What Future Missions Are You Looking Forward To The Most?

Solar System: Things to Know This Week

Discoveries in planetary science are often both weird and wonderful, and these newest announcements are no exception. This week we present a few of the most interesting recent scientific findings from our missions and NASA-funded planetary science. Take a look:

1. Seeing Spots

Scientists from our Dawn mission unveiled new images from the spacecraft’s lowest orbit at the dwarf planet Ceres, including highly anticipated views of the famous “bright spots” of Occator Crater. Take a look HERE.

2. Pluto’s Secrets Brought to Light

A year ago, Pluto was just a bright speck in the cameras of our approaching New Horizons spacecraft, not much different than its appearances in telescopes since Clyde Tombaugh discovered the dwarf planet in 1930. Now, New Horizons scientists have authored the first comprehensive set of papers describing results from last summer’s Pluto system flyby. Find out more HERE.

3. Rising Above the Rest

In a nod to extraterrestrial mountaineers of the future, scientists working on our Cassini mission have identified the highest point on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. The tallest peak is 10,948 feet (3,337 meters) high and is found within a trio of mountainous ridges called the Mithrim Montes, named for the mountains in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth.

4. Does the “Man in the Moon” Have a New Face?

New NASA-funded research provides evidence that the spin axis of Earth’s moon shifted by about five degrees roughly three billion years ago. The evidence of this motion is recorded in the distribution of ancient lunar ice, evidence of delivery of water to the early solar system.

5. X-Ray Vision

Solar storms are triggering X-ray auroras on Jupiter that are about eight times brighter than normal over a large area of the planet and hundreds of times more energetic than Earth’s “northern lights,” according to a new study using data from our Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Want to learn more? Read our full list of things to know this week about the solar system HERE.

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The Great Aviation Transformation Begins

On this National Aviation Day, we’re going “X.” 

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of America’s original U.S. aviation pioneers — Orville Wright. But this year we also celebrate the pioneers of right now — the women and men of NASA who are changing the face of aviation by going “X.” We’re starting the design and build of a series of piloted experimental aircraft – X-planes – for the final proof that new advanced tech and revolutionary shapes will give us faster, quieter, cleaner ways to get from here to there.

So, what is an X-plane?

Since the early days of aviation, X-planes have been used to demonstrate new technologies in their native environment – flying through the air aboard an aircraft that’s shaped differently from the tube-and-wing of today. X-planes are the final step after ground tests. They provide valuable data that can lead to changes in regulation, design, operations, and options for travel. Two of the most famous historical X-planes are the Bell X-1 and the X-15.

Why can’t I fly supersonic now, say from New York to Seattle?

Because of the loud, jarring sonic boom. Commercial supersonic flight over land and, therefore over communities, is currently prohibited. Our supersonic X-plane will fly “quiet”; there’ll still be a sonic boom but it’ll sound more like a soft “thump.”  The Low Boom Flight Demonstration X-plane, scheduled for first flight in 2021 and to begin community overflight testing in 2022, will provide the technical and human response data to federal and international regulators so they can consider lifting the ban. If that happens, someday commercial supersonic passenger flights between U.S. coasts would be less than three hours.

This is a preliminary design of the Low Boom Flight Demonstration X-plane. Its shape is carefully tailored to prevent the formation of a loud sonic boom.

Will I ever be able to carry on a conversation when a plane flies overhead?

Yes. Our next X-plane will be one that flies at regular speed, but has advanced design technologies and a nontraditional shape that drop perceived noise level by more than half. It will also reduce fuel consumption by 60-80 percent, and cut emissions by more than 80 percent. Design of this piloted X-plane is expected to begin around 2020.

This possible X-plane design is a blended wing body, which reduces drag and increases lift, and also reduces noise because the engines are placed above the fuselage.

Will I ever fly on an airplane powered like my Prius?

Probably. All- or hybrid-electric aircraft that can carry 12 – 120 passengers are becoming more likely. For a larger aircraft and possible future X-plane, NASA is studying how to use electric power generated by the engines to drive a large fan in a tail-cone and get additional thrust for takeoff and reduce fuel use.

This possible future subsonic X-plane would use electricity to power a large fan in the tail-cone, providing extra thrust at takeoff.

We – along with our government, industry and academic partners – have begun the great aviation transformation. And you’ll witness every important moment of our X-plane stories, here and on every #NationalAviationDay.

Like the X-plane posters for National Aviation Day? Download them: https://www.nasa.gov/aero/nasa-x/

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

I was looking at the GLOBE Observer experiments for citizens and was wondering how the eclipse affects the cloud type? Or, I guess, why is that an important thing to measure? Thank you for answering our questions!

As my dad likes to say, I went to college to take up space, so I’m not sure what happens in the atmosphere. However, I think that the atmospheric scientists are interested in the types of waves that will be set up by the temperature gradients generated by the eclipse. So as totality occurs you get a very fast temperature drop in a localized area. I believe this can set up strong winds which may affect the type of clouds and/or their shapes. This is going to be the best-observed eclipse! And one thing I’ve learned as a scientist is that you never know what you’ll find in your data so collect as much of it as possible even if you aren’t sure what you’ll find. That is sometimes when you get the most exciting results! Thanks for downloading the app and helping to collect the data! 

What’s Up for April 2017

Jupiter, the king of the planets, is visible all night long, and the Lyrids meteor shower peaks on April 22.

On April 7, Jupiter--the king of planets--reaches opposition, when it shines brightest and appears largest. 

Jupiter will be almost directly overhead at midnight.

This is also a great time to observe the planet’s Galilean moons--Io, Ganymeade, Europa and Callisto. They can be easily seen through binoculars.

With binoculars, you can even see the Great Red Spot as the storm transits the planet every ten hours.

Looking east on April 22, look to the skies for the Summer Triangle, consisting of Deneb, in Cygnus, the Swan; Altair in Aquila, the Eagle; and Vega, in Lyre(the Harp).

Get ready for the Lyrids, the year’s second major meteor shower, as it pierces the Summer Triangle in the early morning hours of April 22. Since the shower begins close to the new moon, expect excellent almost moonless viewing conditions.  

You can catch up on solar system and all of our missions at www.nasa.gov

Watch the full “What’s Up for April 2017″ video: 

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@ladyknighttime: What's your favorite activity to do in space that you might not have expected?

Got a question about black holes? Let’s get to the bottom of these odd phenomena. Ask our black hole expert anything! 

Black holes are mystifying yet terrifying cosmic phenomena. Unfortunately, people have a lot of ideas about them that are more science fiction than science. Don’t worry! Our black hole expert, Jeremy Schnittman, will be answering your your questions in an Answer Time session on Wednesday, October 2 from 3pm - 4 pm ET here on NASA’s Tumblr! Make sure to ask your question now by visiting http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask!

Jeremy joined the Astrophysics Science Division at our Goddard Space Flight Center in 2010 following postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. His research interests include theoretical and computational modeling of black hole accretion flows, X-ray polarimetry, black hole binaries, gravitational wave sources, gravitational microlensing, dark matter annihilation, planetary dynamics, resonance dynamics and exoplanet atmospheres. He has been described as a "general-purpose astrophysics theorist," which he regards as quite a compliment. 

Fun Fact: The computer code Jeremy used to make the black hole animations we featured last week is called "Pandurata," after a species of black orchid from Sumatra. The name pays homage to the laser fusion lab at the University of Rochester where Jeremy worked as a high school student and wrote his first computer code, "Buttercup." All the simulation codes at the lab are named after flowers.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Out of all the theories and fantasies created around blackholes, which of them, in your opinion, do you think could come closest to reality?

Hubble Space Telescope: Exploring the Cosmos and Making Life Better on Earth

In the 35 years since its launch aboard space shuttle Discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided stunning views of galaxies millions of light years away. But the leaps in technology needed for its look into space has also provided benefits on the ground. Here are some of the technologies developed for Hubble that have improved life on Earth.

Image Sensors Find Cancer

Charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors have been used in digital photography for decades, but Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph required a far more sensitive CCD. This development resulted in improved image sensors for mammogram machines, helping doctors find and treat breast cancer.

Laser Vision Gives Insights

In preparation for a repair mission to fix Hubble’s misshapen mirror, Goddard Space Flight Center required a way to accurately measure replacement parts. This resulted in a tool to detect mirror defects, which has since been used to develop a commercial 3D imaging system and a package detection device now used by all major shipping companies.

Optimized Hospital Scheduling

A computer scientist who helped design software for scheduling Hubble’s observations adapted it to assist with scheduling medical procedures. This software helps hospitals optimize constantly changing schedules for medical imaging and keep the high pace of emergency rooms going.

Optical Filters Match Wavelengths and Paint Swatches

For Hubble’s main cameras to capture high-quality images of stars and galaxies, each of its filters had to block all but a specific range of wavelengths of light. The filters needed to capture the best data possible but also fit on one optical element. A company contracted to construct these filters used its experience on this project to create filters used in paint-matching devices for hardware stores, with multiple wavelengths evaluated by a single lens.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

Blooms in the Baltic

Every summer, phytoplankton – microscopic plant-like organisms – spread across the North Atlantic, with blooms spanning hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles. Nutrient-rich, cooler waters tend to promote more growth among marine plants and phytoplankton than is found in tropical waters. Blooms this summer off Scandinavia seem to be particularly intense.

On July 18, 2018, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired a natural-color image of a swirling green phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Finland, a section of the Baltic Sea. Note how the phytoplankton trace the edges of a vortex; it is possible that this ocean eddy is pumping up nutrients from the depths.

Though it is impossible to know the phytoplankton type without sampling the water, three decades of satellite observations suggest that these green blooms are likely to be cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), an ancient type of marine bacteria that capture and store solar energy through photosynthesis (like plants).

In recent years, the proliferation of algae blooms in the Baltic Sea has led to the regular appearance of “dead zones” in the basin. Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria consume the abundant nutrients in the Baltic ¬and deplete the oxygen. According to researchers from Finland’s University of Turku, the dead zone this year is estimated to span about 70,000 square kilometers (27,000 square miles).

Read more: https://go.nasa.gov/2uLK4aZ

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Hello! I am an avid lover of the cosmos and all things too grand for our minds to grasp. I was wondering, honestly, how do you cope with the pressure of your jobs, or say the scale of what is on your shoulders? It's quite an impressive thing you do, and it just gets me curious as to how you deal with the expectations that come with this type of job? Like, when you go home at night and eat your dinner, go to bed, do you have to practice mindfulness? Thanks for answering these! Love you guys!!!