Tag Archives: majestic

Science

The close-up view of two Falcon rockets landing is as majestic as you think

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  • Two Falcon rockets returning to the roost on Tuesday morning after launching a military mission into space.


    Trevor Mahlmann

  • A close-up on the nearest booster burning a single Merlin engine to slow down.


    Trevor Mahlmann

  • Two Falcons almost down on the ground.


    Trevor Mahlmann

  • Kicking up some dust.


    Trevor Mahlmann

On Tuesday morning, a Falcon Heavy rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center, carrying a pair of satellites for the US Space Force to geostationary orbit.

This was the fourth overall launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket, but it marked the first time that SpaceX invited a handful of photographers to set up remote cameras next to Landing Zone 2, which is located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This is one of two concrete pads where Falcon 9 rockets launched from Florida occasionally land.

Each of the circular landing pads, which measure 86 meters in diameter, was busy on Tuesday morning with the return of a pair of side-boosters from the Falcon Heavy launch. After separating from the core stage of the heavy rocket, these boosters then made a propulsive descent. The first touched down 8 minutes and 15 seconds after launch. The second followed five seconds later.

Trevor Mahlmann, shooting for Ars, was among those invited to capture the moment of touchdown. The official video of the launch and landing is impressive, but Mahlmann’s shots (and video) do a great job of capturing the fire and fury of the rockets as a single engine burns to bring the rocket’s velocity to near zero.

SpaceX will now refurbish these side boosters for reuse on the military’s next Falcon Heavy mission, USSF-67, as early as next January. The center core was not recovered and landed far down range in the Atlantic Ocean.

Listing image by Trevor Mahlmann

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Majestic galaxies spotted in classic Hubble Space Telescope photo

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For over three decades, the indefatigable Hubble Space Telescope has been providing stunning peeks into the myriad mysteries of the universe, helping astronomers, physicists, and scientists of all stripes to understand more about galaxies, exoplanets, moons and stars than ever before.

Check out this classic galactic tableau originally captured by the Hubble telescope in 2012 (NASA recently released it this month) to point out how optical tricks of perspective can alter our conclusions about what appears to be the truth.

Focus on the crowded cloud of stars in the center of this jaw-dropping image. What you’re seeing is the galaxy ESO 318-13 in the southern constellation of Antlia (The Pump). Located some 30 million light-years from Earth and known affectionately as the Glitter Galaxy, the tiny ESO 318-13 is an oval-shaped irregular dwarf galaxy that’s roughly 1% the mass of the Milky Way.

“ESO 318-13 is sandwiched between a vast collection of bright celestial objects,” NASA officials wrote in a June 15 image description (opens in new tab). “Several stars near and far dazzle in comparison to the neat dusting contained within the galaxy.”

A full view of the dwarf galaxy ESO 318-13 as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2012 in a newly released image by NASA. (Image credit: NASA/ESA)

Here ESO 318-13 is seen positioned between an impressive scattering of ultra-bright celestial objects. Many neighboring stars shining both near and far catch our eye when compared to the close-knit family of the Glitter Galaxy, especially one high-wattage specimen right in the middle. 

“One that particularly stands out is located near the center of the image, and looks like an extremely bright star located within the galaxy. This is, however, a trick of perspective,” NASA wrote. “The star is located in the Milky Way, our own galaxy, and it shines so brightly because it is so much closer to us than ESO 318-13.”

Those colorful glowing disks dotting the rest of the image’s frame are galaxies spinning even further away. Targeting the top right corner, a glaring elliptical galaxy can be clearly observed that’s far more massive than ESO 318-13 but is at an even greater distance. 

And in a case of overlapping galaxies, we can see a remote spiral galaxy trying to be noticed through the virtually dust-free expanse of ESO 318-13 at the far right-hand edge of this sweeping false-color photo.

For more amazing star images check out our list of the Best Space and Astronomy Books.

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Science

Hubble Captures Majestic Photo of a Galaxy with an ‘Explosive Past’

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A new image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope showcases a spiral-shaped galaxy that lies around 150 million light-years away. But NASA says not to be fooled: its peaceful state belies a violent past.

Beautiful and Tranquil Now, but with a Violent History

This photo of the “lazily winding spiral arms” of galaxy NGC 976 was captured by the Hubble Space Telesope and comes courtesy of NASA and the European Space Administration (ESA). The space organizations say that despite its tranquil appearance, NGC 976 has played host to one of the most violent astronomical phenomena that exists: a supernova explosion.

“These cataclysmically violent events take place at the end of the lives of massive stars and can outshine entire galaxies for a short period,” NASA/ESA explain. “While supernovae mark the deaths of massive stars, they are also responsible for the creation of heavy elements that are incorporated into later generations of stars and planets.”

Supernovae also help astronomers measure the distances of faraway galaxies as the amount of energy thrown out into space by some types of supernova explosions is described as “very uniform,” which allows them to estimate their distance sfrom how bright they appear when the light finally reaches Earth.

In this latest photo, which was captured using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, comes from a collection of Hubble observations of “nearby” galaxies (in quotes as they are still staggeringly far away, but near in the grand scheme of the universe) that host supernovae as well as a “pulsating” class of stars known as Cepheid variables.

“Both Cepheids and supernovae are used to measure astronomical distances, and galaxies containing both objects provide useful natural laboratories where the two methods can be calibrated against one another,” NASA explains.

Hubble Continues to Provide Valuable Data

The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most valuable tools ever made for evaluating the universe, and the observations is has provided continue to be of critical importance to astronomers. But it has not always been smooth sailing. Hubble was to be succeeded by the James Webb Space Telescope, but nearly a decade of delays has left Hubble with massive responsibility long beyond its original scope.

It almost appeared as if time would finally get the best of Hubble last year when two separate issues caused NASA to take the telescope offline twice. Hubble first went offline in the summer due to a glitch in its payload computer. It was the first hiccup in operation after 31 continuous years. But scientists were able to get it back online, and things were looking up.

But it wasn’t to last. Hubble would experience a second major issue later that fall that would bring the telescope offline for another month. But yet again, scientists were able to revive the telescope to full operation, allowing it to make it into the home stretch as Webb finally launched on December 25.

Image credits: ESA/Hubble and NASA, D. Jones, A. Riess et al.

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NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover beams back dramatic selfie and panoramas at majestic rock formation

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NASA’s Perseverance rover may still be finding its footing in the Jezero Crater, but in the meantime, the Curiosity rover is having a blast taking selfies at a fascinating rock formation. 

Since 2014, Curiosity has been slowly but surely climbing the 3-mile-high Mount Sharp, which is located in the middle of the Gale Crater. NASA revealed new images from the rover Tuesday that were captured earlier this month. 

On March 16 and March 26, Curiosity snapped 60 images using the Mars Hand Lens Imager on its robotic arm and 11 using its Mastcam, located on its “head.” It captured an impressive rock formation called Mont Mercou — named after a mountain in southeastern France. 

In the selfies, as well as an accompanying pair of majestic panoramas taken on March 4, Mont Mercou can be seen to the left of the rover. The formation is 20 feet tall. 

“Wish you were here!” the rover tweeted with the selfie. 

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used two different cameras to create this selfie in front of Mont Mercou, a rock outcrop that stands 20 feet tall. 

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS


Using its drill, Curiosity acquired a sample of rock near the formation — the 30th sample it’s collected so far. NASA scientists have named the sample Nontron, after a French village near the actual Mont Mercou. 

The names were chosen for this part of the mission because Mars orbiters previously detected nontronite, a type of iron-rich clay mineral found close to the French town, in the region. 

The rover’s drill turned the sample to dust and tucked it safely inside its body for further study using its internal instruments. Scientists hope to learn more about the rock’s composition — and maybe uncover secrets of the planet’s past. 

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mastcam instrument to take the 32 individual images that make up this panorama of the outcrop nicknamed “Mont Mercou.” It took a second panorama, rolling sideways 13 feet, to create a stereoscopic effect similar to a 3D viewfinder. The effect helps scientists get a better idea of the geometry of Mount Mercou’s sedimentary layers, as if they’re standing in front of the formation.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS


The sample was collected as the rover transitions from the “clay-bearing unit” and the “sulfate-bearing unit” of its ascent — an area scientists believe could reveal how Mars transitioned from a potentially habitable planet billions of years ago to the frozen desert planet it is today.

Until Perseverance arrived a little over a month ago, Curiosity was the only rover currently active on the red planet. The two rovers are located about 2,300 miles apart. 

Perseverance is now busy preparing the Ingenuity helicopter for its first flight in April — marking the first flight on another planet. After that, it will begin its hunt for ancient life.  



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