Planet Mars: Faint Traces of Dark Flows | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Faint Traces of Dark Flows | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

This image shows some faint traces of dark flows along the headwall of an impact crater. These are relics of seasonal recurring slope lineae (RSL) that formed on an equator-facing slope.

They are not expected to be active yet, so we will have to wait until later in the Martian spring for any changes. However, we like to monitor these sites as they progress through the seasons, and fully formed RSL have been identified at this site before.

This is because RSL recur each Mars year at the same places, like this crater wall. RSL activity often happens at predicted temperatures approaching minus 20 degrees Celsius (or minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit). An intermittent flow of brines is possible but dry flow of granules is an alternative explanation to explain RSL formation. Because of this uncertainty, the science community is debating whether these regions should be regarded as “special regions” where rovers or others landers are restricted.

This HiRISE image was captured when the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 287 km (179 mi).

The MRO is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

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

For more information on MRO, visit:

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

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Image Date: April 5, 2020

Release Date: July 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #ImpactCraters #RSL #DarkFlows #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Diplomats Visit China's Leading Space Company—CASC

Diplomats Visit China's Leading Space Company—CASC

Fifty-five diplomats visited the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on Monday, June 30, 2025, where the country's leading space enterprise demonstrated its latest technologies and reaffirmed its commitment to global cooperation. CASC is a main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has subsidiaries that design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground equipment.

Their first stop was the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology. It has played a critical role in developing satellite communications, remote sensing, and microelectronics. It has also trained more than 2,000 international professionals, making it a major hub for global knowledge-sharing in aerospace technology.

Elia Kaiyamo, Namibia's Ambassador to China, highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries,

"Namibia and China for the past 25 years have been cooperating. One of our important cooperation and agreement with two countries is the Swakopmund tracking station. We want more people from Namibia to join this important technology," said Kaiyamo.

The second stop, the China Academy of Space Technology, or CAST, is the backbone of China's space engineering efforts. Many of its programs already involve global partners.

Bilal Chaudhary, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China, revealed the latest developments in the China-Pakistan space partnership.

"We are currently in the process of the selection of those astronauts. They will come here and get the training at the Chinese academies. Then they will go in space alongside Chinese astronauts. So once again that will be another historic occasion in our collective journey into space," said Chaudhary.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds
Release Date: July 1, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #SpaceTechnology #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #CAAET #中国航天电子技术研究所 #CAST #中国空间技术研究院  #SpaceExploration #LunarExploration #CLEP #InternationalCooperation #UnitedNations #UNOOSA #Namibia #Pakistan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Moon Science: Impact Crater & Ejecta | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Impact Crater & Ejecta | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Fresh concentric impact crater (245 m diameter) found in northwest Mare Nubium. Note concentric ring inside the crater wall, the circular flat floor and the dark central pit. Blocks are strewn along the bright crater rays extending away from the rim. 

NAC M1287235559L

The 245 m concentric crater under late afternoon illumination  highlighting the topography. NAC M181230113L

Boulders up to about 10 m in diameter where ejected from the crater. Upon impact, the boulders skidded across the surface leaving a trough behind them.

Mare Nubium (Latin "sea of clouds") is a lunar mare in the Nubium basin on the Moon's near side. The mare is located just to the southeast of Oceanus Procellarum. The unique morphology of craters, such as this one (-17.25°S, 350.46°E), is the result of a contrast in the strength of a surface layer (in this case, the unconsolidated regolith) and a stronger underlying layer (here, mare basalt). The relatively weak regolith is more easily excavated than the basalt, resulting in the distinct "inner ring". For a given thickness of regolith (typically meters thick), craters formed entirely within the regolith are bowl-shaped. At increasing diameters, the crater excavates below the regolith into the stronger basalt flows, and they exhibit a central mound, a flat floor, and finally a concentric ring inside the crater rim.

Immediately inside the rim is a ridge with a diameter of about 167 m; the ridge itself is about 50-70 m wide and stands about 20 m above the adjacent crater floor. The center of the crater is marked by a low-reflectance rough area about 36 m in diameter, surrounded by a subtle ridge.

Scattered across the inner ridge and crater rim and extending beyond the crater rim is bright, bouldery ejecta. Boulders as large as 11 m have been ejected from the crater. The bright ejecta forms a more or less continuous blanket around the rim extending to 90-150 m. At greater distances, the ejecta breaks up into a series of rays of finer material that extend as much as 1 km from the rim.

Several of the larger boulders lie at the end of shallow troughs, indicating that they slid across the surface upon landing.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Release Date: June 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #NearSide #MareNubium #ImpactCraters #Ejecta #LRO #LunarOrbiter #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Commercial Earth Observation Satellite Views | China Space Station

Commercial Earth Observation Satellite Views | China Space Station

The China Space Station (2021-), officially the Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace") Space Station, is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Tiangong is a modular design, with modules docked together while in low Earth orbit, between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface. It is China's first long-term space station, part of the Tiangong program and the core of the "Third Step" of the China Manned Space Program. It has a pressurized volume of 340 m3 (12,000 cu ft), slightly over one third the size of the International Space Station that is shared between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. China's space station provides opportunities for space-based experiments and serves as a platform for building capacity for scientific and technological innovations. Astronauts from Pakistan are scheduled to become the first international visitors to China's space station.

The first module, the Tianhe ("Harmony of the Heavens") core module, was launched on April 29, 2021. This was followed by multiple crewed and uncrewed missions and the addition of two laboratory cabin modules. The first, Wentian ("Quest for the Heavens"), launched on July 24, 2022; the second, Mengtian ("Dreaming of the Heavens"), launched on October 31, 2022. New station expansion modules are under development. 

China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.

Shenzhou-20 Crew

Chen Dong (陈冬) - Commander - Third spaceflight

Chen Zhong Rui (陈中瑞) - Operator - First spaceflight

Wang Jie (王杰) - Flight Engineer - First spaceflight

Image Credits: Maxar Technologies, BlackSky
Release Date: July 3, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou20Mission #神舟二十号 #Shenzhou20Crew #Taikonauts #ChenDong #ChenZhongrui #WangJie #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #MaxarTechnologies #BlackSky #EarthObservationSatellites #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #Pakistan #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: July 3-6, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: July 3-6, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1555

Mars 2020 - sol 1552

MSL - sol 4588

MSL - sol 4588

Mars 2020 - sol 1555

MSL - sol 4589

MSL - sol 4588

Mars 2020 - sol 1555 (Nighttime—in white LED light)

Support FriendsofNASA.org

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 4+ 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 Dates: July 3-6, 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

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson Shares Photos | International Space Station

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson Shares Photos | International Space Station

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "There are no bad views from the International Space Station."

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "Say Cheese. What should I photograph next?"

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "Today's view from the International Space Station. Earth is absolutely stunning!"

Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson: "I've missed this view!"

Peggy Whitson is the commander of the the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4.

Peggy Whitson (United States) Biography
https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/peggy-whitson

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary have been aboard the International Space Station after launching June 25, 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Axiom Mission 4.

The private astronauts are spending about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

The Ax-4 Mission “realizes the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it is the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.

The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.

Learn more about Ax-4: 
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: Axiom Space/Peggy Whitson

Capture Dates: June 27- July 6, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #PeggyWhitson #Ax4Commander #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #CommercialAstronauts #Expedition73 #UnitedStates #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

Solar Panels Moved Before Cargo Spacecraft Docking | International Space Station

Solar Panels Moved Before Cargo Spacecraft Docking | International Space Station

The International Space Station crew prepared for the arrival of the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft by securing the station's solar panels to prevent thruster activity from accidentally damaging them. Spacecraft thrusters can impact station surfaces with high-speed droplets of unburned and partially burned propellant, potentially causing erosion damage to solar cells and other sensitive hardware.

The unpiloted Progress 92 spacecraft successfully arrived at the space-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Poisk module at 5:25 p.m. EDT, Saturday, July 5, 2025. The spacecraft was launched at 3:32 p.m. EDT on July 3 (12:32 a.m. Baikonur time, July 4) via a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Roscosmos spacecraft delivered about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station. It will remain docked for approximately six months before departing for a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew. 

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy

NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/TOnishi

Duration: 5 seconds

Capture Date: July 5, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #ПрогрессMS31 #ProgressCargoSpacecraft #Progress92 #SolarPanels #SolarArrays #Cosmonauts #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Expedition73 #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Russian Progress Cargo Spacecraft Arrival | International Space Station

Russian Progress Cargo Spacecraft Arrival | International Space Station

In this short video, the Roscosmos Progress 92 (MS-31) cargo spacecraft (Russian) approaches the International Space Station for an automated docking to the Poisk module. The unpiloted Progress 92 spacecraft arrived at the space-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Poisk module at 5:25 p.m. EDT, Saturday, July 5, 2025. The spacecraft launched at 3:32 p.m. EDT on July 3 (12:32 a.m. Baikonur time, July 4) via a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Roscosmos spacecraft is delivering about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station. It will remain docked for approximately six months before departing for a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew. 

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy

NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: Roscosmos/NASA/JSC

Duration: 34 seconds

Capture Date: July 5, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #ПрогрессMS31 #ProgressCargoSpacecraft #Progress92 #Cosmonauts #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Expedition73 #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: Exploring Mounds in the Chryse Region | NASA MRO

Planet Mars: Exploring Mounds in the Chryse Region | NASA MRO

The mounds in this observation may have been formed by a process called “diapirism,” where material at depth is more buoyant (i.e., lower density) than the surrounding rocks so it rises to the surface. Chryse Planitia is a flat lowland region in the northern hemisphere of the planet Mars that was chosen for the landing sites of the U.S. Viking 1 and Mars Pathfinder planetary probes. Chryse Planitia is close to the Tharsis region at the intersection of the Mare Acidalium, the Lunae Palus and the Oxia Palus quadrangles. This region has been noted for its immense outflow channels and chaotic terrain since the 1970’s, when the U.S. Mariner 9 spacecraft first revealed the geologic diversity of Mars. The Chryse basin has apparently been the site of lava and sediment deposition.

This HiRISE image cutout is less than 5 km (3 mi) across and the spacecraft altitude was 287 km (179 mi).

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

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

For more information on MRO, visit:

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

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Narrator: Tre Gibbs

Text Credit: USGS, Wikipedia, Britannica

Image Date: May 26, 2012

Duration: 35 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 29, 2012

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #ChryseRegion #Mounds #Diapirism #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #BallAerospace #MSSS #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: Exploring Mounds in the Chryse Region | NASA MRO

Planet Mars: Exploring Mounds in the Chryse Region | NASA MRO

Mounds in the Chryse Region

Enhanced color close-up

The mounds in this observation may have been formed by a process called “diapirism,” where material at depth is more buoyant (i.e., lower density) than the surrounding rocks so it rises to the surface. Chryse Planitia is a flat lowland region in the northern hemisphere of the planet Mars that was chosen for the landing sites of the U.S. Viking 1 and Mars Pathfinder planetary probes. Chryse Planitia is close to the Tharsis region at the intersection of the Mare Acidalium, the Lunae Palus and the Oxia Palus quadrangles. This region has been noted for its immense outflow channels and chaotic terrain since the 1970’s, when the U.S. Mariner 9 spacecraft first revealed the geologic diversity of Mars. The Chryse basin has apparently been the site of lava and sediment deposition.

This HiRISE image cutout is less than 5 km (3 mi) across and the spacecraft altitude was 287 km (179 mi).

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

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

For more information on MRO, visit:

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

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Text Credit: USGS, Wikipedia, Britannica

Image Date: May 26, 2012
Release Date: June 24, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #ChryseRegion #Mounds #Diapirism #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #BallAerospace #MSSS #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Death of a 'Sungrazing' Comet | Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)

Death of a 'Sungrazing' Comet | Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)

The solar system has one less comet. A "dirty snowball" melted away on July 4, 2025, as it plunged into the sun's outer atmosphere. Coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) witnessed the final moments here.

In this video, an opaque disk covers the sun, blocking its glare to produce an artificial eclipse. This coronagraph allowed SOHO's digital cameras to see the comet less than 500,000 km from the surface of the sun.

The comet was a Kreutz sungrazer—a family of comets that are fragments from the breakup of a single giant comet around a thousand years ago. SOHO has discovered thousands of them, almost all disintegrating near the sun.

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft that has discovered over 5,000 comets. It began science operations in May 1996. It is a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The mission has been extended until the end of 2025, subject to review and confirmation by ESA's Science Program Committee.

Visual Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Caption Credits: Spaceweather[dot]com, Wikipedia
Capture Date: July 4, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #ESA #SOHO #Spacecraft #SolarObservatory #Coronagraph #SpaceTelescope #Europe #Comets #KreutzSungrazer #OortCloud #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #Video

NASA Grant for Early Career Faculty Members of Accredited U.S. Universities

NASA Grant for Early Career Faculty Members of Accredited U.S. Universities

Grant opportunity! NASA is seeking proposals from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of outstanding early-career faculty members that are beginning independent research careers.

See the full solicitation for topics and proposal details: https://t.co/GDEbgB92df

"Supporting research in science and technology is an important part of NASA's overall mission. NASA solicits this research through the release of various research announcements in a wide range of science and technology disciplines. NASA uses a peer review process to evaluate and select research proposals submitted in response to these research announcements. Researchers can help NASA achieve national research objectives by submitting research proposals and conducting awarded research."

NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES)
https://nspires.nasaprs.com/

Credit: NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES)
Release Date: July 2, 2025

#NASA #Space #Technology #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #NSPIRES #GrantProposals #ResearchFunding #GrantOpportunities #Faculty #Universities #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Moon of Mysteries | International Space Station

Moon of Mysteries | International Space Station

The New Moon is pictured seemingly beneath Earth's atmosphere during an orbital sunset in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 259 miles above Mauritania on the African continent at approximately 9:59 p.m. local time.

The New Moon is pictured above Earth's atmosphere during an orbital sunset in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 259 miles over the Atlantic Ocean northwest of Cabo Verde, an African island nation, at approximately 10:33 p.m. local time.

The last Quarter Moon is pictured above Earth's atmosphere from the International Space Station as it soared 260 miles over the Pacific Ocean southwest of Panama on the Latin American continent.

Learn about NASA's work in Moon/Lunar science:
https://science.nasa.gov/moon/

Follow Expedition 73:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Flight Engineer Takuya Onishi
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritskiy

NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim

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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC

Capture Dates: May 20-27, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Moon #SolarSystem #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #JSC #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

The Squid Nebula: Wide view | Outters 4 in Cepheus

The Squid Nebula: Wide view | Outters 4 in Cepheus

Difficult to capture, this mysterious, squid-shaped interstellar cloud spans nearly three full moons in planet Earth's sky. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. 

Though apparently surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, one investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, the cosmic squid would represent a spectacular outflow of material driven by a triple system of hot, massive stars, cataloged as HR8119, seen near the center of the nebula. If so, this truly giant squid nebula would physically be over 50 light-years across.

Equipment:
Skywatcher Newton 200 F4 Quattro @692mm (F3.40)
Skywatcher 0.86x Coma Corrector
Optolong L-Ultimate dual band 3nm Filter
Omegon veTEC571C Color
Touptek OAG X + ASI290MM Mini Guide Camera
Ioptron CEM70 Mount
123x600s G100 T-15° (Bortle 6 Sky)
67x600s G100 T-15° (Bortle 4 Sky)
31h40m Total Integration Time

Image Credit: Francesco Radici

Release Date: July 1, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #Outters4 #Ou4 #SquidNebula #Star #HR8119 #Sh2129 #Cepheus #Constellations #Astronomer #NicolasOutters #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #FrancescoRadici #STEM #Education

Close-up: The Squid Nebula | Ou4 in Cepheus

Close-up: The Squid Nebula | Ou4 in Cepheus

Difficult to capture, this mysterious, squid-shaped interstellar cloud spans nearly three full moons in planet Earth's sky. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, one investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, the cosmic squid would represent a spectacular outflow of material driven by a triple system of hot, massive stars, cataloged as HR8119, seen near the center of the nebula. If so, this truly giant squid nebula would physically be over 50 light-years across.

Video: Content generated using data from NASA Open API

Narrated by "Emma"
Image Credit & Copyright: Massimo Di Fusco

Duration: 1 minute, 38 seconds

Release Date: July 5, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #Outters4 #Ou4 #SquidNebula #Star #HR8119 #Sh2129 #Cepheus #Constellations #Astronomer #NicolasOutters #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #MassimoDiFusco #GSFC #MichiganU #STEM #Education #HD #Video #APoD

Close-up: The Squid Nebula | Ou4 in Cepheus

Close-up: The Squid Nebula | Ou4 in Cepheus

Difficult to capture, this mysterious, squid-shaped interstellar cloud spans nearly three full moons in planet Earth's sky. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, one investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, the cosmic squid would represent a spectacular outflow of material driven by a triple system of hot, massive stars, cataloged as HR8119, seen near the center of the nebula. If so, this truly giant squid nebula would physically be over 50 light-years across.

Image Credit & Copyright: Massimo Di Fusco

Massimo's website:

https://app.astrobin.com/u/massimo.difusco#gallery

Release Date: July 5, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #Ou4 #SquidNebula #Star #HR8119 #Sh2129 #Cepheus #Constellations #Astronomer #NicolasOutters #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #MassimoDiFusco #GSFC #STEM #Education #APoD