Check out the night sky this month, August 2024. Here are videos highlighting the top sights to observe.
** What’s Up: August 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL
What are some skywatching highlights in August 2024? Mars and Jupiter have a super close meetup, the conditions look good for the Perseid meteors, and how to observe a stellar nursery – the Lagoon Nebula.
0:00 Intro 0:14 Moon & planet highlights 1:14 Perseid meteor shower peaks 1:51 Observing the Lagoon Nebula (M8) 3:59 August Moon phases
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://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….
The Perseids meteors will peak during the night of August 13 but be visible throughout the middle of the month. This image shows a time-lapse of meteors from the August 2009 shower. Credits NASA/JPL
In August, a flock of star-studded figures soars overhead. Look for the Vega and Lyra constellations, which point to Epsilon Lyrae and the Ring Nebula. You can also spot three bright summer stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair, which form the Summer Triangle. Keep watching for space-based views of these and other stars and nebulas.
About this Series … “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-gallery/tonights-sky.
What’s in the night sky tonight? Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel discuss August 2024’s astronomy and stargazing highlights, including a lunar occultation of Saturn, the Perseid meteor shower and the glorious sights of the Summer Milky Way.
00:00 Intro 00:15 Inner planets 03:22 Outer planets 09:37 Jupiter and Saturn moon events 11:22 Perseid meteor shower 12:22 Saturn moon events 13:43 Moon conjunctions 14:24 Jupiter occults a star 15:33 Moon near the Beehive 15:45 Summer Milky Way sights
** Space to Ground: Midpoint: July 05, 2024 – NASA Johnson
** How Do Astronauts Get Fresh Fruits and Veggies in Space? – NASA Johnson
How do astronauts get fresh fruits and veggies in space? While some are shipped to the International Space Station, there’s another option: They can grow them themselves.
In microgravity, crews have successfully grown a variety of plants including mustard greens, kale, and… you guessed it: peppers. Learn how space gardening works and why it helps astronauts.
** Expedition71 NASA Astronaut Matt Dominick Talks With KGTV-TV San Diego – Friday, July 12, 2024 – NASA Video
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matt Dominick of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview July 12 with KGTV-TV, San Diego. Dominick is in the midst of a long-duration mission aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
And the rockets’ (blue) glare! Axiom Space’s Propulsion Team conducted a Thruster Vacuum Test – over 600 starts on the thruster with the longest continuous burn time at 3 minutes. This test validates design, function, and performance. Vacuum testing is important because it… pic.twitter.com/bZlHcIZizx
For its lunar suit, Axiom chose yet a third method of entry. Instead of the zippers on the Apollo suit, Artemis III astronauts will don their Axiom suits through the rear, via a hatch on the side of the life support systems backpack — similar to the door of a front-loading washing machine. After swinging open the hatch, an astronaut inserts feet, then arms, “and you just kind of fall into it,” Ralston says. Axiom chose a design without a rigid frame, believing this would reduce the chance of astronauts injuring themselves if they contorted their bodies while putting on the suits.
That soft outer pressure garment — made of a material that Axiom is not disclosing — is interspersed with joints at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. “We’ve done a lot of testing to iterate the types of basic joints that we use and how we pattern the different soft goods to enable flexibility, like bending your elbow or bending your arm,” Ralston says.
** Look inside the first commercial space station | Hard Reset – FreeThink
The international space station is getting an update, and its future iteration is not just a space station – it’s a space factory. Axiom Space is launching the first commercial space station in the next few years, which will open the door to a new era in the space economy.
To become the first commercial space station, Axiom has had to rethink everything about how we live in space. We got a tour of the space station development facility, which is … inside an abandoned retail store?
Axioms’s approach might seem scrappy, but these unassuming ingredients are coming together to make something incredible. With a series of four-week sprints, nimble mock-ups allow experienced astronauts to test out the designs they’ll be relying on in space.
Follow us as we get a preview inside the future of space tech.
0:00: Welcome to Hard Reset: Axiom Space 0:28: Axiom Space is pioneering the first commercial space factory 1:06: What is the potential of manufacturing in space? 4:06: Why implement a fail-fast approach to space? 4:54: Are higher-volume space habitats possible? 8:32: How can we strike a balance of practicality vs. aesthetics in space design? 9:20: How many tools does it take to assemble and disassemble the ISS? 12:10: How can we make space suit improvements for mobility and fit issues? 17:08 : How fast can this tech orbit the earth? 18:12: What is the future of space manufacturing?
Gravitics will build a habitat module for Axiom‘s commercial space station:
Gravitics, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a $125-million contract by Axiom Space to provide a pressurized spacecraft that will support Axiom Station operations. The Gravitics spacecraft will play a utility role and will be capable of providing various services while attached to the commercial space station.
“Axiom Space and Gravitics are working together to develop space infrastructure to enable a sustainable global space economy in low-Earth orbit,” said Matt Ondler, President of Axiom Space. “Our next-gen platform, Axiom Station, will provide new pathways to space for traditional space users and non-traditional industries. We are expanding commercial opportunities in space, from in-space manufacturing to technology demonstrations to research and innovative solutions that will advance civilization.”
Astro Garden is a large-scale vegetable production system that offers a sustainable means of producing fresh food for crew while also augmenting life support functions.
** American commercial space stations increasingly international –Laura Forczyk
The US space industry is preparing to transition from the government-run International Space Station to commercial space stations. These private facilities are increasing their ties to non-American companies and governments to expand their customer and user base. Meanwhile, India and Russia have their own sovereign space station plans.
—- Shenzhou-18 Crew Complete Multiple Tasks in Second Spacewalk – CCTV Video News Agency
The Shenzhou-18 crew aboard China’s orbiting space station successfully completed multiple tasks in their second spacewalk on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
Astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu are preparing for a 2nd spacewalk aboard the Tiangong space station. They’ve also been conducting and maintaining combustion experiments. Full Story: https://www.space.com/china-shenzhou-…
** New Discoveries Made on Zirconium Alloy at China’s Space Station – CCTV Video News Agency
Chinese researchers have conducted in-orbit solidification experiments on zirconium alloy materials in the microgravity environment at China’s Tiangong space station, making important discoveries.
The APL is home to a Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). That consortium is tackling an array of issues for STMD’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, each important to solve before humanity can spend an extended stay on the moon.
** Radar from LRO satellite shows evidence of a lunar cave promising as a shelter for Moon base:
Several potential subsurface openings have been observed on the surface of the Moon. These lunar pits are interesting in terms of science and for potential future habitation. However, it remains uncertain whether such pits provide access to cave conduits with extensive underground volumes. Here we analyse radar images of the Mare Tranquillitatis pit (MTP), an elliptical skylight with vertical or overhanging walls and a sloping pit floor that seems to extend further underground. The images were obtained by the Mini-RF instrument onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2010. We find that a portion of the radar reflections originating from the MTP can be attributed to a subsurface cave conduit tens of metres long, suggesting that the MTP leads to an accessible cave conduit beneath the Moon’s surface. This discovery suggests that the MTP is a promising site for a lunar base, as it offers shelter from the harsh surface environment and could support long-term human exploration of the Moon.
A view from orbit of the Mare Tranquillitatis pit crater. Credits: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Joe addressed artificial gravity via different methods, companies working on some type of spin gravity space station, what we need to know before humans leave LEO for long duration flights, challenges, Artemis, Mars and much more
** Microgravity biology research:
— Using microgravity to understand osteoarthritis:
Early-onset #osteoarthritis is an “epidemic among young women playing sports like soccer in high school and college.” Researchers from @MIT are looking to the microgravity environment of space for answers. #womenshealth
Details: https://t.co/LA2MdWnuEw
** Highlight: NorCal #BAYAREA to SoCal – Jul 3, 2024 – 07:26 PDT – ISS Above
NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station
** 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
Check out the night sky this month, July 2024. Here are videos highlighting the top sights to observe.
** What’s Up: July 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA – NASA JPL
What are some skywatching highlights in July 2024? The Moon and planets come together twice in the morning sky – at the start and end of July, find the elusive planet Uranus with some help from Mars, and two star clusters – M6 and M7 – are well placed for viewing in the evening.
0:00 Intro 0:xx Moon & planet highlights x:xx Use Mars to locate planet Uranus x:xx Star clusters M6 & M7 in Scorpius x:xx July Moon phases
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://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….
In July, find the Scorpius constellation to identify the reddish supergiant Antares, which will lead you to discover a trio of globular star clusters. Keep watching for space-based views of these densely packed, spherical collections of ancient stars, as well as three nebulas: the Swan Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Trifid Nebula.
About this Series … “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-gallery/tonights-sky.
What’s in the night sky tonight? Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel talk us through July 2024’s night-sky highlights, including noctilucent clouds, Ceres and Pluto at opposition, Galilean Moon transits and deep-sky objects in the Milky Way.
00:00 Intro 00:18 Inner planets 03:38 Outer planets 08:10 Noctilucent clouds 12:20 Ceres at opposition 12:45 Galilean moons transit 13:14 Pluto at opposition 16:39 Milky Way and deep-sky objects 19:50 Summer Triangle
** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – July 2024 | Summer Stargazing and the Moon – Sky & Telescope Youtube
Our monthly Sky Tour #astronomy #podcast provides an informative and entertaining 10-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Join us for the July 2024 episode and get some #stargazing tips, check dates for the #Moon’s #phases, watch #Saturn migrate into the evening #sky, and tour of the #stars of summer.
Listen and subscribe to this podcast at https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/ and don’t forget to subscribe to S&T’s YouTube channel to get alerts about new videos, including this monthly podcast
Learn more about #observing and #stargazing on our website, https://skyandtelescope.org/ and subscribe to our monthly magazine at https://skyandtelescope.org/subscribe.
What’s in the Night Sky: July 2024 Jupiter and Mars Mare Frigoris ✨ Constellation of the Month: Corona Borealis
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, looking at the night sky with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope, check out Hayley’s tour of the night sky to find out what you can see this month.
This poster shows 42 of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter (orbits not to scale). The images in the outermost circle of this infographic have been captured with the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The asteroid sample features 39 objects larger than 100 kilometres in diameter, including 20 larger than 200 kilometres. The poster highlights a few of the objects, including Ceres (the largest asteroid in the belt), Urania (the smallest one imaged), Kalliope (the densest imaged) and Lutetia, which was visited by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission.
** Space to Ground: Laying the Groundwork: June 28, 2024 – NASA Johnson
** Expedition 71 Space Station Crew Talks with Yahoo Finance – Friday, June 28, 2024 – NASA Video
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Tracy Dyson and Jeanette Epps of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview June 28 with Yahoo Finance. Dyson and Epps are in the midst of a long-duration mission aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
** NASA accidentally broadcasts space station medical emergency drill – Hear it here! – VideoFromSpace
On June 12, 2024, NASA accidentally broadcasted a drill that simulated an astronaut with a medical emergency. A NASA flight surgeon can be heard suggesting treatment during the call the Internatlonal Space Station. Full Story: https://www.space.com/no-emergency-si…
Axiom plans to test their new designs on ISS this year. “We plan to fly and install an Axiom Data Center Unit (AxDCU) prototype onboard the ISS,” Aspiotis says. That prototype will “Test and demonstrate use cases for in-space cloud computing, AI/ML, data fusion and cybersecurity applications. The primary objectives are: (a) continue to develop the orbital data center market by demonstrating and proving the efficacy of in-situ cloud computing use cases, and (b) raise the technical readiness level of commercial and terrestrial-grade hardware operating in a space station environment.”
As Axiom completes its ODC development, the company sees a good market for its services, “Any terrestrial company that could stand to benefit from space-derived data or insights being processed and delivered with lower latency and more security could be a user of ODCs. Financial institutions requiring faster insights from Earth observation data could be an example,” said Aspiotis.
—- Axiom says it’s space suit development projects remain on track:
@Axiom_Space continues development & testing of #AxEMU to deliver a next-gen spacesuit for #Artemis, ready for the challenges of the lunar south pole. We are on track, meeting/exceeding all milestones for the nation’s return to the Moon by 2026.
—- Gravitics will work with NASA to develop procedures and systems for certifying space structures much larger than the usual satellite type of spacecraft. The company signed a Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA
… to develop verification and validation by similarity approaches for 6 to 8-meter diameter structures.
“It is time to build bigger,” said Colin Doughan, CEO of Gravitics. “I am optimistic that the qualification and validation solutions being pioneered by Gravitics will be used across the industry from 6 to 8-meter diameter payloads and beyond.”
Robb Report’s recent visit to the aerospace company’s headquarters and research facility in Louisville, Colorado, included an exclusive tour of its inflatable space habitat. The full-scale prototype is designed to launch into space inside a conventional rocket and then expand—while in orbit—into globular living quarters.
“Walking through it now might feel claustrophobic, but when you’re floating, it’s very roomy,” says Sierra Space’s chief safety officer Angie Wise. Above her is an upside-down hammock harnessed to the ceiling—“The astronauts have to strap in, or they’ll float around”—and beside it, a copy of sci-fi thriller Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (who also wrote The Martian), nestled within its own perch like a makeshift nightstand.
—- Starlab aims to launch Starlab habitat on a Starship:
Team #Starlab is out at @SpaceX this week working closely with their team as we work towards our launch on Starship. Starlab will launch on a single flight prior to @Space_Station decommissioning. pic.twitter.com/FiuxTToXrC
—- Starlab will use Palantir Technologies data management software for space station:
Palantir will become the exclusive supplier of enterprise-wide software data management solutions for the Starlab commercial space station.
Palantir’s AI-driven software enables analysts, users, and decision-makers alike to optimize the entirety of space architecture. Palantir helps deliver cutting-edge, adaptable software solutions from the ground to the edge – helping ensure space capabilities are maximally resilient, effective, and accessible,
** China’s Plan to Establish a Permanent Base on the Moon – Dongfang Hour
While the US and its partners are planning to carry out the Artemis Program in the coming decade, China is preparing the competing “ILRS”, aka the International Lunar Research Station. In this episode, we do a deep dive into China’s permanent lunar base project and its scientific and political ramifications.
If you like what you see and would like to support me, please consider joining our small Patreon community at / dongfanghour ! We also have some very cool space merch available at https://shop.dongfanghour.com.
00:00 Artemis and the ILRS (introduction) 00:43 China’s Moon Program: Early Beginnings 01:58 Chang’e 1 to Chang’e 6 02:35 First Mention of the ILRS 03:21 Private Internet Access 05:14 The ILRS Becomes a Sino-Russian Project 06:02 ILRS Phase 1 – Moon Base “Basic Model” 06:57 ILRS Phase 2 – Moon Base “Construction Phase” 10:09 How China plans to launch the ILRS hardware 11:20 Can the ILRS become international?
NASA and its international partners will explore the scientific mysteries of deep space with Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon. Witness Gateway in stunning detail with this video that brings the future of lunar exploration to life.
** Highlight: SoCal – Los Angeles – San Diego – Jun 25, 2024 – 10:38 PDT – ISS Above
NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station
** Expedition 71 International Space Station Flyover of Hurricane Beryl – Monday, July 1, 2024 – NASA Video
The International Space Station flew 260 miles over Hurricane Beryl at approximately 9 a.m. EDT Monday, July 1, 2024. External cameras on the orbiting laboratory captured views of the storm as it traveled across the Caribbean near the Windward Islands as a Category 4 hurricane with winds around 130 miles per hour.
** 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
In late 2019, the galaxy SDSS1335+0728 suddenly started shining brighter than ever before and was classified as having an active galactic nucleus, powered by a massive black hole in the galaxy’s core. This is the first time the awakening of a massive black hole has been observed in real time. This artist’s impression shows the growing disc of material being pulled in by the black hole as it feeds on the gas available in its surroundings, making the galaxy light up.
In late 2019 the previously unremarkable galaxy SDSS1335+0728 suddenly started shining brighter than ever before. To understand why, astronomers have used data from several space and ground-based observatories, including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), to track how the galaxy’s brightness has varied. In a study out today, they conclude that they are witnessing changes never seen before in a galaxy — likely the result of the sudden awakening of the massive black hole at its core.
“Imagine you’ve been observing a distant galaxy for years, and it always seemed calm and inactive,”
says Paula Sánchez Sáez, an astronomer at ESO in Germany and lead author of the study accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
“Suddenly, its [core] starts showing dramatic changes in brightness, unlike any typical events we’ve seen before.”
This is what happened to SDSS1335+0728, which is now classified as having an ‘active galactic nucleus’ (AGN) — a bright compact region powered by a massive black hole — after it brightened dramatically in December 2019 [1].
Some phenomena, like supernova explosions or tidal disruption events — when a star gets too close to a black hole and is torn apart — can make galaxies suddenly light up. But these brightness variations typically last only a few dozen or, at most, a few hundreds of days. SDSS1335+0728 is still growing brighter today, more than four years after it was first seen to ‘switch on’. Moreover, the variations detected in the galaxy, which is located 300 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, are unlike any seen before, pointing astronomers towards a different explanation.
The team tried to understand these brightness variations using a combination of archival data and new observations from several facilities, including the X-shooter instrument on ESO’s VLT in Chile’s Atacama Desert [2]. Comparing the data taken before and after December 2019, they found that SDSS1335+0728 is now radiating much more light at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The galaxy also started emitting X-rays in February 2024.
“This behaviour is unprecedented,”
says Sánchez Sáez, who is also affiliated with the Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS) in Chile.
“The most tangible option to explain this phenomenon is that we are seeing how the [core] of the galaxy is beginning to show (…) activity,”
says co-author Lorena Hernández García, from MAS and the University of Valparaíso in Chile.
“If so, this would be the first time that we see the activation of a massive black hole in real time.”
Massive black holes — with masses over one hundred thousand times that of our Sun — exist at the centre of most galaxies, including the Milky Way.
“These giant monsters usually are sleeping and not directly visible,”
explains co-author Claudio Ricci, from the Diego Portales University, also in Chile.
“In the case of SDSS1335+0728, we were able to observe the awakening of the massive black hole, [which] suddenly started to feast on gas available in its surroundings, becoming very bright.”
[Hernández García says,]
“[This] process (…) has never been observed before,”
[…] Previous studies reported inactive galaxies becoming active after several years, but this is the first time the process itself — the awakening of the black hole — has been observed in real time. Ricci, who is also affiliated with the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University, China, adds:
“This is something that could happen also to our own Sgr A*, the massive black hole (…) located at the centre of our galaxy,”
but it is unclear how likely this is to happen.
Follow-up observations are still needed to rule out alternative explanations. Another possibility is that we are seeing an unusually slow tidal disruption event, or even a new phenomenon. If it is in fact a tidal disruption event, this would be the longest and faintest such event ever observed.
“Regardless of the nature of the variations, [this galaxy] provides valuable information on how black holes grow and evolve,”
Sánchez Sáez says.
“We expect that instruments like [MUSE on the VLT or those on the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)] will be key in understanding [why the galaxy is brightening].”
Notes
[1] The SDSS1335+0728 galaxy’s unusual brightness variations were detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) telescope in the US. Following that, the Chilean-led Automatic Learning for the Rapid Classification of Events (ALeRCE) broker classified SDSS1335+0728 as an active galactic nucleus.
[2] The team collected archival data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the eROSITA instrument on IKI and DLR’s Spektr-RG space observatory. Besides ESO’s VLT, the follow-up observations were conducted with the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR), the W. M. Keck Observatory, and NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory.
