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A Planet in Focus—USGS Landsat 7 Earth Satellite's Legacy | NASA Goddard
Launched in 1999, Landsat 7 carried forward NASA and United States Geological Survey’s mission to continuously monitor Earth’s surface, capturing stunning, high-resolution imagery every 16 days for over two decades. This video pays tribute to the satellite’s remarkable 25-year journey—from its first light over South Dakota to its final pass over Las Vegas in 2024.
Equipped with the powerful Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), Landsat 7 transformed how we study agriculture, urban growth, wildfires, coral reefs, and even Antarctica. Despite a scan line corrector malfunction in 2003, scientists developed innovative methods to keep the data flowing—ultimately enabling over 3 million images, thousands of scientific publications, and billions in economic benefits.
Let's take a look back at how this mission reshaped our understanding of a changing planet—and laid the foundation for the future of Earth observation.
Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/United States Geological Survey (USGS) Duration: 5 minutes, 26 seconds Release Date: June 10, 2025
Ax-4 Mission: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland | International Space Station
Meet Ax-4 Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, representing Poland and the European Space Agency (ESA). The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.
The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Ax-4 Mission Specialist: Tibor Kapu of Hungary | International Space Station
Meet Ax-4 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, representing Hungary. The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.
The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Ax-4 Mission Commander: Peggy Whitson | International Space Station
Representing the United States, meet Ax4 Commander Peggy Whitson. The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.
The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
South Africa Adds Far Side Radio Telescope to China's Chang'e-8 Lunar Mission
Africa is set to make history as its first lunar mission, Africa2Moon, prepares to launch aboard China’s Chang’e-8, marking a groundbreaking moment for the continent’s space ambitions. Spearheaded by South African scientists, the mission aims to deploy a radio telescope array on the Moon’s far side to study the universe in low frequencies.
Chang'e 8 is a planned robotic mission by China to explore the lunar south pole (far side) and to test technologies for the future International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). The mission is expected to launch in 2028 and will include a lander, a rover, and a humanoid robot. Pakistan's national space agency, the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), will contribute the country's first lunar rover aboard the Chang'e-8 mission as a part of the wider ILRS program.
Video Credit: CGTN Africa Duration: 3 minutes Release Date: June 7, 2025
Axiom Mission 4 Pilot: Shubhanshu Shukla of India | International Space Station
Representing India, meet Ax4 Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla. The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.
The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
A Surprisingly Strong Distant Black Hole Jet at Cosmic "Noon" | NASA Chandra
A black hole has blasted out a surprisingly powerful jet in the distant universe, according to a new study from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This jet exists early enough in the cosmos that it is being illuminated by the leftover glow from the 'big bang' itself.
Astronomers used Chandra and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to study this black hole and its jet at a period they call “cosmic noon,” that occurred about three billion years after the universe began. During this time most galaxies and supermassive black holes were growing faster than at any other time during the history of the universe.
The black hole is located 11.6 billion light-years from Earth when the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the leftover glow from the big bang, was much denser than it is now. As the electrons in the jets fly away from the black hole, they move through the sea of CMB radiation and collide with microwave photons. These collisions boost the energy of the photons up into the X-ray band, allowing them to be detected by Chandra even at this great distance.
Researchers, in fact, identified and then confirmed the existence of two different black holes with jets over 300,000 light-years long. The two black holes are 11.6 billion and 11.7 billion light-years away from Earth, respectively. Particles in one jet are moving at between 95% and 99% of the speed of light (called J1405+0415) and in the other at between 92% and 98% of the speed of light (J1610+1811). The jet from J1610+1811 is remarkably powerful, carrying roughly half as much energy as the intense light from hot gas orbiting the black hole.
The team was able to detect these jets despite their great distances and small separation from the bright, growing supermassive black holes—known as “quasars”—because of Chandra’s sharp X-ray vision, and because the CMB was much denser then than it is now, enhancing the energy boost described above.
When quasar jets approach the speed of light, Einstein's theory of special relativity creates a dramatic brightening effect. Jets aimed toward Earth appear much brighter than those pointed away. The same brightness astronomers observe can come from vastly different combinations of speed and viewing angle. A jet racing at near-light speed but angled away from us can appear just as bright as a slower jet pointed directly at Earth.
The researchers developed a novel statistical method that finally cracked this challenge of separating effects of speed and of viewing angle. Their approach recognizes a fundamental bias: astronomers are more likely to discover jets pointed toward Earth simply because relativistic effects make them appear brightest. They incorporated this bias using a modified probability distribution, which accounts for how jets oriented at different angles are detected in surveys.
Their method works by first using the physics of how jet particles scatter the CMB to determine the relationship between jet speed and viewing angle. Then, instead of assuming all angles are equally likely, they apply the relativistic selection effect: jets beamed toward us (smaller angles) are overrepresented in our catalogs. By running ten thousand simulations that match this biased distribution to their physical model, they could finally determine the most probable viewing angles: about 9 degrees for J1405+0415 and 11 degrees for J1610+1811.
These results were presented by Jaya Maithil (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian) at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, AK, and are also being published in The Astrophysical Journal.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory Duration: 3 minutes Release Date: June 9, 2025
Axiom 4 Mission: Falcon 9 Rocket Pre-launch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center
The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.
The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Axiom 4 Mission Crew: Ready for Launch | NASA's Kennedy Space Center
From left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland
From left to right: Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India and Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States
From left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland
From left to right: Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, and Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland
Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India
Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States
Axiom Mission 4 Patch
The Axiom Space Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the International Space Station on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding Ax-4 and will be flying on her fifth mission to the orbiting lab. She is leading first time space flyers Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four private astronauts are preparing for a two-week stay on the orbital laboratory to conduct a wide array of space research supporting human health, space commercialization, and more.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission comprised of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.
The Ax-4 Mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Shenzhou-20 Crew Completes Ten+ Experiments & Tests | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-20 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station, conducted over ten scientific experiments and tests last week, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Since entering the station on April 25, 2025, the three astronauts have completed a series of tasks in orbit.
During the past week, they successfully carried out the collection and processing of blood samples, a crucial step towards understanding the changes in astronauts' skeletal and nervous systems during long-duration space mission.
Utilizing fine motor measurement devices, the crew undertook memory slide tests, with the test results expected to provide valuable insights into the changes in astronauts' fine motor control and adaptive learning mechanisms.
Moreover, a study on the kinematic characteristics of astronauts in orbit was conducted. This study, focusing on observing astronauts' movements and operations within the space station, aims to offer valuable data support for ergonomics design and assessment, as well as the optimization of on-orbit task planning.
The crew also completed the collection and preservation of samples from a small aquatic ecosystem experiment unit. These samples will be significant in elucidating the regulatory role of protein homeostasis on the bone loss and cardiovascular dysfunction induced by weightlessness.
Additionally, the crew replaced the sampling cover of the experimental plugin in the combustion experiment cabinet and conducted maintenance on the containerless experiment cabinet. This included cleaning the experimental chamber, replacing samples, and ensuring the proper functioning of its axis mechanism.
They also replaced liquid bags in the fluids physics experiment cabinet to study the thermocapillary migration of droplets in microgravity condition.
Moreover, examination of the space radiation biology exposure device was finished inside the cabin.
Shenzhou-20 Crew Chen Dong (陈冬) - Commander - Third spaceflight Chen Zhong Rui (陈中瑞) - Operator - First spaceflight Wang Jie (王杰) - Flight Engineer - First spaceflight
Video Credit: CCTV Duration: 1 minute, 47 seconds Release Date: June 9, 2025
Close-up: Spiral Galaxy IC 758 in Ursa Major | Hubble
This serene spiral galaxy hides a cataclysmic past. The galaxy IC 758 in this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture is situated 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
In this Hubble image captured in 2023, IC 758 appears peaceful, its soft blue spiral arms curving gently around its hazy barred center. However, in 1999, astronomers spotted a powerful explosion in this galaxy: supernova SN 1999bg. SN 1999bg marked the dramatic end of a star far more massive than the Sun.
It is not yet known how massive this star was before it exploded. Researchers will use these Hubble observations to measure the masses of stars in SN 1999bg’s neighborhood. This will help them estimate the mass of the star that went supernova. The Hubble data may also reveal whether SN 1999bg’s progenitor star had a companion. This would give additional clues about the star’s life and death.
A supernova represents more than just the demise of a single star—it is also a powerful force that can shape its neighborhood. When a massive star collapses, triggering a supernova, its outer layers rebound off its shrunken core. The explosion stirs the interstellar soup of gas and dust that new stars form from. This interstellar shakeup can scatter and heat nearby gas clouds, preventing new stars from forming, or it can compress them, creating a burst of new stars. The cast-off layers also become ingredients for new stars.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy with a generally soft and slightly faint appearance. It glows most brightly around the pale yellow bar across its center. It has two spiral arms which wrap around the center, quickly broadening out to join a wide, faint circular halo around the galaxy. Glowing, sparkling patches in the disc show stars forming in nebulae. Behind the galaxy, distant galaxies appear as orange dots on a black background.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)
Spiral Galaxy IC 758 in Ursa Major: "Stirring the Interstellar Soup" | Hubble
This serene spiral galaxy hides a cataclysmic past. The galaxy IC 758 in this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture is situated 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
In this Hubble image captured in 2023, IC 758 appears peaceful, its soft blue spiral arms curving gently around its hazy barred center. However, in 1999, astronomers spotted a powerful explosion in this galaxy: supernova SN 1999bg. SN 1999bg marked the dramatic end of a star far more massive than the Sun.
It is not yet known how massive this star was before it exploded. Researchers will use these Hubble observations to measure the masses of stars in SN 1999bg’s neighborhood. This will help them estimate the mass of the star that went supernova. The Hubble data may also reveal whether SN 1999bg’s progenitor star had a companion. This would give additional clues about the star’s life and death.
A supernova represents more than just the demise of a single star—it is also a powerful force that can shape its neighborhood. When a massive star collapses, triggering a supernova, its outer layers rebound off its shrunken core. The explosion stirs the interstellar soup of gas and dust that new stars form from. This interstellar shakeup can scatter and heat nearby gas clouds, preventing new stars from forming, or it can compress them, creating a burst of new stars. The cast-off layers also become ingredients for new stars.
Image Description: A spiral galaxy with a generally soft and slightly faint appearance. It glows most brightly around the pale yellow bar across its center. It has two spiral arms which wrap around the center, quickly broadening out to join a wide, faint circular halo around the galaxy. Glowing, sparkling patches in the disc show stars forming in nebulae. Behind the galaxy, distant galaxies appear as orange dots on a black background.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick Release Date:June 9, 2025
Orbital Night Life over Southeast Asia & Australia | International Space Station
Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim: "My first time-lapse. Thanks to some instruction and tips from Nichole Ayers, I caught my first aurora. After seeing the result, I told her this felt like fishing. Prepping the camera, the angle, the settings, the mount, then setting your timer and coming back to hope you got a catch. And after catching my first fish, I think I’m hooked. Thanks, Vapor! Beautiful auroras passing over southeastern Asia and Australia."
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, which 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 in which 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.
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim
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.
Central Mexico at Night with Airglow | International Space Station
The International Space Station was soaring 259 miles above central Mexico with a faint atmospheric glow crowning Earth's horizon at approximately 2:58 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken. The city lights of Mexico City, the nation's capital and largest city with a population of 9.21 million, and its surrounding suburbs dominate the nightscape.
You will also notice reddish airglow in this image. 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.
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim
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.
Aurora Australis at The South Pole | International Space Station
Expedition 73 flight engineer and NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers: "I love looking out the side window of the cupola on the International Space Station. This particular view is looking starboard toward Antarctica to catch the aurora—and look at the star movement! I’ve seen a lot of reds and greens in the aurora, but this one had some purple hues, as well. It’s just gorgeous."
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, which 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 in which 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.
Earth auroras have different names depending on the pole where they occur. 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.
NASA Flight Engineers: Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Jonny Kim
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.
Hungarian Students Connect with Shenzhou-20 Astronauts | China Space Station
More than 300 students, scientists, and government officials gathered Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for a special space science question and answer session with Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Dubbed the "Tiangong Classroom," the event was co-hosted by the China Manned Space Agency, the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It aimed to deepen growing cooperation between China and Hungary in the fields of aerospace, education, and innovation.
During the session, Shenzhou-20 crew members Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie responded to questions submitted in advance by students representing over 100 Hungarian schools, touching on a wide range of space science topics including the space station operation and the life in orbit.
Many Hungarian students were thrilled to see their questions answered directly by astronauts in space. In a pre-recorded video, the astronauts also demonstrated zero-gravity science experiments, captivating the audience with examples from space.
"My first question is how the absence of a natural day-night rhythm affects the health and daily life of astronauts. They said it had no impact, and it's not a big issue for them. This event is awesome. In my opinion, it exceeded the national standards. I think the overall experience was excellent," said 15-year-old student Bence Kovacs who focused on the circadian cycle in space. "The astronauts came to explain in person, which completely satisfied my curiosity. I got the answer to my question."
"I asked to what extent an astronaut's spinal column will grow in space when the compression on the intervertebral disc is relatively smaller than that on the earth, and their real feelings of this. I asked this question because I used to read an article in a contest about this. I'm very happy to be awarded and chosen to be involved in this event. I really can't wait to explore more. In the future, I definitely want to engage in astronomy work. I have been very interested in astronomy since I was a child. I have always loved it since then," said Sara Lovati, another student.
Kiss Áron Keve, the person in charge of Svábhegy Observatory in Hungary, one of the event organizers, highlighted the significance of the event. He said China's space industry has developed at an astonishing speed and is remarkable, adding that through this event, Hungarian students had the opportunity to personally participate in the space project, which was of great significance.
"I think apart from inspiring those students who raised specific questions, this activity itself is also of great significance. It provides each student with an excellent opportunity to think about how to participate in space projects and the aerospace industry. Even if they are not astronauts, they can contribute to this booming field from the perspective of researchers. I can see the future. It's very inspiring," he said.
The three-member crew aboard the Tiangong space station was sent into space on April 24 for a six-month mission.
Shenzhou-20 Crew Chen Dong (陈冬) - Commander - Third spaceflight Chen Zhong Rui (陈中瑞) - Operator - First spaceflight Wang Jie (王杰) - Flight Engineer - First spaceflight
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