How Gravitational Waves Can Reveal New Worlds | NASA Goddard

How Gravitational Waves Can Reveal New Worlds | NASA Goddard

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) observatory, now in development, will detect gravitational waves, the tiny ripples in space-time caused by orbiting masses. New studies explore how LISA could reveal a new and unique population of exoplanets—worlds beyond our solar system—throughout our galaxy.

The most common source for LISA is expected to be double white dwarf systems that are binaries composed of white dwarfs in tight orbits. If an exoplanet also orbits within one of these systems, its presence becomes imprinted on the gravitational wave signal in a way we will be able to uncover.

The LISA detection method is similar to one called radial velocity that uses light and is already employed to find exoplanets around nearby stars. As a planet orbits, its gravity tugs on its host star, imparting a small reflex motion, or wobble, onto it. This wobble causes the star’s spectrum to oscillate with spectral lines shifting from redder wavelengths as the star moves away from us to bluer ones as the star moves toward us. The shift is due to a phenomenon called the Doppler effect.

Something similar occurs with gravitational waves. By themselves, double white dwarfs will emit gravitational waves at a nearly continuous frequency. Add a sufficiently massive planet to the system, and its presence causes the binary to experience reflex motion, adding a Doppler modulation to the gravitational signal. For LISA, this modulation will appear as sidebands, secondary signals at both higher and lower frequencies than the primary one.

Scientists liken the situation to modern radio communication, where part of the energy of a main radio carrier frequency goes into forming sidebands at adjacent upper and lower frequencies that carry messages (like voices or music). For gravitational waves, the sidebands carry messages about the presence of a planet.

Using this technique for a test case system at a distance of 500 light-years, researchers have found that LISA could detect a sub-Jupiter exoplanet under ideal circumstances.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Animator: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (eMITS)
Science Writer: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Editor: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #WhiteDwarfStars #Exoplanets #GravitationalWaves #LaserInterferometry #ComputerSimulations #Heliophysics #Astrophysics #Universe #Cosmos #LISA #SpaceTelescopes #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualizations #Animation #HD #Video

How Far Away is the Voyager 1 Spacecraft? One Light-Day, Explained | NASA/JPL

How Far Away is the Voyager 1 Spacecraft? One Light-Day, Explained | NASA/JPL

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is approaching a historic milestone. On November 18, 2026, the spacecraft will reach a distance of one light-day from Earth.

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, transformed our understanding of the solar system through their exploration of the outer planets. In 2012, Voyager 1 became the first human-made spacecraft to enter interstellar space.

Now more than 16 billion miles from Earth, Voyager 1 continues its journey into the unknown. At this extraordinary distance, a command sent from Earth takes 24 hours to reach the spacecraft, and another 24 hours for a response to return.

Carrying the Golden Record, a message from humanity, NASA’s farthest explorer continues pushing the boundaries of space exploration nearly five decades after launch.

For more information on the milestone, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-1/voyager-1-what-is-a-light-day/

Learn more about NASA’s Voyager mission: https://nasa.gov/voyager

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Voyager1Spacecraft #Voyager1 #Planets #Jupiter #Saturn #SolarSystem #InterstellarSpace #LightDay #MilkyWayGalaxy #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #History #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Sunglint Beams off Brazil's Rio Grande | International Space Station

Sunglint Beams off Brazil's Rio Grande | International Space Station

The sun's glint beams off the Rio Grande, a key tributary of the Paraná River system and a major source of hydroelectric power, in southeastern Brazil. The area is one of Brazil's most productive farming and energy-producing regions, supporting cattle ranching and the cultivation of coffee, sugarcane, and other crops.

The gleam is caused by sunglint, an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that one views it. The result is a mirror-like specular reflection of sunlight off the water and back at the astronaut and their camera.

Rio Grande (Portuguese for "great river") is a river in south-central Brazil. It rises in the Mantiqueira Mountains in the state of Minas Gerais and descends inland, west-northwestward. Its lower course marks a portion of the Minas Gerais-São Paulo border.

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. Covering roughly half of South America's land area, it borders all other countries and territories on the continent except Ecuador and Chile.

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.

Credit: CSA/Joshua Kutryk

Release Date: Nov. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Sunglint #Brazil #Brasil #RioGrande #Astronauts #JoshuaKutryk #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #CSA #Canada #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Earth from 36,000 kilometers away | Meteosat-14 | EUMETSAT

Planet Earth from 36,000 kilometers away | Meteosat-14 | EUMETSAT

🌍First look at Earth from Meteosat-14!

Meteosat-14 (MTG-I2) has captured its first image from 36,000 km above Earth—just over 2 months after launch.

Taken on October 20, 2026, at 10:45 UTC, the full-disc image shows clouds over Northern Europe & North Atlantic, contrasting with clear skies over the Sahara.

MTG-I2, also known as Meteosat-14, is a European geostationary satellite, part of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) system of weather satellites developed by EUMETSAT in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA). It is the second of four imaging satellites of MTG, completing its first trio together with MTG-I1 and MTG-S1/Sentinel-4A. It will provide high resolution imagery over Europe every 2.5 minutes from a position at 9.5 degrees East—in line with Germany and Sardinia. It was launched in August 2026 on an Ariane 62 (A62) rocket from Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.

Jointly developed by EUMETSAT and ESA, MTG-I2 will deliver faster data over Europe in real time once operational.

Learn more about Meteosat-14 (MTG-I2): https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-third-generation-imager-2-mtg-i2

Image Credit: EUMETSAT

Release Date: Nov. 10, 2026

#NASA #EUMETSAT #ESA #Space #Science #Satellites #WeatherSatellites #Meteosat14 #MTGI2 #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #Weather #Meteorology #Africa #Europe #STEM #Education

U.S. Spacewalk 101: Menon & Kutryk Install Solar Array | International Space Station

U.S. Spacewalk 101: Menon & Kutryk Install Solar Array | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Anil Menon carries a roll-out solar array while attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm as he moves toward the International Space Station's starboard truss structure during a six-hour, 59-minute spacewalk.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Anil Menon carries a roll-out solar array while attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm as he moves toward the International Space Station's starboard truss structure during a six-hour, 59-minute spacewalk.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Anil Menon is pictured with his spacesuit's helmet visor down during a spacewalk

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk is pictured with his spacesuit's helmet visor down and lights on during a spacewalk

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk points his camera toward his spacesuit helmet visor and takes an out-of-this-world "space selfie

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk is pictured with his spacesuit's helmet visor down during a spacewalk

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk is pictured with his spacesuit's helmet visor down and lights on during a spacewalk

Expedition 75 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anil Menon: "A common axiom in spaceflight is to treat every launch, spacewalk, and opportunity like it may be your last. I arrived at the International Space Station expecting to do zero space walks and hoping for one. I've been fortunate to work with the teams across far more than expected. Yesterday, was a peak moment full of unexpected challenges, real-time solution, and mission success. I feel blessed and thankful for this opportunity to make space a better place for us all. Thanks to the entire team for making it safe, making it fun, and getting it done! It will be the highlight of my career to work with you!"

During the six-hour, 59-minute spacewalk on November 5, 2026, NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk installed and deployed the eighth and final International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) on the 3B channel of the space station, completing the power augmentation upgrades. Work to augment the station’s power generation began in February 2021. Since then, astronauts have completed 18 spacewalks to prepare power channel equipment and install the eight arrays. Together, the roll-out arrays increase the station’s power generation capacity from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts.

U.S. spacewalk 101 was Menon’s fifth and Kutryk’s second. It also was the 286th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

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.

Credits: NASA/JSC/A. Menon, CSA/J. Kutryk

Date: Nov. 5, 2026

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

A 'Little' Auroral Storm over Sweden

A 'Little' Auroral Storm over Sweden

Astrophotographer P-M Hedén: "A nice display of Aurora in my hometown. Lovely colors."

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/

Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east.

Image Credit: P-M Hedén
P-M's website: https://www.clearskies.se
Location: Vallentuna, Sweden
Date: Nov. 7, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Stars #Moon #Moonrise #Astrophotography #PMHedén #Astrophotographer #Vallentuna #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education

Taurid Fireball over Arizona

Taurid Fireball over Arizona

Astrophotographer Eliot Herman: "It is Taurid season when fireballs often occur. This fireball was at 11:49 pm in Tucson captured over the Catalina mountains. It left a faint 30 sec smoke trail."

Fireballs are brighter-than-average meteors. They are so bright that they can even be seen in the daytime. A steadily growing number of fireballs have been recorded by the American Meteor Society each year. In fact, there are several thousand fireballs a day, but most go unnoticed since the majority occur over the ocean and half occur during daytime.

Every year from September-November, the Earth passes through a broad stream of debris left by Comet Encke. The dust associated with the comet hits the Earth’s atmosphere at 65,000 mph and burns up, creating the Taurid meteor shower. Most years the shower is weak, and only a few Taurid meteors can be seen each night. Other years, the Taurids can put on a show.

This shower appears to radiate from the near Taurus, but will be visible across the entire night sky.

Taurid meteors can be seen any time the constellation Taurus is above the horizon during the months of September, October, and November. The best time to look for Taurids is after midnight, when Taurus is high in the sky, and when the sky is dark and clear, with no moonlight to mask the fainter meteors. Given the behavior of past Taurid swarms, increased fireball activity may be seen during the last week of October and the first two weeks of November.

If you want to try to spot meteors, remember to bundle up, as it is getting late in the year. Go to a dark spot, get comfortable, bring extra blankets to stay warm, and let your eyes adjust to the dark sky. A cozy lounge chair makes for a great seat, as does simply lying on your back on a blanket, eyes scanning the whole sky.  

Arizona is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest.

Image Credit: Eliot Herman

Eliot's website: https://meteorphotos.com
Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States

Image Details: Nikon Z7II Nikon 20 mm F1.8

Eliot's website: https://flic.kr/p/2sHieLo
Image Date: Nov. 7, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Comets #CometEncke #Asteroids #Meteors #TauridMeteors #Taurids #TaurusConstellation #Astrophotography #EliotHerman #Astrophotographers #Tucson #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Blue Supergiant Star Rigel and The Witch Head Nebula

Blue Supergiant Star Rigel and The Witch Head Nebula

Does the blue nebula look like the head of a witch? 

The nebula (right from image center) is known popularly as the Witch Head Nebula because, it is said, the nebula's shape resembles a Halloween-style caricature of a witch's head. Exactly how, though, can be a topic of imaginative speculation. What is clear is that IC 2118 is about 50 light-years across and made of gas and dust that points to—because it has been partly eroded by—the nearby star Rigel. One of the brighter stars in the constellation Orion, Rigel lies just below the center of the image. Rigel is a blue supergiant star. The blue color of the Witch Head Nebula and is produced by Rigel's intense blue starlight and from dust grains scattering blue light more efficiently than red. The same physical process causes Earth's daytime sky to appear blue, although the scatterers in planet Earth's atmosphere are molecules of nitrogen and oxygen.

Credit & Copyright: Piotr Czerski

Piotr's website: https://app.astrobin.com/u/PiotrC
Authors & Editors: Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe
A service of the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Technological University (MTU)
Date: Nov. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Rigel #Nebulae #IC2118 #WitchHeadNebula #EridanusConstellation #OrionConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #PiotrCzerski #Astrophotography #NASAGoddard #MTU #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

China Long March 12 Rocket Moved to Launch Pad in Hainan

China Long March 12 Rocket Moved to Launch Pad in Hainan

This shows a China Long March-12 carrier rocket being moved to the launch pad at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan on November 5, 2026, before its launch Monday, November 9, 2026, at 4:24am China Standard Time. The rocket successfully sent a batch of nine Internet satellites to their designated orbits. The payloads were the 29th group of GuoWang low-orbit Internet satellites.

GuoWang satellites weigh about 695 kilograms each and utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet connectivity services through the constellation. At present, domestic usage trials and agreements are taking place ahead of a general rollout starting in China.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 12th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 282nd Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 676th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 80th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CCTV
Article Credit: Jack C.

Duration: 39 seconds
Date: Nov. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup29 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y11 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Source of Star's Mysterious Outbursts Found | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Source of Star's Mysterious Outbursts Found | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered what is triggering repeated outbursts from a giant, unstable star located in the constellation Coma Berenices. The new study has unearthed a previously hidden companion object that keeps pulling material away from the massive star every 113 days as they orbit one another.

The volatile star, known as AT 2016blu, is in the spiral galaxy NGC 4559 that is located about 30 million light-years from Earth. Astronomers estimate the mass of this star is at least 33 times that of the Sun.

This star's partner is either a stellar-mass black hole, or the dense collapsed core of a massive star called a neutron star. This is the first x-ray detection of one of this class of erupting stars. It is also the first one of these objects found with a black hole or neutron star companion.

Astronomers have been watching this star get really bright and then dim again in optical light on a regular basis for over 15 years. However, until they were able to get Chandra data at the right time, they were unable to figure out what was making this happen.

Chandra data from March 2026 revealed that AT 2016blu was at least 100 times brighter in x-rays than in Chandra data from 2001 to 2002, before the outbursts began. The best explanation for this is that material from the star is falling onto a neutron star or black hole during the closest approach in their oval-shaped orbit around one another. When they come close together, material ejected by the star gets captured by the black hole or neutron star. The material orbits at very high speeds close to the speed of light, getting so hot that it shines brightly in x-rays.

AT 2016blu is bright enough to be considered an ultraluminous x-ray source, or ULX, which is a special class of bright x-ray objects. The discovery of this system may also help studies of stars that change in brightness before they undergo supernova explosions. Astronomers suspect that much of this behavior may be caused by systems containing a massive star orbiting a compact object or another massive star.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarAT2016blu #BlackHoles #NeutronStars #ULXs #Galaxies #NGC4559 #ComaBerenicesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Long March 12 Rocket Launches Nine GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China Long March 12 Rocket Launches Nine GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China launched a Long March-12 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan on Monday, November 9, 2026 at 4:24am China Standard Time, sending a batch of nine Internet satellites to their designated orbits. The payloads are the 29th group of GuoWang low-orbit Internet satellites.

GuoWang satellites weigh about 695 kilograms each and utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet connectivity services through the constellation. At present, domestic usage trials and agreements are taking place ahead of a general rollout starting in China.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 12th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 282nd Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 676th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 80th launch from China in 2026.

Image Credits: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, CGTN
Article Credit: Jack C.

Release Date: Nov. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup29 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y11 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China Long March 12 Rocket Launches Nine GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China Long March 12 Rocket Launches Nine GuoWang Internet Satellites in Hainan

China launched a Long March-12 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan on Monday, November 9, 2026 at 4:24am China Standard Time, sending a batch of nine Internet satellites to their designated orbits. The payloads are the 29th group of GuoWang low-orbit Internet satellites.

GuoWang satellites weigh about 695 kilograms each and utilize electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet connectivity services through the constellation. At present, domestic usage trials and agreements are taking place ahead of a general rollout starting in China.

This mission was the 10th launch of a Long March 12 vehicle, the 12th launch of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology-supported Long March 12 series, the 282nd Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 676th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 80th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CCTV
Article Credit: Jack C.

Duration: 39 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup29 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Y11 #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

"The Grasshopper" Galaxy: UGC 4881 in Lynx | Hubble Space Telescope

"The Grasshopper" Galaxy: UGC 4881 in Lynx | Hubble Space Telescope

UGC 4881, known as the "The Grasshopper", is a stunning system consisting of two colliding galaxies UGC 4881A and UGC 4881B. It has a bright curly tail containing a remarkable number of star clusters. The galaxies are thought to be halfway through a merger—the cores of the parent galaxies are still clearly separated, but their discs are overlapping. A supernova exploded in this system in 1999 and astronomers believe that a vigorous burst of star formation may have just started. This notable object is located in the constellation of Lynx, around 500 million light-years away from Earth. UGC 4881 is the 55th galaxy in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

UGC 4881 was first given the nickname "The Grasshopper" by Russian astrophysicist Dr. Boris Vorontsov-Velyaminov in a 1977 paper due to its resemblance to grasshopper larvae. It has also been informally called the "Shrimp galaxy" due to the curvature of the arm resembling a shrimp.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
Release Date: April 24, 2008

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #UGC4881 #UGC4881A #UGC4881B #Arp55 #VV155 #Stars #StarClusters #Supernovae #InteractingGalaxies #LynxConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Vivid Aurora Borealis over Sweden

Vivid Aurora Borealis over Sweden

Robbin Gälliner: "Wasn't planning to go out today but a friend sent me a text with a nice arc so decided to give it a try. Activity died down as my usual luck but then after over an hour of waiting this really intense substorm came from nowhere. Panic change from 50mm to wide angle, find focus and snap 3 shots, then it was over."

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/

Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east.

Image Credit: Robbin Gälliner 
Location: Frösön, Sweden
Release Date: Nov. 8, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #RobbinGälliner #Astrophotographer #Vallentuna #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education

Coming Soon: SpaceX Starship Catch | Flight Test#15 | Starbase Texas

Coming Soon: SpaceX Starship Catch | Flight Test#15 | Starbase Texas

Starship is preparing for catch. Flight 15 is targeting to launch as early as Friday, November 13, 2026, pending regulatory approval. Learn more: https://spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-15

The upcoming flight is planned to be the first to return both Starship and Super Heavy to the launch site for catch. If successful, this will mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket.

Starship’s initial return to launch site mission is expected to orbit the Earth at an altitude of ~275 km and complete approximately 14 orbits around the planet over the course of a more than 22-hour flight. Similar to Starship’s first orbital mission, the flight profile has been designed with the opportunity to insert into a passively safe suborbital trajectory or safely deorbit at multiple pre-determined areas over the ocean after raising to an orbital altitude.

The 75-minute launch window will open at 4:45 p.m. Central Time. As is the case with all launches, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check at the link above for updates.

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.

Learn more about Starship:
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Video Credit: SpaceX

Duration: 1 minute, 32 seconds

Date: Nov. 7, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #FlightTest15 #ReusableSpacecraft #SuperHeavy #SuperHeavyV3 #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #LunarExploration #StarbaseTexas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Do you want to become a NASA astronaut?

Do you want to become a NASA astronaut?

Applications are now open to join NASA's astronaut corps! 
Join NASA as it expands the frontiers of discovery in low Earth orbit, on the Moon, and beyond—apply by December 3, 2026.

Learn more here:
https://go.nasa.gov/4iGqLqu
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/become-an-astronaut/

The basic requirements to apply include United States citizenship and a master’s degree in a STEM field, including engineering, biological science, physical science, or computer science from an accredited institution. The requirement for the master’s degree can also be met by:

Completion of at least two years of work toward a doctoral program in an appropriate technical field of engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. 

Completion of a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner, or a related medical degree. 

Completion of, or current enrollment in, a nationally recognized Test Pilot School program, provided the program is completed by July 2027. If Test Pilot School is the only advanced technical degree, then completion of a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, including engineering, biological science, physical science, or computer science is required.

Candidates must also have at least three years of related professional experience after completing their qualifying degree. 

For pilots, the professional experience requirement may be met through the following flight experience: 

High-performance jet aircraft: 750 hours of pilot-in-command time. 

Other fixed-wing aircraft: 1,500 total flight hours, including 750 hours as pilot in command. 

Rotary-wing aircraft: 1,000 total flight hours, including 300 hours as pilot in command. 

For medical doctors, residency training may count toward the professional experience requirement and must be completed by July 2027. 

Astronaut candidates must pass NASA’s long-duration astronaut flight physical and demonstrate strong leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. 

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education

NASA STEM resources: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/

How to Apply for NASA Jobs: https://www.nasa.gov/careers/

Search for NASA-related positions at USA Jobs
https://www.usajobs.gov/search/results/?k=NASA

Video Credit: NASA
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Nov. 7, 2026

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