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THE UNIVERSE
Cosmic Mapmaker
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NASA’s newest astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx, is on its way to study the origins of our universe and the history of galaxies. Short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, SPHEREx lifted off at 11:10 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 11, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Riding with SPHEREx were four small satellites that make up the agency’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, which will study how the Sun’s outer atmosphere becomes the solar wind.
To achieve its wide-ranging science goals, SPHEREx will create a 3D map of the entire celestial sky every six months, providing a wide perspective to complement the work of space telescopes that observe smaller sections of the sky in more detail, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope.
MISSION UPDATES
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Seeing Solar Wind in 3D
Mission controllers for PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) have received full acquisition of signal from the four small satellites, indicating that they are functioning normally and at full power. The mission will view the entire inner solar system continuously, with one camera on each of the four satellites, all acting together as a single “virtual instrument” with a 90° field of view centered on the Sun.
STUDYING SPACE WEATHER
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Say Cheese, Moon!
A team at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, has captured first-of-its-kind imagery of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander’s engine plumes interacting with the Moon’s surface, a key piece of data as trips to the Moon increase. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies instrument took the images during the lunar lander's descent and successful soft landing on the Moon’s Mare Crisium region on Sunday, March 2.
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THE UNIVERSE
Star HD 20794 and Its Posse
A newly confirmed planet is the outermost of three detected so far around star HD 20794, just 20 light-years from Earth. Its 647-day orbit is comparable to Mars, but this planet’s orbit is highly eccentric, stretched into an oval shape. That brings the planet close enough to the star to experience runaway heating for part of its year, then carries it far enough away to freeze any potential water on its surface. The planet has been bouncing between these extremes roughly every 300 days – perhaps for billions of years.
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EARTH
Unexpected Sea Level Rise
Global sea levels rose faster than expected in 2024, mostly because of ocean water expanding as it warms, or thermal expansion. According to a NASA-led analysis, last year’s rate of rise was 0.23 inches per year, compared to the expected rate of 0.17 inches per year. Since the satellite record of ocean height began in 1993, the rate of annual sea level rise has more than doubled. In total, global sea level has gone up by 4 inches since 1993.
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| | | | Are you interested in a NASA internship but not sure where to start? Join the team of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement on Thursday, March 27, at 4 p.m. EDT for the "Launch your Future" webinar and explore internship opportunities, learn about eligibility and application requirements, and discover how to apply. | | Linda Morabito, an astronomer and navigation engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, noticed something unexpected in one of the images returned by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in March of 1979. | | Find out the answer in next week's edition of the NASA newsletter! 🤓 | | | |
Last week, we asked what the red, v-shaped element of NASA’s logo is based on. The answer? A supersonic wing! The round red, white, and blue insignia, nicknamed the “meatball,” was designed by employee James Modarelli in 1959, NASA’s second year. The design incorporates references to different aspects of the mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The round shape of the insignia represents a planet. The stars represent space. The red, v-shaped wing represents aeronautics. The circular orbit around the agency’s name represents space travel. | | |
Hubble's Night Sky Challenge
Do you have a telescope? Would you like to see some of the same night sky objects from the ground that Hubble has from space? We invite you to commemorate the Hubble Space Telescope’s 35th anniversary by accepting our yearlong stargazing challenge! New challenge objects will be featured weekly.
This week’s object is Caldwell 48, a spiral galaxy located 67 million light-years away in the constellation Cancer. Majestic Caldwell 48 offers a color contrast with its bright-yellow heart and sparkling young, hot, blue stars in its dusty spiral arms and is visible in clear, dark skies using a small telescope.
JOIN THE CELEBRATION
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.
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