NASA

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The blazar BL Lacertae, a supermassive black hole surrounded by a bright disk and jets oriented toward Earth, provided scientists with a unique opportunity to answer a longstanding question: How are X-rays generated in extreme environments like this? NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) collaborated with radio and optical telescopes to find answers. The results (preprint available here), to be published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters, show that interactions between fast-moving electrons and particles of light, called photons, must lead to this X-ray emission. This artist’s concept depicts the central region of the blazar BL Lacertae, a supermassive black hole surrounded by a bright disk and a jet oriented toward Earth. The galaxy’s central black hole is surrounded by swirls of orange in various shades representing the accretion disk of material falling toward the black hole. While black holes are known for pulling in material, this accretion process can result in the ejection of jets of electrons at nearly the speed of light. The jet of matter is represented by the cone of light that starts at the center of the black hole and widens out as it reaches the bottom of the image. It is streaked with lines of white, pink and purple which represent helix-shaped magnetic fields. We can observe these jets in many wavelengths of light including radio, optical, and X-ray. NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) recently collaborated with radio and optical telescopes to observe this jet and determine how the X-rays are generated in these types of celestial environments.NASA/Pablo Garcia Scientists had two competing possible explanations for the X-rays, one involving protons and one involving electrons. Each of these mechanisms would have a different signature in the polarization of X-ray light. Polarization is a property of light that describes the average direction of the electromagnetic waves that make up light. If the X-rays in a black hole’s jets are highly polarized, that would mean that the X-rays are produced by protons gyrating in the magnetic field of the jet or protons interacting with jet’s photons. If the X-rays have a lower polarization degree, it would suggest that electron-photons interactions lead to X-ray production. IXPE, which launched Dec. 9, 2021, is the only satellite flying today that can make such a polarization measurement. “This was one of the biggest mysteries about supermassive black hole jets” said Iván Agudo, lead author of the study and astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía – CSIC in Spain. “And IXPE, with the help of a number of supporting ground-based telescopes, finally provided us with the tools to solve it.” Astronomers found that electrons must be the culprits through a process called Compton Scattering. Compton scattering (or the Compton effect) happens when a photon loses or gains energy after interacting with a charged particle, usually an electron. Within jets from supermassive black holes, electrons move near the speed of light. IXPE helped scientists learn that, in the case of a blazar jet, the electrons have enough energy to scatter photons of infrared light up to X-ray wavelengths. BL Lacertae (BL Lac for short) is one of the first blazars ever discovered, originally thought to be a variable star in the Lacerta constellation. IXPE observed BL Lac at the end of November 2023 for seven days along with several ground-based telescopes measuring optical and radio polarization at the same time. While IXPE observed BL Lac in the past, this observation was special. Coincidentally, during the X-ray polarization observations, the optical polarization of BL Lac reached a high number: 47.5%. “This was not only the most polarized BL Lac has been in the past 30 years, this is the most polarized any blazar has ever been observed!” said Ioannis Liodakis, one of the primary authors of the study and astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics – FORTH in Greece. IXPE found the X-rays were far less polarized than the optical light. The team was not able to measure a strong polarization signal and determined that the X-rays cannot be more polarized than 7.6%. This proved that electrons interacting with photons, via the Compton effect, must explain the X-rays. The fact that optical polarization was so much higher than in the X-rays can only be explained by Compton scattering. Steven Ehlert Project Scientist for IXPE at Marshall Space Flight Center “The fact that optical polarization was so much higher than in the X-rays can only be explained by Compton scattering”, said Steven Ehlert, project scientist for IXPE and astronomer at the Marshall Space Flight Center. “IXPE has managed to solve another black hole mystery” said Enrico Costa, astrophysicist in Rome at the Istituto di Astrofísica e Planetologia Spaziali of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofísica. Costa is one of the scientists who conceived this experiment and proposed it to NASA 10 years ago, under the leadership of Martin Weisskopf, IXPE’s first principal investigator. “IXPE’s polarized X-ray vision has solved several long lasting mysteries, and this is one of the most important. In some other cases, IXPE results have challenged consolidated opinions and opened new enigmas, but this is how science works and, for sure, IXPE is doing very good science.” What’s next for the blazar research? “One thing we’ll want to do is try to find as many of these as possible,” Ehlert said. “Blazars change quite a bit with time and are full of surprises.” More about IXPE IXPE, which continues to provide unprecedented data enabling groundbreaking discoveries about celestial objects across the universe, is a joint NASA and Italian Space Agency mission with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. IXPE is led by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. BAE Systems, Inc., headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, manages spacecraft operations together with the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. Learn more about IXPE’s ongoing mission here: https://www.nasa.gov/ixpe Elizabeth Landau NASA Headquarters elizabeth.r.landau@nasa.gov 202-358-0845 Lane Figueroa Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov 256.544.0034 Share Details Last Updated May 06, 2025 EditorBeth RidgewayContactElizabeth R. Landauelizabeth.r.landau@nasa.govLocationMarshall Space Flight Center Related TermsMarshall Space Flight CenterIXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer)Marshall Astrophysics Explore More 4 min read NASA’s Chandra Diagnoses Cause of Fracture in Galactic “Bone” Article 5 days ago 4 min read NASA Marshall Fires Up Hybrid Rocket Motor to Prep for Moon Landings Article 2 weeks ago 6 min read NASA’s Chandra Releases New 3D Models of Cosmic Objects Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics IXPE About Marshall Science Marshall Space Flight Center Black Holes Black Holes Black holes are among the most mysterious cosmic objects, much studied but not fully understood. These objects aren’t… View the full article

Technicians move the Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II test flight out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, May 3, 2025. NASA/Kim Shiflett Engineers, technicians, mission planners, and the four astronauts set to fly around the Moon next year on Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission, are rapidly progressing toward launch. At the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams are working around the clock to move into integration and final testing of all SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft elements. Recently they completed two key milestones – connecting the SLS upper stage with the rest of the assembled rocket and moving Orion from its assembly facility to be fueled for flight. “We’re extremely focused on preparing for Artemis II, and the mission is nearly here,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator for NASA’s Moon to Mars Program, who also will chair the mission management team during Artemis II. “This crewed test flight, which will send four humans around the Moon, will inform our future missions to the Moon and Mars.” Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program begin integrating the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the SLS (Space Launch System) launch vehicle stage adapter on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA/Isaac Watson On May 1, technicians successfully attached the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the SLS rocket elements already poised atop mobile launcher 1, including its twin solid rocket boosters and core stage, inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). This portion of the rocket produces 24,750 pounds of thrust for Orion after the rest of the rocket has completed its job. Teams soon will move into a series of integrated tests to ensure all the rocket’s elements are communicating with each other and the Launch Control Center as expected. The tests include verifying interfaces and ensuring SLS systems work properly with the ground systems. Meanwhile, on May 3, Orion left its metaphorical nest, the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Facility at Kennedy, where it was assembled and underwent initial testing. There the crew module was outfitted with thousands of parts including critical life support systems for flight and integrated with the service module and crew module adapter. Its next stop on the road to the launch pad is the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, where it will be carefully fueled with propellants, high pressure gases, coolant, and other fluids the spacecraft and its crew need to maneuver in space and carry out the mission. After fueling is complete, the four astronauts flying on the mission around the Moon and back over the course of approximately 10 days, will board the spacecraft in their Orion Crew Survival System spacesuits to test all the equipment interfaces they will need to operate during the mission. This will mark the first time NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will board their actual spacecraft while wearing their spacesuits. After the crewed testing is complete, technicians will move Orion to Kennedy’s Launch Abort System Facility, where the critical escape system will be added. From there, Orion will move to the VAB to be integrated with the fully assembled rocket. NASA also announced its second agreement with an international space agency to fly a CubeSat on the mission. The collaborations provide opportunities for other countries to work alongside NASA to integrate and fly technology and experiments as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. While engineers at Kennedy integrate and test hardware with their eyes on final preparations for the mission, teams responsible for launching and flying the mission have been busy preparing for a variety of scenarios they could face. The launch team at Kennedy has completed more than 30 simulations across cryogenic propellant loading and terminal countdown scenarios. The crew has been taking part in simulations for mission scenarios, including with teams in mission control. In April, the crew and the flight control team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston simulated liftoff through a planned manual piloting test together for the first time. The crew also recently conducted long-duration fit checks for their spacesuits and seats, practicing several operations while under various suit pressures. NASA astronaut Christina Koch participates in a fit check April 18, 2025, in the spacesuit she will wear during Artemis II. NASA/Josh Valcarcel Teams are heading into a busy summer of mission preparations. While hardware checkouts and integration continue, in coming months the crew, flight controllers, and launch controllers will begin practicing their roles in the mission together as part of integrated simulations. In May, the crew will begin participating pre-launch operations and training for emergency scenarios during launch operations at Kennedy and observe a simulation by the launch control team of the terminal countdown portion of launch. In June, recovery teams will rehearse procedures they would use in the case of a pad or ascent abort off the coast of Florida, with launch and flight control teams supporting. The mission management team, responsible for reviewing mission status and risk assessments for issues that arise and making decisions about them, also will begin practicing their roles in simulations. Later this summer, the Orion stage adapter will arrive at the VAB from NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and stacked on top of the rocket. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (foreground) and Victor Glover participate in a simulation of their Artemis II entry profile on March 13, 2025.NASA/Bill Stafford Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. View the full article

NASA/JPL-Caltech A soot-like cloud is revealed in a section of the sky in this May 1, 2025, image from NASA’S SPHEREx space observatory. On May 1, SPHEREx began regular science operations, which consist of taking about 3,600 images per day for the next two years to provide new insights about the origins of the universe, galaxies, and the ingredients for life in the Milky Way. The observatory won’t be the first to map the entire sky, but it will be the first to do so in so many colors. It observes 102 wavelengths, or colors, of infrared light, which are undetectable to the human eye. When SPHEREx takes a picture of the sky, the light is sent to six detectors that each produces a unique image capturing different wavelengths of light. These groups of six images are called an exposure, and SPHEREx takes about 600 exposures per day. When it’s done with one exposure, the whole observatory shifts position — the mirrors and detectors don’t move as they do on some other telescopes. Read more about SPHEREx and the images it will capture. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech View the full article

5 min read NASA’s NICER Maps Debris From Recurring Cosmic Crashes Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí. For the first time, astronomers have probed the physical environment of repeating X-ray outbursts near monster black holes thanks to data from NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) and other missions. Scientists have only recently encountered this class of X-ray flares, called QPEs, or quasi-periodic eruptions. A system astronomers have nicknamed Ansky is the eighth QPE source discovered, and it produces the most energetic outbursts seen to date. Ansky also sets records in terms of timing and duration, with eruptions every 4.5 days or so that last approximately 1.5 days. “These QPEs are mysterious and intensely interesting phenomena,” said Joheen Chakraborty, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. “One of the most intriguing aspects is their quasi-periodic nature. We’re still developing the methodologies and frameworks we need to understand what causes QPEs, and Ansky’s unusual properties are helping us improve those tools.” Watch how astronomers used data from NASA’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) to study a mysterious cosmic phenomenon called a quasi-periodic eruption, or QPE. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Ansky’s name comes from ZTF19acnskyy, the moniker of a visible-light outburst seen in 2019. It was located in a galaxy about 300 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. This event was the first indication that something unusual might be happening. A paper about Ansky, led by Chakraborty, was published Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal. A leading theory suggests that QPEs occur in systems where a relatively low-mass object passes through the disk of gas surrounding a supermassive black hole that holds hundreds of thousands to billions of times the Sun’s mass. When the lower-mass object punches through the disk, its passage drives out expanding clouds of hot gas that we observe as QPEs in X-rays. Scientists think the eruptions’ quasi-periodicity occurs because the smaller object’s orbit is not perfectly circular and spirals toward the black hole over time. Also, the extreme gravity close to the black hole warps the fabric of space-time, altering the object’s orbits so they don’t close on themselves with each cycle. Scientists’ current understanding suggests the eruptions repeat until the disk disappears or the orbiting object disintegrates, which may take up to a few years. A system astronomers call Ansky, in the galaxy at the center of this image, is home to a recently discovered series of quasi-periodic eruptions. Sloan Digital Sky Survey “Ansky’s extreme properties may be due to the nature of the disk around its supermassive black hole,” said Lorena Hernández-García, an astrophysicist at the Millennium Nucleus on Transversal Research and Technology to Explore Supermassive Black Holes, the Millennium Institute of Astrophysics, and University of Valparaíso in Chile. “In most QPE systems the supermassive black hole likely shreds a passing star, creating a small disk very close to itself. In Ansky’s case, we think the disk is much larger and can involve objects farther away, creating the longer timescales we observe.” Hernández-García, in addition to being a co-author on Chakraborty’s paper, led the study that discovered Ansky’s QPEs, which was published in April in Nature Astronomy and used data from NICER, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory, as well as ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton space telescope. NICER’s position on the International Space Station allowed it to observe Ansky about 16 times every day from May to July 2024. The frequency of the observations was critical in detecting the X-ray fluctuations that revealed Ansky produces QPEs. Chakraborty’s team used data from NICER and XMM-Newton to map the rapid evolution of the ejected material driving the observed QPEs in unprecedented detail by studying variations in X-ray intensity during the rise and fall of each eruption. The researchers found that each impact resulted in about a Jupiter’s worth of mass reaching expansion velocities around 15% of the speed of light. The NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) X-ray telescope is reflected on NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 flight engineer Nick Hague’s spacesuit helmet visor in this high-flying “space-selfie” taken during a spacewalk on Jan. 16, 2025. NASA/Nick Hague The NICER telescope’s ability to frequently observe Ansky from the space station and its unique measurement capabilities also made it possible for the team to measure the size and temperature of the roughly spherical bubble of debris as it expanded. “All NICER’s Ansky observations used in these papers were collected after the instrument experienced a ‘light leak’ in May 2023,” said Zaven Arzoumanian, the mission’s science lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Even though the leak – which was patched in January – affected the telescope’s observing strategy, NICER was still able to make vital contributions to time domain astronomy, or the study of changes in the cosmos on timescales we can see.” After the repair, NICER continued observing Ansky to explore how the outbursts have evolved over time. A paper about these results, led by Hernández-García and co-authored by Chakraborty, is under review. Observational studies of QPEs like Chakraborty’s will also play a key role in preparing the science community for a new era of multimessenger astronomy, which combines measurements using light, elementary particles, and space-time ripples called gravitational waves to better understand objects and events in the universe. One goal of ESA’s future LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission, in which NASA is a partner, is to study extreme mass-ratio inspirals — or systems where a low-mass object orbits a much more massive one, like Ansky. These systems should emit gravitational waves that are not observable with current facilities. Electromagnetic studies of QPEs will help improve models of those systems ahead of LISA’s anticipated launch in the mid-2030s. “We’re going to keep observing Ansky for as long as we can,” Chakraborty said. “We’re still in the infancy of understanding QPEs. It’s such an exciting time because there’s so much to learn.” Download images and videos through NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. By Jeanette Kazmierczak NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli 301-286-1940 claire.andreoli@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Facebook logo @NASAUniverse @NASAUniverse Instagram logo @NASAUniverse Share Details Last Updated May 06, 2025 Editor Jeanette Kazmierczak Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms The Universe Astrophysics Black Holes Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Research International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) Science & Research Supermassive Black Holes X-ray Astronomy View the full article

4 Min Read NASA Expands SPHEREx Science Return Through Commercial Partnership A sectional rendering of NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer). Credits: NASA NASA is partnering with commercial industry to expand our knowledge of Earth, our solar system, and beyond. Recently, NASA collaborated with Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) to support data transfer for the agency’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) mission to explore the origins of the universe. “Not only is NASA moving toward commercialization, the agency is making technological advancements to existing systems and saving millions of dollars in the process — all while expanding human knowledge through science and exploration missions,” said Kevin Coggins, associate administrator for NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program. To receive data from missions in space, NASA relies on the Near Space Network and Deep Space Network, a collection of antennas around the globe. In preparation for the recently-launched SPHEREx observatory, NASA needed to upgrade an antenna on the world’s most remote continent: Antarctica. Transmitted via NASA’s Near Space Network, this video shows SPHEREx scanning a region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The shifting colors represent different infrared wavelengths detected by the telescope’s two arrays. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s SCaN program took a novel approach by leveraging its established commercial partnership with KSAT. While upgraded KSAT antennas were added to the Near Space Network in 2023, SPHEREx required an additional Antarctic antenna that could link to online data storage. To support SPHEREx’s polar orbit, KSAT upgraded its Troll, Antarctica antenna and incorporated their own cloud storage system. NASA then connected KSAT’s cloud to the NASA cloud, DAPHNE+ (Data Acquisition Process and Handling Environment). As the Near Space Network’s operational cloud services system, DAPHNE+ enables science missions to transmit their data to the network for virtual file storage, processing, and management. “By connecting the Troll antenna to DAPHNE+, we eliminated the need for large, undersea fiberoptic cables by virtually connecting private and government-owned cloud systems, reducing the project’s cost and complexity,” said Matt Vincent, the SPHEREx mission manager for the Near Space Network at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Each day, SPHEREx downlinks a portion of its 20 gigabits of science data through the Troll antenna, which transfers the files across KSAT’s network of relay satellites to the DAPHNE+ cloud. The cloud system combines and centralizes the data from each antenna, allowing access to all of SPHEREx’s health and science data in one convenient place. The SPHEREx mission data is transmitted from space to the Troll Satellite Station, relayed through a network of satellites, and stored in the Near Space Network’s cloud system for easily-accessible analysis by scientists around the world.NASA/Dave Ryan With coverage throughout its orbit, SPHEREx transmits its 3D maps of the celestial sky, offering new insight into what happened a fraction of a second after the big bang. “Missions like SPHEREx use the Near Space Network’s combination of commercial and government antennas,” explained Michael Skube, DAPHNE+ manager at NASA Goddard. “And that is the benefit of DAPHNE+ — it enables the network to pull different sources of information into one central location. The DAPHNE+ system treats government and commercial antennas as part of the same network.” The partnership is mutually beneficial. NASA’s Near Space Network maintains a data connection with SPHEREx as it traverses both poles and KSAT benefits from its antennas’ integration into a robust global network – no new cables required. “We were able to find a networking solution with KSAT that did not require us to put additional hardware in Antarctica,” said Vincent. “Now we are operating with the highest data rate we have ever downlinked from that location.” The upgraded ground station antenna at Troll Satellite Station supports cloud-based space communications, enabling NASA’s Near Space Network to support scientific missions via a wireless cloud network.Kongsberg Satellite Services For NASA, its commercial partners, and other global space agencies, this expansion means more reliable space communications with fewer expenses. Troll’s successful integration into the Near Space Network is a case study for future private and government partnerships. As SPHEREx measures the collective glow of over 450 million galaxies as far as 10 billion light-years away, SCaN continues to innovate how its discoveries safely return to Earth. The SPHEREx mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California for the agency’s Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. Data will be processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech. The SPHEREx dataset will be publicly available at the NASA-IPAC Infrared Science Archive. Funding and oversight for DAPHNE+ and the Near Space Network come from the SCaN program office at NASA Headquarters and operate out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Troll Satellite Station is owned and operated by Kongsberg Satellite Services and located in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. About the AuthorKorine PowersLead Writer and Communications StrategistKorine Powers, Ph.D. is a writer for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program office and covers emerging technologies, commercialization efforts, exploration activities, and more. Share Details Last Updated May 06, 2025 Related TermsCommunicating and Navigating with MissionsCommercial SpaceSpace Communications & Navigation ProgramSPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe and Ices Explorer) View the full article

6 min read Quantum Sensing via Matter-Wave Interferometry Aboard the International Space Station Future space missions could use quantum technologies to help us understand the physical laws that govern the universe, explore the composition of other planets and their moons, gain insights into unexplained cosmological phenomena, or monitor ice sheet thickness and the amount of water in underground aquafers on Earth. Upgraded hardware being prepared at Jet Propulsion Lab for launch and install into the Cold Atom Lab on the International Space Station. The Science Module in the background enables CAL researchers to conduct atom interferometry research in Earth’s orbit. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL), a first-of-its-kind facility aboard the International Space Station, has performed a series of trailblazing experiments based on the quantum properties of ultracold atoms. The tool used to perform these experiments is called an atom interferometer, and it can precisely measure gravity, magnetic fields, and other forces. Atom interferometers are currently being used on Earth to study the fundamental nature of gravity and are also being developed to aid aircraft and ship navigation, but use of an atom interferometer in space will enable innovative science capabilities. Physicists have been eager to apply atom interferometry in space, both to enable new measurements for space science and to capitalize on the extended free-fall conditions found in space. This could enable researchers to achieve unprecedented performance from these quantum sensors. These interferometers, however, require exquisitely sensitive equipment, and they were previously considered too fragile to function for extended periods without hands-on attention. The Cold Atom Lab, which is operated remotely from Earth, has now demonstrated that it is possible to conduct atom interferometry in space. The CAL Science Team has published two papers so far documenting these experimental milestones. Depiction of the atom interferometer (AI) setup onboard the ISS in CAL (on the right), showing the interior components of the instrument, and the path of a retro-reflected laser beam (red) inside the vacuum system. The expanded image on the left shows the beam entering the vacuum chamber through a window and between pairs of traces on the atom chip, which are used to confine and cool the atoms to ultracold temperatures. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The results of the first study, published in the November 2023 issue of Nature, described the demonstration of simultaneous atom interferometry with both rubidium and potassium quantum gases for the first time in space. The dual-species atom interferometer not only exhibited robust and repeatable operation of atom interferometry in Earth orbit, but it also served as a pathfinder for future experiments that aim to use quantum gases to test the universality of free fall, a key tenet of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. In the second study, the results of which were featured in the August 2024 issue of Nature Communications, members of the science team used the CAL atom interferometer to measure subtle vibrations of the space station and to remotely measure the frequency of the atom interferometer laser— the first time ultra-cold atoms have been used to detect changes in the surrounding environment in space. This paper also reported on the demonstration of the wave-like nature of matter persisting for the longest ever freefall time (over a tenth of a second) in space. “Reaching these milestones was incredibly challenging, and our success was not always a given,” said Jason Williams, the Cold Atom Lab project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “It took dedication and a sense of adventure by the team to make this happen.” Space-based sensors that can measure gravity with high precision have a wide range of potential applications. They could reveal the composition of planets and moons in our solar system, because different materials have different densities that create subtle variations in gravity. The U.S.-German GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on) mission is currently collecting gravity measurements using classical sensors that detect slight changes in gravity to track the movement of water and ice on Earth. A future mission using atom interferometry could provide better precision and stability, revealing even more detail about surface mass changes. Precise measurements of gravity could also offer insights into the nature of dark matter and dark energy, two major cosmological mysteries. Dark matter is an invisible substance that makes up about 27% of the universe, while the “regular” matter that composes planets, stars, and everything else we can see makes up only 5%. Dark energy makes up the remaining 68% of the universe and is the driver of the universe’s accelerating expansion. “Atom interferometry could also be used to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity in new ways,” said University of Virginia professor Cass Sackett, a Cold Atom Lab principal investigator. “This is the basic theory explaining the large-scale structure of our universe, and we know that there are aspects of the theory that we don’t understand correctly. This technology may help us fill in those gaps and give us a more complete picture of the reality we inhabit.” About the size of a minifridge, the Cold Atom Lab launched to the space station in 2018 with the goal of advancing quantum science by placing a long-term facility in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit. The lab cools atoms to almost absolute zero, or minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 273 degrees Celsius). At this temperature, some atoms can form a Bose-Einstein condensate, a state of matter in which all atoms essentially share the same quantum identity. As a result, some of the atoms’ typically microscopic quantum properties become macroscopic, making them easier to study. Quantum properties can sometimes cause atoms to act like solid objects and sometimes like waves. Scientists don’t yet entirely understand how the building blocks of matter can transition between such different physical behaviors, but they’re using quantum technology like what’s available on the Cold Atom Lab to seek answers. In microgravity, Bose-Einstein condensates can reach colder temperatures and can exist for longer, giving scientists more opportunities to study them. The atom interferometer is among several tools in the CAL facility enabling precision measurements by harnessing the quantum nature of atoms. Dual-species atom interferometry in space. (Left) Normalized population for ultracold gases of potassium (blue) and rubidium (red) in one of two output states following a simultaneous dual-species atom interferometry sequence. (Right) Correlations observed in the relative population of potassium and rubidium output states. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Due to its wave-like behavior, a single atom can simultaneously travel two physically separate paths. If gravity or other forces are acting on those waves, scientists can measure that influence by observing how the waves recombine and interact. “I expect that space-based atom interferometry will lead to exciting new discoveries, fantastic quantum technologies impacting everyday life, and will transport us into a quantum future,” said Nick Bigelow, a professor at University of Rochester in New York and Cold Atom Lab principal investigator for a consortium of U.S. and German scientists who co-authored the studies cited above. Designed and built at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cold Atom Lab is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the Agency’s headquarters in Washington DC and the International Space Station Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The work carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, was executed under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Learn more about Cold Atom Lab at https://coldatomlab.jpl.nasa.gov/ Just how cold are the atoms in Cold Atom Lab? Find out at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7311 To learn more about the Cold Atom Lab’s recent upgrades visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/upgrading-the-space-stations-cold-atom-lab-with-mixed-reality and https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7660 Project Lead: Kamal Oudrhiri, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Sponsoring Organization: Biological and Physical Sciences Division (BPS) Share Details Last Updated May 06, 2025 Related Terms Technology Highlights Biological & Physical Sciences Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on) Science-enabling Technology View the full article

A first-generation college graduate, Nilufar Ramji was blazing trails long before arriving at NASA. With her multifaceted expertise, she is helping shape the messaging behind humanity’s return to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Ramji is currently on detail as the co-executive producer for NASA’s live broadcasts, ensuring the agency’s missions and discoveries are clearly and effectively communicated to the public. Through her work, she expands understanding of what space exploration means for all—and why it matters. Official portrait of Nilufar Ramji. NASA/Josh Valcarcel Before stepping into her acting role, Ramji served as the lead public affairs officer for Moon to Mars activities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She spearheaded communication strategies for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which works with private companies to deliver science and technology payloads to the lunar surface. She has also provided live commentary for International Space Station operations to learn and prepare for Artemis missions. Ramji played a pivotal role in communicating NASA’s involvement in two major lunar missions in 2025 including Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 which successfully delivered 10 NASA payloads to the Moon’s Mare Crisium on March 2. Ramji served as the live mission commentator, helping audiences around the world follow the historic moment—from lunar orbit insertion to touchdown. She also led communications for Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, which landed near the Moon’s South Pole on March 6, marking the southernmost lunar landing ever achieved. Nilufar Ramji, left, and Brigette Oakes, vice president of engineering at Firefly Aerospace, in the company’s mission operations center in Cedar Park, Texas, during the Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar landing. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas Early in her NASA career, she led agencywide STEM communications, shaping how NASA connects with students and educators. As a lead strategist, she developed messaging that made science and technology more accessible to younger audiences—helping inspire the Artemis Generation. “Being one of the storytellers behind humanity’s return to the Moon is something I take pride in,” she said. “People don’t realize what exploring our solar system has done for us here on Earth. Going to the Moon and onto Mars will bring that message home.” Nilufar Ramji, left, and Aliyah Craddock, digital media lead for NASA Science in the Science Mission Directorate, in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Ramji communicates not just the science of space, but its greater significance. “How can we be thoughtful in our communications?” is a question that drives her approach. Whether guiding a live broadcast or developing messaging about lunar science, she is constantly evaluating, executing, and refining NASA’s voice. She also understands the importance of commercial partnerships in expanding human presence in space. “It’s exciting to see how many different people and organizations come together to make this a reality,” she said. “By creating a larger space economy, we’re able to do things faster and cheaper and still accomplish the same goals to make sure we’re all successful.” Nilufar Ramji presents a TedX Talk, “Storytelling from Space” in Sugar Land, Texas. In Aug. 2023, Ramji delivered a TEDx Talk, “Storytelling from Space” in Sugar Land, Texas, where she emphasized the power of narrative to inspire and unite humanity in the quest to explore the universe. Drawing from her NASA experience, she illustrated how communication bridges the gap between complex science and public engagement. She credits her mentors and colleagues for supporting her growth. “I have great mentors and people I can lean on if I need help,” she said. “It’s something I didn’t realize I had until I came to NASA.” Ramji believes stepping outside your comfort zone is essential. “Discomfort brings new learning, understanding, and opportunities, so I like being uncomfortable at times,” she said. “I’m open and receptive to feedback. Constructive criticism has helped me grow and evolve—and better understand NASA’s mission.” For her, balance means creating intentional space for reflection, growth, and meaningful connection. Nilufar Ramji gives remarks during Johnson’s building naming ceremony of the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo” on July 19, 2024. NASA/Robert Markowitz Before joining NASA, Ramji had already built an international career rooted in service. She worked at the Aga Khan Foundation in Canada, a nonprofit organization focused on addressing challenges in underdeveloped communities through education and healthcare. She led visitor programs, workshops and more than 250 events—often for diplomats and global leaders—to promote “quiet diplomacy” and dialogue. “Transparency, quality, fairness and diversity of perspective are all important to me,” she said. “People come from different experiences that broaden our understanding.” Ramji later moved to East Africa as the foundation’s sole communications representative across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. There, she trained more than 300 staff and built a communications strategy to help local teams share stories of impact—both successes and challenges—with honesty and empathy. Her work left a lasting mark on the communities she served and underscored the power of communication to drive positive change. Nilufar Ramji captures the story of a sesame farmer in Mtwara, Tanzania, whose livelihood improved through a rural development program initiated by the Aga Khan Foundation. In 2013, Ramji moved to the United States and started over, rebuilding her network and career. She worked for the Aga Khan Council for USA in Houston, leading a volunteer recruitment program that connected thousands of people with roles suited to their skills. She later applied for a contractor position—not knowing it was with NASA. “I never thought my skills or expertise would be valued at a place like NASA,” she said. But in 2018, she accepted a role as a public relations specialist supporting International Space Station outreach. She has been shaping the agency’s storytelling ever since. Ramji’s journey represents NASA’s commitment to pushing boundaries and expanding humanity’s knowledge of the universe. With collaboration, transparency, and vision, she is helping bring the next frontier of space exploration to life. Explore More 4 min read Robots, Rovers, and Regolith: NASA Brings Exploration to FIRST Robotics 2025 Article 7 days ago 4 min read NASA Advances Precision Landing Technology with Field Test at Kennedy Article 7 days ago 3 min read In the Starlight: Jason Phillips’ Unexpected Path to Johnson Procurement Article 1 week ago View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 4 min read Sols 4529-4531: Honeycombs and Waffles… on Mars! NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity captured this image of its current workspace, containing well-preserved polygonal shaped fractures, with waffle or honeycomb patterns. The rover acquired this image using its Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) on May 1, 2025 — Sol 4527, or Martian day 4,527 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 16:41:35 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick Earth planning date: Friday, May 2, 2025 From our Wednesday stopping spot, the drive direction ahead (looking along the path we would follow in the Wednesday drive) appeared to be full of rough, gnarly material, which can be tricky targets for contact science instruments like APXS. However, coming into planning this morning, we found a workspace with amazingly well preserved polygonal shaped fractures, with raised ridges (about 1 centimeter, or about 0.39 inches, high), looking like a patchwork of honeycombs, or maybe a patch of waffles. We have spotted these before but usually not as well preserved and extensive as this — we can see these stretching away into the distance for 20-30 meters (about 66-98 feet), almost to the edge of the “boxwork” fracture structures at “Ghost Mountain” butte in this Navcam image. We are all counting down the drives to get to the boxwork structures — this will be such an exciting campaign to be part of. As APXS operations planner today, I was really interested to see if we could get APXS close to one of the raised ridges, to determine what they are made of. The Rover Planners were able to get a paired set of targets — “Orosco Ridge” along a ridge and “Box Canyon” in the adjacent, flat center of the polygon. The ChemCam team is also interested (in truth, everyone on the team is interested!!) in the composition of the ridges. So ChemCam will use LIBS to measure both bedrock and ridge fill at “Kitchen Creek” on the first sol of the plan and “Storm Canyon” on the second sol. The “problem” with a workspace like this is picking which images to take in our short time here, before we drive on the second sol. We could stay here for a week and still find things to look at in this workspace. After much discussion, it was decided that MAHLI should focus on a “dog’s eye” mosaic (“Valley of the Moon”) along the vertical face of the large block. We hope this will allow us to examine how the fractures interact with each other, and with the preexisting layering in the bedrock. Mastcam will then focus on the two main blocks in the workspace in an 8×4 (4 rows of 8 images) Kitchen Creek mosaic, which also encompasses the LIBS target of the same name, and a single image on the Storm Canyon LIBS target. Three smaller mosaics at “Green Valley Falls” (3×1), “Lost Palms Canyon” (7×2) and “San Andreas Fault” (1×2) will examine the relationships between the polygonal features and other fractures in the workspace, close to the rover. Further afield, ChemCam will turn the “LD RMI” (Long-Distance Remote Micro Imager) on “Texoli” butte (the large butte to the side of the rover, visible in this image from sol 4528). Both Mastcam and ChemCam will image the boxwork fracture system near Ghost Mountain — they are so close now, it’s just a few drives away! Any information we get now may be able to help us answer some of the questions we have on the origin and timing of the boxwork structures, especially when we can combine it with the in situ analysis we will be getting shortly! (Did I mention how excited we all are about this campaign?)With all the excitement today on the wild fracture structures, it could be easy to overlook Curiosity’s dataset of environmental and atmospheric data. For more than 12 years now, we have been collecting information on dust and argon levels in the atmosphere, water and chlorine levels in the subsurface, wind speeds, humidity, temperature, ultraviolet radiation, pressure, and capturing movies and images of dust devils. This weekend is no different, adding a full complement of activities from almost every team — Navcam, REMS, DAN, Mastcam, ChemCam, and APXS will all collect data for the environmental and atmospheric theme group (ENV) in this plan. Share Details Last Updated May 06, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Searching for Spherules to Sample Article 11 hours ago 2 min read Sols 4527-4528: ‘Boxwork Ahoy!’ Article 1 day ago 3 min read Sols 4525-4526: The Day After Groundhog Day (Between Ghost Mountain and Texoli, Headed South) Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

Explore This Section Perseverance Home Mission Overview Rover Components Mars Rock Samples Where is Perseverance? Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Updates Science Overview Objectives Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Perseverance Raw Images Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 2 min read Searching for Spherules to Sample Subsurface spherules: This image of the Hare Bay abrasion patch was acquired by the WATSON camera on Sol 1480 (April 19, 2025), showing dark-colored spherules set in a fine-grained light-toned matrix. These spherules appear to be smaller versions of similar structures that have been found in numerous rocks in the vicinity. Perseverance is currently working to collect a sample of these spherules to return to Earth. WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) is a close-range color camera that works with the rover’s SHERLOC instrument (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals); both are located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Denise Buckner, Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Over the past few weeks, Perseverance has been investigating some curious spherules peppered across the “Witch Hazel Hill” region along the rim of Jezero crater. A striking cluster of the small bubble-shaped stones were first spotted by the Mastcam-Z instrument on Sol 1442 (March 11, 2025) at “Broom Point,” in a rock named “St. Pauls Bay.” A few sols later, a similar assemblage was discovered by the SuperCam instrument at the “Mattie Mitchell” outcrop near “Puncheon Rock.” As the rover continued along its traverse, spherules continued to appear. At the targets St. Pauls Bay and Mattie Mitchell, the spherules are densely packed and almost look like bunches of grapes. Elsewhere, similar smaller spherules were found intermixed with other grains within the rock. At a target called “Wreck Apple” at the “Sally’s Cove” outcrop, individual spherules were set in a matrix of coarse, dark grains. Even more of these circular features are embedded in finer-grained, layered bedrock at a nearby area called “Dennis Pond.” Spherules at St. Pauls Bay: NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image, a striking cluster of spherules, on March 11, 2025 – Sol 1442, or Martian day 1,442 of the Mars 2020 mission – at the local mean solar time of 11:12:40. Perseverance used its Left Mastcam-Z camera; Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover’s mast. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Spherules at Wreck Apple: NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover found smaller spherules in a coarse-grained matrix. The rover captured this image using the WATSON camera on March 27, 2025 – Sol 1458, or Martian day 1,458 of the Mars 2020 mission – at the local mean solar time of 15:36:04. WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) is a close-range color camera located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. NASA/JPL-Caltech Although the team was intrigued by the spherule-rich layers at Sally’s Cove and Dennis Pond, these outcrops were challenging for the rover arm to access. After some searching to find an accessible target, the team decided to perform an abrasion at a neighboring outcrop, called “Pine Pond,” which contained an extension of the Dennis Pond layers. The team picked the target “Hare Bay” in hopes of finding spherules within a rock interior, and conducting proximity science observations with PIXL and SHERLOC to investigate their composition and internal structure. Images of the abrasion patch taken by WATSON show that Hare Bay contains light-toned medium-sized grains, with millimeter-sized spherules dotted throughout the rock! Leading hypotheses for the origin of these spherules include formation by volcanic activity or impact-related processes. Having found an accessible spherule-bearing rock, the team is currently hard at work collecting a spherule-filled sample! Combined with the information already gathered by Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, SHERLOC, and WATSON, future laboratory analyses could help solve the mystery of when, where, and how these spherules formed, which can in turn detangle the geological events that formed and transformed the surface of Mars over billions of years! Share Details Last Updated May 05, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4527-4528: ‘Boxwork Ahoy!’ Article 22 hours ago 3 min read Sols 4525-4526: The Day After Groundhog Day (Between Ghost Mountain and Texoli, Headed South) Article 5 days ago 4 min read Sols 4522-4524: Up on the Roof Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

6 min read NASA Data Helps Map Tiny Plankton That Feed Giant Right Whales This North Atlantic right whale, named “Bowtie,” was spotted feeding in southern Maine waters in January 2025. A new technique aims to use NASA satellite data to see the plankton these whales depend on from space. Credit: New England Aquarium, taken under NMFS permit # 25739 In the waters off New England, one of Earth’s rarest mammals swims slowly, mouth agape. The North Atlantic right whale filters clouds of tiny reddish zooplankton — called Calanus finmarchicus — from the sea. These zooplankton, no bigger than grains of rice, are the whale’s lifeline. Only about 370 of these massive creatures remain. For decades, tracking the tiny plankton meant sending research vessels out in the ocean, towing nets and counting samples by hand. Now, scientists are looking from above instead. Using NASA satellite data, researchers found a way to detect Calanus swarms at the ocean surface in the Gulf of Maine, picking up on the animals’ natural red pigment. This early-stage approach, described in a new study, may help researchers better estimate where the copepods gather, and where whales might follow. Tracking the zooplankton from space could aid both the whales and maritime industries. By predicting where these mammals are likely to feed, researchers and marine resource managers hope to reduce deadly vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements — two major threats to the species. Knowing the feeding patterns could also help shipping and fishing industries operate more efficiently. Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny zooplankton powering North Atlantic food webs, fuels right whale populations with its energy-rich lipid reserves. Credit: Cameron Thompson “NASA invests in this kind of research because it connects space-based observation with real-world challenges,” said Cynthia Hall, a support scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington. She works with the Early Career Research Program, which partly funded the work. “It’s yet another a way to put NASA satellite data to work for science, communities, and ecosystems.” Revealing the Ocean’s Hidden Patterns The new approach uses data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The MODIS instrument doesn’t directly see the copepods themselves. Instead, it reads how the spectrum of sunlight reflected from the ocean surface changes in response to what’s in the water. When large numbers of the zooplankton rise to the surface, their reddish pigment — astaxanthin, the same compound that gives salmon its pink color — subtly alters how photons, or particles of light, from the sun are absorbed or scattered in the water. The fate of these photons in the ocean depends on the mix of living and non-living matter in seawater, creating a slight shift in color that MODIS can detect. “We didn’t know to look for Calanus before in this way,” said Catherine Mitchell, a satellite oceanographer at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. “Remote sensing has typically focused on smaller things like phytoplankton. But recent research suggested that larger, millimeter-sized organisms like zooplankton can also influence ocean color.” A few years ago, researchers piloted a satellite method for detecting copepods in Norwegian waters. Now, some of those same scientists — along with Mitchell’s team — have refined the approach and applied it to the Gulf of Maine, a crucial feeding ground for right whales during their northern migration. By combining satellite data, a model, and field measurements, they produced enhanced images that revealed Calanus swarms at the sea surface, and were able to estimate numbers of the tiny animals. “We know the right whales are using habitats we don’t fully understand,” said Rebekah Shunmugapandi, also a satellite oceanographer at Bigelow and the study’s lead author. “This satellite-based Calanus information could eventually help identify unknown feeding grounds or better anticipate where whales might travel.” Tracking Elusive Giants Despite decades of study, North Atlantic right whales remain remarkably enigmatic to scientists. Once fairly predictable in their movements along the Eastern Seaboard of North America, these massive mammals began abandoning some traditional feeding grounds in 2010-2011. Their sudden shift to unexpected areas like the Gulf of Saint Lawrence caught people off guard, with deadly consequences. “We’ve had whales getting hit by ships and whales getting stuck in fishing gear,” said Laura Ganley, a research scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium in Boston, which conducts aerial and boat surveys of the whales. In 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated the situation as an “unusual mortality event” in an effort to address the whales’ decline. Since then, 80 North Atlantic right whales have been killed or sustained serious injuries, according to NOAA. NASA satellite imagery from June 2009 was used to test a new method for detecting the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine and estimating their numbers from space. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using data from Shunmugapandi, R., et al. (2025) In the Gulf of Maine, there’s less shipping activity, but there can be a complex patchwork of lobster fishing gear, said Sarah Leiter, a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources. “Each fisherman has 800 traps or so,” Leiter explained. “If a larger number of whales shows up suddenly, like they just did in January 2025, it is challenging. Fishermen need time and good weather to adjust that gear.” What excites Leiter the most about the satellite data is the potential to use it in a forecasting tool to help predict where the whales could go. “That would be incredibly useful in giving us that crucial lead time,” she said. PACE: The Next Generation of Ocean Observer For now, the Calanus-tracking method has limitations. Because MODIS detects the copepods’ red pigment, not the animals themselves, that means other small, reddish organisms can be mistaken for the zooplankton. And cloud cover, rough seas, or deeper swarms all limit what satellites can spot. MODIS is also nearing the end of its operational life. But NASA’s next-generation PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite — launched in 2024 — is poised to make dramatic improvements in the detection of zooplankton and phytoplankton. NASA’s Ocean Color Instrument on the PACE satellite captured these swirling green phytoplankton blooms in the Gulf of Maine in April 2024. Such blooms fuel zooplankton like Calanus finmarchicus. Credit: NASA “The PACE satellite will definitely be able to do this, and maybe even something better,” said Bridget Seegers, an oceanographer and mission scientist with the PACE team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The PACE mission includes the Ocean Color Instrument, which detects more than 280 wavelengths of light. That’s a big jump from the 10 wavelengths seen by MODIS. More wavelengths mean finer detail and better insights into ocean color and the type of plankton that the satellite can spot. Local knowledge of seasonal plankton patterns will still be essential to interpret the data correctly. But the goal isn’t perfect detection, the scientists say, but rather to provide another tool to inform decision-making, especially when time or resources are limited. By Emily DeMarco NASA Headquarters Share Details Last Updated May 05, 2025 Editor Emily DeMarco Related Terms Earth Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Oceans PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) Explore More 3 min read NASA Tracks Snowmelt to Improve Water Management As part of a science mission tracking one of Earth’s most precious resources – water… Article 2 weeks ago 5 min read NASA Airborne Sensor’s Wildfire Data Helps Firefighters Take Action Data from the AVIRIS-3 sensor was recently used to create detailed fire maps in minutes,… Article 2 weeks ago 3 min read Celebrating Earth as Only NASA Can Lee esta historia en español aquí. From the iconic image of Earthrise taken by Apollo 8… Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

NASA Langley highlights its Cirrus Design SR22 during Air Power Over Hampton Roads STEM Day. NASA/Angelique Herring NASA Langley Research Center’s integral role in the past, present, and future of flight was on full display April 25-27 during the Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show. The air show, held at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), which neighbors NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia, attracted thousands of spectators throughout the weekend. The weekend kicked off with a STEM Day on April 25. Langley’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offered educational and engaging activities, exhibits, and displays to share NASA missions and encourage K-12 students from local schools to explore the possibilities that science, technology, engineering, and math offer. “Participation in the air show allows us to share NASA’s work in aeronautics with the public and provides an opportunity for Langley researchers and engineers to work directly with students and families to share the exciting work they do,” said Bonnie Murray, Langley OSTEM Student Services manager. NASA Langley personnel inspire young minds during Air Power Over Hampton Roads STEM Day.NASA/Angelique Herring Langley OSTEM’s participation continued throughout the weekend as a part of the air show’s STEM Expo, where visitors to the NASA booths tested a paper helicopter in a small-scale wind tunnel to explore flight dynamics, learned how NASA uses X-planes for research and designed their own X-plane, and tested experimental paper airplanes of various designs. By observing flight of the plane designs and making improvements to each one, students participated in the engineering design process. NASA subject matter experts in attendance guided students through these activities, inspired young minds by sharing some of their innovations, and promoted a variety of STEM career paths. “Through engagement in the NASA STEM Zone activities, students had an opportunity to see themselves in the role of a NASA researcher,” Murray said. “Authentic learning experiences such as these help build children’s STEM identity, increasing the likelihood of them pursuing STEM careers in the future.” A child enjoys NASA STEM activities during Air Power Over Hampton Roads STEM Day.NASA/Angelique Herring The air show’s static aircraft displays included NASA Langley’s Cirrus Design SR22, a research aircraft used to support NASA’s airborne science program, the science community, and aeronautics research. “Reflective of our strong, long-standing partnership with JBLE, NASA Langley was proud to participate in this year’s Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show,” said Glenn Jamison, director of Langley’s Research Services Directorate. “Our relationship spans back to 1917 when NACA and Langley Field evolved together over formative years in aerodynamic research, sharing the airspace and facilities here in Hampton. Today, we continue our collaboration with JBLE in pursuing shared interests and finding innovative solutions to complex problems.” The displays also featured several small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and NASA’s P-3 Orion, a research aircraft based at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. Air show visitors could explore a picture display that highlighted NASA Langley’s rich aviation legacy, from its founding in 1917 to Langley’s work today to accelerate advancements in aeronautics, science, and space technology and exploration. Spacey Casey, a crowd favorite, greeted and took pictures with educators, students, and guests throughout the weekend, bringing out-of-this-world smiles to their faces. Members of Langley’s Office of the Director also represented the center at the event. Brittny McGraw NASA Langley Research Center View the full article

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a peculiar spiral galaxy called Arp 184 or NGC 1961.ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick A beautiful but skewed spiral galaxy dazzles in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxy, called Arp 184 or NGC 1961, sits about 190 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Camelopardalis (The Giraffe). The name Arp 184 comes from the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966. It holds 338 galaxies that are oddly shaped and tend to be neither entirely elliptical nor entirely spiral-shaped. Many of the galaxies are in the process of interacting with other galaxies, while others are dwarf galaxies without well-defined structures. Arp 184 earned its spot in the catalog thanks to its single broad, star-speckled spiral arm that appears to stretch toward us. The galaxy’s far side sports a few wisps of gas and stars, but it lacks a similarly impressive spiral arm. This Hubble image combines data from three Snapshot observing programs, which are short observations that slotted into time gaps between other proposals. One of the three programs targeted Arp 184 for its peculiar appearance. This program surveyed galaxies listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as well as A Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations, a similar catalog compiled by Halton Arp and Barry Madore. The remaining two Snapshot programs looked at the aftermath of fleeting astronomical events like supernovae and tidal disruption events — like when a supermassive black hole rips a star apart after it wanders too closely. Since Arp 184 hosted four known supernovae in the past three decades, it is a rich target for a supernova hunt. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick View the full article

Researchers with NASA’s Exploration Research and Technology programs conduct molten regolith electrolysis testing inside Swamp Works at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.NASA/Kim Shiflett As NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon, researchers have reached a breakthrough by extracting oxygen at a commercial scale from simulated lunar soil at Swamp Works at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The achievement moves NASA one step closer to its goal of utilizing resources on the Moon and beyond instead of relying only on supplies shipped from Earth. NASA Kennedy researchers in the Exploration Research and Technology programs teamed up with Lunar Resources Inc. (LUNAR), a space industrial company in Houston, Texas, to perform molten regolith electrolysis. Researchers used the company’s resource extraction reactor, called LR-1, along with NASA Kennedy’s vacuum chamber. During the recent vacuum chamber testing, molecular oxygen was measured in its pure form along with the production of metals from a batch of dust and rock that simulates lunar soil, often referred to as “regolith,” in the industry. “This is the first time NASA has produced molecular oxygen using this process,” said Dr. Annie Meier, molten regolith electrolysis project manager at NASA Kennedy. “The process of heating up the reactor is like using an elaborate cooking pot. Once the lid is on, we are essentially watching the gas products come out.” During testing, the vacuum environment chamber replicated the vacuum pressure of the lunar surface. The extraction reactor heated about 55 pounds (25 kilograms) of simulated regolith up to a temperature of 3100°F (1700°C) until it melted. Researchers then passed an electric current through the molten regolith until oxygen in a gas form was separated from the metals of the soil. They measured and collected the molecular oxygen for further study. In addition to air for breathing, astronauts could use oxygen from the Moon as a propellant for NASA’s lunar landers and for building essential infrastructure. This practice of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) also decreases the costs of deep space exploration by reducing the number of resupply missions needed from Earth. Once the process is perfected on Earth, the reactor and its subsystems can be delivered on future missions to the Moon. Lunar rovers, similar to NASA’s ISRU Pilot Excavator, could autonomously gather the regolith to bring back to the reactor system to separate the metals and oxygen. “Using this unique chemical process can produce the oxidizer, which is half of the propellant mix, and it can create vital metals used in the production of solar panels that in turn could power entire lunar base stations,” said Evan Bell, mechanical structures and mechatronics lead at NASA Kennedy. Post-test data analysis will help the NASA and LUNAR teams better understand the thermal and chemical function of full-scale molten regolith electrolysis reactors for the lunar surface. The vacuum chamber and reactor also can be upgraded to represent other locations of the lunar environment as well as conditions on Mars for further testing. Researchers at NASA Kennedy began developing and testing molten regolith electrolysis reactors in the early 1990s. Swamp Works is a hands-on learning environment facility at NASA Kennedy that takes ideas through development and into application to benefit space exploration and everyone living on Earth. From 2019 to 2023, Swamp Works developed an early concept reactor under vacuum conditions named Gaseous Lunar Oxygen from Regolith Electrolysis (GaLORE). Scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston conducted similar testing in 2023, removing carbon monoxide from simulated lunar regolith in a vacuum chamber. “We always say that Kennedy Space Center is Earth’s premier spaceport, and this breakthrough in molten regolith electrolysis is just another aspect of us being the pioneers in providing spaceport capabilities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” Bell said. NASA’s Exploration Research and Technology programs, related laboratories, and research facilities develop technologies that will enable human deep space exploration. NASA’s Game Changing Development program, managed by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate funded the project. View the full article

Explore This Section Webb News Latest News Latest Images Webb’s Blog Awards X (offsite – login reqd) Instagram (offsite – login reqd) Facebook (offsite- login reqd) Youtube (offsite) Overview About Who is James Webb? Fact Sheet Impacts+Benefits FAQ Science Overview and Goals Early Universe Galaxies Over Time Star Lifecycle Other Worlds Observatory Overview Launch Deployment Orbit Mirrors Sunshield Instrument: NIRCam Instrument: MIRI Instrument: NIRSpec Instrument: FGS/NIRISS Optical Telescope Element Backplane Spacecraft Bus Instrument Module Multimedia About Webb Images Images Videos What is Webb Observing? 3d Webb in 3d Solar System Podcasts Webb Image Sonifications Team International Team People Of Webb More For the Media For Scientists For Educators For Fun/Learning 6 Min Read NASA’s Webb Lifts Veil on Common but Mysterious Type of Exoplanet This artist’s concept shows what the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b could look like. It is based on spectroscopic data gathered by Webb, as well as previous observations from other telescopes on the ground and in space. Credits: Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player (STScI) Though they don’t orbit around our Sun, sub-Neptunes are the most common type of exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, that have been observed in our galaxy. These small, gassy planets are shrouded in mystery…and often, a lot of haze. Now, by observing exoplanet TOI-421 b, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is helping scientists understand sub-Neptunes in a way that was not possible prior to the telescope’s launch. “I had been waiting my entire career for Webb so that we could meaningfully characterize the atmospheres of these smaller planets,” said principal investigator Eliza Kempton of the University of Maryland, College Park. “By studying their atmospheres, we’re getting a better understanding of how sub-Neptunes formed and evolved, and part of that is understanding why they don’t exist in our solar system.” Image A: Artist’s Concept of TOI-421 b This artist’s concept shows what the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b could look like. It is based on spectroscopic data gathered by Webb, as well as previous observations from other telescopes on the ground and in space. Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player (STScI) Small, Cool, Shrouded in Haze The existence of sub-Neptunes was unexpected before they were discovered by NASA’s retired Kepler space telescope in the last decade. Now, astronomers are trying to understand where these planets came from and why are they so common. Before Webb, scientists had very little information on them. While sub-Neptunes are a few times larger than Earth, they are still much smaller than gas-giant planets and typically cooler than hot Jupiters, making them much more challenging to observe than their gas-giant counterparts. A key finding prior to Webb was that most sub-Neptune atmospheres had flat or featureless transmission spectra. This means that when scientists observed the spectrum of the planet as it passed in front of its host star, instead of seeing spectral features – the chemical fingerprints that would reveal the composition of the atmosphere – they saw only a flat-line spectrum. Astronomers concluded from all of those flat-line spectra that at least certain sub-Neptunes were probably very highly obscured by either clouds or hazes. Image B: Spectrum of TOI-421 b A transmission spectrum captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals chemicals in the atmosphere of the hot sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-421 b. Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) A Different Kind of Sub-Neptune? “Why did we observe this planet, TOI-421 b? It’s because we thought that maybe it wouldn’t have hazes,” said Kempton. “And the reason is that there were some previous data that implied that maybe planets over a certain temperature range were less enshrouded by haze or clouds than others.” That temperature threshold is about 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit. Below that, scientists hypothesized that a complex set of photochemical reactions would occur between sunlight and methane gas, and that would trigger the haze. But hotter planets shouldn’t have methane and therefore perhaps shouldn’t have haze. The temperature of TOI-421 b is about 1,340 degrees Fahrenheit, well above the presumed threshold. Without haze or clouds, researchers expected to see a clear atmosphere – and they did! A Surprising Finding “We saw spectral features that we attribute to various gases, and that allowed us to determine the composition of the atmosphere,” said the University of Maryland’s Brian Davenport, a third-year Ph.D. student who conducted the primary data analysis. “Whereas with many of the other sub-Neptunes that had been previously observed, we know their atmospheres are made of something, but they’re being blocked by haze.” The team found water vapor in the planet’s atmosphere, as well as tentative signatures of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Then there are molecules they didn’t detect, such as methane and carbon dioxide. From the data, they can also infer that a large amount of hydrogen is in TOI-421 b’s atmosphere. The lightweight hydrogen atmosphere was the big surprise to the researchers. “We had recently wrapped our mind around the idea that those first few sub-Neptunes observed by Webb had heavy-molecule atmospheres, so that had become our expectation, and then we found the opposite,” said Kempton. This suggests TOI-421 b may have formed and evolved differently from the cooler sub-Neptunes observed previously. Is TOI-421 b Unique? The hydrogen-dominated atmosphere is also interesting because it mimics the composition of TOI-421 b’s host star. “If you just took the same gas that made the host star, plopped it on top of a planet’s atmosphere, and put it at the much cooler temperature of this planet, you would get the same combination of gases. That process is more in line with the giant planets in our solar system, and it is different from other sub-Neptunes that have been observed with Webb so far,” said Kempton. Aside from being hotter than other sub-Neptunes previously observed with Webb, TOI-421 b orbits a Sun-like star. Most of the other sub-Neptunes that have been observed so far orbit smaller, cooler stars called red dwarfs. Is TOI-421b emblematic of hot sub-Neptunes orbiting Sun-like stars, or is it just that exoplanets are very diverse? To find out, the researchers would like to observe more hot sub-Neptunes to determine if this is a unique case or a broader trend. They hope to gain insights into the formation and evolution of these common exoplanets. “We’ve unlocked a new way to look at these sub-Neptunes,” said Davenport. “These high-temperature planets are amenable to characterization. So by looking at sub-Neptunes of this temperature, we’re perhaps more likely to accelerate our ability to learn about these planets.” The team’s findings appear on May 5 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb Downloads Click any image to open a larger version. View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Media Contacts Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Ann Jenkins – jenkins@stsci.edu Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Hannah Braun – hbraun@stsci.edu Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Related Information Webb Blog: Reconnaissance of Potentially Habitable Worlds with NASA’s Webb Video: How to Study Exoplanets Article: Webb’s Impact on Exoplanet Research Video: How do we learn about a planet’s Atmosphere? Learn more about exoplanets More Webb News More Webb Images Webb Science Themes Webb Mission Page Related For Kids What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Exoplanets Exoplanet Stories Universe Share Details Last Updated May 04, 2025 Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Astrophysics Exoplanets Goddard Space Flight Center Science & Research The Universe View the full article

The Goddard OCKO has a large collection of case studies covering a wide range of missions and technical topics, including launch decision making, project management, procurement, instrument development, risk management, systems engineering and more. These case studies can be used to facilitate learning of critical knowledge and lessons that enable mission success. Click Here to Access the Case Studies (Internal NASA Only). View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 2 min read Sols 4527-4528: ‘Boxwork Ahoy!’ NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image looking directly west and showing a first ground view of the boxwork structures the rover is driving toward. The boxwork structures are visible in the distance as smoother terrain criss-crossed by ridges, just below the hilltops. Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on April 30, 2025 – Sol 4526, or Martian day 4,526 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission – at 14:10:41 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Natalie Moore, Mission Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems Earth planning date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 We’re back in our standard “touch and go” plan regime today, where we sandwich a midday remote science block between morning-APXS and afternoon-MAHLI contact science arm blocks. We had our first late-slide 9 a.m. PDT start in quite a while due to our “isolated nominal” plan on Monday! This meant the whole team was ready and “patiently” (read: not-so-patiently) waiting for our drive data to come down around 8:40 this morning. Thankfully, everything we were waiting for came down to Earth and told us Curiosity was right where we wanted her to be! The planning begins… Sol 4527 contains most of our activities in this plan. We start off about 10:00 local Gale time with a DRT and APXS analysis of contact science target “Tamarack Valley,” a rough but brushable bedrock target in our workspace. We leave the arm unstowed (and out of the way) for our remote science block spanning the hours of about 12:35-13:45. That block starts with a large, 76-frame stereo Mastcam mosaic covering the boxwork structures to the west while ChemCam’s instrument cools down to allow for LIBS. After Mastcam is done, ChemCam shoots their LIBS on a rougher bedrock target named “Aguanga,” and an RMI mosaic of the boxwork structures included in the Mastcam mosaic. About 14:00 local time, MAHLI finishes the contact science with a full suite of Tamarack Valley (25-centimeter, 5-centimeter stereo, and 1-centimeter images). Then we drive! Hopefully about 30 meters closer (about 98 feet) to the boxwork structures for our weekend plan. Curiosity takes the second sol easier with some Navcam dust-devil and horizon movies, along with a rover-decided LIBS target at our new location to start off science decisions for Friday. Share Details Last Updated May 04, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Sols 4525-4526: The Day After Groundhog Day (Between Ghost Mountain and Texoli, Headed South) Article 4 days ago 4 min read Sols 4522-4524: Up on the Roof Article 5 days ago 2 min read Searching for the Dark in the Light Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

NASA/Jonny Kim The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is pictured backing away from the International Space Station shortly after undocking on April 19, 2025. Three hours later, the spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan, returning astronaut Don Pettit and cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to Earth. While aboard the International Space Station, Pettit conducted hundreds of hours of scientific investigations, including research to enhance on-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitization technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behavior in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions. Image credit: NASA/Jonny Kim View the full article

Credit: NASA The Trump-Vance Administration released toplines of the President’s budget for Fiscal Year 2026 on Friday. The budget accelerates human space exploration of the Moon and Mars with a fiscally responsible portfolio of missions. “This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. “I appreciate the President’s continued support for NASA’s mission and look forward to working closely with the administration and Congress to ensure we continue making progress toward achieving the impossible.” Increased commitment to human space exploration in pursuit of exploration of both the Moon and Mars. By allocating more than $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs, the budget ensures America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative, and efficient. Refocus science and space technology resources to efficiently execute high priority research. Consistent with the administration’s priority of returning to the Moon before China and putting an American on Mars, the budget will advance priority science and research missions and projects, ending financially unsustainable programs including Mars Sample Return. It emphasizes investments in transformative space technologies while responsibly shifting projects better suited for private sector leadership. Transition the Artemis campaign to a more sustainable, cost-effective approach to lunar exploration. The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion capsule will be retired after Artemis III, paving the way for more cost-effective, next-generation commercial systems that will support subsequent NASA lunar missions. The budget also ends the Gateway Program, with the opportunity to repurpose already produced components for use in other missions. International partners will be invited to join these renewed efforts, expanding opportunities for meaningful collaboration on the Moon and Mars. Continue the process of transitioning the International Space Station to commercial replacements in 2030, focusing onboard research on efforts critical to the exploration of the Moon and Mars. The budget reflects the upcoming transition to a more cost-effective, open commercial approach to human activities in low Earth orbit by reducing the space station’s crew size and onboard research, preparing for the safe decommissioning of the station and its replacement by commercial space stations. Work to minimize duplication of efforts and most efficiently steward the allocation of American taxpayer dollars. This budget ensures NASA’s topline enables a financially sustainable trajectory to complete groundbreaking research and execute the agency’s bold mission. Focus NASA’s resources on its core mission of space exploration. This budget ends climate-focused “green aviation” spending while protecting the development of technologies with air traffic control and other U.S. government and commercial applications, producing savings. This budget also will ensure continued elimination any funding toward misaligned DEIA initiatives, instead designating that money to missions capable of advancing NASA’s core mission. NASA will continue to inspire the next generation of explorers through exciting, ambitious space missions that demonstrate American leadership in space. NASA will coordinate closely with its partners to execute these priorities and investments as efficiently and effectively as possible. Building on the President’s promise to increase efficiency this budget pioneers a focused, innovative, and fiscally-responsible path to America’s next great era of human space exploration. Learn more about the President’s budget request for NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/budget -end- Bethany Stevens Headquarters, Washington 771-216-2606 bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated May 02, 2025 EditorJennifer M. DoorenLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsBudget & Annual Reports View the full article

Robert Williams is a senior mechanical design engineer and the structures subject matter expert in the Engineering and Test Directorate at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin Living up to, and maintaining, the standard of excellence associated with NASA is what drives Robert Williams at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. A native of Gulfport, Mississippi, Williams said he has had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by “some truly exceptional” engineers, some with careers reaching back to the Apollo era. “I cannot overstate the vast amount of practical knowledge and experience we have at NASA Stennis,” Williams said. “We know how to get things done, and if we do not know, I can guarantee we will figure it out.” Williams is a senior mechanical design engineer and the structures subject matter expert for the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate. He provides technical oversight related to engineering mechanics and machine design by reviewing analysis and design packages from NASA Stennis contractors and NASA engineers for ongoing projects. Williams also supports projects by performing analysis and creating detailed models, drawings, and system level designs, mostly at the versatile four-stand E Test Complex, where NASA Stennis has 12 active test cells capable of various component, engine, and stage test activities to support the agency and commercial companies. In support of NASA’s Artemis campaign of returning astronauts to the Moon, Williams also has reviewed structural and pipe stress analysis for the exploration upper stage project that will test a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions. He performed similar review work for Green Run testing of the SLS core stage at NASA Stennis ahead of the successful launch of the Artemis I uncrewed mission around the Moon. Overall, Williams has been a part of projects on every test stand throughout more than eight years with NASA and five years as a contractor. He has been tasked with solving challenging problems, both individually and as a part of teams. There were times when he was not sure if he or the team would be able to solve the problem or address it effectively, but each time, the NASA Stennis team found a way. “Over the span of my career, I have yet to be in a situation where the challenge was not met,” he said. The opportunity to work with “pretty much all the major space companies in some capacity” is most interesting to Williams. “The best thing is that being a small organization within a relatively small center, there are always opportunities to develop new skills and capabilities to help fill a need or gap,” he said. No matter the task, Williams looks forward to supporting space innovation while living up to, and maintaining, the standard of excellence associated with NASA for the benefit of all. Explore More 3 min read Lagniappe for April 2025 Article 4 weeks ago 4 min read Lagniappe for March 2025 Article 2 months ago 6 min read NASA Stennis Flashback: Learning About Rocket Engine Exhaust for Safe Space Travel Article 2 months ago View the full article

Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Posters Hubble on the NASA App Glossary More 35th Anniversary Online Activities 2 min read Hubble Images a Peculiar Spiral This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a peculiar spiral galaxy called Arp 184 or NGC 1961. ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz), C. Kilpatrick A beautiful but skewed spiral galaxy dazzles in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxy, called Arp 184 or NGC 1961, sits about 190 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Camelopardalis (The Giraffe). The name Arp 184 comes from the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies compiled by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966. It holds 338 galaxies that are oddly shaped and tend to be neither entirely elliptical nor entirely spiral-shaped. Many of the galaxies are in the process of interacting with other galaxies, while others are dwarf galaxies without well-defined structures. Arp 184 earned its spot in the catalog thanks to its single broad, star-speckled spiral arm that appears to stretch toward us. The galaxy’s far side sports a few wisps of gas and stars, but it lacks a similarly impressive spiral arm. This Hubble image combines data from three Snapshot observing programs, which are short observations that slotted into time gaps between other proposals. One of the three programs targeted Arp 184 for its peculiar appearance. This program surveyed galaxies listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as well as A Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations, a similar catalog compiled by Halton Arp and Barry Madore. The remaining two Snapshot programs looked at the aftermath of fleeting astronomical events like supernovae and tidal disruption events — like when a supermassive black hole rips a star apart after it wanders too closely. Since Arp 184 hosted four known supernovae in the past three decades, it is a rich target for a supernova hunt. Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Share Details Last Updated May 01, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble’s Galaxies Tracing the Growth of Galaxies Reshaping Our Cosmic View: Hubble Science Highlights View the full article

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s SPHEREx mission is observing the entire sky in 102 infrared colors, or wavelengths of light not visible to the human eye. This image shows a section of sky in one wavelength (3.29 microns), revealing a cloud of dust made of a molecule similar to soot or smoke.NASA/JPL-Caltech This image from NASA’s SPHEREx shows the same region of space in a different infrared wavelength (0.98 microns), but the dust cloud is no longer visible. The molecules that compose the dust — polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — do not radiate light in this color.NASA/JPL-Caltech After weeks of preparation, the space observatory has begun its science mission, taking about 3,600 unique images per day to create a map of the cosmos like no other. Launched on March 11, NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory has spent the last six weeks undergoing checkouts, calibrations, and other activities to ensure it is working as it should. Now it’s mapping the entire sky — not just a large part of it — to chart the positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies in 3D to answer some big questions about the universe. On May 1, the spacecraft began regular science operations, which consist of taking about 3,600 images per day for the next two years to provide new insights about the origins of the universe, galaxies, and the ingredients for life in the Milky Way. This video shows SPHEREx’s field of view as it scans across one section of sky inside the Large Magellanic Cloud, with rainbow colors representing the infrared wavelengths the telescope’s detectors see. The view from one detector array moves from purple to green, followed by the second array’s view, which changes from yellow to red. The images are looped four times. NASA/JPL-Caltech “Thanks to the hard work of teams across NASA, industry, and academia that built this mission, SPHEREx is operating just as we’d expected and will produce maps of the full sky unlike any we’ve had before,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This new observatory is adding to the suite of space-based astrophysics survey missions leading up to the launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Together with these other missions, SPHEREx will play a key role in answering the big questions about the universe we tackle at NASA every day.” From its perch in Earth orbit, SPHEREx peers into the darkness, pointing away from the planet and the Sun. The observatory will complete more than 11,000 orbits over its 25 months of planned survey operations, circling Earth about 14½ times a day. It orbits Earth from north to south, passing over the poles, and each day it takes images along one circular strip of the sky. As the days pass and the planet moves around the Sun, SPHEREx’s field of view shifts as well so that after six months, the observatory will have looked out into space in every direction. When SPHEREx takes a picture of the sky, the light is sent to six detectors that each produces a unique image capturing different wavelengths of light. These groups of six images are called an exposure, and SPHEREx takes about 600 exposures per day. When it’s done with one exposure, the whole observatory shifts position — the mirrors and detectors don’t move as they do on some other telescopes. Rather than using thrusters, SPHEREx relies on a system of reaction wheels, which spin inside the spacecraft to control its orientation. Hundreds of thousands of SPHEREx’s images will be digitally woven together to create four all-sky maps in two years. By mapping the entire sky, the mission will provide new insights about what happened in the first fraction of a second after the big bang. In that brief instant, an event called cosmic inflation caused the universe to expand a trillion-trillionfold. “We’re going to study what happened on the smallest size scales in the universe’s earliest moments by looking at the modern universe on the largest scales,” said Jim Fanson, the mission’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “I think there’s a poetic arc to that.” Cosmic inflation subtly influenced the distribution of matter in the universe, and clues about how such an event could happen are written into the positions of galaxies across the universe. When cosmic inflation began, the universe was smaller than the size of an atom, but the properties of that early universe were stretched out and influence what we see today. No other known event or process involves the amount of energy that would have been required to drive cosmic inflation, so studying it presents a unique opportunity to understand more deeply how our universe works. “Some of us have been working toward this goal for 12 years,” said Jamie Bock, the mission’s principal investigator at Caltech and JPL. “The performance of the instrument is as good as we hoped. That means we’re going to be able to do all the amazing science we planned on and perhaps even get some unexpected discoveries.” Color Field The SPHEREx observatory won’t be the first to map the entire sky, but it will be the first to do so in so many colors. It observes 102 wavelengths, or colors, of infrared light, which are undetectable to the human eye. Through a technique called spectroscopy, the telescope separates the light into wavelengths — much like a prism creates a rainbow from sunlight — revealing all kinds of information about cosmic sources. For example, spectroscopy can be harnessed to determine the distance to a faraway galaxy, information that can be used to turn a 2D map of those galaxies into a 3D one. The technique will also enable the mission to measure the collective glow from all the galaxies that ever existed and see how that glow has changed over cosmic time. And spectroscopy can reveal the composition of objects. Using this capability, the mission is searching for water and other key ingredients for life in these systems in our galaxy. It’s thought that the water in Earth’s oceans originated as frozen water molecules attached to dust in the interstellar cloud where the Sun formed. The SPHEREx mission will make over 9 million observations of interstellar clouds in the Milky Way, mapping these materials across the galaxy and helping scientists understand how different conditions can affect the chemistry that produced many of the compounds found on Earth today. More About SPHEREx The SPHEREx mission is managed by JPL for the agency’s Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado, built the telescope and the spacecraft bus. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data will be conducted by a team of scientists located at 10 institutions in the U.S., two in South Korea, and one in Taiwan. Caltech in Pasadena managed and integrated the instrument. The mission’s principal investigator is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment. Data will be processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech. The SPHEREx dataset will be publicly available at the NASA-IPAC Infrared Science Archive. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. For more about SPHEREx, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spherex/ News Media Contact Calla Cofield Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-808-2469 calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov 2025-063 Share Details Last Updated May 01, 2025 Related TermsSPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe and Ices Explorer)AstrophysicsExoplanetsGalaxiesJet Propulsion LaboratoryThe Search for LifeThe Universe Explore More 4 min read NASA’s Chandra Diagnoses Cause of Fracture in Galactic “Bone” Article 3 hours ago 3 min read The Universe’s Brightest Lights Have Some Dark Origins Did you know some of the brightest sources of light in the sky come from… Article 1 day ago 8 min read How to Contribute to Citizen Science with NASA A cell phone, a computer—and your curiosity—is all you need to become a NASA citizen… Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Northwestern Univ./F. Yusef-Zadeh et al; Radio: NRF/SARAO/MeerKat; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk Astronomers have discovered a likely explanation for a fracture in a huge cosmic “bone” in the Milky Way galaxy, using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio telescopes. The bone appears to have been struck by a fast-moving, rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar. Neutron stars are the densest known stars and form from the collapse and explosion of massive stars. They often receive a powerful kick from these explosions, sending them away from the explosion’s location at high speeds. Enormous structures resembling bones or snakes are found near the center of the galaxy. These elongated formations are seen in radio waves and are threaded by magnetic fields running parallel to them. The radio waves are caused by energized particles spiraling along the magnetic fields. X-ray: NASA/CXC/Northwestern Univ./F. Yusef-Zadeh et al; Radio: NRF/SARAO/MeerKat; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk This new image shows one of these cosmic “bones” called G359.13142-0.20005 (G359.13 for short), with X-ray data from Chandra (colored blue) and radio data from the MeerKAT radio array in South Africa (colored gray). Researchers also refer to G359.13 as the Snake. Examining this image closely reveals the presence of a break, or fracture, in the otherwise continuous length of G359.13 seen in the image. The combined X-ray and radio data provides clues to the cause of this fracture. Astronomers have now discovered an X-ray and radio source at the location of the fracture, using the data from Chandra and MeerKAT and the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array. A likely pulsar responsible for these radio and X-ray signals is labeled. A possible extra source of X-rays located near the pulsar may come from electrons and positrons (the anti-matter counterparts to electrons) that have been accelerated to high energies. The researchers think the pulsar likely caused the fracture by smashing into G359.13 at a speed between one million and two million miles per hour. This collision distorted the magnetic field in the bone, causing the radio signal to also become warped. At about 230 light-years long, G359.13 is one of the longest and brightest of these structures in the Milky Way. To put this into context, there are more than 800 stars within that distance from Earth. G359.13 is located about 26,000 light-years from Earth, near the center of the Milky Way. A paper describing these results appeared in the May 2024 issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available here. The authors of the study are Farhad Yusuf-Zadeh (Northwestern University), Jun-Hui Zhao (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Rick Arendt (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Mark Wardle (Macquarie University, Australia), Craig Heinke (University of Alberta), Marc Royster (College of the Sequoias, California), Cornelia Lang (University of Iowa), and Joseph Michail (Northwestern). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Learn More Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here: https://www.nasa.gov/chandra https://chandra.si.edu Visual Description This release features two composite images of a long, thin, cosmic structure. With the structure’s vertical orientation, seemingly fragile dimensions, and pale grey color against the blackness of space, the images resemble medical X-rays of a long, thin, bone. The main image shows the structure in its entirety. The inset image is an annotated close-up highlighting an apparent fracture in the bone-like structure. The structure, called G359.13, or “The Snake”, is a Galactic Center Filament. These filament formations are threaded by parallel magnetic fields, and spiraling, energized particles. The particles cause radio waves, which can be detected by radio arrays, in this case by the MeerKAT array in South Africa. In the first composite image, the largely straight filament stretches from the top to the bottom of the vertical frame. At each end of the grey filament is a hazy grey cloud. The only color in the image is neon blue, found in a few specks which dot the blackness surrounding the structure. The blue represents X-rays seen by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. In the annotated close-up, one such speck appears to be interacting with the structure itself. This is a fast-moving, rapidly spinning neutron star, otherwise known as a pulsar. Astronomers believe that this pulsar has struck the filament halfway down its length, distorting the magnetic field and radio signal. In both images, this distortion resembles a small break, or spur, in the bone-like filament. News Media Contact Megan Watzke Chandra X-ray Center Cambridge, Mass. 617-496-7998 mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu Lane Figueroa Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 256-544-0034 lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov View the full article

3 Min Read NASA Invests in Future STEM Workforce Through Space Grant Awards NASA is awarding up to $870,000 annually to 52 institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico over the next four years. The investments aim to create opportunities for the next generation of innovators by supporting workforce development, science, technology, engineering and math education, and aerospace collaboration nationwide. The Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant), established by Congress in 1989, is a workforce development initiative administered through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM). The program’s mission is to produce a highly skilled workforce prepared to advance NASA’s mission and bolster the nation’s aerospace sector. “The Space Grant program exemplifies NASA’s commitment to cultivating a new generation of STEM leaders,” said Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of the STEM Engagement Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By partnering with institutions across the country, we ensure that students have the resources, mentorship, and experiences needed to thrive in the aerospace workforce.” The following is a complete list of awardees: University of Alaska, Fairbanks University of Alabama, Huntsville University of Arkansas, Little Rock University of Arizona University of California, San Diego University of Colorado, Boulder University of Hartford, Connecticut American University, Washington, DC University of Delaware University of Central Florida Georgia Institute of Technology University of Hawaii, Honolulu Iowa State University, Ames University of Idaho, Moscow University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Purdue University, Indiana Wichita State University, Kansas University of Kentucky, Lexington Louisiana State University and A&M College Massachusetts Institute of Technology Johns Hopkins University, Maryland Maine Space Grant Consortium University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of Minnesota Missouri University of Science and Technology University of Mississippi Montana State University, Bozeman North Carolina State University University of North Dakota, Grand Forks University of Nebraska, Omaha University of New Hampshire, Durham Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey New Mexico State University Nevada System of Higher Education Cornell University, New York Ohio Aerospace Institute University of Oklahoma Oregon State University Pennsylvania State University University of Puerto Rico Brown University, Rhode Island College of Charleston, South Carolina South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Vanderbilt University, Tennessee University of Texas, Austin University of Utah, Salt Lake City Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Virginia University of Vermont, Burlington University of Washington, Seattle Carthage College, Wisconsin West Virginia University University of Wyoming Space Grant operates through state-based consortia, which include universities, university systems, associations, government agencies, industries, and informal education organizations engaged in aerospace activities. Each consortium’s lead institution coordinates efforts within its state, expanding opportunities for students and researchers while promoting collaboration with NASA and aerospace-related industries nationwide. To learn more about NASA’s missions, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/ View the full article

Skywatching Skywatching Home What’s Up What to See Tonight Meteor Showers Eclipses Moon Guide More Tips & Guides Skywatching FAQ Night Sky Network Eta Aquarids & Waiting for a Nova! The first week of May brings the annual Eta Aquarid meteors, peaking on the 6th. And sometime in the next few months, astronomers predict a “new star” or nova explosion will become visible to the unaided eye. Skywatching Highlights All Month – Planet Visibility: Venus: Appears very bright and low in the east in the hour before sunrise all month. Mars: Easy to find in the west in the first few hours of the night, all month long. Sets around midnight to 1 a.m. local time. Jupiter: Shines brightly in the west following sunset all month. Early in the month it sets about two hours after the Sun, but by late May it’s setting only an hour after sunset. Saturn: Begins the month next to Venus, low in the eastern sky before sunrise. Quickly separates from Saturn and rises higher in the sky each day before dawn. Daily Highlights May 6 – Eta Aquarid Meteors – The peak of this annual shower is early on the morning of May 6th. The two or three nights before that are also decent opportunities to spy a few shooting stars. On the peak night this year, the Moon sets by around 3 a.m., leaving dark skies until dawn, for ideal viewing conditions. Seeing 10-20 meteors per hour is common for the Northern Hemisphere, while south of the equator, observers tend to see substantially more. May 3 – Mars & Moon: The first quarter Moon appears right next to the Red Planet on the 3rd. Find them in the west during the first half of the night that evening. All month – Venus & Saturn: Low in the eastern sky each morning you’ll find bright Venus paired with much fainter Saturn. They start the month close together, but Saturn pulls away and rises higher over the course of the month. All month – Mars & Jupiter: The planets to look for on May evenings are Mars and Jupiter. They’re visible for a couple of hours after sunset in the western sky. All month – Corona Borealis: Practice finding this constellation in the eastern part of the sky during the first half of the night, so you have a point of comparison when the T CrB nova appears there, likely in the next few months. Transcript What’s Up for May? Four bright planets, morning and night, a chance of meteor showers, and waiting for a nova. May Planet Viewing For planet watching this month, you’ll find Mars and Jupiter in the west following sunset. Mars sticks around for several hours after it gets dark out, but Jupiter is setting by 9:30 or 10 p.m., and getting lower in the sky each day. The first quarter Moon appears right next to the Red Planet on the 3rd. Find them in the west during the first half of the night that evening. Sky chart showing Venus and Saturn with the crescent Moon in the predawn sky on May 23., 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech In the morning sky, Venus and Saturn are the planets to look for in May. They begin the month appearing close together on the sky, and progressively pull farther apart as the month goes on. For several days in late May, early risers will enjoy a gathering of the Moon with Saturn and Venus in the eastern sky before dawn. Watch as the Moon passes the two planets while becoming an increasingly slimmer crescent. You’ll find the Moon hanging between Venus and Saturn on the 23rd. Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Early May brings the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. These are meteors that originate from Comet Halley. Earth passes through the comet’s dust stream each May, and again in October. Eta Aquarids are fast moving, and a lot of them produce persistent dust trains that linger for seconds after the meteor’s initial streak. This is one of the best annual showers in the Southern Hemisphere, but tends to be more subdued North of the Equator, where we typically see 10-20 meteors per hour. On the peak night this year, the Moon sets by around 3 a.m., leaving dark skies until dawn, for ideal viewing conditions. While the peak is early on the morning of May 6th, the two or three nights before that are also decent opportunities to spy a few shooting stars. Waiting for a Nova Sky chart showing constellation Corona Borealis with the location where nova “T CrB” is predicted to appear. The view depicts the constellation with the nova occurring, indicated by an arrow. NASA/JPL-Caltech Astronomers have been waiting expectantly for light from a distant explosion to reach us here on Earth. An event called a nova is anticipated to occur sometime in the coming months. Some 3,000 light years away is a binary star system called T Coronae Borealis, or “T CrB.” It consists of a red giant star with a smaller white dwarf star orbiting closely around it. Now the giant’s outer atmosphere is all puffed up, and the dwarf star is close enough that its gravity continually captures some of the giant’s hydrogen. About every 80 years, the white dwarf has accumulated so much of the other star’s hydrogen, that it ignites a thermonuclear explosion. And that’s the nova. T Coronae Borealis is located in the constellation Corona Borealis, or the “Northern Crown,” and it’s normally far too faint to see with the unaided eye. But it’s predicted the nova will be as bright as the constellation’s brightest star, which is about as bright as the North Star, Polaris. You’ll find Corona Borealis right in between the two bright stars Arcturus and Vega, and you can use the Big Dipper’s handle to point you to the right part of the sky. Try having a look for it on clear, dark nights before the nova, so you’ll have a comparison when a new star suddenly becomes visible there. A sky chart indicating how to locate the constellation Corona Borealis between the bright stars Arcturus and Vega. The Big Dipper’s handle points in the direction of Corona Borealis. NASA/JPL-Caltech Now, you may have heard about this months ago, as astronomers started keeping watch for the nova midway through 2024, but it hasn’t happened yet. Predicting exactly when novas or any sort of stellar outburst will happen is tricky, but excitement began growing when astronomers observed the star to dim suddenly, much as it did right before its previous nova in 1946. When the nova finally does occur, it won’t stay bright for long, likely flaring in peak brightness for only a few days. And since it’s not predicted again for another 80 years, you might just want to join the watch for this super rare, naked eye stellar explosion in the sky! Here are the phases of the Moon for May. The phases of the Moon for May 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech You can stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at NASA Science. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Skywatching Planets Solar System Exploration Moons View the full article

Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is a supernova remnant located about 11,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. It spans approximately 10 light-years.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO, NASA/JPL/Caltech/NuStar; Optical: NASA/STScI/HST; IR: NASA/STScI/JWST, NASA/JPL/CalTech/SST; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, N. Wolk, and K. Arcand Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers uncovered a mysterious feature within the remnant, nicknamed the “Green Monster,” alongside a puzzling network of ejecta filaments forming a web of oxygen-rich material. When combined with X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the data helped astronomers shed light on the origin of the Green Monster and revealed new insights into the explosion that created Cas A about 340 years ago, from Earth’s perspective. Like with the Cygnus Loop, Chandra has provided a 3-dimensional (3D) printable model that can be used to explore the end stage of a star’s life. These 3D models are based on state-of-the-art theoretical models, computational algorithms, and observations from space-based telescopes like Chandra that give us accurate pictures of these cosmic objects and how they evolve over time. See more photos and get the files to print 3D models of cosmic objects. Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO, NASA/JPL/Caltech/NuStar; Optical: NASA/STScI/HST; IR: NASA/STScI/JWST, NASA/JPL/CalTech/SST; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, N. Wolk, and K. Arcand View the full article