A thrilling epoch in the exploration of our solar system came to a close today, as NASA’s Cassini spacecraft made a fateful plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn, ending its 13-year tour of the ringed planet.
“This is the final chapter of an amazing mission, but it’s also a new beginning,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s … Read the rest of this article
The international Cassini mission reaches its dramatic finale this Friday (Sept. 15, 2017) by plunging into Saturn’s atmosphere, concluding 13-years of exploration around the ringed planet.
Here are some upcoming news conferences about the mission…
13 Sept1PM EST / 5:00 PM GMT / 6:00 PM BST / 19:00 CEST: News conference with a detailed preview of final mission activities … Read the rest of this article
The ESA’s first mission to Mercury, BepiColombo, is now set for final thermal tests before launching to the hottest planet in our Solar System in October 2018.
Europe said farewell to the spacecraft in July when it was at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, in its launch configuration.
BepiColombo is a joint mission … Read the rest of this article
On Sept. 5, 2017 – the 40th anniversary of Voyager 1’s launch — NASA revealed the winning Message To Voyager and beamed it into space. “Message to Voyager” is a social media campaign inspired by the messages of goodwill carried on the Golden Record aboard each Voyager spacecraft.
NASA invited the public to submit short, uplifting messages to … Read the rest of this article
Scientists on NASA’s Juno mission have observed massive amounts of energy swirling over Jupiter’s polar regions that contribute to the giant planet’s powerful auroras – only not in ways the researchers expected.
Examining data collected by the ultraviolet spectrograph and energetic-particle detector instruments aboard the Jupiter-orbiting Juno spacecraft, a team led by Barry Mauk of the Johns Hopkins University Applied … Read the rest of this article
Could you be one a NASA Solar System Ambassador? If you want to share your passion of space with the public, being one is the perfect platform to do so.
The annual Solar System Ambassadors application period begins on Sept. 1 and ends on Sept. 30. Chosen applicants will begin a one-year, renewable term on Jan. 1, 2018.
Maybe you’re familiar with the Mowhawk Hair Guy who was part of the mission controller staff for the Mars Curiosity Rover mission?
Distinctive hairstyles in space circles are nothing new!
The 1970s are known for being a fashion disaster, and to go with the awful clothes were awful hairstyles.
Think hipster hairdos are cool? People certainly did at one time … Read the rest of this article
The movements of more than 300,000 stars surveyed by ESA’s Gaia satellite reveal that rare close encounters with our Sun might disturb the cloud of comets at the far reaches of our Solar System, sending some towards Earth in the distant future.
As the Solar System moves through the Galaxy, and as other stars move on their own paths, close … Read the rest of this article
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has explored the Saturn system since 2004, re-writing our understanding of the giant planet, its rings, moons and magnetosphere.
For 13 years the spacecraft’s incredible, truly otherworldly images have revealed the wonder of Saturn in surprising, often awe-inspiring ways.
Cassini is planetary exploration at its finest, proving that to truly reveal the grandeur of a world, there … Read the rest of this article
Earlier today, Elon Musk released the first image of the official SpaceX Spacesuit on Instagram. Here’s What he said:
| First picture of SpaceX spacesuit. More in days to follow. Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup). Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately. |
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Recommended Astronomy DVDs, Blu-Rays and 4K UHD Blu-Rays
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Hubble Space Telescope Finds the Most Distant Star Ever Seen
The Lessons Learned From a Simulated Asteroid Strike Over Europe
Teachers: Apply Now to the ESA Teach With Space Online Conference
First Panoramic View of Mars at Perseverance Rover Landing Site
NASA’s Webb Telescope Will Show Us More Stars at Higher Resolution
Animations of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing
NASA Is Providing Spanish-Language Coverage for the Livestream of the December 14 Solar Eclipse
NASA Names Artemis Team of Astronauts Eligible for Early Moon Missions
The Sun Now (Visible light)
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The Sun Now (H-Alpha light)
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Aurora Oval
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Aurora Oval
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