NASA’s Sun-Observing IRIS Mission
While it seems static from our vantage point on Earth 93 million miles away, the sun is constantly changing. Under the influence of complex magnetic forces, material moves throughout the solar atmosphere and can burst forth in massive eruptions. NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, which will continue its… Read more“NASA’s Sun-Observing IRIS Mission”
Scientists Probe Mystery of Pluto’s Icy Heart
Was Pluto’s frozen heart formed in an ancient impact basin and was it once closer to the north pole? And does the icy heart conceal a subsurface ocean? This high-resolution image captured by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft shows the bright expanse of the western lobe of Pluto’s “heart,” or Sputnik… Read more“Scientists Probe Mystery of Pluto’s Icy Heart”
Tiny Mimas, Huge Rings
Saturn and Mimas Saturn’s icy moon Mimas is dwarfed by the planet’s enormous rings. Because Mimas (near lower left) appears tiny by comparison, it might seem that the rings would be far more massive, but this is not the case. Scientists think the rings are no more than a few… Read more“Tiny Mimas, Huge Rings”
NASA’s SDO Witnesses a Double Eclipse
Early in the morning of Sept. 1, 2016, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, caught both Earth and the moon crossing in front of the sun. SDO keeps a constant eye on the sun, but during SDO’s semiannual eclipse seasons, Earth briefly blocks SDO’s line of sight each day –… Read more“NASA’s SDO Witnesses a Double Eclipse”
Jupiter’s North Pole Unlike Anything Encountered in Solar System
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view as it closed in on Jupiter’s north pole, about two hours before closest approach on Aug. 27, 2016. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Full image and caption Juno was about 48,000 miles (78,000 kilometers) above Jupiter’s polar cloud tops when it captured this view, showing storms and… Read more“Jupiter’s North Pole Unlike Anything Encountered in Solar System”
Loneliest Young Star Seen by Spitzer and WISE
An unusual celestial object called CX330 was first detected as a source of X-ray light in 2009. It has been launching “jets” of material into the gas and dust around it. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Full image and caption Alone on the cosmic road, far from any known celestial object, a young,… Read more“Loneliest Young Star Seen by Spitzer and WISE”