Space can be a wondrous place, and we’ve got the pictures to prove it! Take a look at our favorite space pictures here, and if you’re wondering what happened to today in space history don’t miss our On This Day in Space video show here!
NASA’s Europa Clipper readies for launch!
Monday, October 14, 2024: NASA’s historic Europa Clipper mission is set for launch. Today’s image captures the spacecraft sitting atop the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket that will haul it into space. At the time of writing, the launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida was set for 12:06 p.m. EDT (1606 GMT). This follows several days of delays prompted by Hurricane Milton and the closure of the Space Center.
If the launch does go ahead today, it will be the first small step on the Europa Clipper’s long journey to the Jupiter system. Once it arrives in April 2030, the spacecraft will investigate the ocean moon of Europa. The salty ocean that lurks under the icy shell of this moon is believed to be one of the most probable places in the solar system to discover simple alien life.
Go Europa Clipper!
Northern Lights illuminate the skies over the U.S.
Friday, October 11, 2024: A powerful eruption of plasma erupted from the sun on Tuesday (Oct. 8), lashing Earth’s protective magnetic field on Thursday (Oct. 10). This generated powerful geomagnetic storms reaching the extreme G5 scale. These storms can cause disruption to power and communications infrastructure, but they also bring with them the opportunity to see the Aurora Borealis or “Northern Lights” at much lower latitudes than usual. Today’s image comes courtesy of Space.com’s own Josh Diner, who was able to capture the Northern Lights over Griffey Lake, in Bloomington, Indiana, Thursday night at 10:10 pm EDT.
Good work Josh!
Hurricane Milton looms over the VAB
Thursday, October 10, 2024: Hurricane Milton made landfall yesterday on Florida’s west coast and made its way across the state to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Though the Space Coast didn’t experience as severe storm surges and wind speeds as cities like Tampa or Sarasota, KSC was on high alert, raising its base status to HURCON 1 — closing the center to all but essential personnel. In a post on X, accompanied by this photo, KSC said, “The center is now closed, with the exception of essential emergency response personnel and Ride Out Team members.”
A rising comet comes to the Northern Hemisphere
Wednesday, October 9, 2024: Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is arriving at its projected pinnacle of brightness, followed by a transition into the evening sky. Until now, the comet has been visible primarily for those living in the Tropics and the Southern Hemisphere, though in recent days, the comet has made itself evident to those across parts of the United States, albeit deep in the dawn twilight, hovering low above the east-southeast horizon. Soon, however, observers across the Northern Hemisphere will get their first really good look at this newest visitor to the sun.
This stunning image of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was captured by Michael Mattiazzo during dawn twilight on October 1st from Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia. He used a a Canon 6D + Sigma lens at 50mm f/2.8. iso1600. 15 sec. — Joe Rao
Read more: The dazzling Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is emerging in the night sky: How to see it
Milton from the space station
Tuesday, October 8, 2024: NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick has given us dramatic, Dragon’s-eye views of Hurricane Milton churning its way toward landfall. Dominick posted a timelapse video on X (formerly Twitter) today, showing Hurricane Milton through the window of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, which is docked to the International Space Station (ISS).
Endeavour is flying SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission for NASA; in early March, the capsule carried Dominick to the orbiting lab along with fellow NASA astronauts Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, as well as Alexander Grebenkin of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos. — Mike Wall
Read more: Dragon’s-eye view: Astronaut captures amazing shots of Hurricane Milton from space
Space Clipper meets rocket ride
Monday, October 7, 2024: NASA’s next flagship spacecraft, the Europa Clipper, meets its massive SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket nose cone in this photo taken during encapsulation for launch. Europa Clipper is scheduled to launch this month on a mission to explore Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter that scientists have long-suspected may harbor a subsurface ocean with more water than exists on Earth, a potential bastion of alien life.
NASA and SpaceX initially hoped to launch Europa Clipper on Oct. 10, but the mission has been delayed by Hurricane Milton, which is expected to pass over the spaceport ahead of that launch date. A new launch date has not been set.
A ring of fire over Earth
Thursday, October 3, 2024: The sun and moon align in the sky over Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, in this stunning collage of annular solar eclipse of Oct. 2, 2024 as photographed by eclipse chaser Jamie Carter.
“Well, that was incredible. The tension! A cloud left the sun just 10 seconds before the Baily’s beads appeared, and another appeared a minute after the ring ended. We were so lucky,” Carter told Space.com.
“It felt incredible to actually see the ring, knowing I had no more than a 50-50 chance. It was so cold in the minutes before annularity,” Carter added.
These images show the initial partial phase, “ring of fire” peak and exit partiality during the hours long eclipse from Carter’s position on Easter Island in the remote Pacific Ocean. Check out more amazing eclipse photos!
A comet to behold
Wednesday, October 2, 2024: The amazing views from space keep coming. This image, taken by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, shows the stunning Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as it shined over a nighttime Earth with green auroras below on Sept. 29. “Comet rises up over the horizon just before orbital sunrise with aurora streaking by,” Dominick wrote on X (formerly Twitter) while sharing the image.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is currently visible in the early morning sky and was visible to the unaided eye until the predawn of Oct. 2. It will return to the early morning sky between Oct. 12 and Oct. 30, making its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 13.
Fire-breathing space Dragon
Tuesday, October 1, 2024: SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft, called Freedom, fires its Draco thrusters like some kind of space leviathan in this stunning photo taken from the International Space Station on Sunday, Sept. 29. This photo, which was captured by NASA astronaut Don Pettit on the station, the Dragon is captured as it docked at the ISS to deliver two new crewmembers to the orbiting lab.
“Here Be Dragons!,” Pettit wrote on X while sharing the photo. “Crew-9 Dragon spaceship “Freedom” arrived to @Space_Station last night.”
“The approach and docking sequence naturally draws our crew to a window; in this case, about five of us were crowded in Dragon Crew-8 to watch Dragon Crew-9 dock,” Pettit added. “With everyone bouncing around for a peek out the window, this photo was a quick handheld snap, complete with window reflections and streaky stars. This Dragon snorts fire! Welcome aboard Crew-9.”
Archives
Check out our Image of the Day Archives for more awesome photos.
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