Friends of NASA

Cosmonaut Photos: Mount Everest & The Himalayas | International Space Station FriendsofNASA.org | High-res images: https://lnkd.in/eccXv8P5 Expedition 74 commander and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey-Kud Sverchkov of Russia: "Yes, because it exists!" "That's how George Mallory answered the question of why people climb Everest. And it seems nothing has changed in a hundred years." "Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, at 8,848.86 meters. A Himalayan giant on the border of Nepal and Tibet, the peak has become a symbol of the limits of human possibility." For local people, the mountain has always been Chomolungma—'Divine Mother of the World' in Tibetan. In Nepal, it is called Sagarmatha—'Forehead of Heaven.' The name 'Everest' was coined in the 19th century in honor of British surveyor George Everest after the Great Trigonometric Survey of India. The first attempts to climb it began in the 1920s. 73 years ago, on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first official ascent. There are approximately 20 routes to the summit, although two remain the main ones: the southern route through Nepal and the northern route through Tibet. Today, Everest is considered an 'accessible' eight-thousander technically, thanks to commercial expeditions, fixed ropes, and a large number of routes. But the altitude here remains unforgiving." Follow Expedition 74: https://lnkd.in/esX3qsf Expedition 74 Crew Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia) Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. Image Credit: Roscosmos/Sergey-Kud Sverchkov Release Date: May 29, 2026 Roscosmos NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration #NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #MountEverest #Chomolungma #Sagarmatha #Himalayas #Nepal #China #中国 #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #SergeyKudSverchkov #CosmonautPhotography #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition74 #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

Moonrise Blues over New York FriendsofNASA.org | High-res image: https://lnkd.in/eYX9BGBZ Astrophotographer James Perez-Rogers: "A rare blue moon was set to rise yesterday evening and I set out to photograph it lined up with the Ferncliff Firetower in Rhinebeck, NY. The micro moon looked visually smaller than normal, but with the long lens and cropping it appears quite large." When you hear someone say, "Once in a blue moon …" you know they are talking about something rare. A blue moon is not blue in color. In fact, a blue moon does not look any different than a regular, monthly full moon. Rather, a blue moon is special because it is the "extra" Moon in a season with four full moons. This usually only happens every two-and-a-half years. Since the 1940s, the term "blue moon" has also been used for the second full moon in a calendar month. This usually happens only every two-and-a-half years. New York, also called New York State, is a state located in the northeastern United States. Bordering New England to its east, Canada to its north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to its south, it extends into the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. Image Credit: James Perez-Rogers Location: Kingston, New York Image Details: EXIF: Sony A6500 Sony 200-600mm F6.3 ISO800 1/30s James' Website: https://lnkd.in/eSt7aQAp Date: May 30, 2026 New York State Education Department American Astronomical Society (AAS) National Science Teaching Association U.S. Department of Education #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #BlueMoon #Sun #SolarSystem #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #JamesPerezRogers #Astrophotography #UnitedStates #Kingston #NewYork #STEM #Education

The Snake Nebula in Ophiuchus FriendsofNASA.org | High-res image: https://lnkd.in/eTV4bn-v The Snake Nebula, also known as Barnard 72 and LDN 66, is an iconic dark nebula in the Ophiuchus constellation. It is part of the much larger Dark Horse Nebula (occupies the edge of the belly). The Snake Nebula is around 650 light years from Earth. It is a small dust lane that snakes out in front of Milky Way star clouds. Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello (Oria Amateur Astrophysical Observatory - OAAO) Image Details: 127ED f/9 refractor + EOS 4000D Capture Location: Piano Visitone, Pollino National Park, Italy Image Date: 2025 Release Date: May 30, 2026 #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #SnakeNebula #Barnard72 #LDN66 #Barnard68 #OphiuchusConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophotographers #GiuseppeDonatiello #Astrophotography #Italy #Italia #STEM #Education

Planet Mars Images: May 26-31, 2026 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers Support FriendsofNASA.org | High-res images+captions: https://lnkd.in/ePhBX7Hd Become a monthly Friends of NASA supporter on our website: https://lnkd.in/giiNr8BF Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education. We depend on public donations. One-time Donations to Friends of NASA (PayPal) accepted here: https://lnkd.in/g7hZ_tyn Celebrating 13+ Years on Mars (2012-2025) Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover Name: Curiosity Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. Launch: Nov. 6, 2011 Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars Celebrating 5+ Years on Mars Mission Name: Mars 2020 Rover Name: Perseverance Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth. Launch: July 30, 2020 Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov Become a monthly Friends of NASA supporter on our website: https://lnkd.in/giiNr8BF Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education.  We depend on public donations. One-time Donations to Friends of NASA (PayPal) accepted here: https://lnkd.in/g7hZ_tyn Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS Processing: Kevin M. Gill Release Dates: May 26-31, 2026 #NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planets #Mars #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #MSSS #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education

Pollen Star Ring: View from Finland | Solar System Science FriendsofNASA.org | High-res images: https://lnkd.in/eg2gWpXz "Pollen ring in the evening sun. Caused by pine trees." The peak pollen release often aligns with warmer temperatures and increased sunlight. This triggers the pine trees to release their pollen. Generally, you can expect to see significant pollen levels from late spring through early summer. The pine pollen grain has two special air-filled bladders that help it achieve flight. Pine trees produce large amounts of pollen because they rely on the wind to deliver the pollen to their female cones. Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia. Image Credit: Mikko Peussa Location: Nousiainen, Finland Mikko's website: https://lnkd.in/e6c8i-vP Release Date: May 29, 2026 #NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #SolarSystem #Sun #Planets #Earth #Plants #Trees #PineTrees #Pollen #Astrophotography #MikkoPeussa #Astrophotographers #Nousiainen #Finland #Suomi #STEM #Education

Wide-field view: Red Giant Star L2 Puppis | Digitized Sky Survey 2 FriendsofNASA.org | High-res image: https://lnkd.in/eCmGeFZS This image shows the region of sky in the southern constellation of Puppis surrounding the red giant star L2 Puppis. This rich area of the Milky Way includes glowing red clouds of hydrogen as well as dusty clouds known as cometary globules. This picture was assembled from images in the Digitized Sky Survey 2. The Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) is a ground-based imaging survey of the entire sky in several colors of light produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute through its Guide Star Survey group. Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2 Release Date: June 10, 2015 #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #L2Puppis #MilkyWayGalaxy #PuppisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #ESO #Chile #Europe #DSS2 #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Nebula NGC 2467 in Puppis | Gemini South Telescope FriendsofNASA.org | High-res image: https://lnkd.in/ePs5aMvK An extremely active stellar nursery glows in deep reddish tones in this Gemini South telescope view of NGC 2467 in the southern constellation of Puppis. The image displays a striking array of features that illustrate multiple phases of star birth. In the lower right, young stars are emitting hot radiation, exciting the nearby gas and causing it to glow and revealing denser gas and dust clouds. Dust lanes and dark globules mark sites of future star formation. A cluster of young stars dominates the left edge of the field of view. It is likely that several million years ago this region resembled the currently active star birth regions seen in the right half of the image. A “wall” of denser material dominates the right side of the image. Here ultraviolet radiation from nearby stars is removing material by a process called photo-evaporation and revealing underlying dense clouds that likely harbor forming stars. At bottom left a star can be seen exciting the cocoon of gas and dust from which it likely emerged. The NGC2467 complex lies about 17,000 light-years away. Its distance has been calculated based upon a likely association with a nearby cluster (Haffner 19, not within image). This image was obtained on December 5, 2004 using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on the Gemini South telescope at Cerro Pachón in Chile. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/Travis Rector, University of Alaska Anchorage Release Date: Jan. 10, 2005 #NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Space #Stars #Nebulae #StellarNurseries #SkullCrossbonesNebula #NGC2467 #StarClusters #Haffner18 #Haffner19 #Stars #HD64315 #PuppisConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #GeminiSouthTelescope #GMOS #GeminiObservatory #CerroPachón #Chile #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UAA #STEM #UnitedStates #Education

Planetary Nebula Jones-Emberson 1 in Lynx | Kitt Peak National Observatory FriendsofNASA.org | Full-size image: https://lnkd.in/ehgRwG2T Jones-Emberson 1 (PK 164+31.1), also known as the Headphone Nebula, is a 14th magnitude planetary nebula in the constellation Lynx at a distance of 1,600 light years. It is a larger planetary with low surface brightness. The 16.8-magnitude central star is a very blue white dwarf. This planetary nebula makes for a very difficult target due to its very low surface brightness. Like the Medusa Nebula, this is probably an old shell of gas. The background galaxies seen through this ethereal bubble of gas only add to its gossamer appearance. This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) at Kitt Peak Visitor Center. Learn more about Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO): https://kpno.noirlab.edu/ Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Adam Block Release Date: June 23, 2014 NSF NOIRLab Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy National Science Foundation (NSF) #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #JonesEmberson1 #PK164311 #LynxConstellation #Cosmos #Universe #KPNO #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #STEM #Education

Liftoff: United Launch Alliance Atlas V Amazon LEO 7 Satellites FriendsofNASA.org: A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the LEO 7 mission for Amazon lifted off on May 29, 2026, at 7:53 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral. This delivered another 29 LEO satellites to low Earth orbit, adding coverage and capacity to the network and "bringing LEO a step closer to connecting customers around the world." Named LA-07 (LEO Atlas 7), the mission marks Amazon’s seventh launch on ULA’s Atlas V rocket and twelfth mission overall, bringing the total number of satellites deployed to 331. Atlas V deployed the satellites at an altitude of approximately 289 miles (465 kilometers) above Earth, after which the Amazon LEO team assumed control of the mission from our mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. Teams have completed initial contact and health checks and will continue preparing the satellites to raise to their assigned operational altitude of 392 miles (630 kilometers). Amazon LEO, formerly Project Kuiper, is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network. "Its mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, and we began a full-scale deployment of our satellite constellation in April 2025." Amazon LEO has completed 11 missions and launched more than 300 satellites in its first year of launch operations, making it the third-largest constellation in orbit, and Amazon plans to increase its launch rate over time with more than 100 launches secured to date. Mission name: LA-07 (LEO Atlas 7) Launch vehicle: ULA Atlas V 551 Launch date/time: Friday, May 29, 7:53 p.m. EDT Number of satellites: 29 Launch site: Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral ULA website: www.ulalaunch.com Amazon LEO: https://lnkd.in/dcBmv9zD Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA) Duration: 11 seconds Date: May 29, 2026 United Launch Alliance (ULA) Amazon #NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #CommercialSpace #UnitedLaunchAlliance #ULA #AtlasVRocket #LockheedMartin #Boeing #Amazon #AmazonLEO #AmazonLEO7 #LEO #CommunicationsSatellites #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

United Launch Alliance Atlas V Amazon LEO 7 Satellite Launch FriendsofNASA.org | High-res images: https://lnkd.in/e3T_Q3HS A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the LEO 7 mission for Amazon lifted off on May 29, 2026, at 7:53 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral. This delivered another 29 LEO satellites to low Earth orbit, adding coverage and capacity to the network and "bringing LEO a step closer to connecting customers around the world." Named LA-07 (LEO Atlas 7), the mission marks Amazon’s seventh launch on ULA’s Atlas V rocket and twelfth mission overall, bringing the total number of satellites deployed to 331. Atlas V deployed the satellites at an altitude of approximately 289 miles (465 kilometers) above Earth, after which the Amazon LEO team assumed control of the mission from our mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. Teams have completed initial contact and health checks and will continue preparing the satellites to raise to their assigned operational altitude of 392 miles (630 kilometers). Amazon LEO, formerly Project Kuiper, is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network. "Its mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, and we began a full-scale deployment of our satellite constellation in April 2025." Amazon LEO has completed 11 missions and launched more than 300 satellites in its first year of launch operations, making it the third-largest constellation in orbit, and Amazon plans to increase its launch rate over time with more than 100 launches secured to date. Mission name: LA-07 (LEO Atlas 7) Launch vehicle: ULA Atlas V 551 Launch date/time: Friday, May 29, 7:53 p.m. EDT Number of satellites: 29 Launch site: Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral ULA website: www.ulalaunch.com Amazon LEO: https://lnkd.in/e5-QqnYt Image Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA) Date: May 29, 2026 United Launch Alliance (ULA) Amazon #NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #CommercialSpace #UnitedLaunchAlliance #ULA #AtlasVRocket #LockheedMartin #Boeing #Amazon #AmazonLEO #AmazonLEO7 #LEO #CommunicationsSatellites #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education