January 2025

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2025 Science Calendar

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Aurorasaurus Citizen Scientist Captures Brilliant Photo of Aurora

The strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades dazzled scientists and skywatchers in May 2024. Overnight on May 10–11, an extreme storm culminated in a remarkable display of the aurora that was visible from many areas worldwide, including latitudes where aurora sightings are uncommon. Photographers captured the striking range of colors in ground-based photos, some of which they shared with NASA’s Aurorasaurus project—a citizen science effort that maps crowdsourced aurora reports. This photo, shot by Aurorasaurus ambassador Gunjan Sinha, shows the sky on May 11, 2024, near Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada. Aurorasaurus launched in 2014 around the time of the solar maximum, part of an approximately 11-year cycle when the Sun is most active and auroras are more frequent and intense. The Sun’s activity ramped up again in 2024, and brilliant photos of the aurora poured in from citizen scientists, marking the first solar maximum that has included widespread pictures taken with smartphones. These reports help researchers better understand geomagnetic storms and verify models of where the aurora will be visible from the ground. Anyone can submit aurora sightings to Aurorasaurus online. Aurorasaurus is a project of the New Mexico Consortium, supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

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Aurorasaurus

Receive community alerts when an aurora is sighted near you. Take and share photos of auroras.

Learn more about Aurorasaurus

A woman with outstretched hands is silhouetted against a sky glowing with colorful auroras.

Night Lights

A guide to recognizing the different types of night lights in the sky.

Night Lights Guide

Diagram showing the Earth, Moon, and Sun alignment during a solar eclipse, with the Moon casting a shadow on Earth..

Eclipses to Aurora: Winter Field School

Undergraduate Eclipse Ambassadors visit Alaska to learn about aurorae and the Sun-Earth connection.

Night Sky Network Notes

Astronomy clubs bringing the wonders of the universe to the public.

Cultural Connections

The Northern Lights project reaches lifelong learners through development of informal education products.

Photo of the University of Alaska Museum of the North which is a modern white building

UAF Museum of the North

Explore activities, online resources, kits for loan, and more, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

2025 NASA Science Calendar

Download our latest calendar and wallpaper backgrounds for your desktop or mobile device, and discover the fascinating science behind the images featured each month.

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This illustration depicts a cutaway of an ocean wave in sunset colors of pinks, blues, and purples. The wave sweeps up to the right, following the motion of luminescent pink, golden auroras on the horizon. The auroras curve upward through the sky, meeting up with a large bluish/purplish spiral galaxy in the upper left. On the far side of the galaxy is an exoplanet system and distant deep field galaxies. On the auroral path is Earth’s Moon, the asteroid Bennu, Mars, and Europa - all bodies in our solar system where water has been found. Above the horizon, the international space station hovers in the sky, while the Europa Clipper mission hovers near Jupiter’s icy moon. Molecular structures drift up from the ocean’s depths, becoming constellations once they reach the sky. They follow the auroras upward toward the galaxy, connecting life to the stars. A few meteors streak across the middle sky. Backlit by the setting sun, a NASA-funded research vessel sails in the foreground. Below the ocean surface, the vessel’s submersible explores the ocean’s depths. A ground-based observatory perches on a cliff on the horizon.

January Activities and Games

Illustration of a knitted hat labeled 'Aurora Altitudes Hat,' showing altitude-based rows with color bands representing atmospheric and auroral phenomena. Altitude markers are shown on the right: 6 miles (10 km), 60 miles (97 km), and 120 miles (193 km), up to 300 miles (483 km). Key events and their corresponding rows are labeled, such as 'Mount Everest: row 1,' 'Commercial aircraft: row 1,' 'Nitrogen pink aurora: row 9,' 'Red aurora starts: row 20,' and 'ISS: row 42.' The hat is knit with blue, green, and red sections, symbolizing different altitude phenomena.

HelioCrafts: Aurora Altitudes Hat

Create a stylish winter hat that illustrates the colors and altitudes of the aurora.

Set of colorful illustrated cards titled 'Aurora Chasers by Aurorasaurus,' each representing different aspects of aurora chasing. The cards are: 1. **Experiences (Red card)**: Features a bear illustration with the title 'Bears!' and advice to practice caution and respect in wild animal habitats. 2. **Equipment (Pink card)**: Displays a park bench and trees with the title 'Public access park,' highlighting the availability of water, trails, and restrooms for aurora viewing. 3. **Places (Green card)**: Shows a cartoon polar bear with the title 'Fairbanks,' suggesting visiting Fairbanks, Alaska (64°N), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 4. **Conditions (Blue card)**: Depicts a city skyline with the title 'Light pollution,' warning that extra light can wash out the aurora view. 5. **Scientific Factors (Purple card)**: Features a computer screen with aurora data and the title 'Citizen scientists are seeing aurora,' encouraging aurora chasing with alerts from aurorasaurus.org. Each card includes symbols for positive (smiley face) or negative (frowning face) impacts on aurora chasing.

Aurora Chasers: The Game!

Play a printable, educational card game that helps answer the question: "How can I see the aurora?"

Photo of a 3D-printed educational model representing Earth's magnetosphere. The model is housed in a blue, clam-shell case and includes labeled sections such as 'Plasma Sheet,' 'Magnetotail,' 'Midnight Nightside,' 'Dusk,' 'Dawn,' and 'Dayside Noon.' A small sphere in the center represents Earth, surrounded by concentric rings and directional arrows illustrating the flow of particles and magnetic fields. A hand with green and blue painted nails is holding the case open.

The Earth's Magnetosphere: 3D Printed!

3D print your own model of the Earth's magnetic field.

All the flaps are folded so the holes go over the pipecleaner.

Make a Pastel Aurora!

Make your own colorful aurora with oil pastels.

Stunning image of the aurora borealis in the night sky, featuring vibrant green and purple lights spreading out in dynamic, wispy patterns. The lights appear to converge at a central point, resembling a celestial explosion or ethereal figure, against a backdrop of countless stars.

NASA's Guide to Finding and Photographing Auroras

NASA's quick guide with tips and tricks for helping you to see and photograph auroras.

Screenshot of an educational interface titled 'Is it a good night to chase aurora?' in a classroom activity setting. The scene shows a modern desk setup with a computer displaying aurora data, a notebook, and a plant. A framed aurora image hangs on the wall above the bed. Interactive icons are present, suggesting engagement opportunities to learn about aurora chasing conditions.

Aurorasaurus at Infiniscope

Explore educational resources by Aurorasaurus, hosted by Infiniscope.

Explore our other featured images

Explore NASA's media galleries to view and download high-resolution images of the solar system, agency missions, and more.

February 2025

Asteroids

Suggested Searches

Highlights

NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Will Seek Life’s Ingredients

NASA’s PUNCH Mission to Revolutionize Our View of Solar Wind

What’s Up: February 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA

Missions

Humans in Space

Earth & Climate

The Solar System

The Universe

Science

Aeronautics

Technology

Learning Resources

About NASA

NASA en Español

News & Events

Multimedia

Highlights

NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Will Seek Life’s Ingredients

NASA’s PUNCH Mission to Revolutionize Our View of Solar Wind

Hubble Spies a Spiral That May Be Hiding an Imposter

Highlights

NASA Prepares Gateway Lunar Space Station for Journey to Moon

NASA Marks Artemis Progress With Gateway Lunar Space Station

NASA Readies Moon Rocket for the Future with Manufacturing Innovation

Highlights

NASA Tests Drones to Provide Micrometeorology, Aid in Fire Response

NASA-Led Study Pinpoints Areas Sinking, Rising Along California Coast

Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project

Highlights

NASA’s EZIE Launching to Study Magnetic Fingerprints of Earth’s Aurora

NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Takes Its 1st Images of Asteroid Donaldjohanson

NASA’s Europa Clipper Uses Mars to Go the Distance

Highlights

Hubble Spies a Spiral That May Be Hiding an Imposter

Hubble Captures a Cosmic Cloudscape

NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Will Seek Life’s Ingredients

Highlights

NASA Open Data Turns Science Into Art

Revolutionary Research in Extraordinary Places: NASA Biological & Physical Sciences 2024 Highlights

NASA’s EZIE Launching to Study Magnetic Fingerprints of Earth’s Aurora

Highlights

NASA’s X-59 Completes Electromagnetic Testing

Frequently Asked Questions

Impacts and Benefits

Highlights

NASA Prepares Gateway Lunar Space Station for Journey to Moon

Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)-2025 to be Released the Week of February 24

Mars Relay Network Update

Highlights

March 2025

Sharing PLANETS Curriculum with Out-of-School Time Educators

NASA University Research Program Makes First Award to a Community College Project

Highlights

NASA Marks Artemis Progress With Gateway Lunar Space Station

NASA Sends Experiment to Space to Study Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

60 Years Ago: Ranger 8 Moon Photos Aid in Apollo Site Selection

Highlights

Mejores imágenes de Ciencia en la estación espacial 2024

La NASA identifica causa de pérdida de material del escudo térmico de Orion de Artemis I

Preguntas frecuentes: La verdadera historia del cuidado de la salud de los astronautas en el espacio

Explore with us

January 2025 Image

Aurorasaurus Citizen Scientist Captures Brilliant Photo of Aurora

Desktop and Mobile Wallpaper Downloads

Desktop 1920x1080 (HD)

Desktop 3840x2160 (HD)

Mobile 1440x2960 (18x9)

Mobile 1242x2688 (5x9)

Mobile 1080x2560 (21x9)

Mobile 1080x1920 (16x9)

Discover More Topics

Aurorasaurus

Night Lights

Eclipses to Aurora: Winter Field School

Night Sky Network Notes

Cultural Connections

UAF Museum of the North