Maritime Launch to Begin Construction of Spaceport Nova Scotia

29.08.2022, Canadian defence review

http://www.canadiandefencereview.com/news?news/3471

Nova Scotia is a step closer to becoming a global destination for commercial space launch as Maritime Launch Services is approved to begin construction of Spaceport Nova Scotia – Canada’s first commercial spaceport.

“Today is historic. Nova Scotia is the safest and most globally competitive location to launch satellites into space and today we are closer to realizing this potential,” says Stephen Matier, President and CEO, Maritime Launch, adding, “We are grateful to the team of global experts in design, construction, environmental protection and spaceport operations who have been working with us every step of the way to develop a world class launch site with a focus on safety and environmental stewardship. 

Space launch from Nova Scotia will position Canada as a global leader in low earth orbit satellite communications while creating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in the province.”

Today’s approval confirms that Maritime Launch has satisfied the conditions related to construction of Spaceport Nova Scotia within the Environmental Assessment approval granted in 2019. The launch facility will be built on crown land in accordance with a 20-year lease of approximately 335 acres near the rural communities of Canso, Little Dover and Hazel Hill, Nova Scotia. The lease includes an option for a 20-year renewal based on compliance with terms and conditions.

With geotechnical exploratory work complete, Maritime Launch will now begin construction activity on the site.

“This is a good day for Nova Scotia – particularly rural Nova Scotia - as Spaceport Nova Scotia will create many jobs, education and partnership opportunities while boosting the province’s economy,” said Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia. “We’re proud to be a destination for the growing and competitive global commercial space industry.”

With the development of Spaceport Nova Scotia, Maritime Launch expects that other national and international space companies will choose to establish a corporate presence in Nova Scotia to be near the Company’s commercial launch facilities.

“Today’s announcement is the result of extensive consultation and engagement with local communities, the Mi’kmaq, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough and the Province of Nova Scotia,” says Matier. “Our local host communities, the Mi’kmaq and all Nova Scotians can be confident that we will build and operate the spaceport with a focus on safety and environmental stewardship. This was our focus when we began the initiative years ago and it remains our commitment for the future.”

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Gravity Has Stayed Constant For The Entire Age of The Universe, Study Finds

SPACE: 30 August 2022, By MATT WILLIAMS, UNIVERSE TODAY

https://www.sciencealert.com/gravity-has-stayed-constant-for-the-entire-age-of-the-universe-study-finds

Artist’s impression of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after NASA’s first Chief of Astronomy.

  (NASA)

For over a century, astronomers have known that the Universe has been expanding since the Big Bang. For the first 8 billion years, the expansion rate was relatively consistent since it was held back by the force of gravitation.

However, thanks to missions like the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have since learned that roughly 5 billion years ago, the rate of expansion has been accelerating.

This led to the widely-accepted theory that a mysterious force is behind the expansion (known as Dark Energy), while some insist that the force of gravity may have changed over time.

This is a contentious hypothesis since it means that Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (which has been validated nine ways from Sunday) is wrong.

But according to a new study by the international Dark Energy Survey (DES) Collaboration, the nature of gravity has remained the same throughout the entire history of the Universe.

These findings come shortly before two next-generation space telescopes (Nancy Grace Roman and Euclid) are sent to space to conduct even more precise measurements of gravity and its role in cosmic evolution.

The DES Collaboration comprises researchers from universities and institutes in the US, UK, Canada, Chile, Spain, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Italy, Australia, Norway, and Switzerland.

Their third-year findings were presented at the International Conference on Particle Physics and Cosmology (COSMO'22), which took place in Rio de Janeiro from August 22nd to 26th.

They were also shared in a paper titled "Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Constraints on extensions to Lambda CDM with weak lensing and galaxy clustering" that appeared in the American Physical Society journal Physical Review D.

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which he finalized in 1915, describes how the curvature of spacetime is altered in the presence of gravity.

For over a century, this theory has accurately predicted almost everything in our Universe, from Mercury's orbit and gravitational lensing to the existence of black holes.

But between the 1960s and 1990s, two discrepancies were discovered that led astronomers to wonder if Einstein's theory was correct. First, astronomers noted that the gravitational effects of massive structures (like galaxies and galaxy clusters) did not accord with their observed mass.

This gave rise to the theory that space is filled with an invisible mass that interacts with 'normal' (aka. 'luminous' or visible) matter via gravity. Meanwhile, the observed expansion of the cosmos (and how it is subject to acceleration) gave rise to the theory of Dark Energy and the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (Lambda CDM) cosmological model.

Cold Dark Matter is an interpretation where this mass is composed of large, slow-moving particles while Lambda represents Dark Energy. In theory, these two forces constitute 95 percent of the total mass-energy content of the Universe, yet all attempts to find direct evidence of them have failed.

The only possible alternative is that Relativity needs to be modified to account for these discrepancies. To find out if that's the case, members of the DES used the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at the Cerro Telolo Inter-American Observatory in Chile to observe galaxies up to 5 billion light-years away.

They hoped to determine if gravity has varied over the past 5 billion years (since the acceleration began) or over cosmic distances. They also consulted data from other telescopes, including the ESA's Planck satellite, which has been mapping the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) since 2009.

They paid close attention to how the images they saw contained subtle distortions due to dark matter (gravitational lenses). As the first image released from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) illustrated, scientists can infer the strength of gravity by analyzing the extent to which a gravitational lens distorts spacetime.

So far, the DES Collaboration has measured the shapes of over 100 million galaxies, and the observations all match what General Relativity predicts. The good news is that Einstein's theory still holds, but this also means that the mystery of Dark Energy persists for the time being.

Luckily, astronomers will not have to wait long before new and more detailed data is available. First, there's the ESA's Euclid mission, slated for launch by 2023 at the latest. This mission will map the geometry of the Universe, looking 8 billion years into the past to measure the effects of Dark Matter and Dark Energy.

By May 2027, it will be joined by NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will look back over 11 billion years. These will be the most detailed cosmological surveys ever conducted and are expected to provide the most compelling evidence for (or against) the Lambda-CDM model.

As study co-author Agnès Ferté, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral researcher at JPL, said in a recent NASA press release:

"There is still room to challenge Einstein's theory of gravity, as measurements get more and more precise. But we still have so much to do before we're ready for Euclid and Roman. So it's essential we continue to collaborate with scientists around the world on this problem as we've done with the Dark Energy Survey."

In addition, observations provided by Webb of the earliest stars and galaxies in the Universe will allow astronomers to chart the evolution of the cosmos from its earliest periods. These efforts have the potential to answer some of the most pressing mysteries in the Universe.

These include how Relativity and the observed mass and expansion of the Universe coincide but could also provide insight into how gravity and the other fundamental forces of the Universe (as described by quantum mechanics) interact – a Theory of Everything (ToE).

If there's one thing that characterizes the current era of astronomy, it is the way that long-term surveys and next-generation instruments are coming together to test what has been the stuff of theory until now.

The potential breakthroughs that these could lead to are sure to both delight and confound us. But ultimately, they will revolutionize the way we look at the Universe.

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'Sight to behold': tourists flock to Florida for Moon rocket launch

AUGUST 28, 2022, by Lucie AUBOURG

https://phys.org/news/2022-08-sight-tourists-flock-florida-moon.html

Tourists at a space t-shirt store shop near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, August 27, 2022.

Seeing a rocket blast off to the Moon is "a once-in-a-lifetime thing to experience," says Joanne Bostandji.

The 45-year-old has traveled all the way from northern England to Florida with her husband and two children for a space-themed vacation, and they're prepared to make sure they don't miss a second of the action as NASA's newest and most powerful rocket is scheduled to launch for the first time Monday.

"The plan is to drive very early in the morning and get a spot" on Cocoa Beach, she said, not far from the Kennedy Space Center.

"I know it's going be from a far distance, but I still think it's going be a sight to behold," Bostandji told AFP as the family waited to enter a park dedicated to space exploration.

Between 100,000 and 200,000 visitors are expected to attend the launch of the mission, called Artemis 1, which will propel an empty capsule to the Moon as part of a test for future crewed flights.

https://youtu.be/5Wu4D-Db678

The "historic nature" of Monday's flight, the first of several as the United States returns to the Moon, "certainly has increased public interest," Meagan Happel of Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism told AFP.

Traffic jams are expected to start by 4 am, with the launch scheduled at 8:33 am (1233 GMT).

And even more people might show up if the launch faces a weather delay, as the make-up date falls on a weekend.

Space cruise

Sabrina Morley was able to find an apartment to rent not far from the beach, and plans to bring her two children and a few dozen other people on a boat chartered for the occasion by a company called Star Fleet Tours.

NASA's SLS rocket is seen August 26, 2022 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

For $95 a ticket, "we'll go out into the ocean as close as they can get to the launch and we'll watch the launch from the boat," she said

"I've never been this close to a launch before," said the 43-year-old, who grew up in Orlando, less than an hour away.

As a child, she could see space shuttles taking off from her backyard, like "an orange ball of smoke" rising into the sky.

"We would hear the sonic booms," she remembered.

Morley likes that NASA's Artemis program aims to land a woman on the Moon for the first time, with a crew to head up in 2025 at the earliest.

"Representation matters," she said, glancing at her two-year-old daughter, who is already wearing an imitation astronaut helmet on her head.

As soon as they enter the store Space Shirts, visitors are greeted with Artemis rocket t-shirts for sale.

Good for business

The return of prestigious space launches is an economic boon for the region. A family of three will spend an average of $1,300 over four or five days, according to the tourism office.

On the main road to Merritt Island, the peninsula where the Kennedy Space Center is located, Brenda Mulberry's space memorabilia shop is packed with tourists.

As soon as they enter, visitors are greeted with Artemis T-shirts for sale, printed in-house—there were 1,000 copies made Saturday alone.

The last few days has seen an influx of customers, Mulberry, who founded "Space Shirts" in 1984, told AFP.

"They're just excited I think to see a NASA launch because the private space business is not so motivating to the people," she said.

This rocket, called the SLS—a large model of which is displayed in front of her shop—"belongs to the people," Mulberry said.

"It's their rocket. It's not SpaceX rocket," she added.

There is an air of nostalgia for the Apollo rocket program—it's been 50 years since the last time a crewed mission went to the Moon, in 1972.

"My family, they had to go to the neighbor's house to watch (the Apollo missions) because they didn't have a television," Bostandji, who was not yet born, said.

"Now we're going to see it hopefully for real."

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Space News: NASA's Artemis I Mission set to launch with Israeli radiation experiment

 

NASA's Artemis I Mission set to launch with Israeli radiation experiment

Israel's StemRad vest is being tested onboard NASA's Orion spacecraft in the Artemis I Mission to see if it can protect astronauts from space radiation on future Moon missions.

 By AARON REICH , Jerusalem Post,  AUGUST 28, 2022 

https://www.jpost.com/science/article-715750

Mankin torsos Zohar and Helga will take part in testing Israel's StemRad vests on NASA's Artemis I Mission (Illustrative). (photo credit: Jordon Huri/StemRad/NASA)

NASA's Orion spacecraft is set to take off for the long-awaited Artemis I Mission to the Moon, and Israel is one of the few countries taking part in one of the scientific experiments involved.

The mission itself is a collaboration between NASA, the Israel Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and is set to be launched onboard NASA's strongest-ever rocket on Monday, August 29.

The Artemis I Mission, which is uncrewed, will feature an Israeli experiment called the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE), which will study radiation exposure and test out the AstroRad protective vest developed by Israel's StemRad firm, supported by the Israel Space Agency.

How NASA Will Protect Astronauts From Space Radiation

"Israel is one of the very few states that has managed to introduce original technology for Artemis I. This is part of Israel’s long-standing successful space heritage that we are committed to continuously strengthening."

Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, director-general of the Science and Technology Ministry in Israel

NASA’s Space Launch System Rocket Ready for Moon Launch on Artemis I

"Israel is one of the very few states that has managed to introduce original technology for Artemis I," Israeli Science and Technology Ministry Director-General Hilla Haddad Chmelnik said in a statement.

"This is part of Israel’s long-standing successful space heritage that we are committed to continuously strengthening."

The AstroRad vest designed by Israel's StemRad to protect astronauts from space radiation, which will be used on NASA's Artemis I Mission. (credit: STEMRAD)

What is Israel bringing to NASA's Artemis I Mission?

MARE is meant to solve what is probably one of the biggest dangers to astronauts heading on space missions: Space radiation.

The StemRad vests have already been sent to the International Space Station for the Comfort and Human Factors AstroRad Radiation Garment Evaluation (CHARGE) study means to test the vest in a microgravity environment, meaning in low-Earth orbit. However, they have not yet been tested farther out into space.

This is important as NASA's Artemis missions are set to lead up to mankind's eventual return to the Moon. To do that, it means that astronauts will leave low-Earth orbit, which in turn means leaving the protection of Earth's magnetic field against cosmic radiation. As such, finding a way to protect against that is incredibly important.

This is where Israel comes in. StemRad has created a new protection vest that should work to provide protection against space radiation.

NASA's Artemis I Mission will be uncrewed, so no actual humans will be on board the Orion spacecraft.

Instead, the spacecraft will be carrying two identical mankin torsos, named Helga and Zohar, the former being in honor of the participation of Germany and the latter in honor of the participation of Israel. 

 Mankin torsoes Zohar (L) and Helga will take part in NASA's Artemis I Mission. Zohar is wearing the Israeli-made AstroRad protective vest. (credit: Jordon Huri/StemRad/NASA)

Both mankin torsos, also known as "phantom torsos," are meant to mimic the bones, tissue and organs of an adult human female. The reason they are specifically modeled after females is that females often are more sensitive to space radiation.

This is important because as part of NASA's Artemis missions, the eventual goal is to put the first woman astronaut on the Moon.

Helga will be going in unprotected as the control group while Zohar will be wearing a StemRad vest to cover the uterus, upper body and critical organs. Both mankin torsos will wear radiation detectors to help scientists map out how the radiation doses spread.

This will be an important test for the viability of the StemRad vests, as well as getting more information about space radiation exposure.

If all goes well with MARE on the Artemis I Mission, it's likely that astronauts will be wearing StemRad vests in future space missions. 

2 Days to Launch - Space Makers Artemis 1 Launch Coverage

As we prepare for Orions launch to the Moon, take a behind the scenes look at our AstroRad vests, designed to protect astronauts from radiation in deep space. Also, hear from a NASA Orion engineer about the mission to the Moon. 

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Space News: SpaceIL announces medication durability experiment for Beresheet 2 mission

 

SpaceIL announces medication durability experiment for Beresheet 2 mission

The first experiment chosen to be conducted on the Beresheet 2 mission is to test which medications hold up best in space and how they are affected.

 By JERUSALEM POST STAFF Published: AUGUST 27, 2022 

https://www.jpost.com/science/article-715693

                      A model of the Beresheet 2 spacecraft. (photo credit: AMIR SHEMESH)

SpaceIL chose an experiment to test the efficiency and durability of medications in space as its first experiment that it plans to conduct aboard its next space mission named Beresheet 2.

In the last year, SpaceIL has been collecting experiment suggestions from Israel's youth as part of a program to make science and space more accessible and interesting to them.

In order to choose which experiments would be conducted, SpaceIL set up a consulting committee made up of SpaceIL representatives, leading scientists in Israeli academia, education institutions and the Israeli Space Agency.

The first chosen experiment is led by Prof. Sarah Eyal from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and will test the efficiency of medications long term in space during the mission to fly around the moon. The medications tested will be a combination of life-saving medicine and non-emergency medicine.

Why do medications need to be tested in space?

           The historic selfie image of Beresheet of the spacecraft approaching the lunar surface 

                                                    (credit: SPACEIL IAI)

Every medication comes with a set of instructions on how best to store it so that it doesn't lose its efficiency, but the conditions in space are different from those on Earth. Space radiation among other conditions can change the efficiency of the medications.

These days, every one of the team members on the International Space Station uses an average of 20 medications including sleeping pills, antibiotics and painkillers. They need to be very careful with their medication, especially on long-term missions, because they cannot get their medications refilled, and they won't be able to return to Earth fast enough in the event that one of the medications causes an extreme and even life-threatening reaction.

The information that astronauts have as of now points to medicines can be strongly affected by space radiation and become less effective or even dangerous, but more research needs to be done to determine how they are affected and how to avoid it.

The experiment will test which medications are the most durable in space long-term and how they are affected. The results of the experiment can potentially help future astronauts pick the best medications for their long missions in space.

"I want to thank all the committee members who helped pick the experiment out of all the suggestions we received from organizations and education institutions in Israel and abroad," said SpaceIL CEO Shimon Srid. 

"Aside from the records Beresheet 2 is expected to break including two moon landings in one mission, we have invested much effort in choosing the experiments we'll conduct during the mission," said SpaceIL founder Kfir Damari. "We carefully chose the first experiment so that it will it will help the future successes as much as possible."

"Testing the durability of medications in space is a very internationally important mission that will develop and innovate the abilities of astronauts in space for unprecedented breakthrough missions," said Eyal.

"This is the first experiment of its kind in the world and therefore has a top priority that will lead to a higher awareness to the safe and correct usage of medication here on Earth." Professor Sarah Eyal

"it is a great pride to take part in an experimental journey that has never been taken before, and we are all hopeful that the results will be useful to the rest of the scientific community in Israel and the world." 

Beresheet 2 - Everything you need to know about our next mission to the Moon

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Russia Brings S-300 Air Defense System Back Home From Syria to Strengthen Home Defense

Russia sends S-300 back home from Syria amid Ukraine invasion, satellite images show

Israeli intelligence firm says air defense system’s battery loaded onto Russian ship bound for Black Sea port; Israel reportedly struck nearby on Thursday

By EMANUEL FABIAN 26 August 2022, 10:01 pm   

1

This photo released by ImageSat International on August 27, 2022, shows Russia's S-300 system near Masyaf in northwestern Syria. (ImageSat International)

Russia has shipped its advanced S-300 air defense system in Syria back home amid its invasion of Ukraine, an Israeli satellite intelligence firm said Friday.

ImageSat International (ISI) published images showing that the S-300 system stationed near the city of Masyaf in northwestern Syria had been taken apart in recent weeks. It had been in the area for several years.

The system’s radar was taken to Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base in western Syria, and the S-300 battery was taken to the port of Tartus where it was loaded onto a Russian ship bound for the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, according to ISI.

The firm said the ship was expected to dock in the Russian port city on Friday.

ISI assessed that the battery was transferred back to Russia in order to strengthen its air defenses, which have reportedly been damaged amid the fighting in Ukraine, which Moscow invaded in February.

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In May, Russian forces opened fire on Israeli jets using the advanced system at the end of an Israeli Air Force attack on targets in the Masyaf area.

This photo released by ImageSat International on August 27, 2022, shows Russia’s S-300 battery at Syria’s Tartus port. (ImageSat International)

The incident was first reported by Channel 13 news a week after the strike on May 13, and later confirmed in July by Defense Minister Gantz. “It was a one-off incident,” Gantz said.

The incident marked the first use of the S-300s against the IAF over Syria.

As Syria’s S-300 batteries are operated by the Russian military and cannot be fired without their approval, it was a worrying development for Israel, which has carried out hundreds of airstrikes inside Syria in the course of the country’s civil war and since, targeting what it says are arms shipments bound for Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group and other Iranian-linked sites.

This graphic released by ImageSat International on August 27, 2022, shows where Russia’s S-300 system near Masyaf in northwestern Syria was taken in recent weeks. (ImageSat International)

Israel has reportedly conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria since the May incident, most recently on Thursday, coincidentally also near Masyaf.

The Masyaf area is thought to be used as a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias and has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks attributed to Israel. Satellite imagery taken after the May strike showed that an underground facility had been completely destroyed.

Israel has found itself at odds with Russia as it increasingly supports Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion, while seeking to maintain freedom of movement in Syria’s skies, which are largely controlled by Moscow.

In recent years, Israel and Russia established a so-called deconfliction hotline to keep the sides from getting tangled up and accidentally clashing over Syria.

In 2018, Russia provided the advanced S-300 air defense system to Syria’s military free of charge, transferring three battalions with eight launchers each to the Assad regime despite strenuous objections from Israel and the US.

Russia’s delivery of the S-300 system to Syria followed the downing of a Russian spy aircraft by Syrian forces that were responding to an Israeli strike over Syrian airspace. Russia blamed Israel for the incident, which killed 15 Russian crew members.

Screen capture from video showing the delivery of Russian S-300 air defense missiles to Syria. (YouTube)

Israel and its allies for years had lobbied Russia not to give Syria and other regional players the S-300 system, arguing that it would limit Israel’s ability to neutralize threats, including by Hezbollah.

Beyond providing Syria with its air defenses, Moscow also maintains state-of-the-art S-400 air defense systems to protect its own assets in Syria, but has never turned them on Israeli planes.

Modest Tree Wins U.S. Space Force Contract

18.08.2022 By Canadian Defense Review

http://www.canadiandefencereview.com/news?news/3465

Modest Tree was awarded a contract by the United States Space Force (USSF) - a division of the U.S. Armed Forces through Space Launch Delta 45.

 The contract will address the U.S. Department of Defense’s interest in a 3-D/Virtual Reality system to identify any issues and help mechanics’ proficiencies when servicing vehicles at the 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Maintenance centre. The 3-D/Virtual Reality system will be delivered with Modest Tree’s Tech Companion software and was awarded through participation in the Space Launch Delta 45 Pitch Day.

Regarding the program, “Space Launch Delta 45 prioritizes shaping the future through revitalizing our squadrons, transforming the enterprise, and innovating at every level,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Mark Shoemaker, Vice Commander for Operations, U.S. Air Force. 

“This year’s Pitch Day was successful in helping us accelerate acquisition and implementation of key enabling technologies and capabilities to execute our mission of assuring access to space and delivering combat capabilities for the Nation.”

The program is designed to obtain innovative solutions for the U.S. Space Force that meets mission needs, closes capability gaps and provides technological advancements. 

During Pitch Day, a panel of evaluators listen to the pitches and evaluate them on funds availability, importance to agency programs, and technical merit. The three member panel for this year’s Pitch Day included U.S. Air Force Col. Mark Shoemaker, Vice Commander for Operations, U.S. Air Force Col. Anthony Graham, Vice Commander of Support, and Gregg Kraver, Executive Director.

“We are proud to deliver innovative solutions to address the challenges in maintenance and training for mission readiness and are pleased to have been selected to support the 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron” said Emily Smits, CEO of Modest Tree.

Tech Companion is a software platform that integrates enterprise data to streamline the way complex assets are operated and maintained through modules such as digital work cards and 3D visualizations of an operations/maintenance process.

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Rare 'red sprites' seen from ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile

AUGUST 24, 2022, by Nancy Atkinson, Universe Today

https://phys.org/news/2022-08-rare-red-sprites-eso-la.html

This picture, taken from ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows bright red streaks known as red sprites. A meteor even shows up to make this image even more stunning. 

Credit: Zdenek Bardon/ESO

This new image taken of the skies above Chile's Atacama Desert near the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) La Silla Observatory, shows bright red streaks in the sky known as red sprites. Red sprites are large-scale electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorm clouds, usually triggered by the discharges of positive lightning between an underlying thundercloud and the ground. However, the red sprites appear high in Earth's atmosphere, sometimes 50–90 km in altitude.

People have been telling folktales for centuries about mysterious red lights in the sky, which were usually dismissed by experts. According to the Farmer's Almanac, even when respectable pilots or scientists (including CTR Wilson, a Nobel Prize winning physicist) described them, the scientific community ignored the events. However, in 1989, scientists from the University of Minnesota actually captured pictures of red sprites, and the attitude about them has since changed. While they now have been photographed and filmed thousands of time,—including by astronauts on the International Space Station—red sprites are still a fairly rare occurrence.

This new photo from ESO almost looks like a painting. The red sprites appear low on the horizon, only due to the perspective of the camera, located on the platform of ESO's 3.6m telescope at La Silla. The background of the photograph shows a green hue, known as airglow. ESO explained that during the day, sunlight knocks electrons away from nitrogen and oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and, at night, these electrons recombine with the atoms and molecules, causing them to shine. Usually, airglow can only be seen in very dark skies where there is no light pollution.

Air glow (along with a lightning sprite) is visible in this image from the International Space Station. 

Credit: NASA

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Space News: NASA James Webb Telescope captures stunning photos of Jupiter

 

NASA James Webb Telescope captures stunning photos of Jupiter

The two images were taken by the observatory's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which uses three infrared filters to capture hidden details of the planet.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF,  AUGUST 23, 2022 

https://www.jpost.com/science/article-715325

Webb NIRCam composite image from two filters – F212N (orange) and F335M (cyan) – of Jupiter system, labeled. (photo credit: COURTESY/NASA, ESA, CSA, JUPITER ERS TEAM; IMAGE PROCESSING BY RICARDO HUESO (UPV/EHU), JUDY SCHMIDT)

NASA's James Webb Telescope—the largest, most powerful telescope in the world—took new images of Jupiter that will help scientists learn more about the mysterious planet, the official blog for the telescope on NASA's website shared on Monday.

The two images were taken by the observatory's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which uses three infrared filters to capture hidden details of the planet.

As infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light was mapped onto the visible spectrum.

In one of the images, a composite of several others, auroras can be seen extending above the planet's north and south poles.

The auroras, as well as low clouds and upper hazes, shine through a filter mapped to redder colors, while hazes around the north and south poles shine through a filter mapped to yellow and green colors and a deeper main cloud shines through a filter mapped to blues.

                                                               Judy Schmidt

Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a massive storm larger than the size of Earth, appears white in the photo as it is reflecting light from the Sun.

From a wide-field view, Jupiter's rings and two of its moons, Amalthea and Adrastea, can be seen.

In order for this data to reach Earth, it first arrived at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Webb's science operations and mission center, as raw data, where it was processed into files for scientific analysis and then delivered to the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes. Next, it was translated into the form of images.

Citizen scientists study the skies with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

“I’m really looking forward to seeing these weird and wonderful baby stars blowing holes into nebulas.” Judy Schmidt

The images were processed by citizen scientist Judy Schmidt of Modesto, California, in collaboration with Ricardo Hueso, who studies planetary atmospheres at the University of the Basque Country in Spain.

Schmidt said she is excited about the possibility of the Webb telescope capturing images of newborn stars that emit jets in small patches of nebulae known as Herbig–Haro objects. “I’m really looking forward to seeing these weird and wonderful baby stars blowing holes into nebulas,” she said, according to Webb operations. 

NASA Releases Stunning New Images Of Jupiter From James Webb Space Telescope

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