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Liftoff!
A Delta II rocket climbs int
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2/6/09
| Description |
A Delta II rocket climbs into the dark, pre-dawn sky at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket successfully propelled the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft toward its polar orbit around Earth. Image credit: Carleton Bailie/United Launch Alliance Feb. 6, 2009 |
| Date |
2/6/09 |
|
Io Above Clouds on New Year'
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The moon Io floats above the
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1/23/01
| Date |
1/23/01 |
| Description |
The moon Io floats above the cloudtops of Jupiter in this image captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on the dawn of the new millennium, Jan. 1, 2001, two days after Cassini's closest approach to Jupiter. The image is deceiving: There is room for two and a half Jupiters between Io and Jupiter's clouds. Io is the size of our Moon. Cassini is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona # # # # # |
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Neutral Gas Cloud Around Tit
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
Images from the magnetospheric imaging instrument and the ion and neutral camera onboard the Cassini spacecraft reveal aspects of the interactions between Saturn's dynamic population of hot energetic ions and the clouds of cold neutral atoms. Future observations may further explain the relationships between these interactions. The most recent image of Titan reveals the emission of high-speed neutral atoms from a globular region approximately 70,000 kilometers (43,496 miles) in diameter, clearly centered on Titan. It is only 1/25 as bright as the region seen toward dawn during Saturn orbit insertion, even though Cassini is now closer to Titan. There is an extended emission region around the Titan cloud, but it is much dimmer than the Titan cloud itself and even dimmer compared to the emission seen in the dawn direction at orbit insertion. In this image, the X marks the direction toward the Sun, the Y marks the direction toward Saturn's dawn, and the Z marks Saturn's rotation axis. The dot in the center marks Titan. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The magnetospheric imaging instrument team is based at Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/CASSINI/index.html . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/JHU/APL/Max-Plank-Institut f¿r Aeronomie/University of Maryland/University of Kansas/University of Arizona/CESR/Bell Laboratories |
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Clouds at Dawn
| Description |
Clouds at Dawn |
| Full Description |
Saturn's clouds billow and swirl in the turbulent zones of shear between eastward- and westward-flowing jets. This view looks toward the terminator on Saturn, where night gives way to day. The image was taken using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 728 nanometers. The image was obtained with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 16, 2006 at a distance of approximately 338,000 kilometers (210,000 miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 67 degrees. Image scale is 17 kilometers (10 miles) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
September 20, 2006 |
|
Dawn for Odysseus
| Description |
Dawn for Odysseus |
| Full Description |
The eastern rim of the large crater Odysseus is visible along the terminator in this image of Saturn's moon Tethys. This enormous impact feature is the largest on Tethys, at approximately 450 kilometers (280 miles) across. The shadowy rim of another smaller crater can be seen at the bottom. Tethys is 1,060 kilometers (659 miles) across. This Cassini view shows principally the leading hemisphere of Tethys. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on Dec. 18, 2004, at a distance of 1.7 million kilometers (1.1 million miles) from Tethys and at a Sun-Tethys-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 94 degrees. The image scale is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) per pixel. The image has been magnified by a factor of two and contrast enhanced to aid visibility. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For images visit the Cassini imaging team home page http://ciclops.org *Credit*: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
January 26, 2005 |
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
Io Above Clouds on New Year's Day, 2001 January 23, 2001 The moon Io floats above the cloudtops of Jupiter in this image captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on the dawn of the new millennium, Jan. 1, 2001, two days after Cassini's closest approach to Jupiter. The image is deceiving: There is room for two and a half Jupiters between Io and Jupiter's clouds. Io is the size of our Moon. Cassini is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona For higher resolution, click here. |
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Phoebe's Radiation
| Description |
Phoebe's Radiation |
| Full Description |
This image shows thermal radiation from the day and night sides of Saturn's moon Phoebe, taken by the composite infrared spectrometer onboard Cassini 1.8 hours before the spacecraft's closest approach to Phoebe on June 11, 2004. The left-hand panel displays the image in grayscale format, showing the brightness of Phoebe's radiation in the wavelength range 15-17 microns, which is about 25 times the longest wavelength visible to the naked eye. In the middle panel this brightness is used to estimate the surface temperature distribution across Phoebe. Temperatures are given in degrees Kelvin, and vary from a relatively toasty 107 Kelvin (-267 Fahrenheit), in the late morning near the equator (white, lower right), to less than 75 Kelvin (-324 Fahrenheit) in the northern hemisphere in the pre-dawn hours (dark blue, upper left). The "ragged edge" of Phoebe in this region is an instrumental artifact. Temperatures are affected strongly by topography, as can be seen by comparison with the visible-wavelength image (right). Some of the coldest temperatures are found in the shadowed region inside the large depression in the northern hemisphere (upper right). The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer home page at http://cirs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Phoebe Temperature Maps
| Description |
Phoebe Temperature Maps |
| Full Description |
A montage of maps of Saturn's moon Phoebe shows surface temperatures at various times of day as determined by the composite infrared spectrometer onboard Cassini during the June 11, 2004, Phoebe flyby. The asterisk on each map shows the location of the subsolar point, where the Sun is directly overhead. This point moves across the surface as Phoebe rotates. It is morning in regions to the left of the subsolar point, and afternoon in regions to the right. Like a newspaper weather map, different colors indicate different temperatures, though Phoebe's temperatures are distinctly cooler than even the coldest January day on Earth. Equatorial temperatures peak in the early afternoon near 112 Kelvin (-257 Fahrenheit), plunging to 78 Kelvin (-319 Fahrenheit) before dawn, and are even colder at higher latitudes. The large day/night temperature contrasts imply that Phoebe's surface is covered in loose dust or ice particles that store little heat and thus cool off rapidly at night. Regions of Phoebe's surface that were not observed are shown in black. Most of the maps show the effect on surface temperatures of the large crater-like depression seen in Cassini's visible-wavelength images of Phoebe, which is located just left of center in these maps. Crater walls that are shadowed and cold in the early morning in the first map are sunlit and warm in the late afternoon in the final map. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer home page at http://cirs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dawn at the Huygens Site
| Description |
Titan's equatorial latitudes are distinctly different in character from its south polar region, as this image shows. |
| Full Description |
Titan's equatorial latitudes are distinctly different in character from its south polar region, as this image shows. The dark terrain, presumably lowland, seen here does not extend much farther south than about 30 degrees South. The successful Huygens probe landed in such a region. The Huygens probe is rotating into the light here, seeing the dawn of a new day. The bright region toward the right side of Titan's disk is Xanadu. This area is thought to consist of upland terrain that is relatively uncontaminated by the dark material that fills the lowland regions. Near the moon's south pole, and just eastward of the terminator, is the dark feature identified by imaging scientists as the best candidate (so far) for a past or present hydrocarbon lake on Titan (see Clouds in the Distance). Farther east of the lake-like feature, bright clouds arc around the pole. These clouds occupy a latitude range that is consistent with previously-seen convective cloud activity on Titan. Titan is Saturn's largest moon, at 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) across. The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on July 7, 2005, at a distance of approximately 1.3 million kilometers (800,000 miles) from Titan and at a Sun-Titan-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 60 degrees. The image was obtained using a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 938 nanometers. The image scale is 7 kilometers (5 miles) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
August 16, 2005 |
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Hubble Approaches the Final
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| Title |
Hubble Approaches the Final Frontier: The Dawn of Galaxies |
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Hubble Approaches the Final
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| Title |
Hubble Approaches the Final Frontier: The Dawn of Galaxies |
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Hubble Approaches the Final
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| Title |
Hubble Approaches the Final Frontier: The Dawn of Galaxies |
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Hubble Approaches the Final
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| Title |
Hubble Approaches the Final Frontier: The Dawn of Galaxies |
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Hubble Approaches the Final
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| Title |
Hubble Approaches the Final Frontier: The Dawn of Galaxies |
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Hubble Images of Asteroids H
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| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
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Hubble Images of Asteroids H
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| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
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Hubble Images of Asteroids H
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| Title |
Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit |
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SR-71 Receiving Flight Prep
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| Photo Description |
As the first traces of dawn light the eastern sky, technicians on the ramp at NASA?s Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later, Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, work to prepare one of NASA's SR-71 Blackbird aircraft for a research flight. |
| Project Description |
Two SR-71 aircraft have been used by NASA as testbeds for high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research. The aircraft, an SR-71A and an SR-71B pilot trainer aircraft, have been based here at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. They were transferred to NASA after the U.S. Air Force program was cancelled. As research platforms, the aircraft can cruise at Mach 3 for more than one hour. For thermal experiments, this can produce heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees Fahrenheit (F). This operating environment makes these aircraft excellent platforms to carry out research and experiments in a variety of areas -- aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, high-speed and high-temperature instrumentation, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization. The SR-71 was used in a program to study ways of reducing sonic booms or over pressures that are heard on the ground, much like sharp thunderclaps, when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Data from this Sonic Boom Mitigation Study could eventually lead to aircraft designs that would reduce the "peak" overpressures of sonic booms and minimize the startling affect they produce on the ground. One of the first major experiments to be flown in the NASA SR-71 program was a laser air data collection system. It used laser light instead of air pressure to produce airspeed and attitude reference data, such as angle of attack and sideslip, which are normally obtained with small tubes and vanes extending into the airstream. One of Dryden's SR-71s was used for the Linear Aerospike Rocket Engine, or LASRE Experiment. Another earlier project consisted of a series of flights using the SR-71 as a science camera platform for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. An upward-looking ultraviolet video camera placed in the SR-71?s nosebay studied a variety of celestial objects in wavelengths that are blocked to ground-based astronomers. Earlier in its history, Dryden had a decade of past experience at sustained speeds above Mach 3. Two YF-12A aircraft and an SR-71 designated as a YF-12C were flown at the center between December 1969 and November 1979 in a joint NASA/USAF program to learn more about the capabilities and limitations of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The YF-12As were prototypes of a planned interceptor aircraft based on a design that later evolved into the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Dave Lux was the NASA SR-71 project manger for much of the decade of the 1990s, followed by Steve Schmidt. Developed for the USAF as reconnaissance aircraft more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. The aircraft can fly at speeds of more than 2,200 miles per hour (Mach 3+, or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet. The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. Each aircraft is 107.4 feet long, has a, wingspan of 55.6 feet, and is 18.5 feet high (from the ground to the top of the rudders, when parked). Gross takeoff weight is about 140,000 pounds, including a possible fuel weight of 80,280 pounds. The airframes are built almost entirely of titanium and titanium alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained Mach 3 flight. Aerodynamic control surfaces consist of all-moving vertical tail surfaces, ailerons on the outer wings, and elevators on the trailing edges between the engine exhaust nozzles. The two SR-71s at Dryden have been assigned the following NASA tail numbers: NASA 844 (A model), military serial 61-7980 and NASA 831 (B model), military serial 61-7956. From 1990 through 1994, Dryden also had another "A" model, NASA 832, military serial 61-7971. This aircraft was returned to the USAF inventory and was the first aircraft reactivated for USAF reconnaissance purposes in 1995. It has since returned to Dryden along with SR-71A 61-7967. The last SR-71 flight was made on Saturday October 9, 1999, at the Edwards AFB air show. The aircraft used was NASA 844. The aircraft was also scheduled to make a flight the following day, but a fuel leak grounded the aircraft and prevented it from flying again. The NASA SR-71s were then put in flyable storage, where they remained until 2002. They were then sent to museums. |
| Photo Date |
1992 |
|
Sky and Planets
| Title |
Sky and Planets |
| Explanation |
On February 10th, an evocative [ http://www.jps.net/ssumner/ ] evening sky above Rocklin, California, USA inspired astrophotographer Steve Sumner to record this remarkable sight - five planets and the Moon. Near its first quarter phase, the bright Moon [ http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/ ] was intentionally overexposed but Saturn [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/ ], Jupiter [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], Mars [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], and Mercury [ http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/MESSENGER/ ] (and, of course, planet Earth's [ http://www.earth.nasa.gov/ ] horizon) are all clearly visible in the deepening twilight. Notably absent in this grouping of naked-eye planets is Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990903.html ] which is still putting in an early appearance as the morning star [ http://ispec.scibernet.com/station/morn_star.html ]. This month, Mercury has joined Venus in the dawn twilight while Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars still shine brightly in the western sky at nightfall [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/sights.shtml ] making another gorgeous close grouping with the crescent Moon [ http://www.inconstantmoon.com/ ]. |
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Comet Hale-Bopp Over Indian
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| Title |
Comet Hale-Bopp Over Indian Cove |
| Explanation |
Comet Hale-Bopp, the Great Comet of 1997 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?great+comet+1997 ], was quite a sight. No comets [ http://www.nineplanets.org/comets.html ] of comparable brightness have graced the skies of Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010204.html ] since then. During this next month, however, even besides the fleeting Comet Bradfield [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040419.html ], "two" comets have a slight chance of rivaling Hale-Bopp [ http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/ ] and a good chance of putting on a memorable [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/gifcity/comet.html ] sky show. Unfortunately, most of the show will be confined to sky gazers in Earth's southern hemisphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021222.html ]. Both comets are already visible [ http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/RecentObs.html#02T7 ] to the unaided eye from there. The first, Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) [ http://cometography.com/lcomets/2002t7.html ], should be at its best before dawn during the first weeks of May from the south. The second, Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) [ http://cometography.com/lcomets/2001q4.html ], should be visible in early May from all over the Earth. Both comets [ http://www.space.com/spacewatch/comet_double_040319.html ] appear to be approaching [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1037_1.asp ] the inner Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ] for the first time and so it is very hard to predict [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/space/kohoutek.html ] how bright each will become. In the above photograph [ http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/pach17.html ] taken 1997 April 6, Comet Hale-Bopp was imaged from the Indian Cove Campground in the Joshua Tree National Forest [ http://www.nps.gov/jotr/ ] in California [ http://www.state.ca.us/ ], USA [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html ]. A flashlight [ http://www.geocities.com/~stuarts1031/flashlight.html ] was used to momentarily illuminate foreground rocks during this six minute exposure. |
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A Meteor Over the Anza-Borre
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| Title |
A Meteor Over the Anza-Borrego Desert |
| Explanation |
Meteors [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/meteorites.html ] will be flashing across your skies over the next two nights [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/meteors/meteors.shtml ]. Specifically, the Perseid Meteor Shower [ http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/perseids.html ] should be at its best just before each morning's dawn. Observers at dark locations might see as much as a meteor a minute. Perseid [ http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast09aug99_1.htm ] meteors [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960809.html ] are bits of dirt that blew off Comet Swift-Tuttle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960219.html ] and that burn up [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981123.html ] as they fall to Earth. Exciting expectations of a new filament in the Perseids [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970811.html ] might be tested this year. Pictured above is a meteor from the most active meteor shower [ http://www.serve.com/meteors/faq1.html ] of last year: the Leonids [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981222.html ]. Pictured above [ http://skyphoto.com/comets/c23.htm ], a Leonid meteor was caught in November outshining even the brightest stars [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/brightest.html ] over the Anza-Borrego Desert [ http://www.anzaborrego.statepark.org/ ] in California. The Leonids [ http://www.skypub.com/sights/meteors/leonids/9904awaitstorm.html ] will peak again this November and might provide an ever better show. |
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Pathfinder aircraft prepared
…
| Title |
Pathfinder aircraft prepared for flight at dawn on lakebed |
| Description |
The Pathfinder solar-powered research aircraft is silhouetted by the morning sun on the bed of Rogers Dry Lake as technicians prepare it for flight. The unique remotely piloted flying wing flew for two hours under control of a ground-based pilot on Nov. 19, 1996, at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, while engineers checked out various aircraft systems. Pathfinder was a lightweight, solar-powered, remotely piloted flying wing aircraft used to demonstrate the use of solar power for long-duration, high-altitude flight. Its name denotes its mission as the "Pathfinder" or first in a series of solar-powered aircraft that will be able to remain airborne for weeks or months on scientific sampling and imaging missions. Solar arrays covered most of the upper wing surface of the Pathfinder aircraft. These arrays provided up to 8,000 watts of power at high noon on a clear summer day. That power fed the aircraft's six electric motors as well as its avionics, communications, and other electrical systems. Pathfinder also had a backup battery system that could provide power for two to five hours, allowing for limited-duration flight after dark. Pathfinder flew at airspeeds of only 15 to 20 mph. Pitch control was maintained by using tiny elevators on the trailing edge of the wing while turns and yaw control were accomplished by slowing down or speeding up the motors on the outboard sections of the wing. On September 11, 1995, Pathfinder set a new altitude record for solar-powered aircraft of 50,567 feet above Edwards Air Force Base, California, on a 12-hour flight. On July 7, 1997, it set another, unofficial record of 71,500 feet at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii. In 1998, Pathfinder was modified into the longer-winged Pathfinder Plus configuration. (See the Pathfinder Plus photos and project description.) |
| Date |
01.01.1996 |
|
Perseus High Altitude Remote
…
| Title |
Perseus High Altitude Remotely Piloted Aircraft on Ramp |
| Description |
The Perseus proof-of-concept vehicle waits on Rogers Dry Lake in the pre-dawn darkness before a test flight at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. 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 |
01.01.1991 |
|
SR-71 Receiving Flight Prep
…
| Title |
SR-71 Receiving Flight Prep Maintenance Pre-Dawn |
| Description |
As the first traces of dawn light the eastern sky, technicians on the ramp at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later, Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, work to prepare one of NASA's SR-71 Blackbird aircraft for a research flight. Two SR-71 aircraft have been used by NASA as testbeds for high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research. The aircraft, an SR-71A and an SR-71B pilot trainer aircraft, have been based here at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. They were transferred to NASA after the U.S. Air Force program was cancelled. As research platforms, the aircraft can cruise at Mach 3 for more than one hour. For thermal experiments, this can produce heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees Fahrenheit (F). This operating environment makes these aircraft excellent platforms to carry out research and experiments in a variety of areas -- aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, high-speed and high-temperature instrumentation, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization. The SR-71 was used in a program to study ways of reducing sonic booms or over pressures that are heard on the ground, much like sharp thunderclaps, when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Data from this Sonic Boom Mitigation Study could eventually lead to aircraft designs that would reduce the "peak" overpressures of sonic booms and minimize the startling affect they produce on the ground. One of the first major experiments to be flown in the NASA SR-71 program was a laser air data collection system. It used laser light instead of air pressure to produce airspeed and attitude reference data, such as angle of attack and sideslip, which are normally obtained with small tubes and vanes extending into the airstream. One of Dryden's SR-71s was used for the Linear Aerospike Rocket Engine, or LASRE Experiment. Another earlier project consisted of a series of flights using the SR-71 as a science camera platform for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. An upward-looking ultraviolet video camera placed in the SR-71's nosebay studied a variety of celestial objects in wavelengths that are blocked to ground-based astronomers. Earlier in its history, Dryden had a decade of past experience at sustained speeds above Mach 3. Two YF-12A aircraft and an SR-71 designated as a YF-12C were flown at the center between December 1969 and November 1979 in a joint NASA/USAF program to learn more about the capabilities and limitations of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The YF-12As were prototypes of a planned interceptor aircraft based on a design that later evolved into the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Dave Lux was the NASA SR-71 project manger for much of the decade of the 1990s, followed by Steve Schmidt. Developed for the USAF as reconnaissance aircraft more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. The aircraft can fly at speeds, of more than 2,200 miles per hour (Mach 3+, or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet. The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. Each aircraft is 107.4 feet long, has a wingspan of 55.6 feet, and is 18.5 feet high (from the ground to the top of the rudders, when parked). Gross takeoff weight is about 140,000 pounds, including a possible fuel weight of 80,280 pounds. The airframes are built almost entirely of titanium and titanium alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained Mach 3 flight. Aerodynamic control surfaces consist of all-moving vertical tail surfaces, ailerons on the outer wings, and elevators on the trailing edges between the engine exhaust nozzles. The two SR-71s at Dryden have been assigned the following NASA tail numbers: NASA 844 (A model), military serial 61-7980 and NASA 831 (B model), military serial 61-7956. From 1990 through 1994, Dryden also had another "A" model, NASA 832, military serial 61-7971. This aircraft was returned to the USAF inventory and was the first aircraft reactivated for USAF reconnaissance purposes in 1995. It has since returned to Dryden along with SR-71A 61-7967. |
| Date |
01.01.1992 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
Experimental Aircraft Associ
…
| Title |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003 |
| Description |
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) - AirVenture 2003: Artist Robert T. McCall discussed the motivation for his new NASA century-of-flight mural during unveiling ceremonies July 30, 2003 at the EAA convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A panoramic mural commissioned by NASA to depict highlights of the first century of flight was unveiled at the world's largest aviation event, the Experimental Aircraft Associations AirVenture - Oshkosh convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mural, by aviation artist Robert McCall, measures six by 18 feet. McCall was on hand with NASA Dryden Flight Research Center director Kevin Peterson and Experimental Aircraft Association president Tom Poberezny for the official unveiling at Noon July 30, 2003. The painting depicts a host of milestone aircraft and spacecraft swirling around the original Wright Flyer, symbolically airborne in front of the sun at the dawn of the age of flight. In the foreground, fliers ranging from a happy-go-lucky aviator of World War One to a pair of free-floating astronauts, anonymous behind the reflective shields of their helmets, depict the people who animate the vehicles in the painting. The mural entitled "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003" will be exhibited at the EAA as part fo the commemoration of a century of flight and eventually will go on permanent display at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA Dryden director Keven Peterson said: " This is an exciting day for us. The painting...has been years in the making. The events it records were a century in the making. But this is a celebration of the future yet to be." Tom Poberezny said he was proud NASA chose to unveil the mural at AirVenture, "Experimental Aircraft Association has valued the relationship it has with NASA." Robert McCall told the audience he enjoys the awe of flight. He said he likes to think humanity is still just experiencing the beginnings of flight. |
| Date |
07.28.2003 |
|
STS-76 - Being Prepared for
…
| Title |
STS-76 - Being Prepared for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center via SCA 747 Aircraft |
| Description |
(now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Moonrise over Atlantis: following the STS-76 dawn landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on 31 March 1996, NASA 905, one of two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, was prepared to ferry Atlantis back to the Kennedy Space Center, FL. Delivery of Altlantis to Florida was delayed until 11 April 1996, due to an engine warning light that appeared shortly after take off on April 6. The SCA #905 returned to Edwards only minutes after departure. The right inboard engine #3 was exchanged and the 747 with Atlantis atop was able to depart for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for a refueling stop. Space Shuttles are the main element of America's Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle's altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell's Rocketdyne Division |
| Date |
04.01.1996 |
|
STS-76 - Being Prepared for
…
| Title |
STS-76 - Being Prepared for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center via SCA 747 Aircraft |
| Description |
Moonrise over Atlantis following the STS-76 dawn landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on 31 March 1996. NASA 905, one of two modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), was readied to ferry Atlantis back to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Delivery of Atlantis to Florida was delayed until 11 April 1996, due to an engine warning light that appeared shortly after take off on 6 April. The SCA #905 returned to Edwards with Atlantis attached only minutes after departure. The right inboard engine #3 was exchanged and the 747 with Atlantis atop was able to depart for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for a refueling stop. Space Shuttles are the main element of America's Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle's altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California., Rockwell's Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site. |
| Date |
04.01.1996 |
|
STS-76 - SCA 747 Aircraft Ta
…
| Title |
STS-76 - SCA 747 Aircraft Takeoff for Delivery to Kennedy Space Center |
| Description |
NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft leaves the runway with the Shuttle Atlantis on its back. Following the STS-76 dawn landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on 31 March 1996. NASA 905, one of two modified 747's, was prepared to ferry Atlantis back to the Kennedy Space Center, FL. Delivery of Altlantis to Florida was delayed until 11 April 1996, due to an engine warning light that appeared shortly after take off on 6 April. The SCA #905 returned to Edwards with Atlantis aboard only minutes after departure. The right inboard engine #3 was exchanged and the 747 with Atlantis atop was able to depart for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for a refueling stop. Space Shuttles are the main element of America's Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle's altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation, Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell's Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site. |
| Date |
04.01.1996 |
|
F-18 SRA taxi at dawn
| Title |
F-18 SRA taxi at dawn |
| Description |
One of NASA's F/A-18 Hornets is seen here sitting on the ramp at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, at dawn August 6, 1993. F-18 aircraft, on loan to NASA by the U.S. Navy, are currently being flown at Dryden as support aircraft and as research testbeds. As support aircraft, they are used primarily for safety chase, pilot proficiency and aerial photography. As research aircraft, they are involved in thrust vectoring and high angle of attack research, as well as numerous smaller scale experiments. |
| Date |
01.01.1993 |
|
| Description |
Browse Image (annotated) | Large annotated (132 kB) Browse Image | Large (180 kB) |
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Mars Science Laboratory Pres
…
nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
…
Dawn Sumner, geologist, Univ
…
5964839662_1de35676cd_b
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-07-22 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5964839662_1de35676cd_b |
|
Mars Science Laboratory Pres
…
nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
…
Michael Watkins (third from
…
5964838992_da607400dd_b
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-07-22 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5964838992_da607400dd_b |
|
South Melea Planum, By The D
…
PIA02021
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
South Melea Planum, By The Dawn's Early Light |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
MOC "sees" by the dawn's early light! This picture was taken over the high southern polar latitudes during the first week of May 1999. The area shown is currently in southern winter darkness. Because sunlight is scattered over the horizon by aerosols--dust and ice particles--suspended in the atmosphere, sufficient light reaches regions within a few degrees of the terminator (the line dividing night and day) to be visible to the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) when the maximum exposure settings are used. This image shows a bright, wispy cloud hanging over southern Malea Planum. This cloud would not normally be visible, since it is currently in darkness. At the time this picture was taken, the sun was more than 5.7° below the northern horizon. The scene covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide. Again, the illumination is from the top. In this frame, the surface appears a relatively uniform gray. At the time the picture was acquired, the surface was covered with south polar wintertime frost. The highly reflective frost, in fact, may have contributed to the increased visibility of this surface. This "twilight imaging" technique for viewing Mars can only work near the terminator, thus in early May only regions between about 67°S and 74°S were visible in twilight images in the southern hemisphere, and a similar narrow latitude range could be imaged in the northern hemisphere. MOC cannot "see" in the total darkness of full-borne night. Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. |
|
South Melea Planum, By The D
…
PIA02020
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
South Melea Planum, By The Dawn's Early Light |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
MOC "sees" by the dawn's early light! This picture was taken over the high southern polar latitudes during the first week of May 1999. The area shown is currently in southern winter darkness. Because sunlight is scattered over the horizon by aerosols--dust and ice particles--suspended in the atmosphere, sufficient light reaches regions within a few degrees of the terminator (the line dividing night and day) to be visible to the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) when the maximum exposure settings are used. This picture shows a polygonally-patterned surface on southern Malea Planum. At the time the picture was taken, the sun was more than 4.5° below the northern horizon. The scene covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide, with the illumination from the top of the picture. In this frame, the surface appears a relatively uniform gray. At the time the picture was acquired, the surface was covered with south polar wintertime frost. The highly reflective frost, in fact, may have contributed to the increased visibility of this surface. This "twilight imaging" technique for viewing Mars can only work near the terminator, thus in early May only regions between about 67°S and 74°S were visible in twilight images in the southern hemisphere, and a similar narrow latitude range could be imaged in the northern hemisphere. MOC cannot "see" in the total darkness of full-borne night. Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. |
|
Clouds at Dawn
PIA08263
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem -
…
| Title |
Clouds at Dawn |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Saturn's clouds billow and swirl in the turbulent zones of shear between eastward- and westward-flowing jets. This view looks toward the terminator on Saturn, where night gives way to day. The image was taken using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 728 nanometers. The image was obtained with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 16, 2006 at a distance of approximately 338,000 kilometers (210,000 miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 67 degrees. Image scale is 17 kilometers (10 miles) per pixel. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm [ http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov ]. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org [ http://ciclops.org ]. |
|
Temperature Behavior of Poss
…
PIA09930
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Temperature Behavior of Possible Cave Skylight on Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Each of the three images in this set covers the same patch of Martian ground, centered on a possible cave skylight informally called "Annie," which has a diameter about double the length of a football field. The Thermal Emission Imaging System camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter took all three, gathering information that the hole is cooler than surrounding surface in the afternoon and warmer than the surrounding surface at night. This is thermal behavior that would be expected from an opening into an underground space. The left image was taken in visible-wavelength light (figure 1). The other two were taken in thermal infrared wavelengths, indicating the relative temperatures of features in the image. The center image is from mid-afternoon. The hole is warmer than the shadows of nearby pits to the north and south, while cooler than sunlit surfaces. The thermal image at right was taken in the pre-dawn morning, about 4 a.m. local time. At that hour, the hole is warmer than all nearby surfaces. Annie and six other features with similar thermal behavior are on the northern slope of a high Martian volcano named Arsia Mons, which is at 9 degrees south latitude, 239 degrees east longitude. Mars Odyssey is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The orbiter's Thermal Emission Imaging System was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, Santa Barbara, Calif., and is operated by Arizona State University. |
|
Temperature Behavior of Poss
…
PIA09930
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Temperature Behavior of Possible Cave Skylight on Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Each of the three images in this set covers the same patch of Martian ground, centered on a possible cave skylight informally called "Annie," which has a diameter about double the length of a football field. The Thermal Emission Imaging System camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter took all three, gathering information that the hole is cooler than surrounding surface in the afternoon and warmer than the surrounding surface at night. This is thermal behavior that would be expected from an opening into an underground space. The left image was taken in visible-wavelength light (figure 1). The other two were taken in thermal infrared wavelengths, indicating the relative temperatures of features in the image. The center image is from mid-afternoon. The hole is warmer than the shadows of nearby pits to the north and south, while cooler than sunlit surfaces. The thermal image at right was taken in the pre-dawn morning, about 4 a.m. local time. At that hour, the hole is warmer than all nearby surfaces. Annie and six other features with similar thermal behavior are on the northern slope of a high Martian volcano named Arsia Mons, which is at 9 degrees south latitude, 239 degrees east longitude. Mars Odyssey is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The orbiter's Thermal Emission Imaging System was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, Santa Barbara, Calif., and is operated by Arizona State University. |
|
Pre-Dawn Martian Sky
PIA00918
Sol (our sun)
Imager for Mars Pathfinder
| Title |
Pre-Dawn Martian Sky |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On Sol 39 there were wispy blue clouds in the pre-dawn sky of Mars, as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The color image was made by taking blue, green, and red images and then combining them into a single color image. The clouds appear to have a bluish side and a greenish side because they moved (in the wind from the northeast) between images. This picture was made an hour and twenty minutes before sunrise -- the sun is not shining directly on the water ice clouds, but they are illuminated by the dawn twilight. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. |
|
Pre-Dawn Clouds Over Mars
PIA00919
Sol (our sun)
Imager for Mars Pathfinder
| Title |
Pre-Dawn Clouds Over Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder. The bright clouds near the bottom are about 30 degrees above the horizon. The clouds are believed to be at an altitude of 10 to 15 km, and are thought to be made of small water ice particles. The picture was taken about 35 minutes before sunrise. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. |
|
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared
…
PIA07853
| Title |
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared to our Own |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: Band of Light Comparison This artist's concept illustrates what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical alien planet in a star system with an asteroid belt 25 times as massive as the one in our own solar system (alien system above, ours below, see Figure 1). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence for such a belt around the nearby star called HD 69830, when its infrared eyes spotted dust, presumably from asteroids banging together. The telescope did not find any evidence for a planet in the system, but astronomers speculate one or more may be present. The movie begins at dusk on the imaginary world, when HD 69830, like our Sun, has begun to set over the horizon. Time is sped up to show the onset of night and the appearance of a brilliant band of light. This light comes from dust in a massive asteroid belt, which scatters sunlight. In our solar system, anybody observing the skies on a moonless night far from city lights can see the sunlight that is scattered by dust in our asteroid belt. Called zodiacal light and sometimes the "false dawn," this light appears as a dim band stretching up from the horizon when the Sun is about to rise or set. The light is faint enough that the disk of our Milky Way galaxy remains the most prominent feature in the sky. (The Milky Way disk is shown perpendicular to the zodiacal light in both pictures.) In contrast, the zodiacal light in the HD 69830 system would be 1,000 times brighter than our own, outshining even the Milky Way. |
|
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared
…
PIA07853
| Title |
Alien Asteroid Belt Compared to our Own |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: Band of Light Comparison This artist's concept illustrates what the night sky might look like from a hypothetical alien planet in a star system with an asteroid belt 25 times as massive as the one in our own solar system (alien system above, ours below, see Figure 1). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence for such a belt around the nearby star called HD 69830, when its infrared eyes spotted dust, presumably from asteroids banging together. The telescope did not find any evidence for a planet in the system, but astronomers speculate one or more may be present. The movie begins at dusk on the imaginary world, when HD 69830, like our Sun, has begun to set over the horizon. Time is sped up to show the onset of night and the appearance of a brilliant band of light. This light comes from dust in a massive asteroid belt, which scatters sunlight. In our solar system, anybody observing the skies on a moonless night far from city lights can see the sunlight that is scattered by dust in our asteroid belt. Called zodiacal light and sometimes the "false dawn," this light appears as a dim band stretching up from the horizon when the Sun is about to rise or set. The light is faint enough that the disk of our Milky Way galaxy remains the most prominent feature in the sky. (The Milky Way disk is shown perpendicular to the zodiacal light in both pictures.) In contrast, the zodiacal light in the HD 69830 system would be 1,000 times brighter than our own, outshining even the Milky Way. |
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