保护地球，探索宇宙，发现文明
2020 March 18 Anticrepuscular Rays over Florida Image Credit & Copyright: Bryan Goff Explanation: What’s happening behind those clouds? Although the scene may appear somehow supernatural, nothing more unusual is occurring than a Sun setting on the other side of the sky. Pictured here are anticrepuscular rays. To understand them, start by picturing...
太阳系中的冰巨星：天王星和海王星既神秘又遥远。NASA的詹姆斯•韦伯太空望远镜（James Webb Space Telescope）将在2021年发射后不久，破解关于这两颗行星的大气的秘密，揭开它们的神秘面纱。 哈勃太空望远镜（Hubble Space Telescope）拍摄的这些图像显示了天王星的不同面貌。如左侧图所示，拍摄于2005年的天王中图像中年展示了其光环系统。天王星（连同其光环和卫星）向侧面倾斜，其自转轴的倾斜角度约为90度。在哈勃太空望远镜于一年后所拍摄的特写图中，揭示了天王星的带状结构和一个神秘黑暗风暴。 版权：美国国家航空航天局（NASA）、欧洲航天局（ESA）和M. Showalter (地外文明搜寻研究所，SETI Institute）； 右侧图像：NASA、ESA、L. Sromov...
2020 March 17 M77: Spiral Galaxy with an Active Center Image Credit: Hubble, NASA, ESA; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt Explanation: What’s happening in the center of nearby spiral galaxy M77? The face-on galaxy lies a mere 47 million light-years away toward the constellation of the Sea Monster (Cetus). At that estimated distance, this gorgeous...
At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 63 crewmembers Chris Cassidy of NASA (left) and Anatoly Ivanishin (center) and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos (right) pose for pictures in front of a Soyuz trainer during the second day of Soyuz qualification exams March 12. They are scheduled to launch April 9 on the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft ...
2020 March 16 A Moon Dressed Like Saturn Image Credit & Copyright: Francisco Sojuel Explanation: Why does Saturn appear so big? It doesn’t — what is pictured are foreground clouds on Earth crossing in front of the Moon. The Moon shows a slight crescent phase with most of its surface visible by reflected Earthlight known as ashen glow. The Su...
NASA已经选定了首批两项科学研究，将在“门户”(Gateway)上进行。门户是一个轨道前哨站，将为阿尔忒弥斯的登月活动提供支持，同时展示执行历史性的人类火星任务所需的技术。门户选择的仪器将观察太空天气并监测太阳辐射环境。 “与我们的商业和国际合作伙伴一起建设门户是可持续月球探索和阿尔忒弥斯计划的关键组成部分。”美国宇航局局长吉姆·布里登斯汀说，“将网关用作绕月球进行机器人和人类探索的平台，将有助于告知我们在月球表面的活动，并为我们的下一个巨大飞跃-人类对火星的探索做好准备。” 由欧洲航天局(ESA)建造的辐射仪器套件将帮助了解如何通过监测门户独特轨道上的辐射暴露来保证宇航员的安全。 由NASA建造的太空气象仪器套件将观测太阳产生的太阳粒子和太阳风。随着我们深入太空，人类和机器人探险者面临着来自太阳的猛烈和不可...
2020 March 15 The Snows of Churyumov-Gerasimenko Images Credit: ESA, Rosetta, MPS, OSIRIS; UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA; Animation: Jacint Roger Perez Explanation: You couldn’t really be caught in this blizzard while standing by a cliff on Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Orbiting the comet — frequently abbreviated as 67P or CG — in June of 2016...
2020 March 14 Moonrise and Mountain Shadow Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Lopez (El Cielo de Canarias) Explanation: What phase of the Moon is 3.14 radians from the Sun? The Full Moon, of course. Even though the Moon might look full for several days, the Moon is truly at its full phase when it is 3.14 radians (aka 180 degrees) from the Sun in ecliptic ...
Michun North is a program analyst who helps manage finances for the Commercial Crew Program. Here’s what she has to say about her work: “I manage the finances for the Commercial Crew Program—which works with aerospace industry partners to develop and launch a new generation of spacecraft capable of carrying crew to low-Earth orbit and the Intern...
Apollo 9 launched in March 1969, and was the countdown to Apollo 11. Flown in low Earth orbit, it was the first flight of the full Apollo spacecraft: the command and service module with the lunar module. The mission was flown to qualify the lunar module for lunar orbit operations in preparation for the first Moon landing by demonstrating its descent and asce...