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Monday, February 23, 2026

Close-up: Supernova 1999em in Galaxy NGC 1637 | European Southern Observatory

Close-up: Supernova 1999em in Galaxy NGC 1637 | European Southern Observatory

This pan sequence from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) takes a close look at the Paranal Observatory in Chile shows NGC 1637, a spiral galaxy located about 38 million light-years away in the constellation of Eridanus (The River). In 1999, scientists discovered a Type II supernova in this galaxy and followed its slow fading over the following years. The position of the supernova is marked.

A Type II (Type 2) supernova is a violent explosion occurring at the end of a massive star's life (at least 8–50 solar masses) caused by the rapid core collapse of an iron core. These events are distinguished by the presence of hydrogen spectral lines and occur in spiral galaxies' star-forming regions, leaving behind a neutron star or black hole.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Duration: 46 seconds
Release Date: March 20, 2013

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC1637 #1999em #Supernovae #TypeIISupernovae #EridanusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Supernova 1999em in Galaxy NGC 1637 | European Southern Observatory

Supernova 1999em in Galaxy NGC 1637 | European Southern Observatory

This image from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile shows NGC 1637, a spiral galaxy located about 38 million light-years away in the constellation of Eridanus (The River). In 1999, scientists discovered a Type II supernova in this galaxy and followed its slow fading over the following years. The position of the supernova is marked.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: March 20, 2013

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC1637 #1999em #Supernovae #EridanusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1637 in Eridanus: Supernova Found | Webb & Hubble Telescopes

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1637 in Eridanus: Supernova Found | Webb & Hubble Telescopes

Forty million years ago, a star in a nearby galaxy exploded, spewing material across space and generating a brilliant beacon of light. That light traveled across the cosmos, reaching Earth on June 29, 2025, where it was detected by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae. Astronomers immediately turned their resources to this new supernova, designated 2025pht, to learn more about it. However, one team of scientists instead turned to archives, seeking to use pre-supernova images to identify exactly which star among many had exploded. And they succeeded.

Images of galaxy NGC 1637 taken by the James Webb Space Telescope showed a single red supergiant star located exactly where the supernova now shines. This represents the first published detection of a supernova progenitor by Webb. The results were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

“We’ve been waiting for this to happen—for a supernova to explode in a galaxy that Webb had already observed. We combined Hubble and Webb data sets to completely characterize this star for the first time,” said lead author Charlie Kilpatrick of Northwestern University in the United States.

The main image at left shows a combined Webb and Hubble view of spiral galaxy NGC 1637 with the region of interest in the top right. The remaining three panels show a detailed view of a red supergiant star before and after it exploded. The star is not visible in the Hubble image before the explosion, but appears in the Webb image. The July 2025 view from Hubble shows the glowing aftermath of the explosion.

By carefully aligning Hubble and Webb images taken of NGC 1637, the team was able to identify the progenitor star in images taken by Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) in 2024. They found that the star appeared surprisingly red—an indication that it was surrounded by dust that blocked shorter, bluer wavelengths of light.

“It’s the reddest, most dusty red supergiant that we’ve seen explode as a supernova,” said graduate student and co-author Aswin Suresh of Northwestern University.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Kilpatrick (Northwestern), A. Suresh (Northwestern); Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)
Release Date: Feb. 23, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC1637 #2025pht #Supernovae #EridanusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #WebbTelescope #JWST #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #Europe #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Two's Company: Binary Star System AFGL 4106 in Carina | ESO

Two's Company: Binary Star System AFGL 4106 in Carina | ESO

The pair of points at the center of the image, taken with the European Southern Observatory ’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), are an old stellar couple—a binary system officially called AFGL 4106. As most stars are born in pairs, a big question for astronomers is how does being in a couple impact a star's death?

Before dying, stars expel huge amounts of gas and dust, ingredients for a growing nebula. The massive stars shown here are at close yet distinct late stages of their lifecycles with one having blown off enough mass to produce a dusty surrounding envelope. In a new paper led by Gabriel Tomassini, a PhD student at the Université Côte d’Azur (France), researchers have mapped this debris, shown here in orange, and precisely characterized the central stars (marked in black).

Imaging astronomical objects close to stars poses a challenge due to the overpowering effect of a star's brightness and, in fact, the stars themselves appear in black as their brightness saturated the detector of the instrument used to make this image. Fortunately, the SPHERE instrument on the VLT is well equipped to deal with large contrasts in light levels, enabling a detailed study of both the high luminosity stars and the faint surrounding nebula for the first time. Moreover, it can correct the blur caused by atmospheric turbulence, delivering very sharp images.

The shape of the nebula reveals the significant impact the companion is having on the gas ejection of the dying star, introducing asymmetries and shifting the clouds of gas and dust away from a perfectly spherical shape. Further observations of star systems like this one allow scientists to better understand how the presence of companions affects the death of stars.

Image Description: This image consists of an orange slightly egg-shaped nebula with a cloud-like texture against a black background. The nebula is more yellow-orange and opaque at the center and darker-orange and more diffuse at its perimeter. At the center of the image inside the nebula there are two small black dots. Diagonal lines the same colour as the nebula form a cross centered on the black dots.

Credit: ESO/G. Tomassini et al.
Release Date: Feb. 23, 2026

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Stars #BinaryStarSystems #AFGL4106 #HD302821 #CarinaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #SPHERE #ParanalObservatory #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: Wide-view | Kitt Peak National Observatory

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: Wide-view | Kitt Peak National Observatory

NGC 7331 is the brightest and closest galaxy in the visual galaxy group that bears its name, the NGC 7331 Group. It is one of 18 galaxies chosen by the HST Extragalactic Distance Scale Key Project to calibrate secondary distance estimators. The project is using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to obtain an accurate distance to galaxies via Cepheid variables, with the ultimate goal of using these to measure H0 (a cosmological parameter) to an external accuracy of 10%. It was determined this galaxy is about 40 million light years away (and perhaps 30,000 light years across). In this image, you can see examples of its nearby neighbors—both spiral and elliptical galaxies. Nearby this field (not shown) is another famous group of galaxies known as Stephan's Quintet.

Also known as Caldwell 30, this galaxy is often thought of as a twin to the Milky Way owing to its similar size and spiral structure. However, there are a couple of features of its core that set it apart from our home galaxy. For instance, astronomers have found evidence that the Milky Way has a central bar of stars and dust cutting through its center, a feature common to many spiral galaxies. However, NGC 7331 lacks this feature. Additionally, NGC 7331’s central bulge rotates in the opposite direction to its galactic disk—unusual behavior compared to other galaxies and unlike what we observe in the Milky Way.

This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Paul Mortfield and Dietmar Kupke/Flynn Haase
Release Date: May 7, 2014

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7331 #Caldwell30 #NGC7331Group #PegasusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: A Milky Way Twin | Gemini North Telescope

Spiral Galaxy NGC 7331 in Pegasus: A Milky Way Twin | Gemini North Telescope

The magnificent spiral galaxy NGC 7331, located approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus, is the brightest and closest galaxy in the visual galaxy group that bears its name, the NGC 7331 Group. Revealed in the details of this image are populations of hot stars and dark dust lanes winding throughout the spiral arms.

This image was taken by Gemini North, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

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

Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: J. Miller (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab) & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Release Date: Dec. 18, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7331 #Caldwell30 #NGC7331Group #PegasusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #GeMS #AdaptiveOptics #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Aurora Australis: View from New Zealand

Aurora Australis: View from New Zealand

Astrophotographer Ian Griffin: "Cloud filled the sky over Dunedin, New Zealand, as geomagnetic activity began to rise—but experience (and stubborn optimism) sent me out anyway. For a while, it looked hopeless. Then the clouds thinned, the southern horizon cleared, and the sky exploded. A brilliant aurora australis surged over Hoopers Inlet tonight, green fire along the horizon with crimson towers reaching high into the stars. Reflected in the still water below, the display followed intensified solar wind conditions that pushed the auroral oval deep over New Zealand’s South Island. It was one of those unforgettable southern nights when patience is suddenly and spectacularly rewarded. Now, all I have to do is get up for work in the morning . . ."

Also known as the southern lights (aurora australis) or northern lights (aurora borealis), 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/

Image Credit: Ian Griffin

Ian's website: https://www.instagram.com/portobellopictures/
Location: Hoopers Inlet, South Island, New Zealand
Date: Feb. 22, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraAustralis #SouthernLights #Astrophotography #IanGriffin #Astrophotographer #HoopersInlet #SouthIsland #NewZealand #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: Feb. 17-22, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Feb. 17-22, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars 2020 - sol 1779

MSL - sol 4810

Mars 2020 - sol 1777

Mars 2020 - sol 1779

Mars 2020 - sol 1780

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Celebrating 13+ Years on Mars (2012-2025)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life.

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

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

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: Feb. 17-22, 2026

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

Globular Star Cluster NGC 1851 in Columba: Near Infrared | Gemini North Telescope

Globular Star Cluster NGC 1851 in Columba: Near Infrared | Gemini North Telescope

This near-infrared image obtained with GeMS adaptive optics system resolves the stars inside NGC 1851, an ancient globular star cluster around 40,000 light-years away. NGC 1851, or Caldwell 73, was discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop in 1826. This dense globular cluster can be spotted through a pair of binoculars, appearing as a fuzzy patch of light. Small telescopes can resolve examples of the cluster’s individual stars, away from its compact center. Caldwell 73 is easiest to view from equatorial latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter and from the Southern Hemisphere during the summer.

The stars in many known globular clusters are about the same age, indicating that the stars formed at roughly the same time. However, observations of Caldwell 73 reveal that it hosts stellar populations with distinct ages. The cluster is also encircled by a diffuse halo of stars. Although the origins of the halo and multiple star populations are unknown, one idea is that Caldwell 73 is a remnant of two clusters that collided within a dwarf galaxy that once hosted them both. When the clusters merged, the outer regions of the host galaxy may have been stripped away via interactions with more massive galaxies, leaving only the stellar nucleus and halo behind.

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

Credit: International Gemini Observatory, Alan McConnachie (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics) and T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage)
Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularClusters #NGC1851 #ColumbaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #InternationalGeminiObservatory #GeminiNorthTelescope #GeMS #AdaptiveOptics #Maunakea #Hawaii #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Globular Star Cluster NGC 1851 in Columba | Hubble

Globular Star Cluster NGC 1851 in Columba | Hubble

NGC 1851, or Caldwell 73, was discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop in 1826. It is located roughly 40,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Columba and has an apparent magnitude of 7.3. This dense globular cluster can be spotted through a pair of binoculars, appearing as a fuzzy patch of light. Small telescopes can resolve examples of the cluster’s individual stars, away from its compact center. Caldwell 73 is easiest to view from equatorial latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter and from the Southern Hemisphere during the summer.

This image of Caldwell 73 was captured by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. It is a composite of multiple observations taken at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. The observations were taken to help astronomers better understand why some globular clusters appear to play host to multiple generations of stars. A bright, blue, giant star appears to the lower left of center.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Piotto (Università degli Studi di Padova)

Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Release Date: April 9, 2019

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularClusters #NGC1851 #ColumbaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

This is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

This is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

From sounding rockets to high altitude balloons to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), there is no place quite like NASA's Wallops Flight Facility (WFF).

Wallops Flight Facility is a rocket launch site on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and approximately 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Norfolk. The facility is operated by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and primarily serves to support science and exploration missions for NASA and other federal agencies.

Learn more about Wallops: https://www.nasa.gov/wallops/

Video Credit: NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
Producer/Editor: Madison Griffin
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #EarthScience #Science #SoundingRockets #TerrierOrionSoundingRockets #MagellanAerospace #BlackBrant #SubOrbitalExperiments #RocketLaunches #HighAltitudeBalloons #UnmannedAerialVehicles #UAVs #Students #WallopsIsland #WFF #NASAWallops #Virginia #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #AtlanticOcean #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Up Close: Dwarf Galaxy NGC 147 in Cassiopeia | Hubble Space Telescope

Up Close: Dwarf Galaxy NGC 147 in Cassiopeia | Hubble Space Telescope

NGC 147, also known as Caldwell 17, is a dwarf galaxy located roughly 2.5 million light-years from Earth. It is a member of the Local Group of galaxies. It is dominated by our Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. NGC 147, like its neighbor NGC 185, is a distant satellite of the Andromeda galaxy. Just as the planets in the solar system are gravitationally bound to the Sun, so are these smaller galaxies bound to their much more massive galactic host. While many classes of galaxies can exist as satellites, dwarf spheroidal galaxies (small, dim, spherical-shaped galaxies) like NGC 147 have been observed in this role more frequently than any other type of galaxy.

Dwarf satellite galaxies tend to appear very diffuse and dim, so they can be difficult to spot (especially in light-polluted or hazy skies). NGC 147 is no exception. It has an apparent magnitude of 9.5, and observers will need a small telescope set up in a dark location to detect the faint galaxy. NGC 147 is located in the southern edge of the constellation Cassiopeia, between the constellation’s “W” pattern and the Andromeda galaxy. (The neighboring NGC 185 is brighter and less diffuse, so it is easier to see.) The best time of year to spot NGC 147 from the Northern Hemisphere is the autumn. It can also be seen in northern latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere in the spring. The galaxy was discovered by the English astronomer John Herschel in September of 1829.

This image of NGC 147 is a composite of observations made in visible and infrared light by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. The image captures an area near the core of the galaxy, notable for its elderly stellar population. Astronomers used Hubble’s observations to investigate the properties of NGC 147’s many globular star clusters.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Ferguson (University of Edinburgh, Institute for Astronomy)

Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Date: June 26, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC147 #CassiopeiaConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Astronauts Adenot & Meir Prepare for Exercise Sessions | International Space Station

Astronauts Adenot & Meir Prepare for Exercise Sessions | International Space Station

Expedition 74 flight engineers (from left) Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Jessica Meir of NASA take a portrait together before beginning their exercise sessions on the International Space Station. Afterward, Adenot worked out on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) that mimics free weights on Earth, while Meir jogged on the COLBERT treadmill. Both exercise devices are located inside the Tranquility module.

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) is an exercise device designed by NASA to allowed for more intense workouts in zero gravity. The device was flown to the International Space Station during STS-126 and installed in 2009 to replace its inefficient predecessor, the Interim Resistance Exercise Device. The device uses a system of vacuum tubes and flywheel cables to simulate the process of free weight exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and calf raises, workouts that more effectively prevent lower muscle atrophy, although it has the capability to workout any muscle group.

COLBERT Treadmill:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Node-3_Cupola/T2_Colbert_Treadmill

Follow Expedition 74:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credit: ESA/Sophie Adenot
Release Date: Feb. 16, 2026

#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #Crew12Commander #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #France #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #Expedition75 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Trains on T-38 Supersonic Jet over Texas

Artemis II Moon Mission Crew Trains on T-38 Supersonic Jet over Texas

NASA astronaut Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen take off on a T-38 training flight from Ellington Field on Feb. 11, 2026, as a waning crescent Moon hovers above. Koch and Hansen, along with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, are part of NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Artemis II will fly around the Moon and back to test Orion’s systems and capabilities before returning the crew to a splashdown off the California coast.

The Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation, now known as Northrop Grumman. The T-38 was the world's first supersonic trainer as well as the most produced.

Update: The Artemis II SLS rocket will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center due to an issues with fueling the rocket's upper stage with helium. This will make an April 2026 launch window necessary.

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

NASA Artemis II Mission page:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Follow NASA updates on the Artemis Program blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/

Image Credit: NASA/Brendan Finnegan
Image Date: Feb. 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #T38JetAircraft #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #SLS #SLSRocket #CrewedMissions #Astronauts #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #EllingtonField #Houston #Texas #JSC #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Time beneath The Earth's Southern Sky: View from Australia

Time beneath The Earth's Southern Sky: View from Australia

The Southern Hemisphere is the half (hemisphere) of Earth that is south of the equator. It contains all or part of five continents (the whole of Antarctica, the whole of Australia, about 90% of South America, about one-third of Africa, and some islands off the continental mainland of Asia) and four oceans (the whole Southern Ocean, the majority of the Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean, and the South Pacific Ocean), as well as New Zealand and most of the Pacific Islands in Oceania. Its surface is 80.9% water, compared with 60.7% water in the Northern Hemisphere, and it contains 32.7% of Earth's land.

In the Southern Hemisphere, you can more easily see the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC), the largest dwarf galaxies nearest to the Milky Way.

A Beginner's Guide to the Southern Hemisphere Sky:
https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/beginners-guide-to-the-southern-hemisphere-sky/

Video Credit: Cullen Pan
Location: near Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
Duration: 43 seconds
Date: February 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Cosmos #Universe #Stars #Galaxies #LMC #SMC #MilkyWayGalaxy #SolarSystem #Planet #Earth #SouthernHemisphere #Astrophotographer #CullenPan #Astrophotography #Skywatching #Uluru #NorthernTerritory #Australia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-21 Crew Release Music Video Tribute | China Space Station

Shenzhou-21 Crew Release Music Video Tribute | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard China's orbiting space station released a music video tracing the country's space endeavors, blending their scientific mission with a musical tribute to celebrate the Spring Festival that fell on February 17, this year.

Taking a break from their busy schedule in orbit, the trio—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang— recorded the song "The Five-Starred Red Flag Flutters in Space", specifically composed for Chinese space professionals.

Ahead of the music video, the crew shared their personal reflections on the national flag.

"The first time I performed a spacewalk, the five-star red flag of China outside the cabin was shining with dazzling brilliance," recalled Wu Fei.

"That five-star red flag is the most beautiful scenery in my heart," said Zhang Hongzhang.

"Let the five-star red flag fly high in space," the trio said together, setting the stage for their musical tribute recorded 400 kilometers above the Earth.

The video pays tribute to the pioneers of the space program, featuring footage of China's first astronaut in space, Yang Liwei, alongside subsequent generations of astronauts who have followed in his path.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 4 minutes
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #History #Shenzhou21Mission #神舟二十一号 #Shenzhou21 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhangLu #WuFei #ZhangHongzhang #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceLaboratory #CNSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

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