Check out the night sky this month, February 2024. Here are videos and articles highlighting the top sights to observe.
** What’s Up: February 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL
What are some skywatching highlights in February 2024? Venus begins its exit from the morning sky, as Mars makes its comeback. Plus, now through May is a good time to observe spiral galaxy M81.
Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatch….
In February, the Winter Triangle is your guide to the night sky: The northern hemisphere is treated to views of the stars Procyon, Sirius, and Betelgeuse. Keep watching for the awe-inspiring space-based views of the Orion Nebula, which is sculpted by the stellar winds of central bright stars.
…
“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning. This is a recurring show, and you can find more episodes—and other astronomy videos—at https://hubblesite.org/resource-galle….
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what to see in the night sky tonight and throughout February, including the best comets, clair-obscure effects on the Moon, Orion, Gemini and star clusters.
00:00 Intro 00:13 Mercury, Venus and Mars 02:23 Jupiter and Saturn 03:41 Uranus and Neptune 06:22 Comets 11:25 Einstein Crater 13:34 Lunar X and V, Jewelled Handle 15:31 Orion 16:30 Castor and Pollux 17:50 M35 19:05 Ursa Major 20:15 Leo and the Sickle 22:00 Beehive Cluster 23:06 M67 25:08 Hydra
** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – February | The Winter Hexagon and Constellations Near Orion – Sky & Telescope Youtube
Our monthly Sky Tour #astronomy #podcast provides an informative and entertaining 10-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Listen to the February episode and keep tabs on the Moon, say goodbye to a couple of planets, trace out the Winter Hexagon; and explore some lesser-known constellations near Orion. So bundle up, grab your curiosity, and come along on this month’s Sky Tour.
Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:
** Expedition 70 Astronaut Loral O’Hara Answers Boston Student Questions – Jan. 23, 2024 – NASA Video
Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara discussed living and working in space during an in-flight event Jan. 23 with students attending Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Charlestown, Massachusetts. O’Hara is in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.
Join ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt inside the seven-windowed cupola, the International Space Station’s “window to the world”.
The ESA – European Space Agency-built Cupola is the favourite place of many astronauts on the International Space Station. It serves not only as a unique photo spot, but also for observing robotic activities of the Canadian Space Agency’s robotic arm Canadarm2, arriving spacecraft and spacewalks.
Marcus was launched to the International Space Station on the Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 3 on 18 January 2024. His two-week mission on board is known as Muninn.
Join us for a #Ax3 mission update. Hear from Alper Gezeravcı and Michael López-Alegría as they talk about settling on the International Space Station and what they brought with them from home on their mission.
Gravitics, Inc., an aerospace manufacturing company, demonstrated that it can fit 54 people, with room to spare, inside its 8-meter “StarMax” module mockup. The exhibit, a 1:1 scale space station module cutaway, is a tangible example of Gravitics’ vision for large and efficient space environments. The 8-meter mockup enables engineers, businesses, and researchers to plan for and visualize new opportunities for valuable activity in space.
A single Gravitics 8-meter module provides roughly half of the entire usable volume of the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS spans 109-meters and is currently operating with 16 pressurized modules that can support a crew of up to 7 astronauts for long-duration missions. The Gravitics 8-meter module illustrates why it will become a key building block for the next generation of space stations, holding 54 people within its hull only using “ground floor” volume.
Largest interior volume in a standalone spacecraft, ever. Human shown for scale, plus 53 more pic.twitter.com/f9GXjkqZwN
Peter was back with us to discuss several of his Substack blog posts, especially the one that focused on the business case for civilization and large projects such as space settlement. Peter also talked about his petition to the UK government for Starship to launch from the UK plus other topics. Read the full summary of the program at www.thespaceshow.com for this date, Sunday, January 28, 2024.
** Highlight: Egypt – Farming – Jan 27, 2024 – 10:38 UTC – ISS Above
NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station
** Highlight: Baton Rouge LA – MS – Birmingham AL – Jan 29, 2024 – 12:23 CST – ISS Above
** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA
Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.
The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8
Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov
Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:
** Axiom Mission 3 Launches to the International Space Station (Official NASA Broadcast) –NASA
Axiom Mission 3, set to lift off at 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 UTC) on Thursday, Jan. 18, is Axiom’s third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Ax-3 is launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom spacecraft.
During their two-week stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, the crew of Ax-3—commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden—will engage in technology demonstrations, student outreach, and experiments ranging from medical research to materials science.
Launch coverage is led by Axiom Space, with support from NASA and SpaceX; NASA’s primary mission responsibilities begin during Freedom’s approach to the International Space Station, the start of Ax-3 integrated operations. Learn more about NASA’s role in Ax-3 and how we’re working with our industry partners to open low Earth orbit to more people, more science, and more opportunities: https://go.nasa.gov/3Se0bsN
** Ax-3 crew enters space station after SpaceX Dragon docking –VideoFromSpace
The Ax-3 crew, commander Michael “LA” López-Alegría, pilot Walter Villadei and mission specialists Marcus Wandt and Alper Gezeravcı (Turkey’s first astronaut) have arrived at the International Space Station. See views shortly after soft capture of the Dragon spacecraft and their welcome ceremony.
** Ax-3 Mission | Approach & Docking – Axiom Space
Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.
ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt took off on 18 January 2024 as part of the Axiom-3 crew for a 14-day mission to the International Space Station. After 36 hours catching up to the Space Station, the Dragon docked to the Space Station, the seal between the two tested and finally Marcus started his Muninn mission as he entered the International Space Station. ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen along with the rest of the crew of Expedition 70 was waiting to welcome them to space!
Follow Marcus’s journey on the Muninn website, check our launch kit and connect with him on his Instagram and X accounts.
** Axiom Mission 3: Sanford Stem Cell Institute Tumor Investigation – ISS National Lab
On Axiom Space’s 3rd Private Astronaut Mission, the Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) will launch an investigation that builds on stem cell research conducted on previous Axiom Space missions as well as previous investigations sponsored by the ISS National Lab. Learn how the research team will study tumor organoids in microgravity to identify early cancer warning signs to better predict and treat the disease.
The construction of the world’s first commercial space station is underway. Following completing preliminary and critical design reviews in collaboration with NASA, our partners at Thales Alenia Space began welding and machining activities for the primary structures of Axiom Station’s first module. The first pieces of fabricated flight hardware are beginning to come together, and the assembled module will join us in Houston soon, where we will complete the final assembly and integration. Axiom Space is preparing for a 2026 launch of the first section of our next-generation platform that will operate in low-Earth orbit.
** Full-Scale LIFE™ Inflatable Space Station Burst Test at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center – Sierra Space
Sierra Space has achieved a major milestone in the development of the first commercial space station. The first Ultimate Burst Pressure test of our full-scale LIFE™ structure at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center exceeded #NASA’s recommended x4 safety levels by 27%. The article was one third the volume of the International #Space Station and will be an integral part of future commercial space destinations.
** Expedition 70 Astronaut Mogensen Talks with WILD Nature Foundation – Jan. 17, 2024 – NASA Video
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 70 Commander Andy Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) discussed living and working in space with the World Nature Foundation in Denmark on Jan. 17. Mogensen is in the midst of a long-duration mission on the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.
** China launches Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft to Tiangong space station – VideoFromSpace
A Chinese Long March 7 rocket launched the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft to the Tiangong space station from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Jan. 17, 2023. Full Story: https://www.space.com/china-tianzhou-…
The Tianzhou-7 (天舟七号) cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the rear docking port of the Tianhe Core Module (天和核心舱), arriving at the China Space Station (中国空间站), on 17 January 2024, at 17:46 UTC (18 January, at 01:46 China Standard Time). Tianzhou-7 is the sixth cargo mission to the China Space Station (中国空间站)
** Three-Hour Docking Process to Become Routine in Future Space Missions: Engineer –CCTV Video News Agency
China’s Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft adopted an unprecedented three-hour rendezvous and docking procedure successfully with the orbiting Tiangong space station on Thursday, and the docking plan will become a routine in future missions, according to a Chinese scientist hours after the mission.
** Chinese Astronauts Ready for Two Manned Space Missions in 2024 –CCTV Video News Agency
Astronauts of China’s upcoming two manned space missions in 2024 have been finalized and are undergoing targeted trainings, said Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China’s manned spaceflight project, when introducing China’s plan of space missions this year.
** Highlight: Night Paris France Jan 16, 2024 00:29 CET – ISS Above
NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station
** Highlight: Cape Town – Jan 17, 2024 2PM SAST – ISS Above
** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA
Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.
The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8
Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov
Here is this week’s selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:
To prepare for the gravitational forces experienced on the journey to space, the #Ax3 crew had to take a spin in the centrifuge. This training helps ready the crew for the G-forces felt during launch and landing.
— — —
Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leader in providing space infrastructure as a service, Axiom offers end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately developing its successor – a permanent commercial destination in Earth’s orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.
** Ax-3 Mission | Crew Countdown to Launch – Axiom Space
Axiom Space is building for beyond, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station – the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, which will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. For more information about Axiom Space, visit www.axiomspace.com..
** China’s Tianzhou-6 Cargo Craft Separates from Space Station Combination – CCTV Video News Agency
The Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, tasked with carrying supplies for China’s space station Tiangong in orbit, separated from the station combination on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
** Meet the students using radio waves to contact the ISS –Today
A high school club in Pennsylvania is making waves — radio waves, that is — by making contact with the International Space Station. Reporting for TODAY, NBC’s Harry Smith meets some of the students who are becoming licensed amateur radio operators.
** S01E07 “Artificial Gravity and More” – featuring Angie Bukley and Jeff Greason – Above Space
Dr. Angie Bukley, and OAC advisor Jeff Greason join us in this week’s episode. Both have long careers in space and share their insights on artificial gravity and more. …
** A selection of news reports and articles on space habitats and living in space:
** Highlight: NIGHT Rome Italy – Jan 12, 2024 – 20:25 CET – ISS Above
NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station
** Highlight: Night – Visible pass over Miami FL – Jan 12, 2024 – 18:57 EST – ISS Above
** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA
Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.
The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8
Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov
This artist’s impression is based on the aftermath of a supernova explosion as seen by two teams of astronomers with both ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and ESO’s New Technology Telescope (NTT). The supernova observed, SN 2022jli, occurred when a massive star died in a fiery explosion, leaving behind a compact object — a neutron star or a black hole. This dying star, however, had a companion which was able to survive this violent event. The periodic interactions between the compact object and its companion left periodic signals in the data, which revealed that the supernova explosion had indeed resulted in a compact object.
Astronomers have found a direct link between the explosive deaths of massive stars and the formation of the most compact and enigmatic objects in the Universe — black holes and neutron stars. With the help of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) and ESO’s New Technology Telescope (NTT), two teams were able to observe the aftermath of a supernova explosion in a nearby galaxy, finding evidence for the mysterious compact object it left behind.
When massive stars reach the end of their lives, they collapse under their own gravity so rapidly that a violent explosion known as a supernova ensues. Astronomers believe that, after all the excitement of the explosion, what is left is the ultra-dense core, or compact remnant, of the star. Depending on how massive the star is, the compact remnant will be either a neutron star — an object so dense that a teaspoon of its material would weigh around a trillion kilograms here on Earth — or a black hole — an object from which nothing, not even light, can escape.
Astronomers have found many clues hinting at this chain of events in the past, such as finding a neutron star within the Crab Nebula, the gas cloud left behind when a star exploded nearly a thousand years ago. But they had never before seen this process happen in real time, meaning that direct evidence of a supernova leaving behind a compact remnant has remained elusive.
In our work, we establish such a direct link
says Ping Chen, a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and lead author of a study published today in Nature and presented at the 243rd American Astronomical Society meeting in New Orleans, USA.
The researchers’ lucky break came in May 2022, when South African amateur astronomer Berto Monard discovered the supernova SN 2022jli in the spiral arm of the nearby galaxy NGC 157, located 75 million light-years away. Two separate teams turned their attention to the aftermath of this explosion and found it to have a unique behaviour.
This artist’s impression shows the process by which a massive star within a binary system becomes a supernova. This series of events occurred in the supernova SN 2022jli, and was revealed to researchers through observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and New Technology Telescope (NTT). After a massive star exploded as a supernova, it left behind a compact object — a neutron star or a black hole. The companion star survived the explosion, but its atmosphere became puffier as a result. The compact object and its companion star continued to orbit one another, with the compact object regularly stealing matter from the other’s puffy atmosphere. This accretion of matter was seen in the researchers’ data as regular fluctuations of brightness, as well as periodic movements of hydrogen gas.
After the explosion, the brightness of most supernovae simply fades away with time; astronomers see a smooth, gradual decline in the explosion’s ‘light curve’. But SN 2022jli’s behaviour is very peculiar: as the overall brightness declines, it doesn’t do so smoothly, but instead oscillates up and down every 12 days or so.
In SN 2022jli’s data we see a repeating sequence of brightening and fading
says Thomas Moore, a doctoral student at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, who led a study of the supernova published late last year in the Astrophysical Journal. Moore noted in his paper.
This is the first time that repeated periodic oscillations, over many cycles, have been detected in a supernova light curve
Both the Moore and Chen teams believe that the presence of more than one star in the SN 2022jli system could explain this behaviour. In fact, it’s not unusual for massive stars to be in orbit with a companion star in what is known as a binary system, and the star that caused SN 2022jli was no exception. What is remarkable about this system, however, is that the companion star appears to have survived the violent death of its partner and the two objects, the compact remnant and the companion, likely kept orbiting each other.
The data collected by the Moore team, which included observations with ESO’s NTT in Chile’s Atacama Desert, did not allow them to pin down exactly how the interaction between the two objects caused the highs and lows in the light curve. But the Chen team had additional observations. They found the same regular fluctuations in the system’s visible brightness that the Moore team had detected, and they also spotted periodic movements of hydrogen gas and bursts of gamma rays in the system. Their observations were made possible thanks to a fleet of instruments on the ground and in space, including X-shooter on ESO’s VLT, also located in Chile.
Putting all the clues together, the two teams generally agree that when the companion star interacted with the material thrown out during the supernova explosion, its hydrogen-rich atmosphere became puffier than usual. Then, as the compact object left behind after the explosion zipped through the companion’s atmosphere on its orbit, it would steal hydrogen gas, forming a hot disc of matter around itself. This periodic stealing of matter, or accretion, released lots of energy that was picked up as regular changes of brightness in the observations.
Even though the teams could not observe light coming from the compact object itself, they concluded that this energetic stealing can only be due to an unseen neutron star, or possibly a black hole, attracting matter from the companion star’s puffy atmosphere.
Our research is like solving a puzzle by gathering all possible evidence,” Chen says. “All these pieces lining up lead to the truth.”
With the presence of a black hole or neutron star confirmed, there is still plenty to unravel about this enigmatic system, including the exact nature of the compact object or what end could await this binary system. Next-generation telescopes such as ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, scheduled to begin operation later this decade, will help with this, allowing astronomers to reveal unprecedented details of this unique system.
