Hubble Observes a Peculiar Galaxy Shape
06 Oct
Science & Technology

Hubble Observes a Peculiar Galaxy Shape

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NASA Space Technology This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the galaxy, NGC 4694. Most galaxies fall into one of two basic types. Spiral galaxies are young and energetic, filled with the gas needed to form new stars and sporting spiral arms that host these hot, bright youths. Elliptical galaxies have a much more pedestrian look, and their light comes from a uniform population of older and redder stars. But some galaxies require in-depth study to classify their type: such is the case with NGC 4694, a galaxy located 54 million light-years from Earth in the Virgo galaxy cluster.NGC 4694 has a smooth-looking, armless disk which like an elliptical galaxy is nearly devoid of star formation. Yet its stellar population is still relatively young and new stars are actively forming in its core,...
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Hera mission set to revisit asteroid after NASA’s redirection test
06 Oct
Science & Technology

Hera mission set to revisit asteroid after NASA’s redirection test

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NASA Space Technology The European Space Agency’s Hera mission will study the asteroids Dimorphos aided by two CubeSats called Juventas and MilaniESA/ScienceOffice.orgTwo years after a NASA spacecraft slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos, another mission to map the space rock is about to launch. The data it collects will refine Earth’s planetary defences against asteroid threats, say researchers.In 2022, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collided with the asteroid Dimorphos at 6.6 kilometres per second as it orbited its parent asteroid Didymos. The mission was an attempt to show that bodies on a collision course with our planet could be redirected, and subsequent observations from Earth showed that it had successfully changed...
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ESA’s ‘planetary defence mission’ has startups dreaming of asteroid mining
06 Oct
Science & Technology

ESA’s ‘planetary defence mission’ has startups dreaming of asteroid mining

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NASA Space Technology Europe’s spacetech elite are making their final preparations for a groundbreaking meeting with an asteroid.A spacecraft called Hera — named after the Greek goddess of marriage — will make the rendezvous. The probe is slated for launch on October 7.If all goes well, Hera will then complete a detailed inspection of Dimorphos — a binary asteroid that’s also caught the eye of NASA.Back in 2022, the agency’s DART spacecraft deliberately smashed into Dimorphos. The collision contributed to a test of humanity’s planetary defences.NASA wants to prove that we could divert a giant space rock hurtling towards Earth — and avoid the same fate as...
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