The Space Thread -

Tony M

treitz3

https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-alien-planet-clouds

From the article - "The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb) is already confounding expectations with a surprising new discovery: It detected evidence for clouds on an exoplanet that was thought to have completely clear skies."

Tom

huggies

I love this thread!

gudnoyez

https://youtu.be/1aqVbFFghEE

Sadly this is all I can contribute, lots of cool pictures great thread.

pitdogg2

gudnoyez wrote: »

https://youtu.be/1aqVbFFghEE

Sadly this is all I can contribute, lots of cool pictures great thread.

Fantastic!

mrbigbluelight

Nice 👍

And not derailing your thread, Tom, but I couldn't help but think of this early 70's Van Halen Sammy Hagar prequel, Montrose's "Space Station #9"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aZXF7IpuVFE


Excellent thread 👍👍

jdjohn

I'm sure many here have already read where a micrometeoriod (piece of space dust) damaged one of the mirrors back in May.

Apparently they expected this type of thing. https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/06/08/webb-engineered-to-endure-micrometeoroid-impacts/
Amazing the damage that a spec of dust flying at 'extreme velocities' can do.

Clipdat

jdjohn wrote: »

Amazing the damage that a spec of dust flying at 'extreme velocities' can do.

I feel like there's a sex joke here somewhere.

skrol

treitz3 wrote: »

... According to estimations, on average, Webb will be hit with one micrometeorite per month, and after 10 years, only 0.1% of the primary mirror would be damaged. Webb has an anticipated lifespan of 20 years.

When we last saw Hubble at the last servicing mission in 2009, the solar arrays were peppered with impacts. Most just burn through and the cells go on producing electricity. Some result in shorts that reduce the output. There is obviously some loss due to damage to the cover glass. Early on one of the high gain antennas took a hit and looks like it has a bullet hole. I wonder what it looks like not 13 years later. Overall, she is still doing well and doing great science, though now overshadowed by JWST. However, Hubble still has a place since it handles wavelengths near IR through UV.

mhardy6647

Clipdat wrote: »

jdjohn wrote: »

Amazing the damage that a spec of dust flying at 'extreme velocities' can do.

I feel like there's a sex joke here somewhere.

I dunno -- it reminds me more of the FAA shooting chickens at aircraft windshields.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/aviation-chicken-cannons-guns-cmd/index.html




Pro tip: chickens need to be fresh, not frozen.

treitz3

Carina Nebula JWST Data
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
Processing credit: Alexandra Nachman



Tom

treitz3

Now, back here on Earth, let's revisit sprites again. I was talking about red sprites and offered a couple of examples of them. But have you ever heard of a gigantic blue jet? Scientists say the blue jets are 30-mile-long bolts of lightning that shoot out from the tops of a thunderstorms.

Using cameras and X-ray detectors aboard the International Space Station (ISS), scientists have discovered the origin of so-called “blue jets” of lightning in our atmosphere for the first time. The scientists say the blue jets—appearing 80,000 feet above sea level—are born from “blue bangs” inside of thunderclouds. As for the origin of the blue bangs? That’s still a bit of a mystery.



They are extremely rare. Below is a bit more information about where above the Earth they are located.



Here is a one in a million shot from Earth of one. This would be a gigantic blue jet.



Tom

VR3

Never heard of that and that is cool af

ZLTFUL

Always been fascinated by meteorological phenomena. Especially pixies, sprites, elves, gnomes...but had never heard of the giant blue jets. That is amazing. But with all the gamma rays, I figured it would be green...and called a Banner instead. (I am very funny...my mom says so.)

pitdogg2

Shuttle astronauts is where I first heard of them. They would talk about giant blue lightning bolts or some phenomenon coming out of the top of thunderstorms.

treitz3

Now, this is one heck of a selfie....



Tom

mrbigbluelight

Not saying it's anything but it's a bit.....interesting






https://mars.nasa.gov/raw_images/1064629/

treitz3

Tom

NotaSuv

This Thursday will see 2 launches from the Cape within hours of another.....SpaceX has already launched more rockets to date then all of last year..............

Tony M

Uhura is out there somewhere now.

pitdogg2

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/05/europe/scientist-space-image-chorizo-intl-scli-scn/index.html

mhardy6647

^^^
wow.
On the one hand, nice to see a scientist with a sense of humor.
On the other hand, it says a lot about people's gullibility.

treitz3

Tom

treitz3

Here is one of the latest images to come from the James Webb telescope -



"The latest JWST image is a wonderful view of the Cartwheel Galaxy, a composite produced by the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

The Cartwheel Galaxy is the result of a collision between two different galaxies that took place about 400 million years ago. What remains is an inner ring and an outer ring, giving the galaxy merger the appearance of a spoked wheel. These 'spokes' are actually the remnants of the arms of the larger galaxy, which have been distorted as a result of a collision with a smaller galaxy.

The scene appears red through Webb's infrared view as a result of the glow from hydrocarbon-rich cosmic dust. Galaxy mergers are some of the most spectacular events in the cosmos and make for incredible images, as this JWST image shows.

One day our own Milky Way galaxy will collide with the neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy, resulting in an event referred to as the Andromeda-Milky Way collision. Images like this one captured by the Webb Telescope perhaps give us an insight into the fate of our own galaxy's future."

The above came from this article that has more photos (most of which have already appeared on this thread) - https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-missions/james-webb-space-telescope-images/

Tom

Emlyn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buqtdpuZxvk

ZLTFUL

My buddy, Brad, is at it again. Sunflowers are at their peak at Badger Creek Rec Area in central Iowa...

mhardy6647

^^^ marvelous.

NotaSuv

On one of the following days 8/29, 9/2, 9/3 the rocket to the moon will lift off. It will be one of most powerful rockets to ever lift off from KSC. It is expected to bring over 100,000 into the area to watch, can only imagine what the first manned launch to the moon will bring to the area

treitz3

𝐒𝐍 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟔 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭
A new star, likely the brightest supernova in recorded human history, lit up planet Earth's sky in the year 1006 AD. The expanding debris cloud from the stellar explosion, found in the southerly constellation of Lupus, still puts on a cosmic light show across the electromagnetic spectrum. In fact, this composite view includes X-ray data in blue from the Chandra Observatory, optical data in yellowish hues, and radio image data in red.

Now known as the SN 1006 supernova remnant, the debris cloud appears to be about 60 light-years across and is understood to represent the remains of a white dwarf star.

Part of a binary star system, the compact white dwarf gradually captured material from its companion star. The buildup in mass finally triggered a thermonuclear explosion that destroyed the dwarf star.

Because the distance to the supernova remnant is about 7,000 light-years, that explosion actually happened 7,000 years before the light reached Earth in 1006. Shockwaves in the remnant accelerate particles to extreme energies and are thought to be a source of the mysterious cosmic rays.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Zolt Levay (STScI)

Tom

mrbigbluelight

HOLY.......COW ,!! What an image !

The yellowish/white "streak" from about the 2 o'clock position ccw to the 11 o'clock position:
I think that is from optical data but regardless of the data dource: what is it ? 🤔
It would seem to be lightyear(s)
in length. ?