Aurora over Scotland

Aurora over Scotland

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field that acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth where charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

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 Tough

Location: Bishopmill, Scotland, UK

Image Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 14mm

Release Date:  Jan. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #Bishopmill #Scotland #UnitedKingdom #UK #STEM #Education

Cosmonaut Photos: U.S. State of Hawaii, Pacific Ocean | International Space Station

Cosmonaut Photos: U.S. State of Hawaii, Pacific Ocean | International Space Station

These images were shared by Expedition 74 Station Commander and Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Russia aboard the International Space Station.

Hawaii is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only state not on the North American mainland, the only state that is an archipelago, the only state in the tropics, one of only two states, along with Florida, with regions that have a tropical climate, and one of the two U.S. states, along with Texas, that were internationally recognized sovereign countries before becoming U.S. states.

Hawaii consists of 137 volcanic islands that make up almost the entire Hawaiian archipelago (the exception is Midway Atoll). Spanning 1,500 miles (2,400 km), the state is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. Hawaii's ocean coastline is consequently the fourth-longest in the U.S., at about 750 miles (1,210 km). The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, after which the state is named; the last is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaiʻi Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

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: Roscosmos/S. Kud Sverchkov
Date: Jan. 18, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Hawaii #Islands #Volcanoes #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Artemis III Moon Landing Rocket: Core Stage Major Join Complete

NASA Artemis III Moon Landing Rocket: Core Stage Major Join Complete

Teams with Boeing—NASA’s Prime Contractor for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket—mate the forward and aft ends of the core stage for the agency’s Artemis III mission at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on January 8, 2026. 

This operation secures four of the five major components of the core stage in place: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, and the liquid hydrogen tanks. The final component—the engine section—was structurally completed in 2022 and shipped to Kennedy Space Center for final assembly and integration. Now joined, teams will continue integrating critical systems and perform various checks and tests to ensure the hardware is ready for shipment to Kennedy later this year.

The propellant tank is one of five major elements that make up the 212-foot-tall rocket stage. The core stage, along with its four RS-25 engines, produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit and to the lunar surface for Artemis.

Over the course of about 30 days, the Artemis III astronauts will travel to lunar orbit, where two crew members will descend to the surface and spend approximately a week near the South Pole of the Moon conducting new science before returning to lunar orbit to join their crew for the journey back to Earth. Launch is currently scheduled for mid-2027.

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)
https://www.nasa.gov/sls

NASA's Artemis III Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Read the Artemis Plan (74-page PDF Free Download): 
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/artemis_plan-20200921.pdf

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF)
https://www.nasa.gov/michoud-assembly-facility/

Image Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Date: Jan. 8, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisIII #SLS #SLSRocket #CoreStage #Boeing #CrewedMissions #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #MSFC #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

'Ultra' Green Earth Aurora Borealis & Orange Airglow | International Space Station

'Ultra' Green Earth Aurora Borealis & Orange Airglow | International Space Station

Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Kud-Sverchkov of Russia has shared views of the northern lights over Scandinavia and Russia.

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.

Auroras are caused by solar storms emitting high-speed charged particles colliding with Earth's atmosphere, creating vibrant light displays.

You will notice orange airglow in this video. Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation. 

Unlike episodic and fleeting auroras, airglow shines constantly throughout Earth’s atmosphere, and the result is a tenuous bubble of light that closely encases our entire planet. (Auroras, on the other hand, are usually constrained to Earth’s poles.) Just a tenth as bright as all the stars in the night sky, airglow is far more subdued than auroras, too dim to observe easily except in orbit or on the ground with clear, dark skies and a sensitive camera.

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

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.

Video Credit: Sergei Kud-Sverchkov/TASS

Duration: 46 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #Airglow #Scandinavia #SolarSystem #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautVideography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Day of Remembrance 2026

NASA's Day of Remembrance 2026

Guests gather to commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The annual event honors the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other astronauts who lost their lives in the pursuit of spaceflight. Marking the 40th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, NASA Kennedy and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, which was founded after the shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 to honor the sacrifices of fallen astronauts, hosted this year’s ceremony.

Astronauts Memorial Foundation president and CEO Thad Altman (center) stands as the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard presents colors during NASA’s Day of Remembrance ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored by Kennedy employees and guests at the annual memorial event. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy.

Alison Smith Balch, daughter of NASA astronaut Michael J. Smith, pilot of Challenger STS 51-L, speaks during NASA’s Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The annual event commemorates the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. Marking the 40th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, NASA Kennedy and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, founded after the shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 to honor the sacrifices of fallen astronauts, hosted this year’s ceremony.

Former Kennedy Space Center director, Bob Cabana, speaks to Jane Smith-Wolcott, widow of Challenger pilot Michael Smith during NASA’s Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. The annual event commemorates the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. Marking the 40th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, NASA Kennedy and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, founded after the shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 to honor the sacrifices of fallen astronauts, hosted this year’s ceremony.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women that lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

NASA leadership and guests are seen during a moment of silence led by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women that lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, right, greets former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, following a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women that lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, left, speaks with, second from left to right, former NASA Administrators Bill Nelson, Charles Bolden, and Sean O'Keefe following a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women that lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

 

On our Day of Remembrance, we pause to honor all members of the NASA family that have perished in the pursuit of exploration, including the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. On Jan. 22, 2026, we pause to honor their memory and reflect on the importance of maintaining a strong safety culture. Here are images from ceremonies at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida and at Arlington National Cemetery.

Visit our Day of Remembrance tribute page: 
https://nasa.gov/dor

Image Credits: NASA/Keegan Barber/Kim Shiflett
Date: Jan. 22, 2026

#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #Astronomy #Science #NASARemembers #Astronauts #Apollo1 #SpaceShuttleChallenger #STS51L #SpaceShuttleColumbia #STS107 #Scientists #Engineers #Technicians #Heroes #Leaders #SafetyCulture #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #America #UnitedStates #History #NASAKennedy #Florida #ArlingtonNationalCemetery #Virginia #STEM #Education

The Journey of NS-38 | Blue Origin

The Journey of NS-38 | Blue Origin

From training to touchdown. This is the story of NS-38. On January 22, 2026, Blue Origin successfully launched the 38th flight of the New Shepard program.

Blue Origin: "Space is for everyone."

Every New Shepard mission helps us build a more accessible future in space.

Learn about the NS-38 Crew:
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-38-mission

Fly to space: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard/fly

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: Jan. 23, 2026

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewShepard #NewShepardRocket #NewShepardCrewCapsule #NS38Mission #NS38Crew #CommercialAstronauts #CommercialSpace #LaunchSiteOne #Texas #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #JeffBezos #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Green & Red Auroral 'Ribbons' over Europe | International Space Station

Green & Red Auroral 'Ribbons' over Europe | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Flight Engineer and NASA Astronaut Chris Williams aboard the International Space Station shared this photo. Green and red aurorae stream across Earth’s horizon above the city lights of Europe in this photograph, looking north across Italy toward Germany. The International Space Station was orbiting 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea at approximately 10:02 p.m. local time when the image was captured. 

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

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.

Credit: NASA/Chris Williams
Release Date: Jan. 19, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Europe #Italy #Italia #MediterraneanSea #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #Astronauts #ChrisWilliams #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Roman & Webb Space Telescopes: Surveying the Universe | NASA Goddard

Roman & Webb Space Telescopes: Surveying the Universe | NASA Goddard

The James Webb and Nancy Grace Roman space telescopes are NASA’s latest flagship astrophysics observatories. One is in space already and the other will join it there soon. These two telescopes have their own objectives and together will advance our understanding of the universe. This video series compares Roman and Webb.

The Webb and Roman telescopes will help us answer questions about the fundamental nature of the universe. Webb’s deep gaze will see the earliest galaxies and help astronomers learn more about the young cosmos. It will let researchers study individual galaxies in great detail.

Roman’s unique combination of incredible detail and broad coverage allows it to survey large swaths of the sky, revealing millions of never-before-seen galaxies. Astronomers will study them as populations and to see the hidden large-scale structure of the universe, revealing new insight into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter.

More details: https://science.nasa.gov/roman-and-webb

Learn more about Roman and the discoveries it will enable: https://www.stsci.edu/roman

Learn about Dr. Nancy Grace Roman: 
https://science.nasa.gov/people/nancy-roman/

Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Jan. 23, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASARoman #RomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRoman #NASAWebb #WebbTelescope #JWST #SpaceTelescopes #Exoplanets #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Cosmonaut Photos: Cape Verde, Atlantic Ocean | International Space Station

Cosmonaut Photos: Cape Verde, Atlantic Ocean | International Space Station

These images were shared by Expedition 74 Station Commander and Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Russia aboard the International Space Station.

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state in the central Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa. It consists of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometers (1,557 sq mi). These islands lie between 600 and 850 kilometers (370 and 530 miles) west of Cap-Vert, the westernmost point of continental Africa it is named for.

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

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: Roscosmos/S. Kud Sverchkov
Date: Jan. 17, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #AtlanticOcean #WestAfrica #CapeVerde #CaboVerde #Volcanoes #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

China Long March-12 Rocket Launches New Internet Satellite Group in Hainan

🚀 Long March 12 Y5 🛰️ SatNet LEO Group 19

China launched a Long March-12 carrier rocket on Monday, January 19, 2026, in the southern island province of Hainan, sending a group of Internet satellites into space. The rocket lifted off at 15:48 from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. The payloads, the 19th group of low-orbit Internet satellites carrying multiple core technologies, entered into preset orbit successfully.

The satellite group launched on Monday was developed by GalaxySpace. This commercial firm is based in Beijing and is one of several Chinese aerospace firms to contribute to the construction of Starlink-style satellite networks over recent years. It was the second time the company has undertaken such space infrastructure development.

Learn more about GalaxySpace:
https://www.yinhehangtian.cn/en

"We have achieved a fully digitalized workflow for the first time. By targeting the specific needs of mass production, we have gone through automated testing, intelligent assembly and inspection, and optimized launch site processes, which significantly improved overall efficiency," said Cheng Ming, head of the GalaxySpace's smart satellite factory.

The Long March-12 rocket used in this mission is China's first 4-meter single-core launch vehicle. It has a payload capacity of no less than 12 tons to low-Earth orbit and no less than 6 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The rocket can support both single and multiple satellite launches to a range of orbits.

Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co., Ltd., or HICAL, is a Chinese state-owned company that operates the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, China's first commercial spaceport. Established in 2022, HICAL is the first commercially incorporated company in China to independently own and manage a spaceport.

Video Credit: China Spaceflight
Duration: 17 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Satellites #GalaxySpace #InternetSatellites #InternetServices #RocketLaunch #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #LongMarch12Rocket #CommercialSpace #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #HICAL #WCSLS #文昌商业航天发射场 #Spaceports #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Bright Solar Storm Aurora: Cosmonaut Kud-Sverchkov | International Space Station

Bright Solar Storm Aurora: Cosmonaut Kud-Sverchkov | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Station Commander and Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov: "Yesterday's aurora borealis was so intense that, along with the usually barely visible green light, a red glow also appeared. Oxygen atoms glow green at altitudes of about 100 km, and red at 300-400 km. Higher, more rarefied layers of the atmosphere require more energy to excite the aurora, so red is usually rare. Yesterday, with the most powerful storm in two decades, there was plenty of red light. It felt like we were literally floating within this light. Although, of course, we only just covered a fraction of the latitudes where the auroral oval is located. The aurora was visible from the station even after we had already flown over the Middle East!"

Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov captured these historic views of aurora over Earth from the International Space Station. These were recorded during one of the most powerful solar storms in over 20 years, according to the United States National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center.

The last solar radiation storm of comparable severity was recorded in October 2003. Auroras are caused by solar storms emitting high-speed charged particles colliding with Earth's atmosphere, creating vibrant light displays.

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

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.

Video Credit: Roscosmos/S. Kud Sverchkov
Duration: 20 seconds

Date: Jan. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #GeomagneticStorms #SolarSystem #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautVideography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Shepard Human Spaceflight Mission NS-38: Apogee | Blue Origin

New Shepard Human Spaceflight Mission NS-38: Apogee | Blue Origin

"Six different stories. One unforgettable journey to space."

Today, Blue Origin successfully completed the 38th flight for the New Shepard program and first of 2026. The crew included: Tim Drexler, Dr. Linda Edwards, Alain Fernandez, Alberto Gutiérrez, Jim Hendren, and Dr. Laura Stiles. New Shepard has now flown 98 humans (92 individuals) into space. 

Learn about the NS-38 Crew:
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-38-mission

Fly to space: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard/fly

Apogee: This is the most distant point (ap-) on an elliptical orbit around Earth (-gee). The word is derived from the Greek "apogaion" meaning "away from the Earth". Earth in Greek is "gaia/ge".

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 35 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2026

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewShepard #NewShepardRocket #NewShepardCrewCapsule #NS38Mission #NS38Crew #CommercialAstronauts #CommercialSpace #LaunchSiteOne #Texas #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #JeffBezos #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy Cluster MACS J1149 in Leo: Over 300 Galaxies | James Webb Space Telescope

Galaxy Cluster MACS J1149 in Leo: Over 300 Galaxies | James Webb Space Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture brings us a scene from the distant Universe. Pictured here is the galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, or MACS J1149 for short. It is located about 5 billion light-years away in the constellation Leo.

Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe that are held together by gravity. Astronomers have confirmed more than 300 galaxies belonging to the MACS J1149 cluster, and they have identified several hundred more possible members. At the cluster’s center, a huddle of ghostly elliptical galaxies rules over the cluster with their immense gravity.

The crushing gravity of this cluster does more than just hold all the galaxies together as they drift through space. As light from galaxies located behind the cluster makes its way toward our telescope, journeying for billions of years, its path through spacetime is bent by the mass of the intervening galaxies.

This phenomenon is called gravitational lensing, and the result is evident in this image of MACS J1149; scattered across the image are subtle and not-so-subtle examples of gravitational lensing, from galaxies that appear to have been stretched into narrow streaks of light to galaxy images that have morphed into strange shapes.

A fantastic example of gravitational lensing can be seen near the center of the image, just below the brilliant white galaxies at the heart of the cluster. There, the image of a galaxy with distinct spiral arms has been stretched into something resembling a pink jellyfish. This tangled-looking galaxy is home to what was once the most distant single star ever discovered as well as a supernova whose image appeared four times at once.

MACS J1149 has long received the celebrity treatment from leading telescopes, and for good reason. This cluster was one of six investigated through the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields programme. The Frontier Fields galaxy clusters were selected for the strength of their gravitational lensing, and their ability to warp spacetime has granted researchers a glimpse into the early Universe.

Now, Webb is pushing our knowledge horizon to even earlier times, enabling new discoveries like a feasting supermassive black hole less than 600 million years after the Big Bang. Using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), and Near-InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), researchers are revealing never-before-seen details of the lives of early galaxies.

The Webb data used to create this image were collected as part of the CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) programme #1208 (PI: C. J. Willott). This programme uses Webb’s sensitive instruments to unveil the evolution of low-mass galaxies in the early Universe, revealing their star formation, dust and chemistry. These data will also help researchers study the epoch of reionization, when the first stars and galaxies lit up the Universe, map the distribution of mass within galaxy clusters, and understand how star formation can slow to a trickle in a cluster environment. 

Image Description: A Webb image of many glowing galaxies in deep space, in various shapes and colors, on a black background. There are large, blue spiral galaxies, large and pale white elliptical galaxies, and many orange and red, medium-sized galaxies. Even smaller galaxies, down to tiny faint spots, appear in all these colors.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, C. Willott (National Research Council Canada), R. Tripodi (INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Rome)

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GravitationalLensing #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #MACSJ1149 #Astrophysics #CANUCSProgramme #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: Galaxy Cluster MACS J1149 in Leo | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up: Galaxy Cluster MACS J1149 in Leo | James Webb Space Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture brings us a scene from the distant Universe. Pictured here is the galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, or MACS J1149 for short. It is located about 5 billion light-years away in the constellation Leo.

Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe that are held together by gravity. Astronomers have confirmed more than 300 galaxies belonging to the MACS J1149 cluster, and they have identified several hundred more possible members. At the cluster’s center, a huddle of ghostly elliptical galaxies rules over the cluster with their immense gravity.

The crushing gravity of this cluster does more than just hold all the galaxies together as they drift through space. As light from galaxies located behind the cluster makes its way toward our telescope, journeying for billions of years, its path through spacetime is bent by the mass of the intervening galaxies.

This phenomenon is called gravitational lensing, and the result is evident in this image of MACS J1149; scattered across the image are subtle and not-so-subtle examples of gravitational lensing, from galaxies that appear to have been stretched into narrow streaks of light to galaxy images that have morphed into strange shapes.

A fantastic example of gravitational lensing can be seen near the center of the image, just below the brilliant white galaxies at the heart of the cluster. There, the image of a galaxy with distinct spiral arms has been stretched into something resembling a pink jellyfish. This tangled-looking galaxy is home to what was once the most distant single star ever discovered as well as a supernova whose image appeared four times at once.

MACS J1149 has long received the celebrity treatment from leading telescopes, and for good reason. This cluster was one of six investigated through the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields programme. The Frontier Fields galaxy clusters were selected for the strength of their gravitational lensing, and their ability to warp spacetime has granted researchers a glimpse into the early Universe.

Now, Webb is pushing our knowledge horizon to even earlier times, enabling new discoveries like a feasting supermassive black hole less than 600 million years after the Big Bang. Using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), and Near-InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), researchers are revealing never-before-seen details of the lives of early galaxies.

The Webb data used to create this image were collected as part of the CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) programme #1208 (PI: C. J. Willott). This programme uses Webb’s sensitive instruments to unveil the evolution of low-mass galaxies in the early Universe, revealing their star formation, dust and chemistry. These data will also help researchers study the epoch of reionization, when the first stars and galaxies lit up the Universe, map the distribution of mass within galaxy clusters, and understand how star formation can slow to a trickle in a cluster environment. 

Image Description: A Webb image of many glowing galaxies in deep space, in various shapes and colors, on a black background. There are large, blue spiral galaxies, large and pale white elliptical galaxies, and many orange and red, medium-sized galaxies. Even smaller galaxies, down to tiny faint spots, appear in all these colors.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, C. Willott (National Research Council Canada), R. Tripodi (INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Rome)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GravitationalLensing #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #MACSJ1149 #Astrophysics #CANUCSProgramme #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxy Cluster MACS J1149 in Leo: 5 billion light years away | Webb Telescope

Galaxy Cluster MACS J1149 in Leo: 5 billion light years away | Webb Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture brings us a scene from the distant Universe. Pictured here is the galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, or MACS J1149 for short. It is located about 5 billion light-years away in the constellation Leo.

Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the Universe that are held together by gravity. Astronomers have confirmed more than 300 galaxies belonging to the MACS J1149 cluster, and they have identified several hundred more possible members. At the cluster’s center, a huddle of ghostly elliptical galaxies rules over the cluster with their immense gravity.

The crushing gravity of this cluster does more than just hold all the galaxies together as they drift through space. As light from galaxies located behind the cluster makes its way toward our telescope, journeying for billions of years, its path through spacetime is bent by the mass of the intervening galaxies.

This phenomenon is called gravitational lensing, and the result is evident in this image of MACS J1149; scattered across the image are subtle and not-so-subtle examples of gravitational lensing, from galaxies that appear to have been stretched into narrow streaks of light to galaxy images that have morphed into strange shapes.

A fantastic example of gravitational lensing can be seen near the center of the image, just below the brilliant white galaxies at the heart of the cluster. There, the image of a galaxy with distinct spiral arms has been stretched into something resembling a pink jellyfish. This tangled-looking galaxy is home to what was once the most distant single star ever discovered as well as a supernova whose image appeared four times at once.

MACS J1149 has long received the celebrity treatment from leading telescopes, and for good reason. This cluster was one of six investigated through the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields programme. The Frontier Fields galaxy clusters were selected for the strength of their gravitational lensing, and their ability to warp spacetime has granted researchers a glimpse into the early Universe.

Now, Webb is pushing our knowledge horizon to even earlier times, enabling new discoveries like a feasting supermassive black hole less than 600 million years after the Big Bang. Using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), and Near-InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), researchers are revealing never-before-seen details of the lives of early galaxies.

The Webb data used to create this image were collected as part of the CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) programme #1208 (PI: C. J. Willott). This programme uses Webb’s sensitive instruments to unveil the evolution of low-mass galaxies in the early Universe, revealing their star formation, dust and chemistry. These data will also help researchers study the epoch of reionization, when the first stars and galaxies lit up the Universe, map the distribution of mass within galaxy clusters, and understand how star formation can slow to a trickle in a cluster environment. 

Image Description: A Webb image of many glowing galaxies in deep space, in various shapes and colors, on a black background. There are large, blue spiral galaxies, large and pale white elliptical galaxies, and many orange and red, medium-sized galaxies. Even smaller galaxies, down to tiny faint spots, appear in all these colors.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, C. Willott (National Research Council Canada), R. Tripodi (INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Rome)
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #GravitationalLensing #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #MACSJ1149 #Astrophysics #CANUCSProgramme #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #InfraredAstronomy #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education 

Geomagnetic Storm Aurora: Cosmonaut Kud-Sverchkov | International Space Station

Geomagnetic Storm Aurora: Cosmonaut Kud-Sverchkov | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Station Commander and Cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov captured these historic views of aurora over Earth from the International Space Station. These were recorded during one of the most powerful solar storms in over 20 years, according to the United States National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center.

The last solar radiation storm of comparable severity was recorded in October 2003. Auroras are caused by solar storms emitting high-speed charged particles colliding with Earth's atmosphere, creating vibrant light displays.

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Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineer: Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineer: Chris Williams

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.

Video Credit: Roscosmos/S. Kud Sverchkov
Duration: 2 minutes, 26 seconds

Date: Jan. 20, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #GeomagneticStorms #SolarSystem #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautVideography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #MicrogravityResearch #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video