The Whale Galaxy: NGC 4631 in Canes Venatici (x-ray view) | NASA Chandra

The Whale Galaxy: NGC 4631 in Canes Venatici (x-ray view) | NASA Chandra

A spiral galaxy viewed from its side, featuring a giant halo of hot gas blowing out of its stellar disk. X-rays from Chandra and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton (purple and royal blue) trace hot gas driven out by supernovas and black holes and neutron stars pulling gas from their companions, while optical light (light blue, gold and white) from ground-based observer R. Jay GaBany showcases dense dust lanes. Edge-on views of galaxies allow astronomers to study how flat their stellar disks are and provide the clearest views of material located above or below the disk.

Here, a profusion of starbirth lights up the galactic center, revealing bands of dark material between us and the starburst—a region of intense star formation. The galaxy’s activity tapers off  in its outer regions where there are fewer stars and less dust, but these are still punctuated by pockets of star formation.

The Whale Galaxy is about 30 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) and is a spiral galaxy much like the Milky Way. From our vantage point, however, we see the Whale Galaxy edge-on, seeing its glowing center through dusty spiral arms. The galaxy's central bulge and asymmetric tapering disc have suggested the shape of a whale or a herring to past observers.

Many supernovae—the explosions of hot, blue, short-lived stars at least eight times the mass of the Sun—have gone off in the core of the Whale Galaxy. The stellar pyrotechnics have bathed the galaxy in hot gas visible to x-ray telescopes. 

From such work, the triggers of the starburst in the Whale Galaxy and others can be elucidated. The gravitational "feeding" on intergalactic material, as well as clumping caused by the gravitational interactions with its galactic neighbors, creates the areas of greater density where stars start to coalesce. Just as blue whales, the biggest creatures on Earth, can gorge themselves on comparatively tiny bits of plankton, so the Whale Galaxy has become filled with the gas and dust that powers a high rate of star formation.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: ©2011-2015 by R Jay GaBany

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

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Supernovae #Galaxies #NGC4631 #SpiralGalaxies #StarburstGalaxies #CanesVenaticiConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #CXC #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #XMMNewton #XrayAstronomy #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #Astrophotographers #RJayGaBany #Astrophotography #STEM #Education

Irregular Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613 in Cetus | Victor Blanco Telescope

Irregular Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613 in Cetus | Victor Blanco Telescope

The irregular dwarf galaxy IC 1613 contains around 100 million stars and is a member of our Local Group of galaxies. This also includes our Milky Way, the Andromeda spiral galaxy, and the Magellanic Clouds. It is at a distance of 2.4 million light-years and contains several examples of Cepheid variable stars—key calibrators of the cosmic distance ladder. The bulk of its stars were formed about 7 billion years ago and it does not appear to be undergoing star formation at the present day, unlike other very active dwarf irregulars, such as the Large and Small Magellanic clouds.

To the lower right of IC 1613, one may view a background galaxy cluster (several hundred times more distant than IC 1613) consisting of dozens of orange-yellow blobs, centered on a pair of giant cluster elliptical galaxies. To the left of the irregular galaxy is a bright, sixth magnitude, foreground, Milky Way star in the constellation of Cetus the Whale, identified here as a star by its sharp diffraction spikes radiating at 45-degree angles. 

This image is an excerpt from the Dark Energy Survey. It has released a massive, public collection of astronomical data and calibrated images from six years of work. The Dark Energy Survey is a global collaboration that includes the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) NOIRLab. The image was taken with the Dark Energy Camera, fabricated by DOE, on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope.

Learn about the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/science/programs/ctio/telescopes/victor-blanco-4m-telescope

Credit: DES/DOE/Fermilab/NCSA & CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Acknowledgments: Image processing: DES, Jen Miller (Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Mahdi Zamani & Davide de Martin
Release Date: Jan. 14, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #CepheidVariableStars #CepheidVariables #Galaxies #IrregularGalaxies #DwarfGalaxies #IC1613 #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planetary Nebula Sh2-42 in Sagittarius: "A Star's Funeral Pyre" | SMARTS Telescope

Planetary Nebula Sh2-42 in Sagittarius: "A Star's Funeral Pyre" | SMARTS Telescope

This image shows the planetary nebula Sh2-42 in the constellation Sagittarius. It was captured using the SMARTS 0.9-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, a Program of the U.S. National Science Foundation's NOIRLab. 

Despite the name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets. They are spectacular 'funeral pyres' formed by red giant stars at the end of their lives. As these giant stars expand and throw their outer gaseous layers into space, the hot exposed core of the star ionizes the surrounding material, causing it to glow in a range of vivid colors. As it reaches the end of its life, our own Sun is expected to form a planetary nebula—but not for another 5 billion years.

Learn more about the SMARTS–GSU 0.9-meter Telescope:
https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/smarts-gsu-09m-telescope/

Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Acknowledgments: Image Processing: T. A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab)
Release Date: May 26, 2021

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #Sh242 #SagittariusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SMARTSTelescope #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

'Cosmic Questions?' Aurora: View from Norway

'Cosmic Questions?' Aurora: View from Norway

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "A cosmic question mark appeared in the sky last night . . ."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger
Location: Alta, Norway
Date: Sept. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Alta #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education

Aurora on 'Top of the World': View from Norway

Aurora on 'Top of the World': View from Norway

Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "The North Cape is known for its notoriously bad weather. Last night, we were fortunate to experience clear skies and an active aurora display."

Also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), auroras are colorful, dynamic, and often visually delicate displays of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and Earth called space weather. When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colorful glow that we call auroras.

Learn more about auroras: 
https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden, and is bordered by Finland and Russia to the northeast.

Image Credit: Karsten Berger
Location: North Cape, Norway
Date: Sept. 12, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #NorthCape #Norway #Norge #STEM #Education

Hong Kong Astronaut Lai Ka-ying: Sleeping Quarters Tour | China Space Station

Hong Kong Astronaut Lai Ka-ying: Sleeping Quarters Tour | China Space Station

On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the Shenzhou 23 crew gave students in China's Hong Kong (香港) and Macao (香港) Special Administrative Regions (SARs) a unique science lesson from the Tiangong Space Station, a classroom 400 kilometers above planet Earth.

The three astronauts—Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying—served as space teachers. More than 200 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong and Macao attended the class at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College in Hong Kong. It is the alma mater of Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first payload specialist. Many more students across the two regions watched the class via livestream.

During the lecture, Lai gave a tour of her sleeping quarters on board the station.

The event featured scientific explanations, demonstrations conducted on the space station and questions from students, followed by a live dialogue between the astronauts and students in Hong Kong and Macao.

Shenzhou-23 Crew
Zhang Zhiyuan 张志远, Pilot (first spaceflight)

Zhu Yangzhu 朱杨柱, Commander & Flight Engineer (second spaceflight)

Lai Ka-ying/Li Jiaying 黎家盈, Payload Specialist (first spaceflight) [Hong Kong SAR]

Video Credit: China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Students #Macao #HongKong #Shenzhou23Mission #神舟二十三号 #Shenzhou23 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #ZhuYangzhu #ZhangZhiyuan #LiJiaying #LaiKaying #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Peculiar Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Peculiar Galaxy NGC 3256 in Vela | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

A pair of colliding, gas-rich spiral galaxies merging into a single massive system. Chandra’s X-ray data (pink) isolates point sources and shock-heated gas, Hubble’s optical light (blue and white) captures tidal tails of stars, and Webb’s infrared vision (red and orange) cuts through the dust to show hidden star formation. Galaxy collisions like this offer a preview of our far future, showing what might happen if our own Milky Way collides and merges with the nearby Andromeda Galaxy.

NGC 3256 is an impressive example of a peculiar galaxy that is actually the relict of a collision of two separate galaxies that took place in a distant past. The telltale signs of the collision are two extended luminous tails swirling out from the galaxy. NGC 3256 belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus supercluster complex and provides a nearby template for studying the properties of young star clusters in tidal tails. The system hides a double nucleus and a tangle of dust lanes in the central region. The tails are studded with a particularly high density of star clusters.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare

Release Date: Aug. 25, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC3256 #InteractingGalaxies #StarburstGalaxies #HydraCentaurusSupercluster #VelaConstellation#Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescopes #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC #NASAWebb #JWST #NASAHubble #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education 

Dwarf Galaxy NGC 1569 in Camelopardalis | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Dwarf Galaxy NGC 1569 in Camelopardalis | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

The nearby dwarf galaxy NGC 1569 is a hotbed of vigorous star birth activity. It blows huge bubbles and super-bubbles that riddle the main body of the galaxy. The galaxy's vigorous "star factories" are also manufacturing brilliant blue star clusters. This galaxy had a sudden and relatively recent onset of star birth 25 million years ago. It subsided about the time the very earliest human ancestors appeared on Earth.

Distance from Earth: about 11 million light years

In this image, the bubble structure is sculpted by the galactic super-winds and outflows caused by a colossal input of energy from collective supernova explosions that are linked with a massive episode of star birth.

The bubble-like structures seen in this image are made of hydrogen gas that glows when hit by the fierce winds and radiation from hot young stars and is racked by supernovae shocks. The first supernovae blew up when the most massive stars reached the end of their lifetimes roughly 20-25 million years ago. The environment in NGC 1569 is still turbulent and the supernovae may not only deliver the gaseous raw material needed for the formation of further stars and star clusters, but also actually trigger their birth in the tortured swirls of gas.

Chandra and XMM-Newton observations (blue and purple) reveal massive bubbles of million-degree gas inflated by stellar winds, set against a backdrop of optical light (magenta, orange and white) imaged by astrophotographer, Adam Block. Dwarf starburst galaxies can serve as local laboratories for studying the conditions of the early universe, where small, primitive galaxies formed stars at frantic rates.

Credit: X-ray: (XMM): ESA/XMM-Newton, (Chandra): NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: Univ. of Arizona/Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter/Adam Block/Josep Drudis

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

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #DwarfGalaxies #NGC1569 #Stars #Supernovae  #CamelopardalisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #CXC #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #XMMNewton #XrayAstronomy #UA #AdamBlock #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Active Spiral Galaxy Messier 77 in Cetus | Subaru Telescope

Active Spiral Galaxy Messier 77 in Cetus | Subaru Telescope

Messier 77 (M77 or NGC 1068) is a spiral galaxy located relatively close to our Milky Way. At its center lies a supermassive black hole about 10 million times the mass of the Sun. As enormous amounts of energy are released around the black hole, M77 is known as an active galaxy. The galaxy belongs to a class known as Seyfert galaxies. They have highly ionized gas surrounding an intensely active center.

Because of its proximity, M77 has been extensively studied across the electromagnetic spectrum, from X-rays to radio waves, using various telescopes, including the Subaru Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Recently, observations with the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) have revealed evidence that M77 experienced a previously hidden minor merger with a low-mass satellite galaxy billions of years ago.

Distance from Earth: around 48 million light-years

Learn more about Japan's Subaru Telescope in Hawaii: 
https://subarutelescope.org/en/

Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)/SDSS/David Hogg/Michael Blanton. Image Processing: Ichi Tanaka

Release Date: July 22, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Galaxies #ActiveGalaxies #SeyfertGalaxies #SquidGalaxy #Messier77 #SpiralGalaxies #InteractingGalaxies #CetusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #SubaruTelescope #すばる望遠鏡 #SubaruHSC #NAOJ #国立天文台 #HyperSuprimeCam #HSC #Japan #日本 #MaunaKea #Hawaii #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Close-up: Globular Star Cluster NGC 7006 in Delphinus | Hubble

Close-up: Globular Star Cluster NGC 7006 in Delphinus | Hubble

This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image shows a compact and distant globular star cluster that lies in one of the smallest constellations in the night sky, Delphinus (The Dolphin). Due to its modest size, great distance and relatively low brightness, NGC 7006 is often ignored by amateur astronomers. However, even remote globular clusters, such as this one, appear bright and clear when imaged by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

NGC 7006 resides in the outskirts of the Milky Way. It is about 135,000 light-years away, five times the distance between the Sun and the center of the galaxy, and it is part of the galactic halo. This roughly spherical region of the Milky Way is made up of dark matter, gas and sparsely distributed stellar clusters.

Like other remote globular clusters, NGC 7006 provides important clues that help astronomers to understand how stars formed and assembled in the halo. The cluster now pictured by Hubble has a very eccentric orbit indicating that it may have formed independently, in a small galaxy outside our own that was then captured by the Milky Way.

Although NGC 7006 is very distant for a Milky Way globular cluster, it is much closer than the many faint galaxies that can be seen in the background of this image. Each of these faint smudges is probably accompanied by many globular clusters similar to NGC 7006 that are too faint to be seen even by Hubble.

This image was taken using the Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys, in a combination of visible and near-infrared light. The field of view is a little over 3 by 3 arcminutes.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Theofanis N. Matsopoulos

Duration: 12 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 12, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #NGC7006 #DelphinusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #HubbleACS #NASAGoddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Globular Star Cluster NGC 7006 in Delphinus: A Remote Milky Way Outpost | Hubble

Globular Star Cluster NGC 7006 in Delphinus: A Remote Milky Way Outpost | Hubble

This NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope image shows a compact and distant globular star cluster that lies in one of the smallest constellations in the night sky, Delphinus (The Dolphin). Due to its modest size, great distance and relatively low brightness, NGC 7006 is often ignored by amateur astronomers. However, even remote globular clusters, such as this one, appear bright and clear when imaged by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

NGC 7006 resides in the outskirts of the Milky Way. It is about 135,000 light-years away, five times the distance between the Sun and the center of the galaxy, and it is part of the galactic halo. This roughly spherical region of the Milky Way is made up of dark matter, gas and sparsely distributed stellar clusters.

Like other remote globular clusters, NGC 7006 provides important clues that help astronomers to understand how stars formed and assembled in the halo. The cluster now pictured by Hubble has a very eccentric orbit indicating that it may have formed independently, in a small galaxy outside our own that was then captured by the Milky Way.

Although NGC 7006 is very distant for a Milky Way globular cluster, it is much closer than the many faint galaxies that can be seen in the background of this image. Each of these faint smudges is probably accompanied by many globular clusters similar to NGC 7006 that are too faint to be seen even by Hubble.

This image was taken using the Wide Field Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys, in a combination of visible and near-infrared light. The field of view is a little over 3 by 3 arcminutes.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Release Date: Sept. 12, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarClusters #NGC7006 #DelphinusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #HubbleACS #NASAGoddard #GSFC #STScI #STEM #Education

A Galactic Gem in Delphinus: System ZW II 96 | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

A Galactic Gem in Delphinus: System ZW II 96 | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Two galaxies merge at a furious rate in this Aug. 25, 2026, image of the ZW II 96 system. Near the top of the image is a spiral galaxy shape with thick arms in fiery oranges, whites, and reds. At the bottom of the image is a faint hazy bowl shape marbled with grainy white ribbons and hot pink specks. Where the two shapes collide, in the center of the frame, the galaxy appears utterly chaotic, like a firework.

Distance from Earth: about 500 million light-years

The shape of these merging galaxies is unusual. A number of powerful young starburst regions hang as long, threadlike structures between the main galaxy cores. The system is relatively luminous, but has not yet reached the late stage of coalescence that is typical for most ultraluminous systems.

Chandra X-ray data (magenta) pinpoint powerful black hole activity and hot gas, while optical data (blue and white) from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope illuminate vast stellar nurseries hidden behind interstellar dust. Systems like II Zw 096 show us how powerful galactic collisions shaped the early universe.

X-rays are critical for the study of galaxies, revealing unique and important information about these cosmic building blocks. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory sees examples of the hottest and most energetic galactic phenomena in the universe—forming a more complete picture of how galaxies live, interact, and evolve when combined with data from other types of light and telescopes.

Image Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and J. Major

Image Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Release Date: Sept. 11, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #ZWII96 #IIZw096 #InteractingGalaxies #DelphinusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayAstronomy #CXC  #SpaceTelescopes #NASASpitzer #InfraredAstronomy #NASAWebb #JWST #NASAHubble #HST #NASAGoddard #NASAJPL #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: Sept. 5-10, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Sept. 5-10, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 5010

Mars 2020 - sol 1972

Mars 2020 - sol 1974

MSL - sol 5008

MSL - sol 5007

MSL - sol 5007

MSL - sol 5004

MSL - sol 5011

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https://www.friendsofnasa.org/p/friends-of-nasa.html

Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education. 

We rely on public donations.

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Celebrating 14+ Years on Mars (2012-2026)

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

Release Dates: Sept. 5-10, 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 #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education

1.1% Waning Crescent Moon: View from France

1.1% Waning Crescent Moon: View from France

Astrophotographer Gwenael Blanck: "The new Moon is approaching. One could tell by trying to catch the very thin crescent that was visible this morning. I tried from Paris and could see it without difficulty with binoculars, although it was very very thin—1.1%."

The waning crescent Moon is the final lunar phase before the new Moon, appearing as a thin sliver of light that gradually diminishes each night.

The waning crescent occurs after the third-quarter (last quarter) Moon and before the new Moon in the lunar cycle. This averages about 29.5 days 

During this phase, the illuminated portion of the Moon visible from Earth shrinks each night, forming a thin crescent on the western side of the Moon in the Northern Hemisphere and the eastern side in the Southern Hemisphere. 

This phase is called "waning" because the visible light is decreasing, in contrast to "waxing" phases when the Moon grows toward full illumination.

France, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Metropolitan France shares borders with Belgium and Luxembourg to the north; Germany to the northeast; Switzerland to the east; Italy and Monaco to the southeast; Andorra and Spain to the south; and a maritime border with the United Kingdom to the northwest.

Image Credit: Gwenael Blanck 
Location: Saint-Cloud, France

Photographer's website: https://www.instagram.com/gwen.blanck/
Release Date: Sept. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Moon #WaningCrescent #France #Paris #SaintCloud #Astrophotographers #GwenaelBlanck #Astrophotography #STEM #Education

Europe's Sentinel-3 Earth Satellite Network: Fire Monitoring | EUMETSAT

Europe's Sentinel-3 Earth Satellite Network: Fire Monitoring | EUMETSAT

As climate change causes hotter summers, intense heatwaves, and droughts, wildfires in Europe and globally are becoming more extreme. In this video, learn how the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite mission provides near-real-time data to detect active fires, to track smoke plumes traveling thousands of kilometers across oceans, and to assess impacts on air quality.

From civil protection and emergency responders to atmospheric forecasters and climate researchers, Sentinel-3 data delivers the reliable observations needed to help protect lives and livelihoods.

The upcoming launch of Sentinel-3C will ensure the long-term continuity of these vital Earth observation services.

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission consists of two satellites with a third satellite due to launch on board a Vega-C launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana no earlier than September 14, 2026.

EUMETSAT operates the Sentinel-3 satellites, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), and delivers the marine and atmospheric data on behalf of the European Union. 

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Learn more: 

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

Sentinel-3:
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3

The European Space Agency's Copernicus Earth Observation Program: 
https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/copernicus/

The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is an intergovernmental organization created through an international convention agreed by a current total of 30 European Member States. EUMETSAT's primary objective is to establish, maintain and exploit European systems of operational meteorological satellites. EUMETSAT is responsible for the launch and operation of the satellites and for delivering satellite data to end-users as well as contributing to the operational monitoring of climate and the detection of global climate changes.

The activities of EUMETSAT contribute to a global meteorological satellite observing system coordinated with other space-faring states.

Video Credit: European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Sept. 11, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Satellites #CopernicusProgramme #Sentinel3 #Planets #Earth #Atmospheres #Wildfires #Smoke #AirQuality #AirPollution #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Environment #EUMETSAT #Europe #InternationalCooperation #Environment #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Long March 4B Rocket Launches Six Yaogan Earth Observation Satellites

China Long March 4B Rocket Launches Six Yaogan Earth Observation Satellites

Six new Yaogan remote sensing satellites were added to low Earth orbit by a China Long March 4B rocket departing from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 10, 2026, at 17:00 pm China Standard Time (09:00 am Universal Coordinated Time). All six Earth observation satellites were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

In low Earth orbit, the six new remote sensing satellites will support agricultural yield estimation, land and resource census, disaster prevention planning efforts, and scientific experiments. 

This launch was the 58th mission for the Long March 4B, the 119th launch of the Long March 4 series, the 275th Long March vehicle from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and the 666th launch of the Long March launch vehicle series. It was also the 62nd launch from China in 2026.

Image Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Text Credit: Jack C.

Release Date: Sept. 10, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Satellites #YaoganSatellites #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Agriculture #China #中国 #RocketLaunches #LongMarch4BRockets #长征四号乙火箭 #SAST #CASC #中国航天科技集团有限公司 #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #JSLC #酒泉卫星发射中心 #Spaceports #STEM #Education