"The Devil's Diamond": Star Sigma Scorpii

"The Devil's Diamond": Star Sigma Scorpii

Sigma Scorpii (Alniyat or σ Scorpii, abbreviated Sigma Sco or σ Sco), is a multiple star system in the constellation of Scorpius, located near the red supergiant Antares that outshines it. This system has a combined apparent visual magnitude of +2.88, making it one of the brighter members of the constellation. Distance is roughly 696 light-years (214 parsecs). 

Alniyat (Sigma Scorpii) is classified as a Beta Cephei variable. Beta Cephei variables, also known as Beta Canis Majoris stars, are variable stars that exhibit small rapid variations in their brightness due to pulsations of the stars' surfaces, thought due to the unusual properties of iron at temperatures of 200,000 K in their interiors. These stars are usually hot blue-white stars of spectral class B. Alniyat is part of a double-lined spectroscopic binary system. It is a main sequence star of the spectral type B1 V with a mass of 11.9 solar masses and a radius 9 times that of the Sun. It shines with around 16,000 solar luminosities. The two stars complete an orbit every 33 days.

strongmanmike2002: "Within the Rho Ophiuchus Nebula complex there is a faint but interesting bit of, mostly (Red) Halpha nebulosity, surrounding the bright blue giant star, Sigma Scorpii, which to my eye at least, makes it look like a bright diamond in Hell. I think there is a small amount of blue reflection nebulosity around SigScorpii, but without a lot more blue data to make it stronger, it gets drowned out by the glare of Sigma Scorpii and the flood of red HII in the vicinity."

Image Credit: strongmanmike2002
Release Date: July 17, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #BinaryStarSystems #SigmaScorpii #BetaCepheiVariables #Scorpius #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #StrongmanMike2002 #CitizenScience #EagleviewObservatory #Australia #STEM #Education

The Ganges River Delta in South Asia | International Space Station

The Ganges River Delta in South Asia | International Space Station

This was photographed in the near-infrared from the International Space Station by NASA astronaut Don Pettit during his Expedition 71/72 Mission (2024-2025). The Ganges Delta (also known the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, the Sundarbans Delta or the Bengal Delta) is a river delta largely covering the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the world's largest river delta and it empties into the Bay of Bengal with the combined waters of several river systems, mainly those of the Brahmaputra River and the Ganges River. It is also one of the most fertile regions in the world, thus earning the nickname the Green Delta. The delta stretches from the Hooghly River in the west as far as the Meghna River in the east.

NASA Astronaut Donald R. Pettit Biography:
https://www.nasa.gov/people/donald-r-pettit/

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: 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.

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)

Image Credit: NASA/JSC/D. Pettit

Release Date: July 16, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #InfraredPhotography #RiverDeltas #GangesDelta #BengalDelta #BayOfBengal #India #Bangladesh #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education

Moon Science: Dawn over Bhabha Crater | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Dawn over Bhabha Crater | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Central peak complex of Bhabha crater (70 kilometer diameter) rising from the shadows of dawn. Image snapped on August 28, 2019, from an altitude of 73 kilometers. View is seen from east-to-the west, north is to the right, visible portion of central peak complex is about 14 kilometers wide. NAC M1321101374LR

Full panorama of Bhabha oblique: Sunrise at Bhabha crater, where sunlight has not yet reached the crater floor after the two-week night. Note that a portion of the eastern rim (bottom of image) is still in shadow due to highstanding terrain just outside of the scene. 

NAC M1321101374LR

Topographic profiles of east half of Bhabha crater: Note the crater's unusual topography, where outside of the eastern rim of the crater the ground continues to rise. Was this mound outside of the eastern rim there before the crater formed? The high-calcium pyroxene composition of Bhabha's walls suggest that the Bhabha impactor happened upon on another region of non-mare volcanism—perhaps this mound is a remnant of that volcanic history as well?

Bhabha crater is located on the Moon's farside, deep within the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin. At 80 km in diameter, Bhabha is approximately the same size as Tycho crater, though it lacks Tycho's spectacular rays and crisp features because it is substantially older. However, Bhabha has other aspects going for it that make the crater important in its own way. Its location within SPA means that the impact event exposed material that originally resided deep within the Moon, but was excavated and melted by the giant SPA imact event. Reflectance spectroscopy has shown that the central peaks of Bhabha contain pyroxenes that are rich in magnesium but poor in calcium, typical of many craters within SPA. This material may represent the melt sheet of SPA. However the walls of Bhabha have pyroxenes that are rich in calcium, more typical of volcanic material. A mound just to the southeast of Bhabha (termed "mafic mound") also shares this composition, and has been proposed to be a volcanic feature that formed from extruded SPA melt, or melting of the underlying mantle (Moriarty and Pieters, 2015).

A site like Bhabha crater would make an excellent spot to explore the unusual geologic history of the SPA basin and how the surface and subsurface evolved after the formation of that basin. Samples obtained from this area would allow us to test theories about the timing of the formation of the basin, learn whether there was a large spike in impact events around 3.9 billion years ago, better understand the composition of the Moon's interior, and learn about non-mare volcanism.

This year, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) celebrates its 16th anniversary orbiting the Moon (2009-2026). This mission has given scientists the largest volume of data ever collected by a planetary science mission at NASA. Considering that success and the continuing functionality of the spacecraft and its instruments, NASA awarded the mission an extended mission phase to continue operations. LRO continues to be one of NASA's most valuable tools for advancing lunar science.

Learn more about NASA's LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Text Credit: Mark Robinson
Image Date: Aug. 28, 2019
Release Date: Oct. 22, 2019

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #Geology #Geoscience #FarSide #SouthPole #SouthPoleAitken #SPA #ImpactCraters #BhabhaCrater #Sunrise #LRO #LunarOrbiter #LunarSpacecraft #LROC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #ASU #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Planet Mars: A Tale of Stone | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: A Tale of Stone | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

You are viewing layered bedrock northwest of Hellas Planitia. These are examples of the very oldest sedimentary rocks on Mars, perhaps the best places to search for signs of ancient life. They may be exposed in the deeply eroded rim of the giant Hellas impact basin. The study of such geologic strata may inform the early evolution not only of Mars, but also Earth, where such ancient rocks are poorly preserved.

Hellas Planitia is a plain located within the huge, roughly circular impact basin Hellas located in the southern hemisphere of the planet Mars. Hellas is the fourth- or fifth-largest known impact crater in the Solar System. The basin floor is about 7,152 m (23,465 ft) deep, 3,000 m (9,800 ft) deeper than the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin, and extends about 2,300 km (1,400 mi) east to west. It is centered at 42.4°S 70.5°E. It features the lowest point on Mars, serves as a known source of global dust storms, and may have contained lakes and glaciers. Hellas Planitia spans the boundary between the Hellas quadrangle and the Noachis quadrangle.

These HiRISE images feature layered bedrock. They have been processed into a digital terrain model. This provides color-coded elevation combined with shaded relief for a perspective view of the rugged terrain. The color images show diverse colors, perhaps due to alteration by water.

Location:
Longitude (East): 57.359°

Latitude (centered): -23.977°

This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 272 kilometers (169 miles).

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

Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Image Date: March 19, 2017
Duration: 3 minutes, 33 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 26, 2017

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #SouthernHemisphere #HellasPlanitia #SedimentaryRocks #SedimentaryLayers #Bedrock #Astrobiology #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim & NY Hall of Science Museum | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim: NY Hall of Science Museum | International Space Station

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 73 flight engineer Jonny Kim of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview July 18, 2025, with the Rep. Grace Meng and the New York Hall of Science Museum in Queens, New York. Kim is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim's Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/jonny-kim/

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: 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.

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
Duration: ~25 minutes
Release Date: July 18, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Astronauts #JonnyKim #NewYork #NYSCI #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Butterfly Star Cluster: Messier 6 in Scorpius

The Butterfly Star Cluster: Messier 6 in Scorpius

Messier 6 (M6) is an open star cluster. A gathering of 100 stars or so, all around 100 million years young, M6 lies about 1,600 light-years away toward the central Milky Way in the constellation Scorpius. Also cataloged as NGC 6405, the pretty star cluster's outline suggests its popular moniker, the Butterfly Cluster. Surrounded by diffuse reddish emission from the region's hydrogen gas the cluster's mostly hot, and therefore, blue stars are near the center of this colorful cosmic snapshot. The brightest cluster member is a cool K-type giant star. Designated BM Scorpii it shines with a yellow-orange hue, seen near the end of one of the butterfly's antennae. This telescopic field of view spans nearly two full Moons on the sky. This is 25 light-years at the estimated distance of Messier 6.

Image Credit & Copyright: Xinran Li

Xinran's website: 

https://app.astrobin.com/u/Flying_Dutchman#gallery

Duration: 1 minute, 40 seconds
Release Date: July 19, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #BMScorpii #Stars #StarClusters #ButterflyCluster #Messier6 #NGC6405 #Scorpius #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #XinranLi #Astrophotographer #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video #APoD

The Butterfly Star Cluster: Messier 6 in Scorpius

The Butterfly Star Cluster: Messier 6 in Scorpius

Messier 6 (M6) is an open star cluster. A gathering of 100 stars or so, all around 100 million years young, M6 lies about 1,600 light-years away toward the central Milky Way in the constellation Scorpius. Also cataloged as NGC 6405, the pretty star cluster's outline suggests its popular moniker, the Butterfly Cluster. Surrounded by diffuse reddish emission from the region's hydrogen gas the cluster's mostly hot, and therefore, blue stars are near the center of this colorful cosmic snapshot. The brightest cluster member is a cool K-type giant star. Designated BM Scorpii it shines with a yellow-orange hue, seen near the end of one of the butterfly's antennae. This telescopic field of view spans nearly two full Moons on the sky. This is 25 light-years at the estimated distance of Messier 6.

Image Credit & Copyright: Xinran Li

Xinran's website: 

https://app.astrobin.com/u/Flying_Dutchman#gallery
Release Date: July 19, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #BMScorpii #Stars #StarClusters #ButterflyCluster #Messier6 #NGC6405 #Scorpius #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #XinranLi #Astrophotographer #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Lightning Storm near Milan, Italy | International Space Station

Lightning Storm near Milan, Italy | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers: "Hello Milan! If you guys haven’t seen the lightning sequence Anne McClain posted a couple weeks ago, you should go check it out! Shots like these take quite a bit of planning and timing. This video is a sequence of still pictures taken at 120 frames per second."

"We have such a unique view of lightning up here and we’ve been trying to capture as much as possible! For these pictures, I got lucky that Milan was close by. It provides a gauge for just how big some of these storms and lightning flashes can be."

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

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: 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.

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)

Image Credit: NASA/JSC/Nichole Ayers

Duration: 7 seconds
Release Date: July 18, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Thunderstorms #Lightning #Milan #Milano #Italy #Italia #Astronauts #NicholeAyers #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 73 & Axiom Space Ax-4 Crews | International Space Station

Expedition 73 & Axiom Space Ax-4 Crews | International Space Station

Back Row (left to right): Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Kirill Peskov, and Alexey Zubritsky of Russia, NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Jonny Kim

Front Row (left to right): Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Astronaut and Ax-4 Pilot Shubhandshu Shukla, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Axiom Space Ax-4 Commander & Commercial Astronaut Peggy Whitson (USA) and European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut & Ax-4 Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland

Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Anne McClain: "Did you know that one of NASA’s missions is to enable commercial spaceflight in low Earth orbit? One of the really cool ways we get to do that on International Space Station is to host Private Astronaut Missions, or PAMs."

"This week, we bid farewell to the Ax-4 crew after their two week stay living and working alongside the Expedition 73 crew. Each individual on their crew represented a different country (USA, Hungary, India, and Poland), and a difference space agency or mission (Axiom Space, European Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, and HUNOR Program). The mission was a great accomplishment for each and a testament to the professionalism and excellence of agencies and individuals around the world."

"For us personally, it was a total blast. This picture will always remind me of one of my favorite space seasons, with great work done and big belly laughs on a daily basis. I hope our friendships and cooperation will pave the way for more future collaboration and exploration."

"If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together!"

After 18 days in space, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Ax-4 astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Shubhandshu Shukla (India/ISRO), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland/ESA), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) returned to Earth and splashed down off the coast of California at 2:31 a.m. PT on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Falcon 9 launched the spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, June 25 at 2:31 a.m. ET.

The private astronauts spent over two weeks aboard the International Space Station, conducting a mission of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

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.

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

Image Credits: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Release Date: July 18, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax4Mission #Ax4 #Russia #Cosmonauts #Россия #Roscosmos #Astronauts #CommercialAstronauts #PeggyWhitson #UnitedStates #ShubhanshuShukla #ISRO #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #SławoszUznańskiWiśniewski #Poland #Polska #ESA #TiborKapu #Hungary #Magyarország #Expedition73 #CommercialSpace #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

How Can I Get Involved with NASA Science? We Asked a NASA Expert

How Can I Get Involved with NASA Science? We Asked a NASA Expert

Want to do real NASA science? You can. Right now, dozens of NASA projects need your help. From spotting asteroids to searching for planets beyond our solar system, and so much more, there are projects for everyone. And you do not need a PhD to get involved, just your curiosity!

A NASA expert explains how to get involved.

Start exploring: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/

Credit: NASA
Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessie Wilde
Editor: Daniel Salazar
Duration: 1 minute, 39 seconds
Release Date: July 18, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #CitizenScience #ResearchProjects #ScienceProjects #Scientists #Stars #Sun #Eclipses #Planets #Exoplanets #Earth #EarthScience #Asteroids #SolarSystem #Cosmos #Universe #DarkEnergy #SpaceExploration #Students #HighSchool #University #AdultLearners #ContinuousEducation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Moon Science: Silicic Volcanoes | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Moon Science: Silicic Volcanoes | NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

The silicic volcano Mairan T (41.79°N, 311.61°E) stands over 600 meters tall and in stark albedo contrast to the surrounding dark mare basalts of Oceanus Procellarum. The view is from west-to-east and this scene is 6.6 kilometers wide.

Oceanus Procellarum is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Moon. It is the only one of the lunar maria to be called an "Oceanus" (ocean), due to its size. Oceanus Procellarum is the largest of the maria ("seas"), stretching more than 2,500 km (1,600 mi) across its north–south axis and covering roughly 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi), accounting for 10.5% of the Moon's total surface area.

The Mairan T dome is a large silicic volcanic structure with a pronounced summit depression. Remote sensing indicates that the composition of the volcanic material (lava) making up the dome is enriched in silica (SiO2). This rock type would be classified as either rhyolite or dacite on Earth, and the composition starkly contrasts with the dark, iron-rich mare basalts that embay the Mairan T dome. Most of the volcanism on the Moon is basaltic or iron-rich. Still, silicic volcanism also occurred on the Moon. Indeed, bits and pieces of similar materials were found in the Apollo samples; however, all are small fragments delivered to the Apollo sites as material ejected from distant impact events. One of the great questions for lunar science is how the silicic materials formed. On Earth, specific tectonic settings and higher water contents in the rocks favor the formation of such lavas; however, the Moon lacks plate tectonics and water-rich sediments. NASA is planning a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) lander mission to another, larger silicic volcano, one of the Gruithuisen domes, to address this question.  

The Mairan T dome formed before the emplacement of the surrounding mare basalts. The large central depression represents the collapse of the central vent during the final stages of eruption. The volcano may also have spewed material—ash and dust—over the surrounding plains, but evidence of such erupted materials, known as pyroclastic deposits, would have been long since covered over by the basaltic lavas. Since then, continued degradation of the steep slopes of the cone by small impact events has spread silicic materials out onto the nearby basaltic plains. Explore this magnificent oblique view and see if you can find evidence for this late-stage mass wasting.

This year, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) celebrates its 16th anniversary orbiting the Moon (2009-2026). This mission has given scientists the largest volume of data ever collected by a planetary science mission at NASA. Considering that success and the continuing functionality of the spacecraft and its instruments, NASA awarded the mission an extended mission phase to continue operations. LRO continues to be one of NASA's most valuable tools for advancing lunar science.

Learn more about NASA's LRO:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, NAC M1387416559LR 
Text Credit: Mark Robinson
Release Date: Oct. 11, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Moon #Geology #Geoscience #OceanusProcellarum #Volcanism #SilicicVolcanoes #Volcanoes #Silica #SiO2 #MairanT #LRO #LunarOrbiter #LunarSpacecraft #LROC #SpaceRobotics #SpaceTechnology #GSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Mars: Giant Gully in Kaiser Crater Dunes | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars: Giant Gully in Kaiser Crater Dunes | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

HiRISE has been monitoring this dune field since 2008, and it changes every year from gully erosion in the winter and blowing sand in the summer. Kaiser Crater is 207km in diameter (129 miles) and is located in Noachis Terra west of Hellas Planitia. Noachis Terra is an extensive southern landmass (terra) of the planet Mars. It lies west of the giant Hellas impact basin, roughly between the latitudes −20° and −80° and longitudes 30° west and 30° east. It is in the Noachis quadrangle.

This cutout shows an especially large gully. The bright white materials are seasonal frost, persisting on shaded slopes.

This HiRISE image was captured when NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was at an altitude of 252 kilometers (156 miles).

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:  Dec. 29, 2019
Release Date: May 31, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #Geology #Geoscience #Landscape #Terrain #SouthernHemisphere #NoachisTerra #ImpactCraters #KaiserCrater #Dunes #Gullies #MRO #MarsOrbiter #MarsSpacecraft #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: July 17-18, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: July 17-18, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - Sol 4602

MSL - Sol 4602

Mars 2020 - Sol 1566

Mars 2020 - Sol 1566

Mars 2020 - Sol 1567

Mars 2020 - Sol 1567

MSL - Sol 4600

Mars 2020 - Sol 1567

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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 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 17-18, 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

Tianzhou 1 to 9: The Rise of China's Space Cargo Program | China Space Station

Tianzhou 1 to 9: The Rise of China's Space Cargo Program | China Space Station

China's "Space Express" program has made remarkable strides! From the pioneering Tianzhou-1 to the cutting-edge Tianzhou-9, these cargo spacecraft have evolved from experimental deliveries to regular high-capacity supply missions for the Tiangong Space Station.

Curious about the groundbreaking highlights of each mission? Let our AI robot, Taikobot, guide you through the fascinating journey of how these spacecraft were transformed.

China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-9 in the early morning on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

At 08:52, the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft docked at the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module, said the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-20 crew members aboard the space station will sequentially transfer the items from the cargo spacecraft to the station.

The Tianzhou-9 was launched into space atop a Long March-7 Y10 carrier rocket at 05:34 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.

The cargo spacecraft was loaded with approximately 6.5 tonnes of supplies, including life-support materials for the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 astronaut crews, two new sets of Feitian extravehicular spacesuits, a core exercise equipment, and scientific payloads related to space medicine and other experimental fields.

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

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: July 16, 2025

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Close-up: Dueling Dust 'Dragons' in Ara | Victor Blanco Telescope

Close-up: Dueling Dust 'Dragons' in Ara | Victor Blanco Telescope

The Fighting Dragons of Ara, formally designated NGC 6188, is an emission nebula located about 4,000 light-years away near the edge of a large molecular cloud in the constellation Ara (the Altar). The nebula was given its name for its resemblance to two ‘dragons’ emerging from within the ominous dark dust clouds to face off with one another. This image is of their ‘profiles’ pointed squarely at each other, captured by the U.S. Department of Energy-built Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the 4-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab. 

The reddish glow of the dragons’ backs is ionized hydrogen, ‘lit up’ by light from the bright young stars—only a few million years old—in the nebula. Of these young stars, 27 form the beaming open cluster NGC 6193. This gives a background glow that further defines the outline of the dragons. These young stars have also been blowing off intense stellar winds since they ignited, sculpting and shaping the gas and dust into the mythical ‘duel’ that we see today.

Dark Energy Camera (DECam)

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/victor-blanco-4m-telescope/decam/

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Credits:
Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: R. Colombari and M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab)
Release Date: July 9, 2025

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Farewell to Pluto | NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft (Budget Alert: To Be Canceled)

Farewell to Pluto | NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft (Budget Alert: To Be Canceled)

This is the highest-resolution color departure shot of Pluto's receding crescent from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, taken when the spacecraft was 120,000 miles (200,000 kilometers) away from Pluto. Shown in approximate true color, the picture was constructed from a mosaic of six black-and-white images from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), with color added from a lower resolution Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) color image, all acquired between 15:20 and 15:45 UT—about 3.5 hours after closest approach to Pluto—on July 14, 2015. The resolution of the LORRI images is about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) per pixel; the sun illuminates the scene from the other side of Pluto and somewhat toward the top of this image.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is being canceled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, along with 18 other active science missions. New Horizons has enough fuel left to explore another Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) in the outer solar system. NASA's overall science budget is being reduced by nearly 50%.

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns about severe science budget cuts at NASA: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request

 https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/

The image is dominated by spectacular layers of blue haze in Pluto's atmosphere. Scientists believe the haze is a photochemical smog resulting from the action of sunlight on methane and other molecules in Pluto's atmosphere, producing a complex mixture of hydrocarbons such as acetylene and ethylene. These hydrocarbons accumulate into small haze particles, a fraction of a micrometer in size, which preferentially scatter blue sunlight—the same process that can make haze appear bluish on Earth.

As they settle down through the atmosphere, the haze particles form numerous intricate, horizontal layers, some extending for hundreds of miles around large portions of the limb of Pluto. The haze layers extend to altitudes of over 120 miles (200 kilometers). Pluto's circumference is 4,667 miles (7,466 kilometers).

Adding to the beauty of this picture are mountains and other topographic features on Pluto's surface that are silhouetted against the haze near the top of the image. Sunlight casts dramatic and beautiful finger-like shadows from many of these features onto the haze (especially on the left, near the 11 o'clock position), forming crepuscular rays like those often seen in Earth's atmosphere near sunrise or sunset.

Learn more about New Horizons:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons/

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
Release Date: July 14, 2015

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