Planet Mars Images: Aug. 12-13, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Aug. 12-13, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4982

MSL - sol 4982

MSL - sol 4980

Mars 2020 - sol 1947

MSL - sol 4982

MSL - sol 4982

MSL - sol 4982

MSL - sol 4982

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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. 12-13, 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

2026 Total Solar Eclipse: Views from Spain | NASA

2026 Total Solar Eclipse: Views from Spain | NASA

This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse as the Sun sets from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, on, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

A total solar eclipse is seen from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. 

A total solar eclipse is seen from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. 

These images show a total solar eclipse over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa.

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

San Millán de los Caballeros is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain.

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar and Morocco, through its enclaves in North Africa; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Europe #Portugal #SanMillánDeLosCaballeros #León #Spain #España #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education

Perseid Meteor Shower: View from Sweden

Perseid Meteor Shower: View from Sweden

Astrophotographer P-M Hedén: "After a very nice 80% solar eclipse, I went to the east coast and witnessed a nice Perseid meteor shower. Not the best I´ve seen but several bright and colorful ones. This shows two of them with the Milky way beside."

Perseids: Fast Facts

Comet of Origin: 109P/Swift-Tuttle

Radiant Constellation: Perseus

Active: Through Aug. 24, 2026 (Peak nights: Aug. 12-13)

Observed Under Dark Skies: About 25 meteors per hour

Meteor Velocity: 37 miles (59 km) per second

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
Location: Vallentuna, Sweden

Image Details: 16mm, Canon 6D
P-M Hedén's website: https://www.nattbilder.se
Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Stars #Planets #Earth #Meteors #PerseidMeteors #Perseids #MeteorShowers #Meteors #Comets #Comet109PSwiftTuttle #PerseusConstellation #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Astrophotography #PMHedén #Astrophotographers #Vallentuna #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education

Eclipse Path of Totality over Europe | Eumetsat Meteosat-12 Weather Satellite

Eclipse Path of Totality over Europe | Eumetsat Meteosat-12 Weather Satellite

On Aug. 12, 2026, between 20:26 and 20:34 Central European Summer Time (CEST), parts of the Iberian peninsula experienced a total solar eclipse. This animation, composed of images from Eumetsat's Meteosat-12 weather satellite, previously known as the Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I1) satellite, caught the Moon’s dark shadow as it passed over Earth’s surface—converging with the advancing twilight shadow as dusk fell over Europe.

From its vantage point in geostationary orbit, Meteosat-12 keeps its imaging instruments focused on Europe and northern Africa from a distance of 36,000 km above Earth’s surface. This enabled it to track the Moon’s shadow, called the path of totality, as it swept first over Greenland and Iceland, then over a small part of northeastern Portugal and finally, Spain.

Mostly separated from the rest of continental Europe by the Pyrenees, the Iberian Peninsula includes Peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal. Together, they make up almost all of the region, as well as Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of Metropolitan France.

While the total eclipse itself lasted just a few minutes on mainland Europe, a partial eclipse was visible over a much wider area. Spectators were able to see the Moon partially covering the Sun’s disc as far apart as northern Canada, the Nordic countries and the western coast of Africa, as far south as Sierra Leone and Liberia.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the face of the Sun for a short period. During totality, a halo of light is visible around the Moon, known as the Sun’s corona.

There are more solar eclipses to come between now and 2028—watch out for updates on the European Space Agency’s solar eclipse activities.

The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) mission is preparing to place its third satellite in orbit. MTG-I2 is scheduled for launch on August 26, 2026, on board flight VA270 on an Ariane 6 launcher, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Eumetsat

Duration: 4 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 13, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Eumetsat #Satellites #Meteosat12 #MTG-I1 #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Europe #Spain #España #IberianPeninsula #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

2026 Partial Solar Eclipse: International Space Station Transit | NASA

2026 Partial Solar Eclipse: International Space Station Transit | NASA

Twelve frames assembled in sequence show the International Space Station, a crew of seven onboard, in silhouette as it transits the Sun at roughly five miles per second during a partial solar eclipse, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, near Houlton, Maine. Onboard as part of Expedition 75 are: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Anil Menon, and Jack Hathaway; European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot; and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Andrey Fedyaev, and Anna Kikina of Russia. 

A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. 

A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa. 

In astronomy, a transit is the passage of a celestial body directly between a larger body and the observer. As viewed from a particular vantage point, the transiting body appears to move across the face of the larger body, covering a small portion of it.

Note: The sequence repeats three times.

Video Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Duration: 3 seconds
Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #ISS #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #PartialSolarEclipses #PartialSolarEclipse2026 #Astrophotography #Astrophotographers #Houlton #AroostookCounty #Maine #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

2026 Total Solar Eclipse: View full cycle from Spain | NASA

2026 Total Solar Eclipse: View full cycle from Spain | NASA

This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa.

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

San Millán de los Caballeros is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain.

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar and Morocco, through its enclaves in North Africa; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Europe #Portugal #SanMillánDeLosCaballeros #León #Spain #España #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education

2026 Total Solar Eclipse: View from Spain | NASA

2026 Total Solar Eclipse: View from Spain | NASA

A total solar eclipse is seen from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., most of Canada, much of Europe, and northwest Africa.

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

San Millán de los Caballeros is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain.

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar and Morocco, through its enclaves in North Africa; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Europe #Portugal #SanMillánDeLosCaballeros #León #Spain #España #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education

Total Solar Eclipse: View from Spain | NASA

Total Solar Eclipse: View from Spain | NASA

NASA: "We were lucky enough to experience the eclipse again, as we reach totality in León, Spain."

A total solar eclipse was visible across parts of Europe on August 12, 2026. The path of totality swept 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.

León is a city and municipality of Spain and the capital of the province of León located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, south of the Cantabrian Mountains in between the Bernesga and the Torío rivers.

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Peninsular Spain is bordered to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; to the east and south by the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar and Morocco, through its enclaves in North Africa; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Duration: 56 seconds
Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse2026 #TotalSolarEclipses #PartialEclipses #Europe #Portugal #León #Spain #España #Greenland #Iceland #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Partial Solar Eclipse Views—The State of Maine with Special Guest: The ISS | NASA

Partial Solar Eclipse Views—The State of Maine with Special Guest: The ISS | NASA

The International Space Station (ISS) with a crew of seven onboard is seen as it transits the Sun at approximately five miles per second during a partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

The International Space Station (ISS) with a crew of seven onboard is seen as it transits the Sun at approximately five miles per second during a partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

A partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

A partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

A partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

A partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

A partial solar eclipse as seen near Hodgdon, Maine, USA.

On August 12, 2026, the Moon passed in front of the Sun, casting a shadow on parts of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere. These are views from the partical solar eclipse visible from the American state of Maine in the northeast. The images were captured in Hodgdon, a rural northeastern town in Aroostook County, Maine.

Maine is a state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with Nova Scotia. It is the only state to border only one other state (New Hampshire). Maine is the largest state in New England by total area, almost as large as the combined area of the remaining five states. 

Image Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Location: Hodgdon, Maine, United States

Date: Aug. 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #ISS #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #PartialSolarEclipses #PartialSolarEclipse2026 #Astrophotography #Astrophotographers #Hodgdon #AroostookCounty #Maine #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Comet 10P/Tempel: View from Namibia

Comet 10P/Tempel: View from Namibia

Astrophotographer Gerald Rhemann: "Comet with dust trail and ion tails."

Comet 10P/Tempel, also known as Tempel 2, is a large Jupiter-family comet roughly 10 km in diameter with a 5.36 year orbit around the Sun. Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) are short-period comets with orbital periods under 20 years, whose orbits are strongly influenced by planet Jupiter’s immense gravity. 10P/Tempel was discovered on July 4, 1873 by Wilhelm Tempel. Perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) passage was on August 2, 2026. The nearest approach to Earth occurred on August 3, 2026, at a distance of 0.414 AU (61.9 million km). The comet should now be visible with binoculars.

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 and Michael Jäger
Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia
Image Details: Telescope—ASA Astrograph 12" f3.6 Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Exp.Time: LRGB 36/12/12/12 min.
Date: Aug. 8, 2026 

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #Comets #Comet10PTempel #CometTemple2 #JupiterFamilyComets #JFc #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #GeraldRhemann #MichaelJäger #Astrophotographers #Namibia #STEM #Education

Earth Clouds: Crepuscular Rays | International Space Station

Earth Clouds: Crepuscular Rays | International Space Station

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "These long shadows cast by cumulus clouds (crepuscular rays) at sunrise caught my eye, their straight lines a juxtaposition of sorts among the curves of Earth and its clouds. Mother Nature seems to prefer softer edges."

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 Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/J. Meir
Release Date: Aug. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #CumulusClouds #Sunlight #CrepuscularRays #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

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: 

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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