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The Universe "Down Under" is
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| Title |
The Universe "Down Under" is the Latest Target for Hubble's Latest Deep-View |
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Hubble Finds Evidence of Ste
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| Title |
Hubble Finds Evidence of Stellar Close Encounters: Bright Blue Stars and Naked Cores |
| General Information |
What is an American Astronomical Society Meeting release? A major news announcement issued at an American Astronomical Society meeting, the premier astronomy conference. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has discovered a new population of stars isolated deep in the core of M15, one of the densest globular star clusters. The stars are among the hottest stars observed in the core of a globular cluster. The most likely explanation for their existence is that they are the "naked cores" of stars that have been stripped of their outer envelope of gas, according to astronomers. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/1993/13/text/ ] |
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Hubble Identifies Primeval G
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| Title |
Hubble Identifies Primeval Galaxies, Uncovers New Clues to the Universe's Evolution |
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Eclipse with Lighthouse
| Title |
Eclipse with Lighthouse |
| Explanation |
A red Moon rose [ http://www.abmedia.com/astro/current/ lunareclipse-030307.html ] over Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA on March 3rd, immersed in Earth's shadow near the total phase [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070308.html ] of a lunar eclipse. This serene portrait [ http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/portraits/ ] of the eclipsed Moon in a dark blue twilight sky also features the Highland Lighthouse [ http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/places/ thehighlands.html ] (aka Cape Cod lighthouse), another more locally familiar beacon in the night. Now automated, the 66 foot tall structure in use today was built in 1857. How often has there been an eclipse within view of the Highland light? For locations on planet Earth there are about two eclipse seasons [ http://www.earthview.com/tutorial/patterns.htm ] each year. So, eclipses have actually had many chances [ http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclbin/query_usno.cgi ] to be part of the pictorial history [ http://lighthouse.cc/highland/history.html ] of the Highland Lighthouse, including a total solar eclipse in 1932 [ http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0311932/ ]. |
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Moon Over Pigeon Point Light
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| Title |
Moon Over Pigeon Point Lighthouse |
| Explanation |
This spectacular sky is mostly human-made. Once a year, the Light Station at Pigeon Point [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_Point_Lighthouse ] near San Francisco [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco%2C_California ], California [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California ], USA [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States ] is lit as it was over 100 years ago. During this time, light generated by five kerosene lamps [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene_lamp ] pours through 24 rotating Fresnel lenses [ http://science.howstuffworks.com/question244.htm ], warning approaching ships to stay away. Early last week, light emanating from the Pigeon Point Lighthouse was particularly picturesque [ http://www.flickr.com/photos/mumbleyjoe/2043508173/ ] because of a thin fog, also blurring the distant Moon. During the latter 1970s, the lighthouse [ http://www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/CalLts/PigeonPt/ PigeonPt.htm ] was guarded by an 800 pound pig named Lester. In modern times, the light house is still active but has been supplied with a more efficient [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerodrome_beacon ] flashing aerobeacon [ http://www.terrypepper.com/Lights/closeups/illumination/ aerobeacon/dcb224.htm ]. |
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Stereo Saturn
| Title |
Stereo Saturn |
| Explanation |
Get out your red/blue glasses [ http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/mpf/glasses.html ] and launch [ http://beacon.jpl.nasa.gov/exhibits/voyager/ default.html ] yourself into this stereo [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/research/stereo_atlas/ SS3D.HTM ] picture of Saturn! The picture is actually composed from two images recorded weeks apart by the Voyager 2 spacecraft [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/ MasterCatalog?sc=1977-076A ] during its visit to [ http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/sat_missns/ sat-voy2.html ] the Saturnian System in August of 1981. Traveling at about 35,000 miles per hour, the spacecraft's changing viewpoint from one image to the next produced this exaggerated but pleasing stereo effect [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970404.html ]. Saturn is the second largest planet [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/ saturn.html ] in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Its spectacular ring system [ http://ringmaster.arc.nasa.gov/saturn/saturn.html ] is so wide that it would span the space between the Earth and Moon. Although they look solid here, Saturn's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000129.html ] rings consist of individually orbiting bits of ice and rock ranging in size from grains of sand to barn-sized boulders. |
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Good Morning Sydney
| Title |
Good Morning Sydney |
| Explanation |
Rising before dawn on May 5th, Stephen Thorley looked out [ http://www.asnsw.com/info/index.html ] across the skyline of Sydney, Australia [ http://www.nla.gov.au/ ]. And while a leisurely lunar eclipse [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040506.html ] was clearly in progress, from his vantage point [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/ 04nov_lunareclipse2105.htm ] on planet Earth the Moon set as the total phase [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/ article_1219_1.asp ] of the eclipse began. Still, before the setting Moon was hidden by the cityscape he captured this striking image of a nearly eclipsed lunar disk sliding [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030515.html ] past the beacon and lights of Centerpoint Tower [ http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23301253 ], one of Sydney's familiar landmarks. So what's that star just visible above and to the right of the reddened Moon? That's Zubenelgenubi [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/ zubenel.html ], of course. |
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Phases of Venus
| Title |
Phases of Venus |
| Explanation |
Venus is currently falling out [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990903.html ] of the western evening sky. Second planet [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ venusfact.html ] from the Sun and third brightest celestial object after the Sun and Moon, Venus has been appreciated by casual sky gazers as a brilliant beacon above the horizon after sunset. But telescopic [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/ galileo.html ] images have also revealed its dramatic phases. In fact, this thoughtful composite [ http://webpages.charter.net/darksky25/Astronomy/ Planets/Venus/venus.html ] of telescopic views nicely illustrates the progression of phases [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/celestial/ aspects.html ] and increase in apparent size undergone by Venus over the past few weeks. Gliding along [ http://www.venus-transit.de/PlanetPhases/ index.html ] its interior orbit, Venus has been catching up with planet Earth, growing larger as it draws near. At the same time, just as the Moon goes through phases [ http://www.souledout.org/nightsky/venusphases/ venusphases.html ], Venus' visible sunlit hemisphere has presented an increasingly slender, crescent shape [ http://imaginesoftworks.com/ astropage/venus/venus05052004-0258.html ]. Now sharing the sky [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/ article_1194_1.asp ] with a crescent Moon, on June 8th Venus [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/sunearthday/2004/ index_vthome.htm ] will actually cross the face of the Sun, the first such transit since 1882 [ http://canopus.saao.ac.za/%7Ewpk/tov1882/ tovwell.html ]. |
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Venus Returns to the Evening
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| Title |
Venus Returns to the Evening Sky |
| Explanation |
This serene image [ http://www.photoastronomique.net/ photo_us.php?nom=0506010077 ] of boats moored in the harbor of l'Île-Tudy, Bretagne, France was taken on June 1st, about an hour after sunset. It also features Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990619.html ], third brightest celestial object after the Sun and Moon. For casual skygazers, this month marks Venus' return [ http://www.space.com/spacewatch/ 050513_venus_returns.html ] to the evening sky as the brilliant 'star' [ http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/ nockholds1.html ], shining low in the west-northwest shortly after sunset. In the picture, astrophotographer [ http://www.photoastronomique.net ] and APOD translator Laurent Laveder notes that Venus is easily mistaken for a light atop a sailboat's tall mast, giving the otherwise stunning celestial beacon an unremarkable appearance. Of course, a year ago Venus' appearance was quite remarkable. On June 8, 2004 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040609.html ], Venus crossed the Sun's disk, the first transit of Venus since 1882. Late [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/ article_110_1.asp ] this week Venus shares the evening sky with the young crescent Moon, and will next transit the Sun on June 6, 2012 [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/transit/ venus0412.html ]. |
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Moon River
| Title |
Moon River |
| Explanation |
Shortly after sunset [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/26aug_sunset.htm ] on September 6th, sky gazers around the world were treated [ http://www.davidcortner.com/regions/america/carolinas/ catawba_pan.html ] to a lovely crescent Moon [ http://www.earthsky.com/skywatching/moonphases.php ] in western skies -- joined by [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/ article_1456_2.asp ] bright planets Venus and Jupiter. In this colorful telephoto view from near Quebec City, Canada the Moon is nestled just above the wide St. Lawrence River [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_River ]. Lights on the horizon are along the river's southern shore. Also known as the evening star, Venus is [ http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/ nockholds1.html ] at the upper left and Jupiter at the upper right, while another prominent celestial beacon, Spica, [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/spica.html ] can be seen shining through the twilight below Venus. Spica, actually a very close pair of hot blue stars some 260 light-years away, is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo [ http://hawastsoc.org/deepsky/vir/index.html ]. |
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December Moon Meets Evening
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| Title |
December Moon Meets Evening Star |
| Explanation |
If you've been outdoors near sunset, then you've probably noticed Venus [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/ venusfact.html ] low in the west as the brilliant evening star [ http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/venus/ shadow-of-venus.html ]. Sometimes mistaken [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050609.html ] for a tower light near the horizon, Venus is the third brightest celestial beacon, after the Sun and Moon, in planet Earth's sky. That distinction is particularly easy to appreciate in this peaceful scene [ http://www.pbase.com/missouri_skies/image/53158060 ] featuring the crescent Moon, Venus, and sunset colors [ http://www.missouriskies.org/ sunset_gallery/sunsetgallery.html ] captured on December 4th near Albany, Missouri, USA. As this season's evening star, Venus [ http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/ ] will be at its most brilliant tonight, but as December progresses the bright planet [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040521.html ] will begin to fall out [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990903.html ] of the western sky. By early next week, December's Moon will have moved on to meet another bright planet overhead -- Mars [ http://stardate.org/nightsky/almanac/ s200512_alm.html ]. |
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Perseus A in Flight with Moo
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| Title |
Perseus A in Flight with Moon |
| Description |
The Perseus A, a remotely-piloted, high-altitude research aircraft, is seen here framed against the moon and sky during a research mission at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California in August 1994. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus design, which began with the Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft. Perseus was initially developed as part of NASA's Small High-Altitude Science Aircraft (SHASA) program, which later evolved into the ERAST project. The Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft first flew in November 1991 and made three low-altitude flights within a month to validate the Perseus aerodynamic model and flight control systems. Next came the redesigned Perseus A, which incorporated a closed-cycle combustion system that mixed oxygen carried aboard the aircraft with engine exhaust to compensate for the thin air at high altitudes. The Perseus A was towed into the air by a ground vehicle and its engine started after it became airborne. Prior to landing, the engine was stopped, the propeller locked in horizontal position, and the Perseus A glided to a landing on its unique bicycle-type landing gear. Two Perseus A aircraft were built and made 21 flights in 1993-1994. One of the Perseus A aircraft reached over 50,000 feet in altitude on its third test flight. Although one of the Perseus A aircraft was destroyed in a crash after a vertical gyroscope failed in flight, the other, aircraft completed its test program and remains on display at Aurora's facility in Manassas. Perseus B first flew Oct. 7, 1994, and made two flights in 1996 before being damaged in a hard landing on the dry lakebed after a propeller shaft failure. After a number of improvements and upgrades-including extending the original 58.5-foot wingspan to 71.5 feet to enhance high-altitude performance--the Perseus B returned to Dryden in the spring of 1998 for a series of four flights. Thereafter, a series of modifications were made including external fuel pods on the wing that more than doubled the fuel capacity to 100 gallons. Engine power was increased by more than 20 percent by boosting the turbocharger output. Fuel consumption was reduced with fuel control modifications and a leaner fuel-air mixture that did not compromise power. The aircraft again crashed on Oct. 1, 1999, near Barstow, California, suffering moderate damage to the aircraft but no property damage, fire, or injuries in the area of the crash. Perseus B is flown remotely by a pilot from a mobile flight control station on the ground. A Global Positioning System (GPS) unit provides navigation data for continuous and precise location during flight. The ground control station features dual independent consoles for aircraft control and systems monitoring. A flight termination system, required for all remotely piloted aircraft being flown in military-restricted airspace, includes a parachute system deployed on command plus a C-Band radar beacon and a Mode-C transponder to aid in location. Dryden has provided hanger and office space for the Perseus B aircraft and for the flight test development team when on site for flight or ground testing. NASA's ERAST project is developing aeronautical technologies for a new generation of remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft for a variety of upper-atmospheric science missions and commercial applications. Dryden is the lead center in NASA for ERAST management and operations. Perseus B is approximately 25 feet long, has a wingspan of 71.5 feet, and stands 12 feet high. Perseus B is powered by a Rotax 914, four-cylinder piston engine mounted in the mid-fuselage area and integrated with an Aurora-designed three-stage turbocharger, connected to a lightweight two-blade propeller. |
| Date |
08.15.1994 |
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| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
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