NASA’s Curiosity Looks Back After Reaching Elevation MilestoneDescription NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this view looking back at the floor of Gale Crater, with the crater’s rim visible in the distance, on Sept. 5, 2026, the 5,006th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Just nine days prior, on Aug. 26 (Sol 4,996), Curiosity set a mission milestone by reaching 1 kilometer […]
NASA’s Curiosity Captures Dawn Breaking on Wind-Carved CliffsDescription NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this panorama of sunrise illuminating distant, wind-carved features called yardangs on Aug. 11, 2026, the 4,982nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Scientists are eager to learn more about how the yardang layer formed. Figure A is a crop zooming in on the distant yardangs. Since 2014, Curiosity […]
Artemis II Crew Moon Photo AnnotationsA visualization of a dark Moon eclipsing the Sun is marked with handwritten notes in this April 6, 2026, screenshot from an Artemis II crew member’s tablet. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (in blue) and Victor “Ike” Glover (in green) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen (in red) observed impact flashes and their locations, which […]
APOD: 2026 October 7 – Supernova Remnant Pa 30APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 7 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD 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. Supernova Remnant Pa […]
Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Its 2026 MinimumSatellite records show Arctic sea ice covering less of the ocean in both winter and summer.
NASA to Cover Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Spacecraft DepartureAfter delivering more than 11,000 pounds of supplies, science experiments, and other cargo to the International Space Station for NASA, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft is scheduled to depart Friday, Oct. 9, as part of the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-24 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24. Watch NASA’s live coverage of undocking and departure beginning at 12:30 […]
October 2026 Satellite PuzzlerYour challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
Lunar Grounding ChallengeAs an astronaut traverses the lunar South Pole, tribocharging from walking on the lunar surface and plasma charging from the ambient plasma generate electric charge on the spacesuit. This problem is severely compounded when entering lunar shadows and Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs). In these dark zones, the spacesuit can buildup a substantial negative potential due […]
NASA Glenn Invites Phase 1 Proposals for Aerospace Power Systems LaboratoryNASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is seeking Phase 1 proposals for the design and construction of the Aerospace Power Systems Laboratory. The principal purpose of this procurement is to deliver a laboratory facility to support the testing and development of power systems, with associated site work, infrastructure, and systems. The laboratory will provide modern […]
Astronomers Solve Cosmic Cold Case with NASA Hubble DataDiligent sleuthing by astronomers uncovered a surprising chemical clue that indicates the white dwarf star HS 0209+0832 may host a second-generation planet. This artist’s concept released on Oct. 5, 2026, depicts that possible explanation. The white dwarf is the “dead” core of a star that burned through all of its nuclear fuel and lost its outer […]