Space Hubble Telescope News

[Robby]

Superflares From Young Red Dwarf Stars Imperil Planets

The term "HAZMAT" connotes danger. In this case, it's on a cosmic scale, where violent flares of seething gas from small, young stars may make entire planets uninhabitable. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is observing such stars through a large program called HAZMAT — HAbitable Zones and M dwarf Activity across Time. This is an ultraviolet survey of red dwarfs — referred to as "M dwarfs" in astronomical circles — at three different ages: young, intermediate, and old.

Approximately three-quarters of the stars in our galaxy are red dwarfs. Most of the galaxy's "habitable-zone" planets orbit these small stars. But young red dwarfs are active stars, producing ultraviolet flares that blast out million-degree plasma with an intensity that could influence atmospheric chemistry and possibly strip off the atmospheres of these fledgling planets. The HAZMAT team found that flares from the youngest red dwarfs they surveyed — around 40 million years old — are 100 to 1,000 times more energetic than when the stars are older. This is the age when terrestrial planets are forming around their stars. Scientists also detected one of the most intense stellar flares ever observed in ultraviolet light. Dubbed the "Hazflare," this event was more energetic than the most powerful flare from our Sun ever recorded.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Behind the Scenes of Recovering NASA's Hubble

In the early morning of October 27, 2018, the Hubble Space Telescope targeted a field of galaxies not far from the Great Square in the constellation Pegasus. Contained in the field were star-forming galaxies up to 11 billion light-years away. With the target in its sights, Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 recorded an image. It was the first picture captured by the telescope since it closed its eyes on the universe three weeks earlier, and it was the result of an entire team of engineers and experts working tirelessly to get the telescope exploring the cosmos once again.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Hubble Uncovers Thousands of Globular Star Clusters Scattered Among Galaxies

Globular star clusters are favorite targets for amateur sky watchers. To the naked eye they appear as fuzzy-looking stars. Through a small telescope they resolve into glittering snowball-shaped islands of innumerable stars crowded together. About 150 globular star clusters orbit our Milky Way, like bees buzzing around a hive. They are the earliest homesteaders of our galaxy, containing the universe's oldest known stars.

Hubble is so powerful it can see globular star clusters 300 million light-years away. And, a lot of them. Peering into the heart of the giant Coma cluster of galaxies Hubble captured a whopping 22,426 globular star clusters. The survey found the globular clusters scattered in space among the 1,000 galaxies inside the Coma cluster. They have been orphaned from their home galaxy due to galaxy near-collisions inside the traffic-jammed galaxy cluster. Because they are so numerous in the Coma cluster, they are excellent tracers of the entire gravitational field that keeps the galaxies from flinging off into space. The gravity is a tracer of the distribution of dark matter.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

NASA's Webb Telescope Will Provide Census of Fledgling Stars in Stellar Nursery

Billions of years ago, the young universe blazed with the brilliant light of myriad stars bursting to life. The young stars arising from this stellar "baby boom" are too far away and too faint for even the most powerful telescopes to study in detail.

Astronomers will use the upcoming NASA James Webb Space Telescope to study star birth in the nearby Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy, which contains some of the same conditions that existed in galaxies during the universe’s peak star-formation epoch. Webb’s sharp infrared vision will help researchers take a census of medium-mass stars like our Sun still wrapped in their dense, dusty cocoons in the giant stellar nursery NGC 346, located about 200,000 light-years away. This census could help astronomers develop a clearer picture of how the galaxies of long ago churned out stars so rapidly.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

STScI and JHU Astronomer Adam Riess Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has elected Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) astronomer and professor at the Johns Hopkins University Adam Riess as an Honorary Member. The Academy honors excellence by electing to membership remarkable men and women who have made preeminent contributions to their fields, and to the world. Riess joins a new class of Academy members drawn from the sciences, the arts and humanities, business, public affairs, and the nonprofit sector. The 212 scholars, scientists, artists, civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders come from 20 states and 15 countries, and range in age from 37 to 86. Represented among this year's newly elected members are more than 50 universities and more than a dozen corporations, as well as museums, national laboratories and private research institutes, media outlets and foundations. Riess is a leader of a team that, in 1998 co-discovered "dark energy", a mysterious repulsive force in the universe. Dark energy is the biggest mystery now confronting astrophysics, and Riess continues doing observations to deduce what dark energy is. The 38-year-old astrophysicist has been at STScI since 1999.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

STScI Senior Astrophysicist Mario Livio Elected AAAS Fellow

In November, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Council elected Space Telescope Science Institute's senior astrophysicist Mario Livio and 530 other AAAS members as Fellows of AAAS. Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. These individuals will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held on February 20, 2010, during the AAAS Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif. The new Fellows will receive a certificate and a blue and gold rosette in recognition of their distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Dr. Livio is cited for his "distinguished contributions to astrophysics through research on stars and galaxies and through communicating and interpreting science and mathematics to the public." The new Fellows are being announced in the AAAS News and Notes section of today's issue of the journal Science.

For more information about this announcement, visit: AAAS Members Elected as Fellows

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

STScI Announces the 2010 Hubble Fellows

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md. has selected 17 new candidates for the 2010 Hubble Fellowship Program. The fellows may pursue their research at any host university or research center of their choosing in the United States and will begin their programs in the fall of 2010. Each fellowship provides support to the awardees for three years. The awardees pursue research broadly related to NASA's Cosmic Origins Program. The missions in this program examine the origins of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems, and the evolution of these structures with cosmic time, and presently include: the Herschel Space Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Inaugurated in 1990, the Hubble Fellowship Program funds research opportunities for outstanding candidates selected in 2010 from more than 230 applicants.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Space Telescope Science Institute Announces the 2011 Hubble Fellows

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) announces today the selection of 17 new candidates for the Hubble Fellowship Program. This is one of the three prestigious postdoctoral fellowship programs funded by NASA. The other programs are the Sagan and the Einstein Fellowships. STScI administers the Hubble Fellowship Program for NASA.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Light Fantastic: Laser at Inner Harbor Beams Hubble's Heartbeat

Beginning on Sunday, September 25 an outdoor laser exhibit at the Maryland Science Center will present a unique blend of astronomy and art. Hubble spectral observations of distant galaxies will be projected onto the Maryland Science Center with an intense green laser. Educational activities will allow students to explore the world of light and color in astronomy.

For more information, visit: HubbleSite - From the Distant Past Exhibit

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Help Find Hubble's Hidden Treasures

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has made over one million observations during its more than two decades in orbit. New images are published nearly every week, but hidden in Hubble's huge data archives are some truly breathtaking images that have never been seen. They're called Hubble's Hidden Treasures, and between now and May 31, 2012, the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA's partner in the Hubble mission, invites you to help bring them to light. Just explore the Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA) at Welcome to the Hubble Legacy Archive, dig out a great dataset, adjust the contrast and colors using the simple online tools, and submit to the Hubble's Hidden Treasures Contest Flickr group. For more information about the competition, visit the Hubble's Hidden Treasures webpage at
Hubble's Hidden Treasures 2012.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Hubble's Photo Contest Selects Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the European Space Agency's Hubble's Hidden Treasures Competition! The Hubble's Hidden Treasures contest asked amateur image processors to select and process a never-before-publicized image from Hubble's archives. Almost 3,000 submissions were received, with over a thousand of these images fully processed, revealing some stunning Hubble imagery.

Ten winners were selected from both the Basic Image Category and the Advanced Image Processing Category, along with a People's Choice winner from each.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

NASA's Webb Telescope to Have a Texas-Sized Presence at the South by Southwest Festival

Everything's bigger in Texas, and a life-sized model of the world's largest space telescope, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, will be on display at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival along with Webb-related exhibits, educational events, interactives, visualizations, scientists, and much more. The NASA events at SXSW will occur March 8-10, 2013, in Austin.

The Webb telescope model is coming to SXSW just in time to highlight the fact that this spring NASA is starting to bring together some of the major parts of the observatory. In 2013, NASA will begin to integrate the four science instruments that will be attached to the telescope. NASA is partnering with Northrop Grumman, the Space Telescope Science Institute, Ball Aerospace, Microsoft Research, and the University of Texas' Astronomy Department to bring an amazing display of science and technology to SXSW. For more information about the SXSW festival and the Webb Telescope SXSW events, visit: SXSW Conference & Festivals and http://go.nasa.gov/JWSTsxsw.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

NASA Helps Make Guinness World Record for Largest Astronomy Lesson at SXSW

Looking up through hundreds of colored filters and spectral glasses, 526 people shattered the record for the Largest Astronomy Lesson. Under the Texas night sky, students were instructed on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin on Sunday, March 10, 2013.

For more images and information, visit:
NASA - NASA Helps Make Guinness World Record for Largest Astronomy Lesson at SXSW

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

NASA and STScI Select 17 Hubble Fellows for 2013

NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) have announced the selection of 17 new Hubble Fellows. The Hubble Fellowship Program now includes all research relevant to present and future missions in NASA's Cosmic Origins theme. These missions currently include the Herschel Space Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), and the Spitzer Space Telescope. STScI in Baltimore, Md., administers the Hubble Fellowship Program for NASA.

More than 310 of the most prominent and active scientists in this field have been supported at a crucial phase in their careers by this program, and the Hubble Fellowship Program continues to be one of the highlights of NASA's pursuit of excellence in space science. The new Hubble Fellows will begin their programs in the fall of 2013.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Dr. Jason Kalirai Selected as One of Baltimore's Future Visionaries

Astronomer Dr. Jason Kalirai of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has been cited by Baltimore Magazine as one of the "top 40 under 40" up-and-comers in the Baltimore metropolitan region. The selection, which the magazine does every five years, looks at young Baltimore professionals in a diversity of fields who in the editor's opinion are an exceptional selection of people that will have an important impact on the future. The 35-year-old Kalirai was selected from several hundred potential candidates to be highlighted in the magazine's October issue.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

Dr. Jason Kalirai Honored as 2013 Outstanding Young Scientist

Dr. Jason Kalirai, James Webb Space Telescope Project Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute and associate researcher at the Center for Astrophysical Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., will be presented the 2013 Annual Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) award by the Maryland Academy of Sciences and the Maryland Science Center on Nov. 20.

The OYS award program was established in 1959 and recognizes Maryland residents who have distinguished themselves early in their careers for accomplishments in science. Award recipients are chosen by members of the Maryland Academy of Sciences' Scientific Advisory Council, which provides expertise and content review to the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Md. Kalirai will share this year's award with Dr. Claire E. Cramer of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

2014 Van Biesbroeck Prize Awarded to Former STScI Deputy Director Hauser

Michael Hauser, former deputy director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and an adjunct professor in the Johns Hopkins University's Physics and Astronomy Department, will receive the 2014 George Van Biesbroeck Prize from the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

The prize honors a living individual for long-term extraordinary or unselfish service to astronomy, often beyond the requirements of his or her paid position. In its citation, the Van Biesbroeck Prize committee recognized Hauser's long service to the astronomy community. The committee emphasized Hauser's "strategic vision" in establishing and leading the infrared group at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and later, as STScI's deputy director, where he played a key role in turning STScI into a multi-mission institution.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

STScI Astronomers Nancy Levenson and David Soderblom Elected AAAS Fellows

Nancy A. Levenson and David R. Soderblom of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

The AAAS cited Dr. Levenson for her exemplary service and distinguished contributions to the field of astrophysics as Deputy Director of the international Gemini Observatory in La Serena, Chile. She is currently STScI's Deputy Director. Soderblom is cited by the AAAS for his distinguished work in the field of astrophysics, with contributions to understanding low-mass stars and exoplanet searches. An Astronomer at STScI since 1984, Soderblom is also a Principal Research Scientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In honor of their efforts, Levenson, Soderblom, and the 389 other newly elected Fellows will receive an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on February 18, 2017, at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2017 AAAS annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information about this announcement, visit News.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

'Our Place In Space:' Astronomy and Art Combine in Brand New Hubble-Inspired Exhibition

Since the dawn of civilization, we have gazed into the night sky and attempted to make sense of what we saw there, asking questions such as: Where do we come from? What is our place in the universe? And are we alone? As we ask those questions today and new technology expands our horizons further into space, our yearning for their answers only grows. Since its launch in 1990, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has continued this quest for answers while orbiting Earth every 90 minutes. Hubble has not only made countless new astronomical discoveries, but also brought astronomy to the public eye, satisfying our curiosity, sparking our imaginations, and greatly impacting culture, society, and art.

A new traveling exhibition, "Our Place in Space" features iconic Hubble images. It presents not only a breathtaking pictorial journey through our solar system and to the edges of the known universe, but also Hubble-inspired works by selected Italian artists. By seamlessly integrating perspectives from both artists and astronomers, the exhibition will inspire visitors to think deeply about how humanity fits into the grand scheme of the universe. Before moving to other venues, the exhibition will be on display from February 1 to April 17, 2017, in the Istituto Veneto di Science, Lettere ed Arti, Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. For more information about the traveling exhibition and Hubble, visit: Our Place in Space to launch in Venice - Astronomy and art combine in a brand new Hubble-inspired exhibition.

(More at HubbleSite.com)

 

[Robby]

STScI Astronomer Massimo Stiavelli Elected AAAS Fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Council has elected Massimo Stiavelli of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, and 415 other AAAS members as Fellows of the AAAS. Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers for their efforts to advance science or its applications. STScI is the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope, and leads science and mission operations for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is scheduled to launch in 2021.

Dr. Stiavelli is cited by the AAAS for his pioneering work on the earliest galaxies and quasi-stellar objects, galaxy formation and evolution, and for leadership as the JWST Mission Head at STScI. Stiavelli joined STScI as an Astronomer in 1995. His research interests include galaxy structure, formation and evolution.

The new Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on February 16, 2019, at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2019 AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

For more information about this announcement, visit the AAAS website.

(More at HubbleSite.com)