Light Echoes from Exploding Star Supernova SN1987A in The Tarantula Nebula

Light Echoes from Exploding Star Supernova SN1987A in The Tarantula Nebula

This image shows the detection of light echoes from Supernova SN1987A decades after the event.  Light and neutrinos from the explosion reached Earth on February 23, 1987. The light echoes are produced when the initial flash from SN1987A is subsequently reflected off interstellar dust as light travels outward from the event. Direct light from the supernova was observed on Earth in 1987, and we then see light reflected from dust in the interstellar space arriving later because it has travelled further to reach us. The expanding light echoes appear as roughly circular concentric arcs, centered on SN1987A's location.

The image is a mosaic of two deep fields centered near the bright Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The field is filled with numerous bright colorful nebulae and star clusters (an annotated version is available here). At the LMCs distance of approximately 160,000 light years, the field of view seen here spans a massive 2850 x 1950 light years!

At this large scale the nebulosity seem to feature many bubble shaped voids of different sizes. These are formed by the radiation pressure from young star forming regions and shockwaves from ancient supernovae. The small but comparatively recent supernova remnant of SN1987a is also visible here, as a tiny pink dot in the upper part of the image - if you know where to look.

The Tarantula Nebula, named for its appearance that somewhat resembles a giant spider in the sky, is the largest known emission nebula in the Local Group of galaxies. The nebula is about 1,000 light years wide and would appear bright enough to cast shadows if it was as close to us as the Orion Nebula. It is, however, located 160,000 light years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the largest of the dwarf galaxies that accompany our Milky Way.

In the very center of the nebula lies R136, a super star cluster, a very large region of star formation thought to be the precursor of a globular cluster. It is a very young cluster at only 1-2 million years and consists of giant and supergiant stars.

Image & Text Credit: Rolf Wahl Olsen
Image Date: Oct. 2012
Release Date: Sept. 3, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #TarantulaNebula #30Doradus #Dorado #Constellations #LMC #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotography #RolfWahlOlsen #Astrophotographer #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

The Evolution of Supernova Remnant SN 1987A (1994-2016) | Hubble

The Evolution of Supernova Remnant SN 1987A (1994-2016) | Hubble

Almost four decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest supernovae in more than 400 years. The stellar explosion, SN 1987A, located 168,000 light-years away in the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy, blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months after its discovery on February 23, 1987.  SN 1987A was the nearest supernova explosion observed in centuries and it quickly became the best studied supernova of all time. Over the last thirty-nine years, detailed follow-up observations with telescopes in space and on the ground have allowed astronomers to study the death throes of a massive star in unprecedented detail, from star to supernova to supernova remnant, changing our understanding of these explosive events.

The images show its evolution between 1994 and 2016, and highlight the main ring that blazes around the exploded star.

By observing the expanding remnant material over the years, Hubble has helped to show that the material within the ring was likely ejected 20,000 years before the actual explosion took place.

The initial burst of light from the supernova initially illuminated the rings. They slowly faded over the first decade after the explosion, until a fast-moving shell of gas ejected during the supernova slammed into the central ring, sending a powerful shockwave through the gas, heating it to searing temperatures and generating strong X-ray emission.

This caused clumps of denser gas within the ring to light up like a string of pearls, seen as the increasing number of bright spots, which are now fading again.

As the shock wave continues to move through the shells ejected by the dying star in its final throes of life, who knows what new details will be revealed?

Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) and P. Challis (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Release Dates: Feb. 22, 2007 and Feb. 27, 2017

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #Dorado #Constellations #LMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Supernova Remnant 1987A in Large Magellanic Cloud: Wide-field view | Hubble

Supernova Remnant 1987A in Large Magellanic Cloud: Wide-field view | Hubble

Glittering stars and wisps of gas create a breathtaking backdrop for the self-destruction of a massive star, called supernova 1987A, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy. Astronomers in the Southern hemisphere witnessed the brilliant explosion of this star on February 23, 1987. Shown in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image, the supernova remnant, surrounded by inner and outer rings of material, is set in a forest of ethereal, diffuse clouds of gas. 

This three-color image is composed of several pictures of the supernova and its neighboring region taken with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in September 1994, February 1996 and July 1997. The many bright blue stars nearby the supernova are massive stars, each more than six times heftier than our Sun. They are members of the same generation of stars as the star that went supernova about 12 million years ago. The presence of bright gas clouds is another sign of the youth of this region that still appears to be a fertile breeding ground for new stars. In a few years, the supernova's fast moving material will sweep the inner ring with full force, heating and exciting its gas, and will produce a new series of cosmic fireworks that will offer a striking view for more than a decade.

Credit: NASA/AURA/STScI

Date: February 4, 1999

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #Dorado #Constellations #LMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Planet Earth: Bright Purple Lightning in Clouds | International Space Station

Planet Earth: Bright Purple Lightning in Clouds | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit: " . . . ISS views of bright purple lightning flashing through clouds. Overhead observation of storms this large is best done from orbit, where we keep watch for rare spites and blue jets visible from above!"

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

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

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

Release Date: Jan. 2, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Atmosphere #Weather #Clouds #Lightning #PurpleLightning #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

Bright Supernova 1987A in The Large Magellanic Cloud | Curtis Schmidt Telescope

Bright Supernova 1987A in The Large Magellanic Cloud | Curtis Schmidt Telescope

Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud appears as a very bright object near the center of this color photograph made by Marcelo Bass of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO). The photograph was taken at NOAO's Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), on March 2, 1987, using the Curtis Schmidt Telescope.

Almost four decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. Since that first sighting, the doomed star, called Supernova 1987A, has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is one of many observatories that has been monitoring the blast's aftermath.

Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), located 168,000 light-years away in the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy, has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio since its discovery in February 1987. 

Learn more about the Curtis Schmidt Telescope:

https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/curtis-schmidt-telescope/

Credit: Marcelo Bass, CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA
Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #DoradoConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #CurtisSchmidtTelescope #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

A New Era for Exploding Star Supernova 1987A in Dorado | Hubble/ALMA/Chandra

A New Era for Exploding Star Supernova 1987A in Dorado | Hubble/ALMA/Chandra

The composite image presented here combines observations made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) [radio], the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope [visible light/near-infrared] and NASA’s Chandra X-Ray observatory.

This artist's illustration of Supernova 1987A is based on real data and reveals the cold, inner regions of the exploded star's remnants (in red) where tremendous amounts of dust were detected and imaged by ALMA. This inner region is contrasted with the outer ring (lacy white and blue circles), where the blast wave from the supernova is colliding with the envelope of gas ejected from the star prior to its powerful detonation. This ring was initially lit up by the ultraviolet flash from the original explosion, but over the past few years the ring material has brightened considerably as it collides with the expanding shockwave.

Almost four decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest supernovae in more than 400 years. The stellar explosion, SN 1987A, blazed with the power of 100 million suns for several months after its discovery on February 23, 1987. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies, SN 1987A was the nearest supernova explosion observed in centuries and it quickly became the best studied supernova of all time. Over the last thirty-nine years, detailed follow-up observations with telescopes in space and on the ground have allowed astronomers to study the death throes of a massive star in unprecedented detail, from star to supernova to supernova remnant, changing our understanding of these explosive events.

With its superb sensitivity at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has been exploring previously unstudied aspects of SN 1987A since 2013. Astronomers are using ALMA to observe the glowing remains of the supernova in high resolution, studying how the remnant is making vast amounts of dust from the new elements created in the progenitor star. A portion of this dust will make its way into interstellar space and may one day become the material for producing planets around other stars. These observations suggest that dust in the early Universe was created by similar supernova explosions.

Credit: ALMA: ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/A. Angelich
Hubble: NASA, ESA, R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) and P. Challis (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Chandra: NASA/CXC/Penn State/K. Frank et al.//Alexandra Angelich (NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Release Date: Feb. 27, 2017

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #DoradoConstellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAChandraObservatory #XrayAstronomy #ALMA #RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Universe #Europe #GSFC #STScI #CXC #UnitedStates #Art #STEM #Education

Journey to Exploding Star: Supernova 1987A in Dorado | ESO/Hubble

Journey to Exploding Star: Supernova 1987A in Dorado | ESO/Hubble

This video zooms into images of Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), located 168,000 light-years away in the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy, as seen with European Southern Observatory telescopes, and finally fades into an artist’s impression that shows the distinct elements present in SN 1987A: two outer rings, one inner ring and the deformed, innermost expelled material.

Almost four decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. Since that first sighting, the doomed star, called Supernova 1987A, has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is one of many observatories that has been monitoring the blast's aftermath.

SN 1987A has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio since its discovery in February 1987. 

The most prominent feature in the close-up of the Hubble image is a ring with dozens of bright spots. A shock wave of material unleashed by the stellar blast is slamming into regions along the ring's inner regions, heating them up, and causing them to glow. The ring, about a light-year across, was probably shed by the star about 20,000 years before it exploded.

Astronomers detected the first bright spot in 1997, but now they see dozens of spots around the ring. In the next few years, the entire ring will be ablaze as it absorbs the full force of the crash. The glowing ring is expected to become bright enough to illuminate the star's surroundings, providing astronomers with new information on how the star expelled material before the explosion.

The pink object in the center of the ring is debris from the supernova blast. The glowing debris is being heated by radioactive elements, principally titanium 44, created in the explosion. The debris will continue to glow for many decades.

The origin of a pair of faint outer red rings, located above and below the doomed star, is a mystery. The two bright objects that look like car headlights are a pair of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The Hubble image was taken in December 2006 with its Advanced Camera for Surveys.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Aug. 4, 2010

#NASA #ESO #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #DoradoConstellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Chile #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #SD #Video

A String of 'Cosmic Pearls' Around an Exploding Star: Supernova 1987A | Hubble

A String of 'Cosmic Pearls' Around an Exploding Star: Supernova 1987A | Hubble

Almost four decades ago, astronomers spotted one of the brightest exploding stars in more than 400 years. Since that first sighting, the doomed star, called Supernova 1987A, has continued to fascinate astronomers with its spectacular light show. The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope is one of many observatories that has been monitoring the blast's aftermath.

Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), located 168,000 light-years away in the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy, has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio since its discovery in February 1987. 

This image shows the entire region around the supernova. The most prominent feature in the image is a ring with dozens of bright spots. A shock wave of material unleashed by the stellar blast is slamming into regions along the ring's inner regions, heating them up, and causing them to glow. The ring, about a light-year across, was probably shed by the star about 20,000 years before it exploded.

Astronomers detected the first bright spot in 1997, but now they see dozens of spots around the ring. In the next few years, the entire ring will be ablaze as it absorbs the full force of the crash. The glowing ring is expected to become bright enough to illuminate the star's surroundings, providing astronomers with new information on how the star expelled material before the explosion.

The pink object in the center of the ring is debris from the supernova blast. The glowing debris is being heated by radioactive elements, principally titanium 44, created in the explosion. The debris will continue to glow for many decades.

The origin of a pair of faint outer red rings, located above and below the doomed star, is a mystery. The two bright objects that look like car headlights are a pair of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The image was taken in December 2006 with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Release Date: Feb. 22, 2007

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Supernovae #Supernova1987A #SN1987A #SupernovaRemnants #DoradoConstellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Cosmos #Universe #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Stratovolcano Mount Fuji in Japan by Moonlight | International Space Station

Stratovolcano Mount Fuji in Japan by Moonlight | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kim Yui: "Let me introduce you to the freshly captured Mt. Fuji, the first one I photographed this year.  

I was deeply moved by its serene and majestic presence, standing quietly under the moonlight.  

The daytime Mt. Fuji is beautiful, but the nighttime Mt. Fuji has its own distinct charm, doesn't it?  

I took this photo hoping that it would bring happiness to everyone who sees it."

Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu with a summit elevation of 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft 3 in). It is the tallest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia and seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth. The mountain is located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Tokyo and is visible from the Japanese capital on clear days. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, usually covered in snow for about five months of the year, is commonly used as a cultural icon of Japan and is frequently depicted in art and photography, as well as visited by sightseers, hikers and mountain climbers. Mount Fuji last erupted between 1707 and 1708.

Follow Expedition 74:

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

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, 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: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/K. Yui

Release Date: Jan. 3, 2025

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Moon #Moonlight #MountFuji #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Japan #日本 #JAXA #宇宙航空研究開発機構 #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #STEM #Education

The Little Beehive Star Cluster in Canis Major over Vera Rubin Observatory

The Little Beehive Star Cluster in Canis Major over Vera Rubin Observatory

The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy (NSF–DOE) Vera C. Rubin Observatory on Cerro Pachón in Chile is seen with its dome open during First Look observation activities in April 2025. Messier 41, the Little Beehive Cluster, can be seen over the telescope in this telelens photo. Cerro Pachón is a mountain in central Chile, located east of the city of La Serena in the Coquimbo Region.

Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. Located approximately four degrees south of Sirius, it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Sirius and Nu2 Canis Majoris, visible together in binoculars. The cluster spans an area comparable to the size of the full Moon and contains about a hundred stars, including several red giants and white dwarfs.

Learn more about the new Vera Rubin Observatory:

https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/vera-c-rubin-observatory

An Introduction to Vera Rubin:

https://rubinobservatory.org/about/vera-rubin

Credits: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)
Release Date: June 23, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #RubinObservatory #VeraRubin #Stars #StarClusters #LittleBeehiveCluster #Messier41 #M41 #NGC2287 #CanisMajorConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #Cosmos #Astrophotography #PetrHorálek #Astrophotographers #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #DOE #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Little Beehive Star Cluster: Messier 41 in Canis Major

The Little Beehive Star Cluster: Messier 41 in Canis Major

Why are there so many bright blue stars? 

Stars are usually born in clusters, and the brightest and most massive of these stars typically glow blue. Less-bright, non-blue stars like our Sun surely also exist in this M41 star cluster but are harder to see. A few bright orange-appearing red giant stars are visible. The red-light filaments are emitted by diffuse hydrogen gas, a color that was specifically filtered and enhanced in this image. In a hundred million years or so, the bright blue stars will have exploded in supernovas and disappeared, while the slightly different trajectories of the fainter stars will cause this picturesque open cluster to disperse. Similarly, billions of years ago, our own Sun was likely born into a star cluster like M41, but it has long since drifted apart from its sister stars. The image was captured over four hours with Chilescope T2 in Chile.

Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster in the constellation Canis Major. Located approximately four degrees south of Sirius, it forms a roughly equilateral triangle with Sirius and Nu2 Canis Majoris, visible together in binoculars. The cluster spans an area comparable to the size of the full Moon and contains about a hundred stars, including several red giants and white dwarfs.

Chilescope T2 is one of the telescopes located at the remote observatory in the Chilean Andes, specifically in the southern part of the Atacama Desert. The observatory is known for its high-quality telescopes and its ability to provide astronomy on demand. The observatory's motto is "Astronomy on demand," aiming to provide access to top-quality equipment under dark skies with sub-second seeing in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Image Description: A starscape is shown with red filaments running diagonally from the lower left to the upper right. Many bright blue stars are visible across the center of the frame. 

Image Credit & Copyright: Xinran Li
Xinran's website: https://app.astrobin.com/u/Flying_Dutchman#gallery
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #LittleBeehiveCluster #Messier41 #M41 #NGC2287 #CanisMajorConstellation #Astrophotography #XinranLi #Astrophotographer #ChilescopeT2 #Chile #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Matterhorn, Moon, Meteor & The Beehive Star Cluster

Matterhorn, Moon, Meteor & The Beehive Star Cluster

Fans of planet Earth probably recognize the Matterhorn in the foreground of this night skyscape. Famed in mountaineering history, the 4,478 meter Alpine mountain stands next to the totally eclipsed Moon. In spite of -22 degree C temperatures, this scene was captured on the mountains near Zermatt, Switzerland. Different exposures record the dim red light reflected by the Moon fully immersed in Earth's shadow. Seen directly above the famous Alpine peak, but about 600 light-years away, are the stars of the Praesepe or Beehive star cluster, also known as Messier 44. An added reward to the cold eclipse vigil, a bright and colorful meteor flashed below the temporarily dimmmed Moon, just tracing the Matterhorn's north-eastern climbing route along Hornli ridge. 

The Matterhorn is one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. It has been referred to as the "Mountain of Mountains" (German: Berg der Berge). It has become an emblem of the Alps and it is claimed to be the most photographed mountain in the world. The Matterhorn has four faces, each roughly oriented toward one of the four cardinal points. Three of these (north, east, and west) are on the Swiss side of the border and watershed, while the south face lies on the Italian side.

The Beehive Cluster (look above the Matterhorn) is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters holding around 1,000 stars. Under dark skies, the Beehive Cluster looks like a small nebulous object to the naked eye, and has been known since ancient times. Classical Greco-Roman astronomer Claudius Ptolemy described it as a "nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer".

Image Credit & Copyright: Stephane Vetter
Stephane's website: http://www.nuitsacrees.fr/

Image Date: Jan. 21, 2019
Release Date: Jan., 24, 2019

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Moon #LunarEclipse #Earth #Matterhorn #Alps #Europe #Meteors #Stars #StarClusters #BeehiveCluster #Messier44 #NGC2632 #CancerConstellation #Astrophotography #StephaneVetter #Astrophotographer #Switzerland #Italy #Italia #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

The Beehive Star Cluster—Messier 44: View from France

The Beehive Star Cluster—Messier 44: View from France

Astrophotographer Jean Jacquinot: "M44 and the beauty of star spikes. Difficult not to dream don't you think?"

The Beehive Cluster (also known as Praesepe (Latin for "manger", "cot" or "crib"), M44, NGC 2632, or Cr 189) is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters holding around 1,000 stars. Under dark skies, the Beehive Cluster looks like a small nebulous object to the naked eye, and has been known since ancient times. Classical Greco-Roman astronomer Claudius Ptolemy described it as a "nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer". It was among the first objects that Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei studied with his telescope.

Image Credit: Jean Jacquinot
Release Date: Feb. 25, 2017

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #BeehiveCluster #Messier44 #M44 #NGC2632 #CancerConstellation #Astrophotography #JeanJacquinot #Astrophotographer #AixenProvence #ProvenceAlpesCôtedAzur #France #STEM #Education

Orbits of Planets Mars & Venus cross Beehive Star Cluster | NOIRLab

Orbits of Planets Mars & Venus cross Beehive Star Cluster | NOIRLab

In 2025, Mars and Venus both made striking planetary conjunctions with the open star cluster Messier 44, also known as Praesepe, or the Beehive Cluster. The Beehive Cluster is located about 600 light-years away in the constellation Cancer and contains roughly a thousand stars within a core about 23 light-years across. This makes it one of the nearest and richest open clusters to Earth. The planetary apparitions are combined in this composite time-lapse image, created by Petr Horálek, NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.

The traversing of Mars (above) in this image occurred from late April to early May in 2025. Its nightly positions were captured from observatories in Chile, Bolivia, and the Czech Republic. The site in Chile, Cerro Pachón, is home to four NOIRLab-operated telescopes, including Gemini South, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by NSF NOIRLab. The passage of Venus (below) took place from late August to early September in 2025, when Venus briefly appeared during early morning twilight. 

The Beehive Cluster (also known as Praesepe (Latin for "manger", "cot" or "crib"), M44, NGC 2632, or Cr 189) is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer. One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters holding around 1,000 stars. Under dark skies, the Beehive Cluster looks like a small nebulous object to the naked eye, and has been known since ancient times. Classical astronomer Ptolemy described it as a "nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer". It was among the first objects that Galileo studied with his telescope.

Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Instituto de Física de Opava)
Release Date: Dec. 31, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Mars #Venus #PlanetaryOrbits #Stars #StarClusters #BeehiveCluster #Messier44 #NGC2632 #CancerConstellation #Astrophotography #PetrHorálek #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #Chile #STEM #Education

A 'Happy New Year' Postcard from Mars | NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover

A 'Happy New Year' Postcard from Mars | NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover

The Curiosity rover is visible at the bottom right of this panorama image. The rover is at the top of a ridge referred to as a boxwork formation. The sky ahead of it is hazy; it is red on the left and blue on the right.

Team members working with NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover created this “postcard” by commanding the rover to take images at two times of day on Nov. 18, 2025, spanning periods that occurred on both the 4,722nd and 4,723rd Martian days, or sols, of the mission.

The panoramas were captured at 4:15 p.m. on Sol 4,722 and 8:20 a.m. on Sol 4,723 (both at local Mars time), then merged together. Color was later added for an artistic interpretation of the scene with blue representing the morning panorama and yellow representing the afternoon one. The resulting “postcard” is similar to ones the rover took in June 2023 and November 2021. Adding color to these kinds of merged images helps different details stand out in the landscape.

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

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

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Release Date: Dec. 30, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #Sol4722 #Sol4723 #MountSharp #GaleCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

New Year 2026 Washington Monument Celebrations: NASA's Achievements Featured

New Year 2026 Washington Monument Celebrations: NASA's Achievements Featured

On December 31, 2025, Americans rang in the New Year by illuminating the "story of America," including reaching for the stars, and highlighting our achievements in space, on the Washington Monument.🚀🌑 Our Best Wishes for 2026!

Learn more about NASA's historic Apollo 11 Moon landing mission in 1969:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-11/

The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to complete a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961—perform a crewed lunar landing and return safely to Earth.

On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate the "most important milestone" in their country’s history—250 years of American Independence (1776-2026). 

The Washington Monument is a 555-foot (169 m) tall obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States and the nation's first president. Standing east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the monument is made of bluestone gneiss for the foundation and of granite for the construction.

Learn about NASA's Artemis Program: 
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/artemis/

Read about the upcoming Artemis II Moon Mission. Launch is currently scheduled for "no later than April 2026":

NASA Artemis II Mission updates:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Learn more about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket: nasa.gov/sls

Follow updates on the Artemis blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Release Date: Jan. 1, 2026

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