2019 November 5 Spiral Galaxies Spinning Super-Fast Image Credit: Top row: NASA, ESA, Hubble, P. Ogle & J. DePasquale (STScI); Bottom row: SDSS, P. Ogle & J. DePasquale (STScI) Explanation: Why are these galaxies spinning so fast? If you estimated each spiral’s mass by how much light […]
From the vantage point of space aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan captured this image of a California wildfire. On his Facebook page, he said: “From the International Space Station I was able to catch these pictures of the California wildfires burning north o
2019 October 31 The Ghostly Veil Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Anis Abdul Explanation: A ghostly visage on a cosmic scale, these remains of shocked, glowing gas haunt planet Earth’s sky toward the constellation of Cygnus and form the Veil Nebula. The nebula itself is a large supernova
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket is seen as it rolls out to Pad-0A, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman’s 12th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and rese
This view from NASA’s Juno spacecraft captures colorful, intricate patterns in a jet stream region of Jupiter’s northern hemisphere known as “Jet N3.” Jupiter’s cloud tops do not form a simple, flat surface. Data from Juno helped scientists discover that the swirling ba
This image of star trails was compiled from time-lapse photography taken by NASA astronaut Christina Koch from aboard the International Space Station, taken in July 2019. This composite image was made from more than 400 individual photos taken over a span of about 11 minutes as the station traveled
2019 October 29 Curiosity Rover Finds a Clay Cache on Mars Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS Explanation: Why is there clay on Mars? On Earth, clay can form at the bottom of a peaceful lake when specific minerals trap water. At the pictured site on Mars, the robotic rover Curiosity drilled into
Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have structurally mated the first of four RS-25 engines to the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will help power the first Artemis mission to the Moon. Integration of the RS-25 engines to the recen
2019 October 24 Dark Seahorse in Cepheus Image Credit & Copyright: Sergio Kaminsky Explanation: Light-years across, this suggestive shape known as the Seahorse Nebula appears in silhouette against a rich, luminous background of stars. Seen toward the royal northern constellation of Cepheus, the
In 1572, Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe was among those who noticed a new bright object in the constellation Cassiopeia. Adding fuel to the intellectual fire that Copernicus started, Tycho showed this “new star” was far beyond the Moon, and that it was possible for the universe beyond the Sun and pla
