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Red Giant Plunging Through S …
Title Red Giant Plunging Through Space
Description This image from the Spitzer Space Telescope (left panel) shows the "bow shock" of a dying star named R Hydrae (R Hya) in the constellation Hydra. Bow shocks are formed where the stellar wind from a star are pushed into a bow shape (illustration, right panel) as the star plunges through the gas and dust between stars. Our own Sun has a bow shock, but prior to this image one had never been observed around this particular class of red giant star. R Hya moves through space at approximately 50 kilometers per second. As it does so, it discharges dust and gas into space. Because the star is relatively cool, that ejecta quickly assumes a solid state and collides with the interstellar medium. The resulting dusty nebula is invisible to the naked eye but can be detected using an infrared telescope. This bow shock is 16,295 AU from the star to the apex and 6,188 AU thick. 1 AU is the distance between the Sun and the Earth. The mass of the bow shock is about 400 times the mass of the Earth. The false-color Spitzer image shows infrared emissions at 70 microns. Brighter colors represent greater intensities of infrared light at that wavelength. The location of the star itself is drawn onto the picture in the black "unobserved" region in the center.
Comets Kick up Dust in Helix …
Title Comets Kick up Dust in Helix Nebula
Description This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye. The nebula, located about 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, belongs to a class of objects called planetary nebulae. Discovered in the 18th century, these colorful beauties were named for their resemblance to gas-giant planets like Jupiter. Planetary nebulae are the remains of stars that once looked a lot like our sun. When sun-like stars die, they puff out their outer gaseous layers. These layers are heated by the hot core of the dead star, called a white dwarf, and shine with infrared and visible colors. Our own sun will blossom into a planetary nebula when it dies in about five billion years. In Spitzer's infrared view of the Helix nebula, the eye looks more like that of a green monster's. Infrared light from the outer gaseous layers is represented in blues and greens. The white dwarf is visible as a tiny white dot in the center of the picture. The red color in the middle of the eye denotes the final layers of gas blown out when the star died. The brighter red circle in the very center is the glow of a dusty disk circling the white dwarf (the disk itself is too small to be resolved). This dust, discovered by Spitzer's infrared heat-seeking vision, was most likely kicked up by comets that survived the death of their star. Before the star died, its comets and possibly planets would have orbited the star in an orderly fashion. But when the star blew off its outer layers, the icy bodies and outer planets would have been tossed about and into each other, resulting in an ongoing cosmic dust storm. Any inner planets in the system would have burned up or been swallowed as their dying star expanded. So far, the Helix nebula is one of only a few dead-star systems in which evidence for comet survivors has been found. This image is made up of data from Spitzer's infrared array camera and multiband imaging photometer. Blue shows infrared light of 3.6 to 4.5 microns, green shows infrared light of 5.8 to 8 microns, and red shows infrared light of 24 microns.
Comets Kick up Dust in Helix …
Title Comets Kick up Dust in Helix Nebula
Description This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye. The nebula, located about 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, belongs to a class of objects called planetary nebulae. Discovered in the 18th century, these colorful beauties were named for their resemblance to gas-giant planets like Jupiter. Planetary nebulae are the remains of stars that once looked a lot like our sun. When sun-like stars die, they puff out their outer gaseous layers. These layers are heated by the hot core of the dead star, called a white dwarf, and shine with infrared and visible colors. Our own sun will blossom into a planetary nebula when it dies in about five billion years. In Spitzer's infrared view of the Helix nebula, the eye looks more like that of a green monster's. Infrared light from the outer gaseous layers is represented in blues and greens. The white dwarf is visible as a tiny white dot in the center of the picture. The red color in the middle of the eye denotes the final layers of gas blown out when the star died. The brighter red circle in the very center is the glow of a dusty disk circling the white dwarf (the disk itself is too small to be resolved). This dust, discovered by Spitzer's infrared heat-seeking vision, was most likely kicked up by comets that survived the death of their star. Before the star died, its comets and possibly planets would have orbited the star in an orderly fashion. But when the star blew off its outer layers, the icy bodies and outer planets would have been tossed about and into each other, resulting in an ongoing cosmic dust storm. Any inner planets in the system would have burned up or been swallowed as their dying star expanded. So far, the Helix nebula is one of only a few dead-star systems in which evidence for comet survivors has been found. This image is made up of data from Spitzer's infrared array camera and multiband imaging photometer. Blue shows infrared light of 3.6 to 4.5 microns, green shows infrared light of 5.8 to 8 microns, and red shows infrared light of 24 microns.
Water Vapor & Particles Over …
Description Water Vapor & Particles Over Enceladus
Full Description This plot shows results from Cassini's ion neutral mass spectrometer and cosmic dust analyzer, obtained during the spacecraft's close approach to Enceladus on July 14, 2005. Within a minute of that closest approach, the two instruments detected material coming from the surface of the moon. The ion neutral mass spectrometer measured a large peak in the abundance of water vapor at approximately 35 seconds before closest approach to Enceladus, as it flew over the south polar region at an altitude of 270 kilometers (168 miles). The high rate detector of the cosmic dust analyzer observed a peak in the number of fine, powder-sized icy particles coming from the surface approximately a minute before reaching closest approach, at an altitude of 460 kilometers (286 miles). The character of these detections is very similar to the venting of vapor and fine, icy particles from the surfaces of comets when they are warmed as they near the Sun. On Enceladus however, it is believed that internal heat, possibly from tidal forces, is responsible for the activity. The close but different occurrences of the two detections are yielding important clues to the location of the vents and even the venting process. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ion and neutral mass spectrometer team is based at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The cosmic dust analyzer is operated by scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Michigan/Max Planck Institute
Date August 30, 2005
Panoramic Hubble Picture Sur …
Title Panoramic Hubble Picture Surveys Star Birth, Proto-Planetary Systems in the Great Orion Nebula
A Puzzle of Galactic Evoluti …
Title A Puzzle of Galactic Evolution is Solved ? Massive Gas Clouds Seed the Galaxy with the Stuff of Stars
Massive Infant Stars Rock th …
Title Massive Infant Stars Rock their Cradle
A Butterfly-Shaped "Papillon …
Title A Butterfly-Shaped "Papillon" Nebula Yields Secrets of Massive Star Birth
Hubble Snaps Picture of Rema …
Title Hubble Snaps Picture of Remarkable Double Cluster
Hubble Peeks into a Stellar …
Title Hubble Peeks into a Stellar Nursery in a Nearby Galaxy
General Information What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]
Hubble Panoramic View of Ori …
Title Hubble Panoramic View of Orion Nebula Reveals Thousands of Stars
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. In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star formation region is one of astronomy's most WATCH: HubbleMinute Video Hubble Minute: Hubble Snaps the Clearest View of the Orion Nebula Hubble Minute: Hubble Snaps the Clearest View of the Orion Nebula [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/video/a/ ] READ: Junior version of this article Amazing Space Learn about this story in the Star Witness, a science newspaper available on our sister site, Amazing Space. [ http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/news/archive/2006/01/ ] dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. More than 3,000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. Some of them have never been seen in visible light. These stars reside in a dramatic dust-and-gas landscape of plateaus, mountains, and valleys that are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. The Orion Nebula is a picture book of star formation, from the massive, young stars that are shaping the nebula to the pillars of dense gas that may be the homes of budding stars. Read more: * NASA Press Release [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/text/ ] * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/full/ ]
Hubble Panoramic View of Ori …
Title Hubble Panoramic View of Orion Nebula Reveals Thousands of Stars
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. In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star formation region is one of astronomy's most WATCH: HubbleMinute Video Hubble Minute: Hubble Snaps the Clearest View of the Orion Nebula Hubble Minute: Hubble Snaps the Clearest View of the Orion Nebula [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/video/a/ ] READ: Junior version of this article Amazing Space Learn about this story in the Star Witness, a science newspaper available on our sister site, Amazing Space. [ http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/news/archive/2006/01/ ] dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. More than 3,000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. Some of them have never been seen in visible light. These stars reside in a dramatic dust-and-gas landscape of plateaus, mountains, and valleys that are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. The Orion Nebula is a picture book of star formation, from the massive, young stars that are shaping the nebula to the pillars of dense gas that may be the homes of budding stars. Read more: * NASA Press Release [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/text/ ] * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/full/ ]
Astronomers Find Smallest Ex …
Title Astronomers Find Smallest Extrasolar Planet Yet Around Normal Star
Hubble Observations Confirm …
Title Hubble Observations Confirm that Planets Form from Disks Around Stars
Hubble Peers Inside a Celest …
Title Hubble Peers Inside a Celestial Geode
Hubble Sees 'Comet Galaxy' B …
Title Hubble Sees 'Comet Galaxy' Being Ripped Apart By Galaxy Cluster
Ultra-cool Diminutive Star W …
Title Ultra-cool Diminutive Star Weighs In
General Information What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. The power of the some of the world's biggest telescopes has been brought to bear to directly measure the mass, for the first time, of one of the smallest stars ever seen in the universe. Barely the size of the planet Jupiter, the dwarf star weighs in at just 8.5 percent of the mass of our Sun. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2004/51/text/ ]
Uncovering the Veil Nebula
Title Uncovering the Veil Nebula
General Information What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope photographed three magnificent sections of the Veil Nebula -- the shattered remains of a supernova that exploded thousands of years ago. This series of images provides beautifully detailed views of the delicate, wispy structure resulting from this cosmic explosion. The Veil Nebula is one of the most spectacular supernova remnants in the sky. The entire shell spans about 3 degrees on the sky, corresponding to about 6 full moons.
Star Cluster Bursts into Lif …
Title Star Cluster Bursts into Life in New Hubble Image
General Information What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Thousands of sparkling young stars are nestled within the giant nebula NGC 3603. This stellar "jewel box" is one of the most massive young star clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy. NGC 3603 is a prominent star-forming region in the Carina spiral arm of the Milky Way, about 20,000 light-years away. This latest image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows a young star cluster surrounded by a vast region of dust and gas. The image reveals stages in the life cycle of stars.
Hubble Zooms In on Heart of …
Title Hubble Zooms In on Heart of Mystery Comet
Astronomers Use Hubble to 'W …
Title Astronomers Use Hubble to 'Weigh' Dog Star's Companion
Astronomers Use Hubble to 'W …
Title Astronomers Use Hubble to 'Weigh' Dog Star's Companion
Astronomers Use Hubble to 'W …
Title Astronomers Use Hubble to 'Weigh' Dog Star's Companion
Planet Or Failed Star? NASA' …
Title Planet Or Failed Star? NASA's Hubble Telescope Photographs One of Smallest Stellar Companions Ever Seen
Planet Or Failed Star? NASA' …
Title Planet Or Failed Star? NASA's Hubble Telescope Photographs One of Smallest Stellar Companions Ever Seen
Planet Or Failed Star? NASA' …
Title Planet Or Failed Star? NASA's Hubble Telescope Photographs One of Smallest Stellar Companions Ever Seen
McNaught Now Brightest Comet …
Title McNaught Now Brightest Comet in Decades
Explanation The brightest comet in decades [ http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/icq/brightest.html ] is unexpectedly now visible [ http://skytonight.com/observing/highlights/5118926.html ]. The most optimistic predictions have Comet McNaught [ http://cometography.com/lcomets/2006p1.html ] (C/2006 P1) shortly becoming one of the brightest comets of the past century. For the next few days, its short tail and bright coma can be spotted with the unaided eye close to the Sun [ http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ ] and near the horizon in both evening [ http://spaceweather.com/images2007/08jan07/ skymap_north.gif ] and morning [ http://spaceweather.com/images2007/08jan07/ skymap_north_m.gif ] skies. This dramatic picture of the comet [ http://spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught.htm ] shining through cloudy skies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070105.html ] was taken near sunset on January 7 from Bad Mergentheim, Germany.
McNaught's Matinee
Title McNaught's Matinee
Explanation Comets grow bright when they're close to the Sun, basking [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020111.html ] in the intense solar radiation. Of course, they're also usually impossible to see against [ http://www.wonderquest.com/daylight-stars.htm ] the overwhelming scattered sunlight [ http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/ General/BlueSky/blue_sky.html ]. But surprising Comet McNaught - whose January 12 closest approach to the Sun (perihelion [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/ link=/physical_science/physics/mechanics/orbit/ perihelion_aphelion.html&edu=high ] passage) was well inside the orbit [ http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ ] of Mercury - gave an enjoyable performance [ http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/ gallery_mcnaught_page7.htm ] in bright blue daytime skies. In fact, comet expert David Levy captured this remarkable inset (upper left) telescopic view of McNaught within an hour of perihelion, with the comet in broad daylight only about 7 degrees away from the Sun's position [ http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/ ]. Stefan Seip's wider daytime view [ http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/comets/ 070113b_d.htm ] of the comet and fluffy clouds was recorded approximately a day later. Seip used a polarizing filter and a telescope/camera set up near Stuttgart, Germany. No longer visible in broad daylight, Comet McNaught [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_McNaught ] is now touring twilight southern skies [ http://www.yp-connect.net/~mmatti/ ].
Mira Over Germany
Title Mira Over Germany
Explanation What's that new star in the sky? The star might appear new, but it's actually just the variable star Mira [ http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/mira.html ] near its brightest. Rolling your cursor over the above vertically compressed image will identify the unusual star Mira [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060722.html ], a star that can change from practical invisibility to one of the brighter stars on the sky over the course of a year. Pictured above [ http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/constellations/070215mira1024.htm ] a castle in Stuttgart [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart ], Germany [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany ], last week, red giant [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant ] star Mira [ http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/Mira_variable.html ] appeared near its maximum brightness of magnitude [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude ] 2. Although similar in mass to our Sun, Mira [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mira ] tenuous and cool atmosphere could extend out past the orbit of Mars, and achieve a luminosity over 10,000 times greater than our Sun. Mira is near the end of its life and its variability is somewhat erratic. Details of Mira's variability are still being researched [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2004MNRAS.352..318I ], but the reason for Mira's pulsations are thought related to periodic changes in the thickness of parts of Mira's atmosphere. Recent high resolution images [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010121.html ] show that Mira is not even round. Mira lies 420 light years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] distant toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of the Monster Whale (Cetus [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/cet/index.html ]). Mira [ http://isi.ssl.berkeley.edu/aavso_mira_information.htm ] will fade over the next 200 days, but climb back to naked-eye visibility early next year.
A Solar Eclipse Painting fro …
Title A Solar Eclipse Painting from the 1700s
Explanation Is this painting the earliest realistic depiction of a total eclipse of the Sun? Some historians believe it is. The above painting [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007ReArt..11..299O ] was completed in 1735 by Cosmas Damian Asam [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmas_Damian_Asam ], a painter and architect famous in early eighteenth century Germany. Clearly drawn is not only a total solar eclipse [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/solar.html ], but the solar corona [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010408.html ] and the diamond ring effect [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060330.html ] visible when sunlight flows [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b82s74UV6KQ ] only between mountains on the Moon. The person depicted viewing these eclipse phenomena is St. Benedict [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Benedict ]. Roberta J. M. Olson and Jay Pasachoff have hypothesized [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007ReArt..11..299O ] that Asam himself may have seen first hand one or all of the total solar eclipses [ http://photos.si.edu/eclipse/eclipse.html ] of May 1706, 1724, and 1733. Many facts about our astronomical universe [ http://casswww.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/History.html ] that are taken for granted today have been known -- or accurately recorded -- only during the last millennium [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_millenium ]. Asam's painting currently hangs in Weltenburg Abbey [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltenburg_Abbey ] in Bavaria [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavaria ], Germany [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany ].
Sun, Moon, Hot Air Balloon
Title Sun, Moon, Hot Air Balloon
Explanation Anticipating the celestial shadow play [ http://colorsofindia.com/eclipse/shadowplay.htm ] of a solar eclipse, sky gazers across Germany watched the Sun rise [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030604.html ] on May 31. In Bonn [ http://www.bonn.de/ ], astrophotographer Thilo Kranz had set up his small refractor telescope [ http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/eclipse/exhibition/ seven.asp ] and camera on the Kennedy Bridge across the Rhein river to get a good view to the northeast. The timing of this eclipse [ http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/ eclipses/article_971_1.asp ] must have seemed ideal for a local balloon flight too, as hot air balloonists also favor early morning hours with usually calm surface winds. Kranz and colleagues had noticed a balloon drifting in the hazy sky near the horizon and speculated about viewing the eclipse [ http://www.americanliterature.com/SS/SS12.HTML ] from on board [ http://eclipse.span.ch/2003asepix.htm ]. But when the eclipsed Sun finally emerged into view they were delighted to see the lighter-than-air [ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/balloon/ science/ ] craft make the occasion a very special show from their own vantage point. In fact, in the central panel of this montage of Kranz's telescopic eclipse images, the silhouetted balloon reminds the APOD editors of a remarkably well-fed exclamation mark!
At the Edge of the Sun
Title At the Edge of the Sun
Explanation Dramatic prominences [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/sun/prominences.html ] can sometimes be seen looming just beyond the edge of the sun. A solar prominence [ http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Program/hfilament.html ] is a cloud of solar gas held just above the surface by the Sun's magnetic field [ http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/the_key.htm ]. The Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010204.html ] would easily fit below the prominence [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030223.html ] on the left. A quiescent prominence [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970127.html ] typically lasts about a month, and may erupt in a Coronal Mass Ejection [ http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/cmes.htm ] (CME) expelling hot gas into the Solar System [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/solarsys/scale.html ]. Although very hot, prominences typically appear dark [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010129.html ] when viewed against the Sun [ http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html ], since they are slightly cooler than the surface. The above image [ http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/_index.htm ] in false color was taken on June 1 from Stuttgart, Germany [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gm.html ] with an amateur telescope and camera.
Venus and the Chromosphere
Title Venus and the Chromosphere
Explanation Enjoying [ http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/venustransit/ gallery_08jun04_page6.htm ] the 2004 Transit of Venus [ http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/sunearthday/2004/ index_vthome.htm ] from Stuttgart, Germany, astronomer Stefan Seip recorded this fascinating, detailed image of the Sun. Revealing [ http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/ feature2.htm ] a network of cells and dark filaments [ http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Program/ hfilament.html ] against a bright solar disk with spicules and prominences [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030418.html ] along the Sun's limb, his telescopic picture [ http://www.photomeeting.de/astromeeting/ sun/040608b_d.htm ] was taken through an H-alpha filter. The filter [ http://www.novac.com/solar/solar5.htm ] narrowly transmits only the red light from hydrogen atoms and emphasizes the solar chromosphere [ http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Program/ chromosphere.html ] -- the region of the Sun's atmosphere immediately above its photosphere or normally visible surface. Here, the dark disk of Venus seems to be imitating a giant sunspot that looks perhaps a little too round. But in H-alpha pictures [ http://www.spacescience.org/SWOP/ Interactives/1.html ] like this one, sunspot regions are usually dominated by bright splotches (called plages [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/sun/ prominences.html ]) on the solar chromosphere.
Solar Arcs and Halos
Title Solar Arcs and Halos
Explanation Have you ever seen a bright halo around the Sun? Unusual halos and arcs [ http://www.meteoros.de/indexe.htm ] were so bright one recent afternoon in Trier [ http://www.trier.de/ ], Germany [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gm.html ] that even casual people on the street noticed them. The fantastic sky [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020114.html ] display is pictured above [ http://www.engl.paraselene.de/html/halo_display_jun_26__2004_2.html ] and included a 22 degree halo arc [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040804.html http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/circular.htm ], a complete parhelic circle [ http://www.engl.paraselene.de/html/parhelic_circle.html ], a circumhorizon arc [ http://www.meteoros.de/arten/ee23e.htm ] and even an infralateral arc [ http://www.meteoros.de/arten/ee22e.htm ]. A computer simulation has been run that mimics the above [ http://www.engl.paraselene.de/html/halo_display_jun_26__2004_2.html ] rare display. A cloud partially blocked the usually more intense direct glare of the Sun. Sunlight refracting through falling and fluttering hexagonal ice crystals creates such displays. Such atmospheric ice crystals also cause sundogs [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990823.html ] and Moon halos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000515.html ].
Orange Moon, Red Flash
Title Orange Moon, Red Flash
Explanation This remarkable telescopic image highlights the deep orange cast of a waning gibbous [ http://www.earthsky.org/skywatching/tips_moonphases.php ] Moon seen very close to the eastern horizon earlier this week, on September 19. In fact [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030923.html ], today's equinox at 22:23 UT [ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/UT.html ] marks the beginning of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere and makes this view from Stuttgart, Germany an almost Autumn Moon [ http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1595_1.asp ]. While the long sight-line through the atmosphere filters and reddens the moonlight, it also bends different colors of light through slightly different angles, producing noticeable red (bottom) and green [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050826.html ] (top) lunar rims. Also captured here floating just below the Moon is a thin, red mirage (inset) -- in this case, an atmospherically magnified and distorted [ http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/explain/simulations/inf-mir/ inf-mirSS4GF.html ] image of the red rim. Of course, this tantalizing lunar "red flash" is related to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000507.html ] the more commonly seen green flash [ http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/index.html ] of the Sun.
Europa, Ganymede, and Callis …
PIA01656
Jupiter
Solid-State Imaging
Title Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto: Surface comparison at high spatial resolution
Original Caption Released with Image Ganymede's youngest large craters would have been created only about one billion years ago. Europa's surface in this model should be very young, with this satellite being geologically quite active even today. The images were taken by the Solid State Imaging (SSI) system on NASA's Galileo spacecraft. They were processed by the Institute of Planetary Exploration of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin, Germany, and scaled to a size of 150 meters per pixel (m/pixel). North is up in all images. The spatial resolution of the original data was 180 m/pixel for Europa and Ganymede and 90 m/pixel for Callisto. The Europa image was taken during Galileo's 6th orbit, the Ganymede image during the 7th, and the Callisto image during the 10th orbit. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo [ http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo ]., These images show a comparison of the surfaces of the three icy Galilean satellites, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, scaled to a common resolution of 150 meters per picture element (pixel). Despite the similar distance of 0.8 billion kilometers to the sun, their surfaces show dramatic differences. Callisto (with a diameter of 4817 kilometers) is "peppered" by impact craters, but is also covered by a dark material layer of so far unknown origin, as seen here in the region of the Asgard multi-ring basin. It appears that this layer erodes or covers small craters. Ganymede's landscape is also widely formed by impacts, but different from Callisto, much tectonic deformation can be observed in the Galileo images, such as these of Nicholson Regio. Ganymede, with a diameter of 5268 kilometers (one-and-a-half times larger than the Earth's moon), is the largest moon in the solar system. Contrary to Ganymede and Callisto, Europa (diameter 3121 kilometers) has a sparsely cratered surface, indicating that geologic activity took place more recently. Globally, ridged plains and the so-called "mottled terrain" are the main landforms. In the high-resolution image presented here showing the area around the Agave and Asterius dark lineaments, older ridges dominate the surface, while a small part of the younger mottled terrain is visible to the lower left of the image center. While all three moons are believed to be nearly as old as the solar system (4.5 billion years), the age of the surfaces, i.e. the time since the last major geologic activity took place, is still subject to debate. Without having surface samples in hand, the only method to roughly determine a planet's or satellite's geologic surface age is by crater counting. However, assumptions about the impactor fluxes must be made based on theoretical models and possible observations of candidate impactors such as asteroids and comets. Asteroids should have been very common in the early days of the solar system, but this source should have been largely exhausted by about 3.8 billion years before present. For comets, the impactor flux is believed to be rather constant throughout the whole lifetime of the solar system, meaning that the probability of an impact of a large comet is similar today as it was, say, four billion years ago. Assuming the asteroids have been the dominant bodies that impacted the Galilean satellites (which is believed to be the case on the Moon, the Earth, and other inner solar system bodies as well as within the asteroid belt itself), the surfaces of Ganymede and Callisto must be old, roughly four billion years. In this case, the Europan surface would by comparison have a mean age of one-hundred to several-hundred million years. Low-level geologic activity on Europa might be possible, but Ganymede and Callisto should be geologically dead. Assuming on the other hand that comets have been the main impactors in the Jovian system, Callisto's surface would still be determined to be old, but
Full Disk Image of the Sun, …
PIA09321
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Full Disk Image of the Sun, March 26, 2007 (Anaglyph)
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. This image is a composite of left and right eye color image pairs taken by the SECCHI Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) mounted on the STEREO-B and STEREO-A spacecraft. STEREO-B is located behind the Earth, and follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual left eye in space. STEREO-A is located ahead of the Earth, and leads the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual right eye in space. The structure of the corona shows well in this image. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the three-dimensional structure of the solar material. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Close-up View of an Active R …
PIA09323
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Close-up View of an Active Region of the Sun, March 23, 2007 (Anaglyph)
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. This image is a composite of left and right eye color image pairs taken by the SECCHI Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) mounted on the STEREO-B and STEREO-A spacecraft. STEREO-B is located behind the Earth, and follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual left eye in space. STEREO-A is located ahead of the Earth, and leads the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual right eye in space. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the three-dimensional structure of the solar material. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Full Disk Image of the Sun, …
PIA09320
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Full Disk Image of the Sun, March 26, 2007
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the temperature difference of the solar material. The structure of the corona shows well in this image. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
North Pole of the Sun, March …
PIA09328
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title North Pole of the Sun, March 20, 2007
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the temperature difference of the solar material. A large spicule can be seen. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
North Pole of the Sun, March …
PIA09329
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title North Pole of the Sun, March 20, 2007 (Anaglyph)
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. This image is a composite of left and right eye color image pairs taken by the SECCHI Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) mounted on the STEREO-B and STEREO-A spacecraft. STEREO-B is located behind the Earth, and follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual left eye in space. STEREO-A is located ahead of the Earth, and leads the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual right eye in space. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the three-dimensional structure of the solar material. A large spicule can be seen. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Right Limb of the South Pole …
PIA09327
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Right Limb of the South Pole of the Sun, March 18, 2007 (Anaglyph)
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. This image is a composite of left and right eye color image pairs taken by the SECCHI Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) mounted on the STEREO-B and STEREO-A spacecraft. STEREO-B is located behind the Earth, and follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual left eye in space. STEREO-A is located ahead of the Earth, and leads the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual right eye in space. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the three-dimensional structure of the solar material. A prominence is clearly visible. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Close-up View of an Active R …
PIA09322
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Close-up View of an Active Region of the Sun, March 23, 2007
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the temperature difference of the solar material. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Closer View of the Equatoria …
PIA09325
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Closer View of the Equatorial Region of the Sun, March 24, 2007 (Anaglyph)
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. This image is a composite of left and right eye color image pairs taken by the SECCHI Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) mounted on the STEREO-B and STEREO-A spacecraft. STEREO-B is located behind the Earth, and follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual left eye in space. STEREO-A is located ahead of the Earth, and leads the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual right eye in space. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the three-dimensional structure of the solar material. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Right Limb of the South Pole …
PIA09326
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Right Limb of the South Pole of the Sun, March 18, 2007
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the temperature difference of the solar material. A prominence is clearly visible. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Closer View of the Equatoria …
PIA09324
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Closer View of the Equatorial Region of the Sun, March 24, 2007
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the temperature difference of the solar material. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Space Radar Image of Oberpfa …
PIA01716
Sol (our sun)
Title Space Radar Image of Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Water Vapor & Particles Over …
PIA03553
Saturn
Cosmic Dust Analyzer, Ion Ne …
Title Water Vapor & Particles Over Enceladus
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1 for Water Vaport & Particles Over Enceladus This plot shows results from Cassini's ion neutral mass spectrometer and cosmic dust analyzer, obtained during the spacecraft's close approach to Enceladus on July 14, 2005. Within a minute of that closest approach, the two instruments detected material coming from the surface of the moon. The ion neutral mass spectrometer measured a large peak in the abundance of water vapor at approximately 35 seconds before closest approach to Enceladus, as it flew over the south polar region at an altitude of 270 kilometers (168 miles). The high rate detector of the cosmic dust analyzer observed a peak in the number of fine, powder-sized icy particles coming from the surface approximately a minute before reaching closest approach, at an altitude of 460 kilometers (286 miles). The character of these detections is very similar to the venting of vapor and fine, icy particles from the surfaces of comets when they are warmed as they near the Sun. On Enceladus however, it is believed that internal heat, possibly from tidal forces, is responsible for the activity. The close but different occurrences of the two detections are yielding important clues to the location of the vents and even the venting process. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ion and neutral mass spectrometer team is based at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The cosmic dust analyzer is operated by scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov ].
Water Vapor & Particles Over …
PIA03553
Saturn
Cosmic Dust Analyzer, Ion Ne …
Title Water Vapor & Particles Over Enceladus
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1 for Water Vaport & Particles Over Enceladus This plot shows results from Cassini's ion neutral mass spectrometer and cosmic dust analyzer, obtained during the spacecraft's close approach to Enceladus on July 14, 2005. Within a minute of that closest approach, the two instruments detected material coming from the surface of the moon. The ion neutral mass spectrometer measured a large peak in the abundance of water vapor at approximately 35 seconds before closest approach to Enceladus, as it flew over the south polar region at an altitude of 270 kilometers (168 miles). The high rate detector of the cosmic dust analyzer observed a peak in the number of fine, powder-sized icy particles coming from the surface approximately a minute before reaching closest approach, at an altitude of 460 kilometers (286 miles). The character of these detections is very similar to the venting of vapor and fine, icy particles from the surfaces of comets when they are warmed as they near the Sun. On Enceladus however, it is believed that internal heat, possibly from tidal forces, is responsible for the activity. The close but different occurrences of the two detections are yielding important clues to the location of the vents and even the venting process. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ion and neutral mass spectrometer team is based at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The cosmic dust analyzer is operated by scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov ].
Left Limb of North Pole of t …
PIA09333
SECCHI/Extreme Ultraviolet I …
Title Left Limb of North Pole of the Sun, March 20, 2007 (Anaglyph)
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the Sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting. This image is a composite of left and right eye color image pairs taken by the SECCHI Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) mounted on the STEREO-B and STEREO-A spacecraft. STEREO-B is located behind the Earth, and follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual left eye in space. STEREO-A is located ahead of the Earth, and leads the Earth in orbit around the Sun, This location enables us to view the Sun from the position of a virtual right eye in space. The EUVI imager is sensitive to wavelengths of light in the extreme ultraviolet portion of the spectrum. EUVI bands at wavelengths of 304, 171 and 195 Angstroms have been mapped to the red blue and green visible portion of the spectrum, and processed to emphasize the three-dimensional structure of the solar material. STEREO, a two-year mission, launched October 2006, will provide a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. The two nearly identical observatories -- one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind -- will trace the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. They will reveal the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections, violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO will become a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival time of Earth-directed solar ejections with its unique side-viewing perspective. STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Goddard Science and Exploration Directorate manages the mission, instruments, and science center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. The imaging and particle detecting instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
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