APOD: 2026 August 6 – New Sharpest Image of the Sun Uncovers Instability
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:What does the
NASA’s IXPE May Have Proven 90-Year-Old Theory
A first of its kind measurement of a magnetar may have captured empty space behaving in a way physicists have predicted for 90 years, but never directly observed. The results published Wednesday
NASA’s Perseverance Captures Phobos and Earth
This composite of seven images from the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover shows Earth, visible as a small bright dot moving from upper left to lower right, passing behind the
Artemis III Orion Crew and Service Models Joined
Technicians joined the Orion crew and service modules together on July 30, 2026, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew module
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Watches Earth Vanish Behind Martian Moon
Earth and the Martian moon Phobos dance together in a series of images recently acquired by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. Earth appears as a point of light in the Martian sky, disappearing behind
Advanced Mini-laboratories Automate Space Station Research
Some experiments can take hours to perform, and researchers need to account for astronauts’ limited time. Fully automated devices, like Redwire’sADvanced Space Experiment Processors, have been
The Paradox of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
The coastal dune system inLençóis Maranhenses National Parkin northeastern Brazil is among the most surreal landscapes on Earth. At first glance, the park looks like a desert, but it is far from
APOD: 2026 August 5 – Spokes on Saturn’s B Ring
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:Don’t get
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
August 2026 Satellite Puzzler
Every month,NASA Earth Observatoryfeatures a puzzling satellite image. The August 2026 puzzler appears above. Your ChallengeIdentify the location shown in this satellite image. Share what clues you
NASA’s PUNCH Sharpens Solar Storm Forecasting in First Test
Using continuous imagery from NASA’s PUNCH 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
Ames Science Stars of the Month – August 2026
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of Danielle Lopez, Jennifer Claudio, and Duncan Mifsud. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial
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
Roman Space Telescope Plaque Install
Technicians installed a commemorative plaque, seen in this July 28, 2026, photo, on NASA’sNancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The plaque honors the legacy ofDr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief
A Bare Summer for Barnes Ice Cap
By summer, that snow melts back, and the ice cap transforms in texture, its bare ice dotted with turquoise ponds and its surface threaded with meltwater channels. In summer 2026, this seasonal
Smoke Streams Across 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
APOD: August 4, 2026 – Curious Cometary Knots in the Helix Nebula
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. What causes unusual knots of
Louisiana Students Loft Payloads from NASA Balloon Facility in Texas
Every spring in Palestine, Texas, the wide-open fields aroundNASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facilityfill with students and faculty from across Louisiana. They arrive carrying sensors, laptops,
Guinea-Bissau Tidal Waters
Twice each day, tides ebb and flow through a maze of sandy channels, mudflats, and mangrove forests that flank the 88 islands and islets of Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagós Archipelago. Seen from above in
TB 26-05 Webbings for Use in Elevated Oxygen Environments
Flammability test results for commercial-off-the-shelf webbings that meet NASA flammability requirements are reported for use in elevated oxygen environments anticipated for future lunar and Martian
NASA Delivers Navigation System for Commercial Lunar Relay
NASA delivered the NavCube3-mini payload on July 13 to Intuitive Machines for integration into Altus-1, the company’s first lunar relay satellite, marking an important milestone in the development of
NASA Brings Space Exploration to the FIFA World Cup
From June 11 through July 19, NASA’s free interactive exhibit at FIFA Fan Festival™ brought space exploration to soccer fans in East Downtown Houston. More than 500,000 visitors explored the exhibit
Ike Theriot Helps Prepare Astronauts to Work on the Moon
From serving in the U.S. Army to helping prepare astronauts to explore the lunar surface, Ike Theriot built a path to NASA through discipline and determination. Theriot serves as the Flight
APOD: 2026 August 2 – A Fire Rainbow over West Virginia
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:What’s happening
APOD: 2026 August 3 – Vaporizing Meteor Photobombs the Lacerta Nebula
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:What’s happening
APOD: 2026 August 1 – Buck Moon and Belt of Venus
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:The Buck Moonis
APOD: 2026 August 2 – A Fire Rainbow over West Virginia
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:What’s happening
APOD: 2026 August 1 – Buck Moon and Belt of Venus
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:The Buck Moonis
What’s Up: August 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA
A solar eclipse, the Perseids, bright Venus after sunset, and a deep partial lunar eclipse highlight August’s skywatching. Aug. 5:Last Quarter Moon Aug. 12:Total solar eclipse across northern
NASA to Host Florida Event Celebrating American Air, Space Leadership
NASA will hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 14, live from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and media and digital creators are invited to attend in person. The
NASA’s Newest Wind Tunnel Opens at NASA Langley
On Friday, July 31, 2026, NASA leadership and Virginia government officialsopened NASA’s first major new wind tunnelin more than 40 years, the Flight Dynamics Research Facilityat NASA’s Langley
TB 26-04 Webbings for Use in Elevated Oxygen Environments
Flammability test results for commercial-off-the-shelf webbings that meet NASA flammability requirements are reported for use in elevated oxygen environments anticipated for future lunar and Martian
NASA, SpaceX Advance Wind Tunnel Tests for Starship Rocket
NASA and its industry partners are preparing for next year’s Artemis III demonstration mission by completing new wind tunnel tests on SpaceX’s Super Heavy Version 3 rocket booster. The tests,
NASA Opens New Flight Dynamics Research Facility in Virginia
NASA opened its newest wind tunnel, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility, Friday, providing a critical resource for the agency and its partners to test the safety and performance of future
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4961-4967: Approaching a Break in the Rock Record?
Written by Abigail Fraeman, Deputy Project Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Earth planning date: Friday, July 24, 2026 Curiosity spent the week continuing to
NASA’s Roman Telescope to Carry 1.35 Million Names to Deep Space
On July 27, technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida installed a memory card containing 1,350,144 names as part of a commemorative plaque on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The
Destructive Fires Char Western Europe
Wildland fires occur across Europe every summer, but those that erupted in Spain and France in July 2026 were among the largest and most disruptive the two countries have faced in decades. Some of
APOD: 2026 July 31 – NGC 4372 and the Dark Doodad
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:The Dark Doodad
APOD: 2026 July 30 – Red Sun trough Wildfire Smoke
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:This could be
Students Take on Airborne Field Research with NASA
The gusty wind didn’t make it easy to hold tight to a balloon so large. The balloon, a scientific instrument called an ozonesonde, was about to be released into the atmosphere above the Texas Gulf
NASA Assigns Astronaut Deniz Burnham to First Space Station Mission
NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham will embark on her first mission to the International Space Station, serving as an Expedition 76 flight engineer. Burnham will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-30
Starburst Galaxy Centaurus A
In this July 6, 2026, image, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this
NASA Johnson Interns Shaping the Future of Exploration
NASA interns at Johnson Space Center are applying their talents to real-world projects while working alongside the engineers, scientists, communicators, and innovators advancing human
New Zealand’s Southern Wilderness
Stewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island in New Zealand, diminutive in comparison to the country’sNorth IslandandSouth Island. Yet it hosts a population of one of the largest of the kiwi:
APOD: July 30 – Red Sun trough Wildfire Smoke
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:This could be
NASA Awards 2026 Innovative Technology Concepts
The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program has created 18 new awards to support visionary ideas to improve aerospace technologies in areas ranging from the exploration of the solar system to
NASA’s Curiosity Discovers a Field of Martian Polygons
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this 360-degree view of an expanse of terrain covered in surface features called polygons on June 19 and 20, 2026, the 4,930th and 4,931st Martian days, or sols,
NASA’s Curiosity Views a Sand-Capped Butte
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this sand-capped butte, nicknamed “Miraflores,” estimated to be about 20 feet tall, with its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on June 11, 2026, the 4,923rd Martian day,
NASA Sets Coverage for August Northern Hemisphere Total Solar Eclipse
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. NASA will stream the eclipse
APOD: 2026 July 28 – Barnards Loop over Twin Volcanoes
Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:What’s