Living on the Edge: Stars Found Far from Galaxy Center

Data from NASA's WISE mission have led to the discovery of two clusters of newborn stars thousands of light-years below the plane of our galaxy.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1zmRVni

via IFTTT

NASA Administrator Remembers Leonard Nimoy

from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1wvtlWC

via IFTTT

NASA Sets Coverage for Launch of Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission is set to lift off at 10:44 p.m. EDT Thursday, March 12 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. There is a 30-minute window for the launch.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1aw5hJh

via IFTTT

New NASA Earth Science Missions Expand View of Our Home Planet

Four new NASA Earth-observing missions are collecting data from space – with a fifth newly in orbit – after the busiest year of NASA Earth science launches in more than a decade.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/18q91Ly

via IFTTT

New NASA Space Cowboy Successfully Deploys Its 'Lasso'

Like a cowboy at a rodeo, NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite, the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), has triumphantly raised its "arm" and unfurled a huge golden "lasso" (antenna).

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1JRjhgw

via IFTTT

Study of Atmospheric 'Froth' May Help GPS Communications

A new study of Earth's ionosphere, a part of the upper atmosphere, could have applications for better GPS communications.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/18q2uAC

via IFTTT

NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover Drills at 'Telegraph Peak'

Sample-collection drilling that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover completed Tuesday will likely be the last before the rover departs "Pahrump Hills."

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1Fu8ySy

via IFTTT

NASA Spacecraft Prepares for March 12 Launch to Study Earth’s Dynamic Magnetic Space Environment

Final preparations are underway for the launch of NASA’s quartet of Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft, which constitute the first space mission dedicated to the study of magnetic reconnection. This fundamental process occurs throughout the universe where magnetic fields connect and disconnect with an explosive release of energy.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1wpsiYm

via IFTTT

NASA Offers Space Tech Grants to Early Career University Faculty

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate is seeking proposals from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of outstanding early-career faculty members who are beginning independent research careers. The grants will sponsor research in specific high-priority areas of interest to America's space program.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1FtA4zv

via IFTTT

'Bright Spot' on Ceres Has Dimmer Companion

Dwarf planet Ceres continues to puzzle scientists as NASA's Dawn spacecraft gets closer to being captured into orbit around the object.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1LHbu2n

via IFTTT

New NASA Soil Moisture Mapper Completes Key Milestone

Mission controllers at JPL today sent commands to unfurl the massive reflector antenna on NASA's new Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, launched Jan. 31.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1wokztI

via IFTTT

Latest Selfie from NASA Mars Rover Shows Wide Context

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used the camera on its robotic arm to record the pieces of a portrait that shows the rover within a panorama of the area it is studying.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1LHbuzj

via IFTTT

NASA Briefing to Discuss First Spacecraft Arrival at a Dwarf Planet

JPL will host a briefing Monday, March 2, about the March 6 arrival of NASA's Dawn spacecraft at the dwarf planet Ceres. The event will be carried live on NASA TV and online.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1wokwxR

via IFTTT

CometWatch 20 February

Today’s CometWatch entry is a single frame NAVCAM image obtained on 20 February from a distance of 118.5 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image has a resolution of 10.1 m/pixel and measures 10.3 km across. The image nicely complements that published on Monday, this time showing the comet’s small lobe to the right and the large lobe to the left. Some 80 km closer than Monday’s image, details on the comet nucleus are now a little clearer again. For example, the smooth Imhotep region on the large lobe at the far left can be distinguished from the adjacent terrain of Ash, while on the small lobe the cliffs of Hathor stand out (refer to the regional maps here and here if you are unfamiliar with the comet's regions). Rather captivating is the shadow of the larger lobe that is projected onto Hathor. The silhouette of the ‘underside’ of the comet can also be seen against the diffuse nebulosity to the lower-left of the nucleus. Around the sunlit portion of the nucleus, the nebulosity of the comet’s innermost coma can be seen together with denser streaks that likely correspond to regions of greater surface activity. As usual, background features are typically a mix of detector noise, stars, and material ejected from the comet. The original image is provided below:



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/17XmARI

via IFTTT

UPDATE -- NASA Reschedules MMS Briefing to 3 p.m. EST Feb. 25

NASA has rescheduled to 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 25, a briefing on an upcoming mission to study magnetic reconnection around the Earth, a fundamental process that occurs throughout the universe where magnetic fields connect and disconnect explosively releasing energy.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1DPV2eZ

via IFTTT

NASA Briefing to Discuss First Spacecraft Arrival at a Dwarf Planet

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will host a briefing at noon EST (9 a.m. PST) Monday, March 2, to discuss the March 6 arrival of the agency’s Dawn spacecraft at the dwarf planet Ceres. The news briefing, held at JPL’s von Karman Auditorium at 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, California, will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency’s website.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1BnsiKn

via IFTTT

NASA Hosts Media Briefing on Mission to Study Dynamic Magnetic System Around Earth

NASA will hold a media briefing at 1 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 25, to discuss an upcoming mission to study magnetic reconnection around Earth, a fundamental process throughout the universe where magnetic fields connect and disconnect explosively releasing energy.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1FQ5V0X

via IFTTT

Jurczyk Named Head of NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named Steve Jurczyk as the agency's Associate Administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, effective Monday, March 2. The directorate is responsible for innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use on future NASA missions.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1zb6hXN

via IFTTT

NASA Briefing to Highlight Early Results from New Earth Science Missions

Over the past 12 months NASA has added five missions to its orbiting Earth-observing fleet – the biggest one-year increase in more than a decade. NASA scientists will discuss early observations from the new missions and their current status during a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 26.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1GlyuRv

via IFTTT

Happy birthday, Svetlana!

We wish a happy birthday to Svetlana Gerasimenko, who back in 1969 discovered Rosetta's comet, along with Klim Churyumov. Read more about Svetlana in this interview from the summer of 2014.



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1JBVlxF

via IFTTT

Imhotep from afar – CometWatch 16 February

Today’s CometWatch entry presents a four-image mosaic comprising images taken from Rosetta's NAVCAM on 16 February from a distance of 226.5 km to the centre of the comet. The image resolution is 19.3 m/pixel and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames measure 19.8 km across. The mosaic measures 37.4 × 37.2 km. The view shows the underside of the large comet lobe, focusing on the smooth Imhotep region and its transition to Ash on the right. The mosaic has been processed in Lightroom to bring out some indication of the comet's activity, in particular the jet pointing upwards. Today's CometWatch comes from close to the end of the trajectory arc that took Rosetta 255 km from the centre of 67P/C-G on 17 February; this is the furthest the spacecraft has been from the comet since early August 2014, just before rendezvous. A comparison of this image with CometWatch 15 February, also featuring Imhotep, and with the close-up view of the same region from the 14 February flyby, provides a taste of this leg of Rosetta's journey receding from the comet. Rosetta is now approaching the comet again. Today, 20 February, it is around 100 km from 67P/C-G. The four-image montage and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames are provided below:



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1AcAb2G

via IFTTT

NASA, ESA Telescopes Give Shape to Furious Black Hole Winds

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and ESA’s (European Space Agency) XMM-Newton telescope are showing that fierce winds from a supermassive black hole blow outward in all directions -- a phenomenon that had been suspected, but difficult to prove until now.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1COyND5

via IFTTT

NASA, ESA Telescopes Give Shape to Furious Black Hole Winds

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and ESA's (European Space Agency) XMM-Newton telescope are showing that fierce winds from a supermassive black hole blow outward in all directions -- a phenomenon that had been suspected, but difficult to prove until now.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1AMs7YN

via IFTTT

Happy birthday, Klim!

We wish a happy birthday to Klim Churyumov, co-discoverer along with Svetlana Gerasimenko of Rosetta's comet, in September 1969.



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1LgCaqr

via IFTTT

Dawn Captures Sharper Images of Ceres

Craters and mysterious bright spots are beginning to pop out in the latest images of Ceres from NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1L8FiEM

via IFTTT

'Pale Blue Dot' Images Turn 25

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft showed its love for the solar system, including Earth, with these images on Feb. 14, 1990.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1A5d6O8

via IFTTT

Media Invited to Boeing Commercial Crew Access Tower Groundbreaking

Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) will mark the start of construction of the Commercial Crew access tower at Space Launch Complex 41(SLC-41) on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 2:30 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 20. Media are invited to tour operations and attend the formal groundbreaking event.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1uQAmQQ

via IFTTT

Mission control at closest approach

Rosetta is preparing to make a close encounter with its comet tomorrow, on 14 February, passing just 6 km from the surface. On 4 February, Rosetta began manoeuvring onto a series of new trajectories that will align the spacecraft for this week’s encounter. The series of thruster burns are happening (or have happened) as follows (distances are indicated from comet surface): 4 Feb – Depart from 26-km terminator orbit 7 Feb – Achieve 142 km from comet, then turn back 11 Feb – Arc back down to 101 km 14 Feb – Reach 50 km stand-off distance; turn and burn for the closest flyby arc 14 Feb – Conduct 6 km flyby at 12:40:50c GMT The closest pass occurs over the comet’s larger lobe, above the Imhotep region (click on the image below to watch). Note that, in the main science phase, Rosetta’s trajectory is being set by the Rosetta Science Operations Centre (RSOC) at ESAC, on a 16-week planning calendar (known as the LTP – the ‘long term planning’ process), and is fully optimised for the suite of instruments on board. This means that 16 weeks before the start of each LTP cycle, RSOC proposes a trajectory for that LTP. This trajectory is then checked, against spacecraft and mission constraints, among other factors, at ESOC by the flight dynamics team. While closest approach on 14 February is certainly a significant event for science observations, for the flight control team at ESOC, it’s a fairly routine operation and just one more activity during the main science phase. Very short week in, very short week out Since the intense manoeuvring and operations of 2014, the flight control team have adopted a regular weekly planning cycle. This covers two ‘VSTPs’ (very short term plans) covering Wednesdays to Saturdays (planned on Mondays) and […]



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1D3IFvs

via IFTTT

Last stop before close flyby – CometWatch 9 February

Today’s CometWatch entry is a single frame NAVCAM image taken on 9 February from a distance of 105 km from the comet centre. The image resolution is 8.9 m/pixel; the processed image below has been slightly cropped to eliminate vignetting in the upper corners, and measures 8.5 x 8.5 km (the original, provided at the end of the post, measures 9.1 x 9.1 km). In this orientation, the comet’s small lobe is the foreground and the large lobe is in the background. Particularly stunning is the delicate, ethereal glow of activity that contrasts against the shadowed region between the two lobes. From this viewing position the outflowing material seems to take the shape of a broader fan, rather than the more collimated jet-like features seen at other angles. As seen in previous images, the sharp vertical shadows seem to be a result of the large lobe casting shadows down across the neck of the comet and towards the head. There is very little back-scatter illumination around the neck itself, but a diffuse ‘glow’ can be seen against these dark shadows where a broader ‘atmosphere’ is visible above the surface of the small lobe. Rosetta is now less than 24 hours from its close 6 km flyby of the comet – closest approach tomorrow occurs at 12:41 GMT (13:41 CET) above the Imhotep region. The NAVCAM is scheduled to take images 1-2 hours before and after closest approach, when the spacecraft will be between about 8.5 and 11 km above the comet surface. These NAVCAM images will be downlinked to Earth Sunday/Monday and – depending on availability – we hope to be able to share one of these images with you as Monday’s CometWatch entry. Meanwhile the OSIRIS team expects to get their images back some 5-12 days after the flyby, […]



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1AvJD1H

via IFTTT

NASA Study Finds Carbon Emissions Could Dramatically Increase Risk of U.S. Megadroughts

Droughts in the U.S. Southwest and Central Plains during the last half of this century could be drier and longer than drought conditions seen in those regions in the last 1,000 years, according to a new NASA study.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1F2HJs3

via IFTTT

NASA TV Previews and Broadcasts Space Station U.S. Spacewalks

Two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station’s Expedition 42 crew will venture outside the orbital complex on Friday, Feb. 20; Tuesday, Feb. 24; and Sunday, March 1. They will prepare cables and communications gear for new docking ports that will allow future crews launched from Florida on U.S. commercial spacecraft to dock to the space station.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1DK9GTO

via IFTTT

A New Way to View Titan: 'Despeckle' It

Views of Saturn's hazy moon Titan now appear much sharper, thanks to a technique that greatly improves radar images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1DK17sc

via IFTTT

National Academy of Engineering Adds Two JPL Members

Two JPL researchers have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the highest professional distinction for engineers.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1CVwAs0

via IFTTT

Critical NASA Science Returns to Earth aboard SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft

SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean about 7:44 p.m. EST Tuesday 259 miles southwest of Long Beach, California, with nearly 3,700 pounds of NASA cargo, science and first-of-its-kind technology demonstration samples from the International Space Station.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1yb6nhw

via IFTTT

NASA TV to Air Interactive Women in STEM Event

NASA experts, including crew members aboard the International Space Station, will answer questions about science, technology, education and mathematics (STEM) disciplines during a forum called "Women in STEM: STEM in the Global Science Community" from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 17.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1z5DWD2

via IFTTT

Smile, and the Universe Smiles With You

An upbeat-looking galaxy cluster appears to smile at us in a newly released image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1AiqAb2

via IFTTT

Why Comets Are Like Deep Fried Ice Cream

Origins of crunchy crusts on comets explained in new laboratory research.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1KFWEss

via IFTTT

Mars Rover Nearing Marathon Achievement

Since landing on Mars in January 2004, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has driven nearly as far as a marathon footrace.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/16QAtRm

via IFTTT

NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman to Visit Baltimore Area, Media Invited

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, who spent 165 days living and working aboard the International Space Station, and gained a large following on social media while sharing the wonders of space exploration, will visit his hometown of Baltimore Feb. 10-12 for several public events that are open to the media.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1DxwPsq

via IFTTT

NASA Spacecraft Completes 40,000 Mars Orbits

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has exceeded 40,000 trips around Mars and continues to study patterns of change on the Red Planet.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/16H4qmy

via IFTTT

NASA TV Coverage Set for NOAA DSCOVR Launch Feb. 10

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) now is scheduled to launch at 6:05 p.m. EST Tuesday, Feb. 10 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. There is a backup launch opportunity at 6:03 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1Cb7GBV

via IFTTT

NASA, Space Station Partners Announce Future Mission Crew Members

NASA and its International Space Station partners have announced the crew members, including NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, Shane Kimbrough and Peggy Whitson, for three upcoming missions to the space station.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1DY05WY

via IFTTT

Last waltz at 28 km – CometWatch 3 February

This four-image mosaic comprises images taken from a distance of 28.7 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 3 February. The image resolution is 2.4 m/pixel and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames measure 2.5 km across. The mosaic has been slightly cropped, and it measures 4.2 x 4.6 km. These are the last images taken by Rosetta's NAVCAM before the spacecraft left its bound orbit around the comet at 28 km from the surface. On 4 February, Rosetta moved into a new operating phase characterised by a series of flybys past 67P/C-G at a range of distances, the first of which will be the very close encounter planned for next weekend, when Rosetta will pass just 6 km from the surface of the comet on 14 February. In this orientation, we see the smaller of the two comet lobes in the upper part of the image, with the larger lobe below. Emerging from the shadows of the comet's neck are the cliffs of Hathor, in the central part of the image, crossing over to the Anuket region on the right. Parts of the smooth Hapi region on the neck are also visible in the shadows, just above the bright rim of the large lobe. Some circular depressions on the Seth and Ash regions are visible on the large lobe; parts of the Anubis and Atum region can also be seen towards the lower right corner of the image. The view of the small lobe shows mostly the Ma'at region, on the left, while the ridge on the right and the smooth plain above it belong to Serqet. The four-image montage and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames are provided below:



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1CLmycU

via IFTTT

NASA Television to Air Briefing on NOAA Space Weather Mission Launch

NASA Television will provide live coverage of a news briefing on the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new satellite mission to monitor space weather, at 1 p.m. EST Saturday, Feb. 7 from the Press Site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing also will stream live on the agency’s website.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1xAfqIy

via IFTTT

Anuket vs. Anubis – CometWatch 31 January

This four-image mosaic comprises images taken from a distance of 28.0 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 31 January. The image resolution is 2.4 m/pixel and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames measure 2.4 km across. The mosaic has been slightly cropped, and it measures 4.6 x 4.3 km. The scene provides a stunning view of both the comet’s larger lobe (bottom) and smaller lobe (top right). There is an interesting contrast between the rough appearance of Anuket, the region that starts on the smaller lobe and descends along the side of the comet's neck, and the smoother material of the Anubis region, visible on the larger lobe in this view, beneath the crags of Seth as seen on the upper edge of the lobe. A prominent jet and other outflows are also portrayed in the image. The overall activity of 67P/C-G is evident in the way that the silhouette of the nucleus stands out against the faint glow of the comet’s coma, especially in the darkest regions (bottom left and far right). The large number of small white blobs and streaks in the image are likely specks of dust or other small objects in the vicinity of the comet. The four-image montage and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames are provided below:



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1D5nAPG

via IFTTT

NASA TV Coverage Set For Partner Space Station Cargo Spacecraft Activities

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the departure and the arrival of two cargo spacecraft at the International Space Station (ISS) this month. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) fifth and final Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-5) cargo craft will departure the station on Saturday, Feb. 14. Launch and docking of a Russian Progress resupply spacecraft will follow on Tuesday, Feb. 17.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1AAgYJH

via IFTTT

NASA's Curiosity Analyzing Sample of Martian Mountain

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is analyzing a rock-powder sample collected by using the rover's drill in a gentler manner than at previous drill targets.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1zTdbGj

via IFTTT

Planck Mission Explores the History of Our Universe

New data from Planck are helping scientists better understand the history and fabric of our universe, as well as our own Milky Way galaxy.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1zTdbpK

via IFTTT

Dawn Gets Closer Views of Ceres

NASA's Dawn spacecraft, on approach to dwarf planet Ceres, has acquired its latest and closest-yet snapshot of this mysterious world.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1LQhZ3S

via IFTTT

NASA Aircraft, Spacecraft Aid Atmospheric River Study

NASA is part of a major field campaign studying intense atmospheric river storms from the ocean, land, air and space.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1LNZ2ij

via IFTTT

NASA TV Coverage Set for U.S. Cargo Ship’s Departure from Space Station

After delivering more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station last month, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to leave the orbiting laboratory on Tuesday, Feb. 10.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1EH6aLf

via IFTTT

NASA Spacecraft Returns New Images of Pluto En Route to Historic Encounter

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft returned its first new images of Pluto on Wednesday, as the probe closes in on the dwarf planet. Although still just a dot along with its largest moon, Charon, the images come on the 109th birthday of Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered the distant icy world in 1930.



from NASA Breaking News http://ift.tt/1zM9NwO

via IFTTT

Mars Orbiter Spies Curiosity Rover at Work

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently caught a view of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover studying an outcrop at the base of a Martian mountain.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/16AtAUI

via IFTTT

Around Aten – CometWatch 26 January

This four-image montage comprises images taken from a distance of 27.7 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 26 January. The image resolution is 2.4 m/pixel and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames measure 2.4 km across. Rotation and translation of the comet during the imaging sequence often make it difficult to create accurate mosaics out of the four NAVCAM images. But this time we found it impossible to make one without excessively distorting the comet’s features and thus we’re just posting the montage. The image provides a nice view across the comet's larger lobe (foreground) and up onto the smaller lobe. The montage is centred on Aten, a region on the larger lobe that extends diagonally from the bottom part of the upper left frame to the top part of the lower right frame, below the prominent cliffs that separate Aten from the brighter Babi region. In the two lower frames, the Imhotep region on the underside of the larger lobe is cast in shadow. Portions of Babi, Khepry, and Ash are visible on the larger lobe, and parts of Ma'at and Bastet can be seen on the smaller lobe. You can find regional maps of Comet 67P/C-G here and here to help you find your way around the images. The four individual 1024 x 1024 frames are provided below:



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/18NVXzu

via IFTTT

Rosetta swoops in for a close encounter

SA’s Rosetta probe is preparing to make a close encounter with its comet on 14 February, passing just 6 km from the surface.



from Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser » Rosetta - ESA's comet chaser http://ift.tt/1KcktYw

via IFTTT

Arcadia High School Takes First Place at Science Bowl

Arcadia High School triumphed over 23 other teams at the National Science Bowl regional competition held at JPL on Jan. 31.

from News and Features - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://ift.tt/1KlPveK

via IFTTT