Hubble Survey Carries Out a Dark Matter Census
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been used to make an image of galaxy cluster MACS J1206.2-0847. The apparently distorted shapes of distant galaxies in the background is caused by an invisible substance called dark matter, whose gravity bends and distorts their light rays. MACS 1206 has been observed as part of a new survey of galaxy clusters using Hubble.
Read more: http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1115/
Huge Glowing Bubbles of Gas, Captured in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble’s famous images of galaxies typically show elegant spirals or soft-edged ellipses. But these neat forms are only representative of large galaxies. Smaller galaxies like the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg II come in many shapes and types that are harder to classify. This galaxy’s indistinct shape is punctuated by huge glowing bubbles of gas, captured in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
The release, images and videos are available on:
NASA/ESA Hubble Movies Provide Unprecedented View of Supersonic Jets from Young Stars
Astronomers have combined two decades of Hubble observations to make unprecedented movies revealing never-before-seen details of the birth pangs of new stars. This sheds new light on how stars like the Sun form.
Read more:
http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1113/
Four Unusual Views of the Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is revealed in unprecedented detail in four archive observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. They show stars and structure in the galaxy’s disc, the halo of stars that surrounds it, and a stream of stars left by a companion galaxy as it was torn apart and pulled in by the galaxy’s gravitational forces.
http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1112/
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NASA/ESA Celebrate 21st Anniversary of the Launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
This image of a pair of interacting galaxies called Arp 273 was released to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
The distorted shape of the larger of the two galaxies shows signs of tidal interactions with the smaller of the two. It is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger one.
Hubble was launched April 24, 1990, aboard Discovery’s STS-31 mission. Hubble discoveries revolutionized nearly all areas of current astronomical research from planetary science to cosmology.
Arp 273 Zoom Sequence (Narrated)
CryoSat-2 Yields First Reults on Ice Thickness in the Arctic region
Back in April, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched a satellite named CryoSat-2 for the purpose of measuring ice thickness in the Arctic region. Although the satellite is still undergoing checkout and calibration, the first results from CryoSat-2 were released to the participants at the Living Planet Symposium. The symposium is being held in Bergen, Norway this year, from 28 June to 2 July 2010 and organized with the support of the Norwegian Space Centre. Learn more about sea ice thickness and the latest data released by ESA from CryoSat-2 online now here.
ESA Releases Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity Data
The European Space Agency (ESA) today revealed to the public, for the first time, some of the science data coming from the ESA Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite launched in November 2009. As its name implies, the SMOS mission is to “to gather data on moisture in the surface layers of soil and salt in the surface of the oceans.” ESA scientists hope that this will “improve our understanding of the water cycle and help advance weather and climate studies.” Learn more about the SMOS spacecraft and its first science data online now here.
ESA Celebrates Microsatellite Proba-2 Achievements
In November of 2009, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched a uniquely small satellite, called a microsatellite, to observe the Sun. The spacecraft is called Proba-2 and it has been acquiring science data since February of this year. In a conference last week, ESA scientists presented the first data from Proba-2. Among the presentations was a video of the Sun made by Proba-2 highlighting coronal mass ejections (CME). See the video released to the public today (and more) captured by Proba-2 online now here.
ESA Releases First GOCE Global Model
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced today that it was releasing the first global gravitational field model of the Earth based upon its satellite called GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer). These data are important to scientists because they are “a crucial reference for accurately measuring ocean circulation, sea-level change and ice dynamics – all affected by climate change.” Learn more about this Earth observing satellite model online now here.
ESA’s Venus Express Sheds More Light on Water Question
The European Space Agency (ESA) Venus Express is shedding more light on the question of the disappearance. For years now, scientists have theorized that Venus once had much more water, maybe even enough to have harbored the development of life. The latest results from the Venus Express have demonstrated that there is almost precisely twice as much hydrogen escaping the atmosphere of Venus as oxygen. This ratio is precisely what you would expect if the original source of both was water.
Learn more about the questions surrounding the water of Venus online now here.