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Image: A team of astronomers has taken the sharpest-ever picture of the unexpected interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, using the crisp vision of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. ESA's Planetary Defence Office responded promptly to the discovery of the comet, and has been tracking it since the beginning of July. Now, Hubble's observations from space are allowing astronomers to more accurately estimate the size of the comet’s solid icy nucleus. The upper limit on the diameter of the nucleus is 5.6 km, but it could be as small as 320 m across, researchers report. Though the Hubble images put tighter constraints on the nucleus size compared to previous ground-based estimates, the solid heart of the comet presently cannot be directly seen, even by Hubble. Further observations, including by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, will help refine our knowledge about the comet, including its chemical makeup. Hubble also captured a dust plume ejected from the Sun-warmed side of the comet, and the hint of a dust tail streaming away from the nucleus. Hubble’s data show that the comet is losing dust in a similar manner to that from previously seen Sun-bound comets originating within our Solar System. The big difference is that this interstellar visitor originated in some other stellar systems, elsewhere in our Milky Way galaxy. 3I/ATLAS is traveling through our Solar System at roughly 210 000 km per hour, the highest speed ever recorded for a Solar System visitor. This breathtaking sprint is evidence that the comet has been drifting through interstellar space for many billions of years. The gravitational slingshot effect from innumerable stars and nebulae the comet passed added momentum, ratcheting up its speed. The longer 3I/ATLAS was out in space, the higher its speed grew. This comet was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on 1 July 2025 at a distance of 675 million km from the Sun. 3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes until September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December. Icy wanderers such as 3I/ATLAS offer a rare, tangible connection to the broader galaxy. To actually visit one would connect humankind with the Universe on a far greater scale. To this end, ESA is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission. The spacecraft will be launched in 2029 into a parking orbit, lying in wait for a suitable target – a pristine comet from the distant Oort Cloud that surrounds our Solar System, or, unlikely but highly appealing, an interstellar object. While it is improbable that we will discover an interstellar object that is reachable for Comet Interceptor, as a first demonstration of a rapid response mission that waits in space for its target, it will be a pathfinder for possible future missions to intercept these mysterious visitors. The research paper based on Hubble observations will be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. View the full article

Across 42 years at NASA, Wade Sisler — executive producer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland—watched the edge of human knowledge progress. During that time, the tools for visualizing and communicating those discoveries evolved just as rapidly. Executive Producer Wade Sisler has worked at NASA for 42 years, starting at the agency’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, and now at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.Credit: Courtesy of Wade Sisler “I’ve spent my career surrounded by people with amazing curiosity and intellect, pursuing questions that could change the way we see the universe, both literally and metaphorically,” Sisler said. From his start as a student photographer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Sisler ultimately became a creative force behind some of NASA’s most iconic science storytelling. He transitioned to videography when he realized the wonder and understanding the medium could convey. Photos taken by Sisler between 1985 and 1992 that showcase emerging NASA technologies.Credit: NASA/Wade Sisler “The fidelity of the story you could tell with pictures through video was so impactful,” he said. “It was just pure awe. So I gave up my Hasselblads, trading the sheer beauty of imagery for the much more powerful storytelling tools that came with the emerging field of video — specifically the ability to take the audience with you to experience the mission.” From Space Frogs to the Eagle Nebula In the 1980s and ’90s, Sisler worked as a producer on a wide range of projects, translating complex research into short documentaries and educational broadcasts. “We were helping people see things that had never been seen before, and showing them relationships that they never knew existed,” he said. In one of his favorite early assignments, Sisler worked with astronaut Mae Jemison for a video project on space frogs. Jemison was studying how frog embryos develop in microgravity on the space shuttle. Sisler also had a hand in early virtual reality systems, producing one of the first videos depicting how VR could work. Sisler (left) stands alongside coworkers Marty Curry, Eric James, and branch chief Roland Michealis — fellow members of the photography team at NASA Ames.Credit: Courtesy of Wade Sisler Sisler eventually moved from NASA Ames to NASA Headquarters in Washington. There, he helped modernize NASA TV. “They were shifting it from just mission-oriented content to a television news feed, exploring ideas to align with national news interests,” he said. In one of his pilot stories, he produced a video and story news package about the Hubble Space Telescope’s observations of the Eagle Nebula. “They handed me a 16-by-20-inch print of the Eagle Nebula right after Hubble imaged it,” he said. His team used a robotic camera to pan around the image while narration explained what viewers were seeing. “We wondered if we put that little microcosm of a story into a news feed, would anybody use it? And it ended up being used thousands and thousands of times, validating the NASA TV model with a bona fide science story and giving me a glimpse of the exciting stuff I could do.” While at NASA Headquarters, Sisler also negotiated an IMAX agreement that led to new 3D films (including ones Sisler worked on, like the 1997 “Mission to Mir” and 2002 “Space Station 3D”). After a few years, he moved on to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in 1997 as an executive producer. Goddard’s communications team was small and had little experience in visual storytelling, so he joined the team to nurture its growth. Sisler stands alongside Office of Communications collaborators Laura Betz and Thaddeus Cesari at the immersive “Beyond the Light” exhibit of James Webb Space Telescope imagery at ARTECHOUSE in Washington, D.C.Credit: Courtesy of Wade Sisler Science for the Senses In the late ’90s, Wade teamed up with NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (based at NASA Goddard) and lead visualizer Horace Mitchell to explore a new frontier in science storytelling. While NASA was already known for its iconic space imagery, much of its data deals with invisible phenomena or abstract processes that aren’t inherently visual. By bringing together scientists, artists, and producers, Sisler helped transform data into visualizations and animations for broader audiences. “We had to invent ways of visualizing the invisible so meaning was more easily conveyed,” he said. “The result was stories that were not just newsworthy—they were often stunningly beautiful and showed the connections and workings of the Earth and universe in ways we had never seen before.” The team had a breakout hit in 1998 with an El Niño visualization, which helped drive public understanding of the phenomenon. Sisler also helped launch a NASA Goddard program to link scientific experts with news stations around the world. “We wanted to put the authentic voices of scientists in the chair to convey their sense of awe while telling people scientifically why it matters,” he said. “Pairing their voices with great visualizations was an unbeatable combination and that became the fundamental way we tell science stories.” Sisler’s storytelling journey evolved into increasingly ambitious creative partnerships that brought NASA science to new cultural spaces. With “Cosmic Cycles,” a collaboration with the National Philharmonic, Wade helped create a program that paired music from a live symphony with high-resolution NASA imagery, inviting viewers to experience the celestial scenery emotionally, not just intellectually. Instead of the NASA Goddard team creating a video to go along with music, “The composer drew inspiration from video produced by Goddard,” Sisler said. “It’s one of the best examples of science and art in mutual orbit.” From left: Multimedia Producer Scott Wiessinger of NASA Goddard, Sisler, maestro Piotr Gajewski of the National Philharmonic, and composer Henry Dehlinger participate in a panel discussion about “Cosmic Cycles: A Space Symphony,” a collaboration between NASA Goddard and the National Philharmonic.Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky That blending of science and artistic expression reached a new scale in “Beyond the Light,” an art show developed with ARTECHOUSE and James Webb Space Telescope communications lead Laura Betz. Sisler linked artists with NASA scientists to turn cutting-edge astrophysics into a gallery-scale sensory experience. Most recently, Sisler championed a major documentary on Webb called “Cosmic Dawn.” The 1.5-hour film brings viewers on an unprecedented journey through Webb’s delicate assembly, rigorous testing, and triumphant launch. Many of NASA’s flagship communication programs trace their roots to small teams that Sisler helped assemble and guide. He took a builder’s approach, rolling up his sleeves, testing ideas, and empowering others to scale them. From science storytelling and satellite media tours to the rise of NASA’s audio storytelling, Spanish-language content, Conceptual Image Laboratory animations, social media presence, and live broadcast programming, Sisler played a key role in turning bright ideas into enduring agency assets. For each of these projects, Sisler worked behind the scenes as a creative force and a connector, bringing together filmmakers, animators, composers, scientists, engineers, astronauts, museum curators, data visualizers, and educators. Lighting the Way Despite many accolades, Sisler said his proudest accomplishment is the success of the internship program he has led for NASA Goddard’s Office of Communications. Sisler has served as a mentor for many interns over the years, including students like Talya Lerner, center, standing next to Ed Campion, then-Goddard news chief. Sisler has referred to his own career as “the internship that never ended” because he had so many opportunities to explore different areas of communications. Credit: NASA/Bill Hrybyk “The thing that stays with me most is seeing where our former interns have landed,” he said. Many now lead their own programs within NASA, shaping the next generation of science storytelling from inside the agency. Others have taken their skills beyond NASA, contributing to science and technology literacy through media, education, and public engagement. “It’s been a privilege to help launch so many of these careers. I’ve always believed that when you combine mentorship, meaningful work, and a little creative freedom, you create a ripple effect that lasts for decades.” Sisler’s own NASA journey began with a Pathways internship at NASA Ames while he was studying journalism at Baylor University in Texas. His work there drew him into visual storytelling, which led him to pursue photography, video, and science photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. As he alternated semesters between school and NASA Ames, he refined both his interests and his skills. Sisler’s goal as an internship program coordinator was to help give the next generation of science communicators the same opportunity. He developed a communication “boot camp” to help interns develop their storytelling chops in many areas and figure out which were their favorites. “All the interesting stuff happens at the intersections of people’s passions,” he said. “The best, most powerful thing I think I’ve done in my time at NASA is to help guide the next wave of science communicators. Seeing their success is the gift that keeps on giving.” By Ashley Balzer NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Aug 07, 2025 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsPeople of NASAAmes Research CenterGoddard Space Flight CenterInternshipsPeople of AmesPeople of Goddard View the full article

From left, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 members Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos, NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi share a light moment during a group portrait inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module.Credit: NASA NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 12:05 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 7, for the undocking of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission from the International Space Station. Pending weather conditions, splashdown is targeted at 11:58 a.m., Friday, Aug. 8. Crew-10 will be the first mission to splash down off the California coast for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov are completing a five-month science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory and will return time-sensitive research to Earth. Mission managers continue monitoring weather conditions in the area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-10 spacecraft undocking. NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms. NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to changed based on real-time operations): Thursday, Aug. 7 9:45 a.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins on NASA+ and Amazon Prime. 10:20 a.m. – Hatch closing 11:45 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+ and Amazon Prime. 12:05 p.m. – Undocking Following the conclusion of undocking coverage, NASA will distribute audio-only discussions between Crew-10, the space station, and flight controllers during Dragon’s transit away from the orbital complex. Friday, Aug. 8 10:45 a.m. – Return coverage begins on NASA+ and Amazon Prime. 11:08 a.m. – Deorbit burn 11:58 a.m. – Splashdown 1:30 p.m. – Return to Earth media teleconference will stream live on the agency’s YouTube channel, with the following participants: Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Dina Contella, deputy manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX Kazuyoshi Kawasaki, associate director general, Space Exploration Center/Space Exploration Innovation Hub Center, JAXA To participate in the teleconference, media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m., Aug. 7, at: jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111. To ask questions, media must dial in no later than 10 minutes before the start of the call. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online. Find full mission coverage, NASA’s commercial crew blog, and more information about the Crew-10 mission at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew -end- Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov Steve Siceloff / Stephanie Plucinsky Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-867-2468 steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Aug 06, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsInternational Space Station (ISS)Commercial CrewHumans in SpaceISS ResearchJohnson Space CenterKennedy Space Center View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 3 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4622-4623: Kicking Off (Earth) Year 14 With an Investigation of Veins NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, using its Left Navigation Camera, caught the shadow of the rover’s mast looking ahead to new terrain as the mission started its 14th Earth year on Mars. Curiosity acquired this image on Aug. 6, 2025 — Sol 4621, or Martian day 4,621 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 06:24:09 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Abigail Fraeman, Deputy Project Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth planning date: Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Today was a very special day for Curiosity as the rover celebrated the start of a 14th year on Mars. Curiosity is currently exploring the mysterious boxwork formations. On Monday, the rover positioned itself at the side of one of the ridges, where the team had spotted tantalizing hints of a complex network of razor-thin veins that may give insight into what is holding the ridges up, compared to the surrounding hollows. In this plan, the team will use the instruments on Curiosity’s arm and mast to investigate the geometry and composition of these veins to learn more about them. APXS and MAHLI will both observe “Repechón,” a loose block with dark-toned, mottled material exposed on top, as well as “Lago Poopó,” a bright, relatively clean vein network. MAHLI will also collect a side view of “Repechón.” ChemCam will use its laser to analyze two targets, “Vicguna,” a protruding vein edge with nodular texture, and “Ibare,” which has some exposed light-toned veins. Outside of the vein investigation, ChemCam’s telescopic RMI camera will observe layering in a nearby butte and the Mishe Mokwa feature, while Mastcam will take mosaics on “Cachiniba,” a broken block, “Yapacani,” the side of another large boxwork ridge, and “Llullaillaco,” a faraway feature that we imaged from a slightly different location in a previous plan. Additional environmental monitoring observations will round out the plan, followed by a straight-line drive to the east, to an area where several large boxwork ridges intersect that the team has been informally calling “the peace sign” because of its shape. I usually get nostalgic around landing anniversaries, or “landiversaries,” and this year, I found myself looking back through pictures of landing night. One of my favorites shows me standing next to science team member Kirsten Siebach right after we received the first images from Curiosity. The two of us have the biggest, most excited grins on our faces. We were both graduate students at the time, and both of us were writing thesis chapters analyzing orbital data over regions we hoped to explore with Curiosity one day. I was studying a layer in Mount Sharp that contained hematite, and the team named this feature “Vera Rubin ridge” when Curiosity reached it in 2017. Kirsten, who is now a professor at Rice University, was focused on the boxwork structures, pondering how they formed and hypothesizing what they might tell us about the history of Martian habitability when we reached them. Thirteen years later, I had another big grin on my face today, as I listened to Kirsten and our incredible science team members excitedly discussing Curiosity’s new images of these same boxwork structures. I was also filled with gratitude for the thousands of people it took to get us to this moment. It was the absolute best way to spend a landiversary. Learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments For more Curiosity blog posts, visit MSL Mission Updates Share Details Last Updated Aug 07, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4618-4619: The Boxwork Structures Continue to Call to Us Article 2 days ago 3 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4620-4621: Among the Hollows and the Ridges Article 2 days ago 4 min read Curiosity Blog, Sols 4616-4617: Standing Tall on the Ridge Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

A white-tailed deer fawn photographed on a Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera in Vernon County, WI Credit: WI DNR The Snapshot Wisconsin project recently collected their 100 millionth trail camera photo! What’s more, this milestone coincides with the project’s 10-year anniversary. Congratulations to the team and everyone who’s participated! Snapshot Wisconsin utilizes a statewide network of volunteer-managed trail cameras to monitor and better understand the state’s diverse wildlife from white-tailed deer to snowshoe hares, whooping cranes, and much more. “It’s been amazing to get a glimpse of our wild treasures via the Snapshot lens,” said one volunteer. “Satisfying to help advance wildlife research in the digital age.” Snapshot Wisconsin was launched in 2013 with help from a NASA grant, and is overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It recently won a new grant from NASA’s Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program. Volunteer classifications of the species present in trail camera photos have fueled many different scientific investigations over the years. You, too, can get involved in the merriment by visiting the project’s site on the Zooniverse crowdsourcing platform and helping classify their latest photo season today! Facebook logo @nasascience @nasascience Instagram logo @nasascience Linkedin logo @nasascience Share Details Last Updated Aug 06, 2025 Related Terms Citizen Science Earth Science Division Explore More 4 min read STEM Educators Are Bringing Hands-On NASA Science into Virginia Classrooms Article 2 days ago 2 min read Radio JOVE Volunteers Tune In to the Sun’s Low Notes Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read Bring NASA Science into Your Library! Article 2 weeks ago View the full article