Frozen Carbon Monoxide in Pluto’s 'Heart'

Peering closely at the “heart of Pluto,” in the western half of what mission scientists have informally named Tombaugh Regio (Tombaugh Region), New Horizons’ Ralph instrument revealed evidence of carbon monoxide ice. The contours indicate that the concentration of frozen carbon monoxide increases towards the center of the “bull’s eye.” via NASA http://ift.tt/1fb6Vlr

STEREO-A Spacecraft Returns Data From the Far Side of the Sun

This image of the sun was taken on July 15, 2015, with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager onboard NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory Ahead (STEREO-A) spacecraft, which collects images in several wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye. This image shows the sun in wavelengths of 171 angstroms, typically colorized in blue. via NASA http://ift.tt/1I5RgRI

The Icy Mountains of Pluto

New close-up images of a region near Pluto’s equator reveal a giant surprise: a range of youthful mountains. via NASA http://ift.tt/1MaSdcb

NASA Celebrates New Horizons' Closest Approach to Pluto

Guests and New Horizons team members countdown to the spacecraft's closest approach to Pluto, Tuesday, July 14, 2015. via NASA http://ift.tt/1HtHJOE

Pluto as seen from New Horizons on July 11, 2015

One million miles to go; Pluto is more intriguing than ever! via NASA http://ift.tt/1HXsdQU

Hubble Looks at LEDA 89996

This little-known galaxy, officially named J04542829-6625280, but most often referred to as LEDA 89996, is a classic example of a spiral galaxy. via NASA http://ift.tt/1D5D2Je

January 19, 2006: New Horizons Launches for Pluto

Clouds part as NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft roars into the blue sky after an on-time liftoff at 2 p.m. EST aboard an Atlas V rocket from Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. via NASA http://ift.tt/1IM97Mt

NuSTAR Stares at the Sun

Flaring, active regions of our sun are highlighted in this new image combining observations from several telescopes. via NASA http://ift.tt/1RkNVCG

July 7, 2003, NASA's Opportunity Rover Launches to Mars

On July 7, 2003, NASA launched its second Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. Opportunity and its twin rover Spirit landed on Mars in 2004 to begin missions planned to last three months. Both rovers far exceeded those plans. Spirit worked for six years, and Opportunity is still active. via NASA http://ift.tt/1KPBQA4

The North Sea Abloom

Despite its cold waters and harsh winds, the North Sea is a fertile basin for phytoplankton blooms. The drifting, plantlike organisms tend to be most abundant in late spring and early summer due to high levels of nutrients in the water and increasing sunlight. via NASA http://ift.tt/1NLHJhx

Stellar Sparklers That Last

While fireworks only last a short time here on Earth, a bundle of cosmic sparklers in a nearby cluster of stars will be going off for a very long time. via NASA http://ift.tt/1CNyZ3T

Curiosity's Stars and Stripes

This view of the American flag medallion on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity was taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 44th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (Sept. 19, 2012). The flag is one of four "mobility logos" placed on the rover's mobility rocker arms. via NASA http://ift.tt/1CNgkoZ

Light Toned Deposit in the Aureum Chaos Region on Mars

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a light-toned deposit in Aureum Chaos, a 368 kilometer (229 mile) wide area in the eastern part of Valles Marineris, on Jan. 15, 2015, at 2:51 p.m. local Mars time. via NASA http://ift.tt/1GOghuQ

Eruption of Wolf Volcano, Galapagos Islands

In late May 2015, the highest volcano in the Galapagos Islands, Wolf volcano, erupted for the first time in 33 years. The wide image and closeup of Wolf was acquired on June 11, 2015, by the ASTER instrument on NASA's Terra satellite. The false-color images combine near-infrared, red, and green light (ASTER bands 3-2-1). via NASA http://ift.tt/1LFLHKj

Spirals in the D Ring

Although the D ring of Saturn is so thin that it's barely noticeable compared to the rest of the ring system, it still displays structures seen in other Saturnian rings. via NASA http://ift.tt/1GVgmio

Watching Meteors From the Space Station

Astronaut Ron Garan tweeted this image from the International Space Station in August, 2011, writing, “What a `Shooting Star’ looks like from space, taken yesterday during Perseid Meteor Shower.” A special camera to record meteor showers will launch to the station aboard SpaceX's Dragon cargo craft, currently scheduled to launch on June 28, 2015. via NASA http://ift.tt/1BScbFu

Solar Dynamics Observatory Sees M7.9-Class Solar Flare

The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, an M7.9-class, peaking at 4:16 a.m. EDT on June 25, 2015. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. via NASA http://ift.tt/1div2gQ

Lights of An Aurora From the International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photo of an aurora from the International Space Station on June 23, 2015. The dancing lights of the aurora provide spectacular views on the ground, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from the sun. via NASA http://ift.tt/1LuBqke

Flying Over An Aurora

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) captured photographs and video of auroras on June 22, 2015. Kelly wrote, "Yesterday's aurora was an impressive show from 250 miles up. Good morning from the International Space Station! ‪#‎YearInSpace‬" via NASA http://ift.tt/1e1NDyw

Dawn Survey Orbit Image 11

A cluster of mysterious bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres can be seen in this image, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from an altitude of 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers). The image, with a resolution of 1,400 feet (410 meters) per pixel, was taken on June 9, 2015. via NASA http://ift.tt/1Iu9xm9