Edge-on Galaxy NGC 4710 in Coma Berenices | Hubble Space Telescope

Edge-on Galaxy NGC 4710 in Coma Berenices | Hubble Space Telescope

Still an astrophysical mystery, the evolution of the bulges in spiral galaxies led astronomers to the edge-on galaxy NGC 4710. When staring directly at the center of the galaxy, one can detect a faint, ethereal "X"-shaped structure. This feature that astronomers call a "boxy" or "peanut-shaped" bulge, is due to the vertical motions of the stars in the galaxy's bar and is only evident when the galaxy is seen edge-on. This curiously shaped puff is often observed in spiral galaxies with small bulges and open arms, but is less common in spirals with arms tightly wrapped around a more prominent bulge, such as NGC 4710.

This perspective allows astronomers to easily distinguish the central bulge of stars from its pancake-flat disk of stars, dust, and gas. The central bulge extends outside of the central disk like the yellow yolk on a fried egg.

Dark dust lanes—raw material for future generations of stars and planets—also appear confined to the central disk. What's striking in the image is a ghostly "X" pattern of stars. This is due to the inclined orbits of the stars in the galaxy's central bar-like structure.

NGC 4710 is located in the constellation Coma Berenices.

Distance from Earth: Distance: ~60 million light years

Credit: NASA & ESA
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2009

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC4710 #SpiralGalaxies #ComaBerenicesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: Aug. 5-11, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Aug. 5-11, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4975

MSL - sol 4972 

MSL - sol 4973

Mars 2020 - sol 1939

Mars 2020 - sol 1939

MSL - sol 4976

MSL - sol 4975

MSL - sol 4979

Please consider becoming a monthly Friends of NASA supporter on our website:
https://www.friendsofnasa.org/p/friends-of-nasa.html

Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education. 

We depend on public donations.

One-time Donations to Friends of NASA (PayPal) accepted here: 

https://www.paypal.me/FriendsofNASA

Celebrating 14+ Years on Mars (2012-2026)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Release Dates: Aug. 5-11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

Japan's H3 Rocket Launch of Navigation Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

Japan's H3 Rocket Launch of Navigation Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

🚀A Japanese H3 rocket (H3-22S/H3 F9) successfully launched the 🛰️“Michibiki” No. 7/Quasi-Zenith Satellite System 7 (QZS-7), a navigation satellite, from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center, on a small island in southwestern Japan, August 10, 2026, at 19:23 UTC (August 11, at 04:23 JST). This was the first nighttime H3 rocket launch.

The quasi-zenith satellite system (QZSS), also known as Michibiki ("guidance"), is a regional navigation satellite system (RNSS) and a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) developed by the Japanese government to enhance the United States-operated global positioning system (GPS) in the Asia-Oceania regions with a focus on Japan. The goal of QZSS is to provide highly precise and stable positioning services in the Asia-Oceania region, compatible with GPS. For example, if every Michibiki satellite eventually supports JAXA's Advanced Satellite Navigation System (ASNAV), an ordinary receiver, the kind in a regular smartphone with no special antenna or correction service, could see its accuracy improve from today's 5-to-10 meters down to roughly 1 meter. This is the difference between "somewhere on this block" and "this side of the street."

The H3 is a Japanese medium-lift launch vehicle developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). A hydrolox-fuelled rocket, it is the successor to the H-IIA and H-IIB launch vehicles. The H3 uses the LE-9 main engine, which was designed to be less expensive to produce as part of a broader effort to lower launch costs. The rocket has a modular design. Its first stage is powered by two or three LE-9 engines and can be fitted with zero, two, or four SRB-3 solid rocket boosters. The second stage uses the LE-5B-3 engine, an upgraded version of the engine family used since the H-I rocket.

In addition to launching satellites into Earth orbit, the H3 is used to launch Japan's HTV-X cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. The H3 is now Japan's flagship rocket following its highly reliable H2A rockets that served as the country's main launch vehicle for over two decades.

Unfortunately, the track record of the H3 launch vehicle has been mixed. After the failure involving the H3 No. 8 rocket in December 2025, JAXA scrambled to fix an issue and succeeded in launching another H3 rocket in June 2026, putting multiple small satellites into orbit.

Image Credits: JAXA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kyodo News

Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #QZS7 #MichibikiNo7 #準天頂衛星システム #みちびき7号機 #QZSS #準天頂衛星システム #H3Rockets #H3F9 #Rockets #LaunchVehicles #RocketLaunches #MitsubishiHeavyIndustries #三菱重工業株式会社 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #TanegashimaSpaceCenter #種子島宇宙センター #KagoshimaPrefecture #STEM #Education

Colorful Views of Nearby Tarantula Nebula | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Colorful Views of Nearby Tarantula Nebula | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Sheets of colored cellophane laid on top of each other can make collages, along with arts and crafts. A vibrant new image from NASA telescopes including the Chandra X-ray Observatory uses the same idea, but this cosmic collage paints a fantastic view while revealing new science of a famous star-forming nebula.

This cosmic space-“craft” reveals the star formation region known as 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small neighbor galaxy to the Milky Way about 160,000 light-years from Earth, the Tarantula has thousands of young stars embedded in a vibrant honeycomb-like structure of gas and dust.

The new composite image contains X-rays from Chandra that reveal gas that has been blown away in winds from the surfaces of young, massive stars and heated to millions of degrees by shock waves, like sonic booms from supersonic jets. Infrared data from Webb shows thousands of young stars, plus swaths of cool dust that will provide the ingredients to one day form new stars and planets. Hubble’s optical light data layer uncovers hydrogen gas that is warmer than seen with Webb as well as some individual stars through the nebula.

Previously, astronomers had studied the amount and the impact of energy produced by winds from young, massive stars in the Tarantula Nebula. Scientists expect that much of this energy should heat gas so that it produces X-rays. However, this latest result shows that there is much less X-ray emitting gas in the nebula than expected. This led researchers to ask: where has this energy gone and what tamed the Tarantula Nebula?

By studying the data from Chandra, Hubble and Webb, combined with data from the now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, the team found some answers. They concluded the Tarantula may be losing energy from several sources, including hot gas leaking outwards and the mixing of hot gas with cooler material around it. While this particular mystery in the Tarantula may have been solved, this fascinating region undoubtedly has many more secrets to share.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 2 minutes, 38 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 11, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #30Doradus #TarantulaNebula #DoradoConstellation #LMC #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #NASASpitzer #NASAWebb #JWST #NASAHubble #HST #NASAGoddard #NASAJPL #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Location of Star IRS 3 close to Milky Way galaxy's central black hole | Webb Telescope

Location of Star IRS 3 close to Milky Way galaxy's central black hole | Webb Telescope

These images show the location of the highly evolved star IRS 3. It is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.

An international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to this supermassive black hole. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.

The data in this image were taken with Webb programs #1939 (J. Lu), #3571 (F. Yusef-Zadeh), #2491 (N. B. Sabha), and #2075 (C. Chan).

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, F. Peißker, J. Lu, F. Yusef-Zadeh, N. B. Sabha, C. Chan, NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/E. Slawik/M. Zamani, ESO/S. Guisard, NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. Stolovy (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)

Release Date: Aug. 11, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #IRS3 #BlackHoles #SagittariusA #SgrA #GalacticCenter #SagittariusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #ESO #Europe #NASAGoddard #NASAJPL #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Close-up: IRS 3 Star Field near Milky Way's Central Black Hole | Webb Telescope

Close-up: IRS 3 Star Field near Milky Way's Central Black Hole | Webb Telescope

This video features new images from Webb’s near infrared camera (NIRCam) and mid infrared instrument (MIRI). They capture the most detailed infrared views yet of the field that hosts the highly evolved star IRS 3. It is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.

An international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to this supermassive black hole. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, F. Peißker, J. Lu, F. Yusef-Zadeh, N. B. Sabha, C. Chan, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 11, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #IRS3 #BlackHoles #SagittariusA #GalacticCenter #SagittariusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

IRS 3 Star Field near Milky Way's Central Supermassive Black Hole | Webb Telescope

IRS 3 Star Field near Milky Way's Central Supermassive Black Hole | Webb Telescope

This image features data from Webb’s near infrared camera (NIRCam) and mid infrared instrument (MIRI) to capture the most detailed mid-infrared view yet of the field that hosts the highly evolved star IRS 3. It is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.

An international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to this supermassive black hole. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.

The data in this image were taken with Webb programs #1939 (J. Lu), #3571 (F. Yusef-Zadeh), #2491 (N. B. Sabha), and #2075 (C. Chan).

Image Description: A dense star field fills the entire image with countless stars scattered across a backdrop of glowing clouds in shades of red, orange, pink, white, and blue. At the center, a brilliant concentration of stars creates a bright, almost white core surrounded by intricate filaments and wisps of illuminated gas and dust that radiate outward. Dark, irregular patches of opaque dust interrupt the glowing clouds, particularly toward the left side of the image, where they appear as silhouetted shapes against the brighter background. The surrounding stellar population varies in brightness and color, with cool blue stars and warmer orange and red stars distributed throughout the scene.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, F. Peißker, J. Lu, F. Yusef-Zadeh, N. B. Sabha, C. Chan
Release Date: Aug. 11, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #IRS3 #BlackHoles #SagittariusA #GalacticCenter #SagittariusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

How to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse | European Space Agency

How to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse | European Space Agency

A total solar eclipse becomes visible across parts of Europe on August 12, 2026. The path of totality will sweep across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small area of northeastern Portugal, while much of Europe will experience a partial eclipse.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun.

A solar eclipse is an unforgettable sight, but only if you watch it safely!

European Space Agency (ESA) reserve astronaut Sara García Alonso shows you how to enjoy this incredible cosmic event using certified eclipse glasses and explains why ordinary sunglasses are not enough.

Learn what happens during the stages of an eclipse, when it is safe to look up, and how to experience one of the greatest shows in the Solar System without risking your eyes.

Follow the total solar eclipse with the European Space Agency (ESA), in person or online:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Join_ESA_for_a_total_solar_eclipse_on_12_August_2026

Sara García Alonso's Biography:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Sara_Garcia_Alonso

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 2, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipse #PartialEclipse #ReserveAstronauts #SaraGarcíaAlonso #Europe #Portugal #Spain #España #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Japan's H3 Rocket Launches Navigation Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

Japan's H3 Rocket Launches Navigation Satellite | Tanegashima Space Center

🚀 A Japanese H3 rocket (H3-22S/H3 F9) launched the 🛰️“Michibiki” No. 7/Quasi-Zenith Satellite System 7 (QZS-7), a navigation satellite, from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, on August 10, 2026, at 19:23 UTC (August 11, at 04:23 JST).

The quasi-zenith satellite system (QZSS), also known as Michibiki ("guidance"), is a regional navigation satellite system (RNSS) and a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) developed by the Japanese government to enhance the United States-operated global positioning system (GPS) in the Asia-Oceania regions with a focus on Japan. The goal of QZSS is to provide highly precise and stable positioning services in the Asia-Oceania region, compatible with GPS.

The H3 is a Japanese medium-lift launch vehicle developed by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). A hydrolox-fuelled rocket, it is the successor to the H-IIA and H-IIB launch vehicles. The H3 uses the LE-9 main engine, which was designed to be less expensive to produce as part of a broader effort to lower launch costs. The rocket has a modular design. Its first stage is powered by two or three LE-9 engines and can be fitted with zero, two, or four SRB-3 solid rocket boosters. The second stage uses the LE-5B-3 engine, an upgraded version of the engine family used since the H-I rocket.

In addition to launching satellites into Earth orbit, the H3 is used to launch Japan's HTV-X cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Video Credit: JAXA

Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds
Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #QZS7 #MichibikiNo7 #準天頂衛星システム #みちびき7号機 #QZSS #準天頂衛星システム#H3Rockets #H3F9 #Rockets #LaunchVehicles #RocketLaunches #MitsubishiHeavyIndustries #三菱重工業株式会社 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #TanegashimaSpaceCenter #種子島宇宙センター #KagoshimaPrefecture #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet 220P/McNaught Outburst: View from Austria

Comet 220P/McNaught Outburst: View from Austria

Astrophotographer Michael Jaeger: "The structures within the coma are particularly striking. This was the first time we observed a round gas coma through a red filter; therefore, in addition to the prominent dust trail near the head, there is a second zone in white light, which appears round. The outer coma in green also exhibits two shells."

220P/McNaught, is a Jupiter-family comet with a 5.5-year orbit around the Sun. It is one of several comets discovered by Australian astronomer, Robert H. McNaught. It reached perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on June 14, 2026, two weeks after a large outburst in which the comet brightened as much as 8,000 times. In August 2026 there was a second outburst brightening by a factor of about 600.

Image Credit: Michael Jaeger/Gerald Rhemann

Image Details: 1.35 UT 18x150sec 16"/3.2 Asi 2600 MC 2x2bi
Location: Astronomisches Zentrum Martinsberg (AZM), Martinsberg, Austria
Date: Aug. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Comets #Comet220PMcNaught #JupiterFamilyComets #JFc #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #GeraldRhemann #MichaelJäger #Astrophotographers #Martinsberg #Austria #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-23 Crew Advances Space Science Experiments | China Space Station

Shenzhou-23 Crew Advances Space Science Experiments | China Space Station

The three astronauts on China's Shenzhou-23 mission performed a haul of experiments and interacted with a robotic assistant on the Tiangong Space Station over the past week as they were pressing ahead with scientific research and routine maintenance in orbit.

Last week, the three astronauts, namely Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying, made steady progress on various space science experiments and meticulously maintained the space station complex and conducted routine health management activities.

Regarding space science experiments, the crew used an ultrasound diagnostic device to assist one another in performing ultrasound scans of areas, such as the soleus muscle, quadriceps, and erector spinae, and conducted grip strength tests.

The data collected will be used for research related to a sensitive muscle group remodeling project.

In the multi-person collaboration interface experiment, the astronauts wore standalone virtual reality headsets to conduct behavioral tests, including single-person perception experiments and two-person collaboration experiments.

The three astronauts also interacted with the robot "Xiaohang" to conduct touch-based interaction tests. The collected data will be used to optimize methods for planning robotic motion behavior during future in-orbit operations.

Additionally, research in two areas—kinematic characteristics of astronauts during long-term spaceflight and dynamics of space treadmills under microgravity conditions—was conducted in tandem.

In accordance with the experimental schedule for space microgravity physical science, the crew replaced the experimental samples in the fluid physics experiment cabinet, cleaned the samples in the containerless experiment chamber, performed maintenance on the electrodes of the shaft mechanism, and cleaned the window cover lenses.

Moreover, the crew carried out cleaning of the cabin environment and organized supplies.

Regarding health management, the crew completed medical checkups, including abdominal, cardiac, and vascular ultrasound scans, and actively engaged in in-orbit exercise to counteract the physiological effects of weightlessness.

Shenzhou-23 Crew
Zhu Yangzhu 朱杨柱, Commander & Flight Engineer (second spaceflight)
Zhang Zhiyuan 张志远, Pilot (first spaceflight)

Lai Ka-ying/Li Jiaying 黎家盈, Payload Specialist (first spaceflight) [Hong Kong SAR]

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou23Mission #神舟二十三号 #Shenzhou23 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhuYangzhu #ZhangZhiyuan #LiJiaying #LaiKaying #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Lion Nebula—NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up: The Lion Nebula—NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope recently imaged planetary nebula NGC 2392. It is nicknamed the Lion Nebula due to its distinct shape. This near- and mid-infrared composite image reveals the complex structure of the nebula—the remains of a dying star. The stellar core, also known as a white dwarf, is located at the center and looks like the button nose of the lion.

Distance from Earth: 3,000-6,500 light years

The central dying star is so hot that its radiation is “cooking” everything from the inside and producing a bubble of ionized hydrogen gas as it does. The gas bubble, the lion’s “face,” features cavernous shells and rings with tendrils that are expanding and destroying dust upon encounter.

However, not all dust is obliterated from the scene. The lion’s mane is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the central star’s core. Within the mane compact clumps of dust (red and orange) have managed to survive and are protecting the material that lies behind them. Additional clumps of molecular hydrogen appear yellow.

The Lion Nebula is a snapshot in time. It has taken several thousand years for the gas and dust to be shaped in this way. It continues to change as the star drives away the material. Astronomers estimate NGC 2392 will eventually disperse in about 10,000 years, a relatively short period in astronomical terms.

Image Description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the center, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very center is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane. The area closest to the lion’s face looks cloudy, while the edges of the mane look like there are clumps of dust with comet-like tails and strands. In the background are distant galaxies and stars. Galaxies appear as small yellow and orange points of light and others with visible spiral structures. A couple of the stars have diffraction spikes.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WhiteDwarf #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #NGC2392 #Caldwell39 #LionNebula #GeminiConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Lion Nebula: NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

The Lion Nebula: NGC 2392 in Gemini | James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope recently imaged planetary nebula NGC 2392. It is nicknamed the Lion Nebula due to its distinct shape. This near- and mid-infrared composite image reveals the complex structure of the nebula—the remains of a dying star. The stellar core, also known as a white dwarf, is located at the center and looks like the button nose of the lion.

Distance from Earth: 3,000-6,500 light years

The central dying star is so hot that its radiation is “cooking” everything from the inside and producing a bubble of ionized hydrogen gas as it does. The gas bubble, the lion’s “face,” features cavernous shells and rings with tendrils that are expanding and destroying dust upon encounter.

However, not all dust is obliterated from the scene. The lion’s mane is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the central star’s core. Within the mane compact clumps of dust (red and orange) have managed to survive and are protecting the material that lies behind them. Additional clumps of molecular hydrogen appear yellow.

The Lion Nebula is a snapshot in time. It has taken several thousand years for the gas and dust to be shaped in this way. It continues to change as the star drives away the material. Astronomers estimate NGC 2392 will eventually disperse in about 10,000 years, a relatively short period in astronomical terms.

Image Description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the center, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very center is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane. The area closest to the lion’s face looks cloudy, while the edges of the mane look like there are clumps of dust with comet-like tails and strands. In the background are distant galaxies and stars. Galaxies appear as small yellow and orange points of light and others with visible spiral structures. A couple of the stars have diffraction spikes.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WhiteDwarf #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #NGC2392 #Caldwell39 #LionNebula #GeminiConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Meir & Menon on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Meir & Menon on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir on her sixth spacewalk, Aug. 6, 2026.

Expedition 75 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anil Menon on his first spacewalk, Aug. 6, 2026.

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Using our special spacewalk drill to install one of the struts for the mounting brackets, as captured by astronaut Anil Menon. And look, all of you are in this photo with me as well (Earth!)! That first spacewalk feeling! Congratulations to astronaut Anil Menon on his first spacewalk. Mission complete as we assembled the last of the mounting brackets that will hold another set of solar arrays to augment the International Space Station  power supply."

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 3 p.m. EDT on August 6, 2026. It was Menon’s first spacewalk and Meir’s sixth. During the 6-hour, 27-minute spacewalk, Meir and Menon completed their primary objectives. They included preparing the 3B power channel. This work was necessary for the installation of roll-out solar arrays, called IROSA, to provide additional power for the orbiting laboratory, supporting critical systems and the safe, controlled deorbit of the space station.

This was the 281st spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. 

Follow Expedition 75:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center/J. Meir/A. Menon
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #Spacewalks #EVA #JessicaMeir #AnilMenon #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars: Cerberus Fossae (infrared view) | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Cerberus Fossae (infrared view) | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Visible in this observation is the eastern section of Cerberus Fossae (width approximately 250 meters), made up of a series of rifts located in Elysium Planitia just north the Martian equator. The fossae (Latin plural for a “ditch” or “depression”) are in close proximity and related to the formation of Athabasca Valles that lies to the west. These rifts are collapse features believed to form by volcanic and tectonic processes.

The Cerberus Fossae are a series of semi-parallel fissures on Mars formed by faults that pulled the crust apart in the Cerberus region. They are 1235 km across and centered at 11.28 °N and 166.37 °E. Their northernmost latitude is 16.16 °N and their southernmost latitude 6.23 °N. Their easternmost and westernmost longitudes are 174.72 °E and 154.43 °E, respectively. They can be seen in the Elysium quadrangle.

In this composite image, we can see that the rift is not continuous, but discontinuous and offset. The offset could be the result of a preexisting subsurface discontinuity, such as a fault.

The close-up view of HiRISE infrared color shows us a plethora of information about Cerberus Fossae and the great amount of detail that HiRISE captures. The clear view of boulders strewn in shadowed areas of the rift is a testament to the high signal-to-noise capability and high resolution of the HiRISE camera; aeolian dunes along with boulders deposited from erosion of the rift walls are also visible in detail.

Another remarkable aspect of this image is the stark contrasts it captures: light-toned dusty—surfaces that surround the rift versus the dark blue basaltic sands and the shadows within the rift. The detail that HiRISE can provide is indeed phenomenal, and as demonstrated here, the infrared color provides additional information. Why, for instance, is the floor of Cerberus Fossae a deep blue, and why is there such a contrast with the orange-grayish Martian surface? It is not water. The volcanic and mafic sand contains unoxidized iron that appears a deep blue, while the Martian surface is covered by oxidized iron-bearing dust which appears orange-grayish.

Using the pixel-length of the shadow within the rift, the incidence angle of the Sun at the time the image was taken, and trigonometry, the approximate depth of the various sections of Cerberus Fossae can be estimated. Based on this simple method, an approximate depth is 260 meters. This estimate suggests that the rift is as wide as it is deep.

Black & white is less than 5 km across; enhanced color is less than 1 km. 

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has spent over twenty years (2006-2026) orbiting the Red Planet, collecting valuable scientific data. 

This HiRISE enhanced color camera image (less than 1 km in size) was captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 278 km (173 miles).

Capture Date: Dec. 5, 2014
Latitude (centered): 75.597°
Longitude (East): 13.493°

The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). It was built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Washington.

For more information on MRO, visit:

science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Release Date: Aug. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planets #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #Rifts #Faults #CerberusFossae #ElysiumPlanitia #NorthernHemisphere #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Comet 220P/McNaught: "Outburst with Shockwave" | View from Namibia

Comet 220P/McNaught: "Outburst with Shockwave" | View from Namibia

Astrophotographers Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger: "Comet in outburst with shockwave."

220P/McNaught, is a Jupiter-family comet with a 5.5-year orbit around the Sun. It is one of several comets discovered by Australian astronomer, Robert H. McNaught. It reached perihelion on June 14, 2026, two weeks after a large outburst in which the comet brightened as much as 8,000 times. In August 2026 there was a second outburst brightening by a factor of about 600. 

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 meters (660 feet) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia.

Image Credit: Gerald Rhemann & Michael Jäger 

Image Details: front Telescope: ASA Astrograph 12" f3.6 Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Exp.Time: LRGB 23/9/9/9 min.
Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia

Date: Aug. 8, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Comets #Comet220PMcNaught #JupiterFamilyComets #JFc #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #GeraldRhemann #MichaelJäger #Astrophotographers #Namibia #STEM #Education