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Triple Scoop from Galaxy Hun …
PIA08646
GALEX Telescope
Title Triple Scoop from Galaxy Hunter
Original Caption Released with Image "Silver Dollar Galaxy: NGC 253 (figure 1)" Located 10 million light-years away in the southern constellation Sculptor, the Silver Dollar galaxy, or NGC 253, is one of the brightest spiral galaxies in the night sky. In this edge-on view from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer, the wisps of blue represent relatively dustless areas of the galaxy that are actively forming stars. Areas of the galaxy with a soft golden glow indicate regions where the far-ultraviolet is heavily obscured by dust particles. "Gravitational Dance: NGC 1512 and NGC 1510 (figure 2)" In this image, the wide ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer show spiral galaxy NGC 1512 sitting slightly northwest of elliptical galaxy NGC 1510. The two galaxies are currently separated by a mere 68,000 light-years, leading many astronomers to suspect that a close encounter is currently in progress. The overlapping of two tightly wound spiral arm segments makes up the light blue inner ring of NGC 1512. Meanwhile, the galaxy's outer spiral arm is being distorted by strong gravitational interactions with NGC 1510. "Galaxy Trio: NGC 5566, NGC 5560, and NGC 5569 (figure 3)" NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows a triplet of galaxies in the Virgo cluster: NGC 5560 (top galaxy), NGC 5566 (middle galaxy), and NGC 5569 (bottom galaxy). The inner ring in NGC 5566 is formed by two nearly overlapping bright arms, which themselves spring from the ends of a central bar. The bar is not visible in ultraviolet because it consists of older stars or low mass stars that do not emit energy at ultraviolet wavelengths. The outer disk of NGC 5566 appears warped, and the disk of NGC 5560 is clearly disturbed. Unlike its galactic neighbors, the disk of NGC 5569 does not appear to have been distorted by any passing galaxies.
The International Ultraviole …
Title The International Ultraviolet Explorer
Explanation The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) [ http://iuewww.gsfc.nasa.gov/iue/iue_homepage.html ] was launched by a NASA Delta rocket [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/DELTA/delta.htm ] in 1978 to provide a space telescope for ultraviolet astronomy. A collaborative project among NASA, ESA [ http://www.esrin.esa.it/ ] and the British SRC (now PPARC) agencies, IUE's estimated lifetime was 3 to 5 years. Amazingly, 17 years and 8 months later, it continues to operate, having made over 100,000 observations [ http://iuewww.gsfc.nasa.gov/ops/pr_images.html ] of comets, planets, stars, novae, supernovae, galaxies, and quasars. The IUE [ http://iuewww.gsfc.nasa.gov/ops/mission.html ] story is a truly remarkable but little known success story which will continue. To reduce costs, on September 30, 1995, the IUE team at GSFC will turn over its science operations to the ESA ground station in Villafranca, Spain [ http://www.vilspa.esa.es/ ] where the ESA/PPARC teams will continue to make astronomical observations.
An Extreme UltraViolet View …
Title An Extreme UltraViolet View of the Comet
Explanation As the Sun floods Comet Hyakutake with ultraviolet light [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960326.html ] gases in the coma scatter the radiation and fluoresce making the comet a bright source in the ultraviolet sky. The above image [ http://alcatraz.cea.berkeley.edu/~science/html/ sci_whatsnew_comet.html ] made using data from NASA's Extreme UltraViolet Explorer (EUVE) [ http://www.cea.berkeley.edu/HomePage.html ] satellite, represents the intensity of the comet in this invisible high energy band in false color. The image is about 3/4 of a degree high and 2 degress wide and offers insights [ http://sdp1.cea.berkeley.edu:80/Education/ ] to the composition of this visitor from the distant solar system that can be obtained from the highest energy bands of the ultraviolet spectrum [ http://www.cea.berkeley.edu/Education/new_nelli/summary.html ]. The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950929.html ] satellite has also examined ultraviolet light from the comet [ http://www.vilspa.esa.es/iue/hyakutake.html ] and now reports [ http://www.eso.org/educnpubrelns/ comet-hyakutake-summary-mar28-rw.html ] the detection of many bands of molecular emission particularly those due to molecular carbon (C2), carbon monoxide (CO) and caron dioxide (C02) ions as well as indications of a rapid increase in the production of water (H20).
Space Pioneer Nancy Roman
title Space Pioneer Nancy Roman
date 01.01.1962
description Dr. Nancy Roman, one of the nations top scientists in the space program, is shown with a model of the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO). Roman received her PhD in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949. In 1959, Dr. Roman joined NASA and in 1960 served as Chief of the Astronomy and Relativity Programs in the Office of Space Science. She was very influential in creating satellites such as the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). She retired from NASA in 1979, but continued working as a contractor at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Throughout her career, Dr. Roman was a spokesperson and advocate of women in the sciences. *Image Credit*: NASA
COBE's View of the Milky Way
title COBE's View of the Milky Way
date 01.01.1990
description From its orbit around Earth, the Goddard Space Flight Center's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) captured this edge-on view of our Milky Way galaxy in infrared light, a form of radiation that humans cannot see but can feel in the form of heat, as part of its mission to test the "Big Bang" theory of the creation of the universe. The theory, first proposed in 1927 by Belgian cosmologist Georges Lematre, holds that the universe began as an incredibly dense "primeval atom" that exploded with tremendous force, unleashing matter and space at the speeds of light. NASA set out to prove the theory with the help of COBE. In addition to proving the Big Bang, the satellite discovered that the cosmic background radiation had indeed been produced in the Big Bang just as scientists originally speculated. The satellite's data even discovered the primordial temperature and density fluctuations that eventually gave rise to the Milky Way and other large-scale objects found in space today. *Image Credit*: NASA
Nanorover
title Nanorover
description This prototype Nanorover is only 20 cm (8 inches) long. One possible use for this type of miniature explorer is to send back information from the surface of an asteroid to an orbiting spacecraft. The rover's camera can be focused to take panoramic shots as well as microscopic images. Solar cells will be placed on all sides of the rover so that even if it flips over on an asteroid's low-gravity surface, the rover will always have enough power to activate motors that will allow it to right itself. Wheel struts will allow the rover to position its chassis such that the camera can be pointed straight down at the surface or straight up at the sky. For more information: http://robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/tasks/nrover/homepage.html *Image Credit*: NASA
Juno II
Name of Image Juno II
Date of Image 1959-08-14
Full Description The Juno II launch vehicle, shown here, was a modified Jupiter Intermediate-Range Ballistic missionile, developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun and the rocket team at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Between December 1958 and April 1961, the Juno II launched space probes Pioneer III and IV, as well as Explorer satellites VII, VIII and XI.
APOLLO 14 EVA View
Title APOLLO 14 EVA View
Full Description Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, photographed this sweeping view showing fellow Moon-explorer astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., mission commander, and the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM). A small cluster of rocks and a few prints made by the lunar overshoes of Mitchell are in the foreground. Mitchell was standing in the boulder field, located just north by northwest of the LM, when he took this picture during the second Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA-2), on February 6, 1971. While astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit, Shepard and Mitchell descended in the LM to explore the Moon.
Date 02/06/1971
NASA Center Johnson Space Center
Dr. Nancy Roman
Title Dr. Nancy Roman
Full Description Dr. Nancy Roman, one of the nations top scientists in the space program, is shown with a model of the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO). Dr. Nancy Roman received her PhD in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949. In 1959, Dr. Roman joined NASA and in 1960 served as Chief of the Astronomy and Relativity Programs in the Office of Space Science. She was very influential in creating satellites such as the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). She retired from NASA in 1979, but continued working as a contractor at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Throughout her career, Dr. Roman was a spokesperson and advocate of women in the sciences.
Date UNKNOWN
NASA Center Headquarters
Dynamic Test Chamber
Title Dynamic Test Chamber
Full Description NASA's International Sun-Earth Explorer C (ISEE C) was undergoing testing and evaluation inside Goddard's dynamic test chamber when this photo was taken. Working inside a dynamic test chamber, Goddard engineers wear protective "clean room" clothing to prevent microscopic dust particles from damaging the sophisticated instrumentation. NASA launched the 16-sided polyhedron, which weighed 1,032 lbs. (469 kg.), from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 12, 1978. From its halo orbit 932,000 miles (1.5 million km.) from Earth, the satellite monitored the characteristics of solar phenomena about one hour before its companion satellites-ISEE-A and ISEE-B-observed the same phenomena from a much closer near-Earth orbit. The correlated measurements supported the work of 117 scientific investigators who were trying to get a better understanding of how the Sun controls Earth's near-space environment. The scientists represented 35 universities in 10 nations
Date 11/06/1976
NASA Center Goddard Space Flight Center
Multiwavelength M81
Title Multiwavelength M81
Description This beautiful galaxy is tilted at an oblique angle on to our line of sight, giving a "birds-eye view" of the spiral structure. The galaxy is similar to our Milky Way, but our favorable view provides a better picture of the typical architecture of spiral galaxies. M81 may be undergoing a surge of star formation along the spiral arms due to a close encounter it may have had with its nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3077 and a nearby starburst galaxy (M82) about 300 million years ago. M81 is one of the brightest galaxies that can be seen from the Earth. It is high in the northern sky in the circumpolar constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. At an apparent magnitude of 6.8 it is just at the limit of naked-eye visibility. The galaxy's angular size is about the same as that of the Full Moon. This image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) missions. The GALEX ultraviolet data were from the far-UV portion of the spectrum (135 to 175 nanometers). The Spitzer infrared data were taken with the IRAC 4 detector (8 microns). The Hubble data were taken at the blue portion of the spectrum.
Redstone Missile
Name of Image Redstone Missile
Date of Image 2004-04-15
Full Description The image depicts Redstone missile being erected. The Redstone ballistic missile was a high-accuracy, liquid-propelled, surface-to-surface missile developed by Army Ballistic Missile Agency, Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama, under the direction of Dr. von Braun. The Redstone engine was a modified and improved version of the Air Force's Navaho cruise missile engine of the late forties. The A-series, as this would be known, utilized a cylindrical combustion chamber as compared with the bulky, spherical V-2 chamber. By 1951, the Army was moving rapidly toward the design of the Redstone missile, and the production was begun in 1952. Redstone rockets became the "reliable workhorse" for America's early space program. As an example of the versatility, Redstone was utilized in the booster for Explorer 1, the first American satellite, with no major changes to the engine or missile
Redstone Missile on Launch P …
Name of Image Redstone Missile on Launch Pad
Date of Image 1958-05-15
Full Description Redstone missile No. 1002 on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 16, 1958. The Redstone ballistic missile was a high-accuracy, liquid-propelled, surface-to-surface missile developed by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama, under the direction of Dr. von Braun. The Redstone engine was a modified and improved version of the Air Force's Navaho cruise missile engine of the late forties. The A-series, as this would be known, utilized a cylindrical combustion chamber as compared with the bulky, spherical V-2 chamber. By 1951, the Army was moving rapidly toward the design of the Redstone missile, and production was begun in 1952. Redstone rockets became the "reliable workhorse" for America's early space program. As an example of the versatility, Redstone was utilized in the booster for Explorer 1, the first American satellite, with no major changes to the engine or missile
Engine for Redstone Rocket
Name of Image Engine for Redstone Rocket
Date of Image 2004-04-15
Full Description This photograph is of the engine for the Redstone rocket. The Redstone ballistic missile was a high-accuracy, liquid-propelled, surface-to-surface missile developed by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama, under the direction of Dr. von Braun. The Redstone engine was a modified and improved version of the Air Force's Navaho cruise missile engine of the late forties. The A-series, as this would be known, utilized a cylindrical combustion chamber as compared with the bulky, spherical V-2 chamber. By 1951, the Army was moving rapidly toward the design of the Redstone missile, and the production was begun in 1952. Redstone rockets became the "reliable workhorse" for America's early space program. As an example of its versatility, the Redstone was utilized in the booster for Explorer 1, the first American satellite, with no major changes to the engine or missile.
Look at my Arms!
PIA03541
Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
Title Look at my Arms!
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the hidden spiral arms that were discovered around the galaxy called NGC 4625 (top) by the ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. An armless companion galaxy called NGC 4618 is pictured below. Though the lengthy spiral arms are nearly invisible when viewed in optical light, they glow brightly in ultraviolet. This is because they are bustling with hot, newborn stars that radiate primarily ultraviolet light. The youthful arms are also very long, stretching out to a distance four times the size of the galaxy's core. They are part of the largest ultraviolet galactic disk discovered so far. Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, NGC 4625 is the closest galaxy ever seen with such a young halo of arms. It is slightly smaller than our Milky Way, both in size and mass. However, the fact that this galaxy's disk is forming stars very actively suggests that it might evolve into a more massive and mature galaxy resembling our own. Astronomers do not know why NGC 4618 lacks arms but speculate that it may have triggered the development of arms in NGC 4625.
Fires of Galactic Youth (Art …
PIA07144
GALEX Telescope
Title Fires of Galactic Youth (Artist Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1 This artist's animation shows a typical young galaxy, teeming with hot, newborn stars and exploding supernovas. The supernovas are seen as white flashes of light. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spotted three-dozen young galaxies like the one shown here in our corner of the universe. It was able to see them with the help of its highly sensitive ultraviolet detectors. Because newborn stars radiate ultraviolet light, young galaxies light up brilliantly when viewed in ultraviolet wavelengths. The findings came as a surprise, because astronomers had thought that the universe's "birth-rate" had declined, and that massive galaxies were no longer forming.
Fires of Galactic Youth (Art …
PIA07144
GALEX Telescope
Title Fires of Galactic Youth (Artist Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1 This artist's animation shows a typical young galaxy, teeming with hot, newborn stars and exploding supernovas. The supernovas are seen as white flashes of light. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spotted three-dozen young galaxies like the one shown here in our corner of the universe. It was able to see them with the help of its highly sensitive ultraviolet detectors. Because newborn stars radiate ultraviolet light, young galaxies light up brilliantly when viewed in ultraviolet wavelengths. The findings came as a surprise, because astronomers had thought that the universe's "birth-rate" had declined, and that massive galaxies were no longer forming.
It's Not a Bird or a Plane
PIA07250
GALEX Telescope
Title It's Not a Bird or a Plane
Original Caption Released with Image Galaxies aren't the only objects filling up the view of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. Since its launch in 2003, the space telescope -- originally designed to observe galaxies across the universe in ultraviolet light -- has discovered a festive sky blinking with flaring and erupting stars, as well as streaking asteroids, satellites and space debris. One such streaking object -- possibly an Earth-orbiting satellite -- can be seen here flying across the telescope's sight in this sped-up movie. This probable satellite appears during the last 5 minutes of a 13.5-minute observation. It looks elongated because each picture frame containing the moving object is 19 seconds long. Faint ghost images on either side of the source are detector artifacts caused by the object's extreme brightness. These bonus objects are being collected in to public catalogues for other astronomers to study.
New Galaxy Quest Readies for …
PIA04264
GALEX Telescope
Title New Galaxy Quest Readies for Launch
Original Caption Released with Image In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, workers check the deployment of the cover of the telescope on the GALEX satellite. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.
Anatomy of a Triangulum
PIA03033
GALEX Telescope
Title Anatomy of a Triangulum
Original Caption Released with Image M33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is a perennial favorite of amateur and professional astronomers alike, due to its orientation and relative proximity to us. It is the second nearest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way (after M31, the Andromeda Galaxy) and a prominent member of the "local group" of galaxies. From our Milky Way perspective, M33's stellar disk appears at moderate inclination, allowing us to see its internal structure clearly, whereas M31 is oriented nearly edge-on. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer imaged M33 as it appears in ultraviolet wavelengths. Ultraviolet imaging primarily traces emission from the atmospheres of hot stars, most of which formed in the past few hundred million years. These data provide a reference point as to the internal composition of a typical star-forming galaxy and will help scientists understand the origin of ultraviolet emission in more distant galaxies. These observations of M33 allow astronomers to compare the population of young, massive stars with other components of the galaxy, such as interstellar dust and gas, on the scale of individual giant molecular clouds. The clouds contain the raw material from which stars form. This presents direct insight into the star formation process as it occurs throughout an entire spiral galaxy and constitutes a unique resource for broader studies of galaxy evolution.
Stephan's Quintet and NGC 73 …
PIA04925
GALEX Telescope
Title Stephan's Quintet and NGC 7331
Original Caption Released with Image Click on image for notations Galaxy Evolution Explorer observation of Stephan's Quintet and the nearby galaxy NGC 7331. Blue represents far ultraviolet, and red near ultraviolet. Stephan's quintet is an interacting group of galaxies. Close inspection of the group (lower center-right) shows blue regions of recent star formation associated with streamers of gas (tidal tails) created by the interaction. NGC 7331 shows prominent star formation in spiral arms.
Baby Galaxies in the Adult U …
PIA07142
GALEX Telescope
Title Baby Galaxies in the Adult Universe
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1 This artist's conception illustrates the decline in our universe's "birth-rate" over time. When the universe was young, massive galaxies were forming regularly, like baby bees in a bustling hive. In time, the universe bore fewer and fewer "offspring," and newborn galaxies (white circles) matured into older ones more like our own Milky Way (spirals). Previously, astronomers thought that the universe had ceased to give rise to massive, young galaxies, but findings from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer suggest that may not be the case. Surveying thousands of nearby galaxies with its highly sensitive ultraviolet eyes, the telescope spotted three dozen that greatly resemble youthful galaxies from billions of years ago. In this illustration, those galaxies are represented as white circles on the right, or "today" side of the timeline. The discovery not only suggests that our universe may still be alive with youth, but also offers astronomers their first close-up look at what appear to be baby galaxies. Prior to the new result, astronomers had to peer about 11 billion light-years into the distant universe to see newborn galaxies. The newfound galaxies are only about 2 to 4 billion light-years away.
Baby Galaxies in the Adult U …
PIA07142
GALEX Telescope
Title Baby Galaxies in the Adult Universe
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1 This artist's conception illustrates the decline in our universe's "birth-rate" over time. When the universe was young, massive galaxies were forming regularly, like baby bees in a bustling hive. In time, the universe bore fewer and fewer "offspring," and newborn galaxies (white circles) matured into older ones more like our own Milky Way (spirals). Previously, astronomers thought that the universe had ceased to give rise to massive, young galaxies, but findings from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer suggest that may not be the case. Surveying thousands of nearby galaxies with its highly sensitive ultraviolet eyes, the telescope spotted three dozen that greatly resemble youthful galaxies from billions of years ago. In this illustration, those galaxies are represented as white circles on the right, or "today" side of the timeline. The discovery not only suggests that our universe may still be alive with youth, but also offers astronomers their first close-up look at what appear to be baby galaxies. Prior to the new result, astronomers had to peer about 11 billion light-years into the distant universe to see newborn galaxies. The newfound galaxies are only about 2 to 4 billion light-years away.
An Unwelcome Place for New S …
PIA08696
Title An Unwelcome Place for New Stars (artist concept)
Original Caption Released with Image Poster Version Suppression of Star Formation from Supermassive Black Holes This artist's concept depicts a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer found evidence that black holes -- once they grow to a critical size -- stifle the formation of new stars in elliptical galaxies. Black holes are thought to do this by heating up and blasting away the gas that fuels star formation. The blue color here represents radiation pouring out from material very close to the black hole. The grayish structure surrounding the black hole, called a torus, is made up of gas and dust. Beyond the torus, only the old red-colored stars that make up the galaxy can be seen. There are no new stars in the galaxy.
An Unwelcome Place for New S …
PIA08696
Title An Unwelcome Place for New Stars (artist concept)
Original Caption Released with Image Poster Version Suppression of Star Formation from Supermassive Black Holes This artist's concept depicts a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer found evidence that black holes -- once they grow to a critical size -- stifle the formation of new stars in elliptical galaxies. Black holes are thought to do this by heating up and blasting away the gas that fuels star formation. The blue color here represents radiation pouring out from material very close to the black hole. The grayish structure surrounding the black hole, called a torus, is made up of gas and dust. Beyond the torus, only the old red-colored stars that make up the galaxy can be seen. There are no new stars in the galaxy.
STScI Astrophysicist Shares …
Title STScI Astrophysicist Shares 2006 Gruber Cosmology Prize
SAMPEX - Yohkoh: Solar Modif …
Title SAMPEX - Yohkoh: Solar Modification of Relativistic Electrons in the Earth's Radiation Belts
Abstract The Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer, SAMPEX, measures fluxes of energetic particles from the sun, the Earth's magnetosphere, and cosmic ray sources over a broad range of energies. The four instruments aboard SAMPEX are the Low-Energy Ion Analyzer (LEICA), The Heavy Ion Large Telescope (HILT), The Mass Spectrometer Telescope (MAST), and the Proton-Electron Telescope (PET). The Soft X-ray Telescope on the Yohkoh satellite takes daily full-disk soft X-ray images of the Sun. Comparing datasets from the two satellites allows correlation of electron fluxes in the Earth's radiation belts with solar output.
Completed 1995-11-07
ACD06-0113-006
Spaceward Bound Program in A …
7/5/06
Description Spaceward Bound Program in Atacama Desert, shown here is a realtime webcast from Yungay, Chile vis satellite involving NASA Scientists and seven NASA Explorer school teachers. On the Ames end we find the Girl Scouts Space cookines robotic team. The robot nicknamed Zoe is looking for life in extreme environments in preparation for what might be encounter on Mars. (back row l-r) Yvonne Clearwater, Ames Education Division, Donald James, Ames Education Division Chief, Pete Worden, Ames Center Director, Angela Diaz, Ames Director of Strategic Communications) see full text on the NASA-Ames News - Research # 04-91AR
Date 7/5/06
SEDS-II: Before and After De …
Title SEDS-II: Before and After Deployment
Completed 1994-10-19
SEDS-II: First 120 Minutes
Title SEDS-II: First 120 Minutes
Completed 1994-10-19
SEDS-II: End of Deployment
Title SEDS-II: End of Deployment
Completed 1994-10-19
'Dora'& Kids at Day of Play
Title 'Dora'& Kids at Day of Play
Description From left, Cobie Smith, 5, and Tatume Smith, also 5, have their picture taken with 'Dora the Explorer.' The children were participants in Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play celebration at Stennis Space Center (SSC) on Oct. 1. The Worldwide Day of Play is sponsored annually by Nickelodeon television network to encourage children to be physically active. Approximately 150 children participated in the event at SSC.
Date 10.05.2005
Explorer 1
Title Explorer 1
Description America's First Satellite America joined the space race with the launch of this small, but important spacecraft.
Date 07.01.2003
Labeled line drawing of Mage …
Title Labeled line drawing of Magellan spacecraft
Description Labeled line drawing identifies Magellan spacecraft components including forward equipment module, star scanner, propulsion module, rocket engine module, thermal control louvers, solar panel drive and cable wrap, solar panel, bus, altimeter antenna, low-gain antenna, and high gain antenna. Magellan, named for the 16th century Portuguese explorer, will be deployed from the payload bay (PLB) of Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, during mission STS-30.
Date 04.27.1988
Scene of Multiple Explosions
PIA09220
Far-ultraviolet Detector, Ne …
Title Scene of Multiple Explosions
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image shows Z Camelopardalis, or Z Cam, a double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star, called a white dwarf, and a companion star, as well as a ghostly shell around the system. The massive shell provides evidence of lingering material ejected during and swept up by a powerful classical nova explosion that occurred probably a few thousand years ago. The image combines data gathered from the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet detectors on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004. The orbiting observatory first began imaging Z Cam in 2003. Z Cam is the largest white object in the image, located near the center. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, wispy, yellowish feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, whitish, perpendicular lines on the left. Z Cam was one of the first known recurrent dwarf nova, meaning it erupts in a series of small, "hiccup-like" blasts, unlike classical novae, which undergo a massive explosion. That's why the huge shell around Z Cam caught the eye of astronomer Dr. Mark Seibert of Carnegie Institution of Washington in Pasadena, Calif. - it could only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. This finding provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The faint bluish streak in the bottom right corner of the image is ultraviolet light reflected by dust that may or may not be related to Z Cam. Numerous foreground and background stars and galaxies are visible as yellow and white spots. The yellow objects are strong near-ultraviolet emitters, blue features have strong far-ultraviolet emission, and white objects have nearly equal amounts of near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet emission.
Scene of Multiple Explosions
PIA09220
Far-ultraviolet Detector, Ne …
Title Scene of Multiple Explosions
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image shows Z Camelopardalis, or Z Cam, a double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star, called a white dwarf, and a companion star, as well as a ghostly shell around the system. The massive shell provides evidence of lingering material ejected during and swept up by a powerful classical nova explosion that occurred probably a few thousand years ago. The image combines data gathered from the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet detectors on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004. The orbiting observatory first began imaging Z Cam in 2003. Z Cam is the largest white object in the image, located near the center. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, wispy, yellowish feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, whitish, perpendicular lines on the left. Z Cam was one of the first known recurrent dwarf nova, meaning it erupts in a series of small, "hiccup-like" blasts, unlike classical novae, which undergo a massive explosion. That's why the huge shell around Z Cam caught the eye of astronomer Dr. Mark Seibert of Carnegie Institution of Washington in Pasadena, Calif. - it could only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. This finding provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The faint bluish streak in the bottom right corner of the image is ultraviolet light reflected by dust that may or may not be related to Z Cam. Numerous foreground and background stars and galaxies are visible as yellow and white spots. The yellow objects are strong near-ultraviolet emitters, blue features have strong far-ultraviolet emission, and white objects have nearly equal amounts of near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet emission.
Scene of Multiple Explosions
PIA09220
Far-ultraviolet Detector, Ne …
Title Scene of Multiple Explosions
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image shows Z Camelopardalis, or Z Cam, a double-star system featuring a collapsed, dead star, called a white dwarf, and a companion star, as well as a ghostly shell around the system. The massive shell provides evidence of lingering material ejected during and swept up by a powerful classical nova explosion that occurred probably a few thousand years ago. The image combines data gathered from the far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet detectors on NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004. The orbiting observatory first began imaging Z Cam in 2003. Z Cam is the largest white object in the image, located near the center. Parts of the shell are seen as a lobe-like, wispy, yellowish feature below and to the right of Z Cam, and as two large, whitish, perpendicular lines on the left. Z Cam was one of the first known recurrent dwarf nova, meaning it erupts in a series of small, "hiccup-like" blasts, unlike classical novae, which undergo a massive explosion. That's why the huge shell around Z Cam caught the eye of astronomer Dr. Mark Seibert of Carnegie Institution of Washington in Pasadena, Calif. - it could only be explained as the remnant of a full-blown classical nova explosion. This finding provides the first evidence that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions. Previously, a link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but there was no evidence to support the theory. The faint bluish streak in the bottom right corner of the image is ultraviolet light reflected by dust that may or may not be related to Z Cam. Numerous foreground and background stars and galaxies are visible as yellow and white spots. The yellow objects are strong near-ultraviolet emitters, blue features have strong far-ultraviolet emission, and white objects have nearly equal amounts of near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet emission.
Hello to Arms
PIA03536
Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
Title Hello to Arms
Original Caption Released with Image This image highlights the hidden spiral arms (blue) that were discovered around the nearby galaxy NGC 4625 by the ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image is composed of ultraviolet and visible-light data, from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey, respectively. Near-ultraviolet light is colored green, far-ultraviolet light is colored blue, and optical light is colored red. As the image demonstrates, the lengthy spiral arms are nearly invisible when viewed in optical light while bright in ultraviolet. This is because they are bustling with hot, newborn stars that radiate primarily ultraviolet light. The youthful arms are also very long, stretching out to a distance four times the size of the galaxy's core. They are part of the largest ultraviolet galactic disk discovered so far. Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, NGC 4625 is the closest galaxy ever seen with such a young halo of arms. It is slightly smaller than our Milky Way, both in size and mass. However, the fact that this galaxy's disk is forming stars very actively suggests that it might evolve into a more massive and mature galaxy resembling our own. The armless companion galaxy seen below NGC 4625 is called NGC 4618. Astronomers do not know why it lacks arms but speculate that it may have triggered the development of arms in NGC 4625.
A Real Shooting Star
PIA09960
Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
Title A Real Shooting Star
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for movie of A Real Shooting Star This artist's animation illustrates a star flying through our galaxy at supersonic speeds, leaving a 13-light-year-long trail of glowing material in its wake. The star, named Mira (pronounced my-rah) after the latin word for "wonderful," sheds material that will be recycled into new stars, planets and possibly even life. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer discovered the long trail of material behind Mira during its survey of the entire sky in ultraviolet light. The animation begins by showing a close-up of Mira -- a red-giant star near the end of its life. Red giants are red in color and extremely bloated, for example, if a red giant were to replace our sun, it would engulf everything out to the orbit of Mars. They constantly blow off gas and dust in the form of stellar winds, supplying the galaxy with molecules, such as oxygen and carbon, that will make their way into new solar systems. Our sun will mature into a red giant in about 5 billion years. As the animation pulls out, we can see the enormous trail of material deposited behind Mira as it hurls along between the stars. Like a boat traveling through water, a bow shock, or build up of gas, forms ahead of the star in the direction of its motion. Gas in the bow shock is heated and then mixes with the cool hydrogen gas in the wind that is blowing off Mira. This heated hydrogen gas then flows around behind the star, forming a turbulent wake. Why does the trailing hydrogen gas glow in ultraviolet light? When it is heated, it transitions into a higher-energy state, which then loses energy by emitting ultraviolet light - a process known as fluorescence. Finally, the artist's rendering gives way to the actual ultraviolet image taken by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer Mira is located 350 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus, otherwise known as the whale. Coincidentally, Mira and its "whale of a tail" can be found in the tail of the whale constellation.
Galactic Halos of Hydrogen
PIA03540
Ultraviolet/Visible Camera
Title Galactic Halos of Hydrogen
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows two companion galaxies, NGC 4625 (top) and NGC 4618 (bottom), and their surrounding cocoons of cool hydrogen gas (purple). The huge set of spiral arms on NGC 4625 (blue) was discovered by the ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. Though these arms are nearly invisible when viewed in optical light, they glow brightly in ultraviolet. This is because they are bustling with hot, newborn stars that radiate primarily ultraviolet light. The vibrant spiral arms are also quite lengthy, stretching out to a distance four times the size of the galaxy's core. They are part of the largest ultraviolet galactic disk discovered so far. Astronomers do not know why NGC 4625 grew arms while NGC 4618 did not. The purple nebulosity shown here illustrates that hydrogen gas - an ingredient of star formation - is diffusely distributed around both galaxies. This means that other unknown factors led to the development of the arms of NGC 4625. Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, NGC 4625 is the closest galaxy ever seen with such a young halo of arms. It is slightly smaller than our Milky Way, both in size and mass. However, the fact that this galaxy's disk is forming stars very actively suggests that it might evolve into a more massive and mature galaxy resembling our own. The image is composed of ultraviolet, visible-light and radio data, from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey, and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, the Netherlands, respectively. Near-ultraviolet light is colored green, far-ultraviolet light is colored blue, and optical light is colored red. Radio emissions are colored purple.
Dwarf Star Erupts in Giant F …
PIA07249
GALEX Telescope
Title Dwarf Star Erupts in Giant Flare
Original Caption Released with Image This movie taken by NASA'S Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows one of the largest flares, or star eruptions, ever recorded at ultraviolet wavelengths. The star, called GJ 3685A, just happened to be in the Galaxy Evolution Explorer's field of view while the telescope was busy observing galaxies. As the movie demonstrates, the seemingly serene star suddenly exploded once, then even more intensely a second time, pouring out in total about one million times more energy than a typical flare from our Sun. The second blast of light constituted an increase in brightness by a factor of at least 10,000. Flares are huge explosions of energy stemming from a single location on a star's surface. They are caused by the brief destruction of a star's magnetic fields. Many types of stars experience them, though old, small, rapidly rotating "red dwarfs" like GJ 3685A tend to flare more frequently and dramatically. These stars, called flare stars, can experience powerful eruptions as often as every few hours. Younger stars, in general, also erupt more often. One of the reasons astronomers study flare stars is to gain a better picture and history of flare events taking place on the Sun. A preliminary analysis of the GJ 3685A flare shows that the mechanisms underlying stellar eruptions may be more complex than previously believed. Evidence for the two most popular flare theories was found. Though this movie has been sped up (the actual flare lasted about 20 minutes), time-resolved data exist for each one-hundredth of a second. These observations were taken at 2 p.m. Pacific time, April 24, 2004. In the still image, the time sequence starts in the upper left panel, continues in the upper right, then moves to the lower left and ends in the lower right. The circular and linear features that appear below and to the right of GJ 3685A during the flare event are detector artifacts caused by the extreme brightness of the flare.
The Universe's First Firewor …
PIA09100
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
Title The Universe's First Fireworks
Original Caption Released with Image This is an image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of stars and galaxies in the Ursa Major constellation. This infrared image covers a region of space so large that light would take up to 100 million years to travel across it. Figure 1 is the same image after stars, galaxies and other sources were masked out. The remaining background light is from a period of time when the universe was less than one billion years old, and most likely originated from the universe's very first groups of objects -- either huge stars or voracious black holes. Darker shades in the image on the left correspond to dimmer parts of the background glow, while yellow and white show the brightest light. "Brief History of the Universe" In figure 2, the artist's timeline chronicles the history of the universe, from its explosive beginning to its mature, present-day state. Our universe began in a tremendous explosion known as the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago (left side of strip). Observations by NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer and Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe revealed microwave light from this very early epoch, about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, providing strong evidence that our universe did blast into existence. Results from the Cosmic Background Explorer were honored with the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. A period of darkness ensued, until about a few hundred million years later, when the first objects flooded the universe with light. This first light is believed to have been captured in data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The light detected by Spitzer would have originated as visible and ultraviolet light, then stretched, or redshifted, to lower-energy infrared wavelengths during its long voyage to reach us across expanding space. The light detected by the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe from our very young universe traveled farther to reach us, and stretched to even lower-energy microwave wavelengths. Astronomers do not know if the very first objects were either stars or quasars. The first stars, called Population III stars (our star is a Population I star), were much bigger and brighter than any in our nearby universe, with masses about 1,000 times that of our sun. These stars first grouped together into mini-galaxies. By about a few billion years after the Big Bang, the mini-galaxies had merged to form mature galaxies, including spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way. The first quasars ultimately became the centers of powerful galaxies that are more common in the distant universe. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured stunning pictures of earlier galaxies, as far back as ten billion light-years away.
The Universe's First Firewor …
PIA09100
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
Title The Universe's First Fireworks
Original Caption Released with Image This is an image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of stars and galaxies in the Ursa Major constellation. This infrared image covers a region of space so large that light would take up to 100 million years to travel across it. Figure 1 is the same image after stars, galaxies and other sources were masked out. The remaining background light is from a period of time when the universe was less than one billion years old, and most likely originated from the universe's very first groups of objects -- either huge stars or voracious black holes. Darker shades in the image on the left correspond to dimmer parts of the background glow, while yellow and white show the brightest light. "Brief History of the Universe" In figure 2, the artist's timeline chronicles the history of the universe, from its explosive beginning to its mature, present-day state. Our universe began in a tremendous explosion known as the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago (left side of strip). Observations by NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer and Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe revealed microwave light from this very early epoch, about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, providing strong evidence that our universe did blast into existence. Results from the Cosmic Background Explorer were honored with the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. A period of darkness ensued, until about a few hundred million years later, when the first objects flooded the universe with light. This first light is believed to have been captured in data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The light detected by Spitzer would have originated as visible and ultraviolet light, then stretched, or redshifted, to lower-energy infrared wavelengths during its long voyage to reach us across expanding space. The light detected by the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe from our very young universe traveled farther to reach us, and stretched to even lower-energy microwave wavelengths. Astronomers do not know if the very first objects were either stars or quasars. The first stars, called Population III stars (our star is a Population I star), were much bigger and brighter than any in our nearby universe, with masses about 1,000 times that of our sun. These stars first grouped together into mini-galaxies. By about a few billion years after the Big Bang, the mini-galaxies had merged to form mature galaxies, including spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way. The first quasars ultimately became the centers of powerful galaxies that are more common in the distant universe. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured stunning pictures of earlier galaxies, as far back as ten billion light-years away.
The Universe's First Firewor …
PIA09100
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
Title The Universe's First Fireworks
Original Caption Released with Image This is an image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of stars and galaxies in the Ursa Major constellation. This infrared image covers a region of space so large that light would take up to 100 million years to travel across it. Figure 1 is the same image after stars, galaxies and other sources were masked out. The remaining background light is from a period of time when the universe was less than one billion years old, and most likely originated from the universe's very first groups of objects -- either huge stars or voracious black holes. Darker shades in the image on the left correspond to dimmer parts of the background glow, while yellow and white show the brightest light. "Brief History of the Universe" In figure 2, the artist's timeline chronicles the history of the universe, from its explosive beginning to its mature, present-day state. Our universe began in a tremendous explosion known as the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago (left side of strip). Observations by NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer and Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe revealed microwave light from this very early epoch, about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, providing strong evidence that our universe did blast into existence. Results from the Cosmic Background Explorer were honored with the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. A period of darkness ensued, until about a few hundred million years later, when the first objects flooded the universe with light. This first light is believed to have been captured in data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The light detected by Spitzer would have originated as visible and ultraviolet light, then stretched, or redshifted, to lower-energy infrared wavelengths during its long voyage to reach us across expanding space. The light detected by the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe from our very young universe traveled farther to reach us, and stretched to even lower-energy microwave wavelengths. Astronomers do not know if the very first objects were either stars or quasars. The first stars, called Population III stars (our star is a Population I star), were much bigger and brighter than any in our nearby universe, with masses about 1,000 times that of our sun. These stars first grouped together into mini-galaxies. By about a few billion years after the Big Bang, the mini-galaxies had merged to form mature galaxies, including spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way. The first quasars ultimately became the centers of powerful galaxies that are more common in the distant universe. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured stunning pictures of earlier galaxies, as far back as ten billion light-years away.
The Universe's First Firewor …
PIA09100
Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
Title The Universe's First Fireworks
Original Caption Released with Image This is an image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of stars and galaxies in the Ursa Major constellation. This infrared image covers a region of space so large that light would take up to 100 million years to travel across it. Figure 1 is the same image after stars, galaxies and other sources were masked out. The remaining background light is from a period of time when the universe was less than one billion years old, and most likely originated from the universe's very first groups of objects -- either huge stars or voracious black holes. Darker shades in the image on the left correspond to dimmer parts of the background glow, while yellow and white show the brightest light. "Brief History of the Universe" In figure 2, the artist's timeline chronicles the history of the universe, from its explosive beginning to its mature, present-day state. Our universe began in a tremendous explosion known as the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago (left side of strip). Observations by NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer and Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe revealed microwave light from this very early epoch, about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, providing strong evidence that our universe did blast into existence. Results from the Cosmic Background Explorer were honored with the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. A period of darkness ensued, until about a few hundred million years later, when the first objects flooded the universe with light. This first light is believed to have been captured in data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The light detected by Spitzer would have originated as visible and ultraviolet light, then stretched, or redshifted, to lower-energy infrared wavelengths during its long voyage to reach us across expanding space. The light detected by the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe from our very young universe traveled farther to reach us, and stretched to even lower-energy microwave wavelengths. Astronomers do not know if the very first objects were either stars or quasars. The first stars, called Population III stars (our star is a Population I star), were much bigger and brighter than any in our nearby universe, with masses about 1,000 times that of our sun. These stars first grouped together into mini-galaxies. By about a few billion years after the Big Bang, the mini-galaxies had merged to form mature galaxies, including spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way. The first quasars ultimately became the centers of powerful galaxies that are more common in the distant universe. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured stunning pictures of earlier galaxies, as far back as ten billion light-years away.
Explosions - Large and Small
PIA09221
Title Explosions - Large and Small
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for full resolution animation (""Half Resolution) This animation shows an artist's concept of Z Camelopardalis (Z Cam), a stellar system featuring a collapsed, dead star, or white dwarf, and a companion star. The white dwarf, the bright white object within the disk on the left, sucks matter from its more sedate companion star, on the right. The stolen material forms a rotating disk of gas and dust around the white dwarf. After a certain amount of material accumulates, the star erupts in a huge nova explosion, known as a "classical nova." After that explosion, the star continues to flare up with smaller bursts, which is why Z Cam is known today as a recurrent dwarf Nova. The remnants of the classical nova explosion form a ghostly shell, which provides lingering evidence of the violent outburst. The animation ends with an image taken by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer on Jan. 25, 2004, when the star system was undergoing a period of relative calm. Astronomers divide exploding binary star systems into two classes -- recurrent dwarf novae, which erupt in smaller, "hiccup-like" blasts, and classical novae, which undergo huge explosions. A link between the two types of novae had been predicted, but the observations from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer bolster the theory that some binary systems undergo both types of explosions.
The X-Ray Sky
Title The X-Ray Sky
Explanation What if you could see X-rays [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#X-ray ]? If you could, the night sky [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/multiw_sky.html ] would be a strange and unfamiliar place. X-rays are about 1,000 times more energetic than visible light photons and are produced in violent and high temperature astrophysical environments. Instead of the familiar steady stars, the sky would seem to be filled with exotic binary star systems [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951226.html ] composed of white dwarfs [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950910.html ], neutron stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951122.html ], and black holes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951127.html ], along with flare stars, X-ray bursters, pulsars [ http://pulsar.princeton.edu/rpr.shtml ], supernova remnants [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951203.html ] and active galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951022.html ]. This X-ray image of the entire sky was constructed with Skyview [ http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov ], using data from the first High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO 1) [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/heao1/ heao1a2_gifbrowser.html ], and plotted in a coordinate system centered on the galactic center with the north galactic pole at the top. Sources near the galactic center are seen to dominate in this false color map which shows regions of highest X-ray intensity in yellow. Astronomers' ability to observe the sky at X-ray energies will be greatly enhanced by the recently launched X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ xte/xte_1st.html ]) satellite.
In the Center of the Keyhole …
Title In the Center of the Keyhole Nebula
Explanation Stars, like people, do not always go gentle into that good night [ http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/~flowers/Thomas.htm ]. The above Keyhole Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960404.html ] results from dying star Eta Carinae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970712.html ]'s violently casting off dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961119.html ] and gas during its final centuries. Eta Carinae [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/etacar.html ] is many times more massive than our own Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960916.html ], and should eventually undergo a tremendous supernova [ http://www.gnacademy.org:8001/uu-gna/text/astro/stars/supernova.html ] explosion. Eta Carinae emits much light in colors outside the human visible range. This past week, X-ray [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#X-ray ] emission from Eta Carinae was verified by the orbiting Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/XTE.html ] to be periodic, peaking every 85.1 days [ http://lheawww.gsfc.nasa.gov/users/corcoran/eta_car/eta_car_xte.html ]. This, along with a previously hypothesized 5.52 year period [ http://www1.elsevier.nl/journals/newast/jnl/articles/S1384107697000080/ ], indicates that the dying star might be part of a multiple star system.
Evidence for Frame Dragging …
Title Evidence for Frame Dragging Black Holes
Explanation Gravity can do more than floor you. According to recent measurements [ ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1997/97-258.txt ] of a star system thought to contain a black hole [ http://wonka.physics.ncsu.edu/~blondin/Blackhole/title.html ], it can spin you too. This effect, called frame-dragging [ http://www.enews.com/magazines/discover/magtxt/9703-1.html ], is most prominent near massive, fast spinning objects. Now, a team led by W. Cui [ mailto:cui@space.mit.edu ] (MIT [ http://web.mit.edu/physics/www/physics.html ]) has used the orbiting Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/ ] to search for it near a system thought to contain a black hole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970516.html ]. Cui's team claim that matter in this system gets caught up and spun around the black hole [ http://physics7.berkeley.edu/BHfaq.html ] at just the rate expected [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1997ApJ%2E%2E%2E475%2E%2E%2E57B&db_key=AST&nosetcookie=1 ] from frame-dragging. Such discoveries help scientists better understand gravity [ http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/NumRelHome.html ] itself.
X-Ray Pulsar
Title X-Ray Pulsar
Explanation This dramatic artist's vision shows a city-sized neutron star [ http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/miller/nstar.html ] centered in a disk of hot plasma drawn from its enfeebled red companion star. Ravenously accreting material [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dictionary.html ] from the disk, the neutron star spins faster and faster [ http://universe.gsfc.nasa.gov/videos/millisecond.html ] emitting powerful particle beams and pulses of X-rays [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/ ASM/welcome.html ] as it rotates 400 times a second. Could such a bizarre and inhospitable star system really exist in our Universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980302.html ]? Based on data from the orbiting Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/learning_center/ ] (RXTE) satellite, research teams have recently announced a discovery [ http://universe.gsfc.nasa.gov/new/news/1998/98-129.html ] which fits this exotic scenario well - a "millisecond" X-ray pulsar. The newly detected celestial X-ray beacon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980211.html ] has the unassuming catalog designation of SAX J1808.4-3658 and is located a comforting 12,000 light years away in the constellation Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. Its X-ray pulses offer evidence of rapid, accretion powered [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/ cool_binary_fact.html ] rotation and provide a much sought after connection between known types of radio and X-ray pulsars [ http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/courses/astro201/pulsar.htm ] and the evolution [ http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/courses/astro201/pulsar_graph.htm ] and ultimate demise of binary star systems [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/features/movies/binaries.html ].
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