Best Space Photos of the Week
Stellar Shots: A Solar Flare and a Volcano Blizzard
This week’s celestial showcase features a powerful solar eruption and a snowy spectacle on a Hawaiian volcano.
Solar Excitement
On March 11, the sun unleashed a colossal X2-class solar flare, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). X-class flares, the most potent type known, can disrupt satellites and GPS navigation systems. SDO vigilantly monitors the sun to unravel the mysteries of these explosive events and potentially predict harmful solar activity.
Homecoming
The Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft made a graceful descent past the waning moon, landing in Kazakhstan on March 12. The Soyuz module carried a NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts back from their 167-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS). The trio conducted scientific experiments and prepared the ISS for future occupants.
Icy Patch
Comets, often referred to as “dirty snowballs,” have perplexed scientists with their varying compositions. ESA’s Rosetta mission, orbiting comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko since 2014, has released images hinting at a substantial presence of water ice near the comet’s surface. Rosetta will further investigate this region using infrared techniques to detect the chemical signature of H2O.
Volcano Blizzard
A NASA satellite captured an extraordinary image on March 10, revealing the snow-laden summit of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island. Days later, the peak faced a blizzard warning, with forecasts of freezing fog, strong winds, and snow accumulation. Despite its chilly altitude, Mauna Kea’s thin air provides ideal conditions for astronomy, although the snowfall has temporarily halted the construction of a new telescope on the observatory-dotted mountain.
Stellar Altar
Amidst the constellation Ara, the Altar, lies a vibrant cosmic tapestry of young stars, gas, and dust. The most detailed image yet of this stellar landscape reveals multiple star clusters, nebulae, and molecular clouds intertwined in a delicate dance of evolution. At the heart of this cosmic scene, the brilliant stars of the open cluster NGC 6193 illuminate the nearby Rim Nebula, casting an ethereal glow upon the surrounding gas.
Hold Your Fire
NASA marked a significant milestone on March 11 with the successful firing of the booster for its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Designed to propel humans into deep space, the SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built. The booster performed flawlessly during a two-minute ground test, producing an astonishing 3.6 million pounds of thrust. Before embarking on its maiden launch in late 2018, the booster must complete one more test firing.
Additional Stellar Shots
Beyond our top picks, here are a few more captivating space images that caught our attention:
- A vibrant aurora borealis dances over the night sky, casting an otherworldly glow upon the snow-covered landscape.
- The Hubble Space Telescope captures a stunning image of a spiral galaxy, revealing its intricate arms and vibrant star-forming regions.
- A spacecraft ventures close to a rogue planet, capturing its desolate and barren surface in unprecedented detail.
- A composite image of the sun showcases the intricate patterns of its magnetic field, providing insights into the sun’s behavior and activity.
- A long-exposure photograph of the night sky reveals the Milky Way’s swirling arms and countless stars, offering a breathtaking glimpse of our cosmic neighborhood.
