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This spectacular image showing the Moon’s shadow on Earth’s surface was acquired during a 20-second period starting at 2:59 p.m. EDT (18:59:19 UTC) on April 8, 2024, by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

This spectacular image showing the Moon’s shadow on Earth’s surface was acquired during a 20-second period starting at 2:59 p.m. EDT (18:59:19 UTC) on April 8, 2024, by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse from hundreds of thousands of miles away. The camera suite aboard the LRO usually retrieves high resolution black and white images of the Moon’s surface; these images provide knowledge of polar illumination conditions, identify potential resources, hazards, and enable safe landing site selection. To take an image of Earth, the LRO has to rapidly rotate to build up the image.

Learn more about the LRO’s cameras and how this image was taken.

Image Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara missed watching an eclipse from the ISS by days. But she did participate in the 4th all-woman spacewalk, and has a unique story about a baby octopus.

Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, right, shakes hands with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, after signing the Artemis Accords, Monday, April 15, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Switzerland is the 37th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program.Credit: NASA/Keegan Bar

Switzerland became the 37th country to sign the Artemis Accords at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Monday, April 15, affirming Switzerland’s commitment to the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind.

“Today, we marked a giant leap forward in the partnership between the United States and Switzerland,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “As we welcome you into the Artemis Accords family, we expand our commitment to explore the unknown openly and peacefully. Discovery strengthens goodwill on Earth, and we are excited to expand our countries’ shared values and principles to the cosmos.”

At approximately 11:30 a.m., Guy Parmelin, Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Education & Research, signed the Accords on behalf of Switzerland. Other participants in the ceremony included:

• Valda Vikmanis-Keller, acting deputy assistant secretary, Department of State
• Martina Hirayama, state secretary, Head of the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation
• Jacques Pitteloud, Swiss Ambassador to the U.S.
• ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Marco Sieber, Swiss national
• Renato Krpoun, Head of Swiss Space Office
• Professor Peter Wurz, Director Space and Planetary Sciences, University of Bern

“Switzerland has a long-standing partnership with NASA on human space exploration as well as space and Earth sciences,” said Parmelin. “With the signature of the Artemis Accords we renew our commitment to jointly explore the heavens above us.”

The Artemis Accords, established by NASA and the U.S. Department of State in 2020, reinforce the 1968 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty. They also emphasize a commitment on behalf of the U.S. to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other standards that NASA and its partners support.

Many more countries are anticipated to join the Artemis Accords in the months and years to come, as NASA continues to facilitate a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space with its international partners.

For more information on the Artemis Accords, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

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Lauren Low
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
lauren.e.low@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Apr 15, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

• Artemis
• NASA Headquarters
• Opportunities For International Participants to Get Involved

NASA's Perseverance mission has been collecting samples for later retrieval and return to Earth. Now, it's unclear how we'll get those samples home.

The post NASA Struggles to Find Way Forward for Mars Sample Return appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

In 2011, astronomers with the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) consortium detected a gas giant orbiting very close to a Sun-like (G-type) star about 700 light-years away. This planet is known as WASP-39b (aka. “Bocaprins”), one of many “hot Jupiters” discovered in recent decades that orbits its star at a distance of less than 5% the distance between the Earth and the Sun (0.05 AU). In 2022, shortly after the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) it became the first exoplanet to have carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide detected in its atmosphere.

Alas, researchers have not constrained all of WASP-39b’s crucial details (particularly its size) based on the planet’s light curves, as observed by Webb. which is holding up more precise data analyses. In a new study led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), an international team has shown a way to overcome this obstacle. They argue that considering a parent star’s magnetic field, the true size of an exoplanet in orbit can be determined. These findings are likely to significantly impact the rapidly expanding field of exoplanet study and characterization.

The study was led by Dr. Nadiia M. Kostogryz and her fellow researchers from the MPS. They were joined by astronomers and astrophysicists from the Center for Astronomy (Heidelberg University), the Astrophysics Group at Keele University, the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). The paper describing their research, “Magnetic origin of the discrepancy between stellar limb-darkening models and observations,” was recently published in Nature Astronomy.

The “hot Jupiter” exoplanet WASP-69b orbits its star so closely that its atmosphere is being blown into space. Credit: Adam Makarenko/W. M. Keck Observatory

A light curve is the measurement of a star’s brightness over longer periods. Using the Transit Method (Transit Photometry), astronomers monitor stars for periodic dips in brightness, which can result from an exoplanet passing (transiting) in front of their face relative to the observer. In addition to being the most widely used method for detecting exoplanets, precise observations of light curves allow astronomers to estimate the size and orbital period of the exoplanets.

These curves can also reveal information about the composition of the planet’s atmosphere based on light passing through its atmosphere as it makes a transit – a technique known as “transit spectroscopy.” Unfortunately, estimates on planet size suffer from an observational issue known as “limb darkening.” Dr. Kostogryz explained in an MPS press statement:

“The problems arising when interpreting the data from WASP-39b are well known from many other exoplanets – regardless [of] whether they are observed with Kepler, TESS, James Webb, or the future PLATO spacecraft. As with other stars orbited by exoplanets, the observed light curve of WASP-39 is flatter than previous models can explain.”

The edge of the stellar disk (or “limb”) plays a decisive role in interpreting a star’s light curve. Since the limb corresponds to the star’s outer (and cooler) layers, it appears darker to the observer than the inner area. However, the star does not actually shine less brightly further out. This “limb darkening” affects the shape of the exoplanet signal in the light curve, as the dimming determines how steeply the curve falls during a planetary transit and then rises again. Historically, astronomers have not been able to reproduce observational data using conventional stellar models accurately.

In every case, the decrease in the star’s brightness was less abrupt than model calculations predicted. Clearly, something was missing from the models that prevented astronomers from reproducing exoplanet transit signals. As Dr. Kostogryz and her team discovered, the missing piece is stellar magnetic fields, which are generated by the motion of conductive plasma inside a star. The team first noticed this when examining selected light curves obtained by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope between 2009 and 2018.

An illustration of Earth’s magnetic field. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

The researchers also proved that the discrepancy between observational data and model calculations disappears if the star’s magnetic field is included in the computations. To this end, the team turned to selected data from NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, which captured the light of thousands and thousands of stars from 2009 to 2018. To this end, they modeled the atmosphere of typical Kepler stars in the presence of a magnetic field and then simulated observational data based on these calculations. When they compared their results to real data, they found it accurately reproduced Kepler’s observations.

They also found that the strength of the magnetic field can have a profound effect, where limb darkening is more pronounced in stars with weak magnetic fields and less in stars with strong ones. Lastly, they extended their simulations to emission spectra data obtained by the JWST and found that the magnetic field of the parent star influences limb darkening differently at different wavelengths. These findings will help inform future exoplanet studies, leading to more precise estimates of the planets’ characteristics. Said Dr. Alexander Shapiro, coauthor of the current study and head of an ERC-funded research group at the MPS:

“In the past decades and years, the way to move forward in exoplanet research was to improve the hardware, the space telescopes designed to search for and characterize new worlds. The James Webb Space Telescope has pushed this development to new limits. The next step is now to improve and refine the models to interpret this excellent data.”

The researchers now plan to extend their analyses to stars different from the Sun, which could lead to refined estimates of exoplanet mass for rocky planets (similar to Earth). In addition, their findings indicate that the light curves of stars could be used to constrain the strength of stellar magnetic fields, another characteristic that is challenging to measure.

Further Reading: MPS, Nature Astronomy

The post You Can't Know the True Size of an Exoplanet Without Knowing its Star's Magnetic Field appeared first on Universe Today.

Astronomers have measured the stellar winds of three sun-like stars for the first time, finding that the objects are losing mass at a rate as great as 67 times the speed at which our star sheds matter.

A first-of-its-kind lab demonstration shows how solar power transmission from space could work.

Monthly infusions with the drug prasinezumab appeared to slow the progression of motor symptoms in people with advanced Parkinson's disease

Monthly infusions with the drug prasinezumab appeared to slow the progression of motor symptoms in people with advanced Parkinson's disease

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shared on Monday the agency’s path forward on the Mars Sample Return program, including seeking innovative designs to return valuable samples from Mars to Earth. Such samples will not only help us understand the formation and evolution of our solar system but can be used to prepare for future human explorers and to aid in NASA’s search for signs of ancient life.

Over the last quarter century, NASA has engaged in a systematic effort to determine the early history of Mars and how it can help us understand the formation and evolution of habitable worlds, including Earth. As part of that effort, Mars Sample Return has been a long-term goal of international planetary exploration for the past two decades. NASA’s Perseverance rover has been collecting samples for later collection and return to Earth since it landed on Mars in 2021.

“Mars Sample Return will be one of the most complex missions NASA has ever undertaken. The bottom line is, an $11 billion budget is too expensive, and a 2040 return date is too far away,” said Nelson. “Safely landing and collecting the samples, launching a rocket with the samples off another planet – which has never been done before – and safely transporting the samples more than 33 million miles back to Earth is no small task. We need to look outside the box to find a way ahead that is both affordable and returns samples in a reasonable timeframe.” 

The agency also has released NASA’s response to a Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board report from September 2023. This includes: an updated mission design with reduced complexity; improved resiliency; risk posture; stronger accountability and coordination; and an overall budget likely in the $8 billion to $11 billion range. Given the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and anticipated budget constraints, as well as the need to maintain a balanced science portfolio, the current mission design will return samples in 2040.

To achieve the ambitious goal of returning the key samples to Earth earlier and at a lower cost, the agency is asking the NASA community to work together to develop a revised plan that leverages innovation and proven technology. Additionally, NASA soon will solicit architecture proposals from industry that could return samples in the 2030s, and lowers cost, risk, and mission complexity.

“NASA does visionary science – and returning diverse, scientifically-relevant samples from Mars is a key priority,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “To organize a mission at this level of complexity, we employ decades of lessons on how to run a large mission, including incorporating the input we get from conducting independent reviews. Our next steps will position us to bring this transformational mission forward and deliver revolutionary science from Mars – providing critical new insights into the origins and evolution of Mars, our solar system, and life on Earth.”

For more information about NASA’s research at Mars, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mars

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Dewayne Washington / Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov / karen.fox@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Apr 15, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

• Missions
• Mars Sample Return (MSR)

Climate change is making extreme cold upwellings more common in certain regions of the world, and these events can be catastrophic for animals such as bull sharks

Climate change is making extreme cold upwellings more common in certain regions of the world, and these events can be catastrophic for animals such as bull sharks

Some black holes are so massive they were likely created as smaller black holes that merged. Maybe we can use such black hole "children" to learn about the black hole "ancestors."

Mounting evidence suggests our galaxy sits at the centre of an expanse of nothingness 2 billion light years wide. If so, we may have to rethink our understanding of the universe

Mounting evidence suggests our galaxy sits at the centre of an expanse of nothingness 2 billion light years wide. If so, we may have to rethink our understanding of the universe

2 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

As the Moon blotted out the Sun to viewers across the United States during the April 8 solar eclipse, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured an image from some 223,000 miles away of the highly anticipated celestial event.

This spectacular image showing the Moon’s shadow on Earth’s surface was acquired during a 20-second period starting at 2:59 p.m. EDT (18:59:19 UTC) on April 8, 2024, by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. When LRO acquired this image, the shadow of the Moon was centered near Cape Girardeau, Mo.NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

There are three cameras that comprise the LRO camera (LROC) suite: two Narrow Angle Cameras (NAC) and one Wide Angle Camera. The Earth’s image with the shadow in it was acquired by one of the two Narrow Angle Cameras.

The LROC Narrow Angle Cameras are line scanner cameras: they only have one line of pixels, and images are built up line-by-line by the spacecraft’s motion as it orbits the Moon.

Acquiring an image of Earth requires the spacecraft to rapidly rotate to build up the image.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) image of the eclipse shadow over Mexico and the southern U.S. was captured starting at 2:59 p.m. EDT (18:59:19 UTC) on April 8, 2024.NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

LRO is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Launched on June 18, 2009, LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon. NASA is returning to the Moon with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities.

By Mark Robinson, Arizona State University, Tempe, and edited by Nancy Neal Jones, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

More on this story from Arizona State University’s LRO Camera website

Media Contact:

Nancy Neal Jones
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

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Details Last Updated Apr 15, 2024 Related Terms

• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)
• 2024 Solar Eclipse
• Earth's Moon
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• The Solar System

We need to do more to ensure older adults—including those living in long-term care facilities—are up to date on recommended vaccines

A trip back to Trill is nice, but we're starting to wonder if this final season will end up a 10-episode long epilogue after episode 3 of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Family caregivers provide critical support and familiarity to patients, but can also experience burnout