Search results for tag #space
A Total Eclipse of the Sun
Credits: JM Pasachoff Antarctic Expedition
#nature #space #astrophotography
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A Total Eclipse of the Sun
Celebrate #summer with two back-to-back #meteor shower bonanzas
These #meteorshowers occur around the same time every year, with their peaks taking place over four days at the end of July
First up are the #SouthernDeltaAquariids, scientists don’t know which #space rock the Southern Delta Aquariids originate from!
Second the #AlphaCapricornids are famous for their slow, bright, colorful fireballs.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-southern-delta-aquariids-and-alpha-capricornids-meteor-showers-are-about-to-peak/
https://archive.ph/flQwU
#Amazon is asking the #FCC to approve 5,105 massive new #satellites while hiding their orbital debris risk models behind a wall of corporate secrecy. The public deserves full transparency, because a safe and sustainable space environment belongs to all of us — not just to the highest bidder.
https://spacenews.com/amazon-files-application-for-direct-to-device-satellite-constellation/
"The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can single-handedly green-light massive spaceflight projects that could completely change the view of the night sky for the entire world. Despite the outcry these projects have caused, space law experts say there is very little other nations and the international community can do to thwart them if the FCC were to grant them licenses."
Giant Storms and High Clouds on Jupiter
Credits: #NASA, JPL-Caltech, SwRI, MSSS, License, Kevin M. Gill
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Giant Storms and High Clouds on Jupiter
’Much more violent than predicted’: A chunk of the universe’s missing matter was powerfully hurled out of galaxies
The total amount of ordinary matter in our universe adds up to roughly one-tenth of what’s expected. Now, scientists think they may...
#astronomy #space
https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/much-more-violent-than-predicted-a-chunk-of-the-universes-missing-matter-was-powerfully-hurled-out-of-galaxies
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’Much more violent than predicted’: A chunk of the universe’s missing matter was powerfully hurled out of galaxies
NASA evacuates its Madrid ground station due to a wildfire.
Approximately 60 kilometres west of Madrid, NASA maintains the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC), a ground station of the Deep Space Network.
As the fire approached the facility on Friday, operations there were halted and personnel were brought to safety.
A Maine astronaut has taken command of the ISS, so there'll be some lobsters floating around up there, ayup
https://www.europesays.com/us/960104/ Maine astronaut Jessica Meir takes command of International Space Station #Astronauts #caribou #DemocraticNominee #Expedition74 #InternationalSpaceStation #iss #JessicaMeir #Maine #Nasa #Roscosmos #Science #Space #SpaceExploration #TroyJackson #UnitedStates #UnitedStates #US #UsSenate #WMTW
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Maine astronaut Jessica Meir takes command of International Space Station
This is fascinating. Humans don't have to leave earth for long or far before they start to forget what "human" means.
"Every astronaut who spends more than a few months in orbit comes back describing some version of the same disorientation. Rain smells overwhelming. Fabric feels abrasive. Familiar streets feel piloted rather than driven. The Earth their bodies evolved for has become, briefly, a foreign planet their nervous system is re-learning in real time."
This is the first image I drew after changing over to Linux and Krita, and it was quite a bit learning curve. I didn't realise how much muscle memory I'd built up for Clip Studio, which was not helped by the fact I discovered I hasn't properly installed my GPU drivers, so my laptop was struggling 😂.
So obviously this was the perfect time to redesign Voidstar's main antagonist, Avenix. The pose is a bit awkward but given the fact I was fighting some major lag, I don't hate how it came out lol.
#SciFi #Alien #Space #furry #sfwFurry
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A digital illustration of Avernix, a very pale teal alien with darker teal spots. She has a humanoid body with 4 arms and a tail, and a long-snouted face with 6 long, rabbit-like ears. She is dressed in a dark blue suit with a blue shirt underneath, and she is holding a blue glowing orb.
A Long March 3B rocket launched today from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center was struck by lightning shortly after launch.
The mission was not affected; the (TDRS-like) data relay satellite was placed correctly into its geostationary transfer orbit.
Source: https://bsky.app/profile/cosmicpenguinov103.bsky.social/post/3mrcwkiup4s2o
#Space
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3 pics of the rocket when it was struck by lightning
Two new and UV REACTIVE 6x6” Mini Geometrons for you! $140 each, DM if interested! 😊
Please boost and share! Solo artist trying to survive end-stage capitalism! 🙏😊
@Curator #ArtForSale #MastoArt #FediGiftShop #space #scifi #abstractart #geometricart #geometricabstraction #homedecor
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2 square Complex geometric abstract arts featuring linear and circular line graphics over starfield BGs
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Same 2 arts but this time under UV light to show the mighty glow!
That's no moon. It's a...hang on, what should we call it? 🤔
Our VLT has revealed evidence for a moon-like object in the CD-35 2722 system. Yet this new ‘exomoon’ detection is challenging cosmic labels!
Illustration: ESO/M. Kornmesser
#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science
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The artist's impression features a small star (left) and two gaseous planets covered in clouds (centre and right), set against the blackness of space.
A Blue Crescent Moon from Space
Credits: Expedition 13, International Space Station, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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A Blue Crescent Moon from Space
The Hill, The Moon, and Saturn
Credits: Tamas Ladanyi, TWAN
#nature #space #astrophotography
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The Hill, The Moon, and Saturn
STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson: "Mission complete, Houston, After serving the world for over 30 years, the shuttle has earned its place in history, and it has come to a final stop."
Mission Commentator Rob Navias: "Having fired the imagination of a generation, a ship like no other, its place in history secured, the space shuttle pulls into port for the last time. Its voyage, at an end."
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/albums/72157626734245869/with/5973993429
#Space #NASA
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STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson, right, talks to the media as NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, left, STS-135 Mission Specialists Rex Walheim, second from left, Sandy Magnus, third from left, and Pilot Doug Hurley look on shortly after the crew touched down in space shuttle Atlantis at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), completing its 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Overall, Atlantis spent 307 days in space and traveled nearly 126 million miles during its 33 flights. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985.
Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
A sight like no other.
The space shuttle Atlantis at launch pad 39A, Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL.
Launch on Friday, July 8, 2011.
Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/albums/72157626734245869/with/5914101671
#Space #NASA
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1. The space shuttle Atlantis is seen shortly after the rotating service structure (RSS) was rolled back at launch pad 39a, Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Atlantis is set to liftoff Friday, July 8, on the final flight of the shuttle program, STS-135, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
2. Space shuttle Atlantis is seen as it launches from pad 39A on Friday, July 8, 2011, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch of Atlantis, STS-135, is the final flight of the shuttle program, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
A #Seattle startup called #Interlune says its Cold Capture process takes advantage of cryogenic distillation to produce a rare and expensive type of helium that's used in #quantum computers. The process can be used on Earth - and on the #moon, where helium-3 is more abundant. https://www.geekwire.com/2026/interlune-helium-3-cold-capture-moon/ #Space #Helium3 #Space #Tech
Alienating. #grickledoodle #rejection #alien #facehugger #horror #cartoon #space #art #drawing #funny #humor
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Newly hatched facehuggers latch onto two astronaut's faces while another facehugger hatchling sits in an eggshell, refusing to facehug the remaining astronaut; caption reads: "Although it was ultimately what saved his life, in the moment Steve had never felt such profound rejection as he did right then."
RE: https://stefanbohacek.online/@voyagers/116960305220028575
The Voyager 1 interstellar probe, part of NASA's Voyager program launched in 1977, will reach one light-day distance from Earth
on November 18, 2026.
Follow along with @voyagers.
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/where-are-voyager-1-and-voyager-2-now/
Bright Bolide
Credits: Howard Edin, Oklahoma City Astronomy Club
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Bright Bolide
"#ReflectOrbital faces staunch opposition from many in the scientific community — including astronomers and scientists who told @MoneyWise that the satellites could cause harm to life on Earth, pollute the night sky and pose, as Dr. Travis Longcore, co-chair of UCLA’s Environmental Science and Engineering Program, contended, 'an existential threat to optical astronomy.'"
https://moneywise.com/news/top-stories/fcc-reflect-orbital-space-mirrors-sunlight-satellites
![[?]](data:image/png;base64, iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAEAAAABAAQAAAACCEkxzAAAAUUlEQVQoz43R0QkAMQwCUDdw/y3dwEvsvzlL4X1IoQkAisKmwfAFT3RgJHbQezpSRoXEqeqCL9BJBf7h3QbOCCxV5EVWMEMwG7K1/WODtlvxAYTtEsDU9F34AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC)
Launching Rockets is Hard, Bring them Back is Harder https://hackaday.com/2026/07/20/launching-rockets-is-hard-bring-them-back-is-harder/
#CurrentEvents #Engineering #Featured #OriginalArt #Space #China #DCX #LongMarch #Reusable #Rocketry #Solidrocketbooster #SpaceShuttle #SpaceX #Starship
💁🏻♀️ TIL: ☄️🌍 A mapping project shared at the University of #Padua shows when and where billions of people can see #asteroid #Apophis during its safe 2029 flyby.
Scientists calculated that the #space rock will be bright enough for naked eye viewing across #Europe, #Africa, and #Asia, and it will pass closer to our #planet than many #weather #satellites.
Hmm, this is interesting... NASA talking to NASA via ham radio. 🤔
Both using special callsigns. Wonder what the heck that is about.
A Sun Pillar in Red and Violet
Credits: Jim Kirkpatrick
#nature #space #astrophotography
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A Sun Pillar in Red and Violet
A Blue Bridge of Stars between Cluster Galaxies
Credits: #NASA, ESA, G. Tremblay, ESO, et al., Hubble Heritage, STScI, AURA, ESA/Hubble Collaboration
#nature #space #astrophotography
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A Blue Bridge of Stars between Cluster Galaxies
🐙 Scientists drilled 1.3 km into the Atlantic seafloor and found the hidden plumbing system powering the "Lost City" - a field of hydrothermal vents where life thrives without sunlight, fueled by chemical reactions between seawater and mantle rock.
Huge implications for finding life on ocean worlds like Europa.
Saturn's Rings from the Other Side
Credits: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, #JPL, ESA, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Saturn's Rings from the Other Side
’Shared cosmic experience’: ’Potentially hazardous’ asteroid Apophis could be visible to 90% of Earth’s population during ultraclose 2029 flyby, new maps reveal
Researchers predict that up to 7.6 billion people will be able to see the potentially...
#asteroids #astronomy #space
https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/shared-cosmic-experience-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-apophis-could-be-visible-to-90-percent-of-earths-population-during-ultraclose-2029-flyby-new-maps-reveal
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A map of Earth showing which regions are in darkness and within viewing range of Apophis at its most visible point
11 Years After Historic Flyby, Scientists Discover Giant Landslides on Pluto
New Horizons may have come and gone, but the mission is still revealing previously unseen features on Pluto.
#space-&-spaceflight
https://gizmodo.com/11-years-after-historic-flyby-scientists-discover-giant-landslides-on-pluto-2000785447
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An image pulled automatically from the post for decorative purposes only.
The ESO Call for Proposals for Period 118 has been released. Remember that we have switched to a yearly cycle.
You can submit your proposals until 22 September 2026, 12:00 CEST, for observations to be carried out between 1 May 2027 and 30 April 2028
More details: https://www.eso.org/sci/observing/phase1/p118/proposalsopen.html
#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science
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Visual announcing ESO’s Call for Proposals P118. The design features two circular photographs of ESO’s telescopes. The poster includes the ESO logo and the text “ESO Call for Proposals P118,” with the proposal deadline listed as 22 September 2026, 12:00 CEST, and a support website at the bottom.
Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse
Credits: CfA, STScI, #NASA, ESA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse
Vandenberg SFB Launch Alert
"The U.S. Space Force has approved the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer E mission to low-Earth orbit, Thursday, July 16, 2026, between 1:22 p.m. – 1:44 p.m. PT from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4).
A slight possibility exists that certain residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear a sonic boom during the launch. Depending on weather and location, this event may sound like an abrupt crack of thunder, according to prediction models."
"The company envisions multiple uses for sun-reflecting satellites: assisting search and rescue operations, allowing construction projects to operate around the clock, charging solar power stations, increasing crop yield. But critics cite all manner of risks. Human and animal circadian rhythms could be badly affected if the sun—or a simulacrum of it—never sets."
https://time.com/article/2026/07/14/reflect-orbital-space-mirror-what-to-know/
RE: https://mastodon.social/@trendingalone/116879345675356896
The Voyager Spacecraft gives me genuine hope for Humanity, an act of pure Science and Human Ingenuity, out there carrying a record of our hopes and dreams.
A Raging Storm System on Saturn
Credits: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, #JPL, ESA, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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A Raging Storm System on Saturn
Fragments of Comet LINEAR
Credits: H. Weaver, JHU, European Southern Observatory
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Fragments of Comet LINEAR
NGC 1055 Close-up
Credits: Robert Gendler, RobertoColombari, European Southern Observatory, Subaru Telescope (NAOJ)
#nature #space #astrophotography
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NGC 1055 Close-up
China's Long March 10B rocket, on its debut launch, successfully deployed a satellite and landed the first stage booster using a novel net-like system aboard the recovery ship LingHangZhe (Navigator).
Long March 10B is a two-stage, medium-lift launch vehicle with a first-stage powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen and a second-stage powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt1V9UWhuKk&pp=ygUMY2hpbmEgcm9ja2V00gcJCU8LAYcqIYzv
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_10B
#Space
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A Zodiacal Sky over Horseshoe Bend
Credits: David Lane
#nature #space #astrophotography
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A Zodiacal Sky over Horseshoe Bend
Ha, my daughter worked on the spacecraft that is going to capture that satellite and try to move it back into a better orbit. #space
Alpha Cam: Runaway Star
Credits: Galaxy Images
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Alpha Cam: Runaway Star
The #ThursdayFiveList this week asks for #SciFiTunes, songs with a #ScienceFiction theme! So, here we go!
DVNE - Of Blade And Carapace https://musiccloud.io/KSWeR - (Alhough named after one work of SciFi, DVNE take most of their inspiration from the beautiful Hyperion Cantos.)
Vorga - Starless Sky https://musiccloud.io/cZ6kO
Satyricon - Supersonic Journey https://musiccloud.io/jZust
Dødheimsgard - Abyss Perihelion Transit https://musiccloud.io/rCfm0 (Better yet, listen to this whole album, a masterpiece)
Hail Spirit Noir - The Temple of Curved Space https://musiccloud.io/-D0mK
Zodiacal Ray with Venus and Jupiter
Credits: Ruslan Merzlyakov, astrorms
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Zodiacal Ray with Venus and Jupiter
Falcon 9 Boostback
Credits: John Kraus
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Falcon 9 Boostback
The Milky Way’s Arms May Stretch Farther Than We Thought
New measurements could force astronomers to revise the mass of the galaxy.
#space-&-spaceflight
https://gizmodo.com/the-milky-ways-arms-may-stretch-farther-than-we-thought-2000781720
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An image pulled automatically from the post for decorative purposes only.
Two Hours Before Neptune
Credits: Voyager, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Two Hours Before Neptune
Both Pluto and Titan Share a Mystery Molecule That’s Never Been Seen Before
Whatever it is, it’s nothing registered in our chemical database, researchers say.
Archive: ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/g3fwq
#space-&-spaceflight
https://gizmodo.com/both-pluto-and-titan-share-a-mystery-molecule-thats-never-been-seen-before-2000781748
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An image pulled automatically from the post for decorative purposes only.
Ring of Fire over Monument Valley
Credits: Tunç Tezel, TWAN
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Ring of Fire over Monument Valley
Happy Aphelion Day. Today, Earth is farthest from the Sun in its slightly elliptical orbit.
In recent times, aphelion occurs about two weeks after the June solstice, perihelion, about two weeks after the December solstice.
As Earth's movement is slower around Aphelion than Perihelion, summers are a bit longer in the northern hemisphere than the southern one, in modern times.
Also, Earth's axial tilt has lot more influence on temperature than orbit.
https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/home?rate=0&time=2026-07-06T17:13:14.092+00:00
#Science #Space
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Map of the inner solar system
You are not doomed to live under the burden of Capitalism and Fascism. There are other ways" says the Infinity Puffin.
(I'll make the design available if you like it)
#FediArt #Vintage #Space #Puffin #Anarchy #SocialJustice
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Edwardian style poster, simple, in blue and white tones. A tufted puffin composed of space and stars flies in the void. A text reads "The Infinity Puffin days « You would be surprised by all the things achieved in realities where Anarchy, Love and Social Justice. You are not doomed to live under the burden of Capitalism and Fascism. There are other ways"
Hayabusa2 getting a lot of value out of itself, visiting a number of nearby rocks, even landing on and sampling one of them.
A proper Belter!
My first try at picturing the sky using the iPhone, its night mode and a mini tripod on a chair :D
Gonna make some more testings before one can land on the @moments gallery :p
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A dark and clear night sky with loads of stars.
Spiral Galaxy M83: The Southern Pinwheel
Credits: Robert Gendler, Stephane Guisard
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Spiral Galaxy M83: The Southern Pinwheel
On July 4, the Chinese asteroid sample return and comet exploration mission Tianwen-2 will rendezvous with 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, a quasi-satellite of Earth, 40–100 m in diameter.
Over the next few months, the probe will study and map the asteroid, collect rock samples, deliver them to Earth in Nov 2027, and then continue on to rendezvous with the main-belt comet 311P/PanSTARRS in Jan 2035.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/97RjX0XCVsYmUvB3-l7cgA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianwen-2
#Science #Space
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Graphif of Tianwen 2 and asteroid
CNSA
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/tianwen-2.htm
69219 Kamoʻoalewa (aka 2016 HO3) is a small near-Earth asteroid. At present, it is a quasi-satellite of Earth, in an Earth-like orbit around the Sun but remaining close to Earth.
Size: ~40–100 m
Rotation: 28 minutes
Orbit around Sun: 365-366 days
Distance from Sun: 0..9 - 1.1 AU
Distance from Earth: 38 -100 LD (Lunar Distance)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/469219_Kamo%CA%BBoalewa
#Science #Space
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Orbit of Kamoʻoalewa in the inner Solar System
Credit: Tomruen
Also, the JAXA Hayabusa2 spacecraft will fly by asteroid Torifune on Sunday July 5. It's objective is to test navigation systems for a future asteroid deflection mission.
See https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/116841633571799400
#Space #Asteroid #Science
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AodeRelay boostedRemember Hayabusa2, the plucky JAXA spacecraft that visited asteroid Ryugu in June 2018, scooped up some rock samples and returned them to Earth in December 2020?
It's still out there. It will fly by asteroid Torifune on Sunday July 5, at a relative speed of 5 km/s and a closest distance of 1 km. The data from this flyby will help accurately guide probes to impact and deflect small asteroids in future.
In 2031, Hayabusa2 will rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26.
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/06/20260609-1_e.html
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Artist’s illustration of the Hayabusa2 asteroid explorer performing the flyby of asteroid Torifune Credit: KESHITA Akihiro
🤖 ESA selects Airbus Defence and Space to build Aeolus-2, successor to the pioneering wind-monitoring satellite. The spacecraft will use Doppler lidar to measure global wind profiles, improving weather forecasts and climate modeling.
🔗 https://spacenews.com/airbus-to-build-aeolus-2-wind-monitoring-satellite/
#Space #EarthObservation #CyberSec
Sculpting the South Pillar
Credits: Univ. of Colorado, et al, SSC, #JPL, Caltech, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Sculpting the South Pillar
Cosmic Rays (or Spaceflaps) are once again available in my shop! ✨ ✨ https://ko-fi.com/s/4cfbd810f5
Ships from UK. Cannot ship to the EU, sorry!
#BrynnSews #FediGiftShop #Space
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A midnight blue plushie stingray
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It's now flipped over, showing its cotton fabric belly: a black night with dark blue clouds, covered in white constellations.
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Lights off now, showing the luminous green glow in the dark constellations (complete with the lines joining the stars up) and a splattering of smaller background stars.
NASA & Katalyst Space are attempting to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a powerful gamma-ray telescope that's on a death-spiral toward Earth.
A booster spacecraft, called Link, is now on its way. It will attempt to grab Swift & lift it to safety. If successful, the same technique could be applied to the Hubble telescope.
https://spacenews.com/pegasus-launches-swift-reboost-mission/ #space #science #technology
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An illustration of Katalyst Space’s Link spacecraft (left) approaching NASA’s Swift gamma-ray observatory. Credit: Katalyst Space
RE: https://social.numerique.gouv.fr/@irap/116816496426956301
"The rapid expansion of commercial and governmental space activities is leaving a measurable chemical signature in Earth’s stratosphere through emissions from rocket launches and satellite re-entries. The scientific community is calling for urgent, coordinated action to understand and assess the potential impact on the atmosphere."
https://fosstodon.org/@irap@social.numerique.gouv.fr/116816496573706198
Press Release: https://www.essc.esf.org/2026/06/25/pr-airl-whitepaper/
Paper at https://zenodo.org/records/20831147
#Space #Science
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Galaxy Dwingeloo 1 Emerges
Credits: IsaacNewton Telescope, RGO
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Galaxy Dwingeloo 1 Emerges
NGC 3621: Far Beyond the Local Group
Credits: Robert Gendler
#nature #space #astrophotography
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NGC 3621: Far Beyond the Local Group
"If all satellites in orbit suddenly lost the ability to manoeuvre and control their orientation, how long would it take for two to come close enough to crash? In 2018, before megaconstellations began launching, the CRASH Clock value was 164 days. It has been steadily dropping since then. Our new research finds that as of May 2026, it is at 2.5 days."
Next planned launches out of Vandenberg. Apparently a certain billionaire now owns near exclusive use of that spaceport 😡
SPACEX TRANSPORTER 17, VANDENBERG SFB, CA
PRIMARY: 07/07/26 0651Z-1130Z
BACKUP: 07/08/26 0651Z-1130Z
SPACEX STARLINK 17-48, VANDENBERG SFB, CA
PRIMARY: 07/10/26 1400Z-1843Z
BACKUP: 07/11/26 1400Z-1843Z
Airglow Borealis
Credits: Yuri Beletsky, Carnegie, Las Campanas Observatory, TWAN
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Airglow Borealis
⚡ Thunderstorms are antimatter factories - and it happens above your head hundreds of times a day.
During a storm, intense electric fields inside clouds accelerate electrons to nearly light speed. When they slam into air molecules, they release bursts of gamma radiation called Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes. Some of those gamma rays then convert directly into matter via E=mc², spawning an electron alongside its antimatter twin - a positron. These positrons get channeled along Earth's magnetic field lines and escape into space.
NASA discovered this almost by accident. Their Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope - built to hunt cosmic explosions billions of light-years away - kept getting hit by gamma rays from directly beneath it. The energy spike at 511,000 electron volts was the unmistakable fingerprint of positrons annihilating on the spacecraft hull. In one case, Fermi detected a positron beam while flying over Egypt that had been launched by a thunderstorm over southern Africa, thousands of miles away.
The atmosphere is not just a passive shield. It is an active cosmic forge producing the rarest substance in the universe, right over our heads.
"A Falcon 9 rocket carrying several Starlink satellites is tentatively scheduled for launch Wednesday evening (July 1) from Vandenberg SFB, California. The vehicle is slated to lift off from south base during a 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. PDT launch window."
Centaurus As Warped Magnetic Fields
Credits: Joan Schmelz, USRA
#nature #space #astrophotography
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Centaurus As Warped Magnetic Fields
🚨 Beyond the limit 🚨
New ESO study finds that current proposals to launch 1.7+ million satellites into orbit would have devastating consequences for astronomy.
The most extreme proposals come from SpaceX & Reflect Orbital
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📷 F. Kamphues, ESO/M. Kornmesser
#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science #environment #pollution
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The background of this image shows a starry sky, including the bright lane of the Milky Way. Hundreds of bright streaks cross the sky in different directions, as if scratching the background natural sky behind it. The bottom of the image is occupied by the dark silhouette of a mountainous desert landscape. Atop the mountain at the centre, is a small, distant metallic dome and yellow-orange lasers shine behind it.
Watch Elon Musk's Space X put the schedule of the Moon Base back further and further....
https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/nasa-will-announce-moon-base-news-today-watch-it-live