1 00:00:00,429 --> 00:00:03,990 Uncovering a relic galaxy in our own cosmic backyard … 2 00:00:03,990 --> 00:00:07,839 Preparing for launch to the space station … 3 00:00:07,839 --> 00:00:13,060 And honoring the legacy of Stephen Hawking - a few of the stories to tell you about - This 4 00:00:13,060 --> 00:00:16,490 Week at NASA! 5 00:00:16,490 --> 00:00:22,410 Our Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered an ancient "relic galaxy" in our own cosmic backyard, 6 00:00:22,410 --> 00:00:30,279 composed exclusively of aging stars born about 10 billion years ago. The galaxy, NGC 1277, 7 00:00:30,279 --> 00:00:35,910 has twice as many stars as our Milky Way but is only one quarter the size. The finding 8 00:00:35,910 --> 00:00:42,190 could provide new insights into the origin and evolution of galaxies billions of years 9 00:00:42,190 --> 00:00:43,660 ago. 10 00:00:43,660 --> 00:00:50,040 Our astronauts Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold joined Russia's Oleg Artemyev in Kazakhstan 11 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:55,070 to prepare for their upcoming launch to the International Space Station. The Expedition 12 00:00:55,070 --> 00:01:04,039 55/56 trio is set to launch on March 21 for a five-month mission on the orbital outpost. 13 00:01:04,039 --> 00:01:09,060 Our Planetary Defense Coordination Office hosted a workshop to show meteorologists how 14 00:01:09,060 --> 00:01:15,650 we find, track, and potentially mitigate any future asteroid impact threats to Earth. 15 00:01:15,650 --> 00:01:20,470 The office is responsible for issuing timely warnings and communications about potential 16 00:01:20,470 --> 00:01:26,020 impacts, and leading the coordination of U.S. Government planning for response to an actual 17 00:01:26,020 --> 00:01:29,120 impact threat. 18 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:36,380 We helped space fans celebrate Pi Day on March14 with the fifth annual "Pi in the Sky" challenge. 19 00:01:36,380 --> 00:01:42,290 Pi is the mathematical constant that starts with the numbers 3.14. The challenge's math 20 00:01:42,290 --> 00:01:47,229 problems show how pi can be used to learn about all kinds of curious features of the 21 00:01:47,229 --> 00:01:53,990 universe, including earthquakes on Mars, helium rain on Jupiter, and planets orbiting other 22 00:01:53,990 --> 00:01:56,680 stars. 23 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:03,409 Renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking died at his home in Cambridge, England on March 24 00:02:03,409 --> 00:02:10,159 14. In a statement, acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot called Hawking a longtime 25 00:02:10,159 --> 00:02:16,489 friend to NASA, and a passionate communicator who wanted to share the excitement of discovery 26 00:02:16,489 --> 00:02:22,799 with all. Lightfoot further noted that Hawking's breakthroughs in physics and astronomy changed 27 00:02:22,799 --> 00:02:29,669 how we view the cosmos, and will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping our efforts 28 00:02:29,669 --> 00:02:35,790 to explore our solar system and beyond. 29 00:02:35,790 --> 00:02:37,599 That's what's up this week @NASA …