NASA
-
NASA Seeks Industry Input on Second Phase of Commercial Space Stations
On Monday, NASA released a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking feedback from American companies on the next phase of its commercial space stations strategy, aimed at ensuring a seamless transition of activities in low Earth orbit from the International Space Station. “NASA’s review reflects what we’ve been hearing from industry throughout this process. Industry believes it can meet the timelines and…
Read More » -
NASA’s CAPSTONE Completes Extended Mission Testing Lunar Technologies
As NASA prepares for a sustained human presence on the Moon, missions will increasingly require spacecraft that can navigate and communicate without a direct connection to Earth. NASA’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, validated and advanced these capabilities. Designed to test and validate technologies in lunar orbit, CAPSTONE launched in June 2022 and became the…
Read More » -
NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision
In new images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s center in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of…
Read More » -
Examining Algal Blooms in Blue Mesa
he summers of 2021 and 2022 were tough seasons for Colorado’s Blue Mesa Reservoir. A severe drought gripped much of the western U.S., prompting emergency water releases that brought the reservoir to its lowest level since 1984. Marinas and boat ramps closed, remnants of a ghost town emerged from the muck, and parts of the reservoir turned greenish and swirled with toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Research conducted by scientists…
Read More » -
NASA’s Hubble Spies Stellar Sparkler for July 4th
Red, white, and blue stars glitter like a sparkler being waved on a dark night in this new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. NASA released this image to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, as the agency carries forward America’s legacy of exploration. Located in the outer halo of our Milky Way galaxy, globular cluster NGC 6426 is a spherical collection of…
Read More » -
NASA’s Hubble Captures Crimson Cloud Sparkling with White, Blue Stars
Like fresh fireworks launched against a background of dissipating smoke, blue and white stars shine brilliantly against a crimson background of glowing gas in this image of stellar nursery LH 95 from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. LH 95 is a region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. Low-mass infant stars live alongside massive blue giant…
Read More » -
The Birthplace of the United States
June 1, 2013 Editor’s note: In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Earth Observatory is revisiting stories about the landscapes that helped shape U.S. history. The images and text on this page were originally published on July 4, 2017. Explore the full collection here. Situated between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn as the seat of a Quaker colony.…
Read More » -
What’s Up: July 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
A predawn Moon-and-planets meetup, a returning comet, a great chance to see the Milky Way, and Saturn’s rings at a new angle. Skywatching Highlights July 7: Last Quarter Moon July 11 + 12: Dawn alignment of the Moon, Mars, Saturn, and Uranus July 14: New Moon; best dark-sky window for Comet 10P/Tempel 2 and the Milky Way Later in July: Saturn’s unusually thin rings…
Read More » -
Good Morning, Earth!
NASA astronaut Chris Williams took this photo of an orbital sunrise from the International Space Station on June 26, 2026. In 24 hours, the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth, traveling through 16 sunrises and sunsets. Learn more about the orbiting laboratory. Image credit: NASA/Chris Williams
Read More » -
NASA’s Hubble Spots Star-Spangled Cosmic Scene
More than 500,000 stars blaze red, white, and blue in this image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, released in celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The image showcases Messier 3 (M3), one of the Milky Way galaxy’s most massive globular clusters, or spherical collections of gravitationally bound stars. Globular clusters are made up of ancient stars that formed at roughly the same time from…
Read More »