Young Supernova Remnant G306.3–0.9 | NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

Young Supernova Remnant G306.3–0.9 | NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

This image from NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is a wider view that places supernova remnant G306.3–0.9 (lower left corner) in context with star-formation regions in the southern Centaurus constellation. For over two decades, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has been one of our most reliable cosmic first responders—racing to catch gamma ray bursts, unmasking black holes in action, and teaming up with missions like NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), and NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to uncover examples of the universe’s most dramatic events.

Distance from Earth: ~26,000 light years 

In this image, data from Swift and Chandra reveal a stunning view of a young supernova remnant—a swirling landscape of glowing gas, dust, and high energy x-ray emission. This composite image helped astronomers study how massive stars live, die, and reshape their surroundings, and it stands as one of many examples of Swift’s role in decoding the high energy universe.

Cornelis A. "Neil" Gehrels (1952–2017) was an American astrophysicist specializing in the field of gamma-ray astronomy. He was Chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) from 1995 until his death, and was best known for his work developing the field from early balloon instruments to space observatories, such as the NASA Swift mission, for which he was the principal investigator. In 2018, NASA announced that Swift had been renamed the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, in his honor.

Even as Swift's mission winds down, its science will not be. Swift will leave behind a treasure trove of data—terabytes of discoveries that astronomers will continue studying for years to come.

Learn more about the Swift Mission:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/

Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Michigan/M. Reynolds et al; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Radio: CSIRO/ATNF/ATCA

Image Date: Feb. 22, 2011
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnants #SNRG3063009 #CentaurusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NeilGehrelsSwiftObservatory #SwiftSpaceObservatory #NASASwift #GammaRayAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #NASAChandra #CXC #XrayAstronomy #NASAGoddard #RadioAstronomy #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Stars 'brewing in a nebulous cauldron': N159 in Dorado | Webb Telescope

Stars 'brewing in a nebulous cauldron': N159 in Dorado | Webb Telescope

This video shares a picture from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope. It shows a turbulent 'cauldron' of star formation, brewing inside dense clumps of gas. This is a star-forming region named LHA 120-N 159, or simply N159, located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way galaxy. This image spans about 230 light years across. 

N159 is what astronomers call a H II region: an area of space filled with ionized hydrogen gas. In stellar nurseries such as this one, giant molecular clouds of cold hydrogen gas collapse under gravity, forming new stars. Many of these stars are extremely massive and hot, and their powerful ultraviolet radiation ionizes the gas around them. This makes H II regions markers of active star formation, and as the ionized gas radiates light this turns them into the kind of brilliant emission nebula that we see in this image. The fierce stellar winds from these stars sculpt dense ridges and carve open cavities in the gas, which Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) captures here in great detail.

The roiling brew of star formation in N159 is closed in by thick, smoky orange clouds that also billow across the center of the image. The light orange color signifies light emitted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, an important carbon-based molecule. The pools of pale blue gas are clouds of H II gas, ionized by the intense ultraviolet light from massive stars. Dark red filaments cross the center of the image, particularly visible above the blue region on the right side; these are made of cool molecular hydrogen. These filaments are the densest part of the nebula and currently shield new stars from harsh radiation and stellar winds—by zooming in, you can see stars as points of light embedded in these filaments and in the small pillars of orange gas that reach out into the blue bubbles. Eventually, these structures will melt away, leaving their completed stars behind.

The LMC is full of H II regions like N159 conveniently located for us to study, including the larger N79 region and the spectacular Tarantula Nebula. They are not exactly like the star-forming regions within our own galaxy: the LMC’s metallicity—its proportion of the elements, called “metals” by astronomers, that are heavier than hydrogen and helium—is significantly lower than in the Milky Way galaxy. This gives researchers an opportunity to study H II regions in conditions that are more similar to those found in the early Universe, helping us to learn about star formation in that time.

At less than three million years old, N159 is one of the youngest star-forming regions of the LMC, containing thousands of stars at their earliest stages of formation. Since the advent of space telescopes astronomers have closely examined the stellar populations in N159. The brightly glowing spot on the left side of the image is the Papillon Nebula, an exceptionally compact blob of ionized hydrogen that is thought to be linked to the formation of massive stars.

The data used in this new Webb image come from an observing program (#5114) aiming to study and compare stars throughout their stages of evolution in this giant nebula. In the resulting paper, astronomers delved into N159 with greater detail thanks to these new and comprehensive Webb data. They were able to detect extremely dim stars less than a tenth as massive as the Sun, and distinguish larger, hotter, fully evolved stars from the young stellar objects still wrapped up in the thick clouds where they are born. Their results showed that the western region of N159 has more of these young stellar objects in a more concentrated area, showing that it is at an earlier stage of collapsing to form stars. With the whole sequence of star formation taking place at once, N159 is a unique place to see the evolution of a collapsing molecular cloud up close.

Image Description: A nebula made of clouds of gas and dust with stars forming within. In the center and out to the left it is filled with thin, wispy blue gas that forms delicate layers. Around this are thicker orange clouds with dark ridges. Thin red filaments of gas cross the center of the nebula. Glowing bubbles in the gas contain dense, very bright clusters of stars. In the edges, distant stars are visible as bright points on a dark background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, E. Sabbi, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #HIIRegions #LHA120N159 #N159 #LMC #DoradoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Egypt, Nile Delta & Red Sea | International Space Station

Egypt, Nile Delta & Red Sea | International Space Station

Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan and the Sahara to the south, and Libya to the west. 

The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest deltas. From Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east; it covers 240 km (150 mi) of the Mediterranean coastline and is a rich agricultural region. From north to south the delta is about 160 km (100 mi) long. The Delta begins from Cairo.

The Red Sea is a mediterranean sea lying between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. It is an inlet of the Indian Ocean. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To the north of the Red Sea lies the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez that leads to the Suez Canal. It is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley.

 Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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 Credit: NASA/CSA/Joshua Kutryk
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Africa #Egypt #Cairo #NileDelta #RedSea #Astronauts #JoshuaKutryk #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #CSA #Canada #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

دلتا النيل جمهورية مصر العربية 

القاهرة

Journey to Star-forming Region N159 in Large Magellanic Cloud | Webb Telescope

Journey to Star-forming Region N159 in Large Magellanic Cloud | Webb Telescope

In the final image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, we visit a turbulent 'cauldron' of star formation to see what is brewing inside dense clumps of gas. This is a star-forming region named LHA 120-N 159, or simply N159, located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way galaxy. This image spans about 230 light years across. 

N159 is what astronomers call a H II region: an area of space filled with ionized hydrogen gas. In stellar nurseries such as this one, giant molecular clouds of cold hydrogen gas collapse under gravity, forming new stars. Many of these stars are extremely massive and hot, and their powerful ultraviolet radiation ionizes the gas around them. This makes H II regions markers of active star formation, and as the ionized gas radiates light this turns them into the kind of brilliant emission nebula that we see in this image. The fierce stellar winds from these stars sculpt dense ridges and carve open cavities in the gas, which Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) captures here in great detail.

The roiling brew of star formation in N159 is closed in by thick, smoky orange clouds that also billow across the center of the image. The light orange color signifies light emitted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, an important carbon-based molecule. The pools of pale blue gas are clouds of H II gas, ionized by the intense ultraviolet light from massive stars. Dark red filaments cross the center of the image, particularly visible above the blue region on the right side; these are made of cool molecular hydrogen. These filaments are the densest part of the nebula and currently shield new stars from harsh radiation and stellar winds—by zooming in, you can see stars as points of light embedded in these filaments and in the small pillars of orange gas that reach out into the blue bubbles. Eventually, these structures will melt away, leaving their completed stars behind.

The LMC is full of H II regions like N159 conveniently located for us to study, including the larger N79 region and the spectacular Tarantula Nebula. They are not exactly like the star-forming regions within our own galaxy: the LMC’s metallicity—its proportion of the elements, called “metals” by astronomers, that are heavier than hydrogen and helium—is significantly lower than in the Milky Way galaxy. This gives researchers an opportunity to study H II regions in conditions that are more similar to those found in the early Universe, helping us to learn about star formation in that time.

At less than three million years old, N159 is one of the youngest star-forming regions of the LMC, containing thousands of stars at their earliest stages of formation. Since the advent of space telescopes astronomers have closely examined the stellar populations in N159. The brightly glowing spot on the left side of the image is the Papillon Nebula, an exceptionally compact blob of ionized hydrogen that is thought to be linked to the formation of massive stars.

The data used in this new Webb image come from an observing program (#5114) aiming to study and compare stars throughout their stages of evolution in this giant nebula. In the resulting paper, astronomers delved into N159 with greater detail thanks to these new and comprehensive Webb data. They were able to detect extremely dim stars less than a tenth as massive as the Sun, and distinguish larger, hotter, fully evolved stars from the young stellar objects still wrapped up in the thick clouds where they are born. Their results showed that the western region of N159 has more of these young stellar objects in a more concentrated area, showing that it is at an earlier stage of collapsing to form stars. With the whole sequence of star formation taking place at once, N159 is a unique place to see the evolution of a collapsing molecular cloud up close.

Image Description: A nebula made of clouds of gas and dust with stars forming within. In the center and out to the left it is filled with thin, wispy blue gas that forms delicate layers. Around this are thicker orange clouds with dark ridges. Thin red filaments of gas cross the center of the nebula. Glowing bubbles in the gas contain dense, very bright clusters of stars. In the edges, distant stars are visible as bright points on a dark background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, NOIRLab, NSF, AURA, ESO, CTIO, SMASH, N. Bartmann, E. Sabbi, D. Nidever, E. Slawik, N. Risinger, N. T. Rector, D. de Martin, M. Zamani
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #HIIRegions #LHA120N159 #N159 #LMC #DoradoConstellation #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #ESO #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #NSF #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Star-forming Region N159 in Large Magellanic Cloud | Webb Telescope

Close-up: Star-forming Region N159 in Large Magellanic Cloud | Webb Telescope

In this picture from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, we visit a turbulent 'cauldron' of star formation to see what is brewing inside dense clumps of gas. This is a star-forming region named LHA 120-N 159, or simply N159, located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way galaxy. This image spans about 230 light years across. 

N159 is what astronomers call a H II region: an area of space filled with ionized hydrogen gas. In stellar nurseries such as this one, giant molecular clouds of cold hydrogen gas collapse under gravity, forming new stars. Many of these stars are extremely massive and hot, and their powerful ultraviolet radiation ionizes the gas around them. This makes H II regions markers of active star formation, and as the ionized gas radiates light this turns them into the kind of brilliant emission nebula that we see in this image. The fierce stellar winds from these stars sculpt dense ridges and carve open cavities in the gas, which Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) captures here in great detail.

The roiling brew of star formation in N159 is closed in by thick, smoky orange clouds that also billow across the center of the image. The light orange color signifies light emitted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, an important carbon-based molecule. The pools of pale blue gas are clouds of H II gas, ionized by the intense ultraviolet light from massive stars. Dark red filaments cross the center of the image, particularly visible above the blue region on the right side; these are made of cool molecular hydrogen. These filaments are the densest part of the nebula and currently shield new stars from harsh radiation and stellar winds—by zooming in, you can see stars as points of light embedded in these filaments and in the small pillars of orange gas that reach out into the blue bubbles. Eventually, these structures will melt away, leaving their completed stars behind.

The LMC is full of H II regions like N159 conveniently located for us to study, including the larger N79 region and the spectacular Tarantula Nebula. They are not exactly like the star-forming regions within our own galaxy: the LMC’s metallicity—its proportion of the elements, called “metals” by astronomers, that are heavier than hydrogen and helium—is significantly lower than in the Milky Way galaxy. This gives researchers an opportunity to study H II regions in conditions that are more similar to those found in the early Universe, helping us to learn about star formation in that time.

At less than three million years old, N159 is one of the youngest star-forming regions of the LMC, containing thousands of stars at their earliest stages of formation. Since the advent of space telescopes astronomers have closely examined the stellar populations in N159. The brightly glowing spot on the left side of the image is the Papillon Nebula, an exceptionally compact blob of ionized hydrogen that is thought to be linked to the formation of massive stars.

The data used in this new Webb image come from an observing program (#5114) aiming to study and compare stars throughout their stages of evolution in this giant nebula. In the resulting paper, astronomers delved into N159 with greater detail thanks to these new and comprehensive Webb data. They were able to detect extremely dim stars less than a tenth as massive as the Sun, and distinguish larger, hotter, fully evolved stars from the young stellar objects still wrapped up in the thick clouds where they are born. Their results showed that the western region of N159 has more of these young stellar objects in a more concentrated area, showing that it is at an earlier stage of collapsing to form stars. With the whole sequence of star formation taking place at once, N159 is a unique place to see the evolution of a collapsing molecular cloud up close.

Image Description: A nebula made of clouds of gas and dust with stars forming within. In the center and out to the left it is filled with thin, wispy blue gas that forms delicate layers. Around this are thicker orange clouds with dark ridges. Thin red filaments of gas cross the center of the nebula. Glowing bubbles in the gas contain dense, very bright clusters of stars. In the edges, distant stars are visible as bright points on a dark background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, E. Sabbi, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #HIIRegions #LHA120N159 #N159 #LMC #DoradoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star-forming Region N159 in Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | Webb Telescope

Star-forming Region N159 in Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | Webb Telescope

In this picture from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, we visit a turbulent 'cauldron' of star formation to see what is brewing inside dense clumps of gas. This is a star-forming region named LHA 120-N 159, or simply N159, located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way galaxy. This image spans about 230 light years across. 

N159 is what astronomers call a H II region: an area of space filled with ionized hydrogen gas. In stellar nurseries such as this one, giant molecular clouds of cold hydrogen gas collapse under gravity, forming new stars. Many of these stars are extremely massive and hot, and their powerful ultraviolet radiation ionizes the gas around them. This makes H II regions markers of active star formation, and as the ionized gas radiates light this turns them into the kind of brilliant emission nebula that we see in this image. The fierce stellar winds from these stars sculpt dense ridges and carve open cavities in the gas, which Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) captures here in great detail.

The roiling brew of star formation in N159 is closed in by thick, smoky orange clouds that also billow across the center of the image. The light orange color signifies light emitted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, an important carbon-based molecule. The pools of pale blue gas are clouds of H II gas, ionized by the intense ultraviolet light from massive stars. Dark red filaments cross the center of the image, particularly visible above the blue region on the right side; these are made of cool molecular hydrogen. These filaments are the densest part of the nebula and currently shield new stars from harsh radiation and stellar winds—by zooming in, you can see stars as points of light embedded in these filaments and in the small pillars of orange gas that reach out into the blue bubbles. Eventually, these structures will melt away, leaving their completed stars behind.

The LMC is full of H II regions like N159 conveniently located for us to study, including the larger N79 region and the spectacular Tarantula Nebula. They are not exactly like the star-forming regions within our own galaxy: the LMC’s metallicity—its proportion of the elements, called “metals” by astronomers, that are heavier than hydrogen and helium—is significantly lower than in the Milky Way galaxy. This gives researchers an opportunity to study H II regions in conditions that are more similar to those found in the early Universe, helping us to learn about star formation in that time.

At less than three million years old, N159 is one of the youngest star-forming regions of the LMC, containing thousands of stars at their earliest stages of formation. Since the advent of space telescopes astronomers have closely examined the stellar populations in N159. The brightly glowing spot on the left side of the image is the Papillon Nebula, an exceptionally compact blob of ionized hydrogen that is thought to be linked to the formation of massive stars.

The data used in this new Webb image come from an observing program (#5114) aiming to study and compare stars throughout their stages of evolution in this giant nebula. In the resulting paper, astronomers delved into N159 with greater detail thanks to these new and comprehensive Webb data. They were able to detect extremely dim stars less than a tenth as massive as the Sun, and distinguish larger, hotter, fully evolved stars from the young stellar objects still wrapped up in the thick clouds where they are born. Their results showed that the western region of N159 has more of these young stellar objects in a more concentrated area, showing that it is at an earlier stage of collapsing to form stars. With the whole sequence of star formation taking place at once, N159 is a unique place to see the evolution of a collapsing molecular cloud up close.

Image Description: A nebula made of clouds of gas and dust with stars forming within. In the center and out to the left it is filled with thin, wispy blue gas that forms delicate layers. Around this are thicker orange clouds with dark ridges. Thin red filaments of gas cross the center of the nebula. Glowing bubbles in the gas contain dense, very bright clusters of stars. In the edges, distant stars are visible as bright points on a dark background.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, E. Sabbi, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)
Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #HIIRegions #LHA120N159 #N159 #LMC #DoradoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education 

Wide-field view: Gamma Cassiopeiae Star System with Nebulae IC 59 & IC 63

Wide-field view: Gamma Cassiopeiae Star System with Nebulae IC 59 & IC 63

The bright bluish star shown here is Gamma Cassiopeiae. It is currently evaporating two nearby clouds of gas—IC 59 and IC 63. The leading edges of these clouds glow strongly in the intense bath of radiation from this hot star. Hints of bluish light behind the front lines of these nebulae show a bit of scattered light. Astronomically speaking, these clouds do not have much more time and will soon be blown away into the interstellar medium.

This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Tom Bash and John Fox/Adam Block
Release Date: June 6, 2014

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #VariableStars #GammaCassiopeiae #Tiansi #Nebulae #Sh2185 #LBN623 #IC59 #IC63 #ReflectionNebulae #EmissionNebulae #CassiopeiaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

New 'Ghosts' Revealed near Gamma Cassiopeiae Star System

New 'Ghosts' Revealed near Gamma Cassiopeiae Star System

It took a hundred hours of observation and a special oxygen filter for this image to capture three faint nebulas hidden in the Cassiopeia constellation. 

Nebulae IC 59 and IC 63, the original 'Ghosts of Cassiopeia', 'haunt' the region near multi-star system Gamma Cassiopeia. Energetic light from Gamma Cassiopeia causes the hydrogen gas in IC 59 and 63 to glow red. Their dust reflects and scatters blue-ish white starlight. Three newly discovered objects appear as blue phantoms, revealing the presence of ionized oxygen. 

Ionized by what? 

Like at the bow of a speeding boat, Gamma Cassiopeia may be piling up material as the system moves through interstellar gas and dust. The origins of these astronomical apparitions remain a mystery to be solved.

The reflection and emission nebulae IC 59 and IC 63 have a cometary shape with IC 63 being the brighter of the two. The variation in appearance between the two nebulae is a consequence of their physical distance from Gamma Cassiopeia.

Credit & Copyright: Louis Leroux-Géré, Thibault Rouillée, Vincent Martin, Cédric de Decker (Starfront Observatories)

Louis' website: 

https://www.instagram.com/lrx.photo/

Thibault's website:

https://www.instagram.com/tybr

Vincent's website:

https://www.instagram.com/vincent.astro/

Cédric's website: 

https://www.instagram.com/lesphotosdecedric/

Authors & Editors: Keighley Rockcliffe, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti

A service of the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Technological University (MTU)

Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #VariableStars #GammaCassiopeiae #Tiansi #Nebulae #Sh2185 #LBN623 #IC59 #IC63 #ReflectionNebulae #EmissionNebulae #CassiopeiaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #Astrophotography #NASAGoddard #MTU #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Green Aurora 'Ribbon' over Norway

Green Aurora 'Ribbon' over Norway

Astrophotographer Hans Munthe-Kaas: "Beautiful display over Tromsø. Bright with vivid motion."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast.

Image Credit: Hans Munthe-Kaas 
Location: Tromsø, Norway
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #HansMuntheKaas #Astrophotographers #Tromsø #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education

Caltech & NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory: "One Mission. One Partnership."

Caltech & NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory: "One Mission. One Partnership."

Caltech created the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 1936. Decades in the making, this has brought the United States a long line of firsts. Together, Caltech and JPL advance frontier technologies—including quantum, artificial intelligence and autonomy, plus microelectronics, advanced radar and sensing, robotics, and resilient space systems—with applications across civil and commercial sectors. 

Caltech JPL helps sustain America’s innovation edge and capabilities essential to long-term advantages.

Learn more: https://www.caltech.edu/research/jpl

Video Credit: Caltech
Duration: 1 minute, 48 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #NASACenters #Caltech  #JetPropulsionLaboratory #JPL #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Propulsion #Planets #Mars #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #MarsExploration #LunarExploration #HumanSpaceflight #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis SLS RS‑25 Moon Rocket Engine Hot Fire Test | Stennis Space Center

NASA Artemis SLS RS‑25 Moon Rocket Engine Hot Fire Test | Stennis Space Center

🚀"Feel the Power of an RS‑25 Hot Fire Test!"🔥

"We successfully tested RS-25 engine No. 10001 on Oct. 21, 2026, on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi."

"The main objectives of the test were to acceptance test RS-25 flight components for future NASA Artemis missions and to validate the new thermal protection system. It protects the RS-25 engine nozzle from the thermal environment surrounding NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during launch."

While this developmental engine will not be used in flight, the hot fire test provides NASA and prime engine contractor L3Harris Technologies with the capability to capture critical data to improve engine performance and reliability.

Did you know?

• For each Artemis mission, four RS-25 engines, along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, power NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to produce more than 8.8 million pounds of total combined thrust at liftoff. 

• Hot fires at NASA Stennis provide critical performance data to ensure safety and success.

All RS-25 engines are tested and proven flightworthy at NASA Stennis. The test was conducted by a team of operators from NASA, L3Harris, and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations.

RS-25 engines are evolved space shuttle main engines, upgraded with new components to produce the additional power needed to help launch NASA’s SLS rocket. The first four Artemis missions are using modified space shuttle main engines also tested at NASA Stennis. For each Artemis mission, four RS-25 engines, along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, power the SLS rocket, producing more than 8.8 million pounds of total combined thrust at liftoff.

Learn about the Artemis program and America's return to the Moon: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/

Video Credit: NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center
Duration: 43 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Artemis #ArtemisProgram #Moon #Rocket #SpaceLaunchSystem #SLS #RS25Engines #RS25 #L3HarrisTechnologies #MoonToMars #DeepSpace #SpacePropulsion #SpaceEngineering #SpaceTechnology #NASAStennis #Mississippi #NASAMarshall #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #LunarExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China's Commercial CERES-1 Rocket Launches Remote Sensing Satellite by Sea

China's Commercial CERES-1 Rocket Launches Remote Sensing Satellite by Sea

China's Galactic Energy launched a CERES-1 Y8 carrier rocket on October 21, 2026, at 11:39am China Standard Time from its sea launch vessel in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Rizhao City in east China's Shandong Province, successfully placing the remote-sensing Xiguang-4 satellite into its planned 541 kilometer low Earth orbit (LEO).

The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) carried out this offshore launch. The Xiguang-4 satellite will image the city of Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province and its surrounding regions. The satellite is from Guangdong Tianyuan Technology Co. Ltd. with support from Guangzhou University and the municipal government of Guangzhou. The satellite will collect imagery for ecological monitoring, disaster response and planning, agricultural support, and urban planning. For those tasks, Xiguang-4-01 is equipped with a 0.5-meter resolution optical camera, a 2-meter multispectral camera, and a 30-meter swath infrared imager. This is said to enable a ‘full-spectrum quantitative’ observation system.

Today’s launch was the 7th mission for Ceres-1S, the 24th launch for the Ceres-1 launch vehicle series (Ceres-1 and Ceres-1S), the 25th flight of the Ceres family of launch vehicles (Ceres-1 and Ceres-2), and Galactic Energy’s 26th orbital launch attempt. This was also the 73rd launch from China in 2026.

Credit: Galactic Energy, CCTV, CGTN
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #China #中国 #Guangzhou #廣州 #广州市 #广东 #Xiguang401 #西光肆号01星 #GalacticEnergy #CERES1Y15Rocket #谷神星一号 #TSLC #二十五基地 #Shandong #山东 #YellowSea #黄海 #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education

China's Commercial CERES-1 Rocket Launches Remote Sensing Satellite by Sea

China's Commercial CERES-1 Rocket Launches Remote Sensing Satellite by Sea

China's Galactic Energy launched a CERES-1 Y8 carrier rocket on October 21, 2026, at 11:39am (China Standard Time) from its sea launch vessel in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Rizhao City in east China's Shandong Province, successfully placing the remote-sensing Xiguang-4 satellite into its planned 541km low Earth orbit (LEO).

The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center carried out this offshore launch. The Xiguang-4 satellite will image the city of Guangzhou in China's southern Guangdong province and surrounding regions. The satellite is from Guangdong Tianyuan Technology Co. Ltd. with support from Guangzhou University and the municipal government of Guangzhou. The satellite will collect imagery for ecological monitoring, disaster response and planning, agricultural support, and urban planning. For those tasks, Xiguang-4-01 is equipped with a 0.5-meter resolution optical camera, a 2-meter multispectral camera, and a 30-meter swath infrared imager. This is said to enable a ‘full-spectrum quantitative’ observation system.

Today’s launch was the 7th mission for Ceres-1S, the 24th launch for the Ceres-1 launch vehicle series (Ceres-1 and Ceres-1S), the 25th flight of the Ceres family of launch vehicles (Ceres-1 and Ceres-2), and Galactic Energy’s 26th orbital launch attempt. This was also the 73rd launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: Galactic Energy
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #China #中国 #Guangzhou #廣州 #广州市 #广东 #Xiguang401 #西光肆号01星 #GalacticEnergy #CERES1Y15Rocket #谷神星一号 #TSLC #二十五基地 #Shandong #山东 #YellowSea #黄海 #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Earthrise: Two Scientists, One Unforgettable View

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Earthrise: Two Scientists, One Unforgettable View

Hear from a lunar scientist and an oceanographer as they react to Artemis II's view and images of Earthrise. 

What else did the Artemis II crew see around the Moon?

Their photographs, observations, drawings, and annotations created a unique scientific record that’s now available for you to explore: https://go.nasa.gov/Artemis2LunarScience

In early April 2026, the Artemis II crew became the first to travel beyond the Moon in more than 50 years and traveled farther in space than humans have ever before.

Planned to launch in 2027, the Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. 

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities NASA needs to return—this time to stay.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Video Credit: NASA Science
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Earthrise #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #CSA #Canada #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Rings upon Rings: Galaxy NGC 2273 in Lynx | Hubble Space Telescope

Rings upon Rings: Galaxy NGC 2273 in Lynx | Hubble Space Telescope

At first glance, the subject of this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image looks to be a simple spiral galaxy with two pinwheeling arms emerging from a central bar of stars and material that cuts through the galactic center. In fact, there are rings within these spiral arms, too: spirals within a spiral. 

This kind of morphology is known as a multiring structure. As this description suggests, this galaxy, named NGC 2273, hosts an inner ring and two outer “pseudorings”—having so many distinct rings is rare, and makes NGC 2273 unusual. Rings are created when a galaxy’s spiral arms appear to loop around to nearly close upon one another, combined with a trick of cosmic perspective. NGC 2273’s two pseudorings are formed by two swirling sets of spiral arms coming together, and the inner ring by two arcing structures nearer to the galactic center that seem to connect in a similar way.

These rings are not the only unique feature of this galaxy. NGC 2273 is also a Seyfert galaxy, a galaxy with an extremely luminous core. In fact, the center of a galaxy such as this is powered by a supermassive black hole, and can glow brightly enough to outshine an entire galaxy like the Milky Way.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Greene
Release Date: April 6, 2020

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC2273 #SpiralGalaxies #SeyfertGalaxies #BlackHoles #LynxConstellation #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

U.S. Spacewalks 100 & 101: Animated Previews | International Space Station

U.S. Spacewalks 100 & 101: Animated Previews | International Space Station

NASA's Johnson Space Center flight controllers narrate this animation describing the tasks for U.S. Spacewalks 100 and 101 at the International Space Station designed to install and deploy the final two sets of ISS Rollout Solar Arrays (IROSAs) that will complete the augmentation of power generation for the orbital complex. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk will conduct the spacewalks Oct. 29, 2026, and Nov. 5, 2026, to install the arrays on the station’s Port 4 and Starboard 6 trusses.

On Oct. 29, 2026, Menon will go on his fourth excursion and Kutryk will go on his first to install a roll-out solar array on the truss structure’s port side. The second spacewalk will take place on Nov. 5 when the duo will install the station’s eighth and final roll-out solar array on the truss structure’s starboard side.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center

Duration: 8 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Astronauts #AnilMenon #JoshuaKutryk #Spacewalks #USSpacewalk100 #USSpacewalk101 #EVA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #CSA #Canada #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video