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Secrets of Space

Cosmic ring in a cloud of dust and gas

Image July 4, 2014 space

Cosmic ring - NASA — Cosmic ring within a gas and dust cloud in NGC 7538

The ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory houses the largest infrared telescope placed into space in order to study the lives and evolution of stars and galaxies. Its on-board instruments took this stunning image of a large cloud of cosmic dust and gases which are 9,100 light years from Earth, referred to as NGC 7538, and shows a giant ring like structure that is situated at the center-top of this picture. Astronomers and scientists are not certain as to what this cosmic ring may be but it could help in their study of how stars come into existence.

Pictures

Idunn Mons volcano on Venus

Image July 2, 2014 space

Venus Volcano - NASA — Venus’ Idunn Mons volcano from the Imdr Regio area

The Idunn Mons volcano was photographed by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Venus Express spacecraft mission. This volcanic peak is about 200 km across and sits at 46 degrees south latitude, 214.5 degrees east longitude in the Imdr Regio area of Venus. The reddish-orange portion near the center of the image represents the warmest area which is centered on the summit and stands about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) above the plains.

Pictures

Dust storms on Mars

Image June 30, 2014 space

Mars Dust - NASA — NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs the dusty martian atmosphere

This picture was taken by the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and covers an area about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) wide on the Maritian surface. The atmosphere of the red planet seems to be experiencing dust storms when this particular weather related observation of Mars was made on March 20, 2014.

Pictures

Titan’s Polar Vortex

Image June 27, 2014 space

Titan - NASA — The Cassini orbiter photographed Titan’s polar vortex

Titan is one of the 62 moons of planet Saturn, and is considered a very “planet like moon” being that it is the only natural satellite with a naturally dense atmosphere consisting mostly of nitrogen gas. The Cassini orbiter took this picture of Titan’s polar vortex from a distance of about 134,000 miles. The southern pole of Titan is in winter season but the Sun is still able to illuminate Titan’s polar vortex, while everything else is in shadow.

Pictures

New Serpent stars

Image June 25, 2014 space

Serpent - NASA — Spitzer space telescope shows the birth of new stars in the Serpens constellation

750 light years from Earth, constellation Serpens (or Serpent) is humming with cosmic activity as new stars are being born within the blanketing dust of the Serpens Cloud Core. The Spitzer space telescope initiative has numerous instruments and projects that focus on seeking out these budding young stars. This composite image includes data acquired over multiple hours from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) and the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) as part of their Young Stellar Object Variability (YSOVAR) project. The wavelengths cataloged in this picture include:

1.3 microns = blue
3.5 microns = green
4.6 microns = red

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