Showing posts with label ISS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ISS. Show all posts

Man Made Object In Space

           Top Man Made Object In Space

Here are some notable man-made objects in space:

1. International Space Station (ISS):

The International Space Station is bigger than a football field, measuring around 356 feet by 240 feet. The International Space Station (ISS) far surpasses Skylab and the Russian Mir in size, weighing in about 450 tons (just under 900,000 pounds). Instead of being launched all at once, the station was constructed in 2011 using pressurized modules. It has trusses for structural support and solar panels for electricity. 


2. Hubble Space Telescope:

Since 1990, the Hubble space telescope has been the biggest of its type. Hubble weighs roughly 27,000 pounds, or the equivalent of two fully grown African elephants, and measures about 43.5 feet long, or the length of a big school bus, having made more than 1.3 million observations since its launch. The aiming precision of.007 arc seconds, which was sent into orbit from the Kennedy orbit Center aboard the space shuttle Discovery, is about comparable to focusing a laser beam on Franklin D. Roosevelt's head from a distance of 200 miles.  
  


3. Voyager Probes (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2):
 
The Voyager 1 and 2 missions are truly remarkable achievements in space exploration.They started their ambitious voyage in 1977, and since then, they have given us a wealth of scientific knowledge and iconic pictures of our solar system.

Voyager 1 and 2 made groundbreaking discoveries, including identifying active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io and discovering 22 moons across the outer planets. Voyager 2 also extended its mission to photograph Uranus and Neptune.

These spacecraft have ventured into interstellar space, a first for any human-made object, providing crucial data about the distant solar system and interstellar conditions. Despite their vast distance from Earth, both Voyagers continue to transmit data back, offering insights into the space beyond.

Carrying a golden record with scenes, sounds, music, and greetings from Earth, the Voyager spacecraft aim to provide a glimpse of our world to any potential extraterrestrial civilizations that may encounter them in the future. They are expected to continue their journey, passing other stars over thousands of years, enriching our understanding of the cosmos.

4. Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity):

The Perseverance rover's Ingenuity drone, a miniature helicopter, shows that powered flight is possible in the tenuous Martian atmosphere.



5. Satellites for Earth Observation:

Many satellites circle Earth and gather data for a variety of purposes, including communications, environmental monitoring, and weather forecasting. The GOES satellites and the Landsat series are two examples.


6.Parker Solar Probe


The Parker Solar Probe is a groundbreaking NASA mission launched on August 12, 2018, designed to study the Sun up close and unlock the mysteries of the solar corona. Here are some key highlights about this remarkable mission:

a) Closest Approach to the Sun:
    The Parker Solar Probe's mission involves swooping within approximately 4 million miles of the Sun's surface, enduring intense heat and radiation.

b) Mission Objective:
     The Parker Solar Probe's main objective is to research the solar corona in order to comprehend solar activity and phenomena, such as the solar wind and magnetic fields, which have an influence on Earth's technology and space weather.

c) Significance of Solar Wind:
    Eugene Parker, after whom the mission was named, theorized the existence of the solar wind in the 1950s, revolutionizing our understanding of the Sun's behavior and its influence on the solar system.

d) Understanding the Solar Corona:
      The Parker Solar Probe seeks to understand why the Sun's outermost layer, the solar corona, is hotter than its surface, defying accepted physics.

e) Historical Naming:
    Because of Eugene Parker's groundbreaking work in solar physics, the Parker Solar Probe is the first NASA mission to bear his name.

f) Legacy of Eugene Parker:
    We continue to learn more about the Sun thanks to Eugene Parker's theories and contributions to solar physics, which also influence space exploration and study.

g) Scientific Contributions:
     We will be able to predict and lessen the effects of important space-weather events on technology and life on Earth thanks in large part to the data gathered by the Parker Solar Probe.

h) Tribute to Eugene Parker:
  The Parker Solar Probe became the first NASA mission to be named after a living individual, reflecting Eugene Parker's unparalleled contributions to solar physics. 
Parker sadly passed away in March 2022 at the age of 94, leaving behind a significant legacy in the fields of astrophysics and space travel.

JWST captures rare star right before it goes supernova

 

James Webb Space telescope captures rare star right before it goes supernova

The uncommon sight of a Wolf-Rayet star – amongst the most luminous, most massive, and most quickly detectable stars acknowledged – used to be one of the first observations made by way of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in June 2022. Webb indicates the star, WR 124, in exceptional element with its effective infrared instruments. The star is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagitta.

Massive stars race via their life cycles, and solely some of them go via a short Wolf-Rayet segment earlier than going supernova, making Webb’s exact observations of this uncommon segment treasured to astronomers. Wolf-Rayet stars are in the technique of casting off their outer layers, ensuing in their attribute halos of gasoline and dust. The star WR 124 is 30 instances the mass of the Sun and has shed 10 Suns’ worth of material – so far. As the ejected fuel strikes away from the star and cools, cosmic dirt varieties and glows in the infrared mild detectable through Webb.

The beginning of cosmic dirt that can continue to exist a supernova blast and make a contribution to the universe’s ordinary “dust budget” is of exquisite activity to astronomers for more than one reasons. Dust is fundamental to the workings of the universe: It shelters forming stars, gathers collectively to assist structure planets, and serves as a platform for molecules to structure and clump collectively – which include the constructing blocks of existence on Earth. Despite the many indispensable roles that dirt plays, there is nevertheless greater dust in the universe than astronomers’ modern dust-formation theories can explain. The universe is running with a dirt price range surplus.

Webb opens up new chances for analyzing important points in cosmic dust, which is first-rate found in infrared wavelengths of light. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) balances the brightness of WR 124’s stellar core and the knotty important points in the fainter surrounding gas. The telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) displays the clumpy shape of the fuel and dirt nebula of the ejected material now surrounding the star. Before Webb, dust-loving astronomers truly did now not have sufficient targeted facts to discover questions of dirt manufacturing in environments like WR 124, and whether or not the dirt grains have been massive and bountiful adequate to live to tell the tale the supernova and end up a good sized contribution to the average dirt budget. Now these questions can be investigated with actual data.

Stars like WR 124 additionally serve as an analog to assist astronomers apprehend a vital duration in the early records of the universe. Similar demise stars first seeded the younger universe with heavy factors cast in their cores – factors that are now frequent in the present day era, which includes on Earth.

Webb's unique image of WR 124 captures a fleeting, chaotic moment of change and ensures that further research will reveal the long-guarded secrets of cosmic dust.

The best observatory for home science is the James Webb Space Telescope. Webb will explore the unfathomable structures and beginnings of our cosmos and our region within it, as well as solve puzzles in our solar system and distant planets revolving around other stars. Webb is an worldwide software led by way of NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

Why is Webb's observation a unique occurrence?

Because only a small percentage of big stars undergo a brief Wolf-Rayet phase before going supernova, Webb's detailed observations are extremely rare.

The photo shows Wolf-Rayet stars in the process of shedding their outer layers, which is what gives them their distinctive gas and dust halos. With a mass thirty times that of the Sun, star WR 124 has already shed material equivalent to ten Suns. According to the US space agency, cosmic dust develops and glows in the infrared light that Webb can detect when the expelled gas cools and moves away from the star.

How helpful is Wolf-Rayet phase observation for scientists?

According to NASA, cosmic dust contributes to the universe's overall "dust budget" and can sustain supernova explosions, therefore understanding its origin is crucial for astronomers.


The basis of life on Earth is dust, which is also essential to the universe's operation.
 According to NASA, dust shields newborn stars, aids in the formation of planets, and gives molecules a surface on which to congregate and cluster. It also begs the interesting issue of why the cosmos is more dusty than current dust-formation theories anticipate, given all the vital functions that dust performs in the universe.

In addition to promising future discoveries that will unlock the long-kept secrets of cosmic dust, NASA stated that Webb's comprehensive image of WR 124 "preserves forever a brief, turbulent time of transformation."



James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope


NASA's much awaited James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which replaced the Hubble Space Telescope, was launched on December 25, 2021. The project incurred substantial cost overruns; the original $0.5 billion budget was later expanded to almost $10 billion. Work on the project started in 1996.

JWST reached a major mission milestone on January 8, 2022, when it achieved complete deployment. 

 The telescope reached its designated destination on January 24, positioning itself to commence its groundbreaking observations of the universe. The deployment and arrival at its destination are critical steps in ensuring the functionality and success of the mission, allowing JWST to contribute to our understanding of the cosmos. it arrived at its destination.On March 16, 2022, it focused all its mirrors on a single star for the first time.

On July 12, 2022, NASA released JWST's initial set of full-resolution science images, featuring the Carina Nebula, the Eight-Burst Nebula, Stephan’s Quintet (a group of galaxies), and a galaxy cluster. Additionally, NASA presented an analysis of the composition of the exoplanet WASP-96b and discreetly unveiled an image of Jupiter.

Shortly after, researchers identified the oldest galaxy ever discovered in JWST data. This galaxy dates back to just 300 million years after the big bang, making it 100 million years older than the previously identified oldest galaxy, GN-z11.


How does the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) work?

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) operates similarly to traditional telescopes by capturing and focusing light to extend our view of the cosmos. However, it diverges by observing in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, detecting heat instead of visible light like our eyes. This capability, similar to a night vision camera, allows JWST to study cooler and more distant celestial objects. Its significant size enhances light collection, aiding in the observation of fainter and smaller entities. Being in space eliminates atmospheric interference, providing clearer and more detailed data, making JWST a powerful tool for exploring the universe.



How far can the James Webb Space Telescope "see"?

Why is it that galaxies in the early universe are visible to the JWST because of this far-off view? Something is moving away from us faster the further distant it is in the universe. Redshift, which is experienced by fast objects, causes the item to appear redder. Something that is extremely far away eventually turns redder than red and enters the infrared spectrum. JWST's ability to view farther than previous telescopes is due to this. The oldest items are those that are farthest away since light takes time to reach us. Time travel is possible with telescopes like Hubble and JWST. Because JWST operates in the infrared, it can see farther than Hubble and almost all the way back to 13.7 billion years ago, when the cosmos first began.



The James Webb Space Telescope is currently where?

The L2 Lagrange point is the location around which the JWST revolves. This is 1.5 million kilometers beyond Earth so that Earth's heat will not obstruct its view. Because L2 is a gravity well, we don't need as much fuel to maintain it there as we would if it were floating aimlessly in space. The fact that L2 circles the sun with us is also helpful because it means we can always talk to each other and download pictures from the telescope.