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The capital of Mayotte, Mamoudzou, is located on the eastern coast of the main island and looks across a 2 km channel to Pamandzi. Most of Mayotte’s population lives on the main island, but the airport is located on southern tip of Pamandzi, shown in the image above. A lake on Pamandzi, called Dziana Dzaha, stands out as a bright green oval in the north. Dziana Dzaha is a crater lake with salt concentrations higher than that of seawater. The salty, oxygen-poor lake is considered a modern analogue to environments of the Precambrian, when multi-cellular life began to form. Researchers have studied the lake to understand the types of microbes that flourish in extreme environments.
Millions of years ago, during the Miocene, a series of volcanic eruptions created a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and the African mainland. These islands are now known as the Comoros archipelago.
The oldest and easternmost islands in the archipelago comprise a territory known as Mayotte. Mayotte consists of two principal islands, the main island (known as Grande Terre) and a smaller island to the east, known as Pamandzi or Petite Terre. This image, captured by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8, shows the main island in the center of an outer ring of barrier reefs and small islets, which form a lagoon rich in marine biodiversity. Corals and mangroves also fringe the coasts of the main island.
Mayotte’s lagoon is home to a diversity of marine life, including corals, clownfish, and green sea turtles. But overfishing and coral bleaching threaten the health of the ecosystem. A 2022 study of corals in the western Indian Ocean found that the Comoros islands corals were at risk of collapse in response to warming water temperatures. A marine park, which covers all of Mayotte and surrounding waters, was established in 2010 to protect its aquatic life.
A string of volcanic mountains span the length of the main island. The tallest peak is Mount Bénara, with a height of 660 meters (2,170 feet). Just south of this peak is Mount Choungui, which with a height of 593 m (1,946 ft) is the island’s second-tallest mountain. Both of these mountains are home to several species of birds that are vulnerable to extinction, including the yellow-billed Comoros olive pigeon (Columba pollenii) and the glossy black Mayotte drongo (Dicrurus waldenii).
Geologic activity continues to shape the islands. Although the islands went many years without significant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, multiple earthquakes a day shook Mayotte between May 2018 and July 2019, and more than a dozen in that year were magnitude of 5 or more. Landslides and other natural hazards followed the earthquakes. The cause, scientists discovered, was the birth of an undersea volcanic ridge and edifice, just 5 kilometers east of Pamandzi. Using data from the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), scientists learned that this seismic activity caused the main island of Mayotte to shift eastward about 21 to 25 cm and sink approximately 10 to 19 cm.
The Landsat program conceived of in the 1960s, has been running longer than any remote sensing program. The idea was simple: position a satellite in a nearly polar orbit fixed to the solar angle so that each daytime pass would cross the equator at roughly the same local time.
Data representing bands of the spectrum are captured and processed into grayscale recordings that can be combined to create natural looking or false color views. Nine Landsat satellites have been launched in partnership with NASA since 1972.
The first Earth Day took place in 1970, which also was the same year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was established in the United States. Since then, NOAA satellites have been monitoring Earth’s weather, environment, oceans, and climate. They provide critical information for forecasts and warnings of severe weather and environmental hazards.
This Earth Day, we have a lot to celebrate. Over the past year, NOAA has added two new satellites to its Earth-observing fleet and contributed an instrument to a mission that will help us have a better understanding of Earth’s physical and biological environment.
Credits: NOAA Satellites, Argos-4 imagery courtesy of CNES/Kinéis
Earthrise: A Conversation with Apollo 8 Astronaut Bill Anders | NASA
Almost fifty-five years ago, on December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first humans to orbit the Moon, and the first to witness the magnificent sight called "Earthrise."
NASA’s Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor Dr. Katherine Calvin sat down with Bill Anders to discuss the historic Earthrise photo.
The Earth in 4K: Expeditions 67-68 | International Space Station
The people who have been to Earth orbit for the rare opportunity to see our home planet from an entirely different angle say this blue marble in space is really quite beautiful and awe-inspiring when seen from 250 miles straight up. Here is your chance to see if you agree. These ultra-high definition video scenes, captured between March 2022 and March 2023 during the International Space Station’s Expeditions 67 and 68, let you imagine yourself as a station crew member with an hour off duty and nothing better to do than look out the window as the world, literally, passes by.
"The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space. It is the experience of seeing first-hand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, 'hanging in the void', shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. The effect may also invoke a sense of transcendence and connection with humanity as a whole, from which national borders appear petty."
The term and concept were coined in 1987 by American author, Frank White, who explored the theme in his book The Overview Effect — Space Exploration and Human Evolution.
The Ballad of The Overview Effect | Down to Earth | NASA Johnson
In preparation for Earth Day, view our beautiful planet from above with commentary from NASA astronauts.
"The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space. It is the experience of seeing first-hand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, 'hanging in the void', shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. The effect may also invoke a sense of transcendence and connection with humanity as a whole, from which national borders appear petty."
The term and concept were coined in 1987 by American author, Frank White, who explored the theme in his book The Overview Effect — Space Exploration and Human Evolution.
NASA Earth Day 2023 Activities at Union Station, Washington, DC
Former NASA Administrator and astronaut Charlie Bolden speaks with local students during an Earth Day event, Thursday, April 20, 2023
Visitors explore NASA’s hands-on exhibits during an Earth Day event
At the Union Station's Main Hall in Washington, DC, NASA hosted activities for schoolchildren between April 20-21, 2023, that were free and open to the public, including: "Passport to Fun, Hands-On Activities and Demos, Trivia, Photo Ops, Science Stories and Take-Home Kits." Former NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden Jr. also spoke with local students.
Download NASA's new Earth Day poster (including vitrual backgrounds and wallpapers) for free and learn more about NASA's efforts to explore, discover, and protect:
NASA Science Art Director Jenny Mottar explains the inspiration behind the 2023 NASA Earth Day poster. Download NASA's new Earth Day poster (including virtual backgrounds and wallpapers) for free and learn more about our efforts to explore, discover, and protect:
NASA's Space to Ground: Making a Global Impact | Week of April 21, 2023
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station.
Update: At 7:22 a.m. EDT, April 21, 2023, Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module.
The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more than five months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory to deliver about 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA.
Following a deorbit engine firing later Friday evening, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft—filled with trash packed by the station crew—will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Cygnus arrived at the space station Nov. 10, 2022, following a launch on Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. It was the company’s 18th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft “S.S. Sally Ride” after late NASA astronaut, physicist, and first American woman to fly in space, Sally Ride, launched on an Antares rocket from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A at Wallops.
Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev
Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg
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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
Update: At 7:22 a.m. EDT, April 21, 2023, Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module.
The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more than five months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory to deliver about 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo for NASA.
Following a deorbit engine firing later Friday evening, Cygnus will begin a planned destructive re-entry, in which the spacecraft—filled with trash packed by the station crew—will safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Cygnus arrived at the space station Nov. 10, 2022, following a launch on Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. It was the company’s 18th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA. Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft “S.S. Sally Ride” after late NASA astronaut, physicist, and first American woman to fly in space, Sally Ride, launched on an Antares rocket from the Virginia Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A at Wallops.
Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev
Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg
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. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.
New Stellar Danger to Planets Identified | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
An exploded star can pose more risks to nearby planets than previously thought, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray telescopes. This newly identified threat involves a phase of intense X-rays that can damage the atmospheres of planets over 100 light-years away.
Although Earth is not in danger now it may have experienced such X-ray exposure in the past.
However, even these alarming threats do not fully catalog the dangers in the wake of an exploded star. Researchers have discovered that, in between these two previously identified dangers, lurks another. The aftermaths of supernovae always produce X-rays, but if the supernova’s blast wave strikes dense surrounding gas, it can produce a particularly large dose of X-rays that arrives months to years after the explosion and may last for decades.
The calculations in this latest study are based on X-ray observations of 31 supernovae and their aftermath mostly obtained from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, Swift and NuSTAR missions, and ESA’s XMM-Newton. The analysis of these observations shows that there can be lethal consequences from supernovae interacting with their surroundings, for planets located as much as about 160 light-years away.
If a torrent of X-rays sweeps over a nearby planet, the radiation would severely alter the planet's atmospheric chemistry. For an Earth-like planet, this process could wipe out a significant portion of ozone, which ultimately protects life from the dangerous ultraviolet radiation of its host star.
As far as anyone knows, the Earth is not in any danger from an event like this now. However, it may be the case that such events played a role in Earth's past. There is strong evidence—including the detection in different locations around the globe of a radioactive type of iron—that supernovae occurred close to Earth between about two and eight million years ago. Researchers estimate these supernovae were between about 65 and 500 light-years away from Earth.
Although the Earth and the Solar System are currently in a safe space in terms of potential supernova explosions, many other planets in the Milky Way are not. These high-energy events would effectively shrink the areas within the Milky Way galaxy, known as the Galactic Habitable Zone, where conditions would be conducive for life as we know it.
New Stellar Danger to Planets Identified | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
An exploded star can pose more risks to nearby planets than previously thought, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other X-ray telescopes. This newly identified threat involves a phase of intense X-rays that can damage the atmospheres of planets over 100 light-years away.
Although Earth is not in danger now it may have experienced such X-ray exposure in the past.
Before this study, most research on the effects of supernova explosions had focused on the danger from two periods: the intense radiation produced by a supernova in the days and months after the explosion, and the energetic particles that arrive hundreds to thousands of years afterward.
However, even these alarming threats do not fully catalog the dangers in the wake of an exploded star. Researchers have discovered that, in between these two previously identified dangers, lurks another. The aftermaths of supernovae always produce X-rays, but if the supernova’s blast wave strikes dense surrounding gas, it can produce a particularly large dose of X-rays that arrives months to years after the explosion and may last for decades.
The calculations in this latest study are based on X-ray observations of 31 supernovae and their aftermath mostly obtained from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, Swift and NuSTAR missions, and ESA’s XMM-Newton. The analysis of these observations shows that there can be lethal consequences from supernovae interacting with their surroundings, for planets located as much as about 160 light-years away.
If a torrent of X-rays sweeps over a nearby planet, the radiation would severely alter the planet's atmospheric chemistry. For an Earth-like planet, this process could wipe out a significant portion of ozone, which ultimately protects life from the dangerous ultraviolet radiation of its host star.
As far as anyone knows, the Earth is not in any danger from an event like this now. However, it may be the case that such events played a role in Earth's past. There is strong evidence—including the detection in different locations around the globe of a radioactive type of iron—that supernovae occurred close to Earth between about two and eight million years ago. Researchers estimate these supernovae were between about 65 and 500 light-years away from Earth.
Although the Earth and the Solar System are currently in a safe space in terms of potential supernova explosions, many other planets in the Milky Way are not. These high-energy events would effectively shrink the areas within the Milky Way galaxy, known as the Galactic Habitable Zone, where conditions would be conducive for life as we know it.
Because the X-ray observations of supernovae are sparse, particularly of the variety that strongly interact with their surroundings, the authors would like to see follow-up observations of interacting supernovae for months and years after the explosion.
SpaceX Test Summary: "Starship gave us quite a show during today’s first flight test of a fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket from Starbase in Texas.
At 8:33 a.m. CT, Starship successfully lifted off from the orbital launch pad for the first time. The vehicle cleared the pad and beach as Starship climbed to an apogee of ~39 km over the Gulf of Mexico—the highest of any Starship to-date. The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship. As is standard procedure, the pad and surrounding area was cleared well in advance of the test, and we expect the road and beach near the pad to remain closed until tomorrow.
With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and we learned a tremendous amount about the vehicle and ground systems today that will help us improve on future flights of Starship.
Thank you to our customers, Cameron County, and the wider community for the continued support and encouragement. And congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting first flight test of Starship!"
Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)
Hubble 33th Anniversary Image: Dark Nebula NGC 1333—A Cauldron of Star Birth
Space Sparks Episode 18: Astronomers are celebrating the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope’s 33rd launch anniversary with an ethereal photo of a nearby star-forming region—dark nebula NGC 1333. This nebula is in the Perseus molecular cloud, and is located approximately 960 light-years away.
Video Credits:
Directed by: Bethany Downer
Editing: Nico Bartmann
Web and technical support: Enciso Systems
Written by: Bethany Downer
Footage and photos: NASA, ESA, STScI, ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser, L. L. Christensen
Zoom into Dark Nebula NGC 1333: A Cauldron of Star Birth | Hubble
Astronomers are celebrating the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope’s 33rd launch anniversary with an ethereal photo of a nearby star-forming region, NGC 1333. The nebula is in the Perseus molecular cloud, and is located approximately 960 light-years away.
This video takes the viewer on a journey through space to NGC 1333.
Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble), E. Slawik, N. Risinger, T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), H. Schweiker (NOIRLab), M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)
