NASA
55 Years Ago: Apollo 12 Launches
The Apollo 12 spacecraft launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in this image from Nov. 14, 1969, with astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F. Gordon Jr., and Alan L. Bean aboard. During liftoff, the Saturn V rocket which carried the Apollo capsule was struck twice by lightning.
On Nov. 19, 1969, the lunar module landed on the Moon. About three hours after landing, Conrad emerged from the lunar module, becoming the third person to step on the Moon. He was followed by Bean.
Image credit: NASA
NASA Administrator to Visit, Sign Agreement with Peru’s Space Agency
Continuing his engagement to deepen international collaboration and promote the peaceful use of space, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will travel to Lima on Wednesday.
Nelson will meet with Maj. Gen. Roberto Melgar Sheen, director of Peru’s National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development (CONIDA) Thursday, Nov. 14, and sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding to enhance space cooperation. The memorandum of understanding between NASA and CONIDA will include safety training, a joint feasibility study for a potential sounding rockets campaign, and technical assistance for CONIDA on sounding rocket launches.
Nelson will discuss the importance of international partnerships and collaboration in space and celebrate Peru’s signing of the Artemis Accords earlier this year.
For more information about NASA’s international partnerships, visit:
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Meira Bernstein
Headquarters, Washington
202-615-1747
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov
A Caribbean Spacewalk
A Caribbean Spacewalk
In this photo taken on Sept. 16, 1993, NASA astronauts James H. Newman (left), and Carl E. Walz evaluate procedures and gear for an upcoming Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission with the Caribbean Sea and part of the Bahama Islands chain in view. Newman and Walz’s spacewalk, part of the STS-51 mission, lasted seven hours, five minutes and 28 seconds.
Image credit: NASA
Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Samuel Suleiman
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Samuel Suleiman, instructor de la pasantía OCEANOS, enseña a los estudiantes sobre el sargazo y la ecología costera en la Isla Culebra, Puerto Rico, durante la sección de trabajo de campo del proyecto. Suleiman también es el Director Ejecutivo de Sociedad Ambiente Marino: una ONG puertorriqueña que trabaja en la conservación y restauración de arrecifes de coral.NASA ARC/Milan Loiacono Read this interview in English here ¿Cuál es tu nombre y tu rol en OCEANOS?Mi nombre es Samuel Suleiman. Soy director ejecutivo de la Sociedad Ambiente Marino, una organización sin fines de lucro que se dedica a la conservación de las costas y los arrecifes en Puerto Rico desde hace más de 25 años. Trabajo en este gran proyecto de OCEANOS como investigador y participante de los recursos costeros y marinos, particularmente los ecosistemas marinos en la Isla de Culebra.
¿Cómo llegaste a la ciencia?Yo empecé en ciencias desde bien pequeños con el interés de ser pediatra. Luego cambiaron un poco los intereses y me tiré hacia la educación secundaria en ciencia, manteniendo las ciencias como base, y tuve una mezcla de la pasión del agua. A los cinco años estuve por ahogarme, y en vez de congelarme entre el miedo y el susto que había pasado de estar casi ahogándome. Me puse una careta y desde ese entonces no me he quitado la careta, aprendiendo cada vez un poquito más del océano, de nuestros mares, nuestras costas.
¿Cuál es la importancia de un programa como OCEANOS, particularmente en Puerto Rico?Yo creo que debería haber muchos más proyectos como OCEANOS en Puerto Rico que le den la oportunidad a jóvenes de explorar los recursos naturales que tiene nuestra isla. Si nosotros no aprendemos a cuidar nuestros recursos, no lo vamos a tener en el futuro. Así que una experiencia en un océano que nos permita a los internos tener en vida una experiencia en la que les acerque más a estos recursos marinos que tenemos tan bellos, que permitan que se envuelvan y se apasionen por la defensa de los mismos.
¿Qué crecimiento o cambio ve en los estudiantes a lo largo de la pasantía?El programa OCEANOS le ha permitido a los estudiantes tener un cambio de actitud, de pensamiento, en el que entiendo que han ido creciendo a lo largo de las experiencias. No solamente han tenido experiencias académicas y de instrucción, sino también experiencias prácticas en el campo, y cada uno de ellos se ha soltado de una manera increíble. Algunos han tenido la posición de liderazgo en sus grupos de trabajo y colaboración, en su grupo de trabajo y en otros grupos de trabajo, por lo que yo creo que la experiencia de OCEANOS le ha permitido madurar de cierta manera a estos jóvenes lo que es tan importante para el país y para el planeta.
¿Qué es algo que espera que los estudiantes se lleven con ellos cuando se vayan?A mí me gustaría que los estudiantes, y estoy muy seguro de que lo van a hacer, van a llevar una pasión bien grande por el océano, por nuestros mares, nuestras costas, nuestros arrecifes. Y definitivamente estoy muy confiado en que van a ser embajadores para la protección de estos recursos. Así que creo que programas como OCEANOS deben asfixiarse en muchos sectores para que podamos tener una participación un poquito más amplia alrededor de lugares y estudiantes que tienen acceso a este tipo de recursos y apoyo.
Share Details Last Updated Nov 13, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read NASA Glenn Employees Named AIAA Associate Fellows Article 16 hours ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructora de OCEANOS María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias Article 1 day ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Roy Armstrong Article 1 day ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsMissions
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Astronomers Find Early Fast-Feeding Black Hole Using NASA Telescopes
A rapidly feeding black hole at the center of a dwarf galaxy in the early universe, shown in this artist’s concept, may hold important clues to the evolution of supermassive black holes in general.
Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, a team of astronomers discovered this low-mass supermassive black hole just 1.5 billion years after the big bang. The black hole is pulling in matter at a phenomenal rate — over 40 times the theoretical limit. While short lived, this black hole’s “feast” could help astronomers explain how supermassive black holes grew so quickly in the early universe.
Supermassive black holes exist at the center of most galaxies, and modern telescopes continue to observe them at surprisingly early times in the universe’s evolution. It’s difficult to understand how these black holes were able to grow so big so rapidly. But with the discovery of a low-mass supermassive black hole feasting on material at an extreme rate so soon after the birth of the universe, astronomers now have valuable new insights into the mechanisms of rapidly growing black holes in the early universe.
The black hole, called LID-568, was hidden among thousands of objects in the Chandra X-ray Observatory’s COSMOS legacy survey, a catalog resulting from some 4.6 million seconds of Chandra observations. This population of galaxies is very bright in the X-ray light, but invisible in optical and previous near-infrared observations. By following up with Webb, astronomers could use the observatory’s unique infrared sensitivity to detect these faint counterpart emissions, which led to the discovery of the black hole.
The speed and size of these outflows led the team to infer that a substantial fraction of the mass growth of LID-568 may have occurred in a single episode of rapid accretion.
LID-568 appears to be feeding on matter at a rate 40 times its Eddington limit. This limit relates to the maximum amount of light that material surrounding a black hole can emit, as well as how fast it can absorb matter, such that its inward gravitational force and outward pressure generated from the heat of the compressed, infalling matter remain in balance.
These results provide new insights into the formation of supermassive black holes from smaller black hole “seeds,” which current theories suggest arise either from the death of the universe’s first stars (light seeds) or the direct collapse of gas clouds (heavy seeds). Until now, these theories lacked observational confirmation.
The new discovery suggests that “a significant portion of mass growth can occur during a single episode of rapid feeding, regardless of whether the black hole originated from a light or heavy seed,” said International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab astronomer Hyewon Suh, who led the research team.
A paper describing these results (“A super-Eddington-accreting black hole ~1.5 Gyr after the Big Bang observed with JWST”) appears in the journal Nature Astronomy.
About the MissionsNASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:
News Media ContactElizabeth Laundau
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC
202-923-0167
elizabeth.r.landau@nasa.gov
Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov
NASA Glenn Chief Counsel Named to CSU Law Hall of Fame
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Callista PuchmeyerCredit: NASACleveland State University (CSU) inducted Callista Puchmeyer, chief counsel at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, into the CSU College of Law Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Nov. 1.
Puchmeyer provides expert legal advice to NASA Glenn’s center director and other senior leaders. She also manages Glenn’s Office of the General Counsel, a diverse legal staff that advises Glenn clients on a broad spectrum of federal matters.
Established in 2017, CSU’s Law Hall of Fame honors the outstanding contributions of its distinguished alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and community leaders.
Return to NewsletterNASA Encourages Careers in STEM During Event
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Shauntina Lilly, a NASA Glenn public affairs officer, speaks to students about NASA’s available internships and educational resources during the STEM Goes Red for Girls event at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, on Oct. 21.Credit: NASA/Debbie WelchNASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland supported this year’s STEM Goes Red for Girls event at Great Lakes Science Center on Oct. 21. The program provides seventh and eighth grade students exposure to some of Greater Cleveland’s leading STEM companies. The event also featured a hands-on exhibitor fair, speed mentoring, and educational classes.
Hosted by the American Heart Association, this year’s event welcomed its largest audience to date with 352 students and educators from 32 schools within Northeast Ohio. NASA Glenn’s presence focused heavily on internships and career advice, but also highlighted the center’s work with the Space Communications and Navigation program’s Deep Space Network. Glenn’s Julie Sufka also served as a mentor, speaking to young girls about STEM opportunities in mathematics.
Return to Newsletter Explore More 1 min read NASA Glenn Chief Counsel Named to CSU Law Hall of Fame Article 16 hours ago 5 min read NASA Funds New Studies Looking at Future of Sustainable Aircraft Article 1 day ago 4 min read X-59 Fires Up its Engine for First Time on its Way to Takeoff Article 1 week agoNASA Glenn Employees Named AIAA Associate Fellows
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has named two distinguished engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland AIAA Associate Fellows.
The grade of Associate Fellow recognizes individuals who have accomplished or overseen important engineering or scientific work, done original work of outstanding merit, or have otherwise made outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics. To be selected as an Associate Fellow, an individual must be an AIAA Senior Member in good standing, with at least 12 years of professional experience, and be recommended by three AIAA members.
L. Danielle KochCredit: NASAL. Danielle Koch, aerospace engineer, performs research and educational outreach at NASA Glenn. Her 34-year career at NASA has been dedicated to conducting research for safer, cleaner, and quieter aircraft engines; high-performance ventilation systems for spacecraft; and bio-inspired broadband acoustic absorbers. She has authored over 50 technical publications and has been granted three patents. Koch has been recognized for excellence in engineering and educational outreach with many awards, most recently named as one of the 2024 Women of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio.
Dr. Sam LeeCredit: NASADr. Sam Lee, a research engineer supporting the Aircraft Icing Branch, conducts research in NASA Glenn’s Icing Research Tunnel to study how ice builds up, or accretes, on aircraft surfaces. The results from the experiments are used to understand the physics of how ice accretes on aircraft during flight and to provide the validation data to develop computational tools to predict ice accretion. He also performs research on the effects of ice accretion on aircraft performance in aerodynamic wind tunnels. Lee has authored 17 conference papers and journal papers. He has contributed to the development of many future engineers and scientists as a mentor for NASA’s Explorer Scouts program and various college internship programs. Lee has been part of the Aircraft Icing Branch since 2002.
AIAA will formally honor and induct the class at the AIAA Associate Fellows Induction Ceremony and Dinner on Jan. 8, 2025, during the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando.
Return to Newsletter Explore More 3 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Samuel Suleiman Article 14 hours ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructora de OCEANOS María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias Article 1 day ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Roy Armstrong Article 1 day agoNASA Data Helps International Community Prepare for Sea Level Rise
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Coastal locations, such as Drakes Bay on the Point Reyes peninsula in Northern California, are increasingly vulnerable to sea level rise.NOAA/NMFS/WCR/CCOThe information will help people who live in coastal areas prepare for impacts caused by rising sea levels.
Earth’s ocean is rising, disrupting livelihoods and infrastructure in coastal communities around the world. Agencies and organizations are working to prepare people as their world changes around them, and NASA information is helping these efforts.
The agency’s global data is now available in the sea level section of the Earth Information Center. NASA developed the global sea level change website in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, the World Bank, the U.S. Department of State, and the United Nations Development Programme.
The site includes information on projected sea level rise through the year 2150 for coastlines around the world, as well as estimates of how much flooding a coastal community or region can expect to see in the next 30 years. The projections come from data collected by NASA and its partners and from computer models of ice sheets and the ocean, as well as the latest sea level assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and other sources.
“NASA innovates for the benefit of humanity. Our cutting-edge instruments and data-driven information tools help communities and organizations respond to natural hazards and extreme weather, and inform critical coastal infrastructure planning decisions,” said Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth science division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Information to ActionInternational organizations such as the World Bank will use the data from the global sea level change site for tasks including the creation of Climate Risk Profiles for countries especially vulnerable to sea level rise.
The Defense Department will continue to incorporate sea level rise data into its plans to anticipate and respond to hazards posed to its facilities by the effects of rising oceans. Similarly, the State Department uses the information for activities ranging from disaster preparedness to long-term adaptation planning to supporting partners around the world in related efforts.
“We are at a moment of truth in our fight against the climate crisis. The science is unequivocal and must serve as the bedrock upon which decision-making is built. With many communities around the world already facing severe impacts from sea-level rise, this new resource provides a vital tool to help them protect lives and livelihoods. It also illustrates what is at stake between a 1.5-degree-Celsius world and a current-policies trajectory for all coastal communities worldwide,” said Assistant Secretary-General Selwin Hart, special adviser to the United Nations secretary-general on climate action and just transition.
Rising FasterNASA-led data analyses have revealed that between 1970 and 2023, 96% of countries with coastlines have experienced sea level rise. The rate of that global rise has also accelerated, more than doubling from 0.08 inches (0.21 centimeters) per year in 1993 to about 0.18 inches (0.45 centimeters) per year in 2023.
As the rate of sea level rise increases, millions of people could face the related effects sooner than previously projected, including larger storm surges, more saltwater intrusion into groundwater, and additional high-tide flood days — also known as nuisance floods or sunny day floods.
“This new platform shows the timing of future floods and the magnitude of rising waters in all coastal countries worldwide, connecting science and physics to impacts on people’s livelihoods and safety,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, director of the ocean physics program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Data released earlier this year found that Pacific Island nations will experience at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) of sea level rise in the next 30 years. The number of high-tide flood days will increase by an order of magnitude for nearly all Pacific Island nations by the 2050s.
“The data is clear: Sea levels are rising around the world, and they’re rising faster and faster,” said Ben Hamlington, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and head of the agency’s sea level change science team. “Having the best information to make decisions about how to plan for rising seas is more crucial than ever.”
To explore the global sea level change site:
News Media ContactsKaren Fox / Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874
jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov
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NASA Welcomes Denmark as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
Following a signing ceremony Wednesday in Denmark’s capital city, Copenhagen, NASA embraced Denmark as the 48th nation to commit to the safe and responsible exploration of space that benefits humanity.
“We welcome Denmark’s signing of the Artemis Accords today,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Denmark, as a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA), has contributed to space exploration for decades, including collaborating with NASA on Mars exploration. Denmark’s signing of the Artemis Accords will further international cooperation and the peaceful exploration of space.”
Christina Egelund, minister of higher education and science, signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Denmark. Alan Leventhal, U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark also participated in the ceremony, and Nelson contributed recorded remarks.
“With the Artemis program, the United States is leading the way back to the moon, and Denmark wants to strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States and other partners for the benefit of both science and industry,” said Egelund. “The signing of the Accords is in line with the Danish government’s upcoming strategy for space research and innovation. As part of the strategy, Denmark seeks to strengthen ties with our allies such as the United States. Space holds great potential, and we want – in cooperation with other countries – to advance scientific breakthroughs and influence the development and use of the space sector in the future.”
In 2020, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, identifying a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity. The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
The commitments to the Artemis Accords and efforts by the signatories to advance implementation of these principles support the safe and sustainable exploration of space.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
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Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov
Wearable Tech for Space Station Research
Many of us wear devices that count our steps, measure our heart rate, track sleep patterns, and more. This information can help us make healthy decisions – research shows the devices encourage people to move more, for example – and could flag possible problems, such as an irregular heartbeat.
Wearable monitors also have become common tools for research on human health, including studies on the International Space Station. Astronauts have worn special watches, headbands, vests, and other devices to help scientists examine sleep quality, effectiveness of exercise, heart health, and more.
Warm to the coreSpaceflight can affect body temperature regulation and daily rhythms due to factors such as the absence of convection (a natural process that transfers heat away from the body) and changes in the cardiovascular and metabolic systems.
A current investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), Thermo-Mini or T-Mini examines how the body regulates its core temperature during spaceflight. The study uses a non-invasive headband monitor that astronauts can wear for hours at a time. Data from the monitor allow researchers to determine the effect on body temperature from environmental and physiological factors such as room temperature and humidity, time of day, and physical stress. The same type of sensor already is used on Earth for research in clinical environments, such as improving incubators, and studies of how hotter environments affect human health.
Thermolab, an earlier ESA investigation, examined thermoregulatory and cardiovascular adaptations during rest and exercise in microgravity. Researchers found that core body temperature rises higher and faster during exercise in space than on Earth and that the increase was sustained during rest, a phenomenon that could affect the health of crew members on long-term spaceflight. The finding also raises questions about the thermoregulatory set point humans are assumed to have as well as our ability to adapt to climate change on Earth.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague wears the T-mini device while exercising.NASA To sleep, perchance to dreamSpaceflight is known to disrupt sleep-wake patterns. Actiwatch Spectrum, a device worn on the wrist, contains an accelerometer to measure motion and photodetectors to monitor ambient lighting. It is an upgrade of previous technology used on the space station to monitor the length and quality of crew member sleep. Data from earlier missions show that crew members slept significantly less during spaceflight than before and after. The Actiwatch Sleep-Long investigation used an earlier version of the device to examine how ambient light affects the sleep-wake cycle and found an association between sleep deficiency and changes during spaceflight in circadian patterns, or the body’s response to a normal 24-hour light and dark cycle. Follow up studies are testing lighting systems to address these effects and help astronauts maintain healthy circadian rhythms.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams wears an Actiwatch as she conducts research.NASAWearable Monitoring tested a lightweight vest with embedded sensors to monitor heart rate and breathing patterns during sleep and help determine whether changes in heart activity affect sleep quality. The technology offers a significant advantage by monitoring heart activity without waking the test subject and could help patients on Earth with sleep disorders. Researchers reported positive performance and good quality of recorded signals, suggesting that the vest can contribute to comprehensive monitoring of individual health on future spaceflight and in some settings on Earth as well.
These and other studies support development of countermeasures to improve sleep for crew members, helping to maintain alertness and lessen fatigue during missions.
(Not) waiting to exhaleHumans exhale carbon dioxide and too much of it can build up in closed environments, causing headaches, dizziness, and other symptoms. Spacecraft have systems to remove this substance from cabin air, but pockets of carbon dioxide can form and be difficult to detect and remove. Personal CO2 Monitor tested specially designed sensors attached to clothing to monitor the wearer’s immediate surroundings. Researchers reported that the devices functioned adequately as either crew-worn or static monitors, an important step toward using them to determine how carbon dioxide behaves in enclosed systems like spacecraft.
One of the wearable carbon dioxide monitors clipped to the wall near a crew sleeping compartment. Radiation in real timeEVARM, an investigation from CSA (Canadian Space Agency), used small wireless dosimeters carried in a pocket to measure radiation exposure during spacewalks. The data showed that this method is a feasible way to measure radiation exposure, which could help focus routine dosage monitoring where it is most needed. Any shielding and countermeasures developed also could help protect people who work in high-radiation areas on Earth.
ESA’s Active Dosimeter tested a radiation dosimeter worn by crew members to measure changes in their exposure over time based on the space station’s orbit and altitude, the solar cycle, and solar flares. Measurements from the device allowed researchers to analyze radiation dosage across an entire space mission.
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet holds one of the mobile units for the Active Dosimeter study.NASAThe Active Dosimeter also was among the instruments used to measure radiation on NASA’s Orion spacecraft during its 25.5-day uncrewed Artemis I mission around the Moon and back in 2022.
Another device tested on the space station and then on Artemis I, AstroRad Vest is designed to protect astronauts from solar particle events. Researchers used these and other radiation measuring devices to show that Orion’s design can protect its crew from potentially hazardous radiation levels during lunar missions.
The International Space Station serves as an important testbed for these technologies and many others being developed for future missions to the Moon and beyond.
Melissa Gaskill
International Space Station Research Communications Team
Johnson Space Center
Humans In Space
Space Station Technology Demonstration
Space Station Research and Technology
Station Science 101: Human Research
Sols 4362-4363: Plates and Polygons
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Sols 4362-4363: Plates and Polygons NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on Nov. 11, 2024 – sol 4360, or Martian day 4,360 of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission – at 00:06:13 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSEarth planning date: Monday, Nov. 11, 2024
After a successful 23-meter (about 75 feet) drive today in pre-planning we found ourselves in front of some rocks with a curious dark, platy topping. This is similar to material we have seen previously including over the weekend where MAHLI imaged “Buttress Tree.” This beautiful hand-lens image is shown above, where you can see this more resistant platy texture at the top of the layered rock. Unfortunately it was deemed too unsafe to move the arm today, so no contact science observations were made on this dark material, but a plethora of remote science made up for it!
A curious curved fracture along a rock in the workspace became the target of our ChemCam LIBS laser shots called “Pioneer Basin.” ChemCam will then take a long-distance RMI looking back at Gediz Vallis channel, which we have been driving away from. Mastcam is focusing on taking two mosaics of areas of rocks that exhibit light- and dark-toned bands from orbit. We previously drove across these bands in January before we crossed the Gediz Vallis channel. Now that we are over the channel, we are about to drive on the dark, banded material once again. Mastcam is also imaging some interesting polygonal textures we see in a few rocks around the rover. To keep it simple, the science team named all four targets of polygonal rocks “Acrodectes Peak.”
As Curiosity drives further away from the Gediz Vallis channel, the exploration of the sulfate unit continues. Although the driving is tough at times, the beautiful discoveries and amazing geology make the tough times worth it. Let’s hope we can get some contact science activities safe and sound in the next plan.
Written by Emma Harris, Graduate Student at Natural History Museum, London
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The Next Full Moon Will Be the Last of Four Consecutive Supermoons
NASA/GRC/Sara Lowthian-Hanna
The Next Full Moon is a Supermoon; the Beaver, Frost, Frosty, or Snow Moon; Kartik Purnima; Loy Krathong; the Bon Om Touk (”Boat Racing Festival”) Moon, the Tazaungdaing Festival Moon; and Ill Poya.
The next full Moon will be Friday afternoon, November 15, 2024, at 4:29 PM EST. This will be early Saturday morning from Kamchatka and Fiji Time eastwards to the International Date Line. The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from a few hours before sunrise on Thursday morning to a few hours before sunrise on Sunday morning.
This full Moon will be the last of four consecutive supermoons, slightly closer and brighter than the first of the four in mid-August.
The Maine Farmers’ Almanac began publishing Native American names for full Moons in the 1930s. Over time these names have become widely known and used. According to this almanac, as the full Moon in November this is the Beaver Moon, the Frost or Frosty Moon, or the Snow Moon. For the Beaver Moon, one interpretation is that mid-Fall was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Moon came from how active the beavers are in this season as they prepare for winter. The Frost, Frosty, or Snow Moon names come from the frosts and early snows that begin this time of year, particularly in northeastern North America.
This is Kartik Purnima (the full Moon of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik) and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs (each for different reasons).
In Thailand and nearby countries this full Moon is Loy Krathong, a festival that includes decorating baskets and floating them on a river.
In Cambodia this full Moon corresponds with the 3-day Bon Om Touk (“Boat Racing Festival”), the Cambodian Water Festival featuring dragon boat races.
In Myanmar this is the Tazaungdaing Festival, a festival that predates the introduction of Buddhism and includes the launching of hot air balloons (sometimes flaming or laden with fireworks).
In Sri Lanka this is Ill (or Il) Poya, commemorating the Buddha’s ordination of sixty disciples as the first Buddhist missionaries.
In many traditional Moon-based calendars the full Moons fall on or near the middle of each month. This full Moon is near the middle of the tenth month of the Chinese year of the Dragon, Marcheshvan in the Hebrew calendar, a name often shortened to Cheshvan or Heshvan, and Jumādā al-ʾŪlā, the fifth month of the Islamic year.
As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon. Get ready for winter, visit a local river (particularly if there are any festivals or boat races), but please don’t launch flaming hot air balloons filled with fireworks (some online videos make it quite clear why this is a bad idea), especially in areas subject to wildfires!
The next month or two should be a great time for Jupiter and Saturn watching. Both will continue to shift westward each night, gradually making them easier to see earlier in the evening sky.Gordon Johnston
Retired NASA Program Executive
As for other celestial events between now and the full Moon after next (with specific times and angles based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC):
As Autumn continues the daily periods of sunlight continue shortening.
On Friday, November 15, (the day of the full Moon), morning twilight will begin at 5:51 AM EST, sunrise will be at 6:51 AM, solar noon will be at 11:53 AM when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 32.4 degrees, sunset will be at 4:54 PM, and evening twilight will end at 5:55 PM.
Our 24-hour clock is based on the average length of the solar day. The day of the winter solstice is sometimes called the “shortest day of the year” (because it has the shortest period of sunlight). But it could also be called the “longest day of the year” because the longest solar day is on or just after the solstice. Because the solar days are longer, the earliest sunset of the year occurs before the solstice and the latest sunrise of the year (ignoring Daylight Savings Time) occurs after the solstice. For the Washington, DC area, the sunsets on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, 2024, are tied for the earliest sunsets. On Friday, morning twilight will begin at 6:10 AM EST, sunrise will be at 7:13 AM, solar noon will be at 11:59 AM when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 28.5 degrees, sunset will be at 4:45:50 PM, and evening twilight will end at 5:49 PM. On Saturday, morning twilight will begin at 6:11 AM EST, sunrise will be at 7:14 AM, solar noon will actually be at noon (12:00 PM) when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 28.4 degrees, sunset will be at 4:45:50 PM, and evening twilight will end at 5:49 PM.
By Sunday, December 15, (the day of the full Moon after next), morning twilight will begin at 6:16 AM EST, sunrise will be at 7:20 AM, solar noon will be at 12:04 PM when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 27.8 degrees, sunset will be at 4:47 PM, and evening twilight will end at 5:51 PM.
The next month or two should be a great time for Jupiter and Saturn watching, especially with a backyard telescope. Saturn was at its closest and brightest on September 7 and is high in the southern sky as evening twilight ends. Jupiter will be shifting into the evening sky during this lunar cycle. On November 15 Jupiter will be rising about a half hour after evening twilight ends. Jupiter will be at its closest and brightest on December 7, rising around sunset and setting around sunrise. By the full Moon after next on December 15, Jupiter will be 19 degrees above the horizon as evening twilight ends. Both Jupiter and Saturn will continue to shift westward each night, gradually making them easier to see earlier in the evening sky (and friendlier for backyard stargazing, especially if you have young ones with earlier bedtimes). With clear skies and a telescope you should be able to see Jupiter’s four bright moons, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io, noticeably shifting positions in the course of an evening. For Saturn, you should be able to see Saturn’s rings and its bright moon Titan. The rings are appearing thinner and will be edge-on to the Earth in March 2025. We won’t get the “classic” view of Saturn showing off its rings until 2026.
CometsOf the two comets described in my last Moon Missive, one remains visible through large binoculars or a telescope during this lunar cycle. The sungrazing Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) disintegrated during its very close pass by the Sun and is no longer visible. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be in the evening sky, fading from visual magnitude 8 to 10.3 as it moves away from the Earth and Sun.
In addition, comet 33P/LINEAR should be visible with large binoculars or a telescope in November and December, shining at about magnitude 10 around its perihelion on November 29 and closest approach to Earth on December 9. The next comet that we anticipate might be visible to the unaided eye is C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), which will reach its closest to the Sun and Earth in mid January 2025. It is another sungrazing comet that might put on a good show or might break apart and vanish.
Meteor ShowersUnfortunately, one of the three major meteor showers of the year, the Geminids (004 GEM), will peak the morning of December 14, with the light of the nearly full Moon interfering. According to the International Meteor Organization, observers south of about 30 degrees north might be able to see these meteors for an hour or so between moonset and the first light of dawn (although the radiant for this meteor shower is at 33 degrees north latitude, so observers too far south of the equator will also have limited visibility). In a good year, this shower can produce 150 visible meteors per hour under ideal conditions, but this will not be a good year. For the Washington, DC area the MeteorActive app predicts that at about 2 AM EST on the morning of December 14, under bright suburban sky conditions, the peak rate from the Geminids and all other background sources might reach 20 meteors per hour.
If the weather cooperates by being clear with no clouds or hazes and you do go looking for meteors, try to find a place as far as possible from light sources that has a clear view of a wide expanse of the sky. Give your eyes plenty of time to adapt to the dark. Your color vision (cone cells), concentrated in the center of your field of view, will adapt to darkness in about 10 minutes. Your more sensitive night vision rod cells will continue to improve for an hour or more (with most of the improvement in the first 35 to 45 minutes). The more sensitive your eyes are, the more chance you will have of seeing meteors. Since some meteors are faint, you will tend to see more meteors from the “corner of your eye.” Even a short exposure to light (from passing car headlights, etc.) will start the adaptation over again (so no turning on a light or your cell phone to check what time it is).
In addition, a number of relatively minor meteor showers will peak during this lunar cycle. The light of the waning Moon will interfere with the Leonids (013 LEO) on November 17, α-Monocerotids (246 AMO) on November 21, and November Orionids (250 NOO) on November 28. The Phoenicids (254 PHO), best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, may peak around December 1. Models predict low rates and faint meteors this year but not much is known about this meteor shower. Most years the rates are low, but as reported by the International Meteor Organization, significant activity was observed in 2014. Once, in 1956, the Phoenicids reached an estimated rate of 100 visible meteors per hour. Another Southern Hemisphere shower is the Puppid-Velids (301 PUP), expected to peak sometime around December 4 at about 10 meteors per hour (under ideal conditions). The Monocerotids (019 MON) and σ-Hydrids (016 HYD) are both expected to peak on December 9 at 3 meteors per hour and 7 meteors per hour, respectively. These rates are low enough that seeing them from our light-polluted urban areas will be unlikely.
Evening Sky HighlightsOn the evening of Friday, November 15 (the evening of the full Moon), as twilight ends (at 5:55 PM EST), the rising Moon will be 14 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon with the Pleiades star cluster 5 degrees to the lower left. The brightest planet in the sky will be Venus at 12 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Next in brightness will be Mercury at less than a degree above the west-southwestern horizon. Saturn will be 38 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be 39 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon, with its current brightness curve predicting it will have faded to magnitude 8, too faint to see with the unaided eye. The bright star closest to overhead will be Deneb at 79 degrees above the northwestern horizon. Deneb (visual magnitude 1.3) is the 19th brightest star in our night sky and is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the swan. One of the three bright stars of the “Summer Triangle” (along with Vega and Altair). Deneb is about 20 times more massive than our Sun but has used up its hydrogen, becoming a blue-white supergiant about 200 times the diameter of the Sun. If Deneb were where our Sun is, it would extend to about the orbit of the Earth. Deneb is about 2,600 light years from us.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Saturn and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening (as the Earth moves around the Sun). Bright Venus will shift to the left and higher in the sky along the southwestern horizon. Mercury, shining brighter than Saturn, will initially shift left along the southwestern horizon until November 19, after which it will shift to the right. On November 22 Jupiter will join the planets Venus, Mercury and Saturn in the sky as twilight ends, shining brighter than Mercury. November 24 will be the last evening Mercury will be above the horizon as evening twilight ends, although it will remain visible in the glow of dusk for a few more evenings as it dims and shifts towards its passage between the Earth and the Sun on December 5. Jupiter will be at its closest and brightest for the year on December 7. The waxing Moon will pass by Venus on December 4, Saturn on December 7, and the Pleiades on December 13.
By the evening of Saturday, December 14 (the start of the night of the December 15 full Moon), as twilight ends (at 5:50 PM EST), the rising Moon will be 19 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon with bright planet Jupiter 6 degrees to the right and the bright star Aldebaran father to the right. The brightest planet visible will be Venus at 21 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Next in brightness will be Jupiter. Saturn will be 43 degrees above the southern horizon. The bright star closest to overhead will still be Deneb at 61 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon.
Morning Sky HighlightsOn the morning of Friday, November 15 (the morning of the full Moon after next), as twilight begins (at 5:51 AM EST), the setting full Moon will be 7 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 35 degrees above the western horizon. Mars will be at 68 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will not be visible, even with a telescope, as it broke apart into pieces too small to see as it passed its closest to the Sun on October 28. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Pollux at 69 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon (higher than Mars by about a half degree). Pollux is the 17th brightest star in our night sky and the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini. It is an orange tinted star about 34 lightyears from Earth. Pollux is not quite twice the mass of our Sun but about 9 times the diameter and 33 times the brightness.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Mars, and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening, with Mars passing near the Beehive star cluster in early December. The waning Moon will pass by the Pleiades star cluster on November 16, Jupiter on November 17, Mars and Pollux on November 20, appear on the other side of Mars on November 21, Regulus on November 22 and 23, and Spica on November 27 (passing in front of Spica for parts of the USA and Canada). Jupiter will be at its closest and brightest on December 7, rising around sunset and setting around sunrise. December 12 will be the first morning Mercury will be above the east-southeastern horizon as morning twilight begins, though it will be visible in the glow of dawn for a few days before.
By the morning of Sunday, December 15 (the morning of the full Moon after next), as twilight begins (at 6:16 AM EST), the setting full Moon will be 15 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter, appearing below the Moon at 5 degrees above the horizon. Second in brightness will be Mars at 46 degrees above the western horizon, then Mercury at 4 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Regulus at 55 degrees above the southwestern horizon, with Arcturus a close second at 52 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. Regulus is the 21st brightest star in our night sky and the brightest star in the constellation Leo the lion. The Arabic name for Regulus translates as “the heart of the lion.” Although we see Regulus as a single star, it is actually four stars (two pairs of stars orbiting each other). Regulus is about 79 light years from us. Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes the herdsman or plowman and the 4th brightest star in our night sky. It is 36.7 light years from us. While it has about the same mass as our Sun, it is about 2.6 billion years older and has used up its core hydrogen, becoming a red giant 25 times the size and 170 times the brightness of our Sun. One way to identify Arcturus in the night sky is to start at the Big Dipper, then follow the arc of the handle as it “arcs towards Arcturus.”
Detailed Daily GuideHere for your reference is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full Moon on December 15, 2024. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses to indicate times specific to the DC area). If your latitude is significantly different than 39 degrees north (and especially for my Southern Hemisphere readers), I recommend using an astronomy app set for your location or a star-watching guide from a local observatory, news outlet, or astronomy club.
Thursday morning, November 14, at 6:18 EST, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
As mentioned above, the full Moon will be Friday afternoon, November 15, 2024, at 4:29 PM EST. This will be early Saturday morning from Kamchatka and Fiji Time eastwards to the International Date Line. It will be the last of four consecutive supermoons. The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from a few hours before sunrise Thursday morning to a few hours before sunrise Sunday morning.
Friday evening into Saturday morning, November 15 to 16, the Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. This may best be viewed with binoculars, as the brightness of the full Moon may make it hard to see the stars in this star cluster. As evening twilight ends (at 5:55 PM EST), the Pleiades will appear 5 degrees to the lower left of the full Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night (Saturday morning at 12:07 AM), the Pleiades will be 2 degrees to the upper left. The Moon will pass in front of the Pleiades in the early morning hours. By the time morning twilight begins (at 5:52 AM) the Pleiades will be a degree to the lower right of the Moon.
Saturday, November 16, will be when the planet Mercury reaches its greatest angular separation from the Sun as seen from the Earth for this apparition (called greatest elongation). Because the angle between the line from the Sun to Mercury and the line of the horizon changes with the seasons, the date when Mercury and the Sun are farthest apart as seen from the Earth is not always the same as when Mercury appears highest above the southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends, which will occur three evenings later, on November 19.
Saturday night into Sunday morning, November 16 to 17, the planet Uranus will be at its closest and brightest for the year, called “opposition” because on Saturday night it will be opposite the Earth from the Sun. At opposition Uranus can be bright enough to see with the unaided eye (under very clear, dark sky conditions). From our light-polluted urban locations you will need binoculars or a telescope.
Also on Saturday night into Sunday morning, November 16 to 17, the planet Jupiter will appear near the full Moon. As Jupiter rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 6:14 PM EST) it will be 10 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. The Moon will reach its highest for the night about 7 hours later (at 1:09 AM), with Jupiter 7.5 degrees to the lower left. By the time morning twilight begins (at 5:52 AM) Jupiter will be 6 degrees to the left of the Moon.
Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, November 19 to 20, the bright star Pollux and the bright planet Mars will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. As the Moon rises on the northeastern horizon (at 8:20 PM EST), Pollux will be 2.5 degrees to the upper left of the Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest in the sky (at 4:11 AM) Pollux will be 5 degrees to the upper right of the Moon, with Mars 7.5 degrees to the lower left of the Moon, such that these three appear aligned. By the time morning twilight begins (at 5:55 AM) Mars will be 7 degrees to the upper left and Pollux 5.5 degrees to the lower right.
Wednesday night into Thursday morning, November 20 to 21, the waning gibbous Moon will have shifted to the other side of Mars. As the Moon rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 9:29 PM EST) Mars will be 4 degrees to the upper right of the Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night (at 5:03 AM) Mars will be 7 degrees to the right of the Moon. Morning twilight will begin less than an hour later (at 5:56 AM) with Mars 7 degrees to the lower right of the Moon.
Friday evening, November 22, will be the first evening the bright planet Jupiter will be above the east-northeastern horizon as evening twilight ends (at 5:51 PM EST).
Also on Friday evening, the waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 8:28 PM EST (when we can’t see it).
Friday night into Saturday morning, November 22 to 23, the bright star Regulus will appear near the waning half-Moon. As Regulus rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 11:29 PM EST) it will be 9 degrees below the Moon, with Mars farther to the upper right and Pollux beyond Mars. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night (at 5:49 AM) Regulus will be 7 degrees to the lower left, and morning twilight will begin 8 minutes later (at 5:57 AM).
Saturday night into Sunday morning, November 23 to 24, the waning crescent Moon will have shifted to the other side of Regulus. When the Moon rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 11:38 PM EST) Regulus will be 4 degrees to the upper right of the Moon. The pair will separate as the night progresses. By the time morning twilight begins (at 5:58 AM) Regulus will be 6.5 degrees to the upper right of the Moon.
Sunday evening, November 24, will be the last evening the planet Mercury will be above the west-southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends, although it should remain visible in the glow of dusk before twilight ends for a few more evenings as it dims and shifts towards its passage between the Earth and the Sun on December 5.
Tuesday morning, November 26, at 6:57 AM EST, the Moon will be at apogee, its farthest from the Earth for this orbit.
On Wednesday morning, November 27, the bright star Spica will appear near the waning crescent Moon. As Spica rises on the east-southeastern horizon (at 3:41 AM EST) it will be a degree below the Moon. As morning progresses the Moon will shift towards Spica, and for much of the Eastern USA and Canada the Moon will block Spica from view. See http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/1127zc1925.htm for a map and information on the areas that will be able to see this eclipse. Times will vary by location, but for the Washington, DC area, Spica will vanish behind the illuminated limb of the Moon at 5:34 AM and the Moon will still be blocking Spica from sight as morning twilight begins at 6:02 AM.
Early Sunday morning, December 1, at 1:22 AM EST, will be the new Moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from the Earth.
The day of or the day after the New Moon marks the start of the new month for most moon-based calendars. The eleventh month of the Chinese year of the Dragon starts on Sunday, December 1. Sundown on Sunday, December 1, marks the start of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah will begin towards the end of Kislev. In the Islamic calendar the months traditionally start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent Moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which uses astronomical calculations to start months in a more predictable way. Using this calendar, sundown on Sunday, December 1, will probably mark the beginning of Jumādā ath-Thāniyah, also known as Jumādā al-ʾĀkhirah.
Wednesday evening, December 4, the bright planet Venus will appear 3 degrees to the upper right of the waxing crescent Moon. The Moon will be 15 degrees above the southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends (at 5:49 PM EST). The Moon will set 2 hours later (at 7:46 PM).
Thursday evening, December 5, the planet Mercury will be passing between the Earth and the Sun as seen from the Earth, called inferior conjunction. Planets that orbit inside of the orbit of Earth can have two types of conjunctions with the Sun, inferior (when passing between the Earth and the Sun) and superior (when passing on the far side of the Sun as seen from the Earth). Mercury will be shifting from the evening sky to the morning sky and will begin emerging from the glow of dawn on the eastern horizon in less than a week.
Saturday afternoon, December 7, the planet Jupiter will be at its closest and brightest for the year, called “opposition” because it will be opposite the Earth from the Sun, effectively a “full” Jupiter. Jupiter will be 12 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon as evening twilight ends (at 5:49 PM EST), will reach its highest in the sky right around midnight (11:59 PM), and will be 11 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon as morning twilight begins (Sunday morning at 6:11 AM). Only planets that orbit farther from the Sun than the Earth can be seen at opposition.
Saturday evening, December 7, the planet Saturn will appear to the upper left of the waxing crescent Moon. They will be 6 degrees apart as evening twilight ends (at 5:49 PM EST). Saturn will appear to shift clockwise and closer to the Moon, so that by the time the Moon sets 5.5 hours later (at 11:18 PM) Saturn will be 3.5 degrees above the Moon on the west-southwestern horizon. For a swath in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Asia the Moon will actually block Saturn from view, see http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets/1208saturn.htm for a map and information on the locations that can see this eclipse.
Sunday morning, December 8, the Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its first quarter at 10:27 AM EST (when we can’t see it).
Thursday morning, December 12, will be the first morning the planet Mercury will be above the east-southeastern horizon as morning twilight begins (at 6:14 AM EST).
Thursday morning, December 12, at 8:18 AM EST, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
Friday evening into Saturday morning, December 13 to 14, the Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. This may best be viewed with binoculars, as the brightness of the full Moon may make it hard to see the stars in this star cluster. As evening twilight ends (at 5:50 PM EST), the Pleiades will appear 4 degrees to the upper right of the full Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night (at 10:49 PM), the Pleiades will be 6 degrees to the right. By about 2 AM the Pleiades will be 8 degrees to the lower right of the Moon and they will continue to separate as the morning progresses.
As mentioned above, one of the three major meteor showers of the year, the Geminids (004 GEM), will peak Saturday morning, December 14. The light of the nearly full Moon will interfere. In a good year, this shower can produce 150 visible meteors per hour under ideal conditions, but this will not be a good year. For the Washington, DC area the MeteorActive app predicts that at about 2 AM EST on the morning of December 14, under bright suburban sky conditions, the peak rate from the Geminids and all other background sources might reach 20 meteors per hour. See the meteor summary above for suggestions for meteor viewing.
Saturday morning, December 14, the full Moon, the bright planet Jupiter, and the bright star Aldebaran will form a triangle. As Aldebaran sets on the west-northwestern horizon (at 6:10 AM EST) it will be 9 degrees to the lower left of the Moon with Jupiter 7 degrees to the upper left of the Moon. Morning twilight will begin 6 minutes later.
Saturday evening, December 15, the full Moon will have shifted to the other side of Jupiter. Jupiter will be 6 degrees to the right of the Moon as evening twilight ends (at 5:50 PM EST) and the pair will separate as the night progresses.
The full Moon after next will be Sunday morning, December 15, 2024, at 4:02 AM EST. This will be Saturday evening from Alaska Time westwards to the International Date Line. The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from Friday evening through Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend.
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Entrevista con Instructora de OCEANOS María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias (izquierda), profesora asociada de biología e instructora de la pasantía OCEANOS, de pie en la arena de Playa Melones, Isla Culebra, durante la sección de trabajo de campo de la pasantía.NASA ARC/Milan Loiacono Read this interview in English here ¿Cuál es tu nombre y tu rol en OCEANOS?Mi nombre es María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias. Soy una profesora asociada al Departamento de Ciencia Natural, específicamente Biología, en la Universidad Interamericana, en el Recinto Metropolitano. Para OCEANOS, soy una de las investigadoras.
¿Cuál es la importancia de un programa como OCEANOS, particularmente en Puerto Rico?OCEANOS es un programa que en Puerto Rico está haciendo una contribución única porque está exponiendo a estudiantes que no son del sistema UPR. Está dando esas oportunidades a conocer y a saber que las ciencias marinas son una alternativa de carrera. Tradicionalmente, en Puerto Rico las ciencias marinas están concentradas en el sistema público de enseñanza, y OCEANOS está integrando universidad privada y abriendo oportunidades para esos estudiantes que están en otros tipos de universidades que puedan aprender sobre ciencias marinas o carreras en ciencias marinas.
¿Qué crecimiento o cambio ve en los estudiantes a lo largo de la pasantía?Primero, veo que han ganado confianza. La primera vez que, por ejemplo, se ponen a nadar en el agua, están temerosos, asustados, y después, hoy, ya están completamente confiados. La confianza aumenta muchísimo también al verlos hacer sus proyectos de investigación. El primer día hace muchas preguntas y están muy inseguros o sin saber cómo hacer el procedimiento y ya hoy lo hicieron sin hacer pregunta, Sin tener que preguntarle a nadie, alistaron todo. Así que esa confianza en que ellos lo pueden hacer es una de las principales transformaciones que he observado en ellos.
¿Qué es algo que espera que los estudiantes se lleven con ellos cuando se vayan?Cuando los estudiantes terminan el internado, espero que se lleven con ellos el ser voces que las ciencias naturales se estudian también para involucrarse en otros tipos de carreras que no estén relacionadas con salud humana. Tradicionalmente, en Puerto Rico el público en general entiende que Ciencias Naturales se estudia cuando se quiere perseguir una carrera de medicina o de odontología, o sea, de salud humana. Pocas veces se conoce que hay otras alternativas como ciencias marinas. Así que espero que los estudiantes ayuden a regar la voz de que las ciencias naturales también son para otros tipos de carrera. Y también espero que ellos ayuden a hacer esa voz de cambio de que vivimos en una isla que es vulnerable y que necesitamos cambiar nuestro comportamiento para estar listos ante el cambio climático y que podamos conservar los recursos naturales.
¿Cómo llegaste a la ciencia?Realmente yo empecé estudiando en Colombia, en la Universidad del Valle. Estudié un bachillerato en biología y hice una concentración menor en entomología, porque en ese momento en mi vida mi intención era graduarme y trabajar en agricultura haciendo control de plagas. Pero en el bachillerato tomé un curso que se llama Ecología de Insectos, en el cual tuve que hacer un proyecto de investigación y eso me ayudó a descubrir que mi pasión era la ecología. Entonces, cuando terminé el bachillerato, solicité a la Universidad de Puerto Rico en el recinto de Río Piedras y ahí hice mi maestría y mi doctorado en Biología de Bosques Tropicales. Me gradué y entonces empecé a enseñar y cuando logré obtener una plaza de profesora en una universidad privada, pues entonces me di cuenta que no me gusta la manera en que tradicionalmente se enseña las ciencias naturales o la biología en un salón de clase. Entonces empecé a buscar oportunidades y entrenamientos para educar en de una manera no tradicional a los estudiantes. Por ejemplo, una de las grandes oportunidades que llegó a mí fue a través de una colaboración con la Universidad de Maryland, donde hemos estado por más de diez años, este entrenando y proveyendo oportunidades de investigación a estudiantes por fuera del salón de clase y por fuera de la universidad. Y es por estar involucrado en eso, en ese tipo de proyectos, que Juan Torres me invitó a participar de océanos.
Share Details Last Updated Nov 12, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 4 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Roy Armstrong Article 10 hours ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Juan Torres-Pérez Article 10 hours ago 1 min read Oral History with R. Walter Cunningham Article 14 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsMissions
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Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Roy Armstrong
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Roy Armstrong, un instructor de la pasantía de OCEANOS y profesor de ciencias marinas, pilotea un pequeño bote alrededor de los cayos frente a la costa de La Parguera, Puerto Rico.NASA ARC/Milan Loiacono Read this interview in English here ¿Cuál es tu nombre y tu rol en OCEANOS?Mi nombre es Roy Armstrong y soy profesor del Colegio de Mayagüez en el Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y en Océanos. Yo soy el investigador principal local en la Universidad de Puerto Rico y la manera que me involucré en este proyecto fue por invitación de mi ex estudiante, Juan Torres, quien trabaja en la NASA y se ideó este programa para motivar estudiantes hispanos puertorriqueños, particularmente a seguir carreras en la oceanografía usando tecnología de la NASA.
¿Cuál es la importancia de un programa como OCEANOS, particularmente en Puerto Rico?Primero, porque son muy pocos los jóvenes que deciden continuar en sus estudios graduados y sobre todo en las ciencias marinas. Y muchos se van fuera de Puerto Rico. Lo que queremos hacer es motivar a estudiantes desde jóvenes, desde escuela superior y a principios de universidad, a que estudien y tengan carreras en la oceanografía, las ciencias marinas, usando tecnología de la NASA, satelital y robótica, etcétera para que entonces se queden en Puerto Rico y trabajen protegiendo nuestros recursos naturales.
¿Qué ha sido algo gratificante de trabajar con estos estudiantes?Ha sido de gran satisfacción ver como los estudiantes se interesan en estos temas, aunque al principio lleguen con otras ideas en mente de otras carreras que quieren proseguir. Al final algunos deciden cambiar por completo sus preferencias y estudiar entonces ciencias marinas o seguir alguna carrera en tecnologías satelitales o cosas por el estilo. Así que eso para nosotros ha sido de suma satisfacción.
¿Cuál ha sido un desafío del programa?El reto principal de trabajar con estudiantes primero es mantenerlos motivados y atentos. Así que hay que intercalar diferentes actividades fuera del salón. Las charlas no pueden ser muy extensas y también los temas tienen que ser diversos. Tratamos de que también ellos participen en actividades, en pequeños grupos y participen en proyectos diferentes proyectos de investigación, así que no es todo estar oyendo charlas en un salón de clase, sino que hay muchas otras actividades.
¿Cómo llegaste a la ciencia?Yo empecé con mi interés en las ciencias marinas desde pequeño, porque yo nací en Puerto Rico, en Ponce y siempre he tenido una admiración inmensa por el mar. Y luego tuve la experiencia en mi 4.º año de universidad en los Estados Unidos de participar en un programa que se llama ‘el semestre en el mar,’ donde participé por seis semanas en un velero grande haciendo estudios de Oceanografía y eso me fascinó, me encantó. Y desde entonces yo supe que eso es lo que yo quería hacer en mi carrera.
¿Cuáles son algunos de los cambios ambientales que ha notado en Puerto Rico y sus alrededores?En Puerto Rico, al igual que muchas áreas del Caribe y del planeta en general, han ocurrido muchos cambios a través de las décadas. El ambiente marino en las costas y sobre todo en los arrecifes de coral en Puerto Rico. En particular, luego de varios huracanes al final de la década de los setentas una mortandad grande de los corales en aguas bien someras y luego eso dio lugar a enfermedades que afectan los corales por muchos años. En años más recientes hemos tenido también el impacto del humano porque ha habido más presión en los ecosistemas por el uso de múltiples embarcaciones que cada vez son más y más. Así que también se ha deteriorado la calidad de agua en muchos sitios. Y sabemos que esto no es exclusivamente de Puerto Rico, sino que es un problema básicamente a nivel global.
¿Qué es algo que espera que los estudiantes se lleven con ellos cuando se vayan?Pues mi esperanza con los estudiantes es que en los próximos años que pasen a universidad o que pasen a escuela graduada para estudiar entonces temas relacionados con las ciencias marinas y el uso de la tecnología satelital de la NASA. También espero que se motiven a permanecer en Puerto Rico y participar en el cambio que hace falta de protección de los ecosistemas de parte de una nueva generación que vienen desde pequeño con el interés y también el conocimiento de hacer un cambio notable en el futuro de este país y de nuestros ecosistemas.
Share Details Last Updated Nov 12, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 4 min read Entrevista con Instructora de OCEANOS María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias Article 10 hours ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Juan Torres-Pérez Article 10 hours ago 1 min read Oral History with R. Walter Cunningham Article 14 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsMissions
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Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Juan Torres-Pérez
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) OCEANOS Investigador Principal Juan Torres-Pérez, científico investigador del Centro de Investigación Ames de la NASA, sostiene dos piezas de cianobacterias en las aguas de Playa Melones, Isla Culebra (Puerto Rico) durante la pasantía de OCEANOS 2024. El crecimiento excesivo de cianobacterias probablemente sea causado por una fuente de contaminación terrestre que se filtra hacia las aguas.NASA ARC/Milan Loiacono Read this interview in English here ¿Cuál es tu nombre y tu rol en OCEANOS?Mi nombre es Juan Torres Pérez. Yo soy un científico de la NASA del Centro de Investigación Ames en California particular la División de Ciencias Terrestres, la rama biofísica. Yo soy el investigador principal de OCEANOS. Océanos significa, en inglés, ‘Ocean Community Engagement and Awareness with NASA Observations and Science’ for Hispanic/Latino Students. La abreviación OCEANOS es en español a propósito, porque es un proyecto dedicado a estudiantes hispanos y latinos.
¿Cuál es la importancia de un programa como OCEANOS, particularmente en Puerto Rico?La importancia de un programa como océanos es sencilla cuando miramos a las estadísticas de las minorías en Estados Unidos. La minoría más grande actualmente en Estados Unidos, somos los hispanos y los latinos. Sin embargo, cuando miramos al porcentaje de los latinos y hispanos que trabajan en la geociencias y muy en particular en la oceanografía, es mínimo. Eso es bien, bien pequeño. Así que traer un programa como OCEANOS a la comunidad hispana y latina y darle la oportunidad a los estudiantes a envolverse en un programa como este, es una oportunidad única y en particular, pues lo estamos haciendo en Puerto Rico: una de las jurisdicciones de Estados Unidos, mayormente de habla hispana. Y estamos trayendo esta oportunidad a los estudiantes puertorriqueños para que se envuelvan en este tipo de actividades y en la conservación de los ecosistemas marinos.
¿Qué ha sido algo gratificante de trabajar con estos estudiantes?El año pasado, cuando hicimos el piloto, tuvimos muchos estudiantes que se nos acercaron dándonos las gracias. Muchos estudiantes nos dijeron que esta ha sido una experiencia única. Este año hemos tenido estudiantes de igual forma que ya se nos han acercado para decirnos si hay oportunidad para ser mentores para el año que viene también. Y no solamente eso: hemos tenido estudiantes que al principio, el primer día nos dijeron que no sabían nadar. Tres semanas después ya están haciendo snorkeling, están sumergiéndose, están trabajando debajo del agua y están haciendo algo único que jamás en su vida ellos pensaron que iban a ser.
¿Cuáles son algunas de las actividades que realizan los estudiantes como parte del programa?Algunas de las actividades que los estudiantes hacen, por ejemplo, es que están caracterizando arrecifes de coral, tanto en La Parguera como en Culebra. Están trabajando con. Cuáles son las especies que dominan, cuáles son las especies que están afectadas por distintos factores, ya sean climáticos o factores antropogénicos. También están haciendo perfiles de playa para ver cómo la playa crece o se se hace más pequeña con el tiempo. También están haciendo trabajos de calidad de agua, tanto aquí en Culebra como en el área de La Parguera, para comparar cómo está la calidad de agua en los no solamente en los distintos arrecifes alrededor de Culebra y los distintos arrecifes de La Parguera, sino también cómo comparan las dos áreas; el este de Puerto Rico y el suroeste de Puerto Rico.
¿Qué es algo que espera que los estudiantes se lleven con ellos cuando se vayan?Lo más importante que nosotros queremos que los estudiantes lleven con ellos es que se conviertan en agentes de cambio. Y esto significa que ellos sirvan de los locutores, de las personas que van a pasar la información, ya sea a sus familiares, a sus escuelas, a sus comunidades, también sus hermanos, sus hermanas, sus papás, sus abuelos; a todo el mundo. La idea es de que esto se convierta en algo en que muchas de que crezca y que entonces todas esas personas pues entiendan la importancia que es conservar los ecosistemas marinos en Puerto Rico y todas las herramientas que tenemos para poder estudiar estos ecosistemas de forma tal que podamos protegerlos.
Share Details Last Updated Nov 12, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 4 min read Entrevista con Instructora de OCEANOS María Fernanda Barbarena-Arias Article 10 hours ago 4 min read Entrevista con Instructor de OCEANOS Roy Armstrong Article 10 hours ago 1 min read Oral History with R. Walter Cunningham Article 14 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsMissions
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JPL Workforce Update
Workforce statement and memo to employees
JPL statement issued on Nov. 12, 2024:
While we have taken various measures to meet our current FY’25 budget allocation, we have reached the difficult decision to reduce the JPL workforce through layoffs. This reduction affects approximately 325 of our colleagues, an impact of about 5% of our workforce. The impacts are occurring across technical, business, and support areas of the Laboratory. These are painful but necessary adjustments that will enable us to adhere to our budget while continuing our important work for NASA and our nation.
The following is a memo sent earlier today from JPL Director Laurie Leshin to employees:
Dear Colleagues,
This is a message I had hoped not to have to write. I’m reaching out to share the difficult news that JPL will be taking a workforce action tomorrow, Nov. 13, resulting in a layoff of approximately 325 of our colleagues, or ~5% of our workforce. Despite this being incredibly difficult for our community, this number is lower than projected a few months ago thanks in part to the hard work of so many people across JPL. The workforce assessment conducted as part of this process has been both extensive and thorough, and although we can never have perfect insight into the future, I sincerely believe that after this action we will be at a more stable workforce level moving forward.
How we got here:
During our last town hall, I discussed our continued funding challenges and projections of what the potential impact on our workforce could look like. I shared that we had been working through multiple workforce scenarios to address the dynamic funding environment, and that we have been doing everything we can, in partnership with our colleagues at NASA and elsewhere, to minimize adverse effects on JPL’s capabilities and team.
Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, we need to make one further workforce reduction to meet the available funding for FY’25. This reduction is spread across essentially all areas of the Lab including our technical, project, business, and support areas. We have taken seriously the need to re-size our workforce, whether direct-funded (project) or funded on overhead (burden). With lower budgets and based on the forecasted work ahead, we had to tighten our belts across the board, and you will see that reflected in the layoff impacts.
As part of our workforce assessment and determining where reductions are being made, we have taken time to complete a full review of our competencies, future mission needs, and we have established guidance for our core capabilities across the Laboratory. We have worked closely with the Executive Council, division managers, project leadership and others to ensure we maintain the appropriate levels of technical expertise, capacity for innovation, and ability to deliver on an exciting future for JPL. Our focus will continue to be on empowering managers to support their teams through this action and equipping all of us with a variety of resources as we move forward together.
Here are the details about what will happen tomorrow:
Unless notified otherwise, all employees are required to work from home tomorrow Nov. 13, regardless of their telework status. Tomorrow you will be invited to a short, virtual, Lab-wide meeting with myself and Deputy Director Leslie Livesay at 9:30 a.m. We will relay the details of where we are in the process and what to expect. Please look out for the meeting notification that will follow this memo. There will not be organization-level notification meetings as in February. This one meeting will provide the information needed for the entire Lab at once.
Our approach is to prioritize notifying everyone via email as quickly as possible whether their role is being affected by the layoff or not. Then we can rapidly shift to providing personalized support to our laid-off colleagues who are part of the workforce reduction, including offering dedicated time to discuss their benefits, and several other forms of assistance. Because of system limitations, the individual email notifications will take place over several hours tomorrow. A schedule of the notifications, which will occur by organization, will be shared in the virtual briefing tomorrow morning and also posted on JPL Space, the JPL HR Website, and Slack. You can also find answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on our website here.
Our JPL Community:
I know the absence of our colleagues will be acutely felt, especially after a very challenging year for the Lab. To those leaving JPL as a result of this action, we are grateful for your many vital contributions to JPL and to NASA. We will be here to support you during this time to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.
To reiterate to you all, I believe this is the last cross-Lab workforce action we will need to take in the foreseeable future. After this action, we will be at about 5,500 JPL regular employees. I believe this is a stable, supportable staffing level moving forward. While we can never be 100% certain of the future budget, we will be well positioned for the work ahead. This may not help much in this difficult moment, but I do want to be crystal clear with my thoughts and perspective. If we hold strong together, we will come through this, just as we have done during other turbulent times in JPL’s nearly 90-year history. Finally, even though the coming leadership transition at NASA may introduce both new uncertainties and new opportunities, this action would be happening regardless of the recent election outcome.
While I know many of us are feeling anger or disappointment with this news, I encourage everyone to act with grace and empathy toward one another, and to lean on each other for support. I will be speaking with you again very soon to discuss our path ahead. Until then, know that we are an incredibly strong organization – our dazzling history, current achievements, and relentless commitment to exploration and discovery position us well for the future.
Laurie
Share Details Last Updated Nov 12, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 4 min read Mining Old Data From NASA’s Voyager 2 Solves Several Uranus Mysteries Article 2 days ago 6 min read Powerful New US-Indian Satellite Will Track Earth’s Changing Surface Article 5 days ago 4 min read International SWOT Satellite Spots Planet-Rumbling Greenland Tsunami Article 2 weeks agoOral History with R. Walter Cunningham
Selected for NASA’s third astronaut class in 1963, Cunningham served as the backup Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 1. He piloted the 11-day flight of Apollo 7 in October 1968, the first manned flight test of the Apollo spacecraft. The crew executed maneuvers enabling them to practice for upcoming Apollo lunar orbit rendezvous missions and provided the first live television transmission of onboard crew activities. Cunningham served as the Chief of the Skylab branch under the Flight Crew Directorate at Johnson Space Center in 1969 until his retirement and move to the private sector in 1971.
Read more about R. Walter Cunningham- NASA Oral History, May 24, 1999
- NASA Biography
- Apollo Astronaut Walter Cunningham Dies at 90
The transcripts available on this site are created from audio-recorded oral history interviews. To preserve the integrity of the audio record, the transcripts are presented with limited revisions and thus reflect the candid conversational style of the oral history format. Brackets and ellipses indicate where the text has been annotated or edited for clarity. Any personal opinions expressed in the interviews should not be considered the official views or opinions of NASA, the NASA History Office, NASA historians, or staff members.
