Thee Black Space

Mercury. Friday 1st October 2021, the BepiColombo spacecraft passed Mercury at a distance of 199 KM / 123 miles, the engineering cameras and many of the scientific instruments were used to gather new images and data on The First Rock from the Sun. Fantastic images, very high quality.  The first Hermean science has been released from this encounter from the science instruments used on board the BepiColombo spacecraft.   The PHEBUS / Probing of Hermean Exosphere By Ultraviolet Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet Spectrometer sampled the extremely tenuous 'atmosphere' or Exosphere of Mercury. Detection of Hydrogen & Calcium were made as the BepiColombo spacecraft exited the deep shadow of Mercury. Whilst both had been observed before by the NASA / JHU / APL MESSENGER / MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft  during the hugely successful orbital mission, the PHEBUS on BepiColombo was able to determine that the exosphere was virtually non exis

Neptune & Triton. Imaged: Monday 14th August 1989 to Sunday 3rd September 1989.  Closest approach: Friday 25th August 1989. Here are several views of Neptune and Triton obtained by the already then ageing Voyager 2 spacecraft. Despite Voyager 2's age, (was over 12 years since launch) the spacecraft performed magnificently and to this date, these are the best views of Neptune and Triton, and will be for quite some time yet.  Neptne orbits our Sun at an average distance of 30.1 times the Sun to Earth distance or 4.515 Billion KM / 2.804 Billion miles, once every 164 years & 281 days.  Neptune has a mass of 17 times that of Earth, has a mean diameter of 42,244 KM / 30,580 miles and rotates on it's axis once every 16 hours and 7 minutes. Neptune has a deep atmosphere, consisting of 80% Hydrogen, 18% Helium, 1% Methane (gives Neptune the deep blue colour) and 1% trace gases like Ammonia, Nitrogen, etc. Neptune has an average global density of 1.68 times that of water, sugges

Mars Perseverance Rover. Imaged: Wednesday 21st August 2024. Sol 1,245. New images, full frame, NavCam & HazCam Cameras. Had to drive around a dune this sol.  It has been announced that Mars Perseverance Rover is to leave Jezero Crater by going over the rim, rather than along the Neretva Vallis as originally thought.  It will involve a drive of about 1.8 KM / 1.1 miles and an elevation rise of about 330 metres / 1,000 feet to “Pico Turquino”. Then a further drive from “Pico Turquino” to “Witch Hazel Hill” will be a further 2 KM / 1.2 miles and a further elevation rise of 250 metres / 820 feet. This fifth phase of the surface mission will take several months as there will be much to investigate on route.  Orbital data from both Mars Odyssey & Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in Areocentric (Mars centred) orbit have shown that the features named “Pico Tur

Behold the breathtaking tribute to opulence from ancient Egypt: Tutankhamun's stunning bracelet, a masterpiece hailing from the New Kingdom's 18th Dynasty, circa 1332-1323 BC. This isn't just jewelry; it’s a bold statement adorned with a mesmerizing scarab design. Made from gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, and quartzite, it screams of extravagance and the unparalleled talent of the artisans who shaped it. This piece is not merely an accessory; it embodies the very essence of royal decadence.

Another lovely clear night last night. Here's the region in Cygnus from the star Sadr to the Crescent Nebula. Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro Nikon D5300 (Astro modified) ISO 200 Redcat 51 (250mm @F/4.9) 316 x 30 second lights 50 flats 50 biases 50 darks #theeblackspace #geoastroscience #scienceflyby #cosmowithin #science #sciencenerds #news #cosmos #milkyway #space #spaceexploration #naturelovers

Extremely detailed view of Gale crater on Mars by Curiosity Rover. Mars' atmosphere is over 100 times thinner than Earth's and is primarily composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon gases. Oxidized dust particles kicked up from the Martian surface fill the atmosphere turning Mars' skies a rusty tan color, according to NASA. Water exists on Mars but the atmosphere is too thin for it to last long on the surface in a liquid state. Instead, water on Mars is found below the surface of the polar regions as water-ice and also as seasonal briny water flows down hillsides and crater walls. Despite Mars' thin atmosphere, the Red Planet still exhibits a dynamic climate and extreme weather events including impressive dust storms and even snow! But Mars hasn't always been this way. NASA's MAVEN mission scientists reported that Mars once had a thick atmosphere that could have supported surface liquid water on the surface for extended periods of time. #geoastroscience #th