NASA
-
NASA
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Spokes on Saturn’s B Ring Explanation: Don’t get spooked by Saturn’s ghostly spokes! Today we feature a nearly two-hour timelapse of Saturn and its rings looping forwards and backwards. If you look closely, a ghoulish shadow…
Read More » -
NASA
The Paradox of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
The coastal dune system in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil is among the most surreal landscapes on Earth. At first glance, the park looks like a desert, but it is far from it. This place receives about 125 centimeters (50 inches) of rain per year—slightly more than Seattle and double what falls in London. The result is a paradox: rows…
Read More » -
NASA
NASA Will Attempt to Observe Rocket Part’s Lunar Impact
Using ground-based telescopes and space-based assets, NASA and SpaceX are tracking a used Falcon 9 upper stage from a commercial mission expected to impact the Moon on Wednesday, Aug. 5, near the Einstein and Bell craters. The impact poses no danger to Earth and NASA scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event and refine techniques for tracking…
Read More » -
NASA
August 2026 Satellite Puzzler
Every month, NASA Earth Observatory features a puzzling satellite image. The August 2026 puzzler appears above. Your ChallengeIdentify the location shown in this satellite image. Share what clues you see, where you think it is, and what makes this place interesting or unique to you. How to AnswerSubmit your response using this form and select “Puzzler Answer” as the topic. Please include your preferred…
Read More » -
NASA
NASA’s PUNCH Sharpens Solar Storm Forecasting in First Test
Using continuous imagery from NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, scientists predicted the near-Earth arrival of a solar eruption to within 30 minutes in an initial proof of concept test. The results, presented Tuesday at the Committee on Space Research Scientific Meeting and under review at the journal Space Weather, could revolutionize the way Earth-impacting storms…
Read More » -
NASA
Ames Science Stars of the Month – August 2026
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Danielle Lopez, Jennifer Claudio, and Duncan Mifsud. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond. Space Biosciences Star of the Month: Danielle Lopez Danielle Lopez is the Deputy Project Manager for the…
Read More » -
NASA
Roman Space Telescope Plaque Install
Technicians installed a commemorative plaque, seen in this July 28, 2026, photo, on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The plaque honors the legacy of Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer and one of the architects of the agency’s modern science program. It also features a memory card containing a total of 1,350,144 names submitted by people from across the…
Read More » -
NASA
NASA Provides Updates on Moon Base Cargo Landers, Tech Demonstrations
NASA is making progress in building the Moon Base, which will become a resilient outpost near the Moon’s South Pole for science, technology, and eventual human operations. To advance lunar surface infrastructure development, commercial partners such as Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, and Voyager Lunar Systems are working toward delivering landers by 2028. These landers will deliver the foundational…
Read More » -
NASA
A Bare Summer for Barnes Ice Cap
Meltwater ponds in vivid blue pools on the surface of the Barnes Ice Cap’s southwest side in this July 12, 2026, image from the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9. NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin For most of the year, the Barnes Ice Cap in the Canadian Arctic lies quiet under a blanket of snow. By summer, that snow melts back, and the ice…
Read More » -
NASA
Smoke Streams Across Eastern Washington
The start of August 2026 saw ongoing and new wildland fires burning in eastern Washington. West of Chelan, the Little Giant fire continued to produce heavy smoke, while a cluster of smaller fires farther east near Spokane affected tens of thousands of people. The smoke from these and other fires poured east-northeast across the state and into Idaho, Montana, and…
Read More »