This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the center of the Lagoon Nebula, an object with a deceptively tranquil name, in the constellation of Sagittarius. The region is filled with intense winds from hot stars, churning funnels of gas, and energetic star formation, all embedded within an intricate haze of gas and pitch-dark dust. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
This colorful bubble is a planetary nebula called NGC 6818, also known as the Little Gem Nebula. The rich glow of the cloud is just over half a light-year across — humongous compared to its tiny central star — but still a little gem on a cosmic scale. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly took this photograph of a sunrise over the western United States and posted it to social media on Aug. 10, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#GoodMorning to those in the western #USA. Looks like there's a lot going on down there. #YearInSpace" (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
For Anniversary of Orbiter's Launch: Seasonal Flows in Mars' Valles Marineris
Among the many discoveries by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter since the mission was launched on Aug. 12, 2005, are seasonal flows on some steep slopes. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Welding Preparations For Orion Spacecraft at Michoud Assembly Facility
At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, engineers are welding together the Orion crew module pathfinder in preparation for the welding process set to begin later this summer on the Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1. This pathfinder, including the barrel section shown here, is a full-scale version of the current spacecraft design. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Bursts of pink and red, dark lanes of mottled cosmic dust, and a bright scattering of stars — this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows part of a messy barred spiral galaxy known as NGC 428. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly shared this photograph on social media, taken from the International Space Station on August 15, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#Aurora trailing a colorful veil over Earth this morning. Good morning from @space_station! #YearInSpace" (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated August 19 as National Aviation Day in honor of Orville Wright’s birthday, directing citizens to celebrate the day with activities that encourage an interest and appreciation for aviation. NASA's heritage in aviation research goes back more than 100 years. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Curiosity Low-Angle Self-Portrait at 'Buckskin' Drilling Site on Mount Sharp
This low-angle self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle above the "Buckskin" rock target, where the mission collected its seventh drilled sample. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Here we see the spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 — more commonly known as WR 124 — and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
As the northern hemisphere experiences the heat of summer, ice moves and melts in the Arctic waters and the far northern lands surrounding it. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of sea ice off Greenland on July 16, 2015. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Updating a 150-year-old German photography technique, NASA and the U.S. Air Force released what's called a "schlieren" image of the shock wave from a supersonic aircraft. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Astronaut Kjell Lindgren Corrals the Supply of Fresh Fruit
NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren corrals the supply of fresh fruit that arrived on the Kounotori 5 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-5.) (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Earth's thin atmosphere stands out against the blackness of space in this photo taken on Aug. 31, 2015 by astronaut Scott Kelly on board the International Space Station. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
Rocks Here Sequester Some of Mars' Early Atmosphere
This view combines information from two instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to map color-coded composition over the shape of the ground in a small portion of the Nili Fossae plains region of Mars' northern hemisphere. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)