Space NASA Image of the Day

Sept. 3, 1976: Viking 2 Lands on Mars

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This rocky panoramic scene is the second picture of the Martian surface that was taken by Viking Lander 2 shortly after touchdown on Sept. 3, 1976 at 3:58 p.m. PDT (Earth received time). (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Hubble Peers into the Heart of a Galactic Maelstrom

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This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows Messier 96, a spiral galaxy just over 35 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (The Lion). It is the nearest group containing both bright spirals and a bright elliptical galaxy (Messier 105). (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
International Space Station Transits the Sun

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This composite image made from five frames shows the International Space Station, with a crew of nine onboard, in silhouette as it transits the sun at roughly 5 miles per second, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower

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The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Good Morning From the International Space Station

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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly shared this photograph on social media, taken from the International Space Station on Sept. 10, 2015. Kelly wrote, "#GoodMorning Texas! Great view of you, the #moon , and #Venus this morning. #YearInSpace" (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
3,000th Comet Spotted by Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)

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On Sept. 13, 2015, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory – a joint project of the European Space Agency and NASA -- discovered its 3,000th comet, cementing its standing as the greatest comet finder of all time. Prior to the 1995 launch of the observatory, commonly known as SOHO, only a dozen or so comets had ever even been discovered from space. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
First Weld of Orion Exploration Mission-1 Crew Module

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Lockheed Martin engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, perform the first weld on the Orion spacecraft pressure vessel for Exploration Mission-1 on Sept. 5, 2015. This is the third pressure Orion pressure vessel built. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Pluto’s Majestic Mountains, Frozen Plains and Foggy Hazes

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Just 15 minutes after its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft looked back toward the sun and captured this near-sunset view of the rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to Pluto’s horizon. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Clear Skies Over the United States

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On Sept. 17, 2015, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly captured images and video from the International Space Station during an early morning flyover of the United States. Sharing with his social media followers, Kelly wrote, "Clear skies over much of the USA today. #GoodMorning from @Space_Station! #YearInSpace." (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Great Exuma Island, Bahamas

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An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of small island cays in the Bahamas and the prominent tidal channels cutting between them. For astronauts, this is one of the most recognizable points on the planet. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Supersonic Shock Waves of a T-38C Aircraft

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This schlieren image of a T-38C aircraft was captured using the patent-pending BOSCO technique and then processed with NASA-developed code to reveal shock wave structures. Researchers at Armstrong and NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, have developed new schlieren techniques based on modern image processing methods. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant

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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
The Nile at Night

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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, recently past the halfway mark of his one-year mission to the International Space Station, photographed the Nile River during a nighttime flyover on Sept. 22, 2015. Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) wrote, "Day 179. The #Nile at night is a beautiful sight for these sore eyes. Good night from @space_station! #YearInSpace." (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Supermoon Eclipse in New York City

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A perigee full moon, or supermoon, is seen next to the Empire State Building at the beginning of a total lunar eclipse, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 in New York City. The combination of a supermoon and total lunar eclipse last occurred in 1982 and will not happen again until 2033. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Supermoon Eclipse in Washington

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A perigee full moon, or supermoon, is seen behind the Washington Monument during a total lunar eclipse on Sunday, September 27, 2015, in Washington, DC. The combination of a supermoon and total lunar eclipse last occurred in 1982 and will not happen again until 2033. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
Dark, Recurring Streaks on Walls of Garni Crater on Mars

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Dark narrow streaks, called "recurring slope lineae," emanate from the walls of Garni Crater on Mars, in this view constructed from observations by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies

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Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity. (More at NASA Picture of The Day)
 
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