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By Space Force
NMM introduces the Total Force to a series of panels, events and interactive discussions on mentoring as an enterprise imperative, ensuring greater awareness of the mentoring opportunities available to all Airman and Guardians.
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By European Space Agency
With ESA’s EarthCARE satellite and four measuring instruments all working extremely well and fully commissioned, the mission’s ‘first level’ data stream is now freely available.
By combining data from all four instruments, scientists ultimately aim to address a critical Earth science question: how do clouds and aerosols affect the heating and cooling of our atmosphere?
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By NASA
3 min read
NASA Solar Observatory Sees Coronal Loops Flicker Before Big Flares
For decades, scientists have tried in vain to accurately predict solar flares — intense bursts of light on the Sun that can send a flurry of charged particles into the solar system. Now, using NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, one team has identified flickering loops in the solar atmosphere, or corona, that seem to signal when the Sun is about to unleash a large flare.
These warning signs could help NASA and other stakeholders protect astronauts as well as technology both in space and on the ground from hazardous space weather.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of coronal loops above an active region on the Sun in mid-January 2012. The image was taken in the 171 angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory Led by heliophysicist Emily Mason of Predictive Sciences Inc. in San Diego, California, the team studied arch-like structures called coronal loops along the edge of the Sun. Coronal loops rise from magnetically driven active regions on the Sun, where solar flares also originate.
The team looked at coronal loops near 50 strong solar flares, analyzing how their brightness in extreme ultraviolet light varied in the hours before a flare compared to loops above non-flaring regions. Like flashing warning lights, the loops above flaring regions varied much more than those above non-flaring regions.
“We found that some of the extreme ultraviolet light above active regions flickers erratically for a few hours before a solar flare,” Mason explained. “The results are really important for understanding flares and may improve our ability to predict dangerous space weather.”
Published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters in December 2024 and presented on Jan. 15, 2025, at a press conference during the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, the results also hint that the flickering reaches a peak earlier for stronger flares. However, the team says more observations are needed to confirm this link.
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The four panels in this movie show brightness changes in coronal loops in four different wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light (131, 171, 193, and 304 angstroms) before a solar flare in December 2011. The images were taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and processed to reveal flickering in the coronal loops. NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory/JHelioviewer/E. Mason Other researchers have tried to predict solar flares by examining magnetic fields on the Sun, or by looking for consistent trends in other coronal loop features. However, Mason and her colleagues believe that measuring the brightness variations in coronal loops could provide more precise warnings than those methods — signaling oncoming flares 2 to 6 hours ahead of time with 60 to 80 percent accuracy.
“A lot of the predictive schemes that have been developed are still predicting the likelihood of flares in a given time period and not necessarily exact timing,” said team member Seth Garland of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
Each solar flare is like a snowflake — every single flare is unique.
Kara kniezewski
Air Force Institute of Technology
“The Sun’s corona is a dynamic environment, and each solar flare is like a snowflake — every single flare is unique,” said team member Kara Kniezewski, a graduate student at the Air Force Institute of Technology and lead author of the paper. “We find that searching for periods of ‘chaotic’ behavior in the coronal loop emission, rather than specific trends, provide a much more consistent metric and may also correlate with how strong a flare will be.”
The scientists hope their findings about coronal loops can eventually be used to help keep astronauts, spacecraft, electrical grids, and other assets safe from the harmful radiation that accompanies solar flares. For example, an automated system could look for brightness changes in coronal loops in real-time images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and issue alerts.
“Previous work by other researchers reports some interesting prediction metrics,” said co-author Vadim Uritsky of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Catholic University of Washington in D.C. “We could build on this and come up with a well-tested and, ideally, simpler indicator ready for the leap from research to operations.”
By Vanessa Thomas
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Last Updated Jan 15, 2025 Related Terms
Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Heliophysics Division Space Weather The Sun Explore More
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By NASA
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy gives keynote remarks during the 37th Space Symposium, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation has selected NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, a retired United States Air Force colonel and former NASA astronaut, to receive the 2025 National Space Trophy on April 25 in Houston.
“This honor is not just a reflection of my journey but a testament to the incredible teams and visionaries I’ve been privileged to work alongside,” said Melroy. “Exploring space is the ultimate act of human aspiration, proving time and again that when we dream together, we achieve the impossible. Being selected for the National Space Trophy is a humbling reminder of how far we’ve come — and how much further we can go.”
Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, who nominated Melroy alongside former NASA Johnson director Michael Coats, said, “Pam has brilliantly paved the way for future generations pursuing careers in STEM fields through her exemplary leadership, dedication to mission excellence, and integral contributions to the advancement of space exploration. I am thrilled and immensely proud that Pam is receiving this well-deserved recognition.”
Sworn in as NASA’s deputy administrator on June 21, 2021, Melroy assists NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on key agency decisions, defines the agency’s strategic vision, and represents NASA to key government and international partners.
Melroy first joined NASA as an astronaut in 1994 and holds the distinction of being only one of two women to command a space shuttle. She spent more than 38 days in space across three space shuttle missions, all contributing to the assembly of the International Space Station. She served as pilot for STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002, and she commanded STS-120 in 2007.
After serving more than two decades in the U.S. Air Force and as a NASA astronaut, Melroy transitioned to leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Nova Systems Pty, Australia. Additionally, she was as an advisor to the Australian Space Agency and a member of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group.
The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation invites members of the public and the aerospace community to attend the Space Awards gala where Melroy will be recognized with the National Space Trophy. For more information on Melroy, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-deputy-administrator-pam-melroy/
-end-
Amber Jacobson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 14, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Pamela A. Melroy Astronauts View the full article
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By NASA
6 min read
NASA Research To Be Featured at American Astronomical Society Meeting
In this mosaic image stretching 340 light-years across, Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) displays the Tarantula Nebula star-forming region in a new light, including tens of thousands of never-before-seen young stars that were previously shrouded in cosmic dust. The most active region appears to sparkle with massive young stars, appearing pale blue. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team From new perspectives on the early universe to illuminating the extreme environment near a black hole, discoveries from NASA missions will be highlighted at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). The meeting will take place Jan. 12-16 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
Press conferences highlighting results enabled by NASA missions will stream live on the AAS Press Office YouTube channel. Additional agency highlights for registered attendees include:
NASA Town Hall: Monday, Jan. 13, 12:45 p.m. EST Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Town Hall: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m. EST James Webb Space Telescope Town Hall: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 6:30 p.m. EST Throughout the week, experts at the NASA Exhibit Booth will deliver science talks about missions including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (also called “Webb” or “JWST”), Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), and NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station that will be repaired in a spacewalk Jan. 16. Talks will also highlight future missions such as Pandora, Roman, LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), the Habitable Worlds Observatory, and SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer), which is targeted to launch in late February; as well as mission concepts for NASA’s new Probe Explorers mission class in astrophysics, open science, heliophysics, and NASA Science Activation.
Members of the media can request interviews with NASA experts on any of these topics by contacting Alise Fisher at alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov.
Schedule of Highlights (EST)
Monday, Jan. 13
10 a.m.: Special Session – “SPHEREx: The Upcoming All-Sky Infrared Spectroscopic Survey”
Chesapeake 4-5
10 a.m.: Special Session – “Early Science Results from XRISM [X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission]”
National Harbor 10
10:15 a.m.: AAS News Conference – “A Feast of Feasting Black Holes”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News based on data from NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, NICER, NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array), and Hubble, as well as XMM-Newton, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, will be featured:
“Witnessing the Birth of a New Plasma Jet from a Supermassive Black Hole” “Rapidly Evolving X-Ray Oscillations in the Active Galaxy 1ES 1927+654” “Uncovering the Dining Habits of Supermassive Black Holes in Our Cosmic Backyard with NuLANDS” “The Discovery of a Newborn Quasar Jet Triggered by a Cosmic Dance” 12:45 p.m.: NASA Town Hall
Mark Clampin, acting deputy associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters
Potomac Ballroom AB
2:15 p.m.: AAS News Conference – “Supernovae and Massive Stars”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News from NASA’s Webb and Hubble space telescopes will be highlighted:
“JWST Discovery of a Distant Supernova Linked to a Massive Progenitor in the Early Universe” “Core-Collapse Supernovae as Key Dust Producers: New Insights from JWST” “JWST Tracks the Expanding Dusty Fingerprints of a Massive Binary” “Stellar Pyrotechnics on Display in Super Star Cluster” “A Blue Lurker Emerges from a Triple-System Merger” Tuesday, Jan. 14
10:15 a.m.: AAS News Conference – “Black Holes & New Outcomes from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News based on data from NASA’s NuSTAR, Chandra, and Webb missions will be highlighted:
“A Variable X-Ray Monster at the Epoch of Reionization” “JWST’s Little Red Dots and the Rise of Obscured Active Galactic Nuclei in the Early Universe” “Revealing the Mid-Infrared Properties of the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole” 2 p.m.: Special Session – “Open Science: NASA Astrophysics in the Roman Era”
Chesapeake 4-5
2:15 p.m.: AAS News Conference – “New Information from Milky Way Highlights”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News from NASA’s Webb and Chandra missions will be highlighted:
“Infrared Echoes of Cassiopeia A Reveal the Dynamic Interstellar Medium” “A Path-Breaking Observation of the Cold Neutral Medium of the Milky Way Through Thermal Light Echoes” “X-Ray Echoes from Sgr A* Provide Insight on the 3D Structure of Molecular Clouds in the Galactic Center” 3:40 p.m.: Plenary – “A Detector Backstory: How Silicon Detectors Came to Enable Space Missions”
Shouleh Nikzad, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Potomac Ballroom AB
6:30 p.m.: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Town Hall
National Harbor 11
Wednesday, Jan. 15
8 a.m.: Plenary – “HEAD Bruno Rossi Prize Lecture: The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)”
Martin Weisskopf, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (emeritus), and Paolo Soffitta, INAF-IAPS (National Institute for Astrophysics-Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology)
Potomac Ballroom AB
10 a.m.: Special Session – Habitable Worlds Observatory
Potomac Ballroom C
10:15 a.m.: AAS News Conference – “Discovering the Universe Beyond Our Galaxy”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News from NASA’s Hubble and Webb will be highlighted:
“The Hubble Tension in Our Own Backyard” “JWST Reveals the Early Universe in Our Backyard” “Growing in the Wind: Watching a Galaxy Seed Its Environment” 11:40 a.m.: Plenary – “Are We Alone? The Search for Life on Habitable Worlds”
Giada Arney, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Potomac Ballroom AB
2:15 p.m.: AAS News Conference – “New Findings About Stars”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News based on data from NASA’s Webb and Solar Dynamics Observatory will be highlighted:
“A Super Star Cluster Is Born: JWST Reveals Dust and Ice in a Stellar Nursery” “The Discovery of Ancient Relics in a Distant Evolved Galaxy” “Exploring the Sun’s Active Regions in the Moments Before Flares” 6:30 p.m.: James Webb Space Telescope Town Hall
Potomac Ballroom C
Thursday, Jan. 16
10:15 a.m.: AAS News Conference – “Exoplanets: From Formation to Disintegration”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News from NASA’s Pandora, Chandra, TESS, and Webb missions, as well as XMM-Newton, will be highlighted:
“A New NASA Mission to Characterize Exoplanets and Their Host Stars” “X-Rays in the Prime of Life: Irradiating Vulnerable Planets” “Bright Star, Fading World: Dusty Debris of a Dying Planet” “JWST Exposes Hot Rock Entrails from a Planet’s Demise” 2:15 p.m.: AAS News Conference – “Galactic Histories and Policy Futures”
Maryland Ballroom 5/6
News from NASA’s Webb and Hubble will be highlighted:
“The Boundary of Galaxy Formation: Constraints from the Ancient Star Formation of the Isolated, Extremely Low-Mass Galaxy Leo P” “Resolving 90 Million Stars in the Southern Half of Andromeda” For more information on the meeting, including press registration and the complete meeting schedule, visit:
https://aas.org/meetings/aas245
Media Contacts
Alise Fisher / Liz Landau
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546 / 202-358-0845
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov / elizabeth.r.landau@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 10, 2025 Related Terms
Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Chandra X-Ray Observatory Hubble Space Telescope IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) The Universe Explore More
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