AstroNautic

Everything that happens on the International Space Station revolves around one thing: Earth, sixteen times a day! So for Earth Day 2021, NASA offers a gift you can’t get anywhere else with this leisurely view of our home planet, from 250 miles up, rendered in extraordinary ultra-high definition video. Hit play, relax and enjoy. This 4K footage was recorded between 2019 and 2020.

101955 Bennu is one of Earth’s closest planetary neighbors – an asteroid roughly the height of a skyscraper, and since late 2018, the place that NASA’s OSIRIS-Rexes mission has called home. When OSIRIS-Rexes arrived on Dec. 3, 2018, it began wrapping Bennu in a complex web of observations. OSIRIS-Rexes departs Bennu on May 10, 2021, on a return voyage to Earth, bringing with it over 60 grams of sample collected from the asteroid. This narrated video presents the mission’s complete trajectory during its time at Bennu.

In this artist’s rendition, we explore a metallic world named Psyche, an asteroid that offers a unique window into the building blocks of planet formation. The NASA Psyche mission launches in 2023 and will arrive at the asteroid Psyche, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, in 2026. The spacecraft, also named Psyche, will spend 21 months orbiting the asteroid, mapping it and studying its properties. The mission is led by Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tinton of Arizona State University. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies is providing a high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.

This 4K visualization shows the Moon's phase and liberation at hourly intervals throughout 2022, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. Each frame represents one hour. In addition, this visualization shows the Moon's orbit position, sub-Earth and subsolar points, and distance from the Earth at true scale. Craters near the terminator are labeled, as are Apollo landing sites, Maria, and other albedo features in sunlight.

4K visualization of the Moon's phase and liberation throughout 2022, viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. Each frame represents one hour. In addition, this visualization shows the Moon's orbit position, sub-Earth and sub-solar points, and distance from Earth at a true scale. Craters near the terminator are labeled, as are Apollo landing sites, Maria, and other albedo features in sunlight. Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Data visualization by Ernie Wright (USRA) Producer & Editor - David Ladd (AIMM) Music

The people who get to see the Earth from space marvel at its beauty, the colors, and the fragility they feel about the planet 250 miles below them. Now it’s your turn: this ultra-high definition video, captured during the International Space Station’s Expedition 65, allows you an extended, appreciative gawk at the home planet in all its glory. Hit play, and go into orbit mode. This footage was shot from the International Space Station between April 17, 2021 – Oct. 17, 2021.

Earth View Extended Cut for Earth Day 2021" is a video that showcases the beauty and diversity of our planet from a unique vantage point. This extended cut takes you on a mesmerizing journey across different landscapes, capturing the awe-inspiring natural wonders and the intricacies of Earth's ecosystems. From the vast expanse of the oceans to the towering mountains, from lush forests to arid deserts, this video encapsulates the breathtaking beauty of our home planet. It highlights the importance of Earth Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues and promoting sustainable practices. Through stunning visuals and captivating music, this extended cut aims to inspire a sense of wonder and reverence for our planet. It serves as a reminder of the delicate balance of life on Earth and the urgent need for conservation and environmental stewardship. Join us on this cinematic exploration of Earth's landscapes, as we celebrate Earth Day 2021 and reflect on our responsibility to protect and preserve the precious resources that sustain all life. Let this video be a call to action, reminding us of the collective effort required to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for generations to come. Happy Earth Day! Together, let's cherish and safeguard our extraordinary planet.

chronicles solar activity from Aug. 12 to Dec. 22, 2022, as captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. From its orbit in space around Earth, Solar Dynamics Observatory has steadily imaged the Sun in 4K x 4K resolution for nearly 13 years. This information has enabled countless new discoveries about the workings of our closest star and how it influences the solar system. With a triad of instruments, Solar Dynamics Observatory captures an image of the Sun every 0.75 seconds. The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument alone captures images every 12 seconds at 10 different wavelengths of light. This 133-day time lapse showcases photos taken at a wavelength of 17.1 nanometers, which is an extreme-ultraviolet wavelength that shows the Sun’s outermost atmospheric layer: the corona. Compiling images taken 108 seconds apart, the movie condenses 133 days, or about four months, of solar observations into 59 minutes. The video shows bright active regions passing across the face of the Sun as it rotates. The Sun rotates approximately once every 27 days. The loops extending above the bright regions are magnetic fields that have trapped hot, glowing plasma. These bright regions are also the source of solar flares, which appear as bright flashes as magnetic fields snap together in a process called magnetic reconnection. While Solar Dynamics Observatory has kept an unblinking eye pointed toward the Sun, there have been a few moments it missed. Some of the dark frames in the video are caused by Earth or the Moon eclipsing Solar Dynamics Observatory as they pass between the spacecraft and the Sun. Other blackouts are caused by instrumentation being down or data errors. Solar Dynamics Observatory transmits 1.4 terabytes of data to the ground every day. The images where the Sun is off-center were observed when Solar Dynamics Observatory was calibrating its instruments. Solar Dynamics Observatory and other NASA missions will continue to watch our Sun in the years to come, providing further insights about our place in space and information to keep our astronauts and assets safe. On the left side of the frame is the full circle of the Sun. It appears in a golden yellow color, but splotchy and with thin yellow wisps extending from the surface. Some areas are very bright and others almost black. The whole Sun rotates steadily, with one full rotation taking 12 minutes in this time lapse. There are usually only a few bright regions visible at a time and they shift and flash like small fires. From these regions there are wispy loops reaching up above the surface that rapidly change shape and size. On the right side of the frame are two white-outlined squares with enlargements of interesting regions of the Sun. If you liked this video, subscribe to the ASTRONAUTIC Rumble.