Latest news with #HubbleSpaceTelescope
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration reportedly planning to cut 2,145 Nasa employees
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to cut at least 2,145 high-ranking Nasa employees with specialized skills or management responsibilities. According to documents obtained by Politico, most employees leaving are in senior-level government ranks, depriving the agency of decades of experience as part of a push to slash the size of the federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations. The documents indicate that 1,818 of the staff currently serve in core mission areas, such as science or human space flight, while the others work in mission support roles including information technology, or IT. Related: Trump names Sean Duffy as interim Nasa head after rejecting Elon Musk ally Asked about the proposed cuts, agency spokesperson Bethany Stevens told Reuters: 'NASA remains committed to our mission as we work within a more prioritized budget.' Since Trump returned to office in January, planning in the US space industry and among Nasa's workforce of 18,000 people has been thrown into chaos by the layoffs and proposed budget cuts for fiscal year 2026 that would cancel dozens of science programs. Last week, seven former heads of Nasa's Science Mission Directorate signed a joint letter to Congress condemning the White House's proposed 47% cuts to Nasa science activities in its 2026 budget proposal. In the letter, the former officials urged the House appropriations committee 'to preserve US leadership in space exploration and reject the unprecedented cuts to space science concocted by the White House's Budget Director, Russ Vought'. 'The economics of these proposed cuts ignore a fundamental truth: investments in NASA science have been and are a powerful driver of the U.S. economy and technological leadership,' the letter read. 'In our former roles leading NASA's space science enterprise, we consistently saw skilled teams innovate in the face of seemingly impossible goals, including landing a car-sized rover on Mars with pinpoint precision, build a massive telescope that can unfold in the vacuum of space to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos, design and operate a spacecraft hardy enough to survive temperatures of many thousands of degrees at the Sun, inspiring young and old alike worldwide by the stunning images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and pioneering the use of small satellites for science.' Related: Trump delays plan to cut satellite data access crucial to hurricane forecasting They also warned that the cuts threatened to cede US leadership to China: 'Global space competition extends far past Moon and Mars exploration. The Chinese space science program is aggressive, ambitious, and well-funded. It is proposing missions to return samples from Mars, explore Neptune, monitor climate change for the benefit of the Chinese industry and population, and peer into the universe – all activities that the FY 2026 NASA budget proposal indicates the US will abandon.' Nasa also remains without a confirmed administrator, since the Trump administration abruptly withdrew its nominee, the billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, in an apparent act of retaliation against Elon Musk, who had proposed his nomination. In a social media post attacking Musk on Sunday, Trump wrote that he thought it would have been thought 'inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon's corporate life'.
News18
2 days ago
- Science
- News18
Hubble vs James Webb: NASA Shares Two Views of Same Star Cluster. Which One Wows You More?
Last Updated: NASA released images of star clusters NGC 460 and NGC 456 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Hubble shows visible light, while Webb reveals infrared details. In a breathtaking cosmic reveal, NASA has released a pair of contrasting images of the same region of deep space, captured by two of the most powerful telescopes ever built – the legendary Hubble and the revolutionary James Webb. The star clusters, NGC 460 and NGC 456, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, have once again become the centre of scientific and public fascination, offering two very different views of the same universe. At first glance, both sets of images are visually arresting, but look closer and the differences are stark. The question naturally arises: which telescope offers the better view of the cosmos? NGC 456 and NGC 460 are open star clusters nestled inside the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting our Milky Way. It is a dense zone filled with interstellar dust, gas, and billions of stars. The stars in these clusters are astonishingly young by cosmic standards; some are barely a million years old, while the oldest among them top out at just 10 million. NASA's recent side-by-side comparison isn't just a showcase of technology, but a visual lesson in how we observe the universe. The Hubble Space Telescope, operating primarily in visible light, presents the region as a glowing bluish mass, highlighting structures like gas bubbles and cavities formed by intense stellar radiation. These powerful emissions push away gas and dust, carving the interstellar medium into shapes that look like art etched in light. But where Hubble stops, Webb begins. The James Webb Space Telescope views the cosmos in infrared. It peels back the curtain of visible light to reveal delicate filaments of dust and gas that remain invisible to Hubble. Dust, which appears black and cold in Hubble's view due to its opacity, glows warmly in Webb's images as it absorbs and re-emits heat from nearby stars. This shows that dust is not just an obstacle but is itself a part of the story of space, NASA said, underlining a shift in how astronomers understand the interstellar medium. On July 9, NASA's official account posted, 'What a glow up! @NASAWebb gave a new look at two star clusters first captured by @NASAHubble. Originally shown as dusty blue bubbles, Webb highlights the finer inner details, illuminated by starlight." The side-by-side visual has since gone viral among space enthusiasts. What a glow up! 🎀 @NASAWebb gave a new look at two star clusters first captured by @NASAHubble. Originally shown as dusty blue bubbles, Webb highlights the finer inner details, illuminated by more about the before and after: — NASA (@NASA) July 9, 2025 Where Stars Are Born And Die Fast These particular clusters are of immense interest to astronomers due to the presence of O-type stars, the heavyweights of the stellar world. They are hot, massive, and live fast, dying young. Out of an estimated 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, only about 20,000 belong to this rare and short-lived category. Such stars are considered 'nuclear factories", enriching the surrounding interstellar space with heavier elements when they explode as supernovae. Clusters rich in O-type stars serve as natural laboratories for scientists to study the birth and evolution of stars. The Small Magellanic Cloud isn't just another dwarf galaxy; it offers a window into cosmic history. It has a significantly lower concentration of heavy elements (known as 'metals" in astrophysical terms) than our Milky Way. This mirrors conditions believed to have existed in the early universe, soon after the Big Bang, when only hydrogen and helium were abundant. By studying how gas, dust, and young stars interact in this metal-poor environment, researchers hope to understand the early mechanisms of galaxy formation, the behaviour of interstellar matter, and the effects of galactic collisions. So Which Telescope Wins? From a scientific standpoint, both telescopes serve different, complementary purposes. Hubble captures the universe as we would see it with our own eyes – crisp, blue, and majestic. Webb digs deeper, revealing the secrets hidden behind curtains of dust, offering an infrared vision of space's architecture. In other words, Hubble offers the poetry, and Webb brings the prose. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Explained: Its eye on dark mysteries, Rubin will reveal the cosmos like never before
How WAS the Milky Way formed? Does our Solar System have a ninth planet? Is there an asteroid that can pose a threat to Earth? What are dark energy and dark matter? These are some of the questions that the Vera C Rubin Observatory, which released its first test images last month, is expected to answer. Located 8,684 feet above sea level atop the Cerro Pachón mountain in the Chilean Andes, the observatory will provide comprehensive images of the night sky unlike anything astronomers have seen before. A technical marvel The centrepiece of the observatory is the Simonyi Survey Telescope. This device is unique for three main reasons. WIDE FIELD OF VIEW: Astronomers typically use the size of the visible surface of the full Moon to describe a telescope's field of view. The Hubble Space Telescope observes around 1% of the full Moon's disc, and the James Webb Space Telescope around 75% — using such telescopes is like looking into space through a straw. The Rubin's telescope, however, is so wide-eyed that it effectively observes an area of the sky equivalent to at least 40 full Moons arranged next to one another. This is made possible due to its distinct design comprising three differently curved mirrors: a primary mirror with a diameter of 8.4 metres, a secondary mirror with a diameter of 3.5 m, and a tertiary mirror with a diameter of 5 m. The primary mirror captures celestial light and reflects it upward to the secondary mirror. The secondary mirror then bounces the light to the tertiary mirror, which is the inner part of the primary mirror. From here, the light is sent up into a camera at the centre of the secondary mirror. This complex light path allows the camera to capture a large slice of the sky in a single image. LARGEST DIGITAL CAMERA: The telescope has the largest digital camera in the world. It is the size of a small car, weighs 2,800 kg, and boasts a staggering resolution of 3,200 megapixels (the latest iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 48-megapixel camera). The camera can produce an image so rich in detail that it would take a wall of 400 ultrahigh-definition TV screens to display it in full. Also, the telescope is designed in such a way that the camera's image sensors (which convert light into electrical signals that form digital images) will help scientists spot objects 100 million times dimmer than those visible to the naked eye. This makes the camera sensitive enough to capture a candle from thousands of kilometres away. The camera has six filters designed to capture light from different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. This will help astronomers gather information about various celestial objects based on the type of light they emit. For instance, young and hot stars emit ultraviolet light, whereas faint and distant red galaxies appear in infrared light. RAPID MOVEMENT: It is not easy to move large telescopes. They usually take around 10 minutes to adjust their position so as to ensure that sensitive components do not wobble around during the movement. Scientists have to plan what they want to observe, and when, in advance. The Simonyi Survey Telescope is the fastest-slewing telescope in the world, and takes just five seconds to move and settle from one target to another. This speed is due to the telescope's compact structure (owing to the three-mirror design), and its mount which floats on a film of oil. Such speed will allow the telescope to snap up to 1,000 images a night, meaning it can capture the whole sky in just three days. Unlike other observatories, scientists at Rubin will not have to choose their targets. 'In a traditional observation, you decide on a target in a part of the sky and you take your telescope there. As we [the Rubin Observatory] are going to scan the whole sky, we will not start from a standard point A, and then move sequentially to different positions. We have instead built a script that will decide where to point at what time in the night,' Kshitija Kelkar, a senior operations specialist at the Rubin Observatory, told The Indian Express on a video call. Revolution in making The Vera Rubin Observatory will constantly scan the sky of the southern hemisphere for 10 years, gathering 20 terabytes of astronomical data each night. The observatory's software will automatically compare new images with older ones and generate an estimated 10 million alerts per night for each change detected in the sky. Scientists hope that this treasure trove of data will help solve some of the biggest mysteries of the universe, and discover numerous celestial objects such as comets and asteroids. On June 23, when the first test images of the observatory were released, astronomers at the Rubin Observatory said that its software had identified 2,104 brand-new asteroids — including seven near-Earth objects — with merely 10 hours of engineering data. The observatory is expected to catalogue more than five million asteroids, and roughly 100,000 near-Earth objects over the next 10 years, tripling today's inventory. It will become fully operational by the end of the year. Jake Kurlander, a researcher at the University of Washington, told 'It took 225 years of astronomical observations to detect the first 1.5 million asteroids… Rubin will double that number in less than a year.' The observatory will also play a crucial role in expanding our knowledge about the nature of dark matter and dark energy. While galaxies, stars, and planets make up 5% of the universe, dark energy makes up about 68%, and dark matter about 27%. Scientists have known about these entities for decades — the observatory is named after American astronomer Vera C Rubin, who provided evidence about dark matter for the first time in the 1970s — but not much is understood about dark energy and dark matter. Kelkar said, 'Rubin will be able to produce a very high definition map of the structure of the universe that is the best possible way to understand dark matter and dark energy.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Trump 'Big Beautiful Bill' provides $85 million to move a NASA space shuttle. Here's where
Discovery's days of spaceflight may long be over, but the historic NASA space shuttle may soon be on the move again – just not in orbit. As part of Republicans' massive tax and spending legislation signed by President Donald Trump, the space shuttle Discovery is due to depart its home of 13 years at a Smithsonian museum in Virginia. Ahead of the iconic spacecraft? About a 1,400 mile journey across the country to its new home in Texas. The provision, first introduced by of Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, was added to the Senate's version of the legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, as part of an additional $10 billion in funding for NASA. The funding is separate from NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, under which the space agency would see its funding slashed by nearly 25%. Here's what to know about the space shuttle Discovery, and what may be ahead for the vehicle as lawmakers look to transport it to Texas. Discovery, which made its inaugural flight in 1984, completed 39 missions before it retired in 2011 as the oldest and most-used orbiter in U.S. history. During its career, Discovery shuttled 184 astronauts into space and back, many of whom flew more than once. Discovery also launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 and helped in the assembly of the International Space Station, which has been orbiting about 250 miles above Earth for more than two decades. All of Discovery's launches took place at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. After NASA's Shuttle program ended in 2011, the space agency selected museums to display all of the retired spacecraft. Since 2012, Discovery has been on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Three other shuttles are also on display in the U.S.: Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York; Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida; Endeavor at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles. Trump's legislative package, which he signed into law on Independence Day, includes a provision that allocates $85 million to move Discovery from Virginia to Texas. The spacecraft's new home is now due to be at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The center is already home to a replica of the space shuttle Independence, formerly known as Explorer, that visitors are able to step inside. Cruz and Cornyn were the first to introduce the effort in April to relocate Discovery with their "Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act." The legislation provides "no less than $5 million" to move the shuttle to its new home, with the remaining $80 million set to go toward building a new facility to house and display the vehicle. However, the Smithsonian's estimate to Congress was that it would cost between $300 million and $400 million of taxpayer dollars to move Discovery across the country. The law also sets a deadline of Jan. 4, 2027, for the transportation of the space shuttle to be completed. Texas lawmakers have long believed that because Houston is home to mission control for NASA's space shuttle program, the region is deserving of recognition with a space shuttle of its own to display. Cornyn called the provision to bring Discovery to Texas "long overdue" in a statement. 'Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation's human space exploration program," Cornyn said in the statement. 'I am glad to see this pass as part of the Senate's One Big Beautiful Bill and look forward to welcoming Discovery to Houston and righting this egregious wrong.' In a seperate statement, Cruz said the legislation honors Houston's legacy as "the heart of America's human spaceflight program." "Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the region would underscore the city's indispensable contributions to our space missions, highlight the strength of America's commercial space partnerships, and inspire future generations of engineers, scientists, and pioneers who will carry our legacy of American leadership in space," Cruz said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA budget includes space shuttle move in 'Big Beautiful Bill'
USA Today
5 days ago
- Science
- USA Today
Trump 'Big Beautiful Bill' provides $85 million to move a NASA space shuttle. Here's where
Discovery, which made its inaugural flight in 1984, completed 39 missions before it retired in 2011. Discovery's days of spaceflight may long be over, but the historic NASA space shuttle may soon be on the move again – just not in orbit. As part of Republicans' massive tax and spending legislation signed by President Donald Trump, the space shuttle Discovery is due to depart its home of 13 years at a Smithsonian museum in Virginia. Ahead of the iconic spacecraft? About a 1,400 mile journey across the country to its new home in Texas. The provision, first introduced by of Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, was added to the Senate's version of the legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, as part of an additional $10 billion in funding for NASA. The funding is separate from NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, under which the space agency would see its funding slashed by nearly 25%. Here's what to know about the space shuttle Discovery, and what may be ahead for the vehicle as lawmakers look to transport it to Texas. What is the space shuttle Discovery? Discovery, which made its inaugural flight in 1984, completed 39 missions before it retired in 2011 as the oldest and most-used orbiter in U.S. history. During its career, Discovery shuttled 184 astronauts into space and back, many of whom flew more than once. Discovery also launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 and helped in the assembly of the International Space Station, which has been orbiting about 250 miles above Earth for more than two decades. All of Discovery's launches took place at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Where is NASA's Discovery shuttle displayed? After NASA's Shuttle program ended in 2011, the space agency selected museums to display all of the retired spacecraft. Since 2012, Discovery has been on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Three other shuttles are also on display in the U.S.: Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' would transfer Discovery to Texas Trump's legislative package, which he signed into law on Independence Day, includes a provision that allocates $85 million to move Discovery from Virginia to Texas. The spacecraft's new home is now due to be at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The center is already home to a replica of the space shuttle Independence, formerly known as Explorer, that visitors are able to step inside. Cruz and Cornyn were the first to introduce the effort in April to relocate Discovery with their "Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act." The legislation provides "no less than $5 million" to move the shuttle to its new home, with the remaining $80 million set to go toward building a new facility to house and display the vehicle. However, the Smithsonian's estimate to Congress was that it would cost between $300 million and $400 million of taxpayer dollars to move Discovery across the country. The law also sets a deadline of Jan. 4, 2027, for the transportation of the space shuttle to be completed. Why do lawmakers want to move space shuttle to Houston? Texas lawmakers have long believed that because Houston is home to mission control for NASA's space shuttle program, the region is deserving of recognition with a space shuttle of its own to display. Cornyn called the provision to bring Discovery to Texas "long overdue" in a statement. 'Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation's human space exploration program," Cornyn said in the statement. 'I am glad to see this pass as part of the Senate's One Big Beautiful Bill and look forward to welcoming Discovery to Houston and righting this egregious wrong.' In a seperate statement, Cruz said the legislation honors Houston's legacy as "the heart of America's human spaceflight program." "Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the region would underscore the city's indispensable contributions to our space missions, highlight the strength of America's commercial space partnerships, and inspire future generations of engineers, scientists, and pioneers who will carry our legacy of American leadership in space," Cruz said. Contributing: Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
