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ICON, shown in this artist’s concept, studied the frontiers of space, the dynamic zone high in our atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above.

NASA’s ICON Mission Ends with Several Ionospheric Breakthroughs

5 min read

After contributing to many important findings on the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space — an area where space weather can interfere with both satellites and communications signals — NASA’s ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) mission has come to an end.…

Article2 days ago
A time-lapse photo shows a rocket launching into the sky, leaving a bright, arcing trail against a backdrop of mountains and a clear blue sky. Snow-covered ground and scattered clouds are visible, with the horizon stretching below.

NASA Rocket Discovers New Energization Process in Upper Atmosphere

1 min read

When it comes to discoveries about our upper atmosphere, it pays to know your surroundings. Using data from the Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics (TRICE-2) rocket launch, NASA scientist Francesca Di Mare and Gregory Howes from the University of…

Article4 days ago
An image with bright light originating from the North pole of the Sun.

Celebrate the Heliophysics Big Year with Free Heliophysics and Math Webinars from NASA HEAT

2 min read

The Heliophysics Big Year (HBY) is a global celebration of the Sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system. It began with the Annular Solar Eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, continued through the Total Solar Eclipse on Apr. 8,…

Article2 weeks ago
Seen against a black background, a long filament extends off the Sun. The Sun is in reds and yellows. The filament is thing and extends off the Sun, against the black background.

NASA Mission to Study Mysteries in the Origin of Solar Radio Waves

3 min read

UPDATE: ESA’s Ariane 6 launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, as scheduled at 3:00 p.m. EDT on July 9, 2024. CURIE successfully deployed from the rocket and is expected to establish ground communications next week. NASA’s…

Article3 weeks ago
Randi Neff of the NASA SciAct-funded Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative presents at the National Rural STEM Learning Summit.

NASA Science Activation Teams Present at National Rural STEM Summit

1 min read

NASA Science Activation (SciAct) teams participated in the National Rural STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) Summit held June 4-7, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. Hosted by Kalman Mannis of the Rural Activation and Innovation Network (Arizona Science Center) and the…

Article3 weeks ago
Four young latinx students wearing solar viewing glasses and and looking up at the sun, grasping each other in a circle as if they're jumping up and down with excitement.

NASA@ My Library and Partners Engage Millions in Eclipse Training and Preparation

2 min read

The Space Science Institute, with funding from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, provided unprecedented training, support, and supplies to 15,000 libraries in the U.S. and territories in support of public engagement during the 2023…

Article4 weeks ago

An Eclipse Megamovie Megastar

1 min read

Nazmus “Naz” Nasir is a software engineer by day, and an astrophotographer by night….and sometimes by day as well! This April, Naz participated in NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie 2024 project, photographing the total solar eclipse. He created a spectacular video composed of stabilized and aligned…

Article4 weeks ago
In the background, the bottom half of the image is filled with a portion of Earth. The top half is the very dark blue of space. Separating the two are bands of glowing greens and red, depicting the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere. In the foreground, a satellite. The satellite has two rectangular wing-like structures jutting out from the right and left of a silver rectangular box. On the top are 3 large white dishes.

Alphabet Soup: NASA’s GOLD Finds Surprising C, X Shapes in Atmosphere

5 min read

Who knew Earth’s upper atmosphere was like alphabet soup? NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission has revealed unexpected C- and X-shaped formations in an electrified layer of gas high above our heads called the ionosphere. While…

Article4 weeks ago

Studying the Sun

5 min read

Science in Space: June 2024 The Sun wields a huge influence on Earth. Its gravity holds our planet in its orbit, and solar energy drives the seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, radiation belts, and auroras on Earth. The solar wind,…

Article1 month ago
An artist’s concept of the Voyager spacecraft.

Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments

2 min read

The spacecraft has resumed gathering information about interstellar space. NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is conducting normal science operations for the first time following a technical issue that arose in November 2023. The team partially resolved the issue in April when…

Article1 month ago