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NASA Science

NASA Science seeks to discover the secrets of the universe, search for life elsewhere, and protect and improve life on Earth and in space.

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What’s Up: September 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA

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NASA’s Chandra Unveils Mysterious X-Ray Objects

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NASA, IBM Launch AI Foundation Model for Lunar Science

Researchers found 84 so-called hypersoft X-ray sources in M101, Messier 31, and four elliptical galaxies. This newly-discovered class of objects give off very low-energy X-rays and likely high levels of ultraviolet light. Their existence may help explain questions around Type Ia supernova explosions and the intergalactic medium. These images of the face-on spiral galaxy M101 show X-ray data from Chandra and an optical image from the Hubble Space Telescope.

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Monterrey Amid Mountains

After Latest Swing Past Sun, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Checks in

NASA, IBM Launch AI Foundation Model for Lunar Science

NASA’s Chandra Unveils Mysterious X-Ray Objects

Anak Krakatau Rumbles Again

Unlocking Forest Diversity from Above: Fieldwork at Smithsonian’s BiodiversiTREE

NASA’s Hubble, Webb Find Far-out Solar System Objects ‘Remember’ Past

The Otherworldly Geology of Vasquez Rocks

Featured Video

What’s Up: September 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA

The Moon joins a tea party, Venus reaches peak brilliance, the seasons change, and the Harvest Moon meets up with some planetary neighbors.
On September 19, celebrate International Observe the Moon Night! People around the world are invited to look up and connect with our nearest celestial neighbor while learning more about lunar science, exploration, and the many ways the moon has shaped cultures around the world.
Watch to learn more!

Where’s Roman?

2026 NASA Science Calendar

A dramatic photograph of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse taken from Dallas, Texas, showing the moment just after totality when the Moon blocks most of the Sun's disk against a black background. The Sun's outer atmosphere (corona) is visible as a faint white glow surrounding the Moon's silhouette. Several bright pink solar prominences—jets of plasma extending from the Sun's surface—are clearly visible along the edges of the Moon, particularly pronounced at the bottom and right edges. The lower right portion of the image shows "Bailey's beads," appearing as bright white segments where sunlight streams through valleys on the lunar limb, creating a diamond ring effect. This rare astronomical phenomenon allowed scientists to study the innermost part of the corona that is only observable during total eclipses, providing valuable data about solar energy transfer mechanisms.

Image of the Month

September – Nature’s Coronagraph.

NASA Science 2026 artwork commemorating America's 250th Anniversary. The illustration uses blue tones with warm pastel accents showing humanity's space exploration journey. An open history book at the bottom emits light, with Earth emerging above it. A pathway extends from the book past the Moon, Mars, and Saturn into deep space, featuring spacecraft including NISAR, ISS, Parker Solar Probe, LRO, MRO, Dragonfly, NEO Surveyor, Webb, and Roman Space Telescope. An Artemis astronaut and robotic rover appear on opposite pages of the book, with the astronaut stepping onto the cosmic path—symbolizing how scientific discovery leads the way for human exploration in our journey beyond Earth.

Download the Cover

Learn about those of the NASA corps who make “space sailing” their career profession.

A composite image of star cluster NGC 602 nicknamed the 'Cosmic Wreath,' combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope. The image shows a striking ring-like formation of colorful gas and dust (in orange, yellow, green, and blue) resembling a wreath, captured by Webb. At the center and throughout the wreath are bright red spots representing X-ray emissions detected by Chandra, showing hot, young massive stars powering intense stellar winds. The cluster appears set against a backdrop of countless stars and distant galaxies. Located in the Small Magellanic Cloud about 200,000 light-years from Earth, this star-forming region contains stars with fewer heavy elements than our Sun, mimicking conditions from the early universe and providing insights into cosmic evolution before our own solar system formed.

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LANDSAT

A Spaceship Called Earth

With NASA’s “Your Name in Landsat” online interactive, users can type in their name, then view and export the graphic of that name spelled out in Earth features found in Landsat images.

See Your Name in Landsat

Poster featuring vertical satellite images of Earth's diverse landscapes arranged to spell "EARTHDAY." Below the images, text reads: “Celebrate Earth from space with NASA” on a black background.

Mark your calendars

Most Notable 2026 Astronomical Events

This year will be busy for avid skywatchers, with some incredible opportunities to view meteor showers, planets, and the Moon in the night sky.

See the Top Sky Watching Events

A horizontal panoramic composition displays four distinct phases of the Moon arranged linearly against a stark, solid black background. Starting from the far left, a Full Moon is shown in complete illumination, revealing the intricate textures of its craters and dark volcanic plains. Moving to the right, the Third Quarter phase appears half-lit on the left side, followed by a New Moon depicted as a faint, dark silhouette barely distinguishable from the void. The sequence concludes on the far right with a First Quarter moon, illuminated on its right half. The progression highlights the stark play of light and shadow across the lunar topography, illustrating a simplified version of the lunar cycle.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Featured Missions

Our mission milestones showcase the breadth and depth of NASA science.

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IMAP

Launched September 24, 2025, IMAP will help researchers better understand the boundary of the heliosphere, a huge bubble created by the Sun surrounding and protecting our solar system.

More about IMAP

Artist's concept of Pandora viewing a transiting exoplanet

Pandora

Pandora is a small satellite designed to characterize exoplanet atmospheres and their host stars. It is slated to observe at least 20 different planets during its one year of science operations.

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Dragonfly on the ground

Dragonfly

Dragonfly, the first-of-its-kind rotorcraft to explore another world, will fly to various locations on Saturn’s moon Titan and investigate the moon’s habitability.

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Dive Deeper

NASA Science 2026 artwork commemorating America's 250th Anniversary. The illustration uses blue tones with warm pastel accents showing humanity's space exploration journey. An open history book at the bottom emits light, with Earth emerging above it. A pathway extends from the book past the Moon, Mars, and Saturn into deep space, featuring spacecraft including NISAR, ISS, Parker Solar Probe, LRO, MRO, Dragonfly, NEO Surveyor, Webb, and Roman Space Telescope. An Artemis astronaut and robotic rover appear on opposite pages of the book, with the astronaut stepping onto the cosmic path—symbolizing how scientific discovery leads the way for human exploration in our journey beyond Earth.

SMD Community Public Meetings

View upcoming and past community public meetings.

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NASA Science Strategy

Our science strategy articulates a forward-thinking vision and presents a comprehensive, cohesive and long-term roadmap for all NASA activities.

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People of NASA Science

Meet the individuals who are instrumental in enabling the realization of NASA Science’s extraordinary mission.

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NASA Science Careers

Discover career opportunities at NASA Science, where innovation, growth and collaboration shape the future of scientific exploration.

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