Pan - African Citizen Science e - lab’s Post

Our Photometry on the WASP 39b exoplanet

NASA has made two incredible discoveries in 2024 that are pushing the boundaries of our knowledge about habitable worlds beyond our solar system. TOI-715 b: A newly discovered super-Earth, located 137 light-years away, sits in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. This makes it a prime candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life. K2-18 b: The James Webb Space Telescope has identified methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of this exoplanet, suggesting a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and potentially an ocean beneath. The detection of dimethyl sulfide, a molecule produced by life on Earth, adds to the intrigue. These findings are a testament to the power of modern space telescopes and the dedication of the scientific community. Exciting times ahead as we continue to explore the universe! 🚀🔭 #NASA #SpaceExploration #Exoplanets #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #Astrobiology #Science Sources: https://lnkd.in/dYE58rSr https://lnkd.in/dqMzvA9d

The new rotating-drift-scan (RDS) charge-coupled device (CCD) technique, allows asteroids as a point source. The NEAs are asteroids whose trajectories are in close proximity with Earth's orbit. The possibility of it having an impact on our planet presents a grave threat, underscoring the imperative need for prompt follow-up observations of newly identified NEAs for rapidly assessing their orbital elements. However, observing rapidly moving objects with extended exposure times can result in streaked images, thus markedly diminishing the accuracy of astronomical measurements. The researchers from Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory pioneered an innovative method known as the rotating-drift-scan (RDS) charge-coupled device (CCD) technique, which allows the asteroid to be imaged as a point source, even with a long exposure time. #clickmepakistan #astronomers #asteroids #space #newtechnology

Pan of Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Intermediate Black Hole Evidence | Hubble FriendsofNASA.org: An international team of astronomers has used more than 500 images from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope spanning two decades to detect seven fast-moving stars in the innermost region of Omega Centauri, the largest and brightest globular cluster in the sky. These stars provide compelling new evidence for the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). Omega Centauri is visible from Earth with the naked eye and is one of the favorite celestial objects for stargazers in the southern hemisphere. Although the cluster is 17,000 light-years away, lying just above the plane of the Milky Way, it appears almost as large as the full Moon when seen from a dark rural area. The exact classification of Omega Centauri has evolved through time, as our ability to study it has improved. It was first listed in Ptolemy's catalog nearly two thousand years ago as a single star. Edmond Halley reported it as a nebula in 1677, and in the 1830s the English astronomer John Herschel was the first to recognize it as a globular cluster. Omega Centauri consists of roughly 10 million stars that are gravitationally bound. Credit: NASA & ESA, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble) Duration: 30 seconds Release Date: June 28, 2024 #NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #StarCluster #GlobularCluster #OmegaCentauri #BlackHole #IntermediateMass #IMBH #Centaurus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Are We Alone? Latest Breakthroughs in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life! Are we alone in the universe? This age-old question continues to drive our quest for extraterrestrial life. Recent technological and scientific advancements are significantly boosting our understanding of the cosmos. From probing icy moons like Europa, where NASA's Europa Clipper mission aims to uncover signs of hydrothermal vents and microbial life, to analyzing the atmospheres of exoplanets, we're making exciting strides. Discover the fascinating Alpha Centauri system, particularly Proxima Centauri b, a planet within the habitable zone that could harbor liquid water. Learn how the upcoming TOLIMAN telescope will revolutionize our hunt for alien worlds. Don't forget to like and share this video! #AlienLife #EuropaClipper #ProximaCentauri #TOLIMAN #ExoplanetExploration #Astrobiology #SpaceExploration

Kitt Peak National Observatory Discovers Extremely Strange Orbit of Rare Exoplanet FriendsofNASA.org: Using the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation's Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab, astronomers have discovered the extreme orbit of an exoplanet that is on its way to becoming a "hot Jupiter". This exoplanet not only follows one of the most drastically stretched-out orbits of all known transiting exoplanets but is also orbiting its star backwards, lending insight into the mystery of how hot Jupiters evolve. Planets that are more than twice the diameter of Earth have about ten Earth masses and enough gravity to hold onto hydrogen, the most abundant element in the Universe. Such large planets turn into gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is more than ten times the diameter of Earth and more than 300 times the mass of Earth. Most of the 300 plus exoplanets that have been detected so far are gas giants. However, unlike Jupiter that is five times as far from the Sun as Earth, exoplanets, referred to as "hot Jupiters", are much closer to their stars than Earth is to the Sun. Video Credit: NOIRLab Images and Videos: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/KPNO/R. Proctor/J. da Silva/Spaceengine/M. Zamani/ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser/N. Bartmann Duration: 1 minute, 31 seconds Release Date: July 17, 2024 Uldouz K. Maedeh Taherkhany Diane M. Rousseau LHD, Ph.D Elif Pekeroglu Temurtas Carla Antonella Gatti Zahra T. Jonathan Wolf Mitra Nikpay Nikhil Churi, Ph.D, PM, FM, Lean, Six Sigma, Data Analytics #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Planets #Exoplanets #HotJupiters #Orbit #Cosmos #Universe #WIYNTelescope #KPNO #NSF #AURA #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the globular cluster NGC 2005... It’s not an unusual globular cluster in and of itself, but it is a peculiarity when compared to its surroundings. NGC 2005 is located about 750 light-years from the heart of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is the Milky Way’s largest satellite galaxy some 62,000 light-years fro1m Earth. Globular clusters are densely packed groups of stars that can hold tens of thousands or millions of stars. Their density means they are tightly bound by gravity and therefore very stable. This stability contributes to their longevity: globular clusters can be billions of years old and are often comprised of very old stars. Studying globular clusters in space can be a little like studying fossils on Earth: where fossils give insights into the characteristics of ancient plants and animals, globular clusters illuminate the characteristics of ancient stars ...text credit: European Space Agency (ESA) Maisons Of Tomorrow editor@ maisonsoftomorrow #globularcluster #space #magellaniccloud #nasa

Pan of Star Cluster Omega Centauri: Intermediate Black Hole Evidence | Hubble FriendsofNASA.org: An international team of astronomers has used more than 500 images from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope spanning two decades to detect seven fast-moving stars in the innermost region of Omega Centauri, the largest and brightest globular cluster in the sky. These stars provide compelling new evidence for the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). Omega Centauri is visible from Earth with the naked eye and is one of the favorite celestial objects for stargazers in the southern hemisphere. Although the cluster is 17,000 light-years away, lying just above the plane of the Milky Way, it appears almost as large as the full Moon when seen from a dark rural area. The exact classification of Omega Centauri has evolved through time, as our ability to study it has improved. It was first listed in Ptolemy's catalog nearly two thousand years ago as a single star. Edmond Halley reported it as a nebula in 1677, and in the 1830s the English astronomer John Herschel was the first to recognize it as a globular cluster. Omega Centauri consists of roughly 10 million stars that are gravitationally bound. Credit: NASA & ESA, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble) Duration: 30 seconds Release Date: June 28, 2024 #NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #StarCluster #GlobularCluster #OmegaCentauri #BlackHole #IntermediateMass #IMBH #Centaurus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

🌕✨ Did you hear about Earth's temporary new neighbor? A meteorite has been caught in Earth's orbit, earning the nickname 'Second Moon!' 🌍🔭 Scientists estimate this object will orbit our planet for the next two months before drifting away—an incredible reminder of the ever-changing nature of space. Though it's small compared to our actual moon, this celestial visitor brings excitement to astronomers and space enthusiasts alike. Could this phenomenon happen more frequently than we think? 🛰️ As we continue exploring the cosmos, events like these remind us of the boundless wonders out there. At AdvancingX, we’re always looking beyond the horizon, ready to train the next generation of explorers. 🚀 #SecondMoon #Meteorite #SpaceNews #SpaceExploration #Cosmos #AdvancingX #Astronomy #ScienceDaily #EarthsOrbit #SpaceExplorers #CareerAstronauts

It’s literally one of the oldest questions of all: “Are we alone in the universe?” To the rational mind, based on the sheer size of the universe, it seems just about impossible to imagine that we are. However, until very recently we weren’t even sure if there were other planets out there. Perhaps the circumstances that allowed our rocky worlds and their bulky gaseous planetary siblings to take form was a fluke, a one in a trillion cosmic accident that was never repeated in all of time. Fortunately, for those on the “No, we’re not alone!” school of thought the first extrasolar planet (one formed around a star other than our own) was identified in 1992. Since then, thanks to NASA and its Hubble and new James Webb space-based telescopes, along with the work of the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and a host of other sky-watching entities we have now catalogued more than 5,000 extrasolar planets, with hundreds more being spotted annually. But what are they like? Based on the work of astronomers this growing family of orbiting worlds are apparently about as unique and dissimilar to our Earth (and each other) as they could be. Some are vast, some are tiny. Some are gas giants, and some are rocky worlds like ours – and some could even have water just like our blue green world. To help visualize this astronomic assortment the creative minds at Halcyon Maps, under the direction of creative wizard Martin Vargic have created an artwork entitled: ‘The Exoplanet Zoo’ – to showcase the various sizes configurations and colors of these distant worlds. Each of the individual planets in the display is presented at scale; to show how different these worlds are from each other. It's estimated that our own Milky Way Galaxy could be home to somewhere between 100 and 200 billion worlds – with the number of galaxies in the universe numbering upwards to two trillion – with each of them home to billions of planets. That’s a lot of real estate where life can take hold. Are we alone? Not likely, and here are a few places in our immediate cosmic neighborhood where it may already have taken root – and is staring back at us wondering the same question right this moment. #universe #extrasolarplanet #halcyonmaps #extrasolar #nasa