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An anniversary on Mars, the death throes of a galaxy and space lettuce – in pictures An anniversary on Mars, the death throes of a galaxy and space lettuce – in pictures
(2 months later)
At the end of June, Nasa’s Mars Curiosity rover completed its first Martian year – 687 Earth days – on the red planet. It has already achieved the mission’s main goal of determining whether conditions on Mars were once favourable for life, having discovered an ancient riverbed, a lakebed containing the essential elements needed for life and a chemical energy source used by some microbes on Earth.At the end of June, Nasa’s Mars Curiosity rover completed its first Martian year – 687 Earth days – on the red planet. It has already achieved the mission’s main goal of determining whether conditions on Mars were once favourable for life, having discovered an ancient riverbed, a lakebed containing the essential elements needed for life and a chemical energy source used by some microbes on Earth.
The galaxy Messier 106, like the finale of a firework display, looks likely to burn itself out in a blaze of glory. Energetic jets blasting from the galaxy’s central black hole are heating up surrounding material and making it glow but they also power shock waves that are driving gases out of the galaxy’s interior. A new study estimates the shock waves have already ejected two-thirds of the gas from the centre of Messier 106. The lost gas would have been the building material for new stars, and without it Messier 106 is likely to turn into a barren, lenticular galaxy full of old, red stars and no Catherine wheel spiral arms.The galaxy Messier 106, like the finale of a firework display, looks likely to burn itself out in a blaze of glory. Energetic jets blasting from the galaxy’s central black hole are heating up surrounding material and making it glow but they also power shock waves that are driving gases out of the galaxy’s interior. A new study estimates the shock waves have already ejected two-thirds of the gas from the centre of Messier 106. The lost gas would have been the building material for new stars, and without it Messier 106 is likely to turn into a barren, lenticular galaxy full of old, red stars and no Catherine wheel spiral arms.
This is not the work of an abstract artist but a “slope map” of part of the floor of a crater on the moon. Warmer colours indicate steeper slopes and cooler colours are shallower slopes. Data for the map of Posidonius Crater was collected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The sinuous “rilles” or gullies were carved by rivers of turbulent lava.This is not the work of an abstract artist but a “slope map” of part of the floor of a crater on the moon. Warmer colours indicate steeper slopes and cooler colours are shallower slopes. Data for the map of Posidonius Crater was collected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The sinuous “rilles” or gullies were carved by rivers of turbulent lava.
This picture, taken by astronomy photographer Michael Khan, puts the moon and Mars in perspective. It also puts in stark perspective any attempt to put humans on Mars. The red planet is the speck in the top-left quarter of the picture. Still can’s see it? For a better view, see the original. Khan explains the picture in a blogpost for the European Space Agency.This picture, taken by astronomy photographer Michael Khan, puts the moon and Mars in perspective. It also puts in stark perspective any attempt to put humans on Mars. The red planet is the speck in the top-left quarter of the picture. Still can’s see it? For a better view, see the original. Khan explains the picture in a blogpost for the European Space Agency.
Like the naughty girls and boys who manage to appear several times in the same school photo, no fewer than 68 of the galaxies around this cluster feature more than once in this Hubble image. The explanation, of course, isn’t youthful high jinks but strong gravitational lensing, when very large masses bend the light from more distant objects like a lens, distorting and fracturing the picture. The phenomenon has allowed astronomers to create the most precise map of the distribution of mass in a galaxy cluster ever made.Like the naughty girls and boys who manage to appear several times in the same school photo, no fewer than 68 of the galaxies around this cluster feature more than once in this Hubble image. The explanation, of course, isn’t youthful high jinks but strong gravitational lensing, when very large masses bend the light from more distant objects like a lens, distorting and fracturing the picture. The phenomenon has allowed astronomers to create the most precise map of the distribution of mass in a galaxy cluster ever made.
These are solar array panels on the Zarya Functional Cargo Block, photographed by an Expedition 40 crew member aboard the International Space Station. The module was the first component of the ISS to be put in orbit, in 1998, and provided power and propulsion. Zarya means “sunrise” in Russian.These are solar array panels on the Zarya Functional Cargo Block, photographed by an Expedition 40 crew member aboard the International Space Station. The module was the first component of the ISS to be put in orbit, in 1998, and provided power and propulsion. Zarya means “sunrise” in Russian.
An unusual spate of eruptions was seen on the surface of the sun, described as “a series of fast puffs” followed by “the slow ejection of a massive burst of solar material from the sun’s atmosphere”. Nathalia Alzate, a solar scientist at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, presented findings on what caused the puffs at the 2014 Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meetingin Portsmouth in June. An unusual spate of eruptions was seen on the surface of the sun, described as “a series of fast puffs” followed by “the slow ejection of a massive burst of solar material from the sun’s atmosphere”. Nathalia Alzate, a solar scientist at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, presented findings on what caused the puffs at the 2014 Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting in Portsmouth in June.
Nasa astronaut Steve Swanson harvests a crop of red romaine lettuce grown from seed inside the International Space Station’s Veggie facility. For now, the astronauts are simply testing the hardware rather than creating wholesome space salads. The plant matter will be returned to Earth to determine whether it’s safe to eat.Nasa astronaut Steve Swanson harvests a crop of red romaine lettuce grown from seed inside the International Space Station’s Veggie facility. For now, the astronauts are simply testing the hardware rather than creating wholesome space salads. The plant matter will be returned to Earth to determine whether it’s safe to eat.
This is a very active galaxy known as a Seyfert galaxy. These have a luminous centre – powered by a supermassive black hole – that is as bright as the entire Milky Way. This one is in our cosmic neighbourhood, just 32m light years from Earth.This is a very active galaxy known as a Seyfert galaxy. These have a luminous centre – powered by a supermassive black hole – that is as bright as the entire Milky Way. This one is in our cosmic neighbourhood, just 32m light years from Earth.
This wide-field view captures the spectacular celestial landscape around a glowing cloud of dust and gas known as Gum 15 (centre). The star cluster NGC 2671 is visible bottom left and in the lower right corner are filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant – the remains of an exploded star.This wide-field view captures the spectacular celestial landscape around a glowing cloud of dust and gas known as Gum 15 (centre). The star cluster NGC 2671 is visible bottom left and in the lower right corner are filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant – the remains of an exploded star.
The Georges Lemaître ATV (automated transfer vehicle) lifted off from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 30 July on its final mission to resupply the ISS. It docked with the space station last weekThe Georges Lemaître ATV (automated transfer vehicle) lifted off from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 30 July on its final mission to resupply the ISS. It docked with the space station last week
This Hubble image shows NGC 5474, a dwarf galaxy located 21m light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major (The Great Bear). It contains several billion stars compared with the Milky Way’s hundreds of billions of stars.This Hubble image shows NGC 5474, a dwarf galaxy located 21m light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major (The Great Bear). It contains several billion stars compared with the Milky Way’s hundreds of billions of stars.
This is Rhea, one of 62 moons orbiting Saturn. Its tiny companion in this image captured by the Cassini space probe is called Epimetheus. Their periodic alignment is known as a “transit”.This is Rhea, one of 62 moons orbiting Saturn. Its tiny companion in this image captured by the Cassini space probe is called Epimetheus. Their periodic alignment is known as a “transit”.
A fish-eye view of Alma (the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array of telescopes) at the European Southern Observatory showing the Milky Way in ultra-high-definition arcing across the night sky.A fish-eye view of Alma (the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array of telescopes) at the European Southern Observatory showing the Milky Way in ultra-high-definition arcing across the night sky.
Not the evil eye but an infrared image of the dust ring around the nearby star HR 4796A in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It was one of the first pictures produced by an instrument called Sphere installed earlier this year on the Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. Sphere is an exoplanet hunter, and this image reveals its talent for reducing the glare from very bright stars, allowing anything orbiting them to be more easily spotted and studied.Not the evil eye but an infrared image of the dust ring around the nearby star HR 4796A in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It was one of the first pictures produced by an instrument called Sphere installed earlier this year on the Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. Sphere is an exoplanet hunter, and this image reveals its talent for reducing the glare from very bright stars, allowing anything orbiting them to be more easily spotted and studied.