|
|
Hurricane Isabel
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel |
| Description |
After churning through the central and western Atlantic as a powerful hurricane with sustained winds up to 160 miles per hour, Isabel has weakened dramatically as a result of encountering dry air and westerly wind shear west of the Bahamas. Throughout the storm's journey across the Atlantic, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has continued to monitor Isabel?s progress and provide valuable information on the storm?s structure. The first image was taken on September 15, 2003, at 3:44 UTC (September 14, 11:44 pm AST) when Isabel was still classified as a very powerful Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 155 mph. It gives a top-down perspective of Isabel in terms of rainfall rates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) in the inner swath spliced together with those from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) in the outer swath. These are overlayed on Infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). It shows that Isabel has a large, well-defined eye with long bands of intense rainrates of over 2 inches per hour (dark red areas) that are feeding heat energy into the storm mainly north and east of the center. The IR data also shows that Isabel has good cirrus outflow indicating a favorable environment for the storm. At this time Isabel was located about 535 miles due east of Nassau in the Bahamas and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. The next image, taken almost 24 hours later at 2:56 UTC on September 16 (September 15, 10:56 pm AST), shows a very different looking Isabel. The eye has become ragged and disorganized, and the eyewall convection is essentially gone as evidenced by the lack of any appreciable areas of intense rainfall. Without those heavy rainrates associated with the eyewall convection releasing their heat energy into the core of the hurricane, Isabel is like a giant engine whose cyclinders are not firing and will thus slowly spin down unless new convection occurs. At this time, Isabel?s winds were down to 120 mph as estimated by the National Hurricane Center. The storm was located 700 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and was heading northwest at 7 mph. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori
| Title |
Machaba Balu Preserve, Florida |
| Description |
In northeastern Florida, just north of fast-growing Jacksonville, the Nassau, the St. Marys, and the St. Johns Rivers flow lazily toward the Atlantic Ocean through a broad maze of islands, canals, and tidal marshes. Hammocks of land rise above the floodplain, supporting forests that are home to rare plants and animals, such as the Florida black bear and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The coastal estuaries and barrier islands are habitat for manatees, right whales, and sea turtles. Recently, the Nature Conservancy added about 10,000 acres of tidal marshes to the area's protected lands. The new preserve is called Machaba Balu, which in the language of the Timucuan Indians, some of the area's early residents, means "saved marsh." These images show the area between the Nassau River (north) and the St. Johns River (south) just north of Jacksonville. The Atlantic Ocean is at image right. In the photo-like image (top), rivers and streams appear purplish blue, natural vegetation appears deep green, and bare surfaces, including beaches, developed areas, and roads, appear bright white or gray. In the infrared-enhanced image (bottom), water appears blue, vegetation appears bright green, and bare or thinly vegetated ground appears pinkish. This false-color image makes the flooded saltwater marshes stand out better from forests and other vegetation. The Machaba Balu Preserve includes numerous individual tracts of marsh between the Nassau and the St. Johns Rivers. The largest clusters are concentrated just to the west of Little Talbot State Park and on either side of Sisters Creek south of the large fork. The images are made from data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on the Landsat satellite on October 23, 1999. Coastal estuaries and tidal marshes are the interface between land and ocean. All over the world they provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including many that humans depend on for food. They provide flood control and storm-surge protection, and they filter out pollutants that would otherwise flow unchecked from land to ocean. Recognizing the tremendous importance of oceans and coastal areas to the nation's heritage, economy, and security, President Bush proclaimed the week of June 4-10, 2006, to be National Oceans Week and reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting marine resources "through wise stewardship and sensible management." Preserves such as Machaba Balu are an important part of strategies that will preserve coastal resources in the midst of Jacksonville's rapid growth. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ] |
|
Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori
| Title |
Machaba Balu Preserve, Florida |
| Description |
In northeastern Florida, just north of fast-growing Jacksonville, the Nassau, the St. Marys, and the St. Johns Rivers flow lazily toward the Atlantic Ocean through a broad maze of islands, canals, and tidal marshes. Hammocks of land rise above the floodplain, supporting forests that are home to rare plants and animals, such as the Florida black bear and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The coastal estuaries and barrier islands are habitat for manatees, right whales, and sea turtles. Recently, the Nature Conservancy added about 10,000 acres of tidal marshes to the area's protected lands. The new preserve is called Machaba Balu, which in the language of the Timucuan Indians, some of the area's early residents, means "saved marsh." These images show the area between the Nassau River (north) and the St. Johns River (south) just north of Jacksonville. The Atlantic Ocean is at image right. In the photo-like image (top), rivers and streams appear purplish blue, natural vegetation appears deep green, and bare surfaces, including beaches, developed areas, and roads, appear bright white or gray. In the infrared-enhanced image (bottom), water appears blue, vegetation appears bright green, and bare or thinly vegetated ground appears pinkish. This false-color image makes the flooded saltwater marshes stand out better from forests and other vegetation. The Machaba Balu Preserve includes numerous individual tracts of marsh between the Nassau and the St. Johns Rivers. The largest clusters are concentrated just to the west of Little Talbot State Park and on either side of Sisters Creek south of the large fork. The images are made from data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on the Landsat satellite on October 23, 1999. Coastal estuaries and tidal marshes are the interface between land and ocean. All over the world they provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including many that humans depend on for food. They provide flood control and storm-surge protection, and they filter out pollutants that would otherwise flow unchecked from land to ocean. Recognizing the tremendous importance of oceans and coastal areas to the nation's heritage, economy, and security, President Bush proclaimed the week of June 4-10, 2006, to be National Oceans Week and reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting marine resources "through wise stewardship and sensible management." Preserves such as Machaba Balu are an important part of strategies that will preserve coastal resources in the midst of Jacksonville's rapid growth. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ] |
|
Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori
| Title |
Machaba Balu Preserve, Florida |
| Description |
In northeastern Florida, just north of fast-growing Jacksonville, the Nassau, the St. Marys, and the St. Johns Rivers flow lazily toward the Atlantic Ocean through a broad maze of islands, canals, and tidal marshes. Hammocks of land rise above the floodplain, supporting forests that are home to rare plants and animals, such as the Florida black bear and the red-cockaded woodpecker. The coastal estuaries and barrier islands are habitat for manatees, right whales, and sea turtles. Recently, the Nature Conservancy added about 10,000 acres of tidal marshes to the area's protected lands. The new preserve is called Machaba Balu, which in the language of the Timucuan Indians, some of the area's early residents, means "saved marsh." These images show the area between the Nassau River (north) and the St. Johns River (south) just north of Jacksonville. The Atlantic Ocean is at image right. In the photo-like image (top), rivers and streams appear purplish blue, natural vegetation appears deep green, and bare surfaces, including beaches, developed areas, and roads, appear bright white or gray. In the infrared-enhanced image (bottom), water appears blue, vegetation appears bright green, and bare or thinly vegetated ground appears pinkish. This false-color image makes the flooded saltwater marshes stand out better from forests and other vegetation. The Machaba Balu Preserve includes numerous individual tracts of marsh between the Nassau and the St. Johns Rivers. The largest clusters are concentrated just to the west of Little Talbot State Park and on either side of Sisters Creek south of the large fork. The images are made from data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor on the Landsat satellite on October 23, 1999. Coastal estuaries and tidal marshes are the interface between land and ocean. All over the world they provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including many that humans depend on for food. They provide flood control and storm-surge protection, and they filter out pollutants that would otherwise flow unchecked from land to ocean. Recognizing the tremendous importance of oceans and coastal areas to the nation's heritage, economy, and security, President Bush proclaimed the week of June 4-10, 2006, to be National Oceans Week and reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting marine resources "through wise stewardship and sensible management." Preserves such as Machaba Balu are an important part of strategies that will preserve coastal resources in the midst of Jacksonville's rapid growth. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml ] |
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Tropical Cyclone Percy
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Percy |
| Description |
Cyclone Percy continued its rampage across the South Pacific on March 1, 2005, after battering the Northern Cook Islands with its powerful 260-kilometer-per-hour wind gusts. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image taken by NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 2:40 a.m. local time on February 28 (00:40 UTC on March 1), shows that the storm now has a clearly defined eye. When the image was taken, Percy had just passed over Pukapuku and Nassau, leaving both in shambles. According to news reports, no structures escaped damage on Nassau and just 10 buildings remain intact in Pukapuku. The storm had sustained winds of 213 kilometers per hour (132 mph) with gusts to 260 kph (160 mph), making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm is weakening as it moves south towards the southern Cook Islands and Rarotonga. Percy is the fourth cyclone to strike the Cook Islands in the past four weeks. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The image is available in additional resolutions. |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Percy |
| Description |
Already a powerful Pacific cyclone, Cyclone Percy exploded from a Category 4 storm to a Category 5 cyclone on March 2, 2005. NASA's QuickSCAT satellite captured the change in the above images, taken on March 1 and March 2. The images depict wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. The top image shows Percy early on March 1, as the storm was strengthening from a Category 3 storm to a Category 4 storm. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, are scattered around the center of the storm. By early the next day (lower image), the strongest winds were well-organized around the eye of the storm, resembling a "mini-cyclone." As indicated by the darker shade of purple, the winds are also stronger than they were the previous day. Winds had strengthened around the outer edges of the storm as well. On March 2, high winds represented in red extend further out from the center of the storm, and the lower wind speeds shown in green and yellow cover a smaller area. When the lower image was taken on March 2, Percy was a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (161 mph) and gusts to 315 kph (196 mph). At the time, the storm was over open waters, missing the island nation's Palmerston atoll by 160 kilometers. The images, however, reveal lower wind speeds. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones, however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists don't have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 kilometers per hour or 58 miles per hour). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. After these images were taken, Cyclone Percy weakened and continued to move south. It is expected to continue to weaken and should just sideswipe the more populated capital of the Cook Islands, Rarotonga. Earlier in the week, Percy destroyed most of the structures on Pukapuka and Nassau, two of the northern Cook Islands. NASA image courtesy the QuickSCAT Science Team [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Percy |
| Description |
Already a powerful Pacific cyclone, Cyclone Percy exploded from a Category 4 storm to a Category 5 cyclone on March 2, 2005. NASA's QuickSCAT satellite captured the change in the above images, taken on March 1 and March 2. The images depict wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. The top image shows Percy early on March 1, as the storm was strengthening from a Category 3 storm to a Category 4 storm. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, are scattered around the center of the storm. By early the next day (lower image), the strongest winds were well-organized around the eye of the storm, resembling a "mini-cyclone." As indicated by the darker shade of purple, the winds are also stronger than they were the previous day. Winds had strengthened around the outer edges of the storm as well. On March 2, high winds represented in red extend further out from the center of the storm, and the lower wind speeds shown in green and yellow cover a smaller area. When the lower image was taken on March 2, Percy was a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (161 mph) and gusts to 315 kph (196 mph). At the time, the storm was over open waters, missing the island nation's Palmerston atoll by 160 kilometers. The images, however, reveal lower wind speeds. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones, however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists don't have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 kilometers per hour or 58 miles per hour). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. After these images were taken, Cyclone Percy weakened and continued to move south. It is expected to continue to weaken and should just sideswipe the more populated capital of the Cook Islands, Rarotonga. Earlier in the week, Percy destroyed most of the structures on Pukapuka and Nassau, two of the northern Cook Islands. NASA image courtesy the QuickSCAT Science Team [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Percy |
| Description |
Percy, a powerful Category 4 cyclone, is the latest cyclone to threaten the South Pacific. In early February Cyclone Meena hit the Cook Islands, and in mid-February Cyclone Nancy also skirted the Cook Islands while Cyclone Olaf brushed the islands of Samoa and American Samoa. Percy started out as a tropical depression on February 24, 2005, near Tuvalu, just east of the international dateline. The system moved east-southeast staying north of Samoa and steadily increased in strength. It became a cyclone on February 25 and, two days later, grew into a powerful Category 4 cyclone with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Percy then slowed down, weakened slightly and battered the atolls of Nassau and Pukapuka in the northern Cook Islands before turning south on February 28. Percy regained Category 4 strength on March 1, and then further intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm on the 2nd with maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 knots (161 mph). In November of 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite, was launched to measure rainfall over the global tropics. TRMM has also turned out to be an excellent observational platform for studying and monitoring tropical cyclones, as shown by this series of images of Cyclone Percy. The top left image, taken at 08:29 UTC on February 28, just as Percy was raking the Nassau and Pukapuka atolls, shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM shows an asymmetrical eye with intense rain (dark red area) in the northern part of the eyewall. This rain indicates where heat is being released into the storm. Known as "latent heat," it is the heat released when water vapor condenses into liquid cloud droplets. It is most effective in driving the cyclone's circulation when it is released near the center as is the case shown here by TRMM. The right image was taken at the same time by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm looking east. The intense rain (darker red area) is associated with the tallest towers in the northern eyewall. The broad yellow area indicating moderate rain is associated with an outer rainband. At the time of these images, Percy was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph). The lower left image was taken at 08:18 UTC on March 2, 2005. At this time Percy was a strong Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 130 knots (150 mph). The center of the storm does not fall within the PR swath, which has a higher horizontal resolution than the TMI. However, the TMI is still able to show what appears to a double, eyewall. Mature, intense tropical cyclones undergo what it known as eyewall replacement cycles wherein an outer eyewall forms as a ring surrounding the inner eyewall. The outer eyewall eventually contracts and replaces the inner eyewall. The two eyewalls are evident as the two concentric rings of moderate rain intensity (green areas).TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Percy |
| Description |
Percy, a powerful Category 4 cyclone, is the latest cyclone to threaten the South Pacific. In early February Cyclone Meena hit the Cook Islands, and in mid-February Cyclone Nancy also skirted the Cook Islands while Cyclone Olaf brushed the islands of Samoa and American Samoa. Percy started out as a tropical depression on February 24, 2005, near Tuvalu, just east of the international dateline. The system moved east-southeast staying north of Samoa and steadily increased in strength. It became a cyclone on February 25 and, two days later, grew into a powerful Category 4 cyclone with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Percy then slowed down, weakened slightly and battered the atolls of Nassau and Pukapuka in the northern Cook Islands before turning south on February 28. Percy regained Category 4 strength on March 1, and then further intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm on the 2nd with maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 knots (161 mph). In November of 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite, was launched to measure rainfall over the global tropics. TRMM has also turned out to be an excellent observational platform for studying and monitoring tropical cyclones, as shown by this series of images of Cyclone Percy. The top left image, taken at 08:29 UTC on February 28, just as Percy was raking the Nassau and Pukapuka atolls, shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM shows an asymmetrical eye with intense rain (dark red area) in the northern part of the eyewall. This rain indicates where heat is being released into the storm. Known as "latent heat," it is the heat released when water vapor condenses into liquid cloud droplets. It is most effective in driving the cyclone's circulation when it is released near the center as is the case shown here by TRMM. The right image was taken at the same time by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm looking east. The intense rain (darker red area) is associated with the tallest towers in the northern eyewall. The broad yellow area indicating moderate rain is associated with an outer rainband. At the time of these images, Percy was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph). The lower left image was taken at 08:18 UTC on March 2, 2005. At this time Percy was a strong Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 130 knots (150 mph). The center of the storm does not fall within the PR swath, which has a higher horizontal resolution than the TMI. However, the TMI is still able to show what appears to a double, eyewall. Mature, intense tropical cyclones undergo what it known as eyewall replacement cycles wherein an outer eyewall forms as a ring surrounding the inner eyewall. The outer eyewall eventually contracts and replaces the inner eyewall. The two eyewalls are evident as the two concentric rings of moderate rain intensity (green areas).TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Percy |
| Description |
Percy, a powerful Category 4 cyclone, is the latest cyclone to threaten the South Pacific. In early February Cyclone Meena hit the Cook Islands, and in mid-February Cyclone Nancy also skirted the Cook Islands while Cyclone Olaf brushed the islands of Samoa and American Samoa. Percy started out as a tropical depression on February 24, 2005, near Tuvalu, just east of the international dateline. The system moved east-southeast staying north of Samoa and steadily increased in strength. It became a cyclone on February 25 and, two days later, grew into a powerful Category 4 cyclone with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Percy then slowed down, weakened slightly and battered the atolls of Nassau and Pukapuka in the northern Cook Islands before turning south on February 28. Percy regained Category 4 strength on March 1, and then further intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm on the 2nd with maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 knots (161 mph). In November of 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite, was launched to measure rainfall over the global tropics. TRMM has also turned out to be an excellent observational platform for studying and monitoring tropical cyclones, as shown by this series of images of Cyclone Percy. The top left image, taken at 08:29 UTC on February 28, just as Percy was raking the Nassau and Pukapuka atolls, shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM shows an asymmetrical eye with intense rain (dark red area) in the northern part of the eyewall. This rain indicates where heat is being released into the storm. Known as "latent heat," it is the heat released when water vapor condenses into liquid cloud droplets. It is most effective in driving the cyclone's circulation when it is released near the center as is the case shown here by TRMM. The right image was taken at the same time by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and shows a vertical cross section through the center of the storm looking east. The intense rain (darker red area) is associated with the tallest towers in the northern eyewall. The broad yellow area indicating moderate rain is associated with an outer rainband. At the time of these images, Percy was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph). The lower left image was taken at 08:18 UTC on March 2, 2005. At this time Percy was a strong Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 130 knots (150 mph). The center of the storm does not fall within the PR swath, which has a higher horizontal resolution than the TMI. However, the TMI is still able to show what appears to a double, eyewall. Mature, intense tropical cyclones undergo what it known as eyewall replacement cycles wherein an outer eyewall forms as a ring surrounding the inner eyewall. The outer eyewall eventually contracts and replaces the inner eyewall. The two eyewalls are evident as the two concentric rings of moderate rain intensity (green areas).TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
M55: Color Magnitude Diagram
| Title |
M55: Color Magnitude Diagram B.J. Mochejska [ http://www.camk.edu.pl/~mochejsk/index.html ], J. Kaluzny [ http://www.astrouw.edu.pl/~jka/personal.html ] (CAMK [ http://www.camk.edu.pl/ ]), 1m Swope Telescope [ http://www.ociw.edu/lco/ ] |
| Explanation |
This color "picture" of globular star cluster M55 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000922.html ] may not look like any star cluster you've ever seen. Still, it shows a most fundamental view for students of stellar astronomy. In the picture, a Color Magnitude Diagram [ http://lodestar.phys.unm.edu/astro111/ Clusters/page2.htm ] (CMD), M55's individual stars are represented as dots whose color [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961202.html ] indicates relative temperature, red (cool) to blue (hot). Position in the CMD does not correspond to a star's location in the sky, though. Instead, it corresponds to a measured astronomical color [ http://astrwww.cwru.edu/nassau/reference/ photometry.html ], (B-V color) read off the bottom scale, and a brightness in magnitudes [ http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/universe/ MAG.HTML ] (M) on the left hand scale. The temperature [ http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/blynds/ tmp.html ] for each star can also be found by reading the equivalent scale at the top, where the Sun would have a temperature of 6,000 kelvins [ http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/temps.htm ] (K). Brightness relative to the Sun's luminosity (Sun = 1) is given on the scale at the right. The globular cluster stars [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ science/know_l2/stars.html ] clearly fall into distinct groups dramatically visible in this CMD. The broad swath extending diagonally from the lower right is the cluster's "main sequence". A sharp turn toward the upper right hand corner follows the "red giant branch" while the "blue giants" are found grouped in the upper left. M55's stars were formed at the same time and at first were all located along the main sequence by mass, lower mass stars at the lower right. Over time, higher mass stars have evolved off [ http://plabpc.csustan.edu/astro/stars/Stars.htm ] the main sequence into red, then blue giants and beyond [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980415.html ]. The exact position of the sharp turn-off from the main sequence to the red giant branch measures [ http://sirius.astrouw.edu.pl/~jka/Globular/ ] the cluster's age. |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy: Natu
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
percy_TRM_2005061
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-03-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
percy_TRM_2005061 |
|
Machaba Balu Preserve, Flori
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
In northeastern Florida, jus
timucuan_l7_1999296
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
1999-10-23 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the University of Maryland's glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility. |
| identifier |
timucuan_l7_1999296 |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy: Natu
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
Percy_QST_2005061
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-03-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Percy_QST_2005061 |
|
Hurricane Isabel: Natural Ha
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
After churning through the c
Isabel_TRM2003259
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-09-16 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Isabel_TRM2003259 |
|
Hurricane Michelle : Image o
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
Hurricane Michelle made land
Michelle.A2001308.1625
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2001-11-04 |
| creator |
NASA -- Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, modis-land.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
| identifier |
Michelle.A2001308.1625 |
|
Tropical Cyclone Percy: Natu
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Cyclone Percy continued its
Percy_AMO_2005060
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-03-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Percy_AMO_2005060 |
|
Air-to-air view of Columbia,
| Title |
Air-to-air view of Columbia, OV-102, atop SCA NASA 905 flying over JSC site |
| Description |
Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, mounted piggyback atop Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) NASA 905 is captured in this air-to-air view as it flies over the JSC site. The OV-102/SCA combination were en route to Florida from California following the successful STS-35 mission. Almost the entire 1625-acre site of JSC is visible below and in the background, along with a number of businesses and residences in the nearby municipality of Nassau Bay. This flyover photo was taken by NASA JSC Image Sciences Division (ISD) photographer Clarence P. Stanley who was a passenger in a T-38 jet aircraft. |
| Date Taken |
1990-12-21 |
|
Bahama Islands
| Title |
Bahama Islands |
| Description |
This beautiful photograph from space shows the contrast between islands, clouds, shallow water and deep water of the Bahamas (25.0N, 76.5E). The Bahama Islands of Nassau (the smaller island) and Eleuthera are at the edge of the Bahama Bank where the water is shallow revealing the bottom in pale blue detail contrasted to the dark depths of the Exuma Sound where the bottom is over a thousand feet deep. |
| Date Taken |
1983-04-09 |
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Houston, Texas area as seen
| Title |
Houston, Texas area as seen from STS-62 |
| Description |
The Greater Houston metropolitan area, completely clear of clouds, was captured on 70mm film by one of the STS-62 crew members aboard Columbia. The belt system on the north, east and south sides of the city can be traced in the frame, though not completed. The west belt is just out of frame on the left side. Houston Intercontinental Airport is at top center. The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Nassau Bay can be traced inland from the portion of Galveston Bay in the lower right corner. Not only the dome proper of Harris County Domed Stadium is visible but so are two other structures in the Astrodome complex (left center), Astro Arena and Astrohall. |
| Date Taken |
1994-03-17 |
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