Posts tagged esa
Herschel’s Coolest Infrared Hotshots
The European space observatory may be dead, but its legacy lives on. Here are some of our favorite Herschel observations since 2009.
Ha! Take THAT, asteroid. Didn’t see that coming did you? (Don’t tell your bigger near-Earth space rock buddies though.)
YOUR Help Needed to Hurt an Asteroid
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Refine an asteroid deflection plan that will attempt to bring a little piece of Armageddon to a space rock in 2022. Read more…
Hubble’s Dwarf Galaxy Stellar Treasure Trove
Anyone who’s read or seen The Hobbit knows that dwarves love sparkling treasures — and this image from Hubble shows that dwarf galaxies are no different. Read more…
Is that the River Nile? Nope. But it is the biggest river ever imaged on another world. White liquid methane rapids rafting on Titan anyone?
Comets Lay Siege Around Nearby Star Systems: These new observations hold a special relevance to the origins of planetary oceans, and by extension, the habitability of Earth and the potential habitability of exoplanets. The absence of large Saturn- to Jupiter-mass worlds means that these star systems likely avoided the heavy bombardment of comets the inner solar system received and, instead, are experiencing a steady rain of comets. The comets of Gliese 581 and 61 Virginis are in it for the long-haul, laying siege.
The old girl looks pretty good! Photos like this remind us how small we really are.
This photo was taken by the European Space Agency’s new MSG-3 weather satellite. It’s new!
Launched on July 5, the MSG-3 is performing well and on its way to becoming active after six months of development.
The satellite is spin-stabilized, meaning it can always face Earth and take high-resolution images. This first photo was taken with an instrument aboard the craft called the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI).
These satellites help provide better weather coverage and short-range forecasts for Europe and Africa, especially in the case of rapidly developing storms or fog.
