NASA has temporarily closed the camera of one of its space-based telescopes following a power issue. The closure of the camera eye of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has been studying the very hot regions of the Universe for over two decades, has halted its science work. The telescope suffered a power supply problem with its High-Resolution Camera (HRC) instrument on February 9, the space agency said. NASA scientists are now analyzing the problem and determining the appropriate response to get the observatory back to work as soon as possible.
NASA said they have so far not detected any problem with the spacecraft, which is operating normally. The Chandra X-ray Observatory, which was launched in 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, has delivered a wealth of images and data that have helped scientists better understand and unpack the many mysteries and evolution of the cosmos.
“On Wednesday, February 9, 2022, routine monitoring data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory indicated a power supply problem in the spacecraft's High-Resolution Camera,” NASA stated this week. Engineers working on the mission have paused science operations and put the four science instruments into safe mode, it added.
Separately, the Chandra X-ray Center Director's Office released an update on Twitter, saying the High-Resolution Camera was “powered down after being discovered in an anomalous state”. The notice added that the cause behind this was being investigated. Scientists are trying to resume operation using a different instrument, called the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrograph or ACI S, by early next week.
Chandra's High-Resolution Camera (HRC) was powered down after being discovered in an anomalous state. The cause is currently under investigation.
Chandra CDO, All other aspects of Chandra are performing nominally and work is underway to resume ACI science observations by early next week
The current glitch isn't the first time the X-ray observatory has faced a problem. In August 2020, the camera stopped working because of a different anomaly. Before that, the mission suffered a glitch due to the failure of the gyroscope. The telescope began functioning normally after a week on that occasion.
NASA’s Juno Mission Shares Stunning Images of Jupiter and Its Moon Ganymede
Another image shared on NASA's website was that of the complex surface of Jupiter's moon Ganymede.
Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, is known for its magnetic field. A Space.com report states that the Ganymede image was captured in June 2021 during a close pass. Juno flew only 650 miles (1,046 kilometers) above Ganymede's surface when it shot this photo. The enhanced-color image was created by citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos. The image is of the large crater Kitty. The crater is almost 9 miles (15 kilometers) across and is surrounded by darker material. Scientists believe the material got ejected when a small asteroid crashed into the moon's surface. Telescopes on Earth’s surface couldn’t have taken a similar backlit image of Jupiter, say NASA scientists
NASA's Juno mission has yet again stunned us with breathtaking images of Jupiter and its moon, Ganymede. Scientists are awed by an image of Jupiter in a crescent phase. The picture was taken when NASA's Juno spacecraft approached the giant planet during a regular close pass. The crescent shape of Jupiter can never be captured from telescopes on Earth's surface. The blog post explained why this was so. It stated that this image of Jupiter in a crescent phase, unlike the Moon or Venus, was difficult to observe from Earth, even with the aid of a telescope.
The post went on to add that Jupiter's orbit was outside the Earth's, hence an observer on Earth can only view the side of Jupiter that is illuminated by the Sun. So, the planet appears to be full at all times.
This backlit view of the crescent Jupiter from Juno was taken by using raw data from the Juno instrument. Citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill created the image from seven images that were taken during Juno's 39th close pass by Jupiter on January 12, 2022. The website stated, “If you could ride along with NASA's Juno spacecraft as it approaches Jupiter during one of its regular close passes by the giant planet, you would be treated to a striking vista similar to this one.”
The NASA website further stated that most of Ganymede's craters had brilliant rays extending from the impact scar, whereas just around 1 percent contained dark rays. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system. It's even bigger than the planet Mercury.
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