NASA @nasa

nasa Meet your Crew-2 astronauts! ✌️⁣ ⁣ The next crew to launch from @NASAKennedy to the International Space Station is, from left: Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet ( @Thom_Astro ) of the @EuropeanSpaceAgency ; Pilot Megan McArthur of NASA; Commander Shane Kimbrough ( @Astro_Kimbrough ) of NASA; and Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide of @JAXAjp .⁣ ⁣ NASA's @SpaceX Crew-2 mission is targeted for liftoff on Thursday, April 22, at 6:11 a.m. EDT. It's the first Commercial Crew mission flying two international partners. During their stay of approximately 6 months on the space station, the astronauts will conduct scientific research in areas such as medical technology, human health, and materials to benefit life on Earth.⁣ ⁣ Credit: SpaceX ⁣ ⁣ #LaunchAmerica #Crew2 #Astronauts #SpaceExploration

nasa 🥶 It’s cold on Mars! 🔴 Our Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter is safe and sound at Jezero Crater on the rocky surface of Mars! Ingenuity has survived the first cold night on its own, a major milestone for the small rotorcraft because surface temps can plunge as low as -130 degrees F (-90 degrees C). If all goes well, Ingenuity’s first flight will be no sooner than the evening of April 11. In this picture taken by our Perseverance rover’s rear hazard camera, Ingenuity can be seen on the Martian surface on April 4, 2021, the 44th Martian day, or sol of the mission. Image credit: @NASAJPL -Caltech #NASA #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Ingenuity #Helicopter #MondayMotivation #Marte #CountdownToMars

nasa Space in color 🎨 🎇 The fine details of the nebula’s delicate threads and filaments of ionized gas are made visible using a new processing method applied to this image of the Veil Nebula. 📸 Five different filters were used to create this colorful image, observations were taken by Wide Field Camera 3 instrument on @NASAHubble . Further enhanced details of emissions from doubly ionized oxygen (blue hues), ionized hydrogen, and ionized nitrogen (red hues) were made visible with post processing methods. 🎆 Visible to amateur astronomers in the night sky, the Veil Nebula lies around 2,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan), making it a relatively close neighbor in astronomical terms. Only a small portion of the nebula was captured in this image. 💥 From stellar violence to astronomical beauty: The Veil Nebula is the resulting remnants of a death of a massive star, that was 20 times the size of the sun. The shock waves of the cataclysmic release of energy sculpted the Veil Nebula’s delicate tracery of ionized gas. Credit: @EuropeanSpaceAgency /Hubble & NASA, Z. Levay #Nebula #Colorful #HubbleTelescope #Cosmic #FilterFun

nasa Skygazers, keep your eyes peeled to the skies this month for beautiful views. ⁣ ⁣ 🔭 First – Jupiter and Saturn line up with the Moon for a perfect family photo on April 6. Look for them low in the southeast during the hour before sunrise. ⁣ ⁣ 😍 Next – shift your gaze to the East all month to see the rosy arch known as the Belt of Venus at sunset. ⁣ ⁣ Want more? April is also the perfect month to see the constellation Leo light up the night sky in the hours after sunset! ⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA ⁣ ⁣ #Skywatcher #NASA #AstronomyLover #StarGazing #Leo #TipsAndTricks #Saturn

nasa We have our heads in the clouds🌤️ 🛰️This view of the Earth’s horizon as the Sun sets over the Pacific Ocean was taken by crew members aboard the International Space Station ( @ISS ) in 2003. 🌩️ Visible in this image are the anvil tops of thunderclouds. The flat anvil tops form because when updrafts rise through the lowest layer of the atmosphere, they hit the layer above, known as the stratosphere, without penetrating it. These updrafts usually flatten wide and spread under the stratosphere, but some of them are intense enough to punch through the stratosphere. Known as overshoot tops, these can indicate where strong thunderstorms – sometimes hail or tornadoes – usually occur. ⏰Things happen fast when you’re aboard the space station! How much time does it take for the ISS to orbit the Earth? ⬇️ Give us your best guess in the comments below! ⬇️ Credit: NASA #TBT #InternationalSpaceStation #NASA #Horizon #cloudnine #atmosphere

nasa 🛰 Confirmed: Uranus is giving off X-rays! In a new study, astronomers have detected X-rays coming from Uranus for the very first time with help from our @nasachandraxray . The 7th planet from the Sun and its rings appear to scatter the sun’s X-rays to produce these X-rays. Why is this so important? Determining the sources of the X-rays from Uranus could help astronomers better understand how more exotic objects in space, such as growing black holes and neutron stars, emit X-rays. 📝 Put your knowledge to the test! What is the name of the only spacecraft to fly by Uranus? Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXO/University College London/W. Dunn et al; Optical: W.M. Keck Observatory #NASA #SolarSystem #Uranus #Planet #Galaxy #XRays #Explore #Discovery

nasa 💫There's beauty in imperfections.⁣ ⁣ Take irregular galaxies for example. Unlike their spiral and elliptical counterparts, irregular galaxies have a one-of-a-kind shape. They’re similar to each other, but unique and beautiful because of their different interactions, whether they’re just passing another galaxy or taking part in a dramatic collision.⁣ ⁣ Looking back at the early universe with the help of our @NASAHubble Space Telescope, astronomers can peek at galaxies millions and billions of light-years away. They noticed that these far-away galaxies appear unusually messy, showing more star formation and mergers than galaxies closer to the Milky Way.⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA/ @EuropeanSpaceAgency ⁣ ⁣ #ImperfectionIsBeauty #NASA #Galactic #SpaceExploration #Space

nasa It’s not over till the Cat's Eye nebula sings 🎶 🎼A new project using data collected by @NASAChandraXRay is changing the tune of the way we interpret data. Data sonification maps translates results from these space-based telescopes into a form that users can hear instead of only see, embodying data in a new form without changing the original content. 👀 What you’re looking at: When a star like the Sun begins to run out of helium to burn, it will blow off huge clouds of gas and dust. These outbursts can form spectacular structures such as the one seen in the Cat's Eye nebula. This image of the Cat's Eye contains both X-rays from Chandra around the center and visible light data from the @NASAHubble , which show the series of bubbles expelled by the star over time. 👂What you’re listening to: The radar-like scan that moves clockwise emanating from the center point to produces pitch. Light that is further from the center is heard as higher pitches while brighter light is louder. The X-rays are represented by a harsher sound, while the visible light data sound smoother. The circular rings create a constant hum, interrupted by a few sounds from spokes in the data. The rising and falling pitches that can be heard are due to the radar scan passing across the shells and jets in the nebula. Credit: NASA #ChandraXRay #Nebula #Stellar #SpaceJam #SoundOn

nasa Far away in the constellation Pegasus...⁣ ⁣ Approximately 164 million light-years away lies this spiral galaxy with a peculiarly long arm, imaged by @NASAHubble . With a diameter of around 115,000 light-years, this bright spiral galaxy is a similar size to our own galaxy (the Milky Way). Astronomer William Herschel discovered it in 1784.⁣ ⁣ Credit: @ESA /Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et al.⁣ ⁣ #Galaxy #Hubble #SpiralGalaxy #SpacePhotos

nasa 🎸🔴 New band name: Frosty Sand Dunes Of Mars Our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) beamed back another striking image taken on the Red Planet captured by our powerful HiRISE camera, this time showing the stunning image of frosty sand dunes. The field of sand dunes occupies a crater that stretches for 5 kilometers, found in the high-latitudes of Mars’ northern plains. The stripes and other features are the result of sublimated ice that comes with the ‘seasonal thaw.’ 📝 Friday pop quiz time ⏰ In what year did the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reach Mars? 2003 2004 2005 2006 Credit: NASA/ @NASAJPL -Caltech/University of Arizona #NASA #Mars #Frosty #StayFrosty #Texture #Dunes #RedPlanet #HappyFriday #SolarSystem

nasa 🇺🇸 @vp Kamala Harris made a very special long-distance phone call to @nasaastronauts Shannon Walker & Kate Rubins on the @iss about research in space, and inspiring the next generation of explorers! During the month of March, NASA celebrates and pays tribute to the many women who have played an essential role in shaping the history of the agency. How have you been celebrating #WomensHistoryMonth ? Credit: NASA #NASA #2021 #Earth #ISS #Astronauts #Galaxy #WomenInSpace #STEM #ScienceIsAmazing #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #CallsToSpace

nasa POV: You're an astronaut enjoying your day off 🌎 ☁️These views captured by Mike Hopkins of @NASAAstronauts while enjoying some downtime have us on cloud nine! This shot was taken from the window of the docked Crew Dragon Resilience. Mike and three fellow crew members arrived to the International Space Station ( @ISS ) aboard this Crew Dragon last November. 🚀 The Crew Dragon spacecraft, Resilience, was named by the astronauts to highlight the dedication teams, their families, and fellow citizens involved with the mission have displayed, demonstrating that when we work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve. 👩‍🚀 The international crew of astronauts aboard the @SpaceX Crew Dragon were the first to fly on a crew rotation mission as part of our Commercial Crew Program. Their six-month long science mission aboard the space station is expected to return this April, which will make it the longest human space mission launched from the United States. Credit: NASA/Michael S. Hopkins #CloudySkies #WindowSeat #NASA #Astronaut #InternationalSpaceStation #SpaceX #CrewDragon