Cosmic Reef: Nebulas NGC 2014 & NGC 2020 in Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy

Cosmic Reef: Nebulas NGC 2014 & NGC 2020 in Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy

This science visualization presents the dramatic landscape of two nebulas in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 163,000 light-years away from Earth. The video, based on images by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, takes viewers on a close-up tour of the nebulas' three-dimensional structures, as envisioned by scientists and artists.

The video begins with the Hubble view of NGC 2014 (lower left) and NGC 2020 (upper right) in the constellation Dorado. The region has been nicknamed the "Cosmic Reef," because of its resemblance to an undersea world. The camera then flies past myriad stars for a close-up look at NGC 2014. The first stop is the bubble of hot gas on the left that has a coral-like appearance. Energetic ultraviolet light from the system's most massive stars has heated the gas, while strong stellar winds (streams of charged particles) help create its bubble structure.

The journey continues into the heart of the nebula, home to extraordinarily massive and bright stars. The glowing gas in this region is bathed in the stars' intense luminosity. In contrast, the dark, denser gas is resisting that radiation, and is blown back to form craggy, mountainous shapes. The virtual flight moves past ridges, valleys, and pockets of new star formation.

The camera then rises up and over a ridge of NGC 2014, revealing the three-dimensional structure of neighboring NGC 2020. The Wolf-Rayet star at its core is the mammoth, intensely hot source of this nebula. Episodes of outbursts from the young star have produced cloudy rings and clumps in the bright blue gas. While Hubble views NGC 2020 looking down the axis of the stellar outflows, the visualization finishes with a side view that illustrates the nebula's double-lobed structure.

Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Visualization: NASA, ESA, G. Bacon, J. DePasquale, L. Hustak, J. Olmstead, A. Pagan, D. Player, and F. Summers (STScI)

Duration: 1 minute, 18 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #LMC #Nebulae #NGC2014 #NGC2020 #Dorado #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #AstroViz #Visualizations #3D #HD #Video

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon: Latest View from Austria

Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon: Latest View from Austria

Astrophotographer Michael Jaeger: "The comet is of magnitude 4, but can only be seen with the naked eye when the sky is very dark. "

Image Credit: Michael Jaeger, Gerald Rhemann

Image Details: C/2025 A6 Lemmon image taken 2025-10-19 3.40 UT LRGB 15/3/3/3min Zeiss-Milvus 135mm/f-3.3 Asi 294m 

Capture Location: Astronomical Centre Martinsberg (AZM), Austria

Image Date: Oct. 19, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #MichaelJaeger #GeraldRhemann #Astrophotographers #Martinsberg #Austria #Europe #STEM #Education

Turning American Radio Astronomy into Art | The Very Large Array (VLA)

Turning American Radio Astronomy into Art | The Very Large Array (VLA)

The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) Very Large Array (VLA) is a powerful radio telescope in New Mexico composed of 27 movable antennas that work together as one enormous instrument to observe faint cosmic radio waves. Conceived in the 1960s at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) to complement single-dish telescopes, it was preceded by the Green Bank Interferometer that helped develop key technologies in communication and signal correlation. 

Approved by Congress in 1972 and formally dedicated in 1980, the VLA was built on the remote Plains of San Agustin—chosen for its isolation from radio interference and its dry desert climate. This minimizes distortion from atmospheric water vapor. Each 82-foot dish can move on an altitude-azimuth mount and is periodically repositioned along rail tracks forming a Y-shaped array up to 23 miles across, allowing astronomers to adjust resolution and capture extraordinary detail from distant regions of the universe.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under a cooperative agreement with Associated Universities, Inc.

Credit: National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)

Duration: 3 minutes, 31 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 21, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Science #Space #RadioAstronomy #VeryLargeArray #VLA #RadioTelescopes #RadioAstronomy #Technology #Engineering #NRAO #NSF #NewMexico #UnitedStates #STEM #STEAM #Education #Art #Creativity #Imagination #HD #Video

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)+Satellites: Timelapse View | International Space Station

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) Timelapse View+Satellites | International Space Station

Expedition 73 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui: "This is a time-lapse video. I tried capturing the scene of the Lemmon Comet rising. It's a short video, but please enjoy it along with the movements of the satellites zipping by!"

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. 

Follow Expedition 73:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 73 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey Ryzhikov (Roscosmos)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Alexey Zubritskiy, Oleg Platonov

NASA Flight Engineers: Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke

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: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/Kimiya Yui

Duration: 5 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #ISS #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #AstronautVideography #Astronauts #KimiyaYui #油井亀美也 #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ultra Deep Field: Looking into Space, 12+ Billion Years Back in Time | Hubble

Ultra Deep Field: Looking into Space, 12+ Billion Years Back in Time | Hubble

This six-minute visual exploration of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field showcases the characteristics and contents of this landmark observation, as well as its four-dimensional nature across both space and time. In particular, galaxies are seen to more than 12 billion light-years away/12 billion years ago, allowing astronomers to trace the development of galaxies across cosmic time.

A deep field is a long exposure on a small field of view to observe the faintest objects possible. The Ultra Deep Field (UDF) represents the deepest visible light observation of the universe. Containing about 10,000 sources, the UDF provides a statistical sample of galaxies across the universe.

In this sequence, the three-dimensional model of the UDF data set uses NASA and other images and source catalogs. More than 5000 galaxies with cross-matched image cutout and distance measure are placed in their correct relative position throughout the long thin pyramid of the observation. To keep the fly-throughs succinct, the depth of the pyramid is shortened by a factor of a few hundred.

The visualization encompasses a suite of UDF science points in a single camera shot journey. Zooms, fades, fly-throughs, and overlay graphics visually express and highlight aspects such as the field of view, long exposure time, variety of galaxies, and extent across the observable universe. The critical idea that "looking farther out into space is also looking farther back in time" leads to examples, drawn directly from the data, of galaxy structure changing and growing over time.

The Ultra Deep Field and other deep field studies help astronomers study the distribution, characteristics, and development of galaxies across space and time.

This visualization is a product of the AstroViz Program of NASA's Universe of Learning.

Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute
Visualization: Frank Summers, Alyssa Pagan, Leah Hustak, Greg Bacon, Zolt Levay, Lisa Frattare (STScI)
Data: Anton Koekemoer, Bahram Mobasher, and HUDF Team
Duration: 6 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #HubbleUltraDeepField #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #AstroViz #Visualizations #3D #HD #Video

A Pink Speckle in the Southern Sky over The Paranal Observatory in Chile | ESO

A Pink Speckle in the Southern Sky over The Paranal Observatory in Chile | ESO

This image shows the band of light from the Milky Way galaxy seemingly pouring into a telescope, right below the center of the image. Within the Milky Way right above the telescope, the Carina Nebula is visible as a pink spot. It marks the very center and focus of the image. Additionally, one of the Magellanic Clouds is visible in the left side of the picture right above the horizon.

This picture showcases the mesmerizing dark sky above the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The sky in the southern hemisphere is home to unique jewels like the Magellanic Clouds and one particularly special eye-catcher in this image—the Carina Nebula, a massive star-forming region visible here as a big pink spot right above one of the four Auxiliary Telescopes of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). 

This sight was a unique one for the French photographer Julien Looten, who captured the image. “It was an unforgettable moment,“ he said about finally seeing the Carina Nebula with his own eyes, as such a view is not possible from the northern hemisphere. However, Paranal’s location in the southern hemisphere and its uniquely dark skies make it possible to capture this breathtaking view. 

This nebula is home to Eta Carinae, a pair of massive short-lived stars that are shedding off large amounts of material. The structure of this cloud has been studied in detail with the VLT Interferometer, by linking together three Auxiliary Telescopes like the one in this image to create a huge “virtual” telescope.

Credit: J. Looten/ESO
Release Date: October 20, 2025

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #LargeMagellanicCloud #DwarfGalaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Nebulae #CarinaNebula #Carina #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #AuxiliaryTelescopes #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Astrophotography #Europe #STEM #Education

Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Giant Eye on The Southern Sky | NOIRLab

Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Giant Eye on The Southern Sky | NOIRLab

High on the summit of Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes, NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory stands like a watchtower, scanning the cosmos with a gaze wide enough to capture the entire sky of the southern hemisphere in a three-night sweep. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC). Rubin is a joint Program of NSF NOIRLab and DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that jointly operate Rubin.

Rubin will detect up to 10 million changes in the sky every night during its decade-long survey. Supernovae are an example of the most dynamic of these changes. They are often found by chance, although scientists have been looking for new ways to anticipate them. Previously, humans simply had to be supernova spotters, one of the most famous visually observed 42 supernovae over their lifetime. Spotting supernovae has become even easier in the last three decades through automation. Today, Rubin optimizes this automation with its 3200-megapixel LSST Camera and data processing software trained to catch even the faintest cosmic flicker. In the next decade, Rubin is expected to capture about ten million supernovae. What once took a lifetime of quiet observation can now be done every night, thousands of times over. From memory to machine, the mission remains the same: never miss a light in the dark.

Rubin Observatory is seen here beneath the southern sky. The Milky Way arcs overhead, and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) can be seen on the left. Petr Horálek, the photographer, is a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

The LSST Camera (LSSTCam)

https://lsstcam.lsst.io/

An Introduction to Vera Rubin:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about/vera-rubin

Credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: Oct. 15, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Cosmos #Universe #Galaxies #LargeMagellanicCloud  #MilkyWayGalaxy #Stars #Supernovae #RubinObservatory #LSSTCamera #VeraRubin #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon): View from Iceland

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon): View from Iceland

Astrophotographer Wioleta Gorecka: "These photos were taken . . . 18.10.2025 in Iceland (Krysuvik near Reykjavik). My goal was the comet - Lemmon C/2025 A6. I usually like to tell short stories through photos. This time it was a fisher(wo)man's attempt to catch a comet. I think it turned out well . . ."

Iceland is a Nordic island country between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Europe and North America.

Image Credit: Wioleta Gorecka 
Wioleta's Website: https://instagram.com/wiola.gorecka
Image details: ikon Z6II, tamron 150-600mm (for the pictures 600mm), tracker SWSA. Sky: 40x 30 sec, iso 1600, f6.3. Foreground: 1/6 sec., f6.3, ISO 1600
Release Date: Oct. 18, 2025 

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #WioletaGorecka #Astrophotographers #Iceland #Ísland #STEM #Education

China Landspace Reusable Zhuque-3 Commercial Rocket Pre-flight Static Fire Test

China Landspace Reusable Zhuque-3 Commercial Rocket Pre-flight Static Fire Test

Preparation for the maiden flight of China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 has entered a critical phase after the completion of joint fueling drills and static ignition tests from October 18 to 20, 2025. The successful tests also laid the groundwork for the rocket's official launch and first-stage recovery later this year.

With a diameter of 4.5 meters and a total length of around 66 meters, the Zhuque-3 rocket can carry up to 18 satellites per launch, making it an ideal choice for launching satellites for large-scale constellation networks.

Equipped with landing legs and grid fins for controlled descent, the rocket is designed to vertically recover its most expensive component—the first stage, accounting for 70 percent of the rocket's total cost.

As its first stage is designed to be reused at least 20 times, the rocket has the potential to reduce launch costs by 80 to 90 percent compared with single-use rockets.

Powered by a parallel cluster of nine liquid oxygen-methane engines, the first-stage can achieve meter-level landing precision, as five of the engines are capable of gimballing.

In addition, these engines produce a combined thrust of more than 7,500 kilonewtons, setting a new record for Chinese commercial liquid-fueled rockets.

Beijing-based LandSpace is a leading Chinese private space company. With its Zhuque-2 rocket, LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket to Earth orbit in July 2023, ahead of U.S. rivals, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The successful Zhuque-3 development marks a significant stride in the pursuit of low-cost, high-frequency, and large-capacity space launches for China's private space industry.

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.

Credit: Landspace
Duration: 29 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #Zhuque3 #ReusableRockets #LaunchVehicles #MethaneLiquidOxygen #Methalox #JSLC  #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Landspace Reusable Zhuque-3 Commercial Rocket Readied for First Flight

China Landspace Reusable Zhuque-3 Commercial Rocket Readied for First Flight

Preparation for the maiden flight of China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 has entered a critical phase after the completion of joint fueling drills and static ignition tests from October 18 to 20, 2025. The successful tests also laid the groundwork for the rocket's official launch and first-stage recovery later this year.

With a diameter of 4.5 meters and a total length of around 66 meters, the Zhuque-3 rocket can carry up to 18 satellites per launch, making it an ideal choice for launching satellites for large-scale constellation networks.

Equipped with landing legs and grid fins for controlled descent, the rocket is designed to vertically recover its most expensive component—the first stage, accounting for 70 percent of the rocket's total cost.

As its first stage is designed to be reused at least 20 times, the rocket has the potential to reduce launch costs by 80 to 90 percent compared with single-use rockets.

Powered by a parallel cluster of nine liquid oxygen-methane engines, the first-stage can achieve meter-level landing precision, as five of the engines are capable of gimballing.

In addition, these engines produce a combined thrust of more than 7,500 kilonewtons, setting a new record for Chinese commercial liquid-fueled rockets.

Beijing-based LandSpace is a leading Chinese private space company. With its Zhuque-2 rocket, LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket to Earth orbit in July 2023, ahead of U.S. rivals, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The successful Zhuque-3 development marks a significant stride in the pursuit of low-cost, high-frequency, and large-capacity space launches for China's private space industry.

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.

Credit: Landspace
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #Zhuque3 #ReusableRockets #LaunchVehicles #MethaneLiquidOxygen #Methalox #JSLC  #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #STEM #Education

China Landspace Reusable Zhuque-3 Commercial Rocket Prepares for First Flight

China Landspace Reusable Zhuque-3 Commercial Rocket Prepares for First Flight

Preparation for the maiden flight of China's reusable rocket Zhuque-3 has entered a critical phase after the completion of joint fueling drills and static ignition tests from October 18 to 20, 2025. The successful tests also laid the groundwork for the rocket's official launch and first-stage recovery later this year.

With a diameter of 4.5 meters and a total length of around 66 meters, the Zhuque-3 rocket can carry up to 18 satellites per launch, making it an ideal choice for launching satellites for large-scale constellation networks.

Equipped with landing legs and grid fins for controlled descent, the rocket is designed to vertically recover its most expensive component—the first stage, accounting for 70 percent of the rocket's total cost.

As its first stage is designed to be reused at least 20 times, the rocket has the potential to reduce launch costs by 80 to 90 percent compared with single-use rockets.

Powered by a parallel cluster of nine liquid oxygen-methane engines, the first-stage can achieve meter-level landing precision, as five of the engines are capable of gimballing.

In addition, these engines produce a combined thrust of more than 7,500 kilonewtons, setting a new record for Chinese commercial liquid-fueled rockets.

Beijing-based LandSpace is a leading Chinese private space company. With its Zhuque-2 rocket, LandSpace became the world's first company to launch a methane-liquid oxygen rocket to Earth orbit in July 2023, ahead of U.S. rivals, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The successful Zhuque-3 development marks a significant stride in the pursuit of low-cost, high-frequency, and large-capacity space launches for China's private space industry.

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese commercial space launch firms, like Landspace.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 38 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #LEO #China #中国 #LandSpace #蓝箭 #Zhuque3Rocket #Zhuque3 #ReusableRockets #LaunchVehicles #MethaneLiquidOxygen #Methalox #JSLC  #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon): View from Italy

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon): View from Italy

Astrophotographer Alessandro Carrozzi: "Visible low on the northwestern horizon just after sunset, Comet Lemmon appears quite bright, easily observable with a simple pair of binoculars. In the image, in addition to the long ion tail, a beautiful dust tail is now also evident. The long exposure results in a slightly limited level of fine detail, but still allows for a clear appreciation of the comet’s overall structure."

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. 

Image Credit: Alessandro Carrozzi
Image Data: Nikon 400mm f/2.8 telephoto lens, ZWO ASI 2600MC Duo camera, ZWO AM5N mount
60 x 60 s at f/4 (total integration time: 1 hour)
Image Date: Oct. 18th 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #AlessandroCarrozzi #Astrophotographers #Italy #Italia #STEM #Education

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Launch: Pakistan's Remote Sensing Satellite

China CAS Space Commercial Rocket Launch: Pakistan's Remote Sensing Satellite

The CAS Space Lijian-1 Y8 rocket, carrying three satellites, blasted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Zone in Northwest China at 11:33am Beijing Time (BJT) on Oct. 19, 2025. Pakistan remote-sensing satellite (PRSS-2), plus AIRSAT 03 & 04 satellites were successfully deployed into their planned orbits. This marks the 9th successful flight of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket.

CAS Space is a Chinese commercial space launch provider based in Guangzhou, capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. CAS Space was founded in 2018 and is majority owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003. JSLC is now a home for many new Chinese launch firms, like CAS Space.

Video Credit: CAS Space

Duration: 1 min.
Release Date: Oct. 19, 2025

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #Pakistan #PRSS2 #EarthObservation #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Lijian1Y8Rocket #Lijian1Y8 #LaunchVehicle #SolidFuelRocket #CommercialSpace #CAS #JSLC #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Commissions World’s First Mid-Infrared Solar Magnetic-Field Telescope

China Commissions World’s First Mid-Infrared Solar Magnetic-Field Telescope

China has officially commissioned the world's first solar magnetic-field telescope operating in the mid-infrared wavelength, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced October 17, 2025.

The telescope fills the gap in the world in mid-infrared solar magnetic field observations, and is expected to provide important support for the monitoring and forecasting of disastrous space weather caused by solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

The telescope, known as the Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun or AIMS, is located in the Lenghu township in northwest China's Qinghai Province, at an average altitude of about 4,000 meters.

Since its development began in 2015, the project has made several key technological breakthroughs. The research team has achieved the direct measurement method of the solar magnetic field through observations in the 12.3-micron mid-infrared wavelength, improving the magnetic field measurement accuracy to exceed the 10 Gauss level, addressing a bottleneck issue in the century-long history of solar magnetic-field measurement.

The telescope adopts an off-axis optical system design, with its infrared spectroscopy and imaging terminals, including core components such as detector chips and vacuum cooling systems, all developed domestically, further enhancing China's independent innovation capability in astronomical instruments.

"The same magnetic field intensity has a stronger response in the mid-infrared waveband. Therefore, we can take advantage of this characteristic to enhance the precision of magnetic field measurements," said Deng Yuanyong, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories, in an interview with China Central Television.

During the debugging and trial period after the AIMS telescope was completed in 2023, researchers achieved routine observations of solar spectra and imaging in the mid-infrared wavelength, obtaining data on multiple solar flares in the wavelength. The results provide crucial data support for studying the mechanisms of material and energy transfer and investigating the accumulation and release of magnetic energy during intense solar eruptions.

"The magnetic field is extremely important for us to understand many key scientific issues in solar physics. Flares and coronal mass ejections are both disastrous space weather conditions dominated by magnetic field interactions, which have an impact on national economy and high-tech technologies on Earth. Therefore, this telescope can promote the monitoring and forecasting of disastrous space weather," said Deng.

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 19, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Astronomy #Stars #Sun #SolarSystem #SpaceWeather #Earth #SolarMagneticFieldTelescope #InfraredAstronomy #Heliophysics #Lenghu #冷湖 #Qinghai #青海 #China #中国 #NAOC #CAS #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Journey to AG Carinae: A Luminous Blue Variable Star | STScI

Journey to AG Carinae: A Luminous Blue Variable Star | STScI

This visualization starts with a wide-field view of the Carina constellation and zooms down to the Hubble Space Telescope view of the massive star, AG Carinae. One of the brightest stars in our galaxy, AG Carinae undergoes eruptions that have ejected a small nebula of gas and dust.

The sequence then transitions from the 2D Hubble image to a 3D model that shows the structure of the surrounding nebula. The 3D model is based on Hubble images and spectroscopic data of the nebula's motion. The emission from ionized gas glows red, while the dust reflects the light of the star and appears bluish-white.

AG Carinae (AG Car) is a star in the constellation of Carina. It is classified as a luminous blue variable (LBV). The great distance (20,000 light-years) and intervening dust mean that the star is not usually visible to the naked eye; its apparent brightness varies erratically between magnitude 5.7 and 9.0.

Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Visualization: NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak, Frank Summers, Alyssa Pagan, Joseph DePasquale and Greg Bacon (STScI)

Duration: 1 minute, 26 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 19, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Hubble #Stars #AGCarinae #AGCar #Carina #Constellations #Astrophysics #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #SpaceTelescopes #FrankSummers #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #Visualizations #3D #HD #Video

Aurora & Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over Scotland

Aurora & Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over Scotland

Astrophotographer Alan C. Tough: "Earlier this evening, I set up a star tracker with a DSLR and 150mm lens in my back garden in order to photograph Comet Lemmon. When I saw the huge auroral arc, I left the tracker to its own devices and went into the field next to the house with another DSLR and 14 mm lens to capture the erupting aurora."

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. 

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. To the south-east Scotland has its only land border that is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and south, the North Sea to the north-east and east, and the Irish Sea to the west.

Image Credit: Alan C. Tough 
Alan's website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7776810@N07/
Capture Location: Elgin, Moray, Scotland, UK
Image Date: Oct. 18, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #CometC2025A6Lemmon #Coma #CometaryTails #SolarSystem #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #AlanCTough #OurNighSkyUS #Astrophotographers #Scotland #UK #STEM #Education