Ice is Nice

Wilkins Ice Bridge: This picture shows the Wilkins Ice Shelf, on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. An ice shelf is a thick slab of ice that is attached to a coastline. We see here varying sizes of ice fragments mixed with ice mélange. A crack in the east reveals dark ocean water below. Image Credit: NASA

The Rover Family

Family Photo: Mars rovers appear to be shrinking with age! The biggest, baddest, newest rover is the Mars Science Laboratory rover (right). It's the size of a small sport-utility vehicle. Next up in size are the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity (left, only one pictured here). Each is the size of a dune buggy. And in left center is the first-generation rover, Sojourner, which is the size of a microwave oven. Why are the rovers getting bigger? The answer is one word: science. The mass and volume of science instruments -- tools the rovers use to study the Martian surface and environment -- have remained fairly constant at about 10 percent. To determine if Mars ever could have supported life, the Mars Science Laboratory rover will travel farther, carry more instruments, and sample more rocks and soils than ever before. Like a car with more gizmos, the newest robotic beast has to evolve to carry all that gear! Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Fall is Definitely in the Air

But there is something else that fills our skies during this time of year -- and they are colorful too. They are auroras, also known as the Northern and Southern Lights. Read the Blog

Northern Light Show: The brilliant splashes of color in this stunning image are the aurora borealis, also known as the "Northern Lights." Image Credit and Copyright: Mark Urwiller

Rings Around the Planets

In Ultraviolet Light: This image of Saturn was taken when the planet's rings were at their maximum tilt of 27 degrees toward Earth. Saturn experiences seasonal tilts away from and toward the sun over the course of its 29.5-year orbit. Every 30 years, Earth observers can catch their best glimpse of Saturn's south pole and the southern side of the planet's rings. Between March and April 2003, researchers took full advantage of this fact to study the gas giant at maximum tilt using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to capture detailed images of Saturn's Southern Hemisphere and the southern face of its rings. Image Credit: NASA and E. Karkoschka (University of Arizona)

Building a Legacy: NASA Spacecraft

But did you ever consider how much preparation goes into getting that spacecraft off the launch pad? Luckily, NASA takes lots of pictures -- and not just of space -- but of the spacecraft being prepared for their journeys beyond the Earth. Read the Blog

Inspection Reflection/Reflection Inspection: The James Webb Space Telescope's gold-coated primary mirror segment engineering design unit (EDU) is inspected at Goddard Space Flight Center, Md. Image Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Many Moons

Many Moons: How many moons can you identify in the artist's concept above?

Small Bodies, Big Impact

This month marks several anniversaries of small body encounters and events. Comets and asteroids are considered to be the pieces that were "left over" from the formation of our solar system. But images of these "left-overs" are far from being unappetizing. Read the Blog

Gaspra: The Galileo spacecraft captured this view of asteroid 951 Gaspra in 1991. It was the first time a spacecraft made a close flyby of an asteroid. The colors are highly exaggerated to bring out subtle differences in surface properties. Bluish regions represent fresher rock, while reddish regions are composed of regolith materials. Credit: NSSDC Photo Gallery

Shooting Stars

Perseid Meteor Shower: This bright and colorful meteor flashed through skies over Japan during the peak of the Perseids meteor shower in 2004. Perseid meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus. The best time to watch is during the hours before sunrise when the constellation Perseus is high in the sky Image Credit and Copyright: Katsuhiro Mouri & Shuji Kobayashi (Nagoya City Science Museum/Planetarium)

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Majestic Mars

And the images are beautiful. Read the Blog

Kaiser Crater Dune Field: Kaiser Crater is a part of the impact basin of the Hellespontus region on Mars. Smaller dunes and ripples are visible across the much larger sand dunes. Look closely and between the dunes you will see areas with seasonal frost. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Moon Milestones

"First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."

50 Years: Alan Shepard, First American in Space

Left: Alan Shepard was the second human -- and first American -- to fly in space. Shepard later commanded the Apollo 14 mission and is one of only 12 people who have walked on the Moon. Right:Inside the Capsule: Alan Shepard in the cramped Freedom 7 capsule before he became the first American in space.

Thirty Years of the Space Shuttle Program

In this gorgeous time exposure, flood lights play on the Columbia before its historic launch on 12 April 1981.

MESSENGER's First Orbital Images of Mercury

The first color picture of Mercury from orbit.

A New Decade in Planetary Science

Dr. Steven Squyres, chairman of the Decadal Steering Committee.

1986: Voyager at Uranus

Voyager 2 image of the crescent of Uranus.

2010: Keeping Busy on Mars

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity catches its own shadow on the rim of Santa Maria crater on Mars. The rover will mark begin its eight year on the Red Planet exploring the football field-sized crater.