Planet Mars Images: Sept 11-15, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers
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Monday, September 15, 2025
Planet Mars Images: Sept 11-15, 2025 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers
NASA Astronauts Practice Landing Procedures for The Moon | Artemis Missions
NASA Astronauts Practice Landing Procedures for The Moon | Artemis Missions
NASA has certified a new lander flight training course using helicopters in the mountains of northern Colorado. The agency has partnered with the Colorado Army National Guard at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site near Gypsum, Colorado, to develop the foundational flight training course to help astronauts practice flight and landing procedures for the Moon. The certification marks an important milestone in crew training for Artemis missions to the Moon, when astronauts will use a commercial human landing system to land on the lunar surface.
During the two-week certification run in late August 2025, NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Matthew Dominick participated in flight and landing training to help certify the course. Paired with trained instructors from the Army National Guard, astronauts fly to mountaintops and valleys in a range of aircraft, including LUH-72 Lakotas, CH-47 Chinooks, and UH-60 Black Hawks.
https://www.nasa.gov/hls
Over the course of about 30 days, the Artemis III astronauts will travel to lunar orbit, where two crew members will descend to the surface and spend approximately a week near the South Pole of the Moon conducting new science before returning to lunar orbit to join their crew for the journey back to Earth. Launch is currently scheduled for mid-2027.
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/
Follow updates on the Artemis blog:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/
NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/
Read the Artemis Plan (74-page PDF Free Download):
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/artemis_plan-20200921.pdf
Date: Sept. 12, 2025
#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisIII #HLS #CrewedMissions #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #AstronautTraining #Helicopters #HelicopterPilotTraining #MarkVandeHei #MatthewDominick #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Colorado #UnitedStates #STEM #Education
Planets of The Solar System: Tilts and Spins
Planets of The Solar System: Tilts and Spins
How does your favorite planet spin?
Does it spin rapidly around a nearly vertical axis, or horizontally, or backwards?
This video animates NASA images of all eight planets in our Solar System to show them spinning side-by-side for an easy comparison. In the time-lapse video, a day on Earth—one Earth rotation—takes just a few seconds. Jupiter rotates the fastest, while Venus spins not only the slowest (can you see it?), but backwards. The inner rocky planets, across the top, most certainly underwent dramatic spin-altering collisions during the early days of the Solar System.
The reasons why planets spin and tilt as they do remains a topic of research with much insight gained from modern computer modeling and the recent discovery and analysis of hundreds of exoplanets: planets orbiting other stars.
Animation: James O'Donoghue (JAXA)
Release Date: May 17, 2019
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft | International Space Station
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft | International Space Station
Watch the launch here: http://spacex.com/launches/ng23
This was the fourth flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission. It previously launched Ax-4, Crew-11, and a Starlink mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9 landed on Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral.
Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/4m1jktI
The Smouldering Heart of Galaxy M82 in Ursa Major | Hubble
The Smouldering Heart of Galaxy M82 in Ursa Major | Hubble
It is no surprise that the Cigar Galaxy is so packed with stars, obscured though they might be by the distinctive clouds pictured here. Forming stars ten times faster than the Milky Way, the Cigar Galaxy is what astronomers call a starburst galaxy. The intense starburst period that grips this galaxy has given rise to super star clusters in the galaxy’s heart. Each of these super star clusters contains hundreds of thousands of stars and is more luminous than a typical star cluster. Researchers used Hubble to home in on these massive clusters and reveal how they form and evolve.
This image features something not seen in previously released Hubble images of the galaxy: data from the High Resolution Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The High Resolution Channel is one of three sub-instruments of ACS, which was installed in 2002. In five years of operation, the High Resolution Channel returned fantastically detailed observations of crowded, starry environments like the centers of starburst galaxies. An electronics fault in 2007, unfortunately, left the High Resolution Channel disabled.
Image Description: A close-in view of the center of galaxy M82. Bright, bluish light radiating from the center is due to stars actively forming there. A thick lane of gas, black in the center and red around the edges, crosses the center and blocks much of the light. Thinner strands and clumps of reddish dust cover much of the rest of the view.
Release Date: Sept. 15, 2025
#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #Galaxies #Messier82 #M82 #CigarGalaxy #StarburstGalaxy #UrsaMajor #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft Separates from Falcon 9 | International Space Station
Cygnus XL Cargo Spacecraft Separates from Falcon 9 | International Space Station
Cygnus XL separation from the SpaceX Falcon rocket is confirmed. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the International Space Station for capture in ~60 hours on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 6:35 a.m. ET.
Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/4m1jktI
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2025
Falcon 9 Launch of Cygnus XL CRS-23 Cargo Mission | International Space Station
Falcon 9 Launch of Cygnus XL CRS-23 Cargo Mission | International Space Station
Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/4m1jktI
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2025
Astronauts Conduct Experiments in Neuroscience & Botany | China Space Station
Astronauts Conduct Experiments in Neuroscience & Botany | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-20 crew aboard China's Tiangong space station have been steadily advancing a series of scientific experiments, equipment maintenance, and health routines over the past week, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
In the field of space medicine, the three astronauts used laptops and specialized software to complete fine motor control and metacognitive monitoring experiments. They also collected data with electroencephalograms—devices that measure electrical activity in the brain—for studies on visual-motion processing and cognition in microgravity, supporting ongoing research on Earth.
The crew harvested and stored lettuce grown on board, before beginning a new round of cultivation of other plants.
They also continued to carry out experiments in microgravity physics.
In terms of station maintenance, the crew completed the replacement of ignition heads and burners in the combustion facility, samples in the container-free facility, and window lens covers on an axial mechanism.
A scheduled full-system pressure emergency drill was also carried out, simulating a cabin depressurization scenario. The drill strengthened the crew's emergency response skills and coordination with ground teams.
The astronauts inspected and maintained low-temperature storage equipment, transferring samples from a minus 80 degrees Celsius freezer to a newly installed space refrigerator, and performed routine checks including condensate cleaning.
They also carried out maintenance on directional cameras in the Wentian lab module and tested onboard laptops.
For health management, the crew conducted cardiopulmonary fitness tests, exercised regularly, and used neuromuscular stimulation devices to counteract muscle atrophy in microgravity.
The Shenzhou-20 crew was launched into space in April this year and is scheduled to return to Earth in late October.
Duration: 1 minute, 47 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2025
NASA Science on Cygnus CRS-23 Cargo Mission | International Space Station
NASA Science on Cygnus CRS-23 Cargo Mission | International Space Station
Thanks to Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft design, NG-23 will be its largest delivery yet. Over 11,000 lbs of supplies and experiments will be brought to the International Space Station.
Atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, NASA and Northrop Grumman are preparing to launch the company’s next cargo mission to the orbiting laboratory no earlier than 6:11 p.m. EDT on September 14, 2025—sending science to support Artemis missions to the Moon, human exploration of Mars and beyond, while seeking improvements for life on Earth. More than 15 payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory are set to launch from Cape Canaveral this Sunday. These projects could help improve medicine production, make the orbit around Earth safer, and enhance technology used in television, computer, and smartphone screens. The research aboard Cygnus aims to reduce harmful microbes, improve medication production, manage fuel pressure, and refine semiconductor crystals for next-generation technologies.
Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/4m1jktI
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2025
New Comet Swan 25B: From Behind The Sun
New Comet Swan 25B: From Behind The Sun
After emerging from hiding behind the Sun on Sept. 11, 2025, Comet SWAN25B is rapidly brightening. Multiple southern hemisphere observers on Sept 13th say it is near magnitude +6—that is, about three times brighter than the day before. Gerald Rhemann and Michael Jäger took this picture from Farm Tivoli, Namibia in southern Africa.
"This is a 12/5/5/5 min (LRGB) exposure through a 12-inch Astrograph," says Rhemann.
The comet has a green atmosphere and a long blue ion tail collimated by the solar wind. These colors are signs of C2 (green) and CO+ (blue)—compounds commonly found in Solar System comets.
The comet's orbit is still being determined. Initial astrometry suggests it has already passed through perihelion (closest approach to the sun). Next, it might make a close approach to Earth (0.25 AU) in October.
This weekend you can find Swan25B in the constellation Virgo not far from Mars and Spica. It is still close to the Sun, so be prepared to catch it near the horizon at sunset.
https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/NEO/pccp_tabular.html
Telescope: ASA Astrograph 12" f3.6 Camera: ZWO ASI 6200 MM Pro Mount: ASA DDM 85 Exp. Time: LRGB 12/5/5/5 min.
Gerald's website: https://www.astrostudio.at
The Cosmic Glitter of Dwarf Galaxy Markarian 209 in Canes Venatici | Hubble
The Cosmic Glitter of Dwarf Galaxy Markarian 209 in Canes Venatici | HubbleHubble-JSchmidt-med.png)
"To the right is a local Milky Way star that appears bright to Hubble, but is actually a dim, anonymous star of little interest to the astronomical community. It looks nice in the composition, though. I think that the wider field of view allows one to see how far the fainter, highly diffuse outer reaches extend beyond what could visually define the outline of the galaxy."
Image Processing: Judy Schmidt
Release Date: Aug. 22, 2017
#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #Galaxies #Mrk209 #UGCA281 #DwarfGalaxies #CanesVenatici #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #WFC3 #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Canadarm2 & Dextre | International Space Station
Canadarm2 & Dextre | International Space Station
Dextre tackles the tough or routine jobs that need to be done in the harsh environment of space. The Station's robotic assistant allows astronauts to spend more time doing scientific experiments instead of performing risky spacewalks.
Each of Dextre's arms has seven joints that can move up and down, go from side to side, and rotate. This large range of motion means Dextre can actually carry out more complex movements than a human arm. Each hand has a retractable motorized wrench, a camera and lights for close-up viewing, and a retractable connector to provide power, data and video connection. The robot can carefully grip delicate equipment without causing damage. For example, it can successfully manipulate small safety caps, cables and wires with minute precision—all while being controlled from Earth, hundreds of kilometers away. Dextre can can ride on the end of Canadarm2 to move from each worksite or be ferried on the Mobile Base System to work almost anywhere on the ISS.
The robot is operated by ground control teams at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) headquarters outside Montreal, Quebec, and at NASA.
New Zealand | International Space Station
New Zealand | International Space Station
Expedition 73 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui: ". . . After finishing a busy day, when I looked out the window, it was right over New Zealand. It's a beautiful country, isn't it! It has become one of the countries I definitely want to visit!"
New Zealand (Māori: "Aotearoa") is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 600 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. New Zealand is part of the Oceania geographical region.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
Release Date: Sept. 10, 2025
¿Qué es el viento solar? | NASA en Español
¿Qué es el viento solar? | NASA en Español
Hay un “viento” que emana del Sol y que azota todo lo que existe en el sistema solar y más allá, incluida la Tierra. A pesar de estar envueltos en un escudo protector llamado magnetosfera, nuestro planeta no es inmune a las partículas cargadas eléctricamente que conforman el viento solar, y que pueden afectar las comunicaciones y redes eléctricas en tierra.
Mientras apuntamos a la Luna y Marte con la campaña Artemis, la NASA está desarrollando formas de proteger a los astronautas de los efectos dañinos del viento solar en sus viajes más largos al espacio profundo.
La agencia también realiza mediciones del viento solar en nuestro vecindario cósmico, para ayudar a comprender mejor los riesgos que supone para nuestros exploradores, tanto humanos como robóticos.
Aprende más sobre nuestra estrella y cómo la estudiamos: https://ciencia.nasa.gov/sol/
Corrección: En el video mencionamos que el viento solar viaja a 1.400 millones de km/h. La cifra correcta es aproximadamente 1,4 millones de km/h.
Duration: 3 minutes, 21 seconds
Close-up: Spiral Galaxy NGC 7456 in Grus | Hubble Space Telescope
Close-up: Spiral Galaxy NGC 7456 in Grus | Hubble Space Telescope
While it may appear unassuming at first glance, just another spiral galaxy among thousands in the Universe, the subject of this Hubble Space Telescope picture has plenty to study. NGC 7456 is its name, located over 51 million light-years away in the constellation Grus (the Crane).
In this image we see in fine detail the patchy spiral arms of this galaxy, followed by clumps of dark, obscuring dust. Blossoms of glowing pink are rich reservoirs of gas where new stars are forming, illuminating the clouds around them and causing the gas to emit this tell-tale red light. The Hubble program collecting this data is focused on stellar activity just like this, tracking new stars, clouds of hydrogen and star clusters to learn how the galaxy has evolved through time.
Hubble, with its ability to capture visible, ultraviolet and a portion of infrared light, is not the only observatory focused on NGC 7456. The European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton satellite has imaged X-rays from the galaxy on multiple occasions, discovering a number of so-called ultraluminous X-ray sources. These small, compact objects emit terrifically powerful X-rays, much more than would be expected for their size. Astronomers are still trying to pin down what powers these extreme objects, and NGC 7456 contributes a few more examples.
On top of that, the region around the galaxy’s supermassive black hole is spectacularly bright and energetic, making NGC 7456 an active galaxy. Whether looking at its core or its outskirts, at visible light or X-rays, this galaxy has something interesting to show!
Image Description: A spiral galaxy. It shines brightly at the center, and most of its disc also glows in warm colors. Its two spiral arms wind outwards from the center. They are made up mostly of large patches of bright blue specks. They also contain thin, reddish clouds of dust, and bright pink bubbles of glowing gas, where stars are forming. Distant galaxies can be seen around the galaxy as small orange spots, on a dark background.
Release Date: Sept. 1, 2025
#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC7456 #Grus #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video
Lunar Eclipse over China
Lunar Eclipse over China
Did you seen the Blood Moon? A spectacular total lunar eclipse graced the skies until the early hours of Sept. 8, 2025! The Moon was at its roundest and reddest at 2:12 am Beijing Time on Monday, Sept. 7, 2025.
During a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way of the Sun’s light hitting the Moon. This means that during the night, a full Moon fades away as Earth’s shadow covers it up.
The Moon can also look reddish because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs the other colors while it bends sunlight toward the Moon. Sunlight bending through the atmosphere and absorbing other colors is also why sunsets are orange and red.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is shining from all the sunrises and sunsets occurring on Earth.
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html
Release Date: Sept. 7, 2025





















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