China Successfully Tests Mengzhou Crewed Moon Spacecraft Launch Escape System

China Successfully Tests Mengzhou Crewed Moon Spacecraft Launch Escape System

🚀Another critical China Moon program milestone has been achieved. China has successfully completed the maximum dynamic pressure escape test of the Mengzhou crewed Moon spacecraft and a key low-altitude verification flight test of the new-generation reusable Long March 10 launch vehicle system. After liftoff at 11:00 a.m. Beijing time (03:00UTC) on February 11, 2026, China completed the in-flight abort test for the Mengzhou spacecraft. This critical safety demonstration is a major step forward for China's crewed lunar program.

Upon receiving the abort command, the spacecraft successfully executed separation and initiated its escape sequence. As planned, both the Long March 10 rocket's first stage and the spacecraft's return module achieved controlled and safe splashdowns within their designated maritime zones. The crew module and the first stage were then recovered.

In a future flight, the Long March 10's first stage recovery ship, Ling Hang Zhe, will perform a catch attempt. Meanwhile, the hooking arms of Long March 10 first stage deployed in this test before the splashdown as designed.

The Long March-10 rocket is a type of three-stage rocket with two boosters. It has a diameter of 5 meters and a maximum height of 92.5 meters. It is responsible for launching China's crewed lunar spacecraft and lunar lander Moon missions.

The Long March-10A is a type of two-stage reusable rocket with a diameter of 5 meters and a maximum height of 67 meters. Its first stage can be recycled and reused. It will support launches of the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft for lunar missions and of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft for China's space station.

Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Duration: 1 minute
Date: Feb. 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #MengzhouSpacecraft #梦舟 #CrewSpacecraft #CrewModule #RocketAbortSystem #LongMarch10 #长征十号 #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #HumanSpaceflight #LunarMissions #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CNSA #国家航天局 #CMSA #国家航天局 #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #WSLC #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Successfully Tests Mengzhou Crewed Moon Spacecraft Launch Escape System

China Successfully Tests Mengzhou Crewed Moon Spacecraft Launch Escape System

🚀Another critical China Moon program milestone has been achieved. China has successfully completed the maximum dynamic pressure escape test of the Mengzhou crewed Moon spacecraft and a key low-altitude verification flight test of the new-generation reusable Long March 10 launch vehicle system. After liftoff at 11:00 a.m. Beijing time (03:00UTC) on February 11, 2026, China completed the in-flight abort test for the Mengzhou spacecraft. This critical safety demonstration is a major step forward for China's crewed lunar program.

Upon receiving the abort command, the spacecraft successfully executed separation and initiated its escape sequence. As planned, both the Long March 10 rocket's first stage and the spacecraft's return module achieved controlled and safe splashdowns within their designated maritime zones. The crew module and the first stage were then recovered.

In a future flight, the Long March 10's first stage recovery ship, Ling Hang Zhe, will perform a catch attempt. Meanwhile, the hooking arms of Long March 10 first stage deployed in this test before the splashdown as designed.

The Long March-10 rocket is a type of three-stage rocket with two boosters. It has a diameter of 5 meters and a maximum height of 92.5 meters. It is responsible for launching China's crewed lunar spacecraft and lunar lander Moon missions.

The Long March-10A is a type of two-stage reusable rocket with a diameter of 5 meters and a maximum height of 67 meters. Its first stage can be recycled and reused. It will support launches of the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft for lunar missions and of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft for China's space station.

Image Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)
Date: Feb. 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #MengzhouSpacecraft #梦舟 #CrewSpacecraft #CrewModule #RocketAbortSystem #LongMarch10 #长征十号 #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #HumanSpaceflight #LunarMissions #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CNSA #国家航天局 #CMSA #国家航天局 #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #WSLC #Hainan #STEM #Education

Revisiting The Egg Nebula in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

Revisiting The Egg Nebula in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a dramatic interplay of light and shadow in the Egg Nebula, sculpted by freshly ejected stardust. Located approximately 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the Egg Nebula features a central star obscured by a dense cloud of dust. Only Hubble’s sharpness can unveil the intricate details that hint at the processes shaping this enigmatic structure.

This newly processed image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. It is a preplanetary nebula, a structure of gas and dust created as a Sun-like star approaches the end of its life. The Egg that we see now will eventually hatch, revealing a white dwarf at its center and leaving its shell to become a spectacular planetary nebula.

Many preplanetary nebulae are relatively dim and hard to spot. They are made of layers of gas ejected by the star, but that star is not yet hot enough to ionize the gas and cause it to glow. The Egg Nebula is relatively unique, easily visible as a sparkling jeweled egg in space. Powerful beams of starlight blast out of the inner cloud, two a-side, giving a breathtaking illumination to this cosmic structure. Fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen also emerge from within the dust cloud, visible just at the base of the searchlight beams. These outflows glow with infrared light, shown in this image by orange highlights.

The central cloud of dust is surrounded by concentric rings, themselves made up from thin, faint arcs of gas. These were created by successive outbursts from the central star. It ejected a little more material from its outer surface every few hundred years. The beams of starlight are reflected by these layers of gas, creating an appearance like ripples on the surface of water. The way that gas molecules reflect and scatter light gives a bluish color to the arcs. The reflected starlight reveals important details about the central star. This is not possible to view directly in its dusty shell.

Credits:

Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann

Editing: Nico Bartmann

Web and technical support: Enciso Systems

Written by: Bethany Downer

Duration: 53 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PreplanetaryNebulae #EggNebula #RAFGL2688 #CRL2688 #CygnusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Egg Nebula in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: The Egg Nebula in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

This stunning image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals a dramatic interplay of light and shadow in the Egg Nebula, sculpted by freshly ejected stardust. Located approximately 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the Egg Nebula features a central star obscured by a dense cloud of dust. Only Hubble’s sharpness can unveil the intricate details that hint at the processes shaping this enigmatic structure.

This newly processed image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. It is a preplanetary nebula, a structure of gas and dust created as a Sun-like star approaches the end of its life. The Egg that we see now will eventually hatch, revealing a white dwarf at its center and leaving its shell to become a spectacular planetary nebula.

Many preplanetary nebulae are relatively dim and hard to spot. They are made of layers of gas ejected by the star, but that star is not yet hot enough to ionize the gas and cause it to glow. The Egg Nebula is relatively unique, easily visible as a sparkling jeweled egg in space. Powerful beams of starlight blast out of the inner cloud, two a-side, giving a breathtaking illumination to this cosmic structure. Fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen also emerge from within the dust cloud, visible just at the base of the searchlight beams. These outflows glow with infrared light, shown in this image by orange highlights.

The central cloud of dust is surrounded by concentric rings, themselves made up from thin, faint arcs of gas. These were created by successive outbursts from the central star. It ejected a little more material from its outer surface every few hundred years. The beams of starlight are reflected by these layers of gas, creating an appearance like ripples on the surface of water. The way that gas molecules reflect and scatter light gives a bluish color to the arcs. The reflected starlight reveals important details about the central star. This is not possible to view directly in its dusty shell.

Image Description: In the center, an opaque cloud of grey gas hides a star. Two strong beams of light from the star emerge from large holes in both sides of the cloud. The central cloud is surrounded by concentric, wispy shells of gas, illuminated by the star’s light. The shells reflect extra light where they are hit by the twin beams. A crowd of smaller stars with cross-shaped spikes over them surround the nebula on a black background.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Balick (University of Washington), N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PreplanetaryNebulae #EggNebula #RAFGL2688 #CRL2688 #CygnusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) & Galaxy NGC 55: View from Chile

Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) & Galaxy NGC 55: View from Chile

Astrophotographer Daniele Gasparri: "There is a little-known comet, best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, putting on a beautiful show. On the night of February 9, it passed close to the bright galaxy NGC 55. Comet Wierzchos is not very bright and is not visible to the naked eye, but it displays a long, striking tail and it is a very beautiful telescopic object. This image captures the closest approach to NGC 55, taken from the Atacama Desert with my 20 cm Newtonian telescope. I had to deal with a huge amount of satellite tracks (on average 3-4 for each 120 seconds exposure), which almost ruined my attempt to image the comet and the galaxy. The photo is a two panel mosaic made to include the full extent of NGC 55. Even so, the field of view is not wide enough to show the full length of comet tail. Each panel is the average of 10X120 seconds exposures, aligned both on stars and the comet."

C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) is a hyperbolic Oort cloud comet, discovered on March 3, 2024, by Polish astronomer Kacper Wierzchoś. It reached perihelion on January 20, 2026, with apparent magnitude of around +6.5, visible in larger binoculars. It has a highly eccentric orbit with an inbound orbital period of millions of years and is expected to eventually be ejected from the Solar System. 

NGC 55, also known as the String of Pearls Galaxy, is a Magellanic type barred spiral galaxy located about 6.5 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor.

Image Credit: Daniele Gasparri
Location: Atacama desert region, Chile
Photographer's website: https://www.danielegasparri.com
Date: Feb. 9, 2026 

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Comets #C2024E1Wierzchoś #OortCloud #SolarSystem #NGC55 #SculptorConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #DanieleGasparri #Astrophotographers #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #STEM #Education

Supernova AT2025ulz Detected in Host Galaxy | Gemini North Telescope

Supernova AT2025ulz Detected in Host Galaxy | Gemini North Telescope

A representative color image of the field around AT2025ulz, the candidate counterpart to gravitational wave event S250818k that was first reported on August 18, 2025, by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration. The host galaxy of AT2025ulz is at the center of the image. Clumpy star forming regions can be seen across the galaxy. The transient is visible close to the center of the host, though clearly offset from the nucleus. Early data suggested that AT2025ulz may be a kilonova, making it a promising candidate for the counterpart to S250818k. However, further investigation showed that it is a typical Type IIb supernova with early shock-cooling emission.

A Type IIb supernova is a supernova that occurs in the core-collapse phase of a massive star. These supernovae are characterized by the presence of hydrogen in their spectra. This distinguishes them from Type Ia supernovae that lack hydrogen. Type IIb supernovae typically arise from stars that have exhausted their nuclear fuel and have lost their outer layers, leading to a rapid collapse of their cores. They are often observed in binary systems and are known for their strong helium absorption lines in their spectra. 

A kilonova (also called a macronova) is a transient astronomical event that occurs in a compact binary system when two neutron stars (BNS) or a neutron star and a black hole collide. The kilonova, visible over the weeks and months following the merger, is an isotropically expanding luminous afterglow of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized by—and then ejected from—the initial cataclysmic event. It is understood that the merger of two compact objects are a strong source of gravitational waves (GW).

This image was taken with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab. The data are reported in a paper titled “AT2025ulz and S250818k: Investigating early time observations of a subsolar mass gravitational-wave binary neutron star merger candidate” to appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Learn about the Gemini North Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/gemini-observatory/gemini-north/

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Acknowledgment: PI: B. O'Connor (Carnegie Mellon University)
Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Date: Dec. 29, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Supernovae #Stars #NeutronStars #BlackHoles #Kilonovas #AT2025ulz #GravitationalWaves #Galaxies #StellarMergers #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #STEM #Education

NASA's Crew-12 Suit up Practice: Ready for Launch | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's Crew-12 Suit up Practice: Ready for Launch | Kennedy Space Center

NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, middle left, Jessica Meir, middle right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, left, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, right, wearing SpaceX spacesuits.

NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, left front, Jessica Meir, right front, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, back right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is seen as she prepares to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France is seen as she prepares to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building

NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway is seen as he prepares to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building

Update: Members of NASA's Crew-12 will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station no earlier than 5:15 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40.

Teams will continue to monitor weather → http://spacex.com/launches/crew12

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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.Kennedy Space Center

Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
Date: Feb. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Flyover of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California

Flyover of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California

Four high-performance jets soar in tight formation over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Three F/A-18s and one F-15B streak across the clear desert sky, showcasing precision flying and teamwork during a coordinated flyover above the historic center known for advancing aeronautics and spaceflight research.

Learn more about NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California:
https://www.nasa.gov/armstrong/

Video Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)
Duration: 33 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #Aerospace #Aeronautics #Aviation #Flyovers #JetAircraft #Boeing #FA18 #F15B #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #SpaceflightResearch #FlightTests #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Edwards #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

How to Operate a Yo-Yo in Microgravity | International Space Station

How to Operate a Yo-Yo in Microgravity | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and former International Space Station flight engineer Don Pettit: "I am not the best 'Yo-Yoer' on Earth. But in space, I have no competition!"

NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

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

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/D. Pettit

Duration: 22 seconds
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Yoyo #Microgravity #Physics #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautVideography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Crew-12: Insignia Signing Ceremony | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Crew-12: Insignia Signing Ceremony | Kennedy Space Center

From left, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France pose next to their mission insignia inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France signs her name next to the Crew-12 mission insignia inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir signs her name next to the Crew-12 mission insignia

NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway signs his name next to the Crew-12 mission insignia

Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev signs his name next to the Crew-12 mission insignia

Crew-12 mission insignia

Update: Members of NASA's Crew-12 will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 to the International Space Station no earlier than 5:15 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40.

Teams will continue to monitor weather → http://spacex.com/launches/crew12

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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.Kennedy Space Center

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Date: Feb. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew12 #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Exploring the Structure of The Egg Nebula | Hubble Space Telescope

Exploring the Structure of The Egg Nebula | Hubble Space Telescope

This visualization examines the Hubble Space Telescope image of the Egg Nebula and showcases the shape and development of its three-dimensional components. The dying star has repeatedly ejected thin shells of gas and dust over the last 5,000 years. During the last 400 years, bipolar lobes have burst forth. This central activity is hidden behind a dense dusty disk. The light from the star, blocked by the disk and lobes, escapes toward the poles and creates a twin searchlight appearance.

This newly processed image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. It is a preplanetary nebula, a structure of gas and dust created as a Sun-like star approaches the end of its life. The Egg that we see now will eventually hatch, revealing a white dwarf at its center and leaving its shell to become a spectacular planetary nebula.

Many preplanetary nebulae are relatively dim and hard to spot. They are made of layers of gas ejected by the star, but that star is not yet hot enough to ionize the gas and cause it to glow. The Egg Nebula is relatively unique, easily visible as a sparkling jewelled egg in space. Powerful beams of starlight blast out of the inner cloud, two a-side, giving a breathtaking illumination to this cosmic structure. Fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen also emerge from within the dust cloud, visible just at the base of the searchlight beams. These outflows glow with infrared light, shown in this image by orange highlights.

The central cloud of dust is surrounded by concentric rings, themselves made up from thin, faint arcs of gas. These were created by successive outbursts from the central star. It ejected a little more material from its outer surface every few hundred years. The beams of starlight are reflected by these layers of gas, creating an appearance like ripples on the surface of water. The way that gas molecules reflect and scatter light gives a bluish color to the arcs. The reflected starlight reveals important details about the central star. This is not possible to view directly in its dusty shell.

Credits:

Science Visualization:  Christian Nieves (STScI) and Frank Summers (STScI)

Script and Narration: Frank Summers (STScI)

Audio:  Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PreplanetaryNebulae #EggNebula #RAFGL2688 #CRL2688 #CygnusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualization #HD #Video

The Egg Nebula in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

The Egg Nebula in Cygnus | Hubble Space Telescope

This newly processed image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is the clearest view yet of the Egg Nebula. It is a preplanetary nebula, a structure of gas and dust created as a Sun-like star approaches the end of its life. The Egg that we see now will eventually hatch, revealing a white dwarf at its center and leaving its shell to become a spectacular planetary nebula.

Many preplanetary nebulae are relatively dim and hard to spot. They are made of layers of gas ejected by the star, but that star is not yet hot enough to ionize the gas and cause it to glow. The Egg Nebula is relatively unique, easily visible as a sparkling jewelled egg in space. Powerful beams of starlight blast out of the inner cloud, two a-side, giving a breathtaking illumination to this cosmic structure. Fast-moving outflows of hot molecular hydrogen also emerge from within the dust cloud, visible just at the base of the searchlight beams. These outflows glow with infrared light, shown in this image by orange highlights.

The central cloud of dust is surrounded by concentric rings, themselves made up from thin, faint arcs of gas. These were created by successive outbursts from the central star. It ejected a little more material from its outer surface every few hundred years. The beams of starlight are reflected by these layers of gas, creating an appearance like ripples on the surface of water. The way that gas molecules reflect and scatter light gives a bluish color to the arcs. The reflected starlight reveals important details about the central star. This is not possible to view directly in its dusty shell.

Image Description: In the center, an opaque cloud of grey gas hides a star. Two strong beams of light from the star emerge from large holes in both sides of the cloud. The central cloud is surrounded by concentric, wispy shells of gas, illuminated by the star’s light. The shells reflect extra light where they are hit by the twin beams. A crowd of smaller stars with cross-shaped spikes over them surround the nebula on a black background.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Balick (University of Washington)
Release Date: Feb. 10, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PreplanetaryNebulae #EggNebula #RAFGL2688 #CRL2688 #CygnusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Sagittarius Star Cloud | Burrell Schmidt Telescope

The Sagittarius Star Cloud | Burrell Schmidt Telescope

M24 is something of an oddity, listed in Messier's original catalog as a large "nebulosity" a degree and a half across, and comprising a superposition on the sky of many stars spread out at distinct distances along our line of sight. It forms part of the Sagittarius spiral arm of our Galaxy. This picture shows most of the central region of the cloud, including the small open star cluster, NGC6603 (upper left). To the northwest (upper right) are the two dark nebulae Barnard 92 and 93. 

This picture is a mosaic of seven frames taken in the BVR pass-bands at the Burrell Schmidt Telescope of Case Western Reserve University's Warner and Swasey Observatory located on Kitt Peak, near Tucson, Arizona, during the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program operated at the Kitt Peak National Observatory and supported by the National Science Foundation, along with a further nine frames taken at the same facility.

Learn more about the Burrell Schmidt Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/burrell-schmidt-telescope/

Credit: Vanessa Harvey, REU program/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #StarClusters #NGC6603 #M24 #Nebulae #Barnard92 #Barnard93 #SagittariusStarCloud #SagittariusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #BurrellSchmidtTelescope #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #STEM #Education

NASA Crew-12 Launch Preparations | International Space Station

NASA Crew-12 Launch Preparations | International Space Station

Crew-12, SpaceX, and NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities on Monday, February 9, 2026, in Florida.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on top stands vertical on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.

Crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, from left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, participate in a news conference from Astronaut Crew Quarters inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

NASA Crew-12 emblem

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members achieved a critical prelaunch milestone by completing their dry dress rehearsal at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, February 9, 2026..

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot of France, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia practiced launch day operations, including suiting up, traveling to the pad, and boarding the spacecraft. These operations are done without fueling the rocket, which is why it is called a dry dress rehearsal.

The launch team also practiced countdown operations and confirmed the spacecraft, crew access, and emergency egress procedures are on track before fueling the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission adjusted its launch date due to forecast weather conditions along the flight path of the Dragon spacecraft. Launch is scheduled no earlier than 5:38 a.m. EST, Thursday, Feb. 12, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

Watch the launch here: 
http://spacex.com/launches/crew12

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission will see four people embark on a long-duration science expedition to the International Space Station. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway are the NASA astronauts supporting the mission. Meir will serve as commander and Hathaway will serve as the Crew-12 pilot. The crew also has two mission specialists, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot of France and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia. 

Crew-12 is the 12th crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its 13th flight with astronauts for NASA, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

They have trained for their mission across the world, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California, and international training locations. Once their Dragon spacecraft arrives at the space station, they will spend their eight month long duration mission conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the orbiting lab.

Learn more about the mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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.Kennedy Space Center

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Dates: Feb. 7-9, 2026

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Unusual Aurora over Scotland | Earth Science

Unusual Aurora over Scotland | Earth Science

Photographer Alan C. Tough: "When I was photographing the great aurora of January 19-20, a faint green homogeneous patch (blob) appeared to the left of the main auroral display: it suddenly brightened, just like someone switching on a spotlight. After a few seconds it faded away again. It is possible that this was an Isolated Proton Aurora (IPA), although I had always assumed these were a fainter and more diffuse phenomenon."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

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
Location: Elgin, Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

Alan Tough's website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7776810@N07/
Release Date: Jan. 19, 2026

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Journey to Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus | Hubble Space Telescope

Journey to Lenticular Galaxy NGC 7049 in Indus | Hubble Space Telescope

Zooming in on NGC 7049, a mysterious looking galaxy with globular clusters dotted throughout its halo. The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of galaxy NGC 7049 in the Indus constellation visible in the southern sky. A family of globular clusters appears as glittering spots dusted around the galaxy halo. Astronomers study the globular clusters in NGC 7049 to learn more about its formation and evolution. The dust lanes, appearing as a lacy web, are dramatically backlit by the millions of stars in the halo of NGC 7049.

Distance from Earth: 100 million light years

A lenticular, meaning “lens-shaped,” galaxy is a type that sits between more familiar spiral galaxies and elliptical galaxies. It is also less common than spirals and ellipticals—partly because these galaxies have a somewhat ambiguous appearance, making it hard to determine if it is a spiral, an elliptical, or something in between. Many of the known lenticular galaxies sport features of both spiral and elliptical. 

Credit: NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada)

Duration: 56 seconds
Release Date: April 7, 2009

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