'Perfect' Spiral Galaxy NGC 6384 in Ophiuchus | Hubble Space Telescope

'Perfect' Spiral Galaxy NGC 6384 in Ophiuchus | Hubble Space Telescope

The NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope has produced this finely detailed image of the beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 6384. This galaxy lies in the constellation of Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer), not far from the center of the Milky Way on the sky. The positioning of NGC 6384 means that we have to peer at it past many dazzling foreground Milky Way stars that are scattered across this image.

Distance from Earth: ~77 million light-years 

In 1971, one member of NGC 6384 stood out against these bright foreground stars when one of its stars exploded as a supernova. This was a Type Ia supernova. They occur when a compact star that has ceased fusion in its core, called a white dwarf, increases its mass beyond a critical limit by gobbling up matter from a companion star. A runaway nuclear explosion then makes the star suddenly as bright as a whole galaxy.

While many stars have already come to the ends of their lives in NGC 6384, in the center, star formation is being fueled by the galaxy’s bar structure; astronomers think such galactic bars funnel gas inwards, where it accumulates to form new stars.

This picture was created from images take with the Wide Field Channel of Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. An image taken through a blue filter (F435W, colored blue) was combined with an image taken through a near-infrared filter (F814W, colored red). The total exposure times were 1050 s through each filter and the field of view is about 3 x 1.5 arcminutes.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Release Date: Feb. 21, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC6384 #Stars #Supernovae #SpiralGalaxies #OphiuchusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Wide-field view: The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy in Aquarius | Digitized Sky Survey 2

Wide-field view: The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy in Aquarius | Digitized Sky Survey 2

This visible light wide-field image of the region around NGC 7252 was created from photographs taken through red and blue filters and forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The galaxy appears close to the center. The field of view is approximately three degrees across.

The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) through its Guide Star Survey group.

Credit: ESO and Digitized Sky Survey 2

Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2010

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7252 #Arp226 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxies #PeculiarGalaxies #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #ESO #Europe #Chile #STEM #Education

Journey to The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy | NGC 7252 in Aquarius | ESO

Journey to The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy | NGC 7252 in Aquarius | ESO

In this zoom sequence we start with a very wide-field view of the constellation of Aquarius, far from the Milky Way and lacking bright objects. At the start north is to the right and the brightest star is Fomalhaut. As we zoom in we see a tiny fuzzy ball appear with curious appendages. This is a collision between two galaxies, a strange object known as NGC 7252, or Arp 226, and with the odd nickname "Atoms-for-Peace". The final very deep and detailed view is a new image taken with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Distance from Earth: 220 million light years

In December 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a speech advocating the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. This “Atoms for Peace” speech was significant for the scientific community, as it brought nuclear research into the public domain. NGC 7252 has a superficial resemblance to an atomic nucleus surrounded by the loops of electronic orbits. Thus, it was dubbed the Atoms for Peace galaxy in honor of this. These loops are well visible in this wide field image.

This nickname is quite ironic, as the galaxy’s past was anything but peaceful. Its peculiar appearance is the result of a collision between two galaxies that took place about a billion years ago. This ripped both galaxies apart. The loop-like outer structures, likely made up of dust and stars flung outwards by the crash, but recalling orbiting electrons in an atom, are partly responsible for the galaxy’s nickname.

Learn about MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope: https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2/A. Fujii

Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2010

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7252 #Arp226 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxies #PeculiarGalaxies #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #MPGESOTelescope #MPGESOTelescopeWFI #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy | NGC 7252 in Aquarius | ESO

Close-up: The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy | NGC 7252 in Aquarius | ESO

This image shows the results of a vast collision between two galaxies. This strange object is known as NGC 7252, or Arp 226, and has the odd nickname "Atoms-for-Peace". 

Distance from Earth: 220 million light years

In December 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a speech advocating the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. This “Atoms for Peace” speech was significant for the scientific community, as it brought nuclear research into the public domain. NGC 7252 has a superficial resemblance to an atomic nucleus surrounded by the loops of electronic orbits. Thus, it was dubbed the Atoms for Peace galaxy in honor of this. These loops are well visible in this wide field image.

This nickname is quite ironic, as the galaxy’s past was anything but peaceful. Its peculiar appearance is the result of a collision between two galaxies that took place about a billion years ago. This ripped both galaxies apart. The loop-like outer structures, likely made up of dust and stars flung outwards by the crash, but recalling orbiting electrons in an atom, are partly responsible for the galaxy’s nickname.

The picture was taken by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is a combination of exposures taken through blue and red filters, for a total exposure time of more than four hours. The field of view is about 18 arcminutes across.

Learn about MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope: https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2010

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7252 #Arp226 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxies #PeculiarGalaxies #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #MPGESOTelescope #MPGESOTelescopeWFI #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy: NGC 7252 in Aquarius | A Galactic Collision | ESO

The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy: NGC 7252 in Aquarius | A Galactic Collision | ESO

This image shows the results of a vast collision between two galaxies. This strange object is known as NGC 7252, or Arp 226, and has the odd nickname "Atoms-for-Peace". 

Distance from Earth: 220 million light years

In December 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a speech advocating the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. This “Atoms for Peace” speech was significant for the scientific community, as it brought nuclear research into the public domain. NGC 7252 has a superficial resemblance to an atomic nucleus surrounded by the loops of electronic orbits. Thus, it was dubbed the Atoms for Peace galaxy in honor of this. These loops are well visible in this wide field image.

This nickname is quite ironic, as the galaxy’s past was anything but peaceful. Its peculiar appearance is the result of a collision between two galaxies that took place about a billion years ago. This ripped both galaxies apart. The loop-like outer structures, likely made up of dust and stars flung outwards by the crash, but recalling orbiting electrons in an atom, are partly responsible for the galaxy’s nickname.

The picture was taken by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is a combination of exposures taken through blue and red filters, for a total exposure time of more than four hours. The field of view is about 18 arcminutes across.

Learn about MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope: https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Release Date: Nov. 10, 2010

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC7252 #Arp226 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxies #PeculiarGalaxies #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #MPGESOTelescope #MPGESOTelescopeWFI #LaSillaObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

The Great Nebula: Messier 42 in Orion

The Great Nebula: Messier 42 in Orion

The Great Nebula in Orion, an immense, nearby starbirth region, is one of the most famous of all astronomical nebulas. Here, glowing gas surrounds hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud only 1500 light-years away. In this image, assigned colors are highlighted by emission in hydrogen, plus wisps and sheets of dust and gas. 

The Great Nebula in Orion can be found with the unaided eye near the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion. In addition to housing a bright open cluster of stars known as the Trapezium, the Orion Nebula contains many stellar nurseries. These nurseries contain much hydrogen gas, hot young stars, proplyds, and stellar jets spewing material at high speeds. 

Also known as M42, the Orion Nebula spans about 40 light years and is located in the same spiral arm of our Galaxy as the Sun.

Credit & Copyright: Roberto Palaia

Authors & Editors: Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Keighley Rockcliffe

A service of the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Technological University (MTU)
Date: Oct. 26, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #TrapeziumCluster #Nebulae #OrionNebula #Messier42 #M42 #NGC1976 #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #RobertoPalaia #Astrophotography #NASAGoddard #MTU #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

"Why The Universe Does Not Add Up" (And How We Can Try To Figure It Out)

"Why The Universe Does Not Add Up" (And How We Can Try To Figure It Out)

For decades, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has helped astronomers measure how fast the universe is expanding. However, those measurements have become more precise, scientists have uncovered a cosmic mystery: the universe appears to be expanding at varying rates depending on how we measure it.

Known as the Hubble tension, this discrepancy challenges our understanding of the cosmos and could point toward something missing from our current model of the universe.

In this video, NASA scientists Jennifer Wiseman and Julie McEnery explore how Hubble helped change our understanding of cosmic expansion, the mysterious role of dark energy, and how NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will help investigate major examples of unanswered questions in cosmology.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Lead Producer: Paul Morris 

Videographers: Rob Andreioli, John Philyaw

NASA Scientists: Jennifer Wiseman, Julie McEnery

Duration: 5 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 26, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #Cosmology #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #SpaceTelescopes #RomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRomanSpaceTelescope #NancyGraceRoman #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China CAS Space Lijian-2 Y2 Carrier Rocket Transported to Dedicated Launch Pad

China CAS Space Lijian-2 Y2 Carrier Rocket Transported to Dedicated Launch Pad

China's independently developed Lijian-2 Y2 carrier rocket was transferred to its dedicated launch pad at the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China on Monday, September 26, 2026.

This means it has entered a key pre-launch preparation phase with the launch expected to take place in the near future.

The Lijian-2 carrier rocket has a carrying capacity of eight tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit and 12 tons for low Earth orbit, and it is able to launch multiple satellites in a single mission or conduct missions such as cargo spacecraft launches.

The rocket is China's first launch vehicle using a "common booster core" design. This allows three basically identical common booster core structures to be combined like building blocks. The design is intended to increase payload capacity while facilitating mass production and reducing costs.

"The assembly and testing of the Lijian-2 Y2 carrier rocket at the launch site are all done. The rocket has been transferred to its dedicated launch pad and will soon undergo rocket-ground interface checks and full-process rehearsals, followed by propellant loading and final launch procedures. The mission will be carried out as planned to execute a low-orbit constellation networking launch," said Li Qinfeng, deputy chief designer of the Lijian-2 carrier rocket at CAS Space Technology Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese commercial space company founded in December 2018.

The Lijian-2 is subsequently planned to conduct its first large-scale low-orbit constellation networking launch using a multi-satellite deployment method, further improving China's capability to launch and build low-orbit satellite constellations.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 54 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 26, 2026

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #CASSpace #中科宇航 #CAS #中国科学院 #Lijian2Rockets #Kinetica2Rockets #LaunchVehicles #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #JSLC #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #酒泉卫星发射中心 #InnerMongolia #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy: NGC 7252 in Aquarius | A Galactic Collision | Hubble

The "Atoms-for-Peace" Galaxy: NGC 7252 in Aquarius | A Galactic Collision | Hubble

This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image shows the results of a vast collision between two galaxies. This strange object is known as NGC 7252, or Arp 226, and has the odd nickname Atoms-for-Peace. Only rarely does an astronomical object have a political association. However, the spiral galaxy NGC 7252 acquired exactly that when it was given its unusual nickname.

Distance from Earth: 220 million light years

In December 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a speech advocating the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. This “Atoms for Peace” speech was significant for the scientific community, as it brought nuclear research into the public domain. NGC 7252 has a superficial resemblance to an atomic nucleus surrounded by the loops of electronic orbits. Thus, it was dubbed the Atoms for Peace galaxy in honor of this. These loops are well visible in the wide field image.

This nickname is quite ironic, as the galaxy’s past was anything but peaceful. Its peculiar appearance is the result of a collision between two galaxies that took place about a billion years ago. This ripped both galaxies apart. The loop-like outer structures, likely made up of dust and stars flung outwards by the crash, but recalling orbiting electrons in an atom, are partly responsible for the galaxy’s nickname.

This Hubble image shows the inner parts of the galaxy, revealing a pinwheel-shaped disc that is rotating in a direction opposite to the rest of the galaxy. This disc resembles a spiral galaxy like our own galaxy, the Milky Way, but is only about 10,000 light-years across—about a tenth of the size of the Milky Way. It is believed that this whirling structure is a remnant of the galactic collision. It will most likely have vanished in a few billion years’ time, when NGC 7252 will have completed its merging process.

This collision is an opportunity for astronomers to study such mergers and to predict the future of our Milky Way after its expected collision with the Andromeda Galaxy.

Credit: NASA & ESA

Acknowledgements: Judy Schmidt (Geckzilla)

Release Date: Dec. 7, 2015

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #NGC7252 #Arp226 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxies #PeculiarGalaxies #AquariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Super Typhoon Champi in Western Pacific Ocean | Europe's Sentinel-3 Earth Satellite

Super Typhoon Champi in Western Pacific Ocean | Europe's Sentinel-3 Earth Satellite 

🌀Captured early on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, these Copernicus Sentinel-3 Earth satellite images show 2026's strongest storm, Super Typhoon Champi, traveling across the Pacific Ocean with wind gusts up to 360 kilometers per hour. While the wide view shows its scale, the zoom reveals a detailed look inside its eye.

Updates and advisories on this storm can be found on the Global Disaster Alerting Coordination System (GDACS) website: http://www.gdacs.org

Image Credit: The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
Image Date: Oct. 21, 2026

Release Date: Oct. 22, 2026

#NASA #EUMETSAT #Space #Science #Satellites #WeatherSatellites #Sentinel3 #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #Weather #Meteorology #SuperTyphoons #Typhoons #SuperTyphoonChampi #Philippines #Taiwan #中華民國 #China #中国 #PacificOcean #Europe #STEM #Education

The "Skull and Crossbones" Nebula: NGC 2467 in Puppis | Wide view from Namibia

The "Skull and Crossbones" Nebula: NGC 2467 in Puppis | Wide view from Namibia

NGC 2467 is located in the southern constellation of Puppis. This active star forming region—NGC 2467, otherwise known as the Skull and Crossbones Nebula—is as "sinister as it is beautiful." With an age of a few million years at most, it is a very active stellar nursery, where new stars are born continuously from large clouds of dust and gas. It is an image of dust, gas, and bright young stars, gravitationally bound into the form of a "grinning skull." 

Distance from Earth: ~4,500 light years

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 meters (660 feet) away along the Zambezi River near Kazungula, Zambia.

Klein Nauas is a locality in Khomas, Namibia and has an elevation of 1,363 meters.

Image Credit: Alessandro Cipolat Bares
Capture Location: Klein Nauas, Khomas, Namibia

Image Details: FSQ106 Takahashi, ZWO2600MC, Antlia 3nm, 17x600"
Image Date: May 20, 2026
Release Date: Oct. 20, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Space #Stars #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #SkullCrossbonesNebula #NGC2467 #StarClusters #Haffner18 #Haffner19 #Stars #HD64315 #PuppisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #AlessandroCipolatBares #Astrophotography #Namibia #Africa #STEM #Education

China Long March 8A GuoWang Satellite Constellation Launch in Hainan

China Long March 8A GuoWang Satellite Constellation Launch in Hainan

🚀🛰️At 10:03am China Standard Time (02:03 am Universal Coordinated Time) on October 25, 2026, a China Long March 8A rocket launched from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in China's southern from Hainan to deploy a group of another nine GuoWang Internet connectivity satellites into low Earth orbit as part of SatNet LEO Group 28.

The satellites were manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet connectivity services through the constellation. At present, domestic usage trials and agreements are taking place ahead of a general rollout starting in China.

After today’s launch, 231 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbits.

GuoWang satellites launched atop of the Long March 8A and the Long March 12 use the mega-constellations’ small satellite platform, weighing about 695 kilograms each. The platform utilizes electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

With today’s flight, the Long March 8A has flown four times in the past four months from Commercial Launch Pad 1 since July, as well as a total of six times this year so far thanks to missions in January and March. 

This mission was the 12th launch of a Long March 8A vehicle, the 19th launch of the Long March 8 series (Long March 8 and 8A), and the 674th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 76th launch from China in 2026.

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

Article Credit: Jack. C.
Date: Oct. 25, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup28 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch8 #LM8 #长征八号运载火箭  #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

China Long March 8A GuoWang Satellite Constellation Launch in Hainan

China Long March 8A GuoWang Satellite Constellation Launch in Hainan

🚀🛰️At 10:03am China Standard Time (02:03 am Universal Coordinated Time) on October 25, 2026, a China Long March 8A rocket launched from Commercial Launch Pad 1 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site in China's southern from Hainan to deploy a group of another nine GuoWang Internet connectivity satellites into low Earth orbit as part of SatNet LEO Group 28.

The satellites were manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The GuoWang constellation is operated by China Satellite Network Group, a state-owned enterprise backed by the Chinese government. China Satellite Network Group plans to provide worldwide Internet connectivity services through the constellation. At present, domestic usage trials and agreements are taking place ahead of a general rollout starting in China.

After today’s launch, 231 GuoWang spacecraft are in orbit, functioning in and heading up to their operational orbits. In the 2030s, up to 13,000 satellites could be in operational orbits.

GuoWang satellites launched atop of the Long March 8A and the Long March 12 use the mega-constellations’ small satellite platform, weighing about 695 kilograms each. The platform utilizes electric propulsion systems to maneuver in orbit, powered by two solar panels.

With today’s flight, the Long March 8A has flown four times in the past four months from Commercial Launch Pad 1 since July, as well as a total of six times this year so far thanks to missions in January and March. 

This mission was the 12th launch of a Long March 8A vehicle, the 19th launch of the Long March 8 series (Long March 8 and 8A), and the 674th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. This was also the 76th launch from China in 2026.

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

Article Credit: Jack. C.
Duration: 19 seconds
Date: Oct. 25, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #SatNetLEOGroup28 #GuoWangConstellation #国网 #ChinaSatelliteNetworkGroup #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch8 #LM8 #长征八号运载火箭  #MediumLiftRockets #CAST #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #Spaceports #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Completes Artemis III Solid Rocket Booster Stacking | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Completes Artemis III Solid Rocket Booster Stacking | Kennedy Space Center

Artemis III Core Stage Lift

Engineers with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems completed integrating the aerodynamic nose cones onto the left and right forward assemblies on the twin Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters, finishing their stacking operations for Artemis III inside the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Each forward assembly contains an aerodynamic top, a forward skirt housing avionics, and frustum housing motors that allow the boosters to separate from the SLS core stage after launch. The twin solid boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artemis III rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B.

Image Description: Inside a large industrial facility, two white rocket booster segments stand upright on the ground level, surrounded by scaffolding, platforms, and bright work lights. Two pointy nose cones pieces of hardware atop the booster segments.

Progress on NASA’s Artemis III’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket continues at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where teams have completed the integration of the final solid rocket booster motor segments onto the mobile launcher for the “short stack” configuration that will be used during a tanking test. Teams also completed installation of all four RS-25 engines on the SLS core stage.

Teams now will install the systems tunnel that runs the length of the core stage and is used to route pyrotechnic cabling, a system of wiring that allows the single-use, quick disconnect for controlled movements during liftoff, on the massive stage. In the coming weeks, the stage will be integrated with the solid rocket boosters, completing the rocket’s “short stack” configuration.

NASA will roll the short stack SLS rocket from the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test in the coming months, where the Artemis launch team will practice procedures and timelines for loading propellant. While at the pad, the Artemis III crew, NASA astronauts Randy Bresnick, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, also will conduct a launch day rehearsal and emergency exit walkdown. This will include suiting up in astronaut crew quarters, driving to the launch pad, ascending the mobile launcher, and then walking through the exit route they would take in the unlikely event of an emergency during launch countdown.

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/Cory S Huston
Image Dates: Oct. 23 and Sept. 30, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIIIMission #LunarLanders #HLS #NASASLS #BoosterSegments #SLSCoreStage #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #RandyBresnik #FrankRubio #AndreDouglas #LucaParmitano #Italy #Italia #Europe #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #LunarExploration #NASAKennedy #MerrittIsland #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Pleiades Star Cluster in Taurus: A Smart Telescope View from Canary Islands

The Pleiades Star Cluster in Taurus: A Smart Telescope View from Canary Islands

Astrophotographer "Project Nightflight": "Only a few decades ago astrophotographers would go to great lengths for shooting widefield images of deep sky objects. The typical setup was made of a film camera riding piggyback on a telescope or a simple barn door tracker. After developing the film one would hope that the stars didn’t trail too much during the exposure and some nebulosity, e.g. the Merope nebula, had left a subtle impression on the negative. Today, with the wide availability of smart telescopes, everything has changed. Devices like the Seestar or Dwarf scopes are set up easily, go to the imaging object all by themselves, patiently collect the data, stack the images and even develop the final image. The results rival the pictures in any astronomy textbook. This image of the Plejades was shot with a Seestar S30P from La Palma island with less than 1 hour exposure time, the result shown here came directly out of the App."

The Pleiades are one of the finest and nearest examples of a reflection nebula associated with a cluster of young stars. The cluster itself is a group of many hundreds of stars about 400 light years away in the direction of the northern constellation of Taurus. A handful of the brightest stars cluster together in space and have been recognized as a group since ancient times. However, even the brightest of the Pleiades stars (Alcyone, apparent visual mag +2.9) is relatively faint and would be inconspicuous (and nameless) if it were not a member of the cluster The faintest named star is Asterope, (V = +5.8), close to the threshold of naked eye visibility. All the visible stars of the Pleiades are in reality much more luminous than the Sun.

The nebulosity seen here is light reflected from the particles in a cloud of cold gas and dust this cluster has drifted into. It appears blue because these tiny motes of interstellar dust scatter blue light more efficiently than the longer wavelengths of red light, and it is streaky because of the distribution of dust particles in space.

In western literature and legend, the stars bear the names of the Seven Sisters, the daughters of Atlas and Pleone. They were also half-sisters to the goddesses of the nearby Hyades stars. The delicate beauty of the stars identified them as a group of women in many cultures, from Australian Aborigine to Native American. To the Japanese they are 'Subaru', a conglomerate or collection (i.e. cluster), while Chinese legends refer to a swarm of bees. Maori and Pacific Islands people often called the Pleiades 'Matariki', the star cluster that heralds the start of the Maori New Year.

La Palma, also known as La isla bonita, and historically as San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Image Credit: "Project Nightflight"
Location: La Palma, Canary Islands (Spain)
Photographer's website: https://project-nightflight.net
Date: Oct. 23, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Nebulae #ReflectionaNebulae #Stars #StarClusters #ThePleiades #SevenSisters #Messier45 #M45 #OpenStarCluster #BrownDwarfStars #TaurusConstellation #Astrophotographers #ProjectNightflight #Astrophotography #LaPalma #CanaryIslands #Spain #España #Cosmos #Universe # #STEM #Education

Earth & Moon | Japan's Himawari-9 Weather Satellite

Earth & Moon | Japan's Himawari-9 Weather Satellite

Himawari-9 is a Japanese weather satellite, the ninth of the Himawari geostationary weather satellites operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The spacecraft was constructed by Mitsubishi Electric. Himawari 9 was launched on November 2, 2016, atop a H-IIA rocket flying from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex Pad 1 at the Tanegashima Space Center, and by November 11, 2016, it reached its assigned position (140.7°E) in geostationary orbit.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism dedicated to the scientific observation and research of natural phenomena. Headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, the agency collects data on meteorology, hydrology, seismology, volcanology, and other related fields.

Website: https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html

The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) serves as a nexus for multi-disciplinary cooperation between NOAA research scientists and Colorado State University research staff, faculty, and students, aligning NOAA-identified research theme areas with long-standing academic strengths of the University.

Website: https://www.cira.colostate.edu

Image Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

Acknowledgement: Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

Date: October 23, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Moon #SolarSystem #Satellites #WeatherSatellites #Himawari9 #ひまわり9号 #Atmospheres #Weather #Meteorology #Japan #日本 #JAXA #JMA #気象庁 #CIRA #CSU #UnitedStates #STEM #Education