NICER Payload Animations

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    ID: 13841 Produced Video

    NASA’s NICER Telescope Examined a Star on the Edge of Becoming a Black Hole Live Shots

    April 27th, 2021
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Quick link to canned interview in Spanish with Diego Altamirano: Principal Research Fellow, University of Southampton.Quick link to associated B-ROLL for live shots. || NASA Telescope Unlocks Clues to One of the Strangest Objects in the UniverseHave you ever wondered what it might be like inside a star that's twice as massive as the Sun, but only the size of a city? Thanks to observations from a NASA telescope, astronomers are now closer to understanding one of the hardest-to-reach places in the universe: the inner core of a star on the verge of becoming a black hole. These are neutron stars, a black hole’s smaller cousin and the leftovers of an exploded massive star. These objects seem to defy the laws of physics - they pack more mass than the Sun into something the size of a city, producing some of the most intense conditions known to exist. And, unlike black holes, we can actually see them.These cosmic monsters are some of the most extreme objects known in the universe. Scientists recently studied the most massive neutron star discovered, which has more than twice the Sun’s mass but is only about 16 miles across – that’s not much bigger than Manhattan Island! Scientists are unsure how matter, the material that makes up everything we can see and touch, behaves in neutron stars' mysterious interiors, which are home to conditions we can't recreate on Earth. Thanks to NASA's NICERtelescope, which collects data from its perch on the International Space Station, scientists are now a step closer to understanding these strange objects, which could harbor clues to how our universe works.Chat one-on-one with NASA experts and members of the NICER team on Friday, April 30 from 6:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT to tell your viewers about these bizarre cosmic objects To Schedule an interview: Please fill out this form** https://forms.gle/StUsX8aPXwTcKGHM7Suggested Anchor intro: Have you ever wondered what it's like inside something that's about to become a black hole? Astronomers now have a better idea thanks to NASA's NICER telescope on the International Space Station, which they use to study neutron stars, objects on the threshold of collapsing into black holes. Joining us today is NICER team member *NAME* to tell us more.Suggested questions:What is the difference between a black hole and a neutron star?Why do we study neutron stars? How do we study neutron stars?Which do you think is cooler, black holes or neutron stars?Where can our viewers go to learn more about neutron stars and NICER?Questions for longer interviews:What does matter look like inside a neutron star?Why is NICER on the International Space Station?What’s next for NICER?Will our Sun become a neutron star?Can we see any neutron stars in the night sky? ||

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  • 
    ID: 12741 Produced Video

    Astrophysics Live Shot 10.17.2017

    Oct. 13th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Live shot b-rollFor more information see: NASA Missions Catch First Light From A Gravitational-Wave-Event || An exciting discovery out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center! The bling in your ring is a product of the most violent kind of explosion in the universe. Suggested Anchor Intro:Yesterday scientists announced another giant discovery in the physics world. This time, it involves the most powerful explosion in the universe, head-banging stars and a cosmic gold rush. We have NASA scientist *NAME* here to give us a bite-sized astrophysics lesson. While observing a galaxy 130 million light-years away, NASA scientists became the first to see a gamma-ray burst caused by two neutron stars smashing into each other. Join some of these brilliant minds from 6:00-11:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 17, for a bite-sized astrophysics lesson about an exciting discovery: many precious metals on Earth are remnants of these stellar collisions. This particular explosion produced 500 times the mass of Earth in platinum and 200 times the mass of Earth in gold. Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the cosmos. Most occur when a massive star collapses under its own weight as it nears the end of its life. For decades scientists have suspected these bursts might also come from something else: collisions between neutron stars, the smallest and densest stars known to exist — they were right. Black holes merge darkly, but neutron stars do so with a splash. Matter is packed so tightly in neutron stars that a sugar cube-sized amount of material would weigh as much as Mount Everest. So, as it turns out, a neutron star merger can fuel the creation of precious metals and scatter them across the universe — precisely how gold, platinum and dozens of other elements arrived at Earth. We now know that a neutron star merger is powerful enough to cause ripples in space-time, just as a rock thrown into a pond creates ripples in the water. The discovery of these gravitational waves earned three physicists a 2017 Nobel Prize. This neutron star collision marks the first time scientists have been able to pinpoint exactly where gravitational waves originated. This discovery brings remarkable new insights into the physics behind the most powerful explosions in the universe — and a reminder that we're surrounded by the stuff of stars. Suggested Questions:1. Walk us through this incredible discovery. What did you see?2. So, the gold in my ring is stardust? How did these heavy metals get to Earth?3. This isn't the first time you've seen an explosion like this. Why is this one so special?4. The science community is pretty excited about gravitational waves. What are they?5. Where can we learn more?Location: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Greenbelt, Maryland Scientists:Dr. Brad Cenko / NASA Astrophysicist, Goddard Space Flight CenterDr. Paul Hertz / Director, Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Headquarters Dr. Julie McEnery / NASA Astrophysicist, Goddard Space Flight Center To book a window contact: 
Micheala Sosby / micheala.m.sosby@nasa.gov / 301-286-8199 ||

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  • 
    ID: 12668 Produced Video

    NICER in Space

    July 17th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Several cameras on the International Space Station (ISS) have eyes on NICER. Since arriving to the space station on June 5 – aboard SpaceX’s eleventh cargo resupply mission – NICER underwent robotic installation on ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 2, initial deployment, precise point tests and more. This video shows segments of NICER’s time in space. Scientists and engineers will continue to watch NICER, using these cameras, throughout the mission’s science operations. || Music Credit: KillerTracks, Strange Reality (KOK2310-11) ||

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  • 
    ID: 12630 Produced Video

    NICER Mission Overview

    June 1st, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) payload, destined for the exterior of the space station, will study the physics of neutron stars, providing new insight into their nature and behavior. These stars are called “pulsars” because of the unique way they emit light – in a beam similar to a lighthouse beacon. As the star spins, the light sweeps past us, making it appear as if the star is pulsing. Neutron stars emit X-ray radiation, enabling the NICER technology to observe and record information about their structure, dynamics and energetics. The payload also includes a technology demonstration called the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) which will help researchers to develop a pulsar-based space navigation system. Pulsar navigation could work similarly to GPS on Earth, providing precise position and time for spacecraft throughout the solar system.The 2-in-1 mission launched on June 3, 2017 aboard SpaceX's eleventh contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station. The payload arrived at the space station in the Dragon spacecraft, along with other cargo, on June 5, 2017. ||

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  • 
    ID: 12606 Produced Video

    NICER: Launching Soon to the Space Station

    May 22nd, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    This video previews the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). NICER is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASA’s Explorer program, which provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate supports the SEXTANT component of the mission, demonstrating pulsar-based spacecraft navigation. NICER is an upcoming International Space Station payload scheduled to launch in June 2017. Learn more about the mission at nasa.gov/nicer. ||

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  • 
    ID: 12605 Produced Video

    What is a Neutron Star?

    May 18th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Here's just some of what we already know about neutron stars. An upcoming NASA mission will further investigate these unusual objects from the International Space Station. The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer mission, or NICER, will study the extraordinary environments — strong gravity, ultra-dense matter, and the most powerful magnetic fields in the universe — embodied by neutron stars. NICER is a two-in-one mission. The embedded Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology, or SEXTANT, demonstration will use NICER data to validate, for the first time in space, pulsar-based navigation.NICER is planned for launch aboard the SpaceX CRS-11, currently scheduled for June 1, 2017. Learn more about the mission at nasa.gov/nicer. ||

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  • 
    ID: 20267 Animation

    Neutron Star Animations

    April 26th, 2017
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission will study neutron stars, the densest known objects in the cosmos. These neutron star animations and graphics highlight some of their unique characteristics.For more information about NICER visit: nasa.gov/nicer. || A neutron star begins its life as a star between about 7 and 20 times the mass of the sun. When this type of star runs out of fuel, it collapses under its own weight, crushing its core and triggering a supernova explosion. What remains is an ultra-dense sphere only about the size of a city across, but with up to twice the mass of the sun squeezed inside. ||

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  • 
    ID: 20268 Animation

    NICER Lensing

    April 26th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission will study neutron stars, the densest known objects in the cosmos. These neutron star animations and graphics highlight some of their unique characteristics.For more information about NICER visit: nasa.gov/nicer. || Please put caption here. || NICER observes X-ray light from the surfaces of neutron stars. In these strong-gravity environments, light paths are distorted so that NICER can see emission from the star's far side, especially for smaller, denser stars. ||

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