Space could be a wondrous place, and we have the photographs to show it! Take a take a look at our favourite area footage right here, and for those who’re questioning what occurred to right this moment in area historical past do not miss our On This Day in Space video present right here!
Suni beaming with an Astrobee
Wednesday, December 18, 2024: What may very well be higher than NASA astronaut Suni Williams floating aboard the International Space Station with Bumble, the blue, bunny-eared Astrobee. Bumble is one in every of three cube-shaped robo-helpers developed by NASA to help astronauts aboard the area station. The free-flying robots carry out numerous duties, together with documenting experiments or taking stock, and are in a position to navigate, dock and recharge themselves autonomously throughout the orbiting lab.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams, who’s at present serving as Expedition 72 Commander on the ISS, smiles for a photograph with the robotic flyer within the Kibo laboratory module in a brand new picture shared by NASA. Williams may be seen imitating the robotic’s curved arms, that are being examined to wrap round objects for satellite tv for pc upkeep and area particles administration.
Read extra: NASA astronaut Suni Williams poses with cute tentacle-armed Astrobee robotic on ISS
Feel the burn this season
Tuesday, December 17, 2024: If you are not but within the vacation spirit, NASA is right here to carry you the remainder of the way in which. The area company created a digital fire lit by the engines of its big Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which despatched the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission to the moon in November 2022.
In this photograph, the fireside may be seen displayed on NASA’s mission countdown clock on the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, with one of many world’s largest buildings, the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), standing tall within the background.
Read extra: Warm up this vacation season with NASA’s new SLS rocket engine fire (video)
Observe the Geminids!
Monday, December 16, 2024: In Hawaii, astronomers with Japan’s Subaru Telescope atop Maunakea in captured a shocking picture of greater than 100 Geminid meteors streaking throughout star trails in a long-exposure view from the observatory’s digicam.
“The Subaru-Asahi Star Camera on the Subaru Telescope Facility, Maunakea, Hawai‘i, captured over 150 meteors in a single hour from 1:10 to 2:10 a.m. on December 13, 2024 (HST) regardless of the intense moonlight, as proven on this abstract image,” officers with the observatory mentioned on X, previously Twitter, whereas sharing the photograph. “Most meteors belong to Geminids.”
Read extra: See the perfect Geminid meteor bathe 2024 images from world wide
A satellite tv for pc’s circle of aurora
Thursday, December 12, 2024: As the 12 months approaches its finish, everyone seems to be rounding up their greatest photos of 2024. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is becoming a member of in, asking social media customers to assist select their “most compelling” satellite tv for pc picture.
Pictured right here, a Day-Night Band picture from NOAA’s JPSS Program satellites, displaying Earth’s northern hemisphere from above, topped in a hoop of aurora borealis.
Saturn’s elusive darkish ring spokes
Wednesday, December 11, 2024: NASA is celebrating ten years of the Hubble Space Telescope’s Outer Planter Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program, which helps monitor climate and seasonal adjustments within the atmospheres of our photo voltaic system’s fuel giants. One of OPAL’s observations has helped astronomers Saturn’s elusive darkish ring spokes. First found by NASA’s Voyager mission within the Nineteen Eighties, these darkish rings solely final for 2 or three rotations round Saturn. Thanks to Hubble, astronomers now know the rings to be a seasonally-driven phenomenon.
Through a Dragon’s eye
Tuesday, December 10, 2024: Through the window of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, the small construction of the International Space Station (ISS) may be seen flying above the clouds beneath. This photograph was taken by a Crew-8 astronaut as their Dragon spacecraft undocked and departed the ISS above the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chile.
Moon photobombs atmospheric probe check
Monday, December 9, 2024: NASA photographer Steve Freeman caught a fortunate shot of the moon photobombing a drone carrying a mannequin of an atmospheric probe being developed by NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The quad rotor carried the probe to a check altitude earlier than releasing it over Rogers Dry Lake, a flight check space subsequent to the NASA middle.
That’s no moon…
Wednesday, December 4, 2024: Well, yeah, it is positively not a moon, however it does type of seems to be like a half-assembled Death Star in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”, which can be not a moon. This is, in truth, the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO’s) Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) beneath building. The skeleton of one in every of ESO’s flagship cosmic imager for the approaching many years may be seen right here coming collectively piece by piece within the mountains of Chile’s Atacama Desert. Once full, ELT’s huge major mirror will measure 128 ft (39 meters) throughout.
The cupola the retains on giving
Tuesday, December 4, 2024: Few issues beat the view of an excellent sundown, even when that view occurs on repeat 16 instances a day. Thanks to the altitude and inclination of the International Space Station’s orbit, that is precisely what number of sunsets astronauts dwelling aboard the orbital lab get to expertise. In this photograph, NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson friends out the station’s cupola module because the solar sinks behind the shadowy face of Earth’s evening aspect. 262 miles beneath, the blue tint of the South Atlantic Ocean paints the pale arch of Earth’s horizon with a comfortable glow, lit from the falling solar like Dyson’s face as she stares at our house planet.
A stretch of Milky Way
Monday, December 2, 2024: Between these two blocky buildings, the arm of our Milky Way stretches into the evening sky. This photograph was taken from European Southern Observatory’s (ESO’s) Very Large Telescope (VLT), excessive within the Chilean mountains. Pictured, the VLT’s fourth Unit Telescope, stands like two pillars guiding the galaxy’s arm.
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