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The left image shows thin swirls of bright golden material flowing off the Sun's surface. The outline of a white box is over a speckled area of the surface, in gray and bright gold. On the right, is that area in different wavelengths. The image is purple, black, red, orange, and right yellow. In the highlighted area, the speckles are a very bright yellow with some cooler purple areas.

NASA Observations Find What Helps Heat Roots of ‘Moss’ on Sun

3 min read

Did you know the Sun has moss? Due to its resemblance to the earthly plants, scientists have named a small-scale, bright, patchy structure made of plasma in the solar atmosphere “moss.” This moss, which was first identified in 1999 by…

Article2 weeks ago

NASA’s LRO Observes 2024 Solar Eclipse Shadow

2 min read

Editor’s Note, April 16, 2024: This story has been updated to remove an unclear secondary image and caption. As the Moon blotted out the Sun to viewers across the United States during the April 8 solar eclipse, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance…

Article2 weeks ago
Against a black background, the total solar eclipse. It is a black circle surrounded by white, wispy streams of light that flow away from the black circle in every direction.

The April 8 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA

5 min read

On April 8, 2024, the Moon’s shadow swept across North America, treating millions to a breathtaking view of a total solar eclipse. As the Moon passed in front of the Sun, it revealed the Sun’s wispy white outer atmosphere —…

Article2 weeks ago
A photo showing a sequence of the different stages of the eclipse going across the sky.

More Than 36,000 Volunteers Helped Do NASA Eclipse Science

2 min read

Thank you for helping us out! Over 36,000 people helped do NASA Science during Monday’s total solar eclipse. Together, these volunteers submitted more than 60,000 vital pieces of eclipse data to NASA science projects. More than 30,000 volunteers with the SunSketcher project…

Article2 weeks ago

Making Ultra-fast Electron Measurements in Multiple Directions to Reveal the Secrets of the Aurora

3 min read

The energetic electrons that drive the aurora borealis (the northern lights) have a rich and very dynamic structure that we currently do not fully understand.  Much of what we know about these electrons comes from instruments that have fundamental limitations…

Article3 weeks ago
This photograph shows a very large crowd of hundreds of people gathered outside to watch the eclipse.

Good Luck, Eclipse Chasers!

2 min read

Today is the day! Many of us have been preparing for this day for years. Some of you participated in 2017 Eclipse citizen science and have returned for this year’s eclipse. Whatever your story is, we thank you from the…

Article3 weeks ago
The Sun, seen in red with bright orange area, partially covered by black circle coming from the top left – the Moon.

Harnessing the 2024 Eclipse for Ionospheric Discovery with HamSCI

3 min read

As the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, draws closer, a vibrant community of enthusiastic amateur radio operators, known as “hams,” is gearing up for an exciting project with the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) group. Our goal…

Article3 weeks ago

How NASA’s Roman Telescope Will Measure Ages of Stars

6 min read

Guessing your age might be a popular carnival game, but for astronomers it’s a real challenge to determine the ages of stars. Once a star like our Sun has settled into steady nuclear fusion, or the mature phase of its…

Article3 weeks ago

Scientists Pursue the Total Solar Eclipse with NASA Jet Planes

5 min read

The April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse will produce stunning views across North America. While anyone along the eclipse path with a clear sky will see the spectacular event, the best view might be 50,000 feet in the air, aboard…

Article3 weeks ago

NASA Partnerships Bring 2024 Total Solar Eclipse to Everyone

5 min read

On Monday, April 8, NASA and its partners will celebrate the wonders of the total solar eclipse as it passes over North America, with the path of totality in the United States, from Kerrville, Texas, to Houlton, Maine.

Article4 weeks ago