Wednesday, April 22, 2026

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch—Space Station Scientist & Spacewalker

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch—Space Station Scientist & Spacewalker


Six years before her Artemis II Moon Mission, NASA astronaut, scientist, mission specialist, flight engineer, and spacewalker Christina Koch spent almost a year in space on International Space Station Expeditions 59-61, before coming home. 

When Koch returned to Earth after her long-duration human spaceflight mission, she had lived in space for 328 days, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. During this time, Koch spent many of her hours on science activities aboard the International Space Station and wore many hats—farmer, biologist, physicist, engineer, test subject and many more. 

Christina also participated in the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, currently serving aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 74.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 3, 2020

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Expedition59 #Expedition60 #Expedition61 #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #Astronauts #ChristinaKoch #Scientists #ElectricalEngineers #EVAs #Spacewalks #WomenInSTEM #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #NASAJohnson #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

What The James Webb Space Telescope Learns from Light | STScI

What The James Webb Space Telescope Learns from Light | STScI

The universe is full of clues hidden in light—and Webb has tools to find them.

About 75% of the observations made using the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope produce a powerful type of data called spectra—created by separating light into its many colors. Every material interacts with light in a unique way, leaving a distinct pattern of bright or dark lines across the spectrum. By analyzing these patterns through a process called spectroscopy, scientists can uncover details about objects millions or even billions of light-years away, including their temperature, motion, density, and chemical composition.

Webb's infrared spectrographs split infrared light into spectra. They are the most sensitive ever built to date. They can detect chemical fingerprints across the cosmos. Since science operations began in 2022, researchers have used this unprecedented capability to transform our understanding of the universe.

In this video, learn about some of the most exciting discoveries Webb has made through spectroscopy—from mapping carbon dioxide on Jupiter's moon Europa, to characterizing the earliest known galaxies, to measuring cloud cover on a distant exoplanet.

Dive deeper into each discovery with the original news releases, spectra graphics, and additional resources:

• News Release: Seeing through dust into the Pillars of Creation (October 2022) :
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-takes-star-filled-portrait-of-pillars-of-creation/
• News Release: Detecting water in protoplanetary disks GK Tau and CI Tau (November 2023) :
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-findings-support-long-proposed-process-of-planet-formation/
• News Release: Observing weather on exoplanet WASP-39 b (July 2024)
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-reveals-an-exoplanet-atmosphere-as-never-seen-before/
• News Release:  Measuring atmospheric composition of exoplanet WASP-39 b (November 2022):
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-reveals-an-exoplanet-atmosphere-as-never-seen-before/
• News Release: Finding MoM-z14, a galaxy 280 million years after the big bang (January 2026):
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-pushes-boundaries-of-observable-universe-closer-to-big-bang/
• News Release: Detecting JADES-GS-z14-0, a galaxy less than 300 million years after the big bang (May 2024)
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/webb/2024/05/30/nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-finds-most-distant-known-galaxy/
• News Release: Finding one of the earliest known black holes (July 2023):
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webb-detects-most-distant-active-supermassive-black-hole-to-date/


Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Producer/Editor: Danielle Kirshenblat
Designer: Leah Hustak
Writer: Danielle Kirshenblat
Additional Scripting: Christopher Britt, Alexander Cotnoir, Leah Hustak 
Outreach Scientist: Christopher Britt
Education Specialist: Alexander Cotnoir 
Narrator: Ralf Crawford
Special Thanks: Greg Bacon, Margaret W. Carruthers, Quyen Hart
Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: April 22, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Starlight #Light #Spectra #InfraredSpectrographs #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #MIRI #InfraredAstronomy #UnfoldTheUniverse #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Exploring The Earth: NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, ocean Ecosystem Satellite (PACE)

Exploring The Earth: NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, ocean Ecosystem Satellite (PACE)

Happy Earth Day!🌍❤️

To study the mysteries of our planet Earth, NASA has a fleet of satellites in orbit, gathering data around the clock. One of these satellites—the Plankton, Aerosol, ocean Ecosystem Satellite (PACE), launched in February 2024—is exploring unique views of our home planet’s ocean, atmosphere, and land surfaces. 

PACE's data is helping us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it is revealing how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean. Novel uses of PACE data will benefit our economy and society. For example, it will help identify the extent and duration of harmful algal blooms. PACE is extending and expanding NASA's long-term observations of our living planet.

To explore and download data from the PACE mission, visit: https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov/


Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS/AMA): Lead Producer, Editor
Kel Elkins (eMITS): Lead Visualizer
Kirk Knobelspiesse (NASA/GSFC): Lead Scientist, Narrator, Writer
Jeremy Werdell (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Ivona Cetinic (Morgan State): Scientist
Duration: 8 minutes
Release Date: April 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #Planet #Earth #EarthDay #EarthDay2026 #Biology #Oceans #Plankton #Land #Plants #Chlorophyll #PACEMission #EarthObservation #EarthScience #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Earth Day 2026 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Earth Day 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

On Earth Day, we marvel at our extraordinary home through the eyes of our sentinels in the sky. 
Happy Earth Day from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's satellites! 

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

In 1969, at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. John McConnell (March 22, 1915 – October 20, 2012) was the founder and creator of Earth Day, and The Earth Society Foundation. He was known for designing the Earth Flag, pursuing causes relating to peace, religion, and science.


Credits: NOAA, NASA, The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: April 22, 2026

#NASA #NOAA #Space #Satellites #GOES #JPSS #Science #Planets #Earth #EarthDay #UnitedNations #Atmosphere #Meteorology #Weather #SeaTemperatures #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Pollution #Environment #EnvironmentalProtection #UnitedStates #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

NASA’s Quiet Supersonic X-59 Continues Test Flights | NASA Armstrong

NASA’s Quiet Supersonic X-59 Continues Test Flights | NASA Armstrong








NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less is seen after completing his first flight of the X-59 and the aircraft’s second flight overall at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Thursday, March 26, 2026. 

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic jet can be seen flying over the Mojave Desert during its third flight on Thursday, March 26, 2026, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The aircraft completed an approximate one-hour flight and provided the team with significant data for future flights.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft recently completed its first wheels-up flight. This transition marks a key milestone for the Quesst mission and an important step in the aircraft’s test campaign that aims to enable quiet commercial supersonic flight over land.

The X-59 aircraft builds on decades of supersonic flight research and is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. The vast amount of data collected over the years has given designers the tools they needed to craft the shape of the X-59. The goal is to enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce a loud sonic boom to a quieter “sonic thump.”

Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

The X-59's goal is to help change existing national and international aviation rules that ban commercial supersonic flight over land.

For more information about the X-59 and NASA's Quesst mission, visit www.nasa.gov/quesst


Image Credits: NASA/Carla Thomas/Ryan Kline/Jim Ross
Date: March 26, 2026


#NASA #Aerospace #SupersonicFlight #SupersonicAircraft #X59 #Sonicbooms #QuietAviation #Aviation #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Edwards #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: April 14-20, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: April 14-20, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1834
MSL - sol 4865
MSL - sol 4867
MSL - sol 4865
MSL - sol 4867
Mars 2020 - sol 1834
Mars 2020 - sol 1834
Mars 2020 - sol 1834

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Celebrating 13+ Years on Mars (2012-2025)
Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
Rover Name: Curiosity
Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 
Launch: Nov. 6, 2011
Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars
Mission Name: Mars 2020
Rover Name: Perseverance
Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.
Launch: July 30, 2020    
Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Processing: Kevin M. Gill, Martian-Observer
Release Dates: April 14-20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #MartianObserver #STEM #Education

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station


Expedition 74 commander and Russian cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov: "The ISS isn't just about conducting experiments in orbit. It also involves logistics, sometimes quite intensive. A week ago, the American Cygnus XL cargo ship arrived. And last night, we were already carrying out our Progress MS-32. Last week, we loaded it with waste and used equipment, and yesterday it undocked, freeing up the docking port for the next ship. We're expecting Progress MS-34 in another week: launch on April 26th and docking on the 28th."

Expedition 74 Update: The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 6:08 p.m. EDT Monday, April 20, 2026, backing away for a deorbit maneuver and a planned destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew.

This Russian spacecraft launched in September 2025 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station’s crew. After a two-day journey, it arrived at the orbiting laboratory and automatically docked to the aft port of the station’s Zvezda service module.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, 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. Sverchkov
Duration: 18 seconds
Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #ProgressMS32 #Прогресс #CargoSpacecraft #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-32 Cargo Spacecraft Departure | International Space Station

Russian Progress MS-32 cargo spacecraft departing the International Space Station
Russian Progress MS-32 cargo spacecraft departing the International Space Station
April 20, 2026: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL, the Soyuz MS-28 crew ship, and the Progress 94 resupply ship.

Expedition 74 commander and Russian cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov: "The ISS isn't just about conducting experiments in orbit. It also involves logistics, sometimes quite intensive. A week ago, the American Cygnus XL cargo ship arrived. And last night, we were already carrying out our Progress MS-32. Last week, we loaded it with waste and used equipment, and yesterday it undocked, freeing up the docking port for the next ship. We're expecting Progress MS-34 in another week: launch on April 26th and docking on the 28th."

Expedition 74 Update: The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 6:08 p.m. EDT Monday, April 20, 2026, backing away for a deorbit maneuver and a planned destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew.

This Russian spacecraft launched in September 2025 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station’s crew. After a two-day journey, it arrived at the orbiting laboratory and automatically docked to the aft port of the station’s Zvezda service module.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, 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
Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #ProgressMS32 #Прогресс #CargoSpacecraft #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

NASA Astronauts Train for Walking on Moon's Surface | Johnson Space Center

NASA Astronauts Train for Walking on Moon's Surface | Johnson Space Center

Four Artemis II astronauts just returned from their journey around the Moon, but preparations to land humans on the surface of the Moon once again have been in progress long before liftoff. Follow NASA astronaut Victor Glover as he arrives at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to put on his spacesuit and begin an underwater run in the training pool.

This day-in-the-life snapshot depicts a simulated traverse on the lunar surface, including using lunar geology tools, recovering from a fall, and more. Glover, and many other astronauts, participate in these simulations to help crew trainers develop lesson plans that future moonwalkers will use in training. This video was filmed in August 2023.

Learn more about Artemis III: 
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iii/

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 
Duration: 10 minutes, 40 seconds
Release Date: April 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #LunarGeology #Spacewalk #EVA #Spacesuits #ArtemisII #ArtemisIII #Astronauts #VicotrGlover #HumanSpaceflight #NBL #NASAJohnson #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 74 Crew Photos: March to April 2026 | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Crew Photos: March to April 2026 | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "In addition to science, cargo vehicles also may deliver fresh fruit and vegetables to the International Space Station. This is always a welcome change from our dehydrated and preserved food and is a huge morale boost, bringing smiles all around. Thank you to all those involved in this shipment on the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-24!
Expedition 74 crew members inside the Northrop Grumman Cygnus NG-24 cargo spacecraft entrance. Photo courtesy of Expedition 74 flight engineer and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Chris Williams, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Jessica Meir are inside the International Space Station’s cupola, waiting to observe the plasma trail of the Orion spacecraft—with the Artemis II crew aboard—as it reenters Earth’s atmosphere.
Meir shared: "Eyes peeled in the cupola awaiting the safe return of our NASA Artemis friends. Our trajectory on the International Space Station will be passing nearby over the Pacific, so we hope to catch a glimpse!"
Expedition 74 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir configures research hardware inside a portable glovebag for a biotechnology investigation exploring how bacteria affect heart tissue in the microgravity environment. Results from the Multi-use Variable-g Platform (MVP) Cell-09 experiment could lead to advanced methods for preventing or treating heart damage in humans living on and off the Earth.
NASA astronauts (from left) Chris Williams and Jack Hathaway, both Expedition 74 flight engineers, pose for a portrait inside the cupola during a break in their procedures as Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft approached the International Space Station. Williams operated the Canadarm2 robotic arm from inside the cupola to capture Cygnus XL, while Hathaway monitored the spacecraft during its approach and rendezvous. Cygnus XL delivered more than 11,000 pounds of new science experiments, lab hardware, and crew supplies for the Expedition 74 crew.
Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Chris Williams of NASA, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA), and Jessica Meir of NASA pose for a portrait aboard the International Space Station. Meir is wearing a portable breathing apparatus to test its readiness for unlikely emergency scenarios such as an oxygen leak, chemical leak, or fire aboard the orbital outpost.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Jessica Meir smiles for a portrait while preparing a helmet for installation on a spacesuit inside the International Space Station's Quest airlock.
Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Chris Williams of NASA, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, and Jessica Meir of NASA pose for a portrait aboard the International Space Station. Meir is wearing a portable breathing apparatus to test its readiness for unlikely emergency scenarios such as an oxygen leak, chemical leak, or fire aboard the orbital outpost.

Expedition 74 Update: The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 93 cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station at 6:08 p.m. EDT Monday, April 20, 2026, backing away for a deorbit maneuver and a planned destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash loaded by the crew.

The Russian spacecraft launched in September 2025 on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station’s crew. After a two-day journey, it arrived at the orbiting laboratory and automatically docked to the aft port of the station’s Zvezda service module.


Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: 
Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, 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 Credits: NASA/JSC, J. Meir, A. Fedyaev/Roscosmos, S. Adenot/ESA
Dates: March 9-April 21, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #JessicaMeir #Cosmonauts #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #JSC #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Ready for Launch

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Ready for Launch

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in September 2026, nearly nine months ahead of its required launch readiness date of May 2027.

During its final years of construction, the observatory underwent rigorous environmental tests designed to prove it can withstand the demanding journey from Earth to space.

These environmental tests included blasting the telescope with the intense sound of a rocket launch, vibrating the observatory while enclosed in a protective clean tent, another launch simulation, and placing it inside a thermal vacuum chamber where it was cooled to the extreme operating temperatures of space.

Each of these tests proved Roman's worthiness for early flight and is a testiment to the hard work from the entire team. Partners worldwide contributed to this effort.

The Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission. An infrared survey telescope with the same resolution as Hubble but at least 100 times the field of view. 

The Roman telescope and the discoveries it will enable: 
https://www.stsci.edu/roman


Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Sophia Roberts (eMITS)
Videographers: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS), Sophia Roberts (eMITS), Rob Andreoli (eMITS)
Drone Pilot: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Camera Operator: John D. Philyaw (eMITS)
Animator: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (eMITS)
Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds
Release Date: April 21, 2026


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

Science Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

Science Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

These are examples of scientific discoveries published throughout Hubble's 36th year of operations. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.


Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble), D. Bodewits (Auburn), J. DePasquale (STScI), B. Balick (University of Washington), G. Anand (STScI), and A. Benitez-Llambay (Univ. of Milan-Bicocca), D. O’Ryan, P. Gómez (European Space Agency), R. Crawford (STScI), D. Li (UToronto), W. Blair (JHU)
Duration: 1 minute, 41 seconds
Release Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Hubble36thAnniversary #Nebulae #Stars #Planets #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Image Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

Image Highlights of Hubble Space Telescope's 36th Anniversary Year (1990-2026)

These are examples of a variety of images that have been featured throughout Hubble's 36th year of operations. Among these were the star-forming region N11 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the shells of stardust that make up the Egg Nebula, the Cat’s Eye Nebula together with ESA’s Euclid, and a brand-new image of the famous Crab Nebula. Hubble also showcased the smouldering heart of M82, swirling spiral galaxies UGC 11397 and Arp 4, dust rings around galaxy NGC 7722, the glittering stars of globular cluster NGC 1786, and the immense galaxy cluster Abell 209.

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken over 1.7 million observations to date. Almost 29,000 astronomers have published peer-reviewed science papers using Hubble data collected over the telescope’s 36-year lifetime, resulting in more than 23,000 publications, with almost 1100 in 2025 alone. Since 2022, researchers have regularly combined Hubble’s observations with those from the James Webb Space Telescope to push opportunities for discovery further.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.


Video Credits: ESA/Hubble, NASA, STScI, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), R. Indebetouw, M. Monelli, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, C. Murray, J. Maíz Apellániz, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick, G. Duchêne, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth, M. Postman, P. Kelly.
Duration: 1 minute, 39 second
Release Date: April 20, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Science #Space #Hubble #Hubble36thAnniversary #Nebulae #Stars #Planets #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Five Things You Didn't Know About NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Pre-Artemis II

Five Things You Didn't Know About NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Pre-Artemis II


Engineering and physics degrees? Check. 
Previous work for NASA? Another check. Experience working at the South Pole and America Samoa? Of course. However, the “usual credentials” do not fully reflect the background of astronaut Christina Koch. Check out her favorite extreme adventures, her dabbling with lightning, and a foreign trip that changed her perspectives on life before her historic journey to the Moon on the Artemis II Mission this year.

NASA astronaut candidate Christina Koch (maiden name Hammock) in 2013: "I really strongly believe in both the practical aspects of the research being conducted as well as the larger picture of the human spaceflight program bringing us forward as a human race and uniting us in exploring the universe." 

In 2012, Christina joined the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), first as a field engineer at the Global Monitoring Division Baseline Observatory in Barrow, Alaska (now Utqiaġvik), and then as station chief of the American Samoa Observatory. 

Christina Hammock Koch [pronounced “Cook”] was later selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 2013. Prior to her historic Artemis II Moon Mission, she served as flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS) for Expeditions 59, 60 and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.

Christina Koch Biographies:
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch
https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography

Artemis II mission specialist and NASA astronaut Christina Koch joined NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a nearly 10-day lunar flyby mission, surpassing the Apollo 13 record for farthest crewed spaceflight and observing the lunar surface like never before, capturing iconic views.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis II Mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds
Release Date: March 13, 2019

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Wide-field view: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

Wide-field view: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

M105 is an elliptical galaxy 32 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It is the largest elliptical in the Messier catalog that is not a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. M105 does, however, belong to the M96 (or Leo I) Group. This includes neighbors M95 and M96 as well as several other fainter galaxies. M105 is the brightest elliptical galaxy within the Leo I galaxy group. 

It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy—known as Messier 105—show that the stars near the galaxy’s center are moving very rapidly. Astronomers have concluded that these stars are zooming around a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 200 million Suns. This black hole releases huge amounts of energy as it consumes matter falling into it and causing the center to shine far brighter than its surroundings. This system is known as an active galactic nucleus.

Like most elliptical galaxies it appears rather featureless and inactive. However, Hubble observations surprised astronomers by revealing young stars and star clusters in M105, indicating that star formation is still taking place in what was thought to be a “dead” galaxy no longer capable of giving birth to new stars. Other Hubble observations measured the speeds of stars moving around the center of the galaxy. This demonstrated that a supermassive black hole resides at M105’s core.

Hubble also surprised astronomers by revealing a few young stars and clusters in Messer 105. Messier 105 is now thought to form roughly one Sun-like star every 10,000 years. Star-forming activity has also been spotted in a vast ring of hydrogen gas encircling both Messier 105 and its closest neighbor, the lenticular galaxy NGC 3384.

Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain discovered M105 in 1781 just a few days after locating M95 and M96. Yet M105 was not originally included in Messier’s catalog. It was added in 1947 after astronomer Helen S. Hogg found a letter written by Méchain describing the galaxy.

Best observed in the month of April, M105 has an apparent magnitude of 10.2 and can be spotted with a small telescope. Large telescopes will uncover two fainter galaxies (NGC 3384 and NGC 3389) close to the bright elliptical.


Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Sarazin et al.
Release Date: Jan. 7, 2019

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Close-up: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Elliptical Galaxy Messier 105 in Leo | Hubble Space Telescope

M105 is an elliptical galaxy 32 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It is the largest elliptical in the Messier catalog that is not a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. M105 does, however, belong to the M96 (or Leo I) Group. This includes neighbors M95 and M96 as well as several other fainter galaxies. M105 is the brightest elliptical galaxy within the Leo I galaxy group. 

It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy—known as Messier 105—show that the stars near the galaxy’s center are moving very rapidly. Astronomers have concluded that these stars are zooming around a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 200 million Suns. This black hole releases huge amounts of energy as it consumes matter falling into it and causing the center to shine far brighter than its surroundings. This system is known as an active galactic nucleus.

This Hubble image of M105 was taken in near-infrared and visible light. Like most elliptical galaxies it appears rather featureless and inactive. However, Hubble observations surprised astronomers by revealing young stars and star clusters in M105, indicating that star formation is still taking place in what was thought to be a “dead” galaxy no longer capable of giving birth to new stars. Other Hubble observations measured the speeds of stars moving around the center of the galaxy. This demonstrated that a supermassive black hole resides at M105’s core.

Hubble also surprised astronomers by revealing a few young stars and clusters in Messer 105. Messier 105 is now thought to form roughly one Sun-like star every 10,000 years. Star-forming activity has also been spotted in a vast ring of hydrogen gas encircling both Messier 105 and its closest neighbor, the lenticular galaxy NGC 3384.

Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain discovered M105 in 1781 just a few days after locating M95 and M96. Yet M105 was not originally included in Messier’s catalog. It was added in 1947 after astronomer Helen S. Hogg found a letter written by Méchain describing the galaxy.

Best observed in the month of April, M105 has an apparent magnitude of 10.2 and can be spotted with a small telescope. Large telescopes will uncover two fainter galaxies (NGC 3384 and NGC 3389) close to the bright elliptical.


Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, and C. Sarazin (University of Virginia)
Release Date: Oct. 5, 2017


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