Wednesday, September 30, 2026

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Mission: Launch Ready | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Mission: Launch Ready | International Space Station

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia are scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Once they arrive, they will spend the next several months in orbit, helping us learn how to live in space while running scientific experiments intended to help make life better back on Earth.

More info on our Crew-13 launch schedule: https://go.nasa.gov/3V9NKT0


Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers:
Andrey Fedyaev,
Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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.


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2026


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXFalcon9Rockets #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Wide-field view: The Little Ghost Nebula—NGC 6369 in Ophiuchus | Hubble

Wide-field view: The Little Ghost Nebula—NGC 6369 in Ophiuchus | Hubble

Known as the Little Ghost Nebula, NGC 6369 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer. The nebula is relatively faint with an apparent magnitude of 12.9. The white dwarf star is clearly visible in the middle of the nebular gas that is expanding out in rings.

Distance from Earth: ~2,000-5,000 light years

The Little Ghost Nebula was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. Round and planet-shaped, the nebula is also relatively faint. The high energy radiation from the central white dwarf star causes the surrounding nebula to emit light. A white dwarf is a dense, Earth-sized stellar remnant formed when a star like the Sun exhausts its nuclear fuel and sheds its outer layers. The nebula's main ring structure is about a light-year across and the glow from ionized oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are colored blue, green, and red respectively.

The Little Ghost Nebula should not be confused with the Ghost Nebula (Sh2-136) or the Ghost Head Nebula (NGC 2080).

Credit: NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Release Date: Nov. 7, 2002

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #LittleGhostNebula #NGC6369 #IRAS172622343 #OphiuchusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe  #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Close-up: The Little Ghost Nebula—NGC 6369 in Ophiuchus | Hubble

Close-up: The Little Ghost Nebula—NGC 6369 in Ophiuchus | Hubble

Known as the Little Ghost Nebula, NGC 6369 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer. The nebula is relatively faint with an apparent magnitude of 12.9. The white dwarf star is clearly visible in the middle of the nebular gas that is expanding out in rings.

Distance from Earth: ~2,000-5,000 light years

The Little Ghost Nebula was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. Round and planet-shaped, the nebula is also relatively faint. The high energy radiation from the central white dwarf star causes the surrounding nebula to emit light. A white dwarf is a dense, Earth-sized stellar remnant formed when a star like the Sun exhausts its nuclear fuel and sheds its outer layers. The nebula's main ring structure is about a light-year across and the glow from ionized oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are colored blue, green, and red respectively.

The Little Ghost Nebula should not be confused with the Ghost Nebula (Sh2-136) or the Ghost Head Nebula (NGC 2080).

Credit: Howard Bond (ST ScI) and NASA/European Space Agency (ESA)
Release Date: Dec. 17, 1997

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #LittleGhostNebula #NGC6369 #IRAS172622343 #OphiuchusConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe  #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Planet Earth by Bright 'Moonglow' | International Space Station

Planet Earth by Bright 'Moonglow' | International Space Station

Expedition 75 commander, flight engineer, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir: "Milky Way with a Moonlit Earth. Compare this to my previous Milky Way view and behold the power of our Moon! The Earth is so awash in Moonglow it looks like daytime, complete with blue oceans and continental outlines. The Moon just keeps on giving—even more motivation to return there with the NASA Artemis program!"

You will notice layers of yellow, orange, and green airglow in this video. Airglow occurs when atoms and molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere, excited by sunlight, emit light to shed their excess energy. Or, it can happen when atoms and molecules that have been ionized by sunlight collide with and capture a free electron. In both cases, they eject a particle of light—called a photon—in order to relax again. The phenomenon is similar to auroras, but where auroras are driven by high-energy particles originating from the solar wind, airglow is energized by ordinary, day-to-day solar radiation. 


Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers:
Andrey Fedyaev,
Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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.


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/J. Meir
Duration: 5 seconds
Date: Sept. 29, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planets #Earth #Moon #Moonlight #Moonglow #Astronauts #JessicaMeir #JackHathaway #SophieAdenot #Europe #ESA #Cosmonauts #AndreyFedyaev #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Europe #ESA #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition75 #InternationalCooperation #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Slow Motion: SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Booster on Flight#14 | Starbase Texas

Slow Motion: SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Booster on Flight#14 | Starbase Texas


Watch a close-up of Starship's Super Heavy Booster during liftoff on its 14th test flight on Monday, September 28, 2026, from Starbase Texas. Starship later deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) for the first time.

Read the full post-launch report and watch the mission replay here:

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.


Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Video Credit: SpaceX
Duration: 28 seconds
Date: Sept. 28, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #FlightTest14 #ReusableSpacecraft #SuperHeavy #SuperHeavyV3 #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

The Shrimp Nebula: Sh2-188 in Cassiopeia

The Shrimp Nebula: Sh2-188 in Cassiopeia

What causes the swirl in The Shrimp Nebula? 
Its high speed is likely. What is certain is that Sh2-188 is one of the larger planetary nebulas in the night sky, by angular size, spanning about half the diameter of the Moon. Moreover, the white-dwarf core—leftover from the Sun-like star that shed its outer atmosphere—is moving unusually fast through interstellar space, creating a bow shock most visible on the upper left that is similar to a boat plowing through water. Although faint, the Shrimp Nebula glows also by compressing and brightening gas on its leading edge. The featured image was taken in the light of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen by a backyard telescope in Krakow, Poland and then digitally adjusted to approximate the nebula's true colors.

Sh2-188 was discovered in the early 1950s by Grigory Shajn and Vera Gaze. It was independently discovered by Stewart Sharpless. It was first thought to be a supernova remnant instead of a planetary nebula.

Image Description: A starfield has a bright pink swirling nebula  in it. The top part of the nebula shows much detail, while the bottom part is mostly open.


Image Credit & Copyright: Pawel Piechnik
Pavel's website: 
https://www.instagram.com/pawelpiechnik.astrophoto/
Caption Credit: 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)
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2026

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #WhiteDwarfStars #Nebulae #PlanetaryNebulae #ShrimpNebula #FirefoxNebula #Sh2188 #Simeis22 #CassiopeiaConstellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #PawelPiechnik #Astrophotography #Krakow #Poland #Polska #NASAGoddard #MTU #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Bright Aurora Borealis over Sweden

Bright Aurora Borealis over Sweden




Astrophotographer Karsten Berger: "The fast solar wind did not disappoint. Even with a nearly full Moon and bright lights of the surrounding houses they were clearly visible to the naked eye."

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

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

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

Image Credit: Karsten Berger
Location: Abisko, Sweden
Date: Sept. 25, 2026


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Earth #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #SolarSystem #Sun #Astrophotography #KarstenBerger #Astrophotographer #Abisko #Sápmi #Lapland #Sweden #Sverige #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13: Ready for Launch | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13: Ready for Launch | International Space Station

With the rocket on the launch pad, the four-person crew for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Mission to the International Space Station participated in a dry dress rehearsal Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, on Merritt Island and at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, spent the morning in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, donning spacesuits and completing air leak checks. Once suited, they boarded vehicles and traveled to Space Launch Complex 40, where they entered the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will take them to the space station at Cape Canaveral.

Crew-13 is scheduled to launch to the station no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 1, for a long-duration science mission.

Image Description | From left: Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, wearing SpaceX spacesuits during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-13 mission launch, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

After Crew-13 arrives aboard the orbiting laboratory, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members will help familiarize the new crew with ongoing science and station maintenance activities for a smooth transition of operations. Following this brief handover, and pending weather conditions, Crew-12, including NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, will board its SpaceX spacecraft and head for a splashdown off the coast of California.

For more than 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon as we prepare for future Mars missions.


Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers:
Andrey Fedyaev,
Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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: SpaceX
Date: Sept. 29, 2026


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXFalcon9Rockets #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Slow Motion View: SpaceX Starship Liftoff on First Orbital Mission | Starbase Texas

Slow Motion View: SpaceX Starship Liftoff on First Orbital Mission | Starbase Texas


Watch Starship liftoff on its 14th test flight on Monday, September 28, 2026, from Starbase Texas. Starship later deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) for the first time.

Read the full post-launch report and watch the mission replay here:

NASA plans to use a lunar lander version of Starship to deliver astronauts and cargo to the Moon during the Artemis IV mission and beyond through the Human Landing System (HLS) Program.


Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):
https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Video Credit: SpaceX
Duration: 2 minutes
Date: Sept. 28, 2026

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #ArtemisIV #Starship #StarshipV3 #FlightTest14 #ReusableSpacecraft #SuperHeavy #SuperHeavyV3 #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #StarbaseTexas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Prepares for Launch | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Prepares for Launch | International Space Station

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins waves as she and fellow crewmates NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Space Launch Complex 40 during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-13 mission launch, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, right, Luke Delaney, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA astronaut Luke Delaney is seen as he and fellow crewmates NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia is seen as he and fellow crewmates NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk is seen as he and fellow crewmates NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, right, Luke Delaney, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
Ahead of launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at the launch pad of Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.

With the rocket on the launch pad, the four-person crew for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station participated in a dry dress rehearsal Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia, spent the morning in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, donning spacesuits and completing air leak checks. Once suited, they boarded vehicles and traveled to Space Launch Complex 40, where they entered the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will take them to the space station.

Crew-13 is scheduled to launch to the station no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 1, for a long-duration science mission.

After Crew-13 arrives aboard the orbiting laboratory, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members will help familiarize the new crew with ongoing science and station maintenance activities for a smooth transition of operations. Following this brief handover, and pending weather conditions, Crew-12, including NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev of Russia, will board its SpaceX spacecraft and head for a splashdown off the coast of California.

For more than 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon as we prepare for Mars.


Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers:
Andrey Fedyaev,
Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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 Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky, SpaceX
Dates: Sept. 27 & 29, 2026


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXFalcon9Rockets #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Pilot Nils Larson Receives 2026 Iven C. Kincheloe Award

NASA Pilot Nils Larson Receives 2026 Iven C. Kincheloe Award

Research test pilot David “Nils” Larson was selected as the 2026 recipient of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots’ Iven C. Kincheloe Award for outstanding professional accomplishment in flight testing. Larson earned the honor for leading NASA’s X‑59 quiet supersonic technology aircraft through first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, and for safely reaching the aircraft’s first flight to Mach 1.4 and an altitude of 55,000 feet during envelope expansion testing. His leadership, technical rigor, and airmanship advanced NASA’s low‑boom research goals and moved the X‑59 program closer to community overflight testing.

The X-59 aircraft builds on decades of supersonic flight research and is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission. The vast amount of data collected over the years has given designers the tools they needed to craft the shape of the X-59. The goal is to enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce a loud sonic boom to a quieter “sonic thump.”

Data gathered during X-59 research flights will be shared with the U.S. and international regulators to inform the establishment of new, data-driven acceptable noise thresholds related to supersonic commercial flight over land.

The X-59’s engine, a modified F414-GE-100, packs 22,000 pounds of thrust. This will enable the X-59 to achieve the desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. It sits in a nontraditional spot–atop the aircraft—to aid in making the X-59 quieter.

Keep up with the latest about X-59: 
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/

Learn more about NASA's Quesst mission: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/


Video Credit: NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2026

#NASA #Aerospace #SupersonicFlight #SupersonicAircraft #X59 #Pilots #DavidNilsLarson #Sonicbooms #QuietAviation #Aviation #QuesstMission #CommercialAviation #Science #Physics #Engineering #AerospaceResearch #AeronauticalResearch #FlightTests #LockheedMartin #NASAArmstrong #AFRC #Edwards #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: A galactic house of mirrors—MACS J0454.1-0300 in Orion | Webb Telescope

Close-up: A galactic house of mirrors—MACS J0454.1-0300 in Orion | Webb Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture features galaxies in incredible detail that have been warped and multiplied like they have stepped into a house of mirrors. The brilliant golden galaxies splashed across this image belong to a galaxy cluster called MACS J0454.1-0300. The orange galaxies concentrated on one side of the cluster are not actually part of the cluster; these galaxies are much farther away from us than the galaxies that make up MACS J0454.1-0300.

MACS J0454.1-0300 is itself incredibly distant: the light from these galaxies has been travelling to us for so long that we are seeing the cluster as it was when the Universe was about 8 billion years old. While this galaxy cluster is a valuable scientific target in its own right, the real stars of this image are the galaxies that appear warped and stretched, like a painting that has been smeared by a giant hand.

These strange-looking galaxies are of immense interest to astronomers. The way these galaxies look is the result of gravitational lensing where the enormous mass of a foreground object, such as a galaxy cluster, bends and magnifies the light from a more distant object in the background. Gravitational lensing allows astronomers to observe galaxies, star clusters and even individual stars that are too far away for our telescopes to see under normal conditions. While the large, orange galaxies appear obviously distorted, look carefully at some of the small reddish background galaxies throughout this picture—even at the very edges of the frame, there are galaxies whose images have been bent into tiny arcs by MACS J0454.1-0300’s gravity.

In addition to making galaxies look stretched out or bent, gravitational lensing can also make us see double—or quadruple. Under certain conditions, multiple images of the same galaxy can appear. It is rare to see four or more images of the same galaxy, as this requires the position of the background object and the shape of the massive foreground object to be just so. Because the requirements are so particular, this phenomenon is only seen in 10–20% of galaxy clusters. 

Researchers spotted this rare configuration twice in the Webb observations of MACS J0454.1-0300, marking the first time this phenomenon has been seen more than once in the same galaxy cluster. The gravitationally lensed areas show multiple images of galaxies from when the Universe was young: a group of galaxies 2 billion years after the Big Bang, and a single galaxy just 800 million years old after the Big Bang. The galaxy group appears to be going through a merger, resulting in an enormous burst of star formation.

Astronomers have also identified individual bright ‘knots’ within these gravitationally lensed areas, corresponding to regions as small as 5 light-years across. These tiny clumps appear magnified by a factor of more than 300, in some cases.

The data behind this image come from two observing programs (#5058, PI: Furtak; #6882, PI: Fujimoto) that leverage the ability of massive galaxy clusters to bring distant objects into view. One program searches for individual gravitationally lensed stars in the first billion years of the Universe. This program will monitor a particular gravitationally lensed galaxy in the MACS J0454.1-0300 field of view for signs of hugely magnified single stars. The second program aims to observe a large sample of galaxy clusters at many wavelengths, helping researchers study the onset star formation and the evolution of early galaxies.

Image Description: A massive galaxy cluster, made of many golden elliptical galaxies with the largest, brightest one in the center. Heavily distorted orange galaxies appear all around the cluster, the largest concentrated in a large arc around the cluster's center; these are images of very distant galaxies, created by gravitational lensing. A few galaxies are large and bluish-white in color; bright, nearby stars are the same color.


Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Furtak, S. Fujimoto, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #MACSJ045410300 #GravitationalLensing #OrionConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Galaxies in a cosmic house of mirrors: MACS J0454.1-0300 in Orion | Webb Telescope

Galaxies in a cosmic house of mirrors: MACS J0454.1-0300 in Orion | Webb Telescope

This NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture features galaxies in incredible detail that have been warped and multiplied like they have stepped into a house of mirrors. The brilliant golden galaxies splashed across this image belong to a galaxy cluster called MACS J0454.1-0300. The orange galaxies concentrated on one side of the cluster are not actually part of the cluster; these galaxies are much farther away from us than the galaxies that make up MACS J0454.1-0300.

MACS J0454.1-0300 is itself incredibly distant: the light from these galaxies has been travelling to us for so long that we are seeing the cluster as it was when the Universe was about 8 billion years old. While this galaxy cluster is a valuable scientific target in its own right, the real stars of this image are the galaxies that appear warped and stretched, like a painting that has been smeared by a giant hand.

These strange-looking galaxies are of immense interest to astronomers. The way these galaxies look is the result of gravitational lensing where the enormous mass of a foreground object, such as a galaxy cluster, bends and magnifies the light from a more distant object in the background. Gravitational lensing allows astronomers to observe galaxies, star clusters and even individual stars that are too far away for our telescopes to see under normal conditions. While the large, orange galaxies appear obviously distorted, look carefully at some of the small reddish background galaxies throughout this picture—even at the very edges of the frame, there are galaxies whose images have been bent into tiny arcs by MACS J0454.1-0300’s gravity.

In addition to making galaxies look stretched out or bent, gravitational lensing can also make us see double—or quadruple. Under certain conditions, multiple images of the same galaxy can appear. It is rare to see four or more images of the same galaxy, as this requires the position of the background object and the shape of the massive foreground object to be just so. Because the requirements are so particular, this phenomenon is only seen in 10–20% of galaxy clusters. 

Researchers spotted this rare configuration twice in the Webb observations of MACS J0454.1-0300, marking the first time this phenomenon has been seen more than once in the same galaxy cluster. The gravitationally lensed areas show multiple images of galaxies from when the Universe was young: a group of galaxies 2 billion years after the Big Bang, and a single galaxy just 800 million years old after the Big Bang. The galaxy group appears to be going through a merger, resulting in an enormous burst of star formation.

Astronomers have also identified individual bright ‘knots’ within these gravitationally lensed areas, corresponding to regions as small as 5 light-years across. These tiny clumps appear magnified by a factor of more than 300, in some cases.

The data behind this image come from two observing programs (#5058, PI: Furtak; #6882, PI: Fujimoto) that leverage the ability of massive galaxy clusters to bring distant objects into view. One program searches for individual gravitationally lensed stars in the first billion years of the Universe. This program will monitor a particular gravitationally lensed galaxy in the MACS J0454.1-0300 field of view for signs of hugely magnified single stars. The second program aims to observe a large sample of galaxy clusters at many wavelengths, helping researchers study the onset star formation and the evolution of early galaxies.

Image Description: A massive galaxy cluster, made of many golden elliptical galaxies with the largest, brightest one in the center. Heavily distorted orange galaxies appear all around the cluster, the largest concentrated in a large arc around the cluster's center; these are images of very distant galaxies, created by gravitational lensing. A few galaxies are large and bluish-white in color; bright, nearby stars are the same color.


Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Furtak, S. Fujimoto
Release Date: Sept. 29, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #MACSJ045410300 #GravitationalLensing #OrionConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #JWST #NIRCam #InfraredAstronomy #SpaceTelescopes #Europe #NASAGoddard #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #STEM #Education

Monday, September 28, 2026

Planet Mars Images: Sept. 16-28, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Planet Mars Images: Sept. 16-28, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 5013
MSL - sol 5016
MSL - sol 5016
MSL - sol 5016
Mars 2020 - sol 1982
MSL - sol 5016
MSL - sol 5023
Mars 2020 - sol 1991

Join us and become a monthly Friends of NASA supporter on our website:
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.
One-time Donations to Friends of NASA (PayPal) accepted here: 

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. 16-28, 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

Artemis II Moon Crew Visits NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility

Artemis II Moon Crew Visits NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility

The team at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility is still filled with joy after a recent visit from the Artemis II crew! The crew consists of Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). While at America's Rocket Factory, the four shared stories and reflections from their historic trip around the Moon, connected with the workforce, and took time to answer questions.

Are you team "Moon Joy," "Earth Joy," or "Rocket Joy"?

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

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

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

Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program:

NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF)
https://www.nasa.gov/michoud-assembly-facility/

Video Credit: NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility
Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Sept. 28, 2026

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #CSA #Canada #NASAMichoud #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon for Crew-13 Launch | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon for Crew-13 Launch | International Space Station



Falcon 9 and the Crew Dragon spacecraft are now at pad 40 in Florida for NASA’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station as of September 27, 2026. Plus, crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 Mission NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov of Russia arrived Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew-13 mission is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral no earlier than 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 1.


Expedition 75 Crew
Station Commander: Jessica Meir
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers:
Andrey Fedyaev,
Anna Kikina, Pyotr Dubrov
European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot
NASA Flight Engineers: Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon

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: SpaceX
Release Date: Sept. 27, 2026


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #ISS #SpaceXFalcon9Rockets #CrewDragonSpacecraft #SpaceXCrew13 #Astronauts #JessicaWatkins #LukeDelaney #JoshuaKutryk #CSA #Canada #SergeyTeteryatnikov #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition75 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education