Shenzhou-22 Replacement Crew Spacecraft Liftoff | China Space Station

Shenzhou-22 Replacement Crew Spacecraft Liftoff | China Space Station

Shenzhou-22 Mission Emblem

Liftoff! At 04:11:45.459 UTC on November 25, 2025, the Long March 2F Y22 rocket launched the replacement Shenzhou-22 crew spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in northwestern China. This marks a historic first—the spacecraft is launching uncrewed to meet astronauts in orbit at the start of their long duration mission. In place of a crew, Shenzhou-22 is carrying essential resupplies to the China space station. China was able to replace another crewed spacecraft in just sixteen days.

Tiny cracks were found in the viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft's return capsule, most probably caused by an external impact from space debris, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). This required its rapid replacement for the crew's safety.

Shenzhou-22 Mission Emblem Design

🔹 The Great Wall base=unwavering commitment to astronaut safety

🔹 Arrow + Long March 2F rocket & Shenzhou spacecraft = “ready to launch, mission assured”

🔹 22 arrows 

 Blue & Red & Orange = rapid emergency response

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞)  Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Credit: CMSA
Date: Nov. 25, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Earth #Shenzhou22 #神舟二十二号 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #神舟二十号 #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-22 Replacement Crew Spacecraft: Arrival & Docking | China Space Station

Shenzhou-22 Replacement Crew Spacecraft: Arrival & Docking | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-22 crew spacecraft successfully docked with the China Space Station on November 25, merely more than three hours of space flight following the liftoff, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The spacecraft, atop the Long March-2F Y22 carrier rocket, blasted off at 12:11 Beijing Time (0411 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

About ten minutes after the launch, the spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The CMSA declared the launch mission a complete success.

At 15:50 Beijing time (0750 GMT), the spacecraft successfully docked with the front port of the Tiangong space station's Tianhe core module.

The spacecraft, flying without a crew aboard, carried a cargo of space food, medical supplies, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as devices for treating the cracked window on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.

It will later serve as the return vessel for the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts currently in orbit.

Tuesday's launch followed the postponed return of the Shenzhou-20 crew aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on Nov. 14. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was struck by space debris, delaying its return originally scheduled to take place on Nov 5, according to CMSA.

The Shenzhou-21 crew members are in good condition, and are fulfilling their tasks as planed, the CMSA said, adding that the damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft will remain in orbit to continue relevant experiments.

Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's crewed space program, explained the significance of the launch, which is the first emergency launch mission under the program.

"The success of this mission fully demonstrated the strengths of China's new system for mobilizing resources nationwide, comprehensively interpreted the principle of prioritizing life and safety above anything else in China's crewed space program, comprehensively verified the scientific, reliable and safe nature of the 'one launch, one standby, rolling backup' strategy for China's space station missions, rigorously tested all personnel's rapid response and emergency handling capabilities in real-world scenarios, and vividly exemplified the spirit of the crewed space program—one characterized by exceptional capabilities to overcome hardships, work with a fighting morale, solve technical bottlenecks, and remain dedicated," Zhou said.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds
Release Date: Nov 25, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Earth #Shenzhou22 #神舟二十二号 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #神舟二十号 #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-22 Replacement Crew Spacecraft Launch | China Space Station

Shenzhou-22 Replacement Crew Spacecraft Launch | China Space Station

Liftoff! At 04:11:45.459 UTC on November 25, 2025, the Long March 2F Y22 rocket launched the replacement Shenzhou-22 crew spacecraft from Jiuquan. This marks a historic first—the spacecraft is launching uncrewed to meet astronauts already waiting in orbit. In place of a crew, Shenzhou-22 is carrying essential resupplies to the China space station. China was able to replace another crewed spacecraft in just sixteen days.

Tiny cracks were found in the viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft's return capsule, most probably caused by an external impact from space debris, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). This required its rapid replacement for the crew's safety.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞)  Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CMSA
Duration: 3 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 25, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Earth #Shenzhou22 #神舟二十二号 #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #神舟二十号 #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 5 | International Space Station

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 5 | International Space Station

The Soyuz rocket was raised vertical, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at site 31 launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

This is the International Space Station Expedition 74 mission emblem.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) is set for launch aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 27, 2025, for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74. Primary crew members are Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), Sergey Mikayev (Russia) and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams (United States) on his first flight. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 27, 2025, 09:27 UTC. On the same day at 12:38 it will dock to the ISS.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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.

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 Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Image Date: Nov. 24, 2025

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

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 4 | International Space Station

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 4 | International Space Station

An emblem recognizing 25 years since Expedition 1, is seen on the Soyuz rocket as the rocket is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Technicians work on the Soyuz rocket after it was rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket is prepared to be raised vertical, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at site 31 launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket is raised vertical, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at site 31 launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket is raised vertical, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at site 31 launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) is set for launch aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 27, 2025, for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74. Primary crew members are Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), Sergey Mikayev (Russia) and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams (United States) on his first flight. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 27, 2025, 09:27 UTC. On the same day at 12:38 it will dock to the ISS.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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.

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 Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Image Date: Nov. 24, 2025

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

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 3 | International Space Station

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 3 | International Space Station

Expedition 74 backup crew members: Anil Menon of NASA, left, Petr Dubrov (Russia), and Anna Kikina of Roscosmos (Russia), right, pose for a photograph as the Soyuz rocket is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 74 backup crew members: Anna Kikina of Roscosmos (Russia), left, and Anil Menon of NASA, are seen as the Soyuz rocket is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 

A flag attached to the train rolling out the Soyuz rocket to the launch pad is seen, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) is set for launch aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 27, 2025, for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74. Primary crew members are Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), Sergey Mikayev (Russia) and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams (United States) on his first flight. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 27, 2025, 09:27 UTC. On the same day at 12:38 it will dock to the ISS.

NASA astronaut Anil Menon Biography
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-anil-menon/

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.

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 Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Image Date: Nov. 24, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #SoyuzMS28Crew #SoyuzCrewSpacecraft #Astronauts #AnilMenon #Cosmonauts #AnnaKikina #PetrDubrov #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #JSC #UnitedStates #BaikonurCosmodrome #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 2 | International Space Station

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 2 | International Space Station

The Russian Soyuz rocket 2.1a is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

A train is ready to help roll the Soyuz rocket out to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket is prepared to be raised vertical, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at site 31 launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz rocket is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) is set for launch aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 27, 2025, for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74. Crew members are Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), Sergey Mikayev (Russia) and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams (United States) on his first flight. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 27, 2025, 09:27 UTC. On the same day at 12:38 it will dock to the ISS.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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.

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 Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Image Date: Nov. 24, 2025

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

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 1 | International Space Station

Russian Soyuz MS-28 Crew Spacecraft Preflight: Part 1 | International Space Station

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 crew vehicle shown being integrated with its (very colorful) Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket.

The Soyuz rocket is rolled out by train to the launch pad, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

A mosaic sign welcomes visitors outside the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) is set for launch aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 27, 2025, for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74. Crew members are Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia), Sergey Mikayev (Russia) and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams (United States) on his first flight. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than November 27, 2025, 09:27 UTC. On the same day at 12:38 it will dock to the ISS.

NASA astronaut Christopher Williams Biography
https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-christopher-l-williams/

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.

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 Credits Roscosmos/NASA/Bill Ingalls
Image Dates: Nov. 23-24, 2025

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

Baby Stars 'Blowing Gas Bubbles' in Nearby Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | Hubble

Baby Stars 'Blowing Gas Bubbles' in Nearby Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy | Hubble

This Hubble picture brings a distant stellar birthplace into focus. This gigantic cloud of cold hydrogen gas is called N159, and it is located about 160,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. N159 is one of the most massive star-forming clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that is the largest of the small galaxies that orbit the Milky Way.

This image shows just a portion of the N159 star-forming complex. The entire complex stretches over 150 light-years across. To put that into perspective, 150 light-years is nearly ten million times the distance between Earth and the Sun!

In the subzero interior of this gas cloud, subjected to the crushing pressure of gravity, young stars begin to gleam in the darkness. Particularly hot and high-mass stars illuminate their birthplaces with red light. This red glow is characteristic of excited hydrogen atoms, to which Hubble is exquisitely sensitive.

Though bright stars in the cloud appear to be blanketed with reddish gas, others seem to lie at the center of a reddish bubble, through which the dark backdrop of space is visible. These bubbles are evidence of stellar feedback, where young stars fill their habitats with high-energy radiation and blow bubbles with their intense stellar winds.

Image Description: A field filled with stars and covered by clouds of gas and dust. The center and left side are totally blanketed with billowing, bright red clouds. They are opaque some places—showing clusters of stars forming within—and transparent others. Small patches are dark black in color, while a large cloud below the center is mostly pale blue. The right side of the view, mostly gas-free, glitters with stars near and far.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, R. Indebetouw
Release Date: Nov. 24, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #LMCN159 #StellarNursery #LargeMagellanicCloud #LMC #DwarfGalaxy #Dorado #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Aurora Borealis: View from Snowy Northern Norway

Aurora Borealis: View from Snowy Northern Norway

Photographer Eva Kristiansen: "In the biting cold, with 13 degrees below zero and a sky clear as crystal, a gentle aurora began to glow quietly. Suddenly it burst into a celestial firework, its colors shooting across the winter landscape like living flames. The cold hung heavy and sharp over everything, yet aurora painted the night with a light so powerful it transformed the silence into pure magic."

Auroras are produced when the Earth's magnetosphere is sufficiently disturbed by the solar wind that the trajectories of charged particles in solar wind and magnetospheric plasma, mainly in the form of electrons and protons, precipitate them into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere) due to Earth's magnetic field, where their energy is lost. The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emits light of varying color and complexity. [Wikipedia]

Earth auroras have different names depending on the pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.

Solid Colored Aurora

Green is common at the upper latitudes, while red is rare. On the other hand, aurora viewed from lower latitudes tend to be red.

Element Emission Colors

Oxygen: The big player in the aurora is oxygen. Oxygen is responsible for the vivid green (wavelength of 557.7 nm) and also for a deep brownish-red (wavelength of 630.0 nm). Pure green and greenish-yellow aurorae result from the excitation of oxygen.

Nitrogen: Nitrogen emits blue (multiple wavelengths) and red light.

Other Gases: Other gases in the atmosphere become excited and emit light, although the wavelengths may be outside of the range of human vision or else too faint to see. Hydrogen and helium, for example, emit blue and purple. Although our eyes cannot see all of these colors, photographic film and digital cameras often record a broader range of hues.

Aurora Colors According to Altitude

Above 150 miles: red, oxygen

Up to 150 miles: green, oxygen

Above 60 miles: purple or violet, nitrogen

Up to 60 miles: blue, nitrogen

The Colors of the Aurora (National Park Service)

https://www.nps.gov/articles/-articles-aps-v8-i1-c9.htm

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast.

Image Credit: Eva Kristiansen
Capture Location: Tromsø, Norway
Eva's website: https://www.instagram.com/xevitak/

Image Date: Nov. 23, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Photography #Photographer #EvaKristiansen #Tromsø #Norway #Norge #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Earth Lightning Storms: 'Silent' Orbital View | International Space Station

Earth Lightning Storms: 'Silent' Orbital View | International Space Station

Expedition 73 Flight Engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Astronaut Kimiya Yui: "After work, I tried filming lightning videos, but since I couldn't accurately predict when and where it would occur, it was quite difficult lol."

"Next time, I'll practice a bit more and introduce it once I've gotten better."

"Even when lightning flashes, we can't hear its sound, which is a big difference from the ground."

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: 15 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 21, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Atmosphere #Weather #LightningStorms #AstronautVideography #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition73 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3455 in Leo | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy NGC 3455 in Leo | Hubble

Shown here is a spiral galaxy known as NGC 3455. It lies around 65 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Leo (The Lion).

Galaxies are classified into types according to their structure and appearance. This classification system is known as the Hubble Sequence, named after its creator Edwin Hubble.

In this sequence, NGC 3455 is known as a type SB galaxy—a barred spiral. Barred spiral galaxies account for approximately two thirds of all spirals. Galaxies of this type appear to have a bar of stars slicing through the bulge of stars at their center. The SB classification is further sub-divided by the appearance of a galaxy's pinwheeling spiral arms; SBa types have more tightly wound arms, whereas SBc types have looser ones. SBb types, such as NGC 3455, lie in between.

NGC 3455 is part of a pair of galaxies —its partner, NGC 3454, lies out of frame. This cosmic duo belong to a group known as the NGC 3370 group that is in turn one of the Leo II groups, a large collection of galaxies scattered some 30 million light-years to the right of the Virgo cluster.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgement: Nick Rose
Release Date: April 14, 2014

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC3455 #SpiralGalaxies #SBGalaxies #NGC3370Group #Leo #Constellations #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over Lomnický Peak in Slovakia

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over Lomnický Peak in Slovakia

Comet Lemmon has been putting on a show for cameras around the globe. This photogenic comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) sprouted two long and picturesque tails: a blue ion tail and a white dust tail. The ion tail is pushed away from the coma by the ever-present but ever-changing solar wind, at one point extending over 20 times the diameter of the full Moon—as captured in this long-duration exposure. The shorter and wider dust tail is pushed away from the coma and shines by reflecting sunlight.

This mid-October picture framed the comet behind Lomnický Peak of the High Tatra Mountains, home to the Slovakian Lomnický Stit Observatory. Comet Lemmon is now fading as it heads away from planet Earth. Comet Lemmon was discovered early this year. This huge shedding snowball rounded the Sun on November 8, 2025. Comet Lemmon passed nearest to the Earth—about half the Earth-Sun distance—on October 21.

Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.

Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Barsa
Robert's website: https://www.instagram.com/rob.barsa/
Release Date: Nov. 4, 2025

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Celestial 'Snow Angel': Star-forming Region Sharpless 2-106 in Cygnus | STScI

Celestial 'Snow Angel': Star-forming Region Sharpless 2-106 in Cygnus | STScI

The star-forming region Sharpless 2-106 (S106) has a bi-polar shape that has been described as a "celestial snow angel". The "wings" of the nebula are actually bubbles of hot gas created by stellar winds and high energy radiation coming from a massive, hot, newborn star in the center. A ring of dense gas and dust encircles that star and forces the outflows into two oppositely directed lobes. The blue light in the S106 image represents hotter gas along the interior of the lobes, while the red light comes from cooler gas along the exterior.

This video presents a scientific visualization of S106 in which the Hubble image has been augmented with additional field-of-view from the Subaru Infrared Telescope. A couple research articles in science journals described the basic hourglass-like shape of the nebula. Based on those papers, and augmented by intuition and artistic license as needed, the stars and the lobes of glowing gas from the Hubble/Subaru two-dimensional image have been separated and sculpted to create the depth in the movie. This three-dimensional view illustrates and emphasizes that many of the objects contained within astronomical images are not at the same distance, but, in fact, spread across many light-years of space. Note, however, that the relative distances between stars and the nebula have been compressed.

Sh 2-106 is an emission nebula and a star formation region in the constellation Cygnus. It is a H II region estimated to be around 2,000 light years (600 parsecs) from Earth, in an isolated area of the Milky Way.

In the center of the nebula is a young and massive star that emits jets of hot gas from its poles, forming the bipolar structure. Dust that surrounds the star is also ionized by it. The nebula spans about 2 light-years across.

Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Nov. 12, 2025

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