Globular Star Cluster Messier 30 in Capricornus | Hubble

Globular Star Cluster Messier 30 in Capricornus | Hubble

This brilliant image of Messier 30 (M 30) was taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Messier 30 formed 13 billion years ago and was discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Located about 27,500 light-years away from Earth, this globular cluster—a dense swarm of several hundred thousand stars—is about 90 light-years across.

Although globular clusters such as this one are mainly populated by old stars, the crowded field of stars leads to old stars apparently reclaiming their youth in the form of blue stragglers.

M30 is a globular cluster—a roughly spherical star cluster containing anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of stars. These clusters generally reside on the outskirts of galaxies, orbiting within a vast, diffuse region called the halo like a swarm of moths around a lightbulb. Our Milky Way galaxy has at least 150 globular clusters, the nearest of which is about 6,000 light-years away. These clusters are impressively ancient—astronomers have estimated their ages at 11.5 to 13.5 billion years, making certain globular clusters nearly as old as the Universe itself.

Globular clusters have long played an important role in helping us learn about our galaxy. More than a century ago, astronomer Harlow Shapley used observations of a particular type of variable star to measure the locations of and distances to dozens of globular clusters within our galaxy. This work showed that the Sun is not in the center of our galaxy, and that the galactic center lies instead toward the constellation Sagittarius. (His distance measurements were incorrect, however, and he concluded that our galaxy is about twice as large as it really is.)

Today, astronomers continue to learn about our galaxy by observing globular clusters. Because globular clusters are so ancient, they can give us clues about how our galaxy was assembled long ago. Globular clusters that formed within our galaxy can act as time capsules, preserving the original chemistry of our young galaxy. 

However, it is possible that not all globular clusters that orbit within our galaxy today formed there. Researchers have discovered that M30 and many other globular clusters orbit in the direction opposite from the way our galaxy spins. This may mean that these clusters did not form within our galaxy at all, but may instead have been captured by the Milky Way galaxy in the distant past.

Credit: NASA/European Space Agency (ESA)
Release Date: Dec. 23, 2009

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularClusters #Messier30 #M30 #CapricornusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #NSF #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Close-up: Globular Star Cluster Messier 30 in Capricornus | Hubble Space Telescope

Close-up: Globular Star Cluster Messier 30 in Capricornus | Hubble Space Telescope

This Hubble Space Telescope image offers a lesson in galactic history. This sparkling collection of stars is named Messier 30 (M30) after Charles Messier, the French astronomer who cataloged M30 and other diffuse objects that might be mistaken for comets. M30 lies about 27,500 light-years away in the constellation Capricornus.

M30 is a globular cluster—a roughly spherical star cluster containing anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of stars. These clusters generally reside on the outskirts of galaxies, orbiting within a vast, diffuse region called the halo like a swarm of moths around a lightbulb. Our Milky Way galaxy has at least 150 globular clusters, the nearest of which is about 6,000 light-years away. These clusters are impressively ancient—astronomers have estimated their ages at 11.5 to 13.5 billion years, making certain globular clusters nearly as old as the Universe itself.

Globular clusters have long played an important role in helping us learn about our galaxy. More than a century ago, astronomer Harlow Shapley used observations of a particular type of variable star to measure the locations of and distances to dozens of globular clusters within our galaxy. This work showed that the Sun is not in the center of our galaxy, and that the galactic center lies instead toward the constellation Sagittarius. (His distance measurements were incorrect, however, and he concluded that our galaxy is about twice as large as it really is.)

Today, astronomers continue to learn about our galaxy by observing globular clusters. Because globular clusters are so ancient, they can give us clues about how our galaxy was assembled long ago. Globular clusters that formed within our galaxy can act as time capsules, preserving the original chemistry of our young galaxy. 

However, it is possible that not all globular clusters that orbit within our galaxy today formed there. Researchers have discovered that M30 and many other globular clusters orbit in the direction opposite from the way our galaxy spins. This may mean that these clusters did not form within our galaxy at all, but may instead have been captured by the Milky Way galaxy in the distant past.

Hubble has observed M30 multiple times, A previously released image of M30 featured data from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. These data came from an observing program (#10775; PI: Sarajedini) that surveyed dozens of Milky Way globular clusters, observing red and near-infrared light that revealed stars down to just 20% of the mass of the Sun. A more recent program (#13297; PI: Piotto) returned to M30 and other globular clusters in our galaxy, this time observing the clusters with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and using three filters that captured bluer light. This program collected data that was critical for studying exotic objects like blue straggler stars as well as for investigating the multiple populations of stars that can inhabit a single globular cluster.

Most recently, Hubble viewed many of these globular clusters once more, aiming to detect how the stars in these clusters had moved over 15 years. This program (#16298, PI: Libralato) allowed astronomers to study how different populations of stars in globular clusters move—a feat only possible due to Hubble’s longevity and ability to discern fantastically small details in distant objects.

Image Description: A star cluster seen up close, filling the view with thousands of stars. Blue ones are scattered around the outskirts of the image with more towards the center. They are the majority in the bright core of the cluster. Yellow stars are present in the core, but make up most of the cluster outside it. A few orange stars are closer to us and appear noticeably larger.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Libralato, G. Piotto, A. Sarajedini
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 5, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularClusters #Messier30 #M30 #CapricornusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #NSF #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Globular Star Cluster Messier 30 in Capricornus: Galactic-level Lessons | Hubble

Globular Star Cluster Messier 30 in Capricornus: Galactic-level Lessons | Hubble

This Hubble Space Telescope image offers a lesson in galactic history. This sparkling collection of stars is named Messier 30 (M30) after Charles Messier, the French astronomer who cataloged M30 and other diffuse objects that might be mistaken for comets. M30 lies about 27,500 light-years away in the constellation Capricornus.

M30 is a globular cluster—a roughly spherical star cluster containing anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of stars. These clusters generally reside on the outskirts of galaxies, orbiting within a vast, diffuse region called the halo like a swarm of moths around a lightbulb. Our Milky Way galaxy has at least 150 globular clusters, the nearest of which is about 6,000 light-years away. These clusters are impressively ancient—astronomers have estimated their ages at 11.5 to 13.5 billion years, making certain globular clusters nearly as old as the Universe itself.

Globular clusters have long played an important role in helping us learn about our galaxy. More than a century ago, astronomer Harlow Shapley used observations of a particular type of variable star to measure the locations of and distances to dozens of globular clusters within our galaxy. This work showed that the Sun is not in the center of our galaxy, and that the galactic center lies instead toward the constellation Sagittarius. (His distance measurements were incorrect, however, and he concluded that our galaxy is about twice as large as it really is.)

Today, astronomers continue to learn about our galaxy by observing globular clusters. Because globular clusters are so ancient, they can give us clues about how our galaxy was assembled long ago. Globular clusters that formed within our galaxy can act as time capsules, preserving the original chemistry of our young galaxy. 

However, it is possible that not all globular clusters that orbit within our galaxy today formed there. Researchers have discovered that M30 and many other globular clusters orbit in the direction opposite from the way our galaxy spins. This may mean that these clusters did not form within our galaxy at all, but may instead have been captured by the Milky Way galaxy in the distant past.

Hubble has observed M30 multiple times, A previously released image of M30 featured data from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. These data came from an observing program (#10775; PI: Sarajedini) that surveyed dozens of Milky Way globular clusters, observing red and near-infrared light that revealed stars down to just 20% of the mass of the Sun. A more recent program (#13297; PI: Piotto) returned to M30 and other globular clusters in our galaxy, this time observing the clusters with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and using three filters that captured bluer light. This program collected data that was critical for studying exotic objects like blue straggler stars as well as for investigating the multiple populations of stars that can inhabit a single globular cluster.

Most recently, Hubble viewed many of these globular clusters once more, aiming to detect how the stars in these clusters had moved over 15 years. This program (#16298, PI: Libralato) allowed astronomers to study how different populations of stars in globular clusters move—a feat only possible due to Hubble’s longevity and ability to discern fantastically small details in distant objects.

Image Description: A star cluster seen up close, filling the view with thousands of stars. Blue ones are scattered around the outskirts of the image with more towards the center. They are the majority in the bright core of the cluster. Yellow stars are present in the core, but make up most of the cluster outside it. A few orange stars are closer to us and appear noticeably larger.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Libralato, G. Piotto, A. Sarajedini
Release Date: Nov. 5, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularClusters #Messier30 #M30 #CapricornusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescopes #GSFC #STScI #NSF #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

'Atmospheric' Aurora with Starry Moonrise over Sweden

'Atmospheric' Aurora with Starry Moonrise over Sweden

Astrophotographer P-M Hedén: "I had a really spooky Aurora session with the Moon rising in the mist with Castor and Pollux above, beautiful!

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/

Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east.

Image Credit: P-M Hedén

P-M's website: https://www.clearskies.se
Location: Vallentuna, Sweden
Date: Oct. 31, 2026 

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Stars #Moon #Moonrise #Astrophotography #PMHedén #Astrophotographer #Vallentuna #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education

A Rare One-Armed Spiral: NGC 4725 in Coma Berenices | NASA Chandra

A Rare One-Armed Spiral: NGC 4725 in Coma Berenices | NASA Chandra

"The universe's most interesting galaxies are the ones that break the rules." NGC 4725 is a "one-armed" barred spiral galaxy surrounded by a prominent star-forming ring. Chandra's X-ray data (magenta) pinpoints several bright X-ray sources, likely caused by growing black holes, embedded within the sweeping optical disk (soft blue and white) captured with the Mount Lemmon Observatory. Galaxies with unusual single arms can help us study how the gravity from a passing galaxy can trigger bursts of star formation.

Distance from Earth: ~41 million light-years

Image Credits: 

X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO 

Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/NAOJ/R. Gendler

Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare
Release Date: Aug. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC4725 #StarburstGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #ComaBerenicesConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #MountLemmonObservatory #UA #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China Long March 2C Rocket Launches New Remote Sensing Satellites

China Long March 2C Rocket Launches New Remote Sensing Satellites

The Long March 2C rocket blasted off at 11:58pm on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, sending the Yaogan-51 07-09 satellites into their preset orbits successfully. The satellites will mainly be used for scientific experiments and electromagnetic environment detection.

The Long March 2C (LM-2C), also known as the Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C), is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Developed and manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the Long March 2C made its first launch on September 9, 1982. It is a two-stage launch vehicle with storable N2O4/UDMH propellants. 

This launch was the 89th of the Long March 2C, and the 675th launch of the Long March rocket series. This was also the 78th launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)

Date: Nov. 5, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #YaoganSatellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Environment #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch2CRockets #LM2C #CZ2C #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #CALT #中国运载火箭技术研究院 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #JSLC #酒泉卫星发射中心 #Spaceports #STEM #Education

China Long March 2C Rocket Launches New Remote Sensing Satellites

China Long March 2C Rocket Launches New Remote Sensing Satellites

The Long March 2C rocket blasted off at 11:58pm on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, sending the Yaogan-51 07-09 satellites into their preset orbits successfully. The satellites will mainly be used for scientific experiments and electromagnetic environment detection.

The Long March 2C (LM-2C), also known as the Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C), is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Developed and manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the Long March 2C made its first launch on September 9, 1982. It is a two-stage launch vehicle with storable N2O4/UDMH propellants. 

This launch was the 89th launch of the Long March 2C, and the 675th launch of the Long March rocket series. This was also the 78th launch from China in 2026.

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 23 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 6, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #YaoganSatellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Environment #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch2CRockets #LM2C #CZ2C #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #CALT #中国运载火箭技术研究院 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #JSLC #酒泉卫星发射中心 #Spaceports #STEM #Education #HD #Video

First Close-up View of Didymos Asteroids | European Space Agency Hera Mission

First Close-up View of Didymos Asteroids | European Space Agency Hera Mission

The European Space Agency’s Hera Mission for planetary defense has acquired its first close-up of the Didymos binary asteroid system. NASA’s DART spacecraft impacted the smaller Dimorphos asteroid on September 26, 2022—but this image gives a novel view of its adjacent parent asteroid.

In this image, acquired by Hera’s monochromatic Asteroid Framing Camera from 60 km away, most of the 151-m diameter Dimorphos asteroid is hidden by shadow but the 780-m diameter Didymos asteroid that the smaller moonlet orbits around is shown clearly.

“The first thing we said was wow!” observes Hera Principal Investigator Patrick Michel, Director of Research at CNRS/Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur. “This is the other side of Didymos from the one that DART’s camera showed us shortly before impact, so this feels like looking at a whole new world.

“This side of Didymos has the same central ridge along its equator that we saw before, but otherwise appears very different with multiple boulders and craters and what look like patterns of grooves or ridges.”

Hera mission scientist Michael Kueppers adds: “Since we expect a lot of impact-ejected material to have made it across the approximately 1 km of space from Dimorphos to Didymos, it may be that some of these characteristics originate from this transport of material, and we have exciting work ahead of us to sort it out. We look forward to seeing much more of both bodies and systemically mapping all the changes we identify.”

Mostly unseen in this image, the smaller Dimorphos asteroid is the first Solar System object to have had its orbit measurably changed by human action. Following the impact of NASA's 580 kg DART spacecraft, moving at about 6.1 km/s, the orbit of Dimorphos was shortened around Didymos by 33 minutes give or minus a minute—a much higher change than was previously predicted.

Hera, after its two-year flight to these double asteroids—currently 196.8 million km from Earth—is about to perform a close-up ‘crash site investigation’. Hera’s discoveries will help turn the kinetic impact method of asteroid deflection from a one-off experiment to a well understood and potentially repeatable technique if ever Earth comes under threat.

“Seeing this image is a hugely exciting moment for the whole Hera family,” comments Hera mission manager Ian Carnelli. “It has taken years of hard work and dedication to reach this point—but we’re motivated to know that the adventure is only beginning!”

Detailed images of both asteroids will be unveiled on November 25, 2026.

Hera is carrying two small CubeSat spacecraft, called Milani and Juventas. Hera has a mass of 1,128 kg (2,487 lb). Its payload includes cameras, an altimeter, and a spectrometer. The spacecraft was launched on October 7, 2024, by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 

Learn more about the Hera Mission:
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Release Date: Nov. 5, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #SolarSystem #Asteroids #Dimorphos #Didymos #HeraMission #HeraSpacecraft #CubeSats #Earth #PlanetaryDefense #DeepSpace #SolarSystemExploration #Europe #STEM #Education

Europe's Hera Mission Approaches Asteroids Didymos & Dimorphos | ESA

Europe's Hera Mission Approaches Asteroids Didymos & Dimorphos | ESA

Watch the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft approach its target asteroids from 270,280 km to 360 km away. This is the final approach of the Hera mission for planetary defense to its target Didymos and Dimorphos asteroids, as seen through its main Asteroid Framing Camera, designed for navigation and science. 

The Hera Mission will perform the most detailed exploration yet of a binary asteroid system—although binaries make up 15% of all known asteroids, one has never been surveyed in detail.

The first image making up this approach sequence was acquired on October 5, 2026 from 270,280 km away in space with the Didymos binary asteroid system seen as a single bright point, circled in red. The last image was acquired on October 27 from just 360 km away. 

During the second half of October Hera performed braking maneuvers to reduce its velocity from more than 12 km/s relative to Earth down to near zero relative to the asteroids. 

The smaller 151-m-diameter Dimorphos asteroid is the first Solar System object to have had its orbit measurably changed by human action. Following the impact of NASA's 580 kg DART spacecraft in 2022, moving at about 6.1 km/s, the orbit of Dimorphos was shortened around the 780-m-diameter Didymos asteroid by 33 minutes plus or minus a minute—a much higher change than was previously predicted. 

ESA’s Hera, after its two-year flight to these double asteroids—currently 196.8 million km from Earth—is about to perform a close-up ‘crash site investigation’. Hera’s discoveries will help turn the kinetic impact method of asteroid deflection from a one-off experiment to a well understood and potentially repeatable technique if ever Earth comes under threat. 

Detailed images of both asteroids will be unveiled on November 25, 2026. 

Hera is carrying two small CubeSat spacecraft, called Milani and Juventas. Hera has a mass of 1,128 kg (2,487 lb). Its payload includes cameras, an altimeter, and a spectrometer. The spacecraft was launched on October 7, 2024, by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. 

Learn more about the Hera Mission:
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 22 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 5, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #SolarSystem #Asteroids #Dimorphos #Didymos #HeraMission #HeraSpacecraft #CubeSats #Earth #PlanetaryDefense #DeepSpace #SolarSystemExploration #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Lunar Halo over Sicily

Lunar Halo over Sicily

A halo (from ancient Greek ἅλως, a 'threshing floor, disk') is an optical phenomenon produced by light (typically from the Moon or Sun) interacting with ice crystals suspended in the Earth's atmosphere. This is a circular halo (properly called the 22° halo). The ice crystals responsible for halos are typically suspended in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds in the upper troposphere (5–10 km (3.1–6.2 mi). Circular 22 degree halos like this one are visible much more often than rainbows.

Ragusa is a city and comune, capital of the province of Ragusa in the autonomous island region of Sicily in southern Italy. Sicily is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea and one of the twenty regions of Italy, situated south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe.

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern and Western Europe. It consists of a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land border, as well as nearly 800 islands, notably Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares land borders with France to the west; Switzerland and Austria to the north; Slovenia to the east; and the two enclaves of Vatican City and San Marino.

Image Credit: Giovanni Passalacqua

Image Details: Canon camera EOS R Lens Artisans 10mm
Date: Oct. 29, 2026
Location: Ragusa, Sicily, Italy

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Moon #LunarHalos  #EarthScience #Atmospheres #SolarHalo #Sunlight #Clouds #IceCrystals #AtmosphericOptics #Astrophotography #GiovanniPassalacqua #Astrophotographers #Ragusa #Sicily #Sicilia #Italy #Italia #MediterraneanSea #STEM #Education

Lunar Close Up | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

Lunar Close Up | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

A close-up picture of the Moon taken from an Artemis II crewmember's iPhone during flight day six of the Artemis II mission around the Moon. The surface of the Moon can be appreciated along with its rugged terrain and craters.

In early April 2026, the Artemis II crew became the first to travel beyond the Moon in more than 50 years and traveled farther in space than humans have ever before.

Planned to launch in 2027, the Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. 

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities NASA needs to return—this time to stay.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credit: NASA's Artemis II crew

Image Date: April 6, 2026
Release Date: Nov. 3, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #CSA #Canada  #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA & NOAA 2026 Ozone Hole Update | NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA & NOAA 2026 Ozone Hole Update | NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Earth’s protective ozone layer remains on track for long-term recovery, despite atmospheric conditions that contributed to a larger Antarctic ozone hole in 2026, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported. The ozone hole ranked seventh largest by area in 48 years of monitoring. However, it was not as deep as other large holes on record.

The ozone-rich layer high in the atmosphere acts as a planetary sunscreen that helps shield us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. Areas with depleted ozone allow more UV radiation to reach Earth's surface, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer and cataracts. Excessive exposure to UV light can also reduce agricultural yields as well as damage aquatic plants and animals in vital ecosystems.

Scientists were alarmed in the 1970s at the prospect that CFCs could eat away at atmospheric ozone. By the mid-1980s, the ozone layer had been depleted so much that a broad swath of the Antarctic stratosphere was essentially devoid of ozone by early October each year. Sources of damaging CFCs included coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as aerosols in hairspray, antiperspirant, and spray paint. Harmful chemicals were also released in the manufacture of insulating foams and as components of industrial fire suppression systems.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on September 16, 1987, and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Since then, it has undergone nine revisions, in 1990 (London), 1991 (Nairobi), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1993 (Bangkok), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), 1999 (Beijing) and 2016 (Kigali).

Countries worldwide agreed to replace the chemicals with more environmentally friendly alternatives by 2010. The release of CFC compounds has dramatically decreased following the Montreal Protocol. However, CFCs already in the air will take many decades to break down. As existing CFC levels gradually decline, ozone in the upper atmosphere will rebound globally, and ozone holes will shrink. 

As a result of the international agreement, the ozone hole in Antarctica is slowly recovering. Due to its widespread adoption and implementation, it has been hailed as an example of successful international co-operation. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that "perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol".

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio

Producer: Katie Jepson (eMITS)
Writer: Sally Younger (NASA/JPL)
Social media support: Sofie Bates (eMITS)
Scientist: Paul Newman (NASA/GSFC)
Technical support: Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Duration: 46 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 4, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Sun #UltravioletRadiation #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #AtmosphericScience #OzoneLayer #OzoneHole #Ozone #Antarctica #EarthScience #Pollution #Chlorofluorocarbons #Physics #Chemistry #Satellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #InternationalCooperation #MontrealProtocol #History #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

"The Not-So-Hidden" Spiral Galaxy IC 342 in Camelopardalis

"The Not-So-Hidden" Spiral Galaxy IC 342 in Camelopardalis

“I see” IC 342, the Hidden Galaxy! This image peers through the plane of the Milky Way, through all its gas, dust and stars, to unveil this spiral galaxy. IC 342 (or Caldwell 5) is one of the brightest members of the IC 342/Maffei group of galaxies. Located about 10 million light years away, this group is quite close to the Local Group that includes our Milky Way. Inaccurate accounting of the crowded and dusty Milky Way foreground has led to misunderstandings in IC 342’s history, including the theory that the galaxy was ejected from the Local Group. IC 342 has its own dust intermittently blocking the glow of hydrogen gas, indicating the presence of bright, young stars. Magnetic field maps of IC 342 reveal that magnetic fields may contribute substantially to one of the biggest galactic puzzles. How do spiral arms form?

Although IC 342's light is dimmed and reddened by intervening cosmic clouds, this sharp telescopic image traces the galaxy's own obscuring dust, young star clusters, and glowing star forming regions along spiral arms that wind far from the galaxy's core. IC 342 has undergone a recent burst of star formation activity and is close enough to have influenced the evolution of the local group of galaxies and the Milky Way.

Credit & Copyright: Artem Mironov

Artem's website: https://www.instagram.com/artofomin/
Authors & editors: Keighley Rockcliffe, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti
A service of the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Technological University (MTU)
Date:  Nov. 4, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #IC342 #Caldwell5 #CamelopardalisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #ArtemMironov #CitizenScientist #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

The Great Lacerta Nebula: Sh2-126

The Great Lacerta Nebula: Sh2-126

Sh 2-126, also known as Great Lacerta Nebula or Star Funnel Nebula, is a large emission nebula and molecular cloud complex located approximately 1,200 light-years away in the constellation Lacerta. It is a prominent member of the Lacerta OB1 association. OB associations are defined as unbound groups of young stars characterized by their bright massive OB members. They are thought to be the expanded remnants of dense star clusters. 

The primary source of ionization is the bright O-type star 10 Lacertae (O9V), a member of the Lacerta OB1 association. Additional ultraviolet radiation comes from other massive stars in the association, as well as from the embedded Herbig Ae/Be star V375 Lacertae (A7Ve).

This dark nebula is being illuminated by several bright stars nearby. The funnel is embedded in a larger nebula of warm hydrogen gas that is glowing red.

Image Credit: Alessandro Cipolat Bares

Date: Nov. 2, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Sh2126 #GreatLacertaNebula #StarFunnelNebula #Stars #LacertaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #AlessandroCipolatBares #Astrophotographers #STEM #Education

North American City Lights: Midwest to the East Coast | International Space Station

North American City Lights: Midwest to the East Coast | International Space Station

City lights from the Midwestern United States to the East Coast sparkle across the landscape a couple of hours before sunrise. Major urban areas visible in the photograph include Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; and the New York metropolitan region. The International Space Station was orbiting 259 miles above Earth at approximately 4:54 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken.

Follow Expedition 75:

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

Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Pyotr Dubrov 
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Anna Kikina, Sergey Teteryatnikov

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Flight Engineer: Joshua Kutryk

NASA Flight Engineers: Anil Menon, Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney 

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: CSA/Joshua Kutryk
Release Date: Nov. 3, 2026

Image Date: Oct. 18, 2026

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"No Place Like Home": Over 230,000 miles away | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

"No Place Like Home": Over 230,000 miles away | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

This photograph, taken by the Artemis II crew from the Orion spacecraft during flight day seven of the Artemis II mission, captured the beauty of our galaxy, the Milky Way. A sweet reminder that there is no place like home. The crew was over 236,000 miles from Earth as it exited the lunar sphere of influence on its return journey that day.

In early April 2026, the Artemis II crew became the first to travel beyond the Moon in more than 50 years and traveled farther in space than humans have ever before.

Planned to launch in 2027, the Artemis III Mission will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with two lunar landers in low Earth orbit. 

On future missions, including Artemis IV in 2028, landers will bring astronauts to the lunar surface. While Artemis III will not land on the Moon, it will test the complex capabilities NASA needs to return—this time to stay.

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Image Credit: NASA's Artemis II crew

Image Date: April 7, 2026
Release Date: Nov. 3, 2026

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