2 billion in total economic output during fiscal year 2021.
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Sunset, Moonset, Taj Mahal
On October 25th, Sun and New Moon set together as seen from Agra, India. Their close conjunction near the western horizon, a partial solar eclipse, was captured in this elevated view in hazy skies near the solitary dome of the Taj Mahal. Of course, the partial solar eclipse was also seen from most of Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and western parts of Asia. This eclipse was the last of two solar eclipses (both partial eclipses) in 2022. But the next Full Moon will slide through planet Earth’s shadow on November 7/8, in a total lunar eclipse. via NASA https://ift.tt/LnpPJRT
Cocoon Nebula Wide Field
When does a nebula look like a comet? In this crowded starfield, covering over two degrees within the high flying constellation of the Swan (Cygnus), the eye is drawn to the Cocoon Nebula. A compact star forming region, the cosmic Cocoon punctuates a nebula bright in emission and reflection on the left, with a long trail of interstellar dust clouds to the right, making the entire complex appear a bit like a comet. Cataloged as IC 5146, the central bright head of the nebula spans about 10 light years, while the dark dusty tail spans nearly 100 light years. Both are located about 2,500 light years away. The bright star near the bright nebula’s center, likely only a few hundred thousand years old, supplies power to the nebular glow as it helps clear out a cavity in the molecular cloud’s star forming dust and gas. The long dusty filaments of the tail, although dark in this visible light image, are themselves hiding stars in the process of formation, stars that can be seen at infrared wavelengths. via NASA https://ift.tt/UsN9oFw
NASA Invites Media to SpaceX’s 26th Resupply Launch to Space Station
Media accreditation is open for SpaceX’s 26th commercial resupply mission for NASA to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket is targeted no earlier than Friday, Nov. 18, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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Mapping the Entire Night Sky
This mosaic is composed of images covering the entire sky, taken by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) as part of WISE’s 2012 All-Sky Data Release. via NASA https://ift.tt/738Dq9b
Jupiter Rotates as Moons Orbit
Jupiter and its moons move like our Sun and its planets. Similarly, Jupiter spins while its moons circle around. Jupiter’s rotation can be observed by tracking circulating dark belts and light zones. The Great Red Spot, the largest storm known, rotates to become visible after about 15 seconds in the 48-second time lapse video. The video is a compilation of shorts taken over several nights last month and combined into a digital recreation of how 24-continuous hours would appear. Jupiter’s brightest moons always orbit in the plane of the planet’s rotation, even as Earth’s spin makes the whole system appear to tilt. The moons Europa, Ganymede, and Io are all visible, with Europa’s shadow appearing as the icy Galilean moon crosses Jupiter’s disk. Jupiter remains near opposition this month, meaning that it is unusually bright, near to its closest to the Earth, and visible nearly all night long. via NASA https://ift.tt/fgiVlNQ
Maryland Students, Navy Pilots to Hear from NASA Astronauts in Space
Pilots from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and students across southern Maryland will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
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