Space and Astronomy Megathread (MERGED) - Part 1

[Brutikus]

Dragon Aurora over Iceland
Image Credit & Copyright: Jingyi Zhang & Wang Zheng

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Behold: The Oldest Black Hole Ever Found

Astrophysicists are questioning how black holes form after finding one from the beginning of the universe.

gizmodo.com

 

[blueharvest]

Cost, schedule overruns threaten US moon mission, experts tell Congress

NASA aims to conduct a crewed test flight around the Moon as early as September 2025, preparation for a mission to establish a long-term human presence on Earth’s satellite.

www.courthousenews.com

 

[Brutikus]

The Orion You Can Almost See
Image Credit & Copyright: Michele Guzzini

 

[blueharvest]

Giant Structure Found Lurking in Deep Space Challenges Understanding of The Universe

A colossal structure in the distant Universe is defying our understanding of how the Universe evolved.

www.sciencealert.com

 

[Brutikus]

Star Cluster IC 348 from Webb
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and K. Luhman (Penn State U.) and C. Alves de Oliveira (ESA)

 

[Morg]

Water ice buried at Mars' equator is over 2 miles thick

 

[blueharvest]

Laser Instrument on NASA’s LRO Successfully ‘Pings’ Indian Moon Lander - NASA Science

For the first time at the Moon, a laser beam was transmitted and reflected between an orbiting NASA spacecraft and an Oreo-sized device on ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) Vikram lander on the lunar surface. The successful experiment opens the door to a new style of precisely locating...

science.nasa.gov

 

[Brutikus]

Star Cluster IC 348 from Webb
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and K. Luhman (Penn State U.) and C. Alves de Oliveira (ESA)

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Japan Becomes the Latest Country to Land on the Moon

The SLIM spacecraft made a successful soft landing on the lunar surface, but a problem with its solar panels means it will soon run out of power.

www.nytimes.com

 

[blueharvest]

NASA loses contact with Ingenuity Mars helicopter

The dropout occurred on Thursday (Jan. 18), during Ingenuity's 72nd Red Planet flight.

www.space.com

 

[Brutikus]

Falcon Heavy Boostback Burn
Image Credit & Copyright: Dennis Huff

 

[blueharvest]

Why there is a new global race to the moon

Globally, more than 100 lunar missions are expected to take place by 2030, according to the European Space Agency.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Brutikus]

Rocket Transits Rippling Moon
Image Credit & Copyright: Steven Madow

 

[blueharvest]

James Webb Space Telescope: Finally, the edge of the universe and beyond

Launched in 2021 on Christmas Day, the James Webb Space Telescope is the most complex, precise and powerful space observatory ever built.

phys.org

 

[Brutikus]

America and the Sea of Serenity
Image Credit & Copyright: Gene Cernan, Apollo 17, NASA; Anaglyph by Patrick Vantuyne

 

[Brutikus]

Deep Nebulas: From Seagull to California
Image Credit & Copyright: Alistair Symon

 

[Dr.]

There is another candidate black hole — Phoenix A — which may be quite a bit larger. However, According to Science™, Phoenix A exceeds the theoretical maximum for black hole size. So the assumption is that there’s something off about the measurement. Whereas, the size estimate of Ton 618 is more solid.

Note that the relative size comparison is to Earth’s orbit, which is approx. 300 million kilometers. The Sun’s diameter is tiny in comparison. And the Earth would be microscopic.

 

[blueharvest]

NASA finally opens OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample canister after freeing stuck lid

NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample capsule begins to reveal its secrets.

www.space.com

 

[Brutikus]

The Horsehead Nebula
Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Hanson & Martin Pugh, SSRO, PROMPT, CTIO, NSF

 

[:eek:]

NASA's Curiosity rover snaps iconic 'Star Trek' symbol on Mars, thrilling scientists

NASA's Curiosity rover spotted a rock formation on Mars that looks just like Star Trek's signature Starfleet symbol.

www.livescience.com

 

[Brutikus]

Jyväskylä in the Sky
Image Credit & Copyright: Harri Kiiskinen

 

[:eek:]

Total solar eclipse April 8, 2024: The longest and most visible for the US in 100 years

When a total solar eclipse attains a duration of over 4 minutes it certainly should be considered as an exceptional eclipse.

www.space.com

 

[blueharvest]

Japan’s moon landing picture might be the space photo of the decade

It's really hard to touch down on the lunar surface.

mashable.com

 

[Brutikus]

Epsilon Tauri: Star with Planet
Image Credit & Copyright: Reg Pratt