Deep Space 1 Spacecraft at 2.3 Million Miles from Earth

June 30 is Asteroid Day. via NASA https://ift.tt/2NUDTdX

An Astronaut's View of Work

Spacewalkers Bob Behnken (left) and Chris Cassidy (right) in the Quest Airlock on June 26, 2020, before beginning a spacewalk to replace batteries on one of two power channels on the International Space Station. via NASA https://ift.tt/3ibmiw7

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 25 June 2020, the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the end of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu, Ituri and South Kivu Provinces . In accordance with WHO recommendations, the declaration was made more than 42 days after the last person who contracted EVD in this outbreak tested negative twice and was discharged from care.

The outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018 following investigations and laboratory confirmation of a cluster of EVD cases in North Kivu Province. Further investigations identified cases in Ituri and North Kivu Provinces with dates of symptom onset from May to August 2018. In 2019, the outbreak subsequently spread to South Kivu Province, and on 17 July 2019, the WHO Director-General declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 11 outbreaks have been recorded since the first recognized outbreak in 1976. The 10th EVD outbreak in North Kivu, Ituri and South Kivu Provinces was the country's longest EVD outbreak and the second largest in the world after the 2014–2016 EVD outbreak in West Africa.

Published on June 26, 2020
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Hubble Captures Galaxy on Edge

We don’t see the beautiful spiral arms of galaxy NGC 5907 in this Hubble image because we are viewing it edge-on, like looking at the rim of a plate. It is for this reason that NGC 5907 is also known as the Knife Edge galaxy. via NASA https://ift.tt/2BKHZT6

The Space Station's Solar Transit

This composite image, made from six frames, shows the International Space Station, with a crew of five onboard, in silhouette as it transits the Sun. via NASA https://ift.tt/3eyd7n3

A Solar Eclipse Shadows Asia

On June 21, 2020, as the International Space Station orbited over Kazakhstan and into China, an external high-definition camera captures this picture of the solar eclipse shadowing a portion of the Asian continent. via NASA https://ift.tt/2YuRBdx

NGC 7027: Like a Metallic Jewel Bug in the Sky

In this image NGC 7027 resembles a jewel bug, an insect with a brilliantly colorful metallic shell. via NASA https://ift.tt/385kMHn

Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken Work on U.S. Spacesuits

NASA astronauts (from top) Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken work on U.S. spacesuits. via NASA https://ift.tt/3fLlHPv

Black Hole Bounty Captured in the Center of the Milky Way

Astronomers have discovered evidence for thousands of black holes located near the center of our Milky Way galaxy using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. via NASA https://ift.tt/2LI5Tz7

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

No new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 27 April 2020 (Figure 1). While this is a positive development, there remains a risk of re-emergence of EVD. It is critical to maintain surveillance and response operations in the period leading up to the declaration of the end of the outbreak, as well as after the declaration – as outlined in the WHO recommended criteria for declaring the end of the EVD outbreak .

From 11 to 16 June 2020, an average of 2939 alerts were reported per day, of which 2788 (about 95%) were investigated within 24 hours. Of these, an average of 453 alerts were validated as suspected cases each day, requiring specialized care and laboratory testing to rule-out EVD. The number of reported and validated alerts has remained stable in recent weeks. Timely testing of suspected cases continues to be provided from eight laboratories. From 8 to 14 June 2020, 3219 samples were tested including 2513 blood samples from alive, suspected cases; 324 swabs from community deaths; and 382 samples from re-tested patients. Overall, the number of samples tested by the laboratories increased by 3% compared to the previous week.

Published on June 18, 2020
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Preparing for Future Missions at the Armstrong Flight Research Center

Pilots Troy Asher and Wayne Ringelberg walk out of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s (AFRC) hangar in Palmdale, California, toward the flight line. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Yb0M2z

Preparing for Furture Missions at the Armstrong Flight Research Center

Pilots Troy Asher and Wayne Ringelberg walk out of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center’s (AFRC) hangar in Palmdale, California, toward the flight line. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Nc3kHr

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Yellow fever – Gabon

On 15 April 2020, WHO received information regarding a confirmed case of yellow fever in Magandi village, Tchibanga city in Nyanga Province of southern Gabon, 590 km from the capital, Libreville.

The case is an 83-year-old male with no known vaccination history for yellow fever. He had onset of symptoms on 30 January 2020 and presented to a health facility on 2 February 2020 with abdominal pain and jaundice. Between 2 February and 9 April, he consulted the Urban Health Centre in Tchibanga, the Christian Alliance Hospital in Bongolo and the University hospital in the capital Libreville where the case received anti-malarial treatment and remained hospitalized until his death on 9 April 2020. On 14 April 2020, the laboratory results received from the WHO Regional Reference Laboratory at the Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, confirmed yellow fever infection, by seroneutralisation test. The additional differential diagnostic tests performed were negative for dengue, West Nile fever, chikungunya, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic fever, Zika and Rift Valley fever.

Published on June 17, 2020
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Viewing the Red Planet

This artist's concept shows an astronaut on Mars, as viewed through the window of a spacecraft. via NASA https://ift.tt/2N4cBRB

Hubble Makes a Bright Find

Seen here in incredible detail is the starburst galaxy formally known as PLCK G045.1+61.1. The galaxy, which appears as multiple reddish dots near the center of the image, is being gravitationally lensed by a cluster of closer galaxies, also seen in the image. via NASA https://ift.tt/37BHlmp

Bringing Einstein's Concepts to Life Through Art

Launched on April 20, 2004, Gravity Probe B (GP-B) was a collaboration between Stanford University and NASA designed to test two previously untested aspects of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. via NASA https://ift.tt/3d5BRlg

Hubble Glimpses a Galaxy Among Many

Looking deep into the universe, the Hubble Space Telescope catches a passing glimpse of the numerous arm-like structures that sweep around this barred spiral galaxy, known as NGC 2608. Appearing as a slightly stretched, smaller version of our Milky Way, the peppered blue and red spiral arms are anchored together by the prominent horizontal via NASA https://ift.tt/30zSbbl

Grand Finale: One of Cassini's Last Dives

This illustration imagines the view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft during one of its final dives between Saturn and its innermost rings. via NASA https://ift.tt/3fcESSc

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

No new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 27 April 2020 (Figure 1).

The source of infection of the cluster reported in April 2020 remains unconfirmed.

Published on June 11, 2020
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The Space In-between: Aurora Australis

Like a wisp of green smoke, the aurora australis seemingly intersects with the Earth's airglow as the International Space Station orbited above the Indian Ocean halfway between Australia and Antarctica. via NASA https://ift.tt/2YjVTmx

Japan's HTV-9 Cargo Craft Helps Supply the Space Station

Japan's resupply ship, the H-II Transfer Vehicle-9 (HTV-9), is pictured attached to the International Space Station's Harmony module. via NASA https://ift.tt/3dIA9Hz

The Red Planet's Holden Crater

Exquisite layering is revealed emerging from the sand in southern Holden Crater. Sequences like these offer a window into Mars' complicated geologic history. via NASA https://ift.tt/37c8bBu

Hubble Catches Cosmic Snowflakes

The stars of the globular cluster NGC 6441 sparkle peacefully in the night sky, about 13,000 light-years from the Milky Way’s galactic center. via NASA https://ift.tt/2MzbFo5

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Yellow fever – Togo

On 20 April 2020, WHO received information regarding a confirmed yellow fever case in Galangashie health area, located 30 km from Mango village, Oti district, Savanes region in the northern part of Togo.

The case is a 55-year-old woman with no vaccination history for yellow fever. She had onset of symptoms on 31 January 2020 and presented to a health facility on 3 February 2020 with fever and aches. The following day she developed jaundice and a blood sample was taken. On 7 February , the blood sample was transported to the national laboratory. On 10 February , the sample from the case was received at the national laboratory and test results on 17 March were Immunoglobulin M (IgM) positive for yellow fever. The positive yellow fever result was confirmed by the Institute Pasteur in Dakar Senegal, a yellow fever reference laboratory on 14 April 2020 by seroneutralisation.

Published on June 05, 2020
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Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

No new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 27 April 2020 (Figure 1).

The source of infection of the cluster reported in April 2020 remains unconfirmed.

Published on June 04, 2020
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Space Station Instrument Helps Researchers to Understand Lightning

Lightning flashes from a storm cloud to strike the ground. Such bolts represent only a small part of the overall phenomenon of lightning. via NASA https://ift.tt/2ABvOXZ

Preparing the Perseverance Mars Rover to Collect Samples on the Red Planet

The samples Apollo 11 brought back to Earth from the Moon were humanity's first from another celestial body. The upcoming Perseverance rover mission will collect the first samples from another planet. via NASA https://ift.tt/2Xrkirg

Disease outbreak news from the WHO: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 31 May 2020, WHO received information that between 18 and 30 May, four deaths were reported from the same quarter (quartier Air Congo) in Wangata Health Zone, Mbandaka city, Equateur Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Published on June 03, 2020
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Ice Melt Accelerates Regional Freshwater Depletion

A small glacier in the Arctic region of Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, as photographed by NASA's Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX). via NASA https://ift.tt/2XqZPms

Demo-2: Launching Into History

On Saturday, May 30, 2020, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station. via NASA https://ift.tt/2XQssbr