<p>An&nbsp;asteroid as big as the Eiffel Tower is en route the Earth and is predicted to strike&nbsp;sometime early in 2021,&nbsp;according to a&nbsp;prediction made by&nbsp;French astrologer Nostradamus.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;monstrous asteroid called 2021 CO247, which is 0.83 times the height of the Eiffel Tower will fly past the Earth at 7.4 million kilometers.</p>

<p>Earlier,&nbsp;a gigantic 220-meter asteroid or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers flew past the Earth on January 3.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-huge-asteroid-and-three-small-neos-will-shoot-past-earth-in-early-jan-nasa-warns-353824">A huge asteroid and three small NEOs will shoot past Earth in early Jan, NASA warns</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA scientists say an asteroid called 2021 AC, which is twice the size of&nbsp;the Great Pyramid of Giza, is set to hit the&nbsp;Earth's orbit on Wednesday. It will zoom by a distance of 3.5 kilometers.</p>

<p>Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day.</p>

<p>NASA had said that similarly sized asteroids pass by Earth at a similar distance a few times per year, however, they are&nbsp;difficult to record, unless they&nbsp;head&nbsp;directly towards the planet, in which case the explosion in the atmosphere is usually noticed.</p>

<p>World-famous astrologer Nostradamus has made 6,338 predictions out of which 3797 prophecies have apparently proved correct.<br />
<br />
Michel de Nostredame, usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, physician and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events.</p>


An asteroid as big as the Eiffel Tower is en route the Earth and is predicted to strike sometime early in 2021, according to a prediction made by French astrologer Nostradamus.

An asteroid as big as the Eiffel Tower is en route the Earth and is predicted to strike sometime early in 2021, according to a prediction made by French astrologer Nostradamus. The monstrous asteroid called 2021 CO247, which is 0.83 times the height of the Eiffel Tower will fly past the Earth at 7.4 million kilometers. Earlier, a gigantic 220-meter asteroid or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers flew past the Earth on January 3. Also read: A huge asteroid and three small NEOs will shoot past Earth in early Jan, NASA warns NASA scientists say an asteroid called 2021 AC, which is twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, is set to hit the Earth's orbit on Wednesday. It will zoom by a distance of 3.5 kilometers. Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence. The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day. NASA had said that similarly sized asteroids pass by Earth at a similar distance a few times per year, however, they are difficult to record, unless they head directly towards the planet, in which case the explosion in the atmosphere is usually noticed. World-famous astrologer Nostradamus has made 6,338 predictions out of which 3797 prophecies have apparently proved correct. Michel de Nostredame, usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, physician and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events.

Asteroid as big as Eiffel Tower is approaching Earth

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of&nbsp;Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space.</p>

<p>Four flight engineers,&nbsp;Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said.</p>

<p><strong>Also see| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-spacex-starship-explodes-into-a-fireball-after-its-high-altitude-test-flight-360989">Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes into a fireball after its high altitude test flight</a></strong></p>

<p>The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light.<br />
<br />
The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer.<br />
<br />
The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA.<br />
<br />
SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week.<br />
<br />
The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.<br />
<br />
Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy.<br />
<br />
The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space. Four flight engineers, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said. Also see| Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes into a fireball after its high altitude test flight The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated. Meanwhile, NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light. The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA. SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week. The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

SpaceX's Dragon Crew to break record for most days in space

<p>Astronomers have discovered&nbsp;cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study.</p>

<p>The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights&nbsp;how&nbsp;NASA's Hubble Space Telescope&nbsp;has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe.</p>

<p>These opaque, dark knots of gas and dust are called "Bok globules," and they are absorbing light in the centre of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/we-all-come-from-star-dust-is-no-longer-just-a-saying-and-scientists-agree-311418">'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree!</a></strong></p>

<p>The globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok, who proposed their existence,&nbsp;can become perturbed and form small pockets where the dust and gas are highly concentrated.</p>

<p>&nbsp;These small pockets become gravitationally bound and accumulate dust and gas from the surrounding area. If they can capture enough mass, they have the potential of creating stars in their cores; however, not all Bok globules will form stars.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Near the globules are bright blue stars, members of the young open cluster IC 1590. The cluster is made up of a few hundred stars. The cluster's core, off the image towards the top, is a tight grouping of extremely hot, massive stars with an immense stellar wind. The stars emit visible and ultraviolet light that energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas in NGC 281. This gas then becomes superheated in a process called ionization, and it glows pink in the image.</p>

<p>The Bok globules in NGC 281 are located very close to the centre of the IC 1590 cluster. The exquisite resolution of these Hubble observations shows the jagged structure of the dust clouds as if they are being stripped apart from the outside. The heavy fracturing of the globules may appear beautifully serene but is in fact evidence of the harsh, violent environment created by the nearby massive stars.</p>

<p>The Bok globules in NGC 281 are visually striking nonetheless. They are silhouetted against the luminous pink hydrogen gas of the emission nebula, creating a stark visual contrast. The dust knots are opaque in visual light. Conversely, the nebulous gas surrounding the globules is transparent and allows light from background stars and even background galaxies to shine through.</p>

<p>These images were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005. The hydrogen-emission image that clearly shows the outline of the dark globules was combined with images taken in red, blue, and green light in order to help establish the true colour of the stars in the field. NGC 281 is located nearly 9,500 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia.</p>


Astronomers have discovered cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study. The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights how NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe.

Astronomers have discovered cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study. The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights how NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe. These opaque, dark knots of gas and dust are called "Bok globules," and they are absorbing light in the centre of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281. Also read: 'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree! The globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok, who proposed their existence, can become perturbed and form small pockets where the dust and gas are highly concentrated. These small pockets become gravitationally bound and accumulate dust and gas from the surrounding area. If they can capture enough mass, they have the potential of creating stars in their cores; however, not all Bok globules will form stars. Near the globules are bright blue stars, members of the young open cluster IC 1590. The cluster is made up of a few hundred stars. The cluster's core, off the image towards the top, is a tight grouping of extremely hot, massive stars with an immense stellar wind. The stars emit visible and ultraviolet light that energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas in NGC 281. This gas then becomes superheated in a process called ionization, and it glows pink in the image. The Bok globules in NGC 281 are located very close to the centre of the IC 1590 cluster. The exquisite resolution of these Hubble observations shows the jagged structure of the dust clouds as if they are being stripped apart from the outside. The heavy fracturing of the globules may appear beautifully serene but is in fact evidence of the harsh, violent environment created by the nearby massive stars. The Bok globules in NGC 281 are visually striking nonetheless. They are silhouetted against the luminous pink hydrogen gas of the emission nebula, creating a stark visual contrast. The dust knots are opaque in visual light. Conversely, the nebulous gas surrounding the globules is transparent and allows light from background stars and even background galaxies to shine through. These images were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005. The hydrogen-emission image that clearly shows the outline of the dark globules was combined with images taken in red, blue, and green light in order to help establish the true colour of the stars in the field. NGC 281 is located nearly 9,500 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia.

Scientists discover cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth

<p>China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth.</p>

<p>The uncrewed&nbsp;Tianwen-1&nbsp;launched in July around the same time as a rival US mission is expected to enter Mars orbit around February 10.</p>

<p>The black-and-white photo released late Friday by the China National Space Administration showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mysterious-mars-landslides-may-be-caused-by-melting-ice-and-salt-under-surface-similar-to-earth-361638" hreflang="en">Mysterious Mars landslides may be caused by melting ice and salt under surface, similar to Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>The photo was taken about 2.2 million kilometres (1.4 million miles) from Mars, according to CNSA, which said the spacecraft was now 1.1 million kilometres from the planet.</p>

<p>The robotic craft ignited one of its engines to "make an orbital correction" Friday and was expected to slow down before being "captured by Martian gravity" around February 10, the agency said.</p>

<p><img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b721b8e8-c7df-4451-a0a1-f81597123075" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1VW9N3.jpg" /></p>

<p><strong>In picture:&nbsp;This handout photograph taken on July 27, 2020 and released by the China National Space Administration via CNS, shows a view of the Earth and Moon taken by China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe from a distance of 1.2 million kilometers/AFP</strong></p>

<p>The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a rover that will study the planet's soil.</p>

<p>The probe is now only half that distance away from Mars and around 184 million km from Earth after 197 days of the mission, the CNSA said in a statement, adding that its systems were in good condition.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Tianwen-1 was launched in July from China's southern Hainan island and expected to reach the orbit of Mars this month. In May, it will try to land in Utopia Planitia, a plain in the northern hemisphere, and deploy a rover to explore for 90 days.</p>

<p>If successful, the&nbsp;Tianwen-1 will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission to Mars, further boosting China's space credentials after it last year became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon since the 1970s.</p>

<p>China previously made a Mars bid in 2011 with Russia, but the Russian spacecraft carrying the probe failed to exit Earth's orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean.</p>

<p>China hopes to ultimately land the rover in May in Utopia, a massive impact basin on Mars.</p>

<p>After watching the United States and the Soviet Union lead the way during the Cold War, China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme.</p>

<p>The Asian powerhouse has laid the groundwork to assemble a space station by 2022 and gain a permanent foothold in Earth orbit.</p>

<p>But Mars has proved a challenging target so far, with most missions sent by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and India to the planet since 1960 ending in failure.</p>


China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth.

China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth. The uncrewed Tianwen-1 launched in July around the same time as a rival US mission is expected to enter Mars orbit around February 10. The black-and-white photo released late Friday by the China National Space Administration showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface. Also read: Mysterious Mars landslides may be caused by melting ice and salt under surface, similar to Earth The photo was taken about 2.2 million kilometres (1.4 million miles) from Mars, according to CNSA, which said the spacecraft was now 1.1 million kilometres from the planet. The robotic craft ignited one of its engines to "make an orbital correction" Friday and was expected to slow down before being "captured by Martian gravity" around February 10, the agency said. In picture: This handout photograph taken on July 27, 2020 and released by the China National Space Administration via CNS, shows a view of the Earth and Moon taken by China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe from a distance of 1.2 million kilometers/AFP The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a rover that will study the planet's soil. The probe is now only half that distance away from Mars and around 184 million km from Earth after 197 days of the mission, the CNSA said in a statement, adding that its systems were in good condition. The Tianwen-1 was launched in July from China's southern Hainan island and expected to reach the orbit of Mars this month. In May, it will try to land in Utopia Planitia, a plain in the northern hemisphere, and deploy a rover to explore for 90 days. If successful, the Tianwen-1 will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission to Mars, further boosting China's space credentials after it last year became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon since the 1970s. China previously made a Mars bid in 2011 with Russia, but the Russian spacecraft carrying the probe failed to exit Earth's orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean. China hopes to ultimately land the rover in May in Utopia, a massive impact basin on Mars. After watching the United States and the Soviet Union lead the way during the Cold War, China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme. The Asian powerhouse has laid the groundwork to assemble a space station by 2022 and gain a permanent foothold in Earth orbit. But Mars has proved a challenging target so far, with most missions sent by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and India to the planet since 1960 ending in failure.

Mars ahead! China's Tianwen-1 probe snaps first photo of red planet

<p>Scientists have discovered a unique star flipping its polarity and&nbsp;blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions around 15,000 light-years away.</p>

<p>With a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star&nbsp;and about 100 million times stronger than the most powerful magnets made by humans,&nbsp;Swift J1818.0−1607 belongs to a special class of objects called magnetars, which are the most magnetic objects in the universe.</p>

<p>"This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-dead-star-in-our-galaxy-is-emitting-radiation-never-witnessed-before-316671">A dead star in our galaxy is emitting radiation never witnessed before!</a></strong></p>

<p>The magnetar Swift&nbsp;J1818.0–1607&nbsp;is only about 240 years old,&nbsp;a veritable newborn by cosmic standards as per a study published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.</p>

<p>Magnetars are a type of&nbsp;neutron star, an incredibly dense object mainly made up of tightly packed&nbsp;neutrons, which forms from the collapsed core of a massive star during a&nbsp;supernova.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9OkvqyuBaQ4" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Magnetars differ from other neutron stars is that they also have the most powerful known&nbsp;magnetic fields&nbsp;in the Universe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns by XMM Newton and NuSTAR (short for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array).</p>

<p>While there are over 3,000 known neutron stars, scientists have identified just 31 confirmed magnetars — including this newest entry. Because their physical properties can't be re-created on Earth, neutron stars (including magnetars) are natural laboratories for testing our understanding of the physical world.</p>

<p>"Maybe if we understand the formation story of these objects, we'll understand why there is such a huge difference between the number of magnetars we've found and the total number of known neutron stars," Rea said.</p>

<p>Swift J1818.0−1607 is located in the constellation Sagittarius and is relatively close to Earth — only about 16,000 light-years away. (Because light takes time to travel these cosmic distances, we are seeing the light that the neutron star emitted about 16,000 years ago when it was about 240 years old.)</p>

<p>Many scientific models suggest that the physical properties and behaviours of magnetars change as they age and that magnetars may be most active when they are younger. So finding a younger sample close by like this will help refine those models.</p>

<p>Other astronomers have also observed J1818.0-1607 with&nbsp;radio&nbsp;telescopes, such as the NSF's Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and determined that it gives off radio waves. This implies that it also has properties similar to that of a typical "rotation-powered pulsar," a type of neutron star that gives off beams of radiation that are detected as repeating pulses of emission as it rotates and slows down.</p>

<p>Only five magnetars including this one have been recorded to also act like pulsars, constituting less than 0.2 per cent&nbsp;of the known neutron star population.</p>


Scientists have discovered a unique star flipping its polarity and blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions around 15,000 light-years away. With a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star and about 100 million times stronger than the most powerful magnets made by humans, Swift J1818.

Scientists have discovered a unique star flipping its polarity and blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions around 15,000 light-years away. With a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star and about 100 million times stronger than the most powerful magnets made by humans, Swift J1818.0−1607 belongs to a special class of objects called magnetars, which are the most magnetic objects in the universe. "This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns. Also read: A dead star in our galaxy is emitting radiation never witnessed before! The magnetar Swift J1818.0–1607 is only about 240 years old, a veritable newborn by cosmic standards as per a study published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. Magnetars are a type of neutron star, an incredibly dense object mainly made up of tightly packed neutrons, which forms from the collapsed core of a massive star during a supernova. Magnetars differ from other neutron stars is that they also have the most powerful known magnetic fields in the Universe. "This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns by XMM Newton and NuSTAR (short for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array). While there are over 3,000 known neutron stars, scientists have identified just 31 confirmed magnetars — including this newest entry. Because their physical properties can't be re-created on Earth, neutron stars (including magnetars) are natural laboratories for testing our understanding of the physical world. "Maybe if we understand the formation story of these objects, we'll understand why there is such a huge difference between the number of magnetars we've found and the total number of known neutron stars," Rea said. Swift J1818.0−1607 is located in the constellation Sagittarius and is relatively close to Earth — only about 16,000 light-years away. (Because light takes time to travel these cosmic distances, we are seeing the light that the neutron star emitted about 16,000 years ago when it was about 240 years old.) Many scientific models suggest that the physical properties and behaviours of magnetars change as they age and that magnetars may be most active when they are younger. So finding a younger sample close by like this will help refine those models. Other astronomers have also observed J1818.0-1607 with radio telescopes, such as the NSF's Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and determined that it gives off radio waves. This implies that it also has properties similar to that of a typical "rotation-powered pulsar," a type of neutron star that gives off beams of radiation that are detected as repeating pulses of emission as it rotates and slows down. Only five magnetars including this one have been recorded to also act like pulsars, constituting less than 0.2 per cent of the known neutron star population.

Astronomers discover unique star blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions

<p>US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff.</p>

<p>"NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement.</p>

<p>Bhavya Lal had served as a member of the NASA's transition review team for the incoming Biden administration. &nbsp;</p>

<p>She had earlier served as research staff at the Defence Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute(STPI).</p>

<p>She has also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee. The Indian-American had also served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on commercial remote sensing.</p>

<p><em>(Inputs ANI)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff. "NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement.

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff. "NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement. Bhavya Lal had served as a member of the NASA's transition review team for the incoming Biden administration. She had earlier served as research staff at the Defence Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute(STPI). She has also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee. The Indian-American had also served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on commercial remote sensing. (Inputs ANI)

NASA names Indian-American Bhavya Lal as acting chief of staff

<p>In a&nbsp;breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken&nbsp;place in the International Space Station's&nbsp;Vegetable Production System (Veggie)&nbsp;facility.</p>

<p>NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to&nbsp;Mars.</p>

<p>NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an&nbsp;Expedition 64 crew member,&nbsp;who arrived to the station for a six-month science mission aboard the SpaceX&nbsp;Crew-1&nbsp;mission, tended&nbsp;different varieties of mustards and lettuces in&nbsp;VEG-03I.</p>

<p>He noticed the mustards were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertilizer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating slowly, growing well behind the other plants. However,&nbsp;with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the thriving plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows.</p>

<p>The transplants – ‘Red Russian’ kale and ‘Extra Dwarf’ pak choi – are surviving and growing along with the donor kale and pak choi. The remaining red romaine lettuce and “Wasabi” mustard in the experiment are also ready for harvest.</p>

<p>“This experiment is just really amazing; it shows the skill of the astronauts, the care that they take to do things, and also the differences that you see in microgravity,” Veggie Program Plant Scientist Gioia Massa said. “Fluids behave very differently in space than on the ground. The behaviour of fluids – in this circumstance – seems to have helped the plants.”</p>

<p>“We’re used to microgravity working against us in the fluids/physics department, making growing plants in space very difficult,” Matt Romeyn, VEG-03I science lead said. “So to have an exception like this, where microgravity appears to be helpful and the plants are growing better than on Earth … that’s astonishing.”</p>


In a breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken place in the International Space Station's Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility.

In a breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken place in the International Space Station's Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility. NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to Mars. NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an Expedition 64 crew member, who arrived to the station for a six-month science mission aboard the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, tended different varieties of mustards and lettuces in VEG-03I. He noticed the mustards were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertilizer. Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating slowly, growing well behind the other plants. However, with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the thriving plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows. The transplants – ‘Red Russian’ kale and ‘Extra Dwarf’ pak choi – are surviving and growing along with the donor kale and pak choi. The remaining red romaine lettuce and “Wasabi” mustard in the experiment are also ready for harvest. “This experiment is just really amazing; it shows the skill of the astronauts, the care that they take to do things, and also the differences that you see in microgravity,” Veggie Program Plant Scientist Gioia Massa said. “Fluids behave very differently in space than on the ground. The behaviour of fluids – in this circumstance – seems to have helped the plants.” “We’re used to microgravity working against us in the fluids/physics department, making growing plants in space very difficult,” Matt Romeyn, VEG-03I science lead said. “So to have an exception like this, where microgravity appears to be helpful and the plants are growing better than on Earth … that’s astonishing.”

'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station

<p>In a first, astronomers of the&nbsp;NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS&nbsp;have found&nbsp;a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries.</p>

<p>The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.&nbsp;The system,&nbsp;also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus.</p>

<p>TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own.</p>

<p>Like Kepler, TESS&nbsp;uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them.</p>

<p>Researchers&nbsp;analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they&nbsp;identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system.</p>

<p>The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem.</p>

<p>As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission.</p>

<p>The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.</p>


In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot. The system, also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own. Like Kepler, TESS uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them. Researchers analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system. The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities. The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem. As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems. Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission. The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

Astronomers find a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries

<p>The United States has become the first country to pass a law that aims to protect human artefacts in space.</p>

<p>The law -- 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' -- was passed by the Congress on December 31. According to it, early remnants of human exploration in the space -- historic objects and traces from the first missions to the moon -- including Neil Armstrong’s boot print, are now protected by law.</p>

<p>The law was introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and it officially establishes a perimeter around Tranquility Base – the site of the Apollo 11 landing – as well as the five other lunar landing sites visited by various Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972.</p>

<p>According to UNILAD, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who was responsible for introducing the Bill in the House said that the law aims to 'protect and preserve the historic and scientific value of US government lunar artifacts' at a time when the lunar surface is increasingly growing crowded with multiple space missions competing over each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the bill was first introduced in the Senate in 2019 it only extended protection to Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 landing site.</p>

<p>The objects covered by the new law include artefacts in six ‘keep out zones’, such as vehicles and equipment, remnants of experiments, and traces of human and robotic presence.</p>

<p>Robotic presence includes tracks and boot prints.</p>

<p>At least six different countries have plans to launch lunar missions, including the United States, which is aiming to return humans to the moon through NASA’s Artemis program by 2024.</p>

<p>The act also includes a non-binding suggestion that the executive branch should draft an international agreement that would hold other nations to the same promise.</p>

<p>The US is planning to send the first woman to Moon by 20254 through it's ambitious NASA's project the Artemis Project.</p>


The United States has become the first country to pass a law that aims to protect human artefacts in space. The law -- 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' -- was passed by the Congress on December 31.

The United States has become the first country to pass a law that aims to protect human artefacts in space. The law -- 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' -- was passed by the Congress on December 31. According to it, early remnants of human exploration in the space -- historic objects and traces from the first missions to the moon -- including Neil Armstrong’s boot print, are now protected by law. The law was introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and it officially establishes a perimeter around Tranquility Base – the site of the Apollo 11 landing – as well as the five other lunar landing sites visited by various Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972. According to UNILAD, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who was responsible for introducing the Bill in the House said that the law aims to 'protect and preserve the historic and scientific value of US government lunar artifacts' at a time when the lunar surface is increasingly growing crowded with multiple space missions competing over each other. When the bill was first introduced in the Senate in 2019 it only extended protection to Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 landing site. The objects covered by the new law include artefacts in six ‘keep out zones’, such as vehicles and equipment, remnants of experiments, and traces of human and robotic presence. Robotic presence includes tracks and boot prints. At least six different countries have plans to launch lunar missions, including the United States, which is aiming to return humans to the moon through NASA’s Artemis program by 2024. The act also includes a non-binding suggestion that the executive branch should draft an international agreement that would hold other nations to the same promise. The US is planning to send the first woman to Moon by 20254 through it's ambitious NASA's project the Artemis Project.

Apollo sites on the Moon are now protected from future missions by US law

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully completed a mission to deploy 143 spacecraft and satellites into orbit, after which the rocket returned safely to a sea-based landing pad.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully completes spacecraft deployment mission

<p>Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs&nbsp;around the Sun.</p>

<p>The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles.</p>

<p>To achieve this feat, scientists tapped into the worldwide network of 150,000 volunteers.&nbsp;The study has been&nbsp;published in the journals Nature and the Astrophysical Journal Letters.</p>

<p>“Without the citizen scientists, we couldn't have created such a complete sample in so short a time,” said J. Davy Kirkpatrick, a scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena and lead author of the study. “Having the power of thousands of inquiring eyes on the data enabled us to find brown dwarf candidates much faster.”</p>

<p>Brown dwarfs&nbsp;are bigger than Jupiter-sized planets but too small for nuclear fusion, the signature process that gives a star its shine.&nbsp;Also known as “failed stars,” brown dwarfs are born hot and emit faint but telltale infrared light as they slowly cool.</p>

<p>These objects&nbsp;are balls of gas that are not heavy enough to be stars since they can’t&nbsp;power themselves through nuclear fusion the way stars do. And while “brown” is in the name, they would appear magenta or orange-red if a person could see them close up. By making a complete map of these objects, scientists could find out whether different kinds of brown dwarfs are evenly distributed in our solar system’s neighbourhood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Telescopes can detect brown dwarfs because they emit heat, in the form of infrared light, leftover from their formation. Infrared light is invisible to human eyes, but it can reveal tantalising details about brown dwarfs and other objects throughout the universe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“If you were to put the Sun at a random place within our 3D map and you were to ask, ‘Typically, what do its neighbours look like?’ We find that they would look very different from what our actual neighbours are,” said Aaron Meisner, assistant scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and co-author of the study.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is ongoing and open to anyone worldwide who wants to join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. In addition to a total of about 3,000 brown dwarfs, volunteers have helped find&nbsp;the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk&nbsp;of debris.</p>

<p>“I enjoy this project because the objects that we send to the researchers might get observed with a big telescope,” said Melina Thévenot, a citizen scientist in Germany who is listed as a co-author of the new study. “I think we volunteers can really see the fruits of our efforts with this project and the publications by the science team.”</p>


Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs around the Sun. The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles.

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs around the Sun. The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles. To achieve this feat, scientists tapped into the worldwide network of 150,000 volunteers. The study has been published in the journals Nature and the Astrophysical Journal Letters. “Without the citizen scientists, we couldn't have created such a complete sample in so short a time,” said J. Davy Kirkpatrick, a scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena and lead author of the study. “Having the power of thousands of inquiring eyes on the data enabled us to find brown dwarf candidates much faster.” Brown dwarfs are bigger than Jupiter-sized planets but too small for nuclear fusion, the signature process that gives a star its shine. Also known as “failed stars,” brown dwarfs are born hot and emit faint but telltale infrared light as they slowly cool. These objects are balls of gas that are not heavy enough to be stars since they can’t power themselves through nuclear fusion the way stars do. And while “brown” is in the name, they would appear magenta or orange-red if a person could see them close up. By making a complete map of these objects, scientists could find out whether different kinds of brown dwarfs are evenly distributed in our solar system’s neighbourhood. Telescopes can detect brown dwarfs because they emit heat, in the form of infrared light, leftover from their formation. Infrared light is invisible to human eyes, but it can reveal tantalising details about brown dwarfs and other objects throughout the universe. “If you were to put the Sun at a random place within our 3D map and you were to ask, ‘Typically, what do its neighbours look like?’ We find that they would look very different from what our actual neighbours are,” said Aaron Meisner, assistant scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and co-author of the study. The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is ongoing and open to anyone worldwide who wants to join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. In addition to a total of about 3,000 brown dwarfs, volunteers have helped find the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk of debris. “I enjoy this project because the objects that we send to the researchers might get observed with a big telescope,” said Melina Thévenot, a citizen scientist in Germany who is listed as a co-author of the new study. “I think we volunteers can really see the fruits of our efforts with this project and the publications by the science team.”

Scientists create 'most complete' three-dimensional map of brown dwarfs around the Sun

<p>Billionaire Richard Branson’s&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit&nbsp;reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said.</p>

<p>The Long Beach, California-based company’s LauncherOne rocket successfully deployed 10&nbsp;tiny satellites in orbit for NASA.</p>

<p>The launch occurred after the Boeing 747-400 took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out over the Pacific Ocean to a drop point beyond the Channel Islands.</p>

<p>"According to telemetry, LauncherOne has reached orbit!" the company announced on Twitter during the test mission, dubbed Launch Demo 2. "In both a literal and figurative sense, this is miles beyond how far we reached in our first Launch Demo."</p>

<p>The rocket, a 70-foot launcher tailored for carrying small satellites to space, aimed to place 10 tiny satellites in orbit for NASA roughly two hours into the mission, though&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit had not confirmed whether they were deployed as planned.</p>

<p>The successful test and clean payload deployment was a needed double-win for&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit, which last year failed its attempt to reach space when LauncherOne’s main engine shut down prematurely moments after releasing from its carrier aircraft. The shortened mission generated key test data for the company, it said.</p>

<p>Sunday’s test also thrusts&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit into an increasingly competitive commercial space race, offering a unique “air-launch” method of sending satellites to orbit alongside rivals such as Rocket Lab and Firefly Aerospace, which have designed small-launch systems to inject smaller satellites into orbit and meet growing demand.</p>

<p>Virgin&nbsp;executives say high-altitude launches allow satellites to be placed in their intended orbit more efficiently and also minimize weather-related cancellations compared to more traditional rockets launched vertically from a ground pad.</p>

<p>Virgin&nbsp;Orbit’s government services subsidiary VOX Space LLC is selling launches using the system to the US&nbsp;military, with a first mission slated for October under a $35 million US&nbsp;Space Force contract for three missions.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said.

Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said. The Long Beach, California-based company’s LauncherOne rocket successfully deployed 10 tiny satellites in orbit for NASA. The launch occurred after the Boeing 747-400 took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out over the Pacific Ocean to a drop point beyond the Channel Islands. "According to telemetry, LauncherOne has reached orbit!" the company announced on Twitter during the test mission, dubbed Launch Demo 2. "In both a literal and figurative sense, this is miles beyond how far we reached in our first Launch Demo." The rocket, a 70-foot launcher tailored for carrying small satellites to space, aimed to place 10 tiny satellites in orbit for NASA roughly two hours into the mission, though Virgin Orbit had not confirmed whether they were deployed as planned. The successful test and clean payload deployment was a needed double-win for Virgin Orbit, which last year failed its attempt to reach space when LauncherOne’s main engine shut down prematurely moments after releasing from its carrier aircraft. The shortened mission generated key test data for the company, it said. Sunday’s test also thrusts Virgin Orbit into an increasingly competitive commercial space race, offering a unique “air-launch” method of sending satellites to orbit alongside rivals such as Rocket Lab and Firefly Aerospace, which have designed small-launch systems to inject smaller satellites into orbit and meet growing demand. Virgin executives say high-altitude launches allow satellites to be placed in their intended orbit more efficiently and also minimize weather-related cancellations compared to more traditional rockets launched vertically from a ground pad. Virgin Orbit’s government services subsidiary VOX Space LLC is selling launches using the system to the US military, with a first mission slated for October under a $35 million US Space Force contract for three missions.

Virgin Galactic launches 10 satellites to orbit in landmark test flight

<p>The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of NGC 613, a barred spiral galaxy, NASA said in a post.</p>

<p>The galaxy that was first found by German-English astronomer William Herschel in 1798 lies in the southern constellation of Sculptor and is 67 million light-years away.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-want-to-turn-mars-green-how-will-they-do-it-357498">Scientists want to turn Mars green. How will they do it?</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA's post said the galaxy is "easily distinguishable" as it has "well-defined central bar and long arms".</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/netizens-express-delight-as-nasa-shares-image-of-neutron-star-357494">Netizens express delight as NASA shares image of neutron star</a></strong></p>

<p>"It is easily distinguishable as such because of its well-defined central bar and long arms, which spiral loosely around its nucleus," NASA said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"As revealed by surveys, about two-thirds of spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way galaxy, contain a bar."</p>

<p>The post said that recent researches have shown that bars are more common in galaxies than they earlier were, thereby giving important insights about "galaxy formation and evolution".</p>

<p>"The bright colors in this Hubble image aren't just beautiful to look at, as they actually tell us about the population of stars within NGC 4535," Hubble astronomers was quoted as saying by Sci-News.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The bright blue-ish colors, seen nestled amongst its long, spiral arms, indicate the presence of a greater number of younger and hotter stars."</p>

<p>When this galaxy was observed from a smaller telescope, it had a hazy, ghostly appearance, which led the famous amateur astronomer Leland S. Copeland to call it "The Lost Galaxy" in the 1950s.</p>

<p>The Hubble astronomers said the galaxy was studied as part of the PHANGS survey, which intends to clarify the connections between "cold gas clouds, star formation, and the overall shape and other properties of galaxies."&nbsp;</p>


The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of NGC 613, a barred spiral galaxy, NASA said in a post. The galaxy that was first found by German-English astronomer William Herschel in 1798 lies in the southern constellation of Sculptor and is 67 million light-years away.

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of NGC 613, a barred spiral galaxy, NASA said in a post. The galaxy that was first found by German-English astronomer William Herschel in 1798 lies in the southern constellation of Sculptor and is 67 million light-years away. Also read | Scientists want to turn Mars green. How will they do it? NASA's post said the galaxy is "easily distinguishable" as it has "well-defined central bar and long arms". Also read | Netizens express delight as NASA shares image of neutron star "It is easily distinguishable as such because of its well-defined central bar and long arms, which spiral loosely around its nucleus," NASA said. "As revealed by surveys, about two-thirds of spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way galaxy, contain a bar." The post said that recent researches have shown that bars are more common in galaxies than they earlier were, thereby giving important insights about "galaxy formation and evolution". "The bright colors in this Hubble image aren't just beautiful to look at, as they actually tell us about the population of stars within NGC 4535," Hubble astronomers was quoted as saying by Sci-News. "The bright blue-ish colors, seen nestled amongst its long, spiral arms, indicate the presence of a greater number of younger and hotter stars." When this galaxy was observed from a smaller telescope, it had a hazy, ghostly appearance, which led the famous amateur astronomer Leland S. Copeland to call it "The Lost Galaxy" in the 1950s. The Hubble astronomers said the galaxy was studied as part of the PHANGS survey, which intends to clarify the connections between "cold gas clouds, star formation, and the overall shape and other properties of galaxies."

Hubble telescope shares image of barred spiral galaxy NGC 4535

<p>The image of a neutron star posted by the US space agency is garnering a lot of attraction on social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shared the image on Instagram in which the neutron star can be seen shining brightly in the middle of supernova remnant RCW 103.</p>

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<p>"The bright source at the center of supernova remnant RCW 103 is a neutron star," the caption of the post said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomical-breakthrough-scientists-record-humming-sound-of-the-universe-357440">'Astronomical breakthrough': Scientists record humming sound of the Universe</a></strong></p>

<p>The space agency claims that the matter of the star is so tightly packed that the material should weigh more than 1 billion tons, about the same weight of Mount Everest.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-detects-fm-signals-from-jupiters-moon-ganymede-for-the-first-time-356822">NASA detects FM signals from Jupiter's moon Ganymede for the first time</a></strong></p>

<p>"Matter in a neutron star is packed together so tightly that a sugar-cube-sized amount of neutron star material would weigh more than 1 billion tons — roughly the weight of Mount Everest," the post further added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The post has already generated over 20,000 'likes', with several people commenting that it is "beautiful" and praising it.</p>

<p>For the unversed, a neutron star is a collapsed part of a massive star, a supernova remnant is the leftover of a supernova explosion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They play a crucial role in catalysing cosmic rays and enriching galaxies with heavy elements.</p>


The image of a neutron star posted by the US space agency is garnering a lot of attraction on social media. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shared the image on Instagram in which the neutron star can be seen shining brightly in the middle of supernova remnant RCW 103.

The image of a neutron star posted by the US space agency is garnering a lot of attraction on social media. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shared the image on Instagram in which the neutron star can be seen shining brightly in the middle of supernova remnant RCW 103. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory (@nasachandraxray) × "The bright source at the center of supernova remnant RCW 103 is a neutron star," the caption of the post said. Also read | 'Astronomical breakthrough': Scientists record humming sound of the Universe The space agency claims that the matter of the star is so tightly packed that the material should weigh more than 1 billion tons, about the same weight of Mount Everest. Also read | NASA detects FM signals from Jupiter's moon Ganymede for the first time "Matter in a neutron star is packed together so tightly that a sugar-cube-sized amount of neutron star material would weigh more than 1 billion tons — roughly the weight of Mount Everest," the post further added. The post has already generated over 20,000 'likes', with several people commenting that it is "beautiful" and praising it. For the unversed, a neutron star is a collapsed part of a massive star, a supernova remnant is the leftover of a supernova explosion. They play a crucial role in catalysing cosmic rays and enriching galaxies with heavy elements.

Netizens express delight as NASA shares image of neutron star

<p>NASA's deep space exploration rocket built by Boeing Saturday cut short a crucial test to advance a years-delayed US government programme to return humans to the moon in the next few years by briefly igniting all four engines of its behemoth core stage for the first time.</p>

<p>The engine test, the last leg of NASA’s nearly year-long “Green Run” test campaign, was a vital step for the space agency and its top SLS contractor Boeing before a debut unmanned launch later this year under NASA’s Artemis programme, the Trump administration’s push to return US astronauts to the moon by 2024.</p>

<p>Mounted in a test facility at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, the Space Launch System’s (SLS) 212-foot tall core stage roared to life at 4:27 pm local time (2227 GMT) for just over a minute — well short of the roughly four minutes engineers needed to stay on track for the rocket's first launch in November this year.</p>

<p>NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a press conference after the test that "we got lots of data that we're going to be able to sort through" to determine if a do-over is needed and whether a November 2021 debut launch date is still possible.</p>

<p>It was unclear whether Boeing and NASA would have to repeat the test, a prospect that could push the debut launch into 2022. NASA's SLS programme manager John Honeycutt, cautioning the data review from the test is ongoing, told reporters the turnaround time for another hot fire test could be roughly one month.</p>

<p>To simulate internal conditions of a real liftoff, the rocket’s four Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines ignited for roughly one minute and 15 seconds, generating 1.6 million pounds of thrust and consuming 700,000 gallons of propellants on NASA’s largest test stand, a massive facility towering 35 storeys tall.</p>

<p>The expendable super heavy-lift SLS is three years behind schedule and nearly $3 billion over budget. Critics have long argued for NASA to retire the rocket’s shuttle-era core technologies, which have launch costs of $1 billion or more per mission, in favour of newer commercial alternatives that promise lower costs.</p>

<p>By comparison, it costs as little as $90 million to fly the massive but less powerful Falcon Heavy rocket designed and manufactured by Elon Musk's SpaceX, and some $350 million per launch for United Launch Alliance's legacy Delta IV Heavy.</p>

<p>While newer, more reusable rockets from both companies - SpaceX's Starship and United Launch Alliance's Vulcan - promise heavier lift capacity than the Falcon Heavy or Delta IV Heavy potentially at lower cost, SLS backers argue it would take two or more launches on those rockets to launch what the SLS could carry in a single mission.</p>

<p><em><strong>(with inputs)</strong></em></p>


NASA's deep space exploration rocket built by Boeing Saturday cut short a crucial test to advance a years-delayed US government programme to return humans to the moon in the next few years by briefly igniting all four engines of its behemoth core stage for the first time.

NASA's deep space exploration rocket built by Boeing Saturday cut short a crucial test to advance a years-delayed US government programme to return humans to the moon in the next few years by briefly igniting all four engines of its behemoth core stage for the first time. The engine test, the last leg of NASA’s nearly year-long “Green Run” test campaign, was a vital step for the space agency and its top SLS contractor Boeing before a debut unmanned launch later this year under NASA’s Artemis programme, the Trump administration’s push to return US astronauts to the moon by 2024. Mounted in a test facility at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, the Space Launch System’s (SLS) 212-foot tall core stage roared to life at 4:27 pm local time (2227 GMT) for just over a minute — well short of the roughly four minutes engineers needed to stay on track for the rocket's first launch in November this year. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a press conference after the test that "we got lots of data that we're going to be able to sort through" to determine if a do-over is needed and whether a November 2021 debut launch date is still possible. It was unclear whether Boeing and NASA would have to repeat the test, a prospect that could push the debut launch into 2022. NASA's SLS programme manager John Honeycutt, cautioning the data review from the test is ongoing, told reporters the turnaround time for another hot fire test could be roughly one month. To simulate internal conditions of a real liftoff, the rocket’s four Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engines ignited for roughly one minute and 15 seconds, generating 1.6 million pounds of thrust and consuming 700,000 gallons of propellants on NASA’s largest test stand, a massive facility towering 35 storeys tall. The expendable super heavy-lift SLS is three years behind schedule and nearly $3 billion over budget. Critics have long argued for NASA to retire the rocket’s shuttle-era core technologies, which have launch costs of $1 billion or more per mission, in favour of newer commercial alternatives that promise lower costs. By comparison, it costs as little as $90 million to fly the massive but less powerful Falcon Heavy rocket designed and manufactured by Elon Musk's SpaceX, and some $350 million per launch for United Launch Alliance's legacy Delta IV Heavy. While newer, more reusable rockets from both companies - SpaceX's Starship and United Launch Alliance's Vulcan - promise heavier lift capacity than the Falcon Heavy or Delta IV Heavy potentially at lower cost, SLS backers argue it would take two or more launches on those rockets to launch what the SLS could carry in a single mission. (with inputs)

NASA's Boeing moon rocket cuts short rare ground test

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has detected&nbsp;FM radio signals from Jupiter's moon Ganymede for the first time.</p>

<p>However, the US space agency clarified that it is a ''natural function'' rather than a sign of extraterrestrial life, that is the existence of aliens.</p>

<p>The signals from Ganymede originated from electrons due to electromagnetic fields. The process causes electrons within to whirl and oscillate much slower than their spin rate.</p>

<p>As a result, all electromagnetic and radio waves get amplified and are picked up by spacecraft hovering in space. These electrons also create auroras in the ultraviolet spectrum.</p>

<p>NASA will extend two of its planetary discovery missions including&nbsp;its Juno which detected the "cyclotron maser instability (CMI)" from&nbsp;Ganymede in the first place.</p>

<p>"Electrons spiralling in Jupiter's magnetic field are thought to be the cause of the radio noise we hear," NASA said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Like Earth, Ganymede has a liquid iron core that generates a magnetic field, though Ganymede’s field is embedded within Jupiter’s magnetic field. That sets up an interesting dynamic with telltale visuals – twin bands of glowing aurora around Ganymede’s northern and southern polar regions. As Jupiter rotates, its magnetic field shifts, causing Ganymede’s aurora to rock.</p>

<p>NASA Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green called the finding “an astounding demonstration.” “They developed a new approach to look inside a planetary body with a telescope,” Green said.</p>

<p>Ganymede boasts a lot of water, perhaps 25 times the volume of Earth’s oceans. Its oceans are estimated to be about 500 miles (800 km) deep.</p>

<p>Ganymede is one of five moons in the solar system thought to have oceans hidden below icy surfaces. Two other moons, Europa and Callisto, orbit the big gas planet Jupiter. The moons Titan and Enceladus circle the ringed gas planet Saturn.</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has detected FM radio signals from Jupiter's moon Ganymede for the first time. However, the US space agency clarified that it is a ''natural function'' rather than a sign of extraterrestrial life, that is the existence of aliens.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has detected FM radio signals from Jupiter's moon Ganymede for the first time. However, the US space agency clarified that it is a ''natural function'' rather than a sign of extraterrestrial life, that is the existence of aliens. The signals from Ganymede originated from electrons due to electromagnetic fields. The process causes electrons within to whirl and oscillate much slower than their spin rate. As a result, all electromagnetic and radio waves get amplified and are picked up by spacecraft hovering in space. These electrons also create auroras in the ultraviolet spectrum. NASA will extend two of its planetary discovery missions including its Juno which detected the "cyclotron maser instability (CMI)" from Ganymede in the first place. "Electrons spiralling in Jupiter's magnetic field are thought to be the cause of the radio noise we hear," NASA said in a statement. Like Earth, Ganymede has a liquid iron core that generates a magnetic field, though Ganymede’s field is embedded within Jupiter’s magnetic field. That sets up an interesting dynamic with telltale visuals – twin bands of glowing aurora around Ganymede’s northern and southern polar regions. As Jupiter rotates, its magnetic field shifts, causing Ganymede’s aurora to rock. NASA Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green called the finding “an astounding demonstration.” “They developed a new approach to look inside a planetary body with a telescope,” Green said. Ganymede boasts a lot of water, perhaps 25 times the volume of Earth’s oceans. Its oceans are estimated to be about 500 miles (800 km) deep. Ganymede is one of five moons in the solar system thought to have oceans hidden below icy surfaces. Two other moons, Europa and Callisto, orbit the big gas planet Jupiter. The moons Titan and Enceladus circle the ringed gas planet Saturn.

NASA detects FM signals from Jupiter's moon Ganymede for the first time

<p>NASA recently shared a mesmerising image of the "Fireworks Galaxy". Officially known as the "NGC 6946", the galaxy has undergone 10 supernovae in just the last century, a characteristic on which its name is based.</p>

<p>For comparison, our galaxy - the Milky Way experiences one to two supernova every century.&nbsp;In the image, which was clicked by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, one can see the stars, the spiralling arms, and other celestial facets of the Fireworks Galaxy.</p>

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<p>The galaxy is situated 25.2 million light-years away from Earth, and lies along the border of the constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus, which are situated in the north.</p>

<p>"In the last century alone, the Fireworks Galaxy (or NGC 6946) has experienced 10 observed supernovae. For context, our Milky Way Galaxy averages just one to two supernova events per century! The Fireworks Galaxy resides 25.2 million light-years away from us, along the border of the northern constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus," said NASA Hubble's Instagram caption.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/scientists-discover-the-oldest-most-distant-galaxy-till-date-354750" hreflang="en">Scientists discover the oldest, most distant galaxy till date</a></p>

<p>The galaxy is in the "face-on" position as opposed to the "edge-on" position, which means that the galaxy is facing us, as opposed to appearing from its side.</p>

<p>Officially, it is classified as an intermediate spiral galaxy as well as a starburst galaxy.</p>

<p><strong>Another galaxy-related feat achieved&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Earlier, astronomers peeked into what they considered the oldest and most distant galaxy to date.</p>

<p>Called GN-z11, the galaxy is 13.4 billion light-years or 134 nonillion kilometres away from us.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/nasa-captures-magnetic-fingerprint-of-a-galaxy-across-24000-light-years-353208" hreflang="en">NASA captures 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light years</a></p>

<p>The galaxy has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Nobunari Kashikawa, a professor at the department of astronomy at the University of Tokyo.</p>

<p>Kashikawa said - “From previous studies, the galaxy GN-z11 seems to be the farthest detectable galaxy from us, at 13.4 billion light-years, or 134 nonillion kilometres (that’s 134 followed by 30 zeros). But measuring and verifying such a distance is not an easy task.”</p>


NASA recently shared a mesmerising image of the "Fireworks Galaxy". Officially known as the "NGC 6946", the galaxy has undergone 10 supernovae in just the last century, a characteristic on which its name is based.

NASA recently shared a mesmerising image of the "Fireworks Galaxy". Officially known as the "NGC 6946", the galaxy has undergone 10 supernovae in just the last century, a characteristic on which its name is based. For comparison, our galaxy - the Milky Way experiences one to two supernova every century. In the image, which was clicked by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, one can see the stars, the spiralling arms, and other celestial facets of the Fireworks Galaxy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hubble Space Telescope (@nasahubble) The galaxy is situated 25.2 million light-years away from Earth, and lies along the border of the constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus, which are situated in the north. "In the last century alone, the Fireworks Galaxy (or NGC 6946) has experienced 10 observed supernovae. For context, our Milky Way Galaxy averages just one to two supernova events per century! The Fireworks Galaxy resides 25.2 million light-years away from us, along the border of the northern constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus," said NASA Hubble's Instagram caption. Also read: Scientists discover the oldest, most distant galaxy till date The galaxy is in the "face-on" position as opposed to the "edge-on" position, which means that the galaxy is facing us, as opposed to appearing from its side. Officially, it is classified as an intermediate spiral galaxy as well as a starburst galaxy. Another galaxy-related feat achieved Earlier, astronomers peeked into what they considered the oldest and most distant galaxy to date. Called GN-z11, the galaxy is 13.4 billion light-years or 134 nonillion kilometres away from us. Also read: NASA captures 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light years The galaxy has been discovered by an international team of astronomers led by Nobunari Kashikawa, a professor at the department of astronomy at the University of Tokyo. Kashikawa said - “From previous studies, the galaxy GN-z11 seems to be the farthest detectable galaxy from us, at 13.4 billion light-years, or 134 nonillion kilometres (that’s 134 followed by 30 zeros). But measuring and verifying such a distance is not an easy task.”

Take a look at this newly released mesmerising image of 'Fireworks Galaxy'

<p>The Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona may be huge, but it doesn’t stand a chance against the Martian counterpart. The Valles Marineris Canyon on Mars runs along the equator for over 4023 kilometres (2500 miles). NASA claims that it is so vast that it would reach from New York City to San Francisco had it existed on Earth.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/why-is-earth-spinning-faster-than-it-has-in-50-years-354845" hreflang="en">Why is Earth spinning faster than it has in 50 years?</a><br />
<br />
Considered the largest canyon in the solar system, new images from NASA reinforce this claim.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="a" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bf7c0dd2-bf0c-42e9-9036-1c1c17f61686" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_86.jpg" /></p>

<h6><em>Image courtesy: NASA/University of Arizona/JPL</em></h6>

<p>The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently revealed more details about this mega canyon. Images of the canyon were taken using the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) - which is the most powerful camera ever to be sent to another planet.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/aliens-in-our-galaxy-may-have-perished-due-to-too-much-progress-study-suggests-351849" hreflang="en">Aliens in our galaxy may have perished due to too much progress, study suggests</a><br />
<br />
According to the University of Arizona, it’s one of six instruments onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Scientists still don’t understand how the huge canyon came into being.</p>

<p><img alt="vv" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="890b9b5e-e6ee-4f11-8ff7-412181521842" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_67.jpg" /></p>

<h6><em>Image courtesy: NASA/University of Arizona/JPL</em></h6>

<p>"Unlike Earth's Grand Canyon, Valles Marineris probably wasn't carved out by billions of years of rushing water; the Red Planet is too hot and dry to have ever accommodated a river large enough to slash through the crust like that,"&nbsp;LiveScience claims.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/look-at-the-most-detailed-image-of-a-sunspot-ever-captured-349615" hreflang="en">Look at the most detailed image of a sunspot ever captured!</a></p>

<p>It is also entirely possible that a large area of the canyon cracked open billions of years ago, as claimed by the European Space Agency.</p>

<p>They claim that volcanoes in the Tharsis region may be partially responsible for the formation of the canyon.</p>


The Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona may be huge, but it doesn’t stand a chance against the Martian counterpart. The Valles Marineris Canyon on Mars runs along the equator for over 4023 kilometres (2500 miles).

The Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona may be huge, but it doesn’t stand a chance against the Martian counterpart. The Valles Marineris Canyon on Mars runs along the equator for over 4023 kilometres (2500 miles). NASA claims that it is so vast that it would reach from New York City to San Francisco had it existed on Earth. Also read: Why is Earth spinning faster than it has in 50 years? Considered the largest canyon in the solar system, new images from NASA reinforce this claim. Image courtesy: NASA/University of Arizona/JPL The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently revealed more details about this mega canyon. Images of the canyon were taken using the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) - which is the most powerful camera ever to be sent to another planet. Also read: Aliens in our galaxy may have perished due to too much progress, study suggests According to the University of Arizona, it’s one of six instruments onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Scientists still don’t understand how the huge canyon came into being. Image courtesy: NASA/University of Arizona/JPL "Unlike Earth's Grand Canyon, Valles Marineris probably wasn't carved out by billions of years of rushing water; the Red Planet is too hot and dry to have ever accommodated a river large enough to slash through the crust like that," LiveScience claims. Also read: Look at the most detailed image of a sunspot ever captured! It is also entirely possible that a large area of the canyon cracked open billions of years ago, as claimed by the European Space Agency. They claim that volcanoes in the Tharsis region may be partially responsible for the formation of the canyon.

Photos by NASA reveal stunning details of our solar system's largest canyon

<p>In a month from now, three spacecraft will pull into the vicinity of Mars:&nbsp;the UAE's hope orbiter, NASA's perseverance rover and&nbsp;China's Tianwen-1 mission. They are all headed to Mars to find signs of life.</p>

<p>The year&nbsp;2021 is going to be a busy year for space explorers. Some exciting missions are expected to arrive at their destination. Three of them shall reach by next month.</p>

<p><strong>UAE</strong></p>

<p>Their destination is the same and so is their motive. They are all headed to Mars to find signs of life. The first to arrive will be the UAE's Hope Orbiter — the first-ever Arab mission to Mars.</p>

<p>This unmanned mission blasted off from Tanegashima, Japan on July 20, 2020. It's part of celebrations to mark the UAE's 50th anniversary this year and is&nbsp;expected to pull into the vicinity of Mars by the February 09. Once there, the mission will study the martian atmosphere. It is equipped with an infrared spectrometer to measure the planet's lower atmosphere, a&nbsp;high-resolution imager to provide information about the ozone and an ultraviolet spectrometer to measure oxygen and hydrogen levels.</p>

<p><strong>China</strong></p>

<p>The next to arrive will be the first Chinese mission to Mars on February 10. It is a long march five rocket&nbsp;that took off from the tropical island of Hainan last year and is&nbsp;called Tianwen or 'questions to heaven'. This mission has three aims: to place a probe in the orbit around Mars, land on the surface and&nbsp;then release a robotic rover to conduct analyses.</p>

<p>"The probe is currently flying at a speed of about 23 kilometres per second, which is basically two million kilometres per day. Its relative speed to the earth now is about 21 kilometres per second, that is, 1.8 million kilometres per day,"&nbsp;Li Zhencai, Deputy Commander, Tianwen-1 mars probe project, China Academy of Space Technology said.</p>

<p><strong>NASA</strong></p>

<p>Following Tianwen-1 will be NASA's perseverance rover which&nbsp;launched from Cape Canaveral in July 2020. The mission aims to land a rover vehicle on the surface of Mars. Once it has arrived by February 18, the rover will explore the site known as Jezero Crater — formally a lake — in search of signs of ancient life.</p>

<p>Around 40 rocks and oil samples will be collected and placed in tubes ready to be brought back to earth by another mission.</p>


In a month from now, three spacecraft will pull into the vicinity of Mars: the UAE's hope orbiter, NASA's perseverance rover and China's Tianwen-1 mission. They are all headed to Mars to find signs of life.

In a month from now, three spacecraft will pull into the vicinity of Mars: the UAE's hope orbiter, NASA's perseverance rover and China's Tianwen-1 mission. They are all headed to Mars to find signs of life. The year 2021 is going to be a busy year for space explorers. Some exciting missions are expected to arrive at their destination. Three of them shall reach by next month. UAE Their destination is the same and so is their motive. They are all headed to Mars to find signs of life. The first to arrive will be the UAE's Hope Orbiter — the first-ever Arab mission to Mars. This unmanned mission blasted off from Tanegashima, Japan on July 20, 2020. It's part of celebrations to mark the UAE's 50th anniversary this year and is expected to pull into the vicinity of Mars by the February 09. Once there, the mission will study the martian atmosphere. It is equipped with an infrared spectrometer to measure the planet's lower atmosphere, a high-resolution imager to provide information about the ozone and an ultraviolet spectrometer to measure oxygen and hydrogen levels. China The next to arrive will be the first Chinese mission to Mars on February 10. It is a long march five rocket that took off from the tropical island of Hainan last year and is called Tianwen or 'questions to heaven'. This mission has three aims: to place a probe in the orbit around Mars, land on the surface and then release a robotic rover to conduct analyses. "The probe is currently flying at a speed of about 23 kilometres per second, which is basically two million kilometres per day. Its relative speed to the earth now is about 21 kilometres per second, that is, 1.8 million kilometres per day," Li Zhencai, Deputy Commander, Tianwen-1 mars probe project, China Academy of Space Technology said. NASA Following Tianwen-1 will be NASA's perseverance rover which launched from Cape Canaveral in July 2020. The mission aims to land a rover vehicle on the surface of Mars. Once it has arrived by February 18, the rover will explore the site known as Jezero Crater — formally a lake — in search of signs of ancient life. Around 40 rocks and oil samples will be collected and placed in tubes ready to be brought back to earth by another mission.

Space explorers: UAE, China and NASA race to Mars in 2021

<p>Quadrantids meteor showers will&nbsp;illuminate the night sky over the New Year weekend with up to 200 shooting stars every hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the&nbsp;<strong>Quadrantids meteor shower</strong>&nbsp;is described&nbsp;as one of the best annual meteor showers.</p>

<p>During its peak, 60 to as many as 200 Quadrantid meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions.</p>

<p>According to the International Meteor Organisation (IMO), the peak is expected to occur at around 14:30 GMT on Sunday, January 3.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Quadrantids are known for their bright fireball meteors and are unique because they originate from an asteroid, instead of a comet. The fireballs are explosions of light and colour and last longer than the normal meteor streak.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The annual meteor shower runs every year&nbsp;between December 28 and January 12, but in 2021 the best views in the UK will be after dark on January 2 and 3. It&nbsp;is expected to peak Friday night into Saturday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meteors are pieces of rocky debris that enter the Earth's atmosphere at up to 40 miles per second, leaving streaks of light that we refer to as 'shooting stars'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Quadrantids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere (this shower can also be seen at latitudes north of 51 degrees south) during the night and predawn hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The American Meteor Society has suggested the viewers start the gaze an hour before the peak timings in case the show starts early. To get a good view, avoid daylights and find a darker location.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Their radiant—the point in the sky from which the Quadrantids appear to come from -- is an obsolete constellation called "Quadrans Muralis." French astronomer Jerome Lalande created this constellation in 1795.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, the Quadrantids originate from an asteroid: asteroid 2003 EH1. Asteroid 2003 EH1 takes 5.52 years to orbit the sun once. It is possible that 2003 EH is a "dead comet" or a new kind of object being discussed by astronomers called a "rock comet."</p>


Quadrantids meteor showers will illuminate the night sky over the New Year weekend with up to 200 shooting stars every hour. As per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Quadrantids meteor shower is described as one of the best annual meteor showers.

Quadrantids meteor showers will illuminate the night sky over the New Year weekend with up to 200 shooting stars every hour. As per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Quadrantids meteor shower is described as one of the best annual meteor showers. During its peak, 60 to as many as 200 Quadrantid meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions. According to the International Meteor Organisation (IMO), the peak is expected to occur at around 14:30 GMT on Sunday, January 3. The Quadrantids are known for their bright fireball meteors and are unique because they originate from an asteroid, instead of a comet. The fireballs are explosions of light and colour and last longer than the normal meteor streak. The annual meteor shower runs every year between December 28 and January 12, but in 2021 the best views in the UK will be after dark on January 2 and 3. It is expected to peak Friday night into Saturday morning. Meteors are pieces of rocky debris that enter the Earth's atmosphere at up to 40 miles per second, leaving streaks of light that we refer to as 'shooting stars'. The Quadrantids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere (this shower can also be seen at latitudes north of 51 degrees south) during the night and predawn hours. The American Meteor Society has suggested the viewers start the gaze an hour before the peak timings in case the show starts early. To get a good view, avoid daylights and find a darker location. Their radiant—the point in the sky from which the Quadrantids appear to come from -- is an obsolete constellation called "Quadrans Muralis." French astronomer Jerome Lalande created this constellation in 1795. Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, the Quadrantids originate from an asteroid: asteroid 2003 EH1. Asteroid 2003 EH1 takes 5.52 years to orbit the sun once. It is possible that 2003 EH is a "dead comet" or a new kind of object being discussed by astronomers called a "rock comet."

Quadrantid meteor shower to light up sky over New Year's weekend

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday captured the 'magnetic&nbsp;fingerprint' of a galaxy across&nbsp;24,000 light-years.</p>

<p>The mesmerising image depicts magnetic fields in galaxy NGC 1068&nbsp;or M77,&nbsp;streamlining&nbsp;over visible light and X-ray composite image of the galaxy from the&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope,&nbsp;NuSTAR&nbsp;or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the&nbsp;Sloan Digital Sky Survey.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/molten-ring-nasa-captures-the-largest-einstein-rings-of-the-universe-352969" hreflang="en">'Molten ring': NASA captures the largest Einstein rings of the universe</a></strong></p>

<p itemprop="caption">NGC 1068 appears to have a complex inner structure.&nbsp;This galaxy is basically analogous to NGC 4736 (M94) showing a strikingly similar overall morphology.&nbsp;The extended outer disk shows signs of interaction and misalignment, probably a result of a recent bombardment.</p>

<p>The magnetic fields aligned along the entire length of the massive spiral arms,&nbsp;24,000 light-years across (0.8 kiloparsecs)&nbsp;implying that the gravitational forces that created the galaxy’s shape are also compressing its magnetic field.</p>

<p>This supports the leading theory of how the spiral arms are forced into their iconic shape known as “density wave theory.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA),&nbsp;studied the galaxy using far-infrared light (89 microns) to reveal facets of its magnetic fields than previous observations using visible and radio telescopes could not detect.</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday captured the 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light-years. The mesmerising image depicts magnetic fields in galaxy NGC 1068 or M77, streamlining over visible light and X-ray composite image of the galaxy from the Hubble Space Telescope, NuSTAR or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday captured the 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light-years. The mesmerising image depicts magnetic fields in galaxy NGC 1068 or M77, streamlining over visible light and X-ray composite image of the galaxy from the Hubble Space Telescope, NuSTAR or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Also read: 'Molten ring': NASA captures the largest Einstein rings of the universe NGC 1068 appears to have a complex inner structure. This galaxy is basically analogous to NGC 4736 (M94) showing a strikingly similar overall morphology. The extended outer disk shows signs of interaction and misalignment, probably a result of a recent bombardment. The magnetic fields aligned along the entire length of the massive spiral arms, 24,000 light-years across (0.8 kiloparsecs) implying that the gravitational forces that created the galaxy’s shape are also compressing its magnetic field. This supports the leading theory of how the spiral arms are forced into their iconic shape known as “density wave theory.” The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), studied the galaxy using far-infrared light (89 microns) to reveal facets of its magnetic fields than previous observations using visible and radio telescopes could not detect.

NASA captures 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light years

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured&nbsp;the largest and one of the most complete&nbsp;Einstein rings&nbsp;ever discovered in our universe.</p>

<p>Named&nbsp;GAL-CLUS-022058s, the Einstein ring is&nbsp;located in the southern hemisphere constellation of&nbsp;Fornax&nbsp;(the Furnace) and was&nbsp;captured by&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope.</p>

<p>The object has been nicknamed by astronomers studying this Einstein ring as the "Molten Ring," which alludes to its appearance and host constellation.</p>

<p><strong>Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/top-10-mind-bending-space-discoveries-and-observations-from-2020-349472" hreflang="en">Top 10 mind-bending space discoveries and observations from 2020</a></strong></p>

<p>First theorised to exist by Einstein in his general theory of&nbsp;relativity, this object’s unusual shape can be explained by a process called&nbsp;gravitational lensing, which causes light shining from far away to be bent and pulled by the gravity of an object between its source and the observer.</p>

<p>One of the advantages of this lensing effect is that it actually allows scientists to better study the farther away galaxy, which might have been completely invisible otherwise.</p>

<p>In this case, the light from the background galaxy has been distorted into the curve we see by the gravity of the galaxy cluster sitting in front of it.</p>

<p>While this is not the only known example of the phenomenon happening, it is one of the most striking.</p>

<p>The near exact alignment of the background galaxy with the central elliptical galaxy of the cluster, seen in the middle of this image,&nbsp;has warped and magnified the image of the background galaxy into an almost perfect ring. The gravity from other galaxies in the cluster causes additional distortions.</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the largest and one of the most complete Einstein rings ever discovered in our universe. Named GAL-CLUS-022058s, the Einstein ring is located in the southern hemisphere constellation of Fornax (the Furnace) and was captured by Hubble Space Telescope.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the largest and one of the most complete Einstein rings ever discovered in our universe. Named GAL-CLUS-022058s, the Einstein ring is located in the southern hemisphere constellation of Fornax (the Furnace) and was captured by Hubble Space Telescope. The object has been nicknamed by astronomers studying this Einstein ring as the "Molten Ring," which alludes to its appearance and host constellation. Also see: Top 10 mind-bending space discoveries and observations from 2020 First theorised to exist by Einstein in his general theory of relativity, this object’s unusual shape can be explained by a process called gravitational lensing, which causes light shining from far away to be bent and pulled by the gravity of an object between its source and the observer. One of the advantages of this lensing effect is that it actually allows scientists to better study the farther away galaxy, which might have been completely invisible otherwise. In this case, the light from the background galaxy has been distorted into the curve we see by the gravity of the galaxy cluster sitting in front of it. While this is not the only known example of the phenomenon happening, it is one of the most striking. The near exact alignment of the background galaxy with the central elliptical galaxy of the cluster, seen in the middle of this image, has warped and magnified the image of the background galaxy into an almost perfect ring. The gravity from other galaxies in the cluster causes additional distortions.

'Molten ring': NASA captures the largest Einstein rings of the universe

<p>A new study has revealed that that skills strongly associated with driving ability can be "seriously" impaired by the equivalent of less than half a beer.</p>

<p>Scientists with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) California-based&nbsp; Ames Research Center and San José State University warned that hand-eye coordination in driving and other activities is compromised after consuming the equivalent of less than a half of beer, for a person around 75 kg in weight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The findings provide new information on the potential impact of even minimal alcohol consumption on high-risk human activities that rely on keen visual and visuomotor control, like driving, piloting, or working heavy machinery.<br />
<br />
In previous studies, eye movements and vision were only affected at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) approaching the legal limit for driving.<br />
<br />
The study from the research team based at NASA`s Ames Research Center in California found for the first time that hand-eye coordination is dramatically more sensitive to alcohol with some measures of coordination impaired by more than 20 per cent at BAC levels as low as 0.015 per cent.<br />
<br />
"Our findings provide a cautionary tale that the subjective experience of drunkenness is often not aligned with objective impairment of sensorimotor coordination. In other words, most people feel they are unimpaired after one drink, yet they are to a significant degree," said Terence Tyson, first author on the study in a paper published in The Journal of Physiology.<br />
<br />
Driving may be affected by drinking just a small amount of alcohol, even though the driver may feel fine and be well within the legal limit, Tyson added.<br />
<br />
To reach this conclusion, the researchers measured volunteers` eye movements, pupil responses, and BAC, multiple times during a day while they performed a specially designed task, before and after they drank alcohol.<br />
<br />
At random, the volunteers were assigned a mixed drink containing a certain quantity of alcohol achieving either the higher (0.06 per cent) or lower (0.02 per cent) peak BAC levels so that they were not aware of exactly how much they drank on a given day.<br />
<br />
The researchers then computed 21 different ocular measures that have been shown to assess neural processing in specific brain areas that contribute to different components of the eye-movement and pupillary responses.<br />
<br />
The study participants were men and women, mostly in their 20s, who drink on average 1-2 drinks per week.<br />
<br />
The researchers made sure that participants had a full night`s sleep the night before, and asked that they abstain from both alcohol and caffeine consumption for several nights in a row prior to testing.<br />
<br />
Apart from this finding specific to alcohol-induced impairment, this study further demonstrated how an especially designed collection of non-invasive eye measurements can be used to measure mild deficits of processing in the brain.<br />
<br />
In future studies, the researchers plan to look at how their eye measurements are affected by other types of neurological conditions, such as those caused by degenerative diseases or toxic exposures.<br />
<br />
NASA is interested in developing sensitive yet non-invasive methods for detecting mild impairments.</p>


A new study has revealed that that skills strongly associated with driving ability can be "seriously" impaired by the equivalent of less than half a beer. Scientists with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) California-based Ames Research Center and San José State University warned that hand-eye coordination in driving and other activities is compromised after consuming the equivalent of less than a half of beer, for a person around 75 kg in weight.

A new study has revealed that that skills strongly associated with driving ability can be "seriously" impaired by the equivalent of less than half a beer. Scientists with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) California-based Ames Research Center and San José State University warned that hand-eye coordination in driving and other activities is compromised after consuming the equivalent of less than a half of beer, for a person around 75 kg in weight. The findings provide new information on the potential impact of even minimal alcohol consumption on high-risk human activities that rely on keen visual and visuomotor control, like driving, piloting, or working heavy machinery. In previous studies, eye movements and vision were only affected at blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) approaching the legal limit for driving. The study from the research team based at NASA`s Ames Research Center in California found for the first time that hand-eye coordination is dramatically more sensitive to alcohol with some measures of coordination impaired by more than 20 per cent at BAC levels as low as 0.015 per cent. "Our findings provide a cautionary tale that the subjective experience of drunkenness is often not aligned with objective impairment of sensorimotor coordination. In other words, most people feel they are unimpaired after one drink, yet they are to a significant degree," said Terence Tyson, first author on the study in a paper published in The Journal of Physiology. Driving may be affected by drinking just a small amount of alcohol, even though the driver may feel fine and be well within the legal limit, Tyson added. To reach this conclusion, the researchers measured volunteers` eye movements, pupil responses, and BAC, multiple times during a day while they performed a specially designed task, before and after they drank alcohol. At random, the volunteers were assigned a mixed drink containing a certain quantity of alcohol achieving either the higher (0.06 per cent) or lower (0.02 per cent) peak BAC levels so that they were not aware of exactly how much they drank on a given day. The researchers then computed 21 different ocular measures that have been shown to assess neural processing in specific brain areas that contribute to different components of the eye-movement and pupillary responses. The study participants were men and women, mostly in their 20s, who drink on average 1-2 drinks per week. The researchers made sure that participants had a full night`s sleep the night before, and asked that they abstain from both alcohol and caffeine consumption for several nights in a row prior to testing. Apart from this finding specific to alcohol-induced impairment, this study further demonstrated how an especially designed collection of non-invasive eye measurements can be used to measure mild deficits of processing in the brain. In future studies, the researchers plan to look at how their eye measurements are affected by other types of neurological conditions, such as those caused by degenerative diseases or toxic exposures. NASA is interested in developing sensitive yet non-invasive methods for detecting mild impairments.

Don't drink and drive: Study shows only half a beer can hamper hand-eye coordination

<p>A newly discovered comet was photographed flying past the sun during the solar eclipse&nbsp;witnessed by Chile and Argentina.</p>

<p>The comet called&nbsp;C/2020 X3&nbsp;was first spotted by Thai novice space expert Worachate Boonplod in satellite information on December 13, a day prior to the overshadowing, NASA said on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was participating in the NASA-supported Sungrazer Project — a resident science venture that welcomes anybody to look for new comets in pictures from the joint European Space Agency and NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/solar-eclipse-plunges-south-america-into-darkness-for-two-minutes-349881">Solar eclipse plunges South America into darkness for two minutes</a></strong></p>

<p>The comet, named C/2020 X3 (SOHO), is known as a Kreutz sungrazer, NASA said. This group of comets began from a huge parent comet that split up into more modest pieces well over 1,000 years back. The sungrazers keep on orbitting around the sun today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Boonplod realized the overshadowing was coming and was anxious to see whether his new comet revelation may show up in the sun's external environment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A satellite picture of the sun, shaded in red, shows a splendid bit of light circling the Sun. Around the time the overshadowing picture was taken, the comet was going at approximately 450,000 miles for every hour, about 2.7 million miles from the sun's surface, NASA said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The comet was around 50 feet (15 meters) in breadth — about the length of a semi-truck, NASA said. It at that point broke down to tidy particles because of serious solar radiation, a couple of hours prior to arriving at its nearest highlight the sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Individuals in Chile and Argentina were blessed to receive the last absolute sunlight based shroud of 2020 last Monday. During an absolute sun powered shroud, the moon totally hinders the sun aside from the sun's external climate, called the crown, to make a lovely ring of light.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kreutz sungrazer comets are most ordinarily found in SOHO pictures. The space observatory's camera works by copying complete solar radiation shrouds: A strong circle shut out the generally blinding light of the sun, uncovering dimmer highlights in its external environment and other divine articles like comets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Until now, 4,108 comets have been found in SOHO pictures, with this comet being the 3,524th Kreutz sungrazer spotted, NASA said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To the extent is known, no comets have ever really been believed to hit the sun-based surface, or the photosphere, the European Space Agency said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kreutz sungrazers get to inside around 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) of the surface, simply going through the lower locales of the sun oriented air (the crown). Most generally vanish in the hot sun based environment.</p>


A newly discovered comet was photographed flying past the sun during the solar eclipse witnessed by Chile and Argentina. The comet called C/2020 X3 was first spotted by Thai novice space expert Worachate Boonplod in satellite information on December 13, a day prior to the overshadowing, NASA said on Saturday.

A newly discovered comet was photographed flying past the sun during the solar eclipse witnessed by Chile and Argentina. The comet called C/2020 X3 was first spotted by Thai novice space expert Worachate Boonplod in satellite information on December 13, a day prior to the overshadowing, NASA said on Saturday. He was participating in the NASA-supported Sungrazer Project — a resident science venture that welcomes anybody to look for new comets in pictures from the joint European Space Agency and NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO. Also see: Solar eclipse plunges South America into darkness for two minutes The comet, named C/2020 X3 (SOHO), is known as a Kreutz sungrazer, NASA said. This group of comets began from a huge parent comet that split up into more modest pieces well over 1,000 years back. The sungrazers keep on orbitting around the sun today. Boonplod realized the overshadowing was coming and was anxious to see whether his new comet revelation may show up in the sun's external environment. A satellite picture of the sun, shaded in red, shows a splendid bit of light circling the Sun. Around the time the overshadowing picture was taken, the comet was going at approximately 450,000 miles for every hour, about 2.7 million miles from the sun's surface, NASA said. The comet was around 50 feet (15 meters) in breadth — about the length of a semi-truck, NASA said. It at that point broke down to tidy particles because of serious solar radiation, a couple of hours prior to arriving at its nearest highlight the sun. Individuals in Chile and Argentina were blessed to receive the last absolute sunlight based shroud of 2020 last Monday. During an absolute sun powered shroud, the moon totally hinders the sun aside from the sun's external climate, called the crown, to make a lovely ring of light. Kreutz sungrazer comets are most ordinarily found in SOHO pictures. The space observatory's camera works by copying complete solar radiation shrouds: A strong circle shut out the generally blinding light of the sun, uncovering dimmer highlights in its external environment and other divine articles like comets. Until now, 4,108 comets have been found in SOHO pictures, with this comet being the 3,524th Kreutz sungrazer spotted, NASA said. To the extent is known, no comets have ever really been believed to hit the sun-based surface, or the photosphere, the European Space Agency said. The Kreutz sungrazers get to inside around 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) of the surface, simply going through the lower locales of the sun oriented air (the crown). Most generally vanish in the hot sun based environment.

Newly discovered comet captured flying past the sun during solar eclipse

<p>When humans get to Mars one day, they'll have some pressing needs. One of those is water.</p>

<p>Water is substantial and difficult to move through space, so preferably they'll have the option to discover what they need to make due on Mars itself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A new study led by researchers at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) points to a "large, previously unrecognized reservoir of water ice" in the Nereidum Montes region of Mars.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The paper - distributed in the diary Icarus - inspected Viscous Flow Features (VFFs), frosty developments found on the red planet.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/aliens-calling-scientists-receive-radio-signals-from-faraway-planet-350645" hreflang="en">Aliens calling? Scientists receive radio signals from faraway planet</a></strong></p>

<p>VFFs have been contrasted and chilly arrangements on Earth and could be a likely wellspring of water for space travelers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Our radar examination shows that in any event one of these highlights is around 500 meters thick and almost 100 per cent&nbsp;ice, with a flotsam and jetsam covering all things considered ten meters thick," said PSI Senior researcher Daniel Berman, lead creator of the paper, in articulation on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These water ice stores could speak to "conceivably the biggest groupings of any non-polar area in the southern half of the globe," as indicated by PSI. The specialists utilized information from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to find the VFFs, which date to inside the last hardly any million years of the planet's set of experiences.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study ties in with other research on the history and current presence of water on Mars. NASA shared a "treasure map" of water ice deposits on Mars in 2019.</p>

<p>While it's enticing to pack a hairdryer and straw and head for Nereidum Montes, it won't be that straightforward for future red planet adventurers. "This area would be an intriguing landing site because of the lot of ice, which could be utilized as a hotspot for water," Berman said. "Shockingly, it is bumpy territory and it would almost certainly be extremely hard to land there."</p>


When humans get to Mars one day, they'll have some pressing needs. One of those is water. Water is substantial and difficult to move through space, so preferably they'll have the option to discover what they need to make due on Mars itself.

When humans get to Mars one day, they'll have some pressing needs. One of those is water. Water is substantial and difficult to move through space, so preferably they'll have the option to discover what they need to make due on Mars itself. A new study led by researchers at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) points to a "large, previously unrecognized reservoir of water ice" in the Nereidum Montes region of Mars. The paper - distributed in the diary Icarus - inspected Viscous Flow Features (VFFs), frosty developments found on the red planet. Also read: Aliens calling? Scientists receive radio signals from faraway planet VFFs have been contrasted and chilly arrangements on Earth and could be a likely wellspring of water for space travelers. "Our radar examination shows that in any event one of these highlights is around 500 meters thick and almost 100 per cent ice, with a flotsam and jetsam covering all things considered ten meters thick," said PSI Senior researcher Daniel Berman, lead creator of the paper, in articulation on Monday. These water ice stores could speak to "conceivably the biggest groupings of any non-polar area in the southern half of the globe," as indicated by PSI. The specialists utilized information from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to find the VFFs, which date to inside the last hardly any million years of the planet's set of experiences. The study ties in with other research on the history and current presence of water on Mars. NASA shared a "treasure map" of water ice deposits on Mars in 2019. While it's enticing to pack a hairdryer and straw and head for Nereidum Montes, it won't be that straightforward for future red planet adventurers. "This area would be an intriguing landing site because of the lot of ice, which could be utilized as a hotspot for water," Berman said. "Shockingly, it is bumpy territory and it would almost certainly be extremely hard to land there."

Scientists discover 'previously unrecognised' water ice reservoir on Mars

<p>Skywatchers are in for a treat as&nbsp;Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon are going to&nbsp;form a triangle in the sky on December 21 in a phenomenon&nbsp;known as the&nbsp;'great conjunction'.</p>

<p>This week Jupiter and Saturn are low in the southwest during the nippy December sunset. At the point when this month started, they were isolated by 2.1 degrees.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yet, in the days that followed, they have been gradually moving toward one another; drawing nearer by about 0.1 degrees every day on their way toward the hotly anticipated "extraordinary combination" next Monday night (Dec. 21). They are crawling nearer to one another will be additionally charged by the entry on Wednesday and Thursday nights (Dec. 16-17) of a frontal area waxing bow moon.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dancing across the night sky, Jupiter and Saturn will make their showstopping move on Dec. 21 when they align to form what's known as the "Great Conjunction." Here's how you can watch: <a href="https://t.co/VoNAbNAMXY">https://t.co/VoNAbNAMXY</a><br />
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📸 : <a href="https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAHQphoto</a> <a href="https://t.co/LLqLfujIlD">pic.twitter.com/LLqLfujIlD</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1339010857443930112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The two planets are moving toward the east regarding the stars, with the slowest, Saturn, at first in the number one spot, and Jupiter, the quicker planet, in the back. In this way, December started with a thickset askew line of Saturn and Jupiter (from upper left to bring down right) along the ecliptic — that fanciful line on the sky that denotes the yearly way of the sun, just as where the moon and planets likewise meander.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/five-asteroids-to-make-close-call-to-earth-this-week-350377" hreflang="en">Five asteroids to make close call to Earth this week</a></strong></p>

<p>As time passes the movement of fervor has been animating as the hole among Saturn and Jupiter has been quickly contracting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What's more, presently we have shown up at the "final lap" of their hotly anticipated meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What has become referred to prominently as the "Christmas Star" is a particularly lively planetary combination effectively obvious at night sky throughout the following fourteen days as the splendid planets Jupiter and Saturn meet up, coming full circle the evening of December&nbsp;21.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 1610, Italian space expert Galileo Galilei guided his telescope toward the night sky, finding the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that very year, Galileo additionally found an unusual oval encompassing Saturn, which later perceptions resolved to be its rings. These revelations changed how individuals comprehended the most distant spans of our close planetary system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After thirteen years, in 1623, the nearby planetary group's two goliath planets, Jupiter and Saturn, traversed the sky. Jupiter got up to speed to and passed Saturn, on a galactic occasion known as an "Incredible Conjunction."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"You can envision the nearby planetary group to be a course, with every one of the planets as a sprinter in their own path and the Earth toward the focal point of the arena," said Henry Throop, space expert in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "From our vantage point, we'll have the option to be to see Jupiter within the path, moving toward Saturn throughout the month lastly overwhelming it on December 21."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The planets routinely seem to pass each other in the close planetary system, with the places of Jupiter and Saturn being adjusted in the sky about once at regular intervals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What makes the current year's exhibition so uncommon, at that point? It's been almost a long time since the planets passed this near one another in the sky, and almost a long time since the arrangement of Saturn and Jupiter happened around evening time, as it will for 2020, permitting almost everybody around the globe to observe this "incredible combination."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The nearest arrangement will show up only a tenth of a degree separated and keep going for a couple of days. On December 21, they will show up so close that a pinkie finger at a manageable distance will effortlessly cover the two planets in the sky. The planets will be anything but difficult to see with the independent eye by looking toward the southwest soon after dusk.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From our vantage point on Earth the colossal gas monsters will show up near one another, however, they will stay a huge number of miles separated in space. And keeping in mind that the combination is going on around the same time as the colder time of year solstice, the circumstance is just an incident, in light of the circles of the planets and the tilt of the Earth.&nbsp;</p>


Skywatchers are in for a treat as Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon are going to form a triangle in the sky on December 21 in a phenomenon known as the 'great conjunction'.

Skywatchers are in for a treat as Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon are going to form a triangle in the sky on December 21 in a phenomenon known as the 'great conjunction'. This week Jupiter and Saturn are low in the southwest during the nippy December sunset. At the point when this month started, they were isolated by 2.1 degrees. Yet, in the days that followed, they have been gradually moving toward one another; drawing nearer by about 0.1 degrees every day on their way toward the hotly anticipated "extraordinary combination" next Monday night (Dec. 21). They are crawling nearer to one another will be additionally charged by the entry on Wednesday and Thursday nights (Dec. 16-17) of a frontal area waxing bow moon. Dancing across the night sky, Jupiter and Saturn will make their showstopping move on Dec. 21 when they align to form what's known as the "Great Conjunction." Here's how you can watch: https://t.co/VoNAbNAMXY 📸 : @NASAHQphoto pic.twitter.com/LLqLfujIlD — NASA (@NASA) December 16, 2020 × The two planets are moving toward the east regarding the stars, with the slowest, Saturn, at first in the number one spot, and Jupiter, the quicker planet, in the back. In this way, December started with a thickset askew line of Saturn and Jupiter (from upper left to bring down right) along the ecliptic — that fanciful line on the sky that denotes the yearly way of the sun, just as where the moon and planets likewise meander. Also read: Five asteroids to make close call to Earth this week As time passes the movement of fervor has been animating as the hole among Saturn and Jupiter has been quickly contracting. What's more, presently we have shown up at the "final lap" of their hotly anticipated meeting. What has become referred to prominently as the "Christmas Star" is a particularly lively planetary combination effectively obvious at night sky throughout the following fourteen days as the splendid planets Jupiter and Saturn meet up, coming full circle the evening of December 21. In 1610, Italian space expert Galileo Galilei guided his telescope toward the night sky, finding the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that very year, Galileo additionally found an unusual oval encompassing Saturn, which later perceptions resolved to be its rings. These revelations changed how individuals comprehended the most distant spans of our close planetary system. After thirteen years, in 1623, the nearby planetary group's two goliath planets, Jupiter and Saturn, traversed the sky. Jupiter got up to speed to and passed Saturn, on a galactic occasion known as an "Incredible Conjunction." "You can envision the nearby planetary group to be a course, with every one of the planets as a sprinter in their own path and the Earth toward the focal point of the arena," said Henry Throop, space expert in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "From our vantage point, we'll have the option to be to see Jupiter within the path, moving toward Saturn throughout the month lastly overwhelming it on December 21." The planets routinely seem to pass each other in the close planetary system, with the places of Jupiter and Saturn being adjusted in the sky about once at regular intervals. What makes the current year's exhibition so uncommon, at that point? It's been almost a long time since the planets passed this near one another in the sky, and almost a long time since the arrangement of Saturn and Jupiter happened around evening time, as it will for 2020, permitting almost everybody around the globe to observe this "incredible combination." The nearest arrangement will show up only a tenth of a degree separated and keep going for a couple of days. On December 21, they will show up so close that a pinkie finger at a manageable distance will effortlessly cover the two planets in the sky. The planets will be anything but difficult to see with the independent eye by looking toward the southwest soon after dusk. From our vantage point on Earth the colossal gas monsters will show up near one another, however, they will stay a huge number of miles separated in space. And keeping in mind that the combination is going on around the same time as the colder time of year solstice, the circumstance is just an incident, in light of the circles of the planets and the tilt of the Earth.

'Great conjunction': Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon to form triangle in the sky

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the satellite image of the&nbsp;Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;long-exposure image also shows orange airglow of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.⁣</p>

<p>NASA took to social networking site Instagram to share the image of the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains&nbsp;taken by a crew member aboard the International Space Station (ISS).</p>

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<p>The Himalayan mountain range has some of the highest peaks on Earth, including Mount Everest, located at the border between Nepal and China.</p>

<p>Since being shared the post has garnered over a million likes and four thousand comments all gushing about the phenomenal shot.</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the satellite image of the Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space. The long-exposure image also shows orange airglow of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the satellite image of the Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space. The long-exposure image also shows orange airglow of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.⁣ NASA took to social networking site Instagram to share the image of the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains taken by a crew member aboard the International Space Station (ISS). View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) The Himalayan mountain range has some of the highest peaks on Earth, including Mount Everest, located at the border between Nepal and China. Since being shared the post has garnered over a million likes and four thousand comments all gushing about the phenomenal shot.

Watch: NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space

<p>The Earth is going to witness a breathtaking meteor shower this weekend.</p>

<p>This spectacular show -- the Geminid meteor shower -- is expected to go on till December 14.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA has revealed that the shower will be prominently visible in the Northern Hemisphere. The best line-up is expected to turn up on the night of &nbsp;December 13, which will continue through the next day.</p>

<p>Geminids are a trail of dust that left behind comet 3200 Phaethon, a couple of thousand years ago. They are mostly seen in the star constellation Gemini, hence the name.</p>

<p>The comet is known to travel around the sun once every 1.4 years disintegrating its dust every time it crosses our Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The shower was first spotted in 1862, but researchers could only learn about its source -- Phaethon -- more than a century later in 1983.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This year, as per the reports, experts suggest 2 am as the best time to witness the meteor shower in India.</p>

<p>NASA said in a statement, “If it's not cloudy, get away from bright lights, lie on your back, and lookup. Remember to let your eyes get adjusted to the dark – you'll see more meteors that way. Keep in mind, this adjustment can take approximately 30 minutes. Don't look at your cell phone screen, as it will ruin your night vision!”</p>


The Earth is going to witness a breathtaking meteor shower this weekend. This spectacular show -- the Geminid meteor shower -- is expected to go on till December 14.

The Earth is going to witness a breathtaking meteor shower this weekend. This spectacular show -- the Geminid meteor shower -- is expected to go on till December 14. NASA has revealed that the shower will be prominently visible in the Northern Hemisphere. The best line-up is expected to turn up on the night of December 13, which will continue through the next day. Geminids are a trail of dust that left behind comet 3200 Phaethon, a couple of thousand years ago. They are mostly seen in the star constellation Gemini, hence the name. The comet is known to travel around the sun once every 1.4 years disintegrating its dust every time it crosses our Sun. The shower was first spotted in 1862, but researchers could only learn about its source -- Phaethon -- more than a century later in 1983. This year, as per the reports, experts suggest 2 am as the best time to witness the meteor shower in India. NASA said in a statement, “If it's not cloudy, get away from bright lights, lie on your back, and lookup. Remember to let your eyes get adjusted to the dark – you'll see more meteors that way. Keep in mind, this adjustment can take approximately 30 minutes. Don't look at your cell phone screen, as it will ruin your night vision!”

Don't miss Geminid meteor shower with over 100 shooting stars this weekend

<p>An Indian-American is among the 18 astronauts selected by NASA for its manned mission to the Moon and beyond.</p>

<p>NASA on Wednesday named the 18 astronauts -- half of them women -- who will train for its Artemis moon-landing programme.</p>

<p>Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari, 43, a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT, and US Naval Test Pilot School, is the only Indian-American in the list.</p>

<p>He was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class.</p>

<p>He reported for duty in August 2017 and has completed the initial astronaut candidate training is now eligible for a mission assignment.</p>

<p>"My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who will carry us back to the Moon and beyond: the Artemis Generation," Vice President Mike Pence said at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday.</p>

<p>"It really is amazing to think that the next man and the first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. We started today reflecting on a great hero of the past. The Artemis Generation are the heroes of American space exploration in the future," Pence said after he introduced the members of the Artemis Team during the eighth National Space Council meeting.</p>

<p>The astronauts on the Artemis Team come from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise and experience.</p>

<p>Most of the astronauts in the group are in their 30s or 40s.</p>

<p>The oldest is 55, the youngest 32.</p>

<p>The agency's modern lunar exploration programme will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade, NASA said.</p>

<p>NASA will announce flight assignments for astronauts later, pulling from the Artemis Team.</p>

<p>Additional Artemis Team members, including international partner astronauts, will join this group, as needed.</p>

<p>"We are incredibly grateful for the president and vice president's support of the Artemis program, as well as the bipartisan support for all of NASA's science, aeronautics research, technology development, and human exploration goals," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.</p>

<p>"As a result, we're excited to share this next step in exploration, naming the Artemis Team of astronauts who will lead the way, which includes the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface," he added.</p>

<p>The selected astronauts will help NASA prepare for the coming Artemis missions, which begin next year working with the agency's commercial partners as they develop human landing systems; assisting in the development of training; defining hardware requirements, and consulting on technical development.</p>

<p>They also will engage the public and industry on NASA's exploration plans.</p>

<p>"There is so much exciting work ahead of us as we return to the moon, and it will take the entire astronaut corps to make that happen," Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester said.</p>

<p>"Walking on the lunar surface would be a dream come true for any one of us, and any part we can play in making that happen is an honour," he said.</p>

<p>The other members on the list include Christina Koch and Jessica Meir -- the two astronauts who performed the world's first all-female spacewalk last year.</p>


An Indian-American is among the 18 astronauts selected by NASA for its manned mission to the Moon and beyond. NASA on Wednesday named the 18 astronauts -- half of them women -- who will train for its Artemis moon-landing programme.

An Indian-American is among the 18 astronauts selected by NASA for its manned mission to the Moon and beyond. NASA on Wednesday named the 18 astronauts -- half of them women -- who will train for its Artemis moon-landing programme. Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari, 43, a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT, and US Naval Test Pilot School, is the only Indian-American in the list. He was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. He reported for duty in August 2017 and has completed the initial astronaut candidate training is now eligible for a mission assignment. "My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who will carry us back to the Moon and beyond: the Artemis Generation," Vice President Mike Pence said at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday. "It really is amazing to think that the next man and the first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. We started today reflecting on a great hero of the past. The Artemis Generation are the heroes of American space exploration in the future," Pence said after he introduced the members of the Artemis Team during the eighth National Space Council meeting. The astronauts on the Artemis Team come from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise and experience. Most of the astronauts in the group are in their 30s or 40s. The oldest is 55, the youngest 32. The agency's modern lunar exploration programme will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade, NASA said. NASA will announce flight assignments for astronauts later, pulling from the Artemis Team. Additional Artemis Team members, including international partner astronauts, will join this group, as needed. "We are incredibly grateful for the president and vice president's support of the Artemis program, as well as the bipartisan support for all of NASA's science, aeronautics research, technology development, and human exploration goals," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "As a result, we're excited to share this next step in exploration, naming the Artemis Team of astronauts who will lead the way, which includes the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface," he added. The selected astronauts will help NASA prepare for the coming Artemis missions, which begin next year working with the agency's commercial partners as they develop human landing systems; assisting in the development of training; defining hardware requirements, and consulting on technical development. They also will engage the public and industry on NASA's exploration plans. "There is so much exciting work ahead of us as we return to the moon, and it will take the entire astronaut corps to make that happen," Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester said. "Walking on the lunar surface would be a dream come true for any one of us, and any part we can play in making that happen is an honour," he said. The other members on the list include Christina Koch and Jessica Meir -- the two astronauts who performed the world's first all-female spacewalk last year.

Indian-American among 18 astronauts selected for NASA's manned Moon mission

<p>The largest remaining chunk of the world's biggest iceberg&nbsp;that broke away from the Antarctic Peninsula two-and-a-half years ago could strike land this month, potentially making a mess of the waters of pristine South Georgia Island in the south Atlantic.</p>

<p>Scientists have spent weeks watching this climate-related event unfold, as the iceberg - about the same size as the island itself – has meandered and advanced over two years since breaking off from the Antarctic peninsula in July of 2017.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/royal-air-force-jet-captures-image-of-worlds-biggest-iceberg-347659">Royal Air Force jet captures image of world's biggest iceberg</a></strong></p>

<p>The peninsula is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth, registering a record high temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius (69.35 degrees Fahrenheit) on Feb. 9. The warming has scientists concerned about ice melt leading to higher sea levels worldwide.</p>

<p><img alt="F" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2b9d854a-efc8-45ac-9775-12804b3f56fe" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2816%29_17.jpg" /></p>

<p><strong>In picture:&nbsp;A satellite image of the A-68A iceberg (L) as it approaches South Georgia island (R) in the South Atlantic/Reuters</strong></p>

<p>The gigantic iceberg, dubbed A68a,&nbsp;is on a path to collide with the South Georgia Island, a remote British overseas territory off South America. Whether that collision is days or weeks away is unclear, though, as the iceberg has sped up and slowed down with the ocean currents along the way, said Geraint Tarling, a biological oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey who has been tracking the icy mass.</p>

<p>A collision is still uncertain, as the currents could carry the iceberg past the island, Tarling said.</p>

<p>"The currents around the island are complex, and it is still possible it may miss," Tarling said.</p>

<p>Images captured by a British Royal Air Force aircraft and released on Tuesday show the magnitude of the monstrous, 4,200-square-kilometer iceberg, its surface carved with tunnels, cracks and fissures. A number of smaller ice chunks can be seen floating nearby.</p>

<p>"The sheer size of the A68a iceberg means it is impossible to capture its entirety in one single shot," British officials said in a statement.</p>

<p>Scientists fear that the iceberg, in hitting the island, could crush marine life on the sea floor. Should it lodge at the island's flank, it could block penguins and seals off from their normal forage routes to feed their young.</p>

<p>A68a could also be an obstacle to government ships conducting fishery patrols and surveillance around South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British officials said.</p>


The largest remaining chunk of the world's biggest iceberg that broke away from the Antarctic Peninsula two-and-a-half years ago could strike land this month, potentially making a mess of the waters of pristine South Georgia Island in the south Atlantic.

The largest remaining chunk of the world's biggest iceberg that broke away from the Antarctic Peninsula two-and-a-half years ago could strike land this month, potentially making a mess of the waters of pristine South Georgia Island in the south Atlantic. Scientists have spent weeks watching this climate-related event unfold, as the iceberg - about the same size as the island itself – has meandered and advanced over two years since breaking off from the Antarctic peninsula in July of 2017. Also read: Royal Air Force jet captures image of world's biggest iceberg The peninsula is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth, registering a record high temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius (69.35 degrees Fahrenheit) on Feb. 9. The warming has scientists concerned about ice melt leading to higher sea levels worldwide. In picture: A satellite image of the A-68A iceberg (L) as it approaches South Georgia island (R) in the South Atlantic/Reuters The gigantic iceberg, dubbed A68a, is on a path to collide with the South Georgia Island, a remote British overseas territory off South America. Whether that collision is days or weeks away is unclear, though, as the iceberg has sped up and slowed down with the ocean currents along the way, said Geraint Tarling, a biological oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey who has been tracking the icy mass. A collision is still uncertain, as the currents could carry the iceberg past the island, Tarling said. "The currents around the island are complex, and it is still possible it may miss," Tarling said. Images captured by a British Royal Air Force aircraft and released on Tuesday show the magnitude of the monstrous, 4,200-square-kilometer iceberg, its surface carved with tunnels, cracks and fissures. A number of smaller ice chunks can be seen floating nearby. "The sheer size of the A68a iceberg means it is impossible to capture its entirety in one single shot," British officials said in a statement. Scientists fear that the iceberg, in hitting the island, could crush marine life on the sea floor. Should it lodge at the island's flank, it could block penguins and seals off from their normal forage routes to feed their young. A68a could also be an obstacle to government ships conducting fishery patrols and surveillance around South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British officials said.

Largest remaining chunk of world's biggest iceberg to collide with land

<p>A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceXs 21st commercial mission.<br />
<br />
The upgraded Dragon spacecraft successfully separated from the Falcon 9 rocket`s second stage, as the spacecraft continued its journey to the&nbsp;ISS to deliver critical supplies, equipment, and material to support multiple science and research and experiments that will take place aboard the space station.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/japan-space-probe-carrying-asteroid-rocks-arrives-on-earth-347817">Japan space probe carrying asteroid rocks arrives on Earth</a></strong><br />
<br />
Dragon was slated to arrive at the orbiting laboratory on Monday, NASA said in a statement.<br />
<br />
It will autonomously dock to the station`s Harmony module — the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission — while NASA astronauts and&nbsp;Expedition 64&nbsp;Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover monitor docking operations.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/life-on-mars-probably-not-existed-on-surface-finds-study-347130">Life on Mars probably not existed on surface, finds study</a></strong><br />
<br />
Dragon will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks the first launch for SpaceX under NASA`s CRS-2 contract.<br />
<br />
The Dragon spacecraft is filled with supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250&nbsp;science and research investigations&nbsp;that will occur during&nbsp;Expeditions 64&nbsp;and 65.<br />
<br />
In addition to bringing research to the station, the Dragon`s unpressurised trunk will transport the&nbsp;Nanoracks Bishop Airlock.<br />
<br />
The first commercially funded space station airlock, the Bishop Airlock is an airtight segment used for transfer of payloads between the inside and outside of the station.<br />
<br />
The Dragon spacecraft will spend about one month attached to the space station before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, with splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.</p>


A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceXs 21st commercial mission.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceXs 21st commercial mission. The upgraded Dragon spacecraft successfully separated from the Falcon 9 rocket`s second stage, as the spacecraft continued its journey to the ISS to deliver critical supplies, equipment, and material to support multiple science and research and experiments that will take place aboard the space station. Also read| Japan space probe carrying asteroid rocks arrives on Earth Dragon was slated to arrive at the orbiting laboratory on Monday, NASA said in a statement. It will autonomously dock to the station`s Harmony module — the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission — while NASA astronauts and Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover monitor docking operations. Also read| Life on Mars probably not existed on surface, finds study Dragon will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks the first launch for SpaceX under NASA`s CRS-2 contract. The Dragon spacecraft is filled with supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 64 and 65. In addition to bringing research to the station, the Dragon`s unpressurised trunk will transport the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock. The first commercially funded space station airlock, the Bishop Airlock is an airtight segment used for transfer of payloads between the inside and outside of the station. The Dragon spacecraft will spend about one month attached to the space station before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, with splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX, NASA launch upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft to ISS

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