Star Trails at Lake Ninan, Western Australia

Star Trails at Lake Ninan, Western Australia

Star trails are caused by the Earth’s rotation. It makes stars appear to move in arcs and circles around the Earth’s celestial poles (the celestial south pole is seen to the left in this image). The distance of each star to the pole star helps us define that stars are circumpolar or seasonal. Circumpolar stars do not rise or set like the Sun—they would even be continuously visible during the day at any time of the year if not for the Sun’s light. Meanwhile, seasonal stars rise in the east and set in the west, changing with the seasons due to their proximity to the celestial equator. These pathways are an effect of the geometry of Earth’s orbit, and the latitude you observe the sky from will change what stars appear circumpolar.

Photographer Trevor Dobson: "This is a 999 shot star trails image taken at Lake Ninan, 2 hours north east of Perth in Western Australia. Started these at 7pm and finished at 4am."

Image details: Nikon d5500, 11mm, 999 x 30 seconds, ISO 1250, f/3.2

Image Credit: Trevor Dobson
Image Date: Sept. 20, 2025
Release Date: Oct. 2, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Earth #PlanetaryRotation #SolarSystem #Stars #StarTrails #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #TrevorDobson #Astrophotographer #LakeNinan #WesternAustralia #Australia #STEM #Education

RocketCam Views: United Launch Alliance Atlas V Kuiper 3 Launch

RocketCam Views: United Launch Alliance Atlas V Kuiper 3 Launch

The third launch of Amazon's Project Kuiper will used United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket to deliver satellites of the constellation into low Earth orbit (LEO). Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network. Its mission is to provide fast, reliable internet to customers around the world, including those in unserved and underserved communities, using a constellation of more than 3,200 LEO satellites.

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper 3 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper lifted off on Sept. 25, 2025, at 8:09 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral. This mission demonstrates the partnership between ULA and Amazon to launch and deliver new solutions for global connectivity.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) update:
https://newsroom.ulalaunch.com/releases/united-launch-alliance-propels-amazons-project-kuiper-to-enhance-broadband-access-to-connect-the-world

Amazon's Project Kuiper:
https://www.aboutamazon.com/what-we-do/devices-services/project-kuiper

Video Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Duration: 5 minutes, 39 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #Satellites #LEO #Amazon #ProjectKuiper #Kuiper3Mission #SatelliteConstellations #CommunicationsSatellites #BroadbandInternetServices #AtlasVRockets #RocketCam #ULA #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-20 Crew Sends Greetings for China's National Day | China Space Station

Shenzhou-20 Crew Sends Greetings for China's National Day | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-20 crew on board China's orbiting space station Tiangong extended their greetings to the motherland and the Chinese people in celebration of the National Day on October 1, 2025.

The crew, namely astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, are dressed up in red tops with the words reading "The motherland is the light that illuminates everything" and "I love you, China", demonstrating their love and deep affection for the motherland.

"From personally witnessing the successful in-orbit assembly of the T-shaped configuration of the three modules of China's space station to the impressive achievements in its application and development today, I deeply feel that these accomplishments are inseparable from the dedicated efforts of the entire project team and, more importantly, the attention and support of the people across the country. Here at the Chinese space station, we wish prosperity and strength to our great motherland and happiness and good health to all the ethic groups in China," said Chen Dong, celebrating National Day in space for the second time.

Chen Dong, the crew's commander, had previously participated in the crewed spaceflight missions of Shenzhou-11 and Shenzhou-14, and he celebrated National Day in space for the first time during the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022.

Chen Zhongrui wears a red sweatshirt with the words "Devote my youth to the great motherland", expressing his steadfastness and loyalty as a space traveler to the motherland.

"We have spent five months in the Tiangong space station, successfully completing four spacewalks. Every time I look down at our motherland while wearing the extravehicular spacesuit, my heart is filled with pride and honor. Nowadays, our 'space vegetable garden' has yielded a bountiful harvest, testifying to the miraculous power of space exploration. We are grateful to our country for providing us with the platform to pursue our dreams. We will certainly live up to this trust and safeguard the space home for the Chinese people," said Chen Zhongrui.

Wearing a sweatshirt with the words reading "Wishing a brighter future to the motherland," Wang Jie sent his best wishes to the motherland.

"On the occasion of the National Day, we aboard the Chinese space station feel a surge of emotions. As a young astronaut, my space trip is so fulfilling. Please rest assured, the motherland and the people, that we are feeling great in the space station. Next, we will continue to carry out various scientific experiments and make all necessary preparations to welcome the Shenzhou-21 crew, successfully completing our leg in the Shenzhou family's relay in space," said Wang Jie.

"We wish our great motherland peace and prosperity from the Chinese space station. I love you, China," the crew said together.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes, 11 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 1, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #NationalDay #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 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #Video

Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io | NASA's Juno Mission [Alert: Budget Cancelation]

Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io | NASA's Juno Mission [Alert: Budget Cancelation]

During its close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io on December 30, 2023, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured some of the most detailed imagery ever of Io’s volcanic surface. In this image, taken by the JunoCam instrument from about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) above the moon, Io’s night side [left lobe] is illuminated by “Jupitershine,” which is sunlight reflected from the planet’s surface.

This image is the NASA Science Image of the Month for October 2025.

NASA's highly successful Juno Mission is being canceled in NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request, along with 18 other active science missions. NASA's science budget is being reduced by nearly 50%. NASA's total budget will become the lowest since 1961, after accounting for inflation.

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns about severe budget cuts at NASA:

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request (PDF): https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/

Image Description: Jupiter's moon, Io, as seen by NASA's Juno spacecraft. Io is yellow-brown and looks somewhat like a potato. It has geographical features look like the eyes on a potato. Io is partly illuminated by sunshine reflecting off of Jupiter's surface. The darkness of space provides a black background.

More information about Juno is available at:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno

https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu

Image Credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)/Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS)
Image processing: Emma Wälimäki
Text credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)/Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS)
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planets #Jupiter #JupiterShine #Moons #Io #Geology #Volcanoes #JunoMission #JunoSpacecraft #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #MSFC #SwRI #UnitedStates #BudgetAlert #NASAMissionCancellation #Infographics #STEM #Education

China's Tianwen-2 Asteroid Sample-Return Spacecraft Captures Earth Selfie

China's Tianwen-2 Asteroid Sample-Return Spacecraft Captures Earth Selfie

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on October 1, 2025, unveiled a remarkable image of the Tianwen-2 probe alongside Earth, captured during its deep-space journey.

The newly released image, acquired by a monitoring camera mounted on the probe's robotic arm, showcases China's five-starred red flag and the white return capsule against the backdrop of a distant, blue Earth.

According to CNSA, the Tianwen-2 probe is currently approximately 43 million kilometers from Earth and 45 million kilometers from the asteroid 2016HO3.

The probe has successfully completed a series of in-orbit tests, including the deployment of sampling devices and self-checks of electronic devices. All systems are reported to be functioning normally, while onboard instruments have begun collecting valuable scientific data on the space environment, according to the CNSA.

China launched its first asteroid sample-return mission, Tianwen-2, on May 29—an endeavour to shed light on the formation and evolution of asteroids and the early solar system.

The mission aims to achieve multiple goals over a decade-long expedition: collecting samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016HO3 and exploring the main-belt comet 311P, which is farther from Earth than Mars.

Tianwen-2 will collect pristine samples from the near-Earth asteroid, 2016HO3 and return them to Earth. Next, it will go explore the main-belt comet 311P—more distant than Mars.

The probe is expected to return asteroid samples to Earth in 2027 with the entire mission to last a decade.

If successful, China will become only the third country in the world to carry out such a feat after Japan and the United States.

The Tianwen-2 mission is the latest example of China's space achievements in recent years. These include returning samples from the near and far sides of the Moon, launching a successful mission to probe Mars, operating its own national space station in orbit, and moving ahead in its plan to send humans to the lunar surface by 2030.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 55 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 1, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Asteroids #AsteroidKamooalewa #Asteroid2016HO3 #AsteroidSampleReturn #Comets #Comet311P #Comet311PPANSTARRS #CometFlyby #China #中国 #Tianwen2 #天问二号 #Tianwen2Spacecraft #DeepSpace #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

U.S. & Russian Expedition 74 & Soyuz MS-28 Crew | International Space Station

U.S. & Russian Expedition 74 & Soyuz MS-28 Crew | International Space Station

Soyuz MS-28 crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev of Russia pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. 

NASA astronaut and Soyuz MS-28 Mission Specialist Chris Williams poses for a portrait in his Sokol launch and entry suit at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Soyuz MS-28 Commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Russia poses for a portrait in his Sokol launch and entry suit at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Soyuz MS-28 Flight Engineer Sergey Mikaev of Russia poses for a portrait in his Sokol launch and entry suit at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

Expedition 74 crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev of Russia pose for a portrait at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 Flight Engineer Chris Williams poses for a portrait in his flight suit at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Expedition 74 Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Russia poses for a portrait in his flight suit at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Expedition 74 Flight Engineer Sergey Mikaev of Russia poses for a portrait in his flight suit at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, targeted to launch Nov. 27, 2025, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, will carry Williams on his first flight, as well as Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev of Roscosmos, to the space station for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74.

Selected as a candidate in 2021, Williams graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He began training for his first space station flight assignment immediately after completing initial astronaut candidate training.

Williams was born in New York City, and considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Stanford University in California and a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research focused on astrophysics. Williams completed medical physics residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He was working as a clinical physicist and researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when he was selected as an astronaut candidate.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation enabling research not possible on Earth. For nearly 25 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, where astronauts have learned to live and work in space for extended periods of time. The space station is a "springboard for developing a low Earth economy" and NASA’s next great leaps in human exploration at the Moon under the Artemis campaign and Mars.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC)/NASA's Johnson Space Center

Image Dates: Dec. 12, 2024-Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #SoyuzMS28Crew #SoyuzCrewSpacecraft #Astronauts #ChrisWilliams #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #SergeyMikaev #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #JSC #UnitedStates #GCTC #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

What's Up for October 2025: Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL

What's Up for October 2025: Skywatching Tips from NASA | JPL

Here are examples of skywatching highlights for the northern hemisphere in October 2025:

A supermoon takes over the sky, the Draconid meteor shower peeks through, and the Orionid meteor shower shines bright. 

0:00 Intro

0:13 Supermoon

0:51 International Observe the Moon Night

1:14 Draconid meteor shower

1:53 Orionid meteor shower

3:00 October Moon phases

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Duration: 3 minute, 22 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #MeteorShowers #Draconids #Orionids #Moon #SuperMoon #Planets #Stars #SolarSystem #Nebulae #Galaxies #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Skywatching #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Spacecraft Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Approaching Mars

NASA Spacecraft Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Approaching Mars

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was first discovered on July 1, 2025. Since then, NASA scientists and engineers have been working to collect as much information as possible on this rare visitor—only the third interstellar object ever detected in our solar system.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is making a grand tour, passing at high speed inside the orbits of Mars and Jupiter then zooming away, never to return. The comet’s track offers a rare opportunity for observations—and images—to be taken by multiple NASA spacecraft positioned around the solar system.

The comet, originally detected by ground-based telescopes, has already been captured by NASA’s Hubble, Webb, and SPHEREx space telescopes. More robotic explorers will get a chance to make observations as 3I/ATLAS makes its closest pass by Mars on Oct. 3 at a distance of about 17 million miles, or 28 million kilometers. The comet then passes behind the Sun as seen from Earth, but spacecraft like NASA’s Europa Clipper, en route to the Jupiter system, may be able to observe it. By early December, 3I/ATLAS once again will be within view of telescopes on Earth. The comet makes its closest pass to Jupiter in March 2026 before continuing onward out of our solar system and farther into interstellar space.

3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth. The closest it will come to our planet is about 1.8 astronomical units (about 170 million miles, or 270 million kilometers) away.

Explore the latest news on 3I/ATLAS at:

go.nasa.gov/3IATLAS

Follow the comet’s path in real-time with NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System:
https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/c_2025_n1

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) 
Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASASpacecraft #InterstellarObjects #InterplanetaryBodies #InterstellarComets #InterstellarComet3I #Comet3I #SolarSystem #Planets #Cosmos #Universe #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxies Billions of Years Old: 8 Examples of Gravitational Lensing | Webb Telescope

Galaxies Billions of Years Old: 8 Examples of Gravitational Lensing | Webb Telescope

COSJ100013+023424

The foreground galaxy whose gravity is bending the light from more distant objects is seen as it was when the Universe was 6.4 billion years old. The more distant lensed galaxy, appearing as an arc, was invisible in previous NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope observations and has now been revealed by Webb’s sensitive infrared eyes. This discovery is crucial for studying star formation in distant galaxies.

COSJ100024+015334

Nicknamed ‘the COSMOS-Web Ring’, this lensing system contains a massive elliptical galaxy that acts as the gravitational lens and a more distant star-forming galaxy whose light has been stretched into a perfect circle. The lensed galaxy gives us a glimpse of galactic life when the Universe was just over a billion years old.

COSJ100018+022138

Previously confirmed using data from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, this lens is revealed in greater detail by Webb. The elliptical lensing galaxy is seen as it was when the Universe was about 4 billion years old. The blue galaxy whose light has been warped into a circle goes back even further, shown as it was when the Universe was less than 2 billion years old.

COSJ100024+021749

The light from the luminous blue foreground galaxy traveled for about 4 billion years to reach us, while the background galaxy’s light has been on a much longer journey, taking more than 11 billion years to reach us. This newly detected lens will help researchers understand galaxy evolution and the formation of stars in dusty environments.

COSJ095914+021219

The golden galaxy at the center of the image is an elliptical galaxy whose immense gravity is bending the light from a more distant galaxy. The background galaxy is faintly visible as a golden arc along the top of the foreground galaxy.

COSJ100025+015245

Somewhat resembling a ringed planet at first glance, this lens is markedly different from the others presented in the Picture of the Month compilation of gravitational lenses from the COSMOS-Web survey. This shows a rare case in which the lensing galaxy is a thin disc galaxy rather than a giant elliptical galaxy. The dust within the disc absorbs the source’s light, providing a valuable opportunity to study dust in very distant galaxies.

COSJ095921+020638

An elliptical galaxy roughly 6 billion light-years away is bending the light from a more distant galaxy whose light has been stretched into a delicate circle. The blue points of light along the circle may be individual star clusters.

COSJ095593+023319

The glowing elliptical galaxy at the center of this image is about 8.6 billion light-years away. This gravitational lens is ideally suited for the study of dark matter, an invisible form of matter that makes up most of the mass in the Universe.

This James Webb Space Telescope picture shows eight stunning examples of gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing, first predicted by Einstein, occurs because massive objects like galaxies and clusters of galaxies dramatically warp the fabric of spacetime. When a massive foreground object lines up just so with a background galaxy, the light from the background galaxy bends as it navigates the warped spacetime on its way to our telescopes.

Depending on how perfect the alignment is, the light from the background galaxy can be bent into an arc, a circle (a phenomenon called an ‘Einstein ring’) or even split into multiple images.

Arcs and circles are prevalent in these gravitationally lensed galaxies. They were identified in data from COSMOS-Web, a 255-hour Treasury program (#1727). COSMOS-Web aims to understand the formation of the most massive galaxies in the Universe, identify galaxies that were present when the first stars and galaxies reionized the Universe’s hydrogen gas, and study the relationship between the mass of a galaxy’s stars and the mass of its galactic halo across cosmic time.

Using these data, researchers carried out the COSMOS-Web Lens Survey, or COWLS, to search for gravitational lenses. The researchers inspected more than 42,000 galaxies by eye and picked out more than 400 promising lensing candidates. This picture feature presents a collage of eight of the most spectacular lenses identified by the research team.

This collection of gravitational lenses spans an incredible range of cosmic history. The background galaxies, whose shapes appear visibly distorted, let us peek all the way back to when the Universe was barely more than a billion years old.

These images demonstrate Webb’s ability to uncover and reveal never-before-seen details in gravitationally lensed galaxies. These discoveries open a unique window into the early days of the Universe and enable the study of exquisite details within distant galaxies like individual star clusters and supernovae.

From top-to-bottom: COSJ100013+023424, COSJ100024+015334, COSJ100018+022138, COSJ100024+021749, COSJ095914+021219, COSJ100025+015245, COSJ095921+020638, and COSJ095593+023319.

 

Image Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GravitationalLensing #Galaxies #Astrophysics #COSMOSWebLensSurvey #COWLS #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education 

Close-up: Eight New Examples of Gravitational Lensing | Webb Telescope

Close-up: Eight New Examples of Gravitational Lensing | Webb Telescope

This James Webb Space Telescope picture shows eight stunning examples of gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing, first predicted by Einstein, occurs because massive objects like galaxies and clusters of galaxies dramatically warp the fabric of spacetime. When a massive foreground object lines up just so with a background galaxy, the light from the background galaxy bends as it navigates the warped spacetime on its way to our telescopes.

Depending on how perfect the alignment is, the light from the background galaxy can be bent into an arc, a circle (a phenomenon called an ‘Einstein ring’) or even split into multiple images.

Arcs and circles are prevalent in these gravitationally lensed galaxies. They were identified in data from COSMOS-Web, a 255-hour Treasury program (#1727). COSMOS-Web aims to understand the formation of the most massive galaxies in the Universe, identify galaxies that were present when the first stars and galaxies reionized the Universe’s hydrogen gas, and study the relationship between the mass of a galaxy’s stars and the mass of its galactic halo across cosmic time.

Using these data, researchers carried out the COSMOS-Web Lens Survey, or COWLS, to search for gravitational lenses. The researchers inspected more than 42,000 galaxies by eye and picked out more than 400 promising lensing candidates. This picture feature presents a collage of eight of the most spectacular lenses identified by the research team.

This collection of gravitational lenses spans an incredible range of cosmic history. The foreground galaxies give us a glimpse of galactic life when the Universe was 2.7 to 8.9 billion years old. The background galaxies, whose shapes appear visibly distorted, stretch back even further, with one source nicknamed ‘the COSMOS-Web Ring’ (top row, left of center) letting us peek all the way back to when the Universe was barely more than a billion years old. Several rarities appear in this collection, including an unusual case where the galaxy acting as the gravitational lens is a flattened disc galaxy rather than an elliptical galaxy (bottom row, second from left). 

These images demonstrate Webb’s ability to uncover and reveal never-before-seen details in gravitationally lensed galaxies. A portion of these lensed galaxies were previously discovered with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope and are now seen by Webb in an entirely new light. Others, including those that are especially red due to either dust or distance, were first spotted by Webb. These discoveries open a unique window into the early days of the Universe and enable the study of exquisite details within distant galaxies like individual star clusters and supernovae.

From left-to-right then top-to-bottom: COSJ100013+023424, COSJ100024+015334, COSJ100018+022138, COSJ100024+021749, COSJ095914+021219, COSJ100025+015245, COSJ095921+020638, and COSJ095593+023319.

Image Description: A collage of eight Webb images of gravitational lensing are shown. Each of the images show various distorted galaxies in the center of each frame, including arcs and circular shapes.

Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco

Duration: 55 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GravitationalLensing #Galaxies #Astrophysics #COSMOSWebLensSurvey #COWLS #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Eight New Examples of Gravitational Lensing | James Webb Space Telescope

Eight New Examples of Gravitational Lensing | James Webb Space Telescope

This James Webb Space Telescope picture shows eight stunning examples of gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing, first predicted by Einstein, occurs because massive objects like galaxies and clusters of galaxies dramatically warp the fabric of spacetime. When a massive foreground object lines up just so with a background galaxy, the light from the background galaxy bends as it navigates the warped spacetime on its way to our telescopes.

Depending on how perfect the alignment is, the light from the background galaxy can be bent into an arc, a circle (a phenomenon called an ‘Einstein ring’) or even split into multiple images.

Arcs and circles are prevalent in these gravitationally lensed galaxies. They were identified in data from COSMOS-Web, a 255-hour Treasury program (#1727). COSMOS-Web aims to understand the formation of the most massive galaxies in the Universe, identify galaxies that were present when the first stars and galaxies reionized the Universe’s hydrogen gas, and study the relationship between the mass of a galaxy’s stars and the mass of its galactic halo across cosmic time.

Using these data, researchers carried out the COSMOS-Web Lens Survey, or COWLS, to search for gravitational lenses. The researchers inspected more than 42,000 galaxies by eye and picked out more than 400 promising lensing candidates. This picture feature presents a collage of eight of the most spectacular lenses identified by the research team.

This collection of gravitational lenses spans an incredible range of cosmic history. The foreground galaxies give us a glimpse of galactic life when the Universe was 2.7 to 8.9 billion years old. The background galaxies, whose shapes appear visibly distorted, stretch back even further, with one source nicknamed ‘the COSMOS-Web Ring’ (top row, left of center) letting us peek all the way back to when the Universe was barely more than a billion years old. Several rarities appear in this collection, including an unusual case where the galaxy acting as the gravitational lens is a flattened disc galaxy rather than an elliptical galaxy (bottom row, second from left). 

These images demonstrate Webb’s ability to uncover and reveal never-before-seen details in gravitationally lensed galaxies. A portion of these lensed galaxies were previously discovered with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope and are now seen by Webb in an entirely new light. Others, including those that are especially red due to either dust or distance, were first spotted by Webb. These discoveries open a unique window into the early days of the Universe and enable the study of exquisite details within distant galaxies like individual star clusters and supernovae.

From left-to-right then top-to-bottom: COSJ100013+023424, COSJ100024+015334, COSJ100018+022138, COSJ100024+021749, COSJ095914+021219, COSJ100025+015245, COSJ095921+020638, and COSJ095593+023319.

Image Description: A collage of eight Webb images of gravitational lensing are shown. Each of the images show various distorted galaxies in the center of each frame, including arcs and circular shapes.

Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, M. Franco
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GravitationalLensing #Galaxies #Astrophysics #COSMOSWebLensSurvey #COWLS #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education 

China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Far Side Sample Return Mission Wins International Award

China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Far Side Sample Return Mission Wins International Award

China's Chang'e-6 mission was presented the 2025 IAF World Space Award in the Team category in Sydney, Australia on Monday, September 29, 2025. This highest honor from the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) acknowledges the mission's groundbreaking feat of bringing back samples from the Moon's far side. The mission captured the world's attention and secured wide acclaim due to its critical contributions. CGTN's reporter Chen Yilin spoke with the mission's chief designer and international experts to uncover the details.

In 2024, Chang'e-6 made history by bringing 1,935.3 grams of lunar far-side samples back to Earth. These samples were collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the largest, deepest, and oldest basin on the Moon. It provided a rare opportunity to clarify the compositional differences between the near and far sides and to unravel the long-standing mystery of their asymmetry.

The Chang'e-6 probe was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on May 3, 2024. It touched down on the far side of the Moon on June 2. During its two-day stay, Chang'e-6 used a scoop and drill, collecting nearly 2 kilograms of lunar material. On June 25, 2024, its returner brought back the samples and made a landing in north China.

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #Change6  #嫦娥六号 #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #LunarSampleReturn #Geology #FarSide #SouthPole #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #CLEP #InternationalCooperation #Pakistan #SouthAfrica #France #CNES #Italy #ASI #Sweden #IAF #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon: View from Texas

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon: View from Texas

Comet Lemmon is brightening and moving into morning northern skies. Besides Comet SWAN25B and Comet ATLAS, Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is now the third comet currently visible with binoculars and on long camera exposures. Comet Lemmon was discovered early this year and is still headed into the inner Solar System. The comet will round the Sun on November 8, but first it will pass its nearest to the Earth—at about half the Earth-Sun distance—on October 21. 

Although the brightnesses of comets are notoriously hard to predict, optimistic estimates have Comet Lemmon then becoming visible to the unaided eye. The comet should be best seen in predawn skies until mid-October, when it also becomes visible in evening skies. The featured image showing the comet's split and rapidly changing ion tail was taken in Texas, USA late last week.

Image Description: "A starfield is shown that has a bright comet. The comet shows a green head on the lower left and an ion tail with significant structure extending out to the upper right."

Image Credit & Copyright: Victor Sabet & Julien De Winter

Julien's website: https://www.instagram.com/dwj85
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #VictorSabet #JulienDeWinter #Astrophotographers #Texas #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

SpaceX Starship: Tenth Flight Test | Starbase Texas

SpaceX Starship: Tenth Flight Test | Starbase Texas

"Starship’s tenth flight test lifted off on August 26, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. CT from Starbase, Texas, taking a significant step forward in developing the world’s first fully reusable launch vehicle. Every major objective was met, providing critical data to inform designs of the next generation Starship and Super Heavy."

"Over the course of a flight test campaign, success will continue to be measured by what we are able to learn, and Starship’s tenth flight test provided valuable data by stressing the limits of vehicle capabilities and providing maximum excitement along the way."

SpaceX Starship 10th Flight Test Results Summary

The flight test began with Super Heavy successfully lifting off by igniting all 33 Raptor engines and ascending over the Gulf of America. Successful ascent was followed by a hot-staging maneuver, with Starship’s upper stage igniting its six Raptor engines to separate from Super Heavy and continue the flight to space.

Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster completed its boostback burn to put it on a course to a pre-planned splashdown zone. The booster descended and successfully initiated its landing burn, intentionally disabling one of its three center engines during the final phases of the burn and using a backup engine from the middle ring. Super Heavy entered into a final hover above the water before shutting down its engines and splashing down into the water.

Starship completed a full-duration ascent burn and achieved its planned velocity, successfully putting it on a suborbital trajectory. The first in-space objective was then completed, with eight Starlink simulators deployed in the first successful payload demonstration from Starship. The vehicle then completed the second ever in-space relight of a Raptor engine, demonstrating a key capability for future deorbit burns.

Moving into the critical reentry phase, Starship was able to gather data on the performance of its heatshield and structure as it was intentionally stressed to push the envelope on vehicle capabilities. Using its four flaps for control, the spacecraft arrived at its splashdown point in the Indian Ocean, successfully executed a landing flip, and completed the flight test with a landing burn and soft splashdown.

Over the course of a flight test campaign, success will continue to be measured by what we are able to learn, and Starship’s tenth flight test provided valuable data by stressing the limits of vehicle capabilities and providing maximum excitement along the way."

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket—collectively referred to as Starship—represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is currently 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

Video Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Duration: 2 minutes, 14 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #StarshipSpacecraft #Starship10 #StarshipTestFlight10 #SuperHeavyBooster #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

World Recognition for China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Far Side Sample Return Mission

World Recognition for China's Chang'e-6 Lunar Far Side Sample Return Mission

Congratulatory messages are flooding in from the global space community at the 2025 International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).

The international guests from various fields in the space sector expressed their excitement about China's Chang'e-6 mission winning the 2025 IAF World Space Award. The probe represents a significant milestone for humanity's first-ever sampling from the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon.

In 2024, Chang'e-6 made history by bringing 1,935.3 grams of lunar far-side samples back to Earth. These samples were collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the largest, deepest, and oldest basin on the Moon. It provided a rare opportunity to clarify the compositional differences between the near and far sides and to unravel the long-standing mystery of their asymmetry.

The Chang'e-6 probe was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on May 3, 2024. It touched down on the far side of the Moon on June 2. During its two-day stay, Chang'e-6 used a scoop and drill, collecting nearly 2 kilograms of lunar material. On June 25, 2024, its returner brought back the samples and made a landing in north China.

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 53 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2025

#NASA #CNSA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #Change6 #嫦娥六号 #LunarSampleReturn #Geology #Basalt #FarSide #SouthPole #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #CLEP #InternationalCooperation #Pakistan #SouthAfrica #France #CNES #Italy #ASI #Sweden #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

ULA Atlas V Rocket Launches Kuiper 3: Expanding Amazon’s Global Connectivity

ULA Atlas V Rocket Launches Kuiper 3: Expanding Amazon’s Global Connectivity

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper 3 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper lifted off on Sept. 25, 2025, at 8:09 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral. This mission demonstrates the partnership between ULA and Amazon to launch and deliver new solutions for global connectivity.

Project Kuiper is Amazon's low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband network. Its mission is to provide fast, reliable Internet access to customers around the world, including those in unserved and underserved communities, using a constellation of more than 3,200 LEO satellites.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) update:
https://newsroom.ulalaunch.com/releases/united-launch-alliance-propels-amazons-project-kuiper-to-enhance-broadband-access-to-connect-the-world

Amazon's Project Kuiper:
https://www.aboutamazon.com/what-we-do/devices-services/project-kuiper

Video Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2025

#NASA #Space #Earth #Satellites #LEO #Amazon #ProjectKuiper #Kuiper3Mission #SatelliteConstellations #CommunicationsSatellites #BroadbandInternetServices #AtlasVRockets #ULA #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video