How Astronomers Time Travel
Astronomers used three of NASA's Great Observatories to capture this multiwavelength image showing galaxy cluster IDCS J1426.5+3508. It includes X-rays recorded by the Chandra X-ray Observatory in blue, visible light observed by the Hubble Space Telescope in green, and infrared light from the Spitzer Space Telescope in red. This rare galaxy cluster has important implications for understanding how these megastructures formed and evolved early in the universe.
How Astronomers Time Travel
Let’s add another item to your travel bucket list: the early universe! You don’t need the type of time machine you see in sci-fi movies, and you don’t have to worry about getting trapped in the past. You don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home! All you need is a powerful space-based telescope.
But let’s start small and work our way up to the farthest reaches of space. We’ll explain how it all works along the way.
This animation illustrates how fast light travels between Earth and the Moon. The farther light has to travel, the more noticeable its speed limit becomes.
The speed of light is superfast, but it isn’t infinite. It travels at about 186,000 miles (300 million meters) per second. That means that it takes time for the light from any object to reach our eyes. The farther it is, the more time it takes.
You can see nearby things basically in real time because the light travel time isn’t long enough to make a difference. Even if an object is 100 miles (161 kilometers) away, it takes just 0.0005 seconds for light to travel that far. But on astronomical scales, the effects become noticeable.
This infographic shows how long it takes light to travel to different planets in our solar system.
Within our solar system, light’s speed limit means it can take a while to communicate back and forth between spacecraft and ground stations on Earth. We see the Moon, Sun, and planets as they were slightly in the past, but it's not usually far enough back to be scientifically interesting.
As we peer farther out into our galaxy, we use light-years to talk about distances. Smaller units like miles or kilometers would be too overwhelming and we’d lose a sense of their meaning. One light-year – the distance light travels in a year – is nearly 6 trillion miles (9.5 trillion kilometers). And that’s just a tiny baby step into the cosmos.
The Sun’s closest neighboring star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 light-years away. That means we see it as it was about four years ago. Betelgeuse, a more distant (and more volatile) stellar neighbor, is around 700 light-years away. Because of light’s lag time, astronomers don’t know for sure whether this supergiant star is still there! It may have already blasted itself apart in a supernova explosion – but it probably has another 10,000 years or more to go.
What looks much like craggy mountains on a moonlit evening is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals previously obscured areas of star birth.
The Carina Nebula clocks in at 7,500 light-years away, which means the light we receive from it today began its journey about 3,000 years before the pyramids of Giza in Egypt were built! Many new stars there have undoubtedly been born by now, but their light may not reach Earth for thousands of years.
An artist’s concept of our Milky Way galaxy, with rough locations for the Sun and Carina nebula marked.
If we zoom way out, you can see that 7,500 light-years away is still pretty much within our neighborhood. Let’s look further back in time…
This stunning image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the spiral galaxy NGC 5643. Looking this good isn’t easy; 30 different exposures, for a total of nine hours of observation time, together with Hubble’s high resolution and clarity, were needed to produce an image of such exquisite detail and beauty.
Peering outside our Milky Way galaxy transports us much further into the past. The Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbor, is about 2.5 million light-years away. And that’s still pretty close, as far as the universe goes. The image above shows the spiral galaxy NGC 5643, which is about 60 million light-years away! That means we see it as it was about 60 million years ago.
As telescopes look deeper into the universe, they capture snapshots in time from different cosmic eras. Astronomers can stitch those snapshots together to unravel things like galaxy evolution. The closest ones are more mature; we see them nearly as they truly are in the present day because their light doesn’t have to travel as far to reach us. We can’t rewind those galaxies (or our own), but we can get clues about how they likely developed. Looking at galaxies that are farther and farther away means seeing these star cities in ever earlier stages of development.
The farthest galaxies we can see are both old and young. They’re billions of years old now, and the light we receive from them is ancient since it took so long to traverse the cosmos. But since their light was emitted when the galaxies were young, it gives us a view of their infancy.
This animation is an artist’s concept of the big bang, with representations of the early universe and its expansion.
Comparing how fast objects at different distances are moving away opened up the biggest mystery in modern astronomy: cosmic acceleration. The universe was already expanding as a result of the big bang, but astronomers expected it to slow down over time. Instead, it’s speeding up!
The universe’s expansion makes it tricky to talk about the distances of the farthest objects. We often use lookback time, which is the amount of time it took for an object’s light to reach us. That’s simpler than using a literal distance, because an object that was 10 billion light-years away when it emitted the light we received from it would actually be more than 16 billion light-years away right now, due to the expansion of space. We can even see objects that are presently over 30 billion light-years from Earth, even though the universe is only about 14 billion years old.
This James Webb Space Telescope image shines with the light from galaxies that are more than 13.4 billion years old, dating back to less than 400 million years after the big bang.
Our James Webb Space Telescope has helped us time travel back more than 13.4 billion years, to when the universe was less than 400 million years old. When our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches in a few years, astronomers will pair its vast view of space with Webb’s zooming capabilities to study the early universe in better ways than ever before. And don’t worry – these telescopes will make plenty of pit stops along the way at other exciting cosmic destinations across space and time.
Learn more about the exciting science Roman will investigate on X and Facebook.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!
More Posts from Nasa and Others
3, 2, 1 LIFTOFF! Astronaut Kate Rubins is here answering your questions during this Tumblr Answer Time. Tune in and enjoy. 🚀👩🚀
How are decisions made about what experiments are sent into space? Are there certain kinds of experiments that NASA wants to conduct every time cargo is launched to the ISS, or are there occasionally experiments that are duplicated for more observation and data collection?
Applying Earth Observations Data to the Real World
In our DEVELOP Program, participants work on Earth science research projects and are mentored by science advisors from within the agency and from partner agencies, and extend research results to local communities.
This year, our partners ran the gamut from NASA centers to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) to the University of Georgia to state and local governments. The one thing all have in common: using data from our Earth-observing satellites to inform such topics as disaster relief, preserving watershed and marshlands, working municipalities to provide health and study. The program also helps future scientists develop research and presentation skills.
Annually, the participants gather at NASA Headquarters to present their findings. From more than two dozen, we’re highlighting a cross section whose projects covered climate and invasive species in Alaska; health and air quality in Las Cruces; disaster preparation in the Philippines; and air quality in the Shenandoah Valley.
The projects demonstrate to community leaders how our science measurements and predictions can be used to address local policy issues. This year, DEVELOP features more than two dozen projects covering Earth science topics from all corners of the globe.
DEVELOP projects apply Earth observations to agriculture, climate, disasters, ecological forecasting, energy, health and air quality, oceans, water resources and weather. These projects highlight NASA Earth observation capabilities relative to environmental issues and concerns for enhanced policy and decision-making to improve life here on Earth.
DEVELOP projects apply Earth observations to agriculture, climate, disasters, ecological forecasting, energy, health and air quality, oceans, water resources and weather. These projects highlight NASA Earth observation capabilities relative to environmental issues and concerns for enhanced policy and decision-making to improve life here on Earth.
Visit the Develop Project page to learn more about the program and how to apply.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Hello there 👋
Welcome back to Mindful Mondays! 🧘
Mondays are, famously, most people’s seventh favorite day of the week. And Mondays where everything is darker, longer, and colder than normal? Thanks, but no thanks.
But don’t panic; we’ve got something to help. It might be small, but it can make a big difference. Just ten minutes of mindfulness can go a long way, and taking some time out to sit down, slow down, and breathe can help center your thoughts and balance your mood. Sometimes, the best things in life really are free.
This year, we have teamed up with the good folks at @nasa. They want you to tune in and space out to relaxing music and ultra-high-definition visuals of the cosmos—from the surface of Mars.
Sounds good, right? Well, it gets better. Watch more Space Out episodes on NASA+, a new no-cost, ad-free streaming service.
Why not give it a try? Just a few minutes this Monday morning can make all the difference, and we are bringing mindfulness straight to you.
🧘WATCH: Space Out with NASA: Martian Landscapes, 11/27 at 1pm EST🧘
Hopefully not a total dumb question but, YOUR ultimate goal as an astronaut?
We Need Your Help to Find STEVE
Glowing in mostly purple and green colors, a newly discovered celestial phenomenon is sparking the interest of scientists, photographers and astronauts. The display was initially discovered by a group of citizen scientists who took pictures of the unusual lights and playfully named them "Steve."
When scientists got involved and learned more about these purples and greens, they wanted to keep the name as an homage to its initial name and citizen science discoverers. Now it is STEVE, short for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.
Credit: ©Megan Hoffman
STEVE occurs closer to the equator than where most aurora appear – for example, Southern Canada – in areas known as the sub-auroral zone. Because auroral activity in this zone is not well researched, studying STEVE will help scientists learn about the chemical and physical processes going on there. This helps us paint a better picture of how Earth's magnetic fields function and interact with charged particles in space. Ultimately, scientists can use this information to better understand the space weather near Earth, which can interfere with satellites and communications signals.
Want to become a citizen scientist and help us learn more about STEVE? You can submit your photos to a citizen science project called Aurorasaurus, funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation. Aurorasaurus tracks appearances of auroras – and now STEVE – around the world through reports and photographs submitted via a mobile app and on aurorasaurus.org.
Here are six tips from what we have learned so far to help you spot STEVE:
1. STEVE is a very narrow arc, aligned East-West, and extends for hundreds or thousands of miles.
Credit: ©Megan Hoffman
2. STEVE mostly emits light in purple hues. Sometimes the phenomenon is accompanied by a short-lived, rapidly evolving green picket fence structure (example below).
Credit: ©Megan Hoffman
3. STEVE can last 20 minutes to an hour.
4. STEVE appears closer to the equator than where normal – often green – auroras appear. It appears approximately 5-10° further south in the Northern hemisphere. This means it could appear overhead at latitudes similar to Calgary, Canada. The phenomenon has been reported from the United Kingdom, Canada, Alaska, northern US states, and New Zealand.
5. STEVE has only been spotted so far in the presence of an aurora (but auroras often occur without STEVE). Scientists are investigating to learn more about how the two phenomena are connected.
6. STEVE may only appear in certain seasons. It was not observed from October 2016 to February 2017. It also was not seen from October 2017 to February 2018.
Credit: ©Megan Hoffman
STEVE (and aurora) sightings can be reported at www.aurorasaurus.org or with the Aurorasaurus free mobile apps on Android and iOS. Anyone can sign up, receive alerts, and submit reports for free.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
There’s Going to Be an Outburst!
Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower at Its Peak Tonight
The last time we had an outburst, that is a meteor shower with more meteors than usual, was in 2009. This year’s Perseid meteor shower is predicted to be just as spectacular starting tonight!
Plan to stay up late tonight or set your alarm clock for the wee morning hours to see this cosmic display of “shooting stars” light up the night sky. Known for it’s fast and bright meteors, tonight’s annual Perseid meteor shower is anticipated to be one of the best meteor viewing opportunities this year.
For stargazers experiencing cloudy or light-polluted skies, a live broadcast of the Perseid meteor shower will be available via Ustream overnight tonight and tomorrow, beginning at 10 p.m. EDT.
“Forecasters are predicting a Perseid outburst this year with double normal rates on the night of Aug. 11-12,” said Bill Cooke with NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office in Huntsville, Alabama. “Under perfect conditions, rates could soar to 200 meteors per hour.”
Every Perseid meteor is a tiny piece of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. When Earth crosses paths with Swift-Tuttle’s debris, specks of comet-stuff hit Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrate in flashes of light. These meteors are called Perseids because they seem to fly out of the constellation Perseus.
Most years, Earth might graze the edge of Swift-Tuttle’s debris stream, where there’s less activity. Occasionally, though, Jupiter’s gravity tugs the huge network of dust trails closer, and Earth plows through closer to the middle, where there’s more material.
This is predicted be one of those years!
Learn more about the Perseids!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space.
Astronaut Journal Entry - Spacewalking
Currently, six humans are living and working on the International Space Station, which orbits 250 miles above our planet at 17,500mph. Below you will find a real journal entry, written in space, by NASA astronaut Scott Tingle.
To read more entires from this series, visit our Space Blogs on Tumblr.
We just finished a 20-hour work day. I spent nearly 11 hours in the spacesuit, and 7 hours and 24 minutes doing a spacewalk. The view was amazing. The changes from day to night, and back to day were phenomenal.
My fellow astronaut Mark Vande Hei and I completed the primary task of replacing the Latching End Effector, or hand, for the robotic arm, but a software glitch kept us waiting and we were unable to complete any get-ahead tasks. I thought we had plenty of time and estimated that we had only been outside for a few hours. I was very surprised to find that we had worked for over 7 hours. Wow, I guess time really does fly by when you are having fun!
Find more ‘Captain’s Log’ entries HERE.
Follow NASA astronaut Scott Tingle on Instagram and Twitter.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
Innovation at 100
Air travel, spaceflight, robotic solar-system missions: science fiction to those alive at the turn of the 20th century became science fact to those living in the 21st.
America’s aerospace future has been literally made at our Langley Research Center by the best and brightest the country can offer. Here are some of the many highlights from a century of ingenuity and invention.
Making the Modern Airplane
In times of peace and war, Langley helped to create a better airplane, including unique wing shapes, sturdier structures, the first engine cowlings, and drag cleanup that enabled the Allies to win World War II.
In 1938 Langley mounted the navy's Brewster XF2A-1 Buffalo in the Full-Scale Tunnel for drag reduction studies.
Wind Goes to Work
Langley broke new ground in aeronautical research with a suite of first-of-their-kind wind tunnels that led to numerous advances in commercial, military and vertical flight, such as helicopters and other rotorcraft.
Airflow turning vanes in Langley’s 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel.
Aeronautics Breakthroughs
Aviation Hall of Famer Richard Whitcomb’s area rule made practical jet flight a reality and, thanks to his development of winglets and the supercritical wing, enabled jets to save fuel and fly more efficiently.
Richard Whitcomb examines a model aircraft incorporating his area rule.
Making Space
Langley researchers laid the foundation for the U.S. manned space program, played a critical role in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, and developed the lunar-orbit rendezvous concept that made the Moon landing possible.
Neil Armstrong trained for the historic Apollo 11 mission at the Lunar Landing Research Facility,
Safer Air Above and Below
Langley research into robust aircraft design and construction, runway safety grooving, wind shear, airspace management and lightning protection has aimed to minimize, even eliminate air-travel mishaps
NASA’s Boeing 737 as it approached a thunderstorm during microburst wind shear research in Colorado in 1992.
Tracking Earth from Aloft
Development by Langley of a variety of satellite-borne instrumentation has enabled real-time monitoring of planet-wide atmospheric chemistry, air quality, upper-atmosphere ozone concentrations, the effects of clouds and air-suspended particles on climate, and other conditions affecting Earth’s biosphere.
Crucial Shuttle Contributions
Among a number of vital contributions to the creation of the U.S. fleet of space shuttles, Langley developed preliminary shuttle designs and conducted 60,000 hours of wind tunnel tests to analyze aerodynamic forces affecting shuttle launch, flight and landing.
Space Shuttle model in the Langley wind tunnel.
Decidedly Digital
Helping aeronautics transition from analog to digital, Langley has worked on aircraft controls, glass cockpits, computer-aided synthetic vision and a variety of safety-enhancing onboard sensors to better monitor conditions while airborne and on the ground.
Aerospace research engineer Kyle Ellis uses computer-aided synthetic vision technology in a flight deck simulator.
Fast, Faster, Fastest
Langley continues to study ways to make higher-speed air travel a reality, from about twice the speed of sound – supersonic – to multiple times: hypersonic.
Langley continues to study ways to make higher-speed air travel a reality, from about twice the speed of sound – supersonic – to multiple times: hypersonic.
Safer Space Sojourns
Protecting astronauts from harm is the aim of Langley’s work on the Orion Launch Abort System, while its work on materials and structures for lightweight and affordable space transportation and habitation will keep future space travelers safe.
Unmasking the Red Planet
Beginning with its leadership role in Project Viking, Langley has helped to unmask Martian mysteries with a to-date involvement in seven Mars missions, with participation in more likely to come.
First image of Mars taken by Viking 1 Lander.
Touchdown Without Terror
Langley’s continued work on advanced entry, descent and landing systems aims to make touchdowns on future planetary missions routinely safe and secure.
Artist concept of NASA's Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator - an entry, descent and landing technology.
Going Green
Helping to create environmentally benign aeronautical technologies has been a focus of Langley research, including concepts to reduce drag, weight, fuel consumption, emissions, and lessen noise.
Intrepid Inventors
With a history developing next-generation composite structures and components, Langley innovators continue to garner awards for a variety of aerospace inventions with a wide array of terrestrial applications.
Boron Nitride Nanotubes: High performance, multi-use nanotube material.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
GOES-R: The Future of Forecasting
What is GOES-R?
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) is the nation’s next generation of geostationary weather satellites. It is the first of four satellites to be launched for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The GOES-R satellite will provide advanced imaging with increased spatial resolution and faster coverage for more accurate forecasts, real-time mapping of lightning activity and improved monitoring of solar activity. For the first time, GOES-R will be able to monitor the Earth in near real-time.
Once in geostationary orbit (the orbit around the Earth’s equator), it will provide images of weather patterns and severe storms across the continental U.S. as regularly as every five minutes. Images of smaller, more detailed areas, where storm activity is present, will be taken as frequently as every 30 seconds.
These images can be used to aid in formulating regular forecasts, term forecasting, such as seasonal predictions and drought outlooks.
In addition, the satellite will constantly monitor space weather conditions, such as solar flares, to provide advance notice of potential communication and navigation disruptions.
The satellite will also assist researchers in understanding the interactions between land, oceans, the atmosphere and climate.
What will GOES-R Do?
Improve hurricane tracking and intensity forecasts
Increase thunderstorm and tornado warning lead time
Give earlier warning of ground lightning strike hazards
Improve detection of heavy rainfall and flash flooding risks
Improve air quality warnings and alerts
Give better fire detection and intensity estimation
Improve solar flare warnings for communications and navigation disruptions
Give more accurate monitoring of energetic particles responsible for radiation hazards to humans and spacecraft
Improve monitoring of space weather to get better geomagnetic storm forecasting.
The better we can predict what’s coming, the better we can prepare.
Launch Activities!
The GOES-R satellite is targeted for a launch on Saturday, Nov. 19, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
The one-hour launch window opens at 5:42 p.m. EST. Liftoff will occur from our Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Join us leading up to launch by tuning in during the following times:
Thursday, Nov. 17 Prelaunch News Conference - 1 p.m. EST Watch HERE
GOES-R Mission Briefing - 2 p.m. EST Watch HERE
Friday, Nov. 18 GOES-R Social Presentations – 1:30 p.m. EST Watch HERE
Saturday, Nov. 19 NASA Edge Prelaunch Program – 3:45 p.m. EST Watch HERE
Launch Coverage & Commentary – 4:45 p.m. EST Watch HERE
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
-
boingboingyaeyy liked this · 1 month ago -
andy202405 liked this · 1 month ago -
pyronine liked this · 1 month ago -
sapphosdickandballs liked this · 1 month ago -
bitsofsciencelife reblogged this · 1 month ago -
transparentcomputertidalwave reblogged this · 1 month ago -
transparentcomputertidalwave liked this · 1 month ago
-
adams-astonomy reblogged this · 2 months ago -
ticklertalia liked this · 2 months ago -
hollowwoods27 reblogged this · 2 months ago -
fangirling-heart reblogged this · 2 months ago -
fangirling-heart liked this · 2 months ago
-
spira---mirabilis reblogged this · 2 months ago -
spira---mirabilis liked this · 2 months ago
-
cheeseduprats liked this · 2 months ago -
happy9595-blog liked this · 3 months ago -
messytimemachine liked this · 4 months ago -
starrybluez liked this · 4 months ago -
fantasy-the-final-frontier reblogged this · 4 months ago -
filippaluvi liked this · 4 months ago -
timespanner reblogged this · 4 months ago -
lothiriel84 liked this · 4 months ago -
yngavo liked this · 5 months ago -
deerper liked this · 5 months ago -
papawolf1969 liked this · 5 months ago -
grittyedge reblogged this · 5 months ago -
grittyedge liked this · 5 months ago
-
gwe1954 liked this · 5 months ago
-
bluebellehope reblogged this · 5 months ago -
thedisc0panda reblogged this · 6 months ago -
strangeblazecycle liked this · 6 months ago -
fuckyeahtori-blog reblogged this · 6 months ago -
starrycatupabove liked this · 6 months ago -
braelynnhutton liked this · 6 months ago -
eeeeevidk liked this · 7 months ago -
snoopyhead98 liked this · 7 months ago -
quatrowins liked this · 7 months ago -
t1s-r1ta-f0r3v3r liked this · 7 months ago -
opalglimmer liked this · 7 months ago -
abdalla-23 liked this · 8 months ago -
amiteblue reblogged this · 8 months ago
-
amiteblue liked this · 8 months ago
-
jasshands liked this · 8 months ago -
truly-fantastic-me liked this · 9 months ago -
huiwww liked this · 9 months ago -
platonicasever liked this · 9 months ago -
vadamiamor liked this · 9 months ago
Explore the universe and discover our home planet with the official NASA Tumblr account
1K posts