Planet Mars Images: Feb. 10-13, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Feb. 10-13, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1412

Mars 2020 - sol 1415

Mars 2020 - sol 1412

MSL - sol 4450

Mars 2020 - sol 1413

MSL - sol 4447

MSL - sol 4452

MSL - sol 4450

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Celebrating 12+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

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 3+ 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

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Date: Feb. 10-13, 2025

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

A Fiery Rose: Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

A Fiery Rose: Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Cosmoview Episode 96: Happy Valentine's Day! Displaying wispy layers of red, orange and yellow, the nebula encasing NGC 2040 resembles a vibrant rose in this image captured by the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory. It is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. This nebulous flower showcases the dramatic story of stellar life, death and rebirth.

NGC 2040 is a young open cluster of stars within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light-years from Earth. It is a type of star cluster known as an OB association because it contains more than a dozen stars of the O and B spectral types. These stars lead short lives of only a few million years, during which they burn very hot before exploding as supernovae. The energy released by the explosions of these massive stars feeds the formation of NGC 2040’s structure, while the expelled material seeds the growth of the next generation of stars.

NGC 2040 contains mostly hydrogen and oxygen atoms. As these atoms are excited by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, they emit light. This emitted light spans a range of wavelengths from the ultraviolet, through the visible, and into the infrared. Special filters on Gemini South then allow specific wavelengths, or colors, of this emitted light to pass through, like the deep red and orange of glowing hydrogen and the light blue of glowing oxygen. The bright white represents areas where there is an abundance of both.

Learn more about the Gemini South Telescope:

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-south/

Credits:
Images and Videos:  International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos/N. Bartmann (NSF NOIRLab)
Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #HappyValentinesDay #ValentinesDay #Nebulae #Nebula #StarCluster #OBAssociation #NGC2040 #LH88 #Dorado #Constellation #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMCGalaxy #Universe #GeminiSouthTelescope #InternationalGeminiObservatory #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Journey to Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Journey to Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Happy Valentine's Day! Displaying wispy layers of red, orange and yellow, the nebula encasing NGC 2040 resembles a vibrant rose in this image captured by the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory. It is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. This nebulous flower showcases the dramatic story of stellar life, death and rebirth.

NGC 2040 is a young open cluster of stars within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light-years from Earth. It is a type of star cluster known as an OB association because it contains more than a dozen stars of the O and B spectral types. These stars lead short lives of only a few million years, during which they burn very hot before exploding as supernovae. The energy released by the explosions of these massive stars feeds the formation of NGC 2040’s structure, while the expelled material seeds the growth of the next generation of stars.

NGC 2040 contains mostly hydrogen and oxygen atoms. As these atoms are excited by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, they emit light. This emitted light spans a range of wavelengths from the ultraviolet, through the visible, and into the infrared. Special filters on Gemini South then allow specific wavelengths, or colors, of this emitted light to pass through, like the deep red and orange of glowing hydrogen and the light blue of glowing oxygen. The bright white represents areas where there is an abundance of both.

Learn more about the Gemini South Telescope:

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-south/

Credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA

Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #HappyValentinesDay #ValentinesDay #Nebulae #Nebula #StarCluster #OBAssociation #NGC2040 #LH88 #Dorado #Constellation #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMCGalaxy #Universe #GeminiSouthTelescope #InternationalGeminiObservatory #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video    

Close-up: Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Close-up: Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Happy Valentine's Day! Displaying wispy layers of red, orange and yellow, the nebula encasing NGC 2040 resembles a vibrant rose in this image captured by the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory. It is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. This nebulous flower showcases the dramatic story of stellar life, death and rebirth.

NGC 2040 contains mostly hydrogen and oxygen atoms. As these atoms are excited by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, they emit light. This emitted light spans a range of wavelengths from the ultraviolet, through the visible, and into the infrared. Special filters on Gemini South then allow specific wavelengths, or colors, of this emitted light to pass through, like the deep red and orange of glowing hydrogen and the light blue of glowing oxygen. The bright white represents areas where there is an abundance of both.

Learn more about the Gemini South Telescope:

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-south/

Credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA

Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #HappyValentinesDay #ValentinesDay #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC2040 #StarCluster #OBAssociation #LH88 #Dorado #Constellation #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMCGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #GeminiSouthTelescope #InternationalGeminiObservatory #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Nebula & Star Cluster NGC 2040 in Dorado | Gemini South Telescope

Happy Valentine's Day! Displaying wispy layers of red, orange and yellow, the nebula encasing NGC 2040 resembles a vibrant rose in this image captured by the Gemini South telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory. It is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. This nebulous flower showcases the dramatic story of stellar life, death and rebirth.

NGC 2040 is a young open cluster of stars within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light-years from Earth. It is a type of star cluster known as an OB association because it contains more than a dozen stars of the O and B spectral types. These stars lead short lives of only a few million years, during which they burn very hot before exploding as supernovae. The energy released by the explosions of these massive stars feeds the formation of NGC 2040’s structure, while the expelled material seeds the growth of the next generation of stars.

NGC 2040 contains mostly hydrogen and oxygen atoms. As these atoms are excited by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, they emit light. This emitted light spans a range of wavelengths from the ultraviolet, through the visible, and into the infrared. Special filters on Gemini South then allow specific wavelengths, or colors, of this emitted light to pass through, like the deep red and orange of glowing hydrogen and the light blue of glowing oxygen. The bright white represents areas where there is an abundance of both.

Credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA

Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #HappyValentinesDay #ValentinesDay #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC2040 #StarCluster #OBAssociation #LH88 #Dorado #Constellation #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMCGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #GeminiSouthTelescope #InternationalGeminiObservatory #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: All Heart | Week of Feb. 14, 2025

NASA's Space to Ground: All Heart | Week of Feb. 14, 2025

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 72 Updates:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew
Station Commander: Suni Williams
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov
NASA Flight Engineers: Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #MissionControlCenter #MCC #HeartHealth #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #LongDurationMissions #SpaceLaboratory #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA "Espacio a Tierra" | Frecuencias de llamada: 07 de febrero de 2025

NASA "Espacio a Tierra" | Frecuencias de llamada: 07 de febrero de 2025

Espacio a Tierra, la versión en español de las cápsulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la Estación Espacial Internacional.

Aprende más sobre la ciencia a bordo de la estación espacial: https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/ciencia-en-la-estacion/

Ciencia de la NASA: https://ciencia.nasa.gov

Para obtener más información sobre la ciencia de la NASA, suscríbete al boletín semanal: 
https://www.nasa.gov/suscribete

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 5 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #NASAenespañol #español #Spacewalk #EVA #EVA274 #Astronauts #SuniWilliams #ButchWilmore #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #LongDurationMissions #SpaceLaboratory #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Blue Ghost Mission Update: Moon Bound (Week 4) | Firefly Aerospace

Blue Ghost Mission Update: Moon Bound (Week 4) | Firefly Aerospace

In this week's recap, we walk-through our latest burns that propelled us beyond Earth's orbit toward the Moon. Get a behind-the-scenes look at mission ops during a burn and discover the unique relationship between flight directors and flight controllers.

A trans-lunar injection (TLI) is a propulsive maneuver used to send a spacecraft to the Moon.

The Blue Ghost lander is currently on its 45-day journey to the Moon. Blue Ghost is seeking to land in Mare Crisium to deliver ten NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon. They will perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet. Mare Crisium is a lunar mare located in the Moon's Crisium basin, just northeast of Mare Tranquillitatis. It was formed by the flooding of basaltic lava that filled an ancient asteroid impact.

Learn more: https://fireflyspace.com/missions/blue-ghost-mission-1/

Video Credit: Firefly Aerospace
Duration: 8 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Earth #ArtemisProgram #Moon #LunarLanders #FireflyAerospace #BlueGhostLunarLander #BlueGhostMission1 #BGM1 #UnitedStates #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The RCW 38 Star Cluster in Vela: Visible light view | Digitized Sky Survey 2

The RCW 38 Star Cluster in Vela: Visible light view | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This image covers a small section of the night sky centered around the star cluster RCW 38. The sky in this image is mostly black with dark red tones. The entire image is covered by countless stars, most of them tiny, while a couple are seen as larger orange or blue-white lights. At the center are the clouds of RCW 38, here seen in a bright deep-red color. Other darker clouds create chaotic shapes across the image.

This image shows the RCW 38 stellar cluster in visible light. Dust absorbs most light at these wavelengths, hiding large areas of this cluster from us.

Distance: 5,500 light years

The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO) / Digitized Sky Survey 2
Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StarCluster #RCW38 #Nebula #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Journey to Star Cluster RCW 38 in Vela | Paranal Observatory's VISTA

Journey to Star Cluster RCW 38 in Vela | Paranal Observatory's VISTA

From a wide view of the Milky Way, zoom-in to the dramatic star forming region RCW 38 in the constellation Vela. The images shown here were taken with telescopes at distinct time intervals. They have been blended together to create this zoom. We begin with a view of the night sky in visible light, and finish with an infrared image of the RCW 38 region captured by the European Southern Observatory’s VISTA telescope.

The final detailed image shows the star cluster RCW 38. This entire section of the dark sky is covered in stars of all sizes and colors: white, blue, orange or yellow. A nebula occupies most of the image; its shape perhaps resembles a balloon dog, but does not have a clearly defined shape. Inside, the clouds change in density and color, from dark brown to faintly visible purple areas. Part of the cluster is of a bright yellow, adjacent to a red and pink section that could resemble a small lobster. The entire star cluster is similarly covered in stars of all shapes and colors in a truly colorful extravaganza.

The final image is an 80-million-pixel picture of the star cluster RCW 38, located 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Vela. RCW 38 is a young cluster containing about 2,000 stars, and is bursting with star-forming activity.

The final picture shows a mixture of gas, dust and stars, creating an extravagant, yet spectacular landscape. As VISTA observes infrared light, it is able to peer through most of the dust in this region that would block our view when observing in visible light. Behind the dust, VISTA is showing young stars within dusty cocoons and cold ‘failed’ stars known as brown dwarfs, thus revealing the secrets within these young stellar nurseries.

Learn more about VISTA:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/

Credit: ESO / L. Calçada / N. Risinger / Digitized Sky Survey 2 / VVVX

Duration: 50 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 13, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StarCluster #RCW38 #Nebula #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #ParanalObservatory #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Star Cluster RCW 38 in Vela | Infrared view | Paranal Observatory

Close-up: Star Cluster RCW 38 in Vela | Infrared view | Paranal Observatory

This incredibly detailed image shows the star cluster RCW 38. This entire section of the dark sky is covered in stars of all sizes and colors: white, blue, orange or yellow. A nebula occupies most of the image; its shape perhaps resembles a balloon dog, but does not have a clearly defined shape. Inside, the clouds change in density and color, from dark brown to faintly visible purple areas. Part of the cluster is of a bright yellow, adjacent to a red and pink section that could resemble a small lobster. The entire star cluster is similarly covered in stars of all shapes and colors in a truly colorful extravaganza.

This is an 80-million-pixel picture of the star cluster RCW 38, located 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Vela. RCW 38 is a young cluster containing about 2,000 stars, and is bursting with star-forming activity.

The picture was taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA), operating in Chile’s Atacama Desert. It shows a mixture of gas, dust and stars, creating an extravagant, yet spectacular landscape. As VISTA observes infrared light, it is able to peer through most of the dust in this region that would block our view when observing in visible light. Behind the dust, VISTA is showing young stars within dusty cocoons and cold ‘failed’ stars known as brown dwarfs, thus revealing the secrets within these young stellar nurseries.

Learn more about VISTA:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Script: J. C. Muñoz
Editing: M. Wallner
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StarCluster #RCW38 #Nebula #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #ParanalObservatory #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The RCW 38 Star Cluster in Vela: Infrared view | Paranal Observatory's VISTA

The RCW 38 Star Cluster in Vela: Infrared view | Paranal Observatory's VISTA

This incredibly detailed image shows the star cluster RCW 38. This entire section of the dark sky is covered in stars of all sizes and colors: white, blue, orange or yellow. A nebula occupies most of the image; its shape perhaps resembles a balloon dog, but does not have a clearly defined shape. Inside, the clouds change in density and color, from dark brown to faintly visible purple areas. Part of the cluster is of a bright yellow, adjacent to a red and pink section that could resemble a small lobster. The entire star cluster is similarly covered in stars of all shapes and colours in a truly colorful extravaganza.

This is an 80-million-pixel picture of the star cluster RCW 38, located 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Vela. RCW 38 is a young cluster containing about 2,000 stars, and is bursting with star-forming activity.

The picture was taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA), operating in Chile’s Atacama Desert. It shows a mixture of gas, dust and stars, creating an extravagant, yet spectacular landscape. As VISTA observes infrared light, it is able to peer through most of the dust in this region that would block our view when observing in visible light. Behind the dust, VISTA is showing young stars within dusty cocoons and cold ‘failed’ stars known as brown dwarfs, thus revealing the secrets within these young stellar nurseries.

Learn more about VISTA:
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/surveytelescopes/vista/

Credit: ESO/VVVX survey
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #StarCluster #RCW38 #Nebula #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VISTA #ParanalObservatory #AtacamaDesert #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

SpaceX Starship Long Duration Static Fire Test | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship Long Duration Static Fire Test | Starbase Texas

A long duration static fire test of Starship ahead of the eighth flight test with the Super Heavy Booster. SpaceX is going through prelaunch preparations as "we continue a rapid iterative development process to build a fully and rapidly reusable space transportation system."

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket—collectively referred to as Starship—represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Key Starship Parameters:
Height: 123m/403ft
Diameter: 9m/29.5ft
Payload to LEO: 100–150t (fully reusable)

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission 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

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Feb. 12, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #Spacecraft #Starship8 #TestFlight8 #HeavyBooster #Mechazilla #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #BocaChica #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Exploring Planet Jupiter: Perijoves 65, 43, 41 & 39 | NASA Juno Mission

Exploring Planet Jupiter: Perijoves 65, 43, 41 & 39 | NASA Juno Mission

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ65-23

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ65-23

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ65-23

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ39-31-32

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ41-26

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ43-41

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ41-26

Jupiter - NASA Juno spacecraft - PJ40-39 | The shadow is from Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Ganymede is the largest and most massive natural satellite of Jupiter, and in the Solar System.

Since it arrived at Jupiter in 2016, NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been probing beneath the dense, forbidding clouds encircling the giant planet—the first orbiter to peer so closely. It seeks answers to questions about the origin and evolution of Jupiter, our solar system, and giant planets across the cosmos. Each perijove passes near a new part of Jupiter's cloud tops. A perijove indicates the point in the Juno spacecraft's orbit when it comes closest to planet Jupiter's center. If we measure by volume, approximately 1,300 Earths could fit inside Jupiter.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott J. Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program. This is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft.

Learn more about NASA's Juno mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/juno

https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu

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

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Release Date: Feb. 7-11, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Jupiter #Moon #Ganymede #Perijove65 #Perijove43 #Perijove41 #Perijove39 #Atmosphere #JunoMission #JunoSpacecraft #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #MSFC #SwRI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA’s Polar Ice Experiment for Future Moon Missions | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Polar Ice Experiment for Future Moon Missions | Kennedy Space Center

An innovative NASA experiment is preparing for its journey to the Moon as part of Intuitive Machines’ second launch to the lunar surface. The Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) will be delivered through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative on the next lunar flight.

Designed to investigate the Moon’s subsurface, PRIME-1 will demonstrate groundbreaking technology to extract and analyze lunar soil, paving the way for sustainable human exploration under NASA’s Artemis campaign. In this video, Jackie Quinn explains how PRIME-1’s two key instruments—the Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) and the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO)—will work together to search for resources beneath the lunar surface.

The Athena lander, carrying PRIME-1 and other NASA technology demonstrations and science investigations, will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than Feb. 26, 2025.

Learn more about NASA's CLPS Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

Follow IM-2 Mission Updates:

https://www.intuitivemachines.com/im-2

Video Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Duration: 1 minute, 40 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 12, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #ArtemisProgram #SouthPole #PRIME1 #IntuitiveMachines #IM2Mission #IM2Spacecraft #AthenaLunarLander #CommercialSpace #CLPS #SpaceTechnology #MSFC #GSFC #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS in Chilean Skies

Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS in Chilean Skies

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is captured here in all its beauty by Cesar Briceño, Director of the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR), a part of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. Comets form from a nucleus of dust, water, and gas in the farthest-known regions of our Solar System. This close-up of the Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) cleanly shows the vaporized material of the nucleus creating the iconic cometary shape. In the lower left corner, the diffuse coma shines bright white as it obscures the nucleus. Emanating from the nucleus are the twin tails. The upper stream is the dust tail made of the heavier dust particles, illuminated by reflected sunlight. The lower stream is composed of gases, glowing as a result of ionization of the gas atoms. This tail is affected by the Sun’s magnetic field, and so is pointing in the direction of the solar wind.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) may be one of the brightest comets to pass by Earth in 2025.

Comet C/2024 G3 was found by the automated Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on April 5, 2024, in images obtained with a 0.5-m reflector telescope located in Río Hurtado, Chile. ATLAS is funded by NASA's Planetary Defense Office. ATLAS was developed and is operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.

Learn more:
https://fallingstar.com
https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-defense-overview/

Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/C. Briceno
Release Date: Feb. 12, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #Comets #Comet #CometC2024G3ATLAS #C2024G3 #OortCloud #SolarSystem #MilkWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #CTIO #SOAR #GeminiSouth #VeraRubinObservatory #CerroTololo #Chile #PlanetaryDefense #JPL #UnitedStates #STEM #Education