Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
NASA Leadership Participates in Vice President-Chaired National Space Council Meeting
-
Similar Topics
-
By Space Force
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John DeGoes discusses transformative leadership and how it is rooted in purposeful communication, adaptability, and a commitment to the Air Force core values.
View the full article
-
By NASA
Skywatching Skywatching Home What’s Up Eclipses Explore the Night Sky Night Sky Network More Tips and Guides FAQ Four Planets in One View!
Each evening this month, enjoy a sweeping view of four bright planets at once. Also look for a close approach of Venus and Saturn, Mars occulted by the Moon, and meteors!
Skywatching Highlights
January 3 – Quadrantid meteor shower peaks: This is a moderate shower, usually delivering 20 to 30 meteors per hour under clear, dark skies at its peak. No interference from the Moon makes this year’s peak a better bet for meteor watching.
January 13 – Moon Occults Mars: For skywatchers in the continental U.S. and Eastern Canada, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Mars this evening. Times vary by location, so check your favorite skywatching app for details.
January 17-18 – Venus and Saturn conjunction: Over a couple of weeks, the two planets come within just a couple of finger widths’ distance apart in the sky (about 2 degrees). They’re at their closest on the 17th and 18th.
All month – Four planets Visible: In the first couple of hours after dark, you’ll find Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter high overhead, and Mars in the east. (Uranus and Neptune are there too, but a telescope is needed to see them.) Planets always appear a long a line on the sky to the “alignment” isn’t special. What’s less common is seeing four or five bright planets at once, which doesn’t happen every year. Is it a “planet parade”? This isn’t a technical term in astronomy, so call it what you wish!
All month – Mars at Opposition: The Red Planet is directly opposite the Sun from Earth and shines brightly all night. It’s in the east as night falls and in the southwest at dawn.
Transcript
What’s Up for January?
Cue the planet parade, Saturn and Venus cross paths, Mars expresses its opposition, and the outlook for the Quadrantid meteors.
In January, you’ll have the opportunity to take in four bright planets in a single, sweeping view.
Sky chart showing the planetary lineup visible after dark in January 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech All month after dark, you’ll find Venus and Saturn in the southwest for the first couple of hours, while Jupiter shines brightly high overhead, and Mars rises in the east. Uranus and Neptune are there too, technically, but they don’t appear as “bright planets.” These multi-planet viewing opportunities aren’t super rare, but they don’t happen every year, so it’s worth checking it out.
Now, these events are sometimes called “alignments” of the planets, and while it’s true that they will appear more or less along a line across the sky, that’s what planets always do. That line is called the ecliptic, and it represents the plane of the solar system in which the planets orbit around the Sun. This is, incidentally, why we sometimes observe planets appearing to approach closely to each other on the sky, as we view them along a line while they careen around the cosmic racetrack.
Sky chart showing Venus and Saturn appearing quite close together on Jan. 17 and 18, 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech This is exactly what we’ll be seeing from Venus and Saturn as they head for a super close approach in mid-January. After the beginning of the month, they quickly get closer and closer each evening, appearing at their most cozy on the 17th and 18th before going their separate ways. Remember, they’re really hundreds of millions of miles apart in space, so when you observe them, you’re staring clear across the solar system!
Mars reaches “opposition” this month, which is when the planet lies directly on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, forming a straight line. This is around the time when the planet is at its closest to Earth, making it appear at its biggest and brightest. For Mars, oppositions happen about every two years. This one won’t be the most spectacular ever, but it’s still closer than average, and provides a great opportunity to observe the nearby planet where NASA has five missions currently operating.
And on the 13th, the full Moon cozies up to Mars, appearing super close to the Red Planet that evening. Across the U.S. and Eastern Canada, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Mars over a couple of hours, as the pair rise into the eastern sky. Mars also will be the lone planet in the sky on January mornings. You’ll find it hanging out in the west in morning twilight.
The Quadrantid meteors peak in the early morning hours on January 3rd. Interference from moonlight won’t be a problem, as the Moon is a mere crescent and sets early in the night. The way to see the most meteors is to observe after midnight from clear, dark skies away from bright city lights, and let your eyes adapt to the dark. The meteor rate will be highest as dawn approaches, and you’ll see more meteors from rural locations than in the suburbs. Now, this is a shower best seen from the Northern Hemisphere, and observers in the Northwest and Pacific region will likely have the best viewing this year.
Here are the phases of the Moon for January:
The phases of the Moon for January 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech Stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Solar System Exploration
Planets
Moons
Asteroids, Comets & Meteors
View the full article
-
By NASA
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, react as they are recognized by employees during a NASA agencywide all hands on Dec. 6, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington.Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy will speak with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, and Don Pettit on Monday, Jan. 6, to discuss their mission aboard the International Space Station.
The Earth to space call coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. EST on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and eventually, to Mars.
For NASA’s launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
-end-
Meira Bernstein / Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Dec 30, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
International Space Station (ISS) Commercial Crew Humans in Space ISS Research Johnson Space Center View the full article
-
By NASA
The NESC Mechanical Systems TDT provides broad support across NASA’s mission directorates. We are a diverse group representing a variety of sub-disciplines including bearings, gears, metrology, lubrication and tribology, mechanism design, analysis and testing, fastening systems, valve engineering, actuator engineering, pyrotechnics, mechatronics, and motor controls. In addition to providing technical support, the
TDT owns and maintains NASA-STD-5017, “Design and Development Requirements for Space Mechanisms.”
Mentoring the Next Generation
The NESC Mechanical Systems TDT actively participates in the Structures, Loads & Dynamics, Materials, and Mechanical Systems (SLAMS) Early Career Forum that mentors early-career engineers. The TDT sent three members to this year’s forum at WSTF, where early-career engineers networked with peers and NESC mentors, gave presentations on tasks they worked on at their home centers, and attended splinter sessions where they collaborated with mentors.
New NASA Valve Standard to Reduce Risk and Improve Design and Reliability
Valve issues have been encountered across NASA’s programs and continue to compromise mission performance and increase risk, in many cases because the valve hardware was not qualified in the environment as specified in NASA-STD-5017. To help address these issues, the Mechanical Systems TDT is developing a NASA standard for valves. The TDT assembled a team of subject matter experts from across the Agency representing several disciplines including mechanisms, propulsion, environmental control and life support systems, spacesuits, active thermal control systems, and materials and processes. The team has started their effort by reviewing lessons learned and best practices for valve design and hope to have a draft standard ready by the end of 2025.
Bearing Life Testing for Reaction Wheel Assemblies
The Mechanical Systems TDT just concluded a multiyear bearing life test on 40 motors, each containing a pair of all steel bearings of two different conformities or a pair of hybrid bearings containing silicon nitride balls. The testing confirmed that hybrid bearings outperformed their steel counterparts, and bearings with higher conformity (54%) outperformed bearings with lower conformity (52%). The team is disassembling and inspecting the bearings, and initial results have been surprising. The TDT was able to “recover” some of the bearings that failed during the life test and get them running as well as they did when testing began. Some bearings survived over five billion revolutions and appeared like new when they were disassembled and inspected. These results will be published once analysis is complete.
X-57 Design Assessment
The Mechanical Systems TDT was asked by the Aeronautics Mission Directorate to assess the design of the electric cruise motors installed on X-57. The team responded quickly to meet the Project’s schedule, making an onsite visit and attending numerous technical interchange meetings. After careful review of the design, the TDT identified areas for higher-level consideration and risk assessment and attended follow-on reviews to provide additional comments and advice.
CLARREO Pathfinder Inner Radial Bearing Anomaly
The Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder was designed to take highly accurate measurements of reflected solar radiation to better-understand Earth’s climate. During payload functional testing, engineers detected a noise as the HySICS pointing system was rotated from its normal storage orientation. Mechanical Systems TDT members reviewed the design and inspection reports after disassembly of the inner bearing unit, noticing contact marks on the bore of the inner ring and the shaft that confirmed that the inner ring of the bearing was moving on the shaft with respect to the outer ring. Lubricant applied to this interface resolved the noise problem and allowed the project to maintain schedule without any additional costs.
JPL Wheel Drive Actuator Extended Life Test Independent Review Team
A consequence of changes to its mission on Mars will require the Perseverance Rover to travel farther than originally planned. Designed to drive 20 km, the rover will now need to drive ~91 km to rendezvous and support Mars sample tube transfer to the Sample Retrieval Lander. The wheel drive actuators with integral brakes had only been life tested to 40 km, so a review was scheduled to discuss an extended life test. The OCE Science Mission Directorate Chief Engineer assembled an independent review team (IRT) that included NESC Mechanical Systems TDT members. This IRT issued findings and guidance that questioned details of the JPL assumptions and plan. Several important recommendations were made that improved the life test plan and led to the identification of brake software issues that were reducing brake life. The life test has achieved 40 km of its 137 km goal and is ongoing. In addition, software updates were sent to the rover to improve brake life.
Orion Crew Module Hydrazine Valve
When an Orion crew module hydrazine valve failed to close, the production team asked the Mechanical Systems TDT for help. A TDT member attended two meetings and then visited the valve manufacturer, where it was determined this valve was a scaled-down version of the 12-inch SLS prevalve that was the subject of a previous NESC assessment and shared similar issues. The Orion Program requested NESC materials and mechanical systems support. The Mechanical Systems TDT member then worked closely with a Lockheed Martin (LM) Fellow for Mechanisms to review all the valve vendor’s detailed drawings and assembly procedures and document any issues. A follow-on meeting was held to brief both the LM and NASA Technical Fellows for Propulsion that a redesign and requalification was recommended. These recommendations have now been elevated to the LM Vice President for Mission Success and the LM Chief Engineer for Orion.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover selfie taken in July 2024.
View the full article
-
By NASA
More than 30,000 scientists gathered in Washington, D.C. during the second week of December – many to show off the work of NASA’s science volunteers! The American Geophysical Union held its annual meeting of professionals this month – the world’s largest gathering of Earth and Space Scientists. Here’s what they were talking about.
Eighteen NASA-sponsored project team members presented discoveries made with volunteers on topics from solar eclipses to global freshwater lake monitoring and exoplanet research. Overall, 175 posters and presentations featured the work of volunteers (up from 137 in 2023). Overall, 363 scientists and presenters at the conference described themselves as being involved in citizen science research (up from 201 in 2023). Two dozen scientists at the meeting gathered for lunch in the atrium of the National Portrait Gallery to talk about doing NASA science with volunteers. They discussed projects about asteroids, landslide hazard prediction, solar eclipse science, water quality, martian clouds, and more. Science done with volunteers is often called citizen science or participatory science – it does not require citizenship in any particular country. “Between the immense datasets being collected by NASA missions and the perennial need to open wide the doors to science so everyone can experience the joy and rewards of doing research together, citizen science is needed now more than ever!” said Sarah Kirn, the participatory science strategist at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland.” You can join one of NASA’s many participatory science projects right here!
Two dozen scientists gathered for lunch in the atrium of the National Portrait Gallery to talk about working with volunteers. They discussed projects about asteroids, landslide hazard prediction, solar eclipse science, water quality, martian clouds and more. Credit: Sarah Kirn Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share
Details
Last Updated Dec 23, 2024 Related Terms
Citizen Science Earth Science Division Heliophysics Division Planetary Science Division Explore More
2 min read Jovian Vortex Hunters Spun Up Over New Paper
Article
6 days ago
5 min read NASA DAVINCI Mission’s Many ‘Firsts’ to Unlock Venus’ Hidden Secrets
NASA’s DAVINCI probe will be first in the 21st century to brave Venus’ atmosphere as…
Article
1 week ago
5 min read Scientists Share Early Results from NASA’s Solar Eclipse Experiments
Article
2 weeks ago
View the full article
-
-
Check out these Videos
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.