Nancy Atkinson, Author at Universe Today

March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

A Single Dust Devil on Mars

A well-defined dust devil traversing the dunes of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL/UArizona

Mars has a great combination of dust and wind. The result of that combination is often dust devils.

The HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured several dust devils in action, including this lonely whirling dust cloud traversing across a small crater on the Red Planet.

March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

Earth’s Atmosphere Can Generate a “Space Hurricane”

Illustration of a space hurricane, created using the observational data. Credit: Qing-He Zhang / Shandong University

There are hurricanes in space.

Researchers looking through archival data found evidence of a previously unobserved phenomenon — a giant swirling mass of plasma above Earth’s northern polar region. The “space hurricane,” as the science team calls it, churned for hours, raining down electrons instead of water.

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

Jupiter has Added a Comet to its Trojan Collection

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this image of the young comet P/2019 LD2 as it orbits near Jupiter's captured ancient asteroids, which are called Trojans. This icy object is the first comet astronomers have spotted near the Trojan population. CREDITS: NASA, ESA, STScI, B. Bolin (IPAC/Caltech)

Jupiter is notorious for capturing objects that venture too close to the gas giant and its enormous pull of gravity. Asteroids known as Jupiter Trojans are a large group of space rocks that have been snared by the planet, which usually remain in a stable orbit near one of the Jupiter’s Lagrangian points.

But now, the Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a comet near Jupiter’s Trojan asteroid population. This is the first time a comet has been found in this region, and the team of scientists studying the object – named P/2019 LD2 (LD2) – think the unexpected comet is only a temporary visitor.

February 28, 2021February 10, 2022 by Nancy Atkinson

Parker Solar Probe Captured Images of Venus on its way to the Sun

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe had an up-close view of Venus when it flew by the planet in July 2020. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Naval Research Laboratory/Guillermo Stenborg and Brendan Gallagher

Last summer, the Parker Solar Probe flew past Venus on its way to fly closer to the Sun. In a bit of a surprise, one of the spacecraft’s cameras, the Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe, or WISPR, captured a striking image of the planet’s nightside from 7,693 miles (12380 km) away.

The surprise of the image was that WISPR – a visible light camera – seemingly captured Venus’ surface in infrared light.

February 24, 2021February 24, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

There was a Secret Code in the Perseverance Parachute

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image during its descent to Mars, using its Parachute Up-Look Camera A. This camera is mounted on the spacecraft's backshell and looks up at the parachute. This image was acquired on Feb. 23, 2021 (Sol 2) at the local mean solar time of 10:27:31. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

A secret coded message was hidden on the gigantic parachute used to land the Perseverance rover safely on the surface on Mars. And no, it wasn’t a clandestine message to the Martians. It was a message of inspiration for us humans.

But it also came as a challenge.

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

Perseverance’s Landing … Seen From Orbit!

The Mars 2020 descent stage holding NASA’s Perseverance rover can be seen falling through the Martian atmosphere, its parachute trailing behind, in this image taken on February 18, 2021 by the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credit: NASA/JPL/UArizona

The HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has done it again.

The imaging team was able to capture the Perseverance rover as it descended through the Martian atmosphere, hanging under its parachute.

Stunning.

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

How Long Will Space Junk Take to Burn Up? Here’s a Handy Chart

An artist's illustration of space junk. The problem isn't this bad yet, but it's getting worse year by year. Image: Tohoku University

If the Roman Empire had been able to launch a satellite in a relatively high Low Earth Orbit – say about 1,200 km (750 miles) in altitude – only now would that satellite be close to falling back to Earth. And if the dinosaurs had launched a satellite into the furthest geostationary orbit – 36,000 km (23,000 miles) or higher — it might still be up there today.

February 19, 2021March 9, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

Perseverance has Landed. Here are its First Pictures From the Surface of Mars

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image of the area in front of it using its onboard Front Left Hazard Avoidance Camera A. This image was acquired on Feb. 18, 2021 (Sol 0) at the local mean solar time of 20:58:24. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

They’ve done it again. After a journey of nearly seven months for the Perseverance rover, the Navigation and Entry, Descent and Landing teams successfully guided their intrepid traveler to a pinpoint landing inside Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021.

And within minutes of the landing, Perseverance sent back two images from the front and rear Hazard Avoidance Cameras, revealing its surroundings on the Red Planet.

February 17, 2021February 17, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

The Largest Crater on the Moon Reveals Secrets About its Early History

Thorium concentrations measured by Lunar Prospector across the vast South Pole–Aitken Basin on the lunar far side are shown here, illustrating how mantle material ejected by an impact event about 4.3 billion years ago is currently distributed across the surface. Warmer colors represent higher concentrations; contour lines are at intervals of 0.5 part per million. Credit: Daniel P. Moriarty III

One of the oldest, deepest, and largest impact craters on the Moon provides a window into the history and makeup of our celestial companion, and needs to be studied in more detail, says a team of lunar scientists. The South Pole-Aitken Basin on the Moon formed from a gigantic impact about 4.3 billion years ago. Scientists say a more detailed analysis of this area will help refine the timeline of events in the Moon’s development, as well as help explain the dramatic differences between the lunar nearside and farside.

February 16, 2021February 17, 2021 by Nancy Atkinson

This is What Happens to Spacecraft When They Re-Enter the Earth’s Atmosphere

The Russian Progress 76P MS-15 cargo spacecraft, after undocking from the International Space Station and burned up in the atmosphere, asl planned in February 2021. Image via astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

When one of the Russian Progress resupply ships undocks from the International Space Station, timing is everything. The Progress needs to fire its engines at just the right time to instigate the deorbit burn in order for the ship to enter the atmosphere at just the right place, so that its destructive re-entry occurs over the Pacific Ocean. That way, any potential surviving bits and pieces that might reach Earth will hit far away from any land masses – which are home to people, buildings, and other things we don’t want to get bonked.