A geomagnetic storm is expected soon, and the comet is the Sun. The week began with our star launching several coronal mass ejections, which traveled through space and were expected to reach Earth on Friday (the first).
Meanwhile, an astrophotographer captured images of Jupiter showing a shrinkage of the Great Red Spot, and new malfunctions occurred in components of the Hubble Telescope.
These are just some of the highlights from our weekly roundup of the most important astronomical news from the past week. Learn more about these and other space science events:
A solar storm is on the way
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The past few days have been busy at the Sun, with our star firing several coronal mass ejections (or just CMEs), which together form a kind of cannibalistic CME. According to forecasts by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, this phenomenon could cause a severe geomagnetic storm.
This event could provide us with aurora visible from the south in uncommon places, but it could also disrupt communications and electrical grids. Therefore, scientists have been monitoring the occurrence of the geomagnetic storm, as well as its possible effects.
Changes in the great red macula
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The Great Red Spot, the largest storm in the solar system, is receding. The change was captured in images taken by astrophotographer Damien Beach, which show the spot becoming smaller and rounder. Its decline is nothing new, as scientists already knew that the storm was shrinking.
For some experts, this seems to indicate that it is on the way out, but for others, the change may be just a temporary phenomenon. We will just have to wait and see what the future of this advantage for the gas giant will be like.
The Hubble Telescope is in trouble
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The ever-beloved telescope has raised some concerns with scientists in recent weeks. On November 19, incorrect readings at one of the gyroscopes caused Hubble to enter safe mode; The good news is that he resumed his scientific activities the next day.
But other component errors have occurred, and the observatory has been in safe mode since the 23rd, so, while the telescope team performs tests to analyze what happened and try to solve it, scientific observations are on hold.
The end of the International Space Station
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After decades of operation, the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to be destroyed in 2030. However, Phil McAllister, director of NASA’s Commercial Space Division, stated that it is possible that the ISS could cease operations without restarting the space stations. Commercial. ready.
The scenario is not ideal, because it will affect scientific research and experiments conducted in low Earth orbit. Knowing this, NASA is considering the possibility of keeping the ISS active for some time after 2030, but this decision depends on both the status of the orbiting laboratory and the partners in the program.
The first dust disk seen in another galaxy
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Through observations made by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter (ALMA) telescope in Chile, astronomers have discovered that a star in the HH 1177 system, in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, is surrounded by a disk of dust. This is the first time such a structure has been seen outside the Milky Way.
Gas and dust particles in these disks could serve as ingredients for the formation of new planets. Fortunately, HH 1177 is a system not surrounded by dust, which will allow astronomers to observe processes there.
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