So Cool!

So cool!

We Found the Universe’s First Type of Molecule

For decades, astronomers searched the cosmos for what is thought to be the first kind of molecule to have formed after the Big Bang. Now, it has finally been found. The molecule is called helium hydride. It’s made of a combination of hydrogen and helium. Astronomers think the molecule appeared more than 13 billion years ago and was the beginning step in the evolution of the universe. Only a few kinds of atoms existed when the universe was very young. Over time, the universe transformed from a primordial soup of simple molecules to the complex place it is today — filled with a seemingly infinite number of planets, stars and galaxies. Using SOFIA, the world’s largest airborne observatory, scientists observed newly formed helium hydride in a planetary nebula 3,000 light-years away. It was the first ever detection of the molecule in the modern universe. Learn more about the discovery:

Helium hydride is created when hydrogen and helium combine.

Since the 1970s, scientists thought planetary nebula NGC 7027—a giant cloud of gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus—had the right environment for helium hydride to exist.

But space telescopes could not pick out its chemical signal from a medley of molecules.

Enter SOFIA, the world’s largest flying observatory!

By pointing the aircraft’s 106-inch telescope at the planetary nebula and using a tool that works like a radio receiver to tune in to the “frequency” of helium hydride, similar to tuning a radio to a favorite station…

…the molecule’s chemical signal came through loud and clear, bringing a decades-long search to a happy end.

We Found The Universe’s First Type Of Molecule

SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft that allows astronomers to study the solar system and beyond in ways that are not possible with ground-based telescopes. Find out more about the mission at www.nasa.gov/SOFIA

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Color Synonyms

White

also: pale; blanched; sallow; pallid; waxen; spectral; translucent; albino;

Grey

also: dust; stone; pepper;

Black

also: coal; slate; dusky; ebon; shadow; murky;

Tan

also: flesh; khaki; cream; tawny;

Brown

also: henna; russet; sepia; chestnut; cocoa; drab; bronze;

Red

also: terracotta ; rouge; carmine; fire-engine; ruddy

Orange

also: pumpkin ; rust ;

Yellow

also: sunny; amber; saffron; hay; straw; platinum;

Green

also: viridescent; grass; jade; forest;

Blue

also: turquoise; cyan; ultramarine; royal; aqua; aquamarine;

Purple

also: berry; amaranthine;

Pink

also: flushed; candy; cherry blossom; petal pink ;

—– source: http://ingridsundberg.com/

—–additional synonyms added by me

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athenadonovan

6 years ago

0. A Robot May Not Harm Humanity, Or, By Inaction, Allow Humanity To Come To Harm.

0. A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

K2SO + breaking following Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics

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athenadonovan

4 years ago

Love this!

742K notes View Post

athenadonovan

4 years ago

Weird and Wonderful Irregular Galaxies

Spiral and elliptical galaxies seem neatly put together, but what happened to irregular galaxies? Irregular galaxies have one-of-a-kind shapes and many look like blobs! Why do they look the way they do? Astronomers think the uniqueness of these galaxies results from their interactions with other galaxies — like when they pass close to one another or even collide!

Looking back at the early universe with the help of our Hubble Space Telescope’s “deep field” observations, astronomers can peek at galaxies millions and billions of light-years away. They noticed that these far-away galaxies appear unusually messy, showing more star formation and mergers than galaxies closer to the Milky Way.

We also see irregular galaxies closer to home, though. Some may form when two galaxies pass close together in a near-miss. When this happens, their gravity pulls stars out of place in both galaxies, messing up the neat structure they originally had as spiral or elliptical galaxies. Think of it like this: you happen to have a pile of papers sitting at the edge of a table and when someone passes close by the papers become ruffled and may scatter everywhere! Even though the two galaxies never touched, gravity's effects leave them looking smeared or distorted.

Some irregular galaxies result from the collision between two galaxies. And while some of these look like a blob of stars and dust, others form dazzling ring galaxies! Scientists think these may be a product of collisions between small and large galaxies. These collisions cause ripples that disturb both galaxies, throwing dust, gas, and stars outward. When this happens, it pushes out a ring of material, causing gas clouds to collide and spark the birth of new stars. After just a few million years, stars larger than our Sun explode as supernovae, leaving neutron stars and black holes throughout the ring!

Not all galaxy collisions create irregular galaxies — our Milky Way spiral galaxy has gone through many mergers but has stayed intact! And for some interacting galaxies, being an irregular galaxy may just be a phase in their transformation. We’re observing them at a snapshot in time where things are messy, but they may eventually become neat and structured spirals and ellipticals.

Irregular galaxies are similar to each other, but unique and beautiful because of their different interactions, whether they’re just passing another galaxy or taking part in a dramatic collision. Keep up with NASA Universe on Facebook and Twitter where we post regularly about galaxies.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

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athenadonovan

2 years ago

Legend ❤️

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athenadonovan

3 years ago

I really enjoyed this VR experience. I think K2 was the best part.

Cassian Andor in Secrets of the Empire x

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athenadonovan

4 years ago

How did I not notice this???

THE CLONE WARS SCENES THAT SEEM ODDLY FAMILIAR (3/?)

THE CLONE WARS SCENES THAT SEEM ODDLY FAMILIAR (3/?)

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athenadonovan

2 years ago

Congratulations on a successful launch!

A long exposure shot captures the rocket’s trail from launch pad into the distance. Several branches near the bottom of the image frame the body of water that divides the space between the photographer and the launch pad. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

We are going to the Moon!

At 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, 2022, our Orion spacecraft launched aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a path to the Moon, officially beginning the Artemis I mission.

This mission is the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, the SLS rocket, and Kennedy ground systems. This is the very first time this rocket and spacecraft have flown together, and it’s the first of many Artemis missions to the Moon. Artemis I is uncrewed, but it lays the groundwork for increasingly complex missions that will land humans on the lunar surface, including the first woman and the first person of color to do so.

With Artemis, we will build a long-term human presence on the Moon and prepare humanity for future exploration plans to Mars and beyond.

See more photos of Artemis I on our Flickr.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!