May 2, 2024

NASA Images of the Week: Rogue Planet, Dangerous Dance, SpaceX & Electric Propulsion

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features two interacting galaxies that are so linked, they have a cumulative name– Arp 91. Credit: ESA/Hubble & & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Acknowledgement: J. Schmidt
Hubble Detects a Dangerous Dance
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features two interacting galaxies that are so linked, they have a cumulative name– Arp 91. The two galaxies making up Arp 91 have their own names: the lower galaxy, which looks like a brilliant area, is NGC 5953, and the oval-shaped galaxy to the upper right is NGC 5954.
The tremendous gravitational attraction of the two galaxies is causing them to connect. A lot of astronomers think that crashes between spiral galaxies lead to the development of another type of galaxy, known as elliptical galaxies. They take place over hundreds of millions of years, so we need to not expect Arp 91 to look any different over the course of our life times!
The seven-member Expedition 65 crew collected for a picture inside the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
Smile! Youre on the International Space Station
On October 4, 2021, the seven-member Expedition 65 team gathered for a picture inside the vestibule in between the International Space Stations Unity module and Tranquility module. In the front row from left are; Commander Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency; and NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough. In the back are: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy; astronaut Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency; NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov.

This artists conception shows a Jupiter-like planet alone in the dark of space, floating freely without a moms and dad star. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
A Jupiter-Like Rogue Planet Wanders Alone in Space
This artists conception highlights a Jupiter-like planet alone in the dark of space, drifting easily without a parent star..
Exoplanet hunters have found thousands of planets, most orbiting near to their host stars, but fairly few alien worlds have actually been detected that float easily through the galaxy as so-called rogue worlds, not bound to any star. Lots of astronomers believe that these worlds are more common than we understand, but that our planet-finding methods have not been up to the task of finding them.
A planet study, called the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA), scanned the central bulge of our Milky Way galaxy from 2006 to 2007. In this technique, a planet-sized body is identified indirectly as it just happens to pass in front of a more distant star, causing the star to brighten.
Using the latest technology, NASAs Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will conduct a survey to discover a lot more exoplanets using effective methods readily available to a wide-field telescope..
SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship is pictured as it retreats from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA.
A Colorful Departure From the Space Station.
In this image from September 30, 2021, the SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship is imagined as it retreats from the International Space Stations forward-facing worldwide docking adapter. The Cargo Dragons beacon lights and a plume from among its engines during its departure burn made for a vibrant program.
At left, xenon plasma gives off a blue radiance from an electrical Hall thruster identical to those that will propel NASAs Psyche spacecraft to the main asteroid belt. On the right is a comparable non-operating thruster. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Mind Mission to an Asteroid: Electric Propulsion Comes of Age.
When it comes time for NASAs Psyche spacecraft to power itself through deep space, itll be more brain than brawn that does the work. As soon as the things of sci-fi, the efficient and quiet power of electric propulsion will provide the force that propels the Psyche spacecraft all the method to the main asteroid belt in between Mars and Jupiter. The orbiters target is a metal-rich asteroid also called Psyche.
The picture on the left records an operating electric Hall thruster similar to those that will propel NASAs Psyche spacecraft, which is set to introduce in August 2022 and take a trip to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The picture on the left was taken at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory; the image on the right was taken at NASAs Glenn Research.
Psyches Hall thrusters will be the very first to be utilized beyond lunar orbit, showing that they might play a role in supporting future missions to deep space. The spacecraft is set to release in August 2022 and its super-efficient mode of propulsion utilizes solar arrays to catch sunshine that is converted into electrical power to power the spacecrafts thrusters. The thrusters work by turning xenon gas, a neutral gas utilized in automobile headlights and plasma TVs, into xenon ions. As the xenon ions are sped up out of the thruster, they develop the thrust that will move the spacecraft.

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features 2 communicating galaxies that are so linked, they have a cumulative name– Arp 91. On October 4, 2021, the seven-member Expedition 65 crew gathered for a portrait inside the vestibule in between the International Space Stations Unity module and Tranquility module. In the front row from left are; Commander Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency; and NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough. When it comes time for NASAs Psyche spacecraft to power itself through deep space, itll be more brain than brawn that does the work. Minds Hall thrusters will be the very first to be used beyond lunar orbit, demonstrating that they could play a role in supporting future objectives to deep area.