NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has successfully unfolded its 21-foot, gold-coated primary mirror, which completes the final stage of all major spacecraft deployments to prepare for science operations. Its two wings were to folded to fit inside the nose cone of an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket prior to launch. The Webb mission’s goal is to explore every phase of cosmic history, starting from within our own solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Astronomers have captured and incredible image of a central black hole eruption in the galaxy Centaurus A, which is approximately 12 million light years away from Earth. When the black hole feeds on in-falling gas, it spews out material at near light-speed, thus resulting in ‘radio bubbles’ to grow over hundreds of millions of years. Read more for a video on Centaurus A and additional information.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is set for launch on a European Ariane rocket from French Guiana at approximately 7:20 Eastern time. It’s the largest space observatory to date, and its main task will be to collect infrared light from the distant corners of the cosmos, allowing scientists to probe the structures and origins of our universe like never before. Read more to see a Carl Sagan narrated mission trailer and for a livestream of the launch.
Aerospace engineers at MIT reveal a UFO-like hovering rover that actually levitates by harnessing the Moon’s natural charge. Since it lacks an atmosphere, the Moon can build up an electric field through direct exposure to the Sun as well as the surrounding plasma. This charge is strong enough on the lunar surface to levitate more than 1-meter above ground. Read more to see the schematics and for additional information.
Ever wanted to hear what Jupiter’s moon Ganymede sounds like? If so, then you’re in luck, as NASA / JPL’s Juno mission collected enough data to generate a 50-second audio track during the spacecraft’s close flyby of Ganymede on June 7, 2021. During its closest approach, it was within 645 miles of the moon’s surface and traveling at a relative velocity of 41,600 mph. Read more to listen and for additional information.
Many already know that the Sun doesn’t have a solid surface, but instead a superheated atmosphere. This point is known as the Alfvén critical surface, which marks the end of the solar atmosphere and beginning of the solar wind. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe managed to survive a few hours in the corona due to the intense conditions, and went as low as 15 solar radii from its surface. Read more for the incredible footage it captured.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has entered the Sun’s upper atmosphere, also known as the corona, for the very first time. The spacecraft sampled particles and magnetic fields, making one giant leap for solar science. It managed to pass in and out of the corona several times during the flyby, proving that the Alfvén critical surface isn’t shaped like a smooth ball. Read more for a video and additional information.
Mark Rober, the famous YouTuber and former NASA engineer, has just unveiled his annual Glitter Bomb 4.0. Why does he make glitter bombs? Well, someone stole a package from his porch around 4-years ago and the police wouldn’t do anything, so he made it his life’s work to engineer some harmless karmic justice. Read more to see what he came up with this year.
The first Venus Life Finder mission is set to launch in 2023, managed and funded by California-based Rocket Lab. It will be led by MIT scientists and take off on an Electron rocket, which is set to transport a 50-pound probe on board its Photon spacecraft for the five-month, 38-million-mile journey to Venus, all in hopes of spending minutes in Venusian clouds. Read more for two videos and additional information.
NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission successfully launched at 1 a.m. EST Thursday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This astrophysics mission will allow researchers to discover never before seen details of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe. It’s also the first satellite mission dedicated to measuring the polarization of X-rays from a variety of cosmic sources, or the intrinsic characteristic of light that can vary as it travels through different environments. Read more for two videos and additional information.