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This March 3, 2026, image combines views from ESA’s (European Space Agency) Euclid and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to feature one of the most visually intricate remnants of a dying star: the Cat’s Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543. This extraordinary planetary nebula lies 4,400 light-years away in the constellation Draco and has captivated astronomers for decades with its elaborate and multilayered structure.

See what this observation reveals about this planetary nebula.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESA Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA/Q1-2025, J.-C. Cuillandre & E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay), Z. Tsvetanov

Written by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute

Earth planning date: Friday, March 6, 2026

Curiosity is in the last stage of its exploration of the spiderweb-like boxwork unit. This stage consists of exploring the eastern and southern borders of this terrain. There were two multi-sol plans assembled this week. The previous plan put Curiosity at a site on the eastern extent of the boxwork unit with bedrock that allowed for brushing and in-place measurements with APXS and MAHLI of the bedrock target “Infiernillo.” The ChemCam also took a LIBS chemical measurement of this target as well as a nodular-rich piece of bedrock assigned the name “Humahuaca.” MAHLI was tasked to image a pitted vertical rock face which was dubbed “Timboy Chaco” (part of which is shown in the MAHLI color image accompanying this report). Mastcam color mosaics and ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) mosaics were also collected to characterize nearby terrain including a butte to the south and the geologic contact between the boxwork terrain and the adjacent layered, light-toned unit.

A midweek drive put the rover even closer to the eastern edge of the boxwork unit and set it up for two or more drives to the southern edge of the boxwork. The workspace present for Friday planning included bedrock exposures and a dark-toned float rock. The float rock was large enough for in-situ observation by APXS, and it was also targeted for up-close imaging by MAHLI and a measurement by ChemCam to observe its reflectance properties. Some other dark float rocks observed by Curiosity in the past year have been hypothesized as being stony meteorites (chondrites). Measuring the chemistry and reflectance of this dark rock, named “Thola,” will allow the team to determine if it is native to Mars or a meteorite from beyond. The Friday plan also included ChemCam remote chemistry measurements of the smooth bedrock target “Valle Fertil” and a nodular bedrock target “Norte Grande.” The plan also included Mastcam mosaics of light-toned bedrock across the eastern contact of the boxwork unit to assess sedimentary structures and determine stratigraphic relationships, observations of smaller troughs in the regolith, and other mosaics of nearby ridges as well as a two-frame mosaic of the dark float rock Thola and another dark-toned pebble.

The plan concludes with a drive toward the southern border of the boxwork unit. Given that this southern contact is approximately 100 meters (about 109 yards) away, it will likely require two drives.

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Scientists estimate that Earth is home to more than 100 million lakes. Among the most unusual is Lake Unter-See, one of Antarctica’s largest and deepest surface lakes, known for its distinctive water chemistry. Its ice-covered waters have exceptionally high levels of dissolved oxygen, low dissolved carbon dioxide, and a strongly alkaline (basic) pH.

The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 captured this image on February 16, 2026, during the Antarctic summer. Most of the lake’s water comes from seasonal meltwater draining from the margins of the nearby Anuchin Glacier, which flows south from the Gruber Mountains in Queen Maud Land.

With mean annual temperatures of about minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), Lake Unter-See remains frozen year-round, its waters sealed beneath several meters of ice. Sunlight penetrates the ice and warms the water below, but the cold surface and strong winds drive evaporation and sublimation, preventing significant surface melting. The lake’s maximum depth is thought to reach nearly 170 meters (558 feet).

The lake’s water chemistry is unusual partly because it is one of the only perennially frozen lakes with a community of large, conical stromatolites. The layered microbial reef structures grow slowly upward as photosynthetic microbes—primarily cyanobacteria—trap sediment on their sticky surfaces and form calcium carbonate mineral crusts. These conical stromatolites—as well as pinnacle and flat forms of the microbial communities—release oxygen that becomes trapped under the ice, increasing its concentration in the lake.

Lake Unter-See’s stromatolites, discovered by SETI geobiologist Dale Andersen and colleagues in 2011, offer a glimpse into a time more than 3 billion years ago, when microbes were the only form of life on Earth. The formations are thought to be modern, living examples of the organisms that likely produced some of Earth’s oldest fossils—stromatolites found in places such as southwestern Greenland and western Australia.

Some Antarctic lakes, such as Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, contain conical stromatolites, but they reach only a few centimeters tall. By contrast, the formations in Lake Unter-See tower up to half a meter. Scientists think Unter-See’s stromatolites grow unusually tall because they are sheltered from tides and waves beneath permanent ice, live in exceptionally clear waters with little sediment, grow toward limited light, and face little grazing. The lake’s largest creatures are tardigrades—microscopic “water bear” invertebrates known for their ability to survive in extreme environments.

Astrobiologists also point to the lake as a possible analog for the type of environment where life might have formed or survived on icy moons with oceans such as Europa and Enceladus, or perhaps on Mars, which has ice caps and glaciers.  

Yet despite its seemingly stable conditions, Lake Unter-See occasionally experiences abrupt changes. During fieldwork in 2019, researchers observed an increase in the lake’s water levels. The team, led by scientists at the University of Ottawa, later analyzed elevation data from NASA’s ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2) and confirmed a 2-meter rise was caused by a glacial lake outburst flood from nearby Lake Ober-See.

The University of Ottawa team also showed that the outburst flood had released 17.5 million cubic meters of meltwater, altering Unter-See’s pH and replenishing it with carbon dioxide-rich waters that likely enhanced the productivity of the lake’s microbial life. The scientists noted that similar periodic flooding may provide “biological stimuli to other carbon dioxide-depleted Antarctic ecosystems and perhaps even icy lakes on early Mars.”

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

Downloads

February 16, 2026

JPEG (8.91 MB)

References & Resources

• Andersen, D.T., et al. (2011) Discovery of large conical stromatolites in Lake Untersee, Antarctica. Geobiology, 9(3), 280-293.
• Astrobiology (2026) Dale Andersen’s Field Reports. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Austrian Polar Research Institute (2023, May 22) Glacier shapes unique Antarctic lake ecosystem. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Extinct (2025, June 1) From Stromatolites to Martian Leopard Spots: Circumstantial Traces and the Reconstruction of Early Life. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Faucher, B., et al. (2021) Glacial lake outburst floods enhance benthic microbial productivity in perennially ice-covered Lake Untersee (East Antarctica). Communications Earth & Environment, 2, 211.
• Greco, C. et al. (2020) Microbial Diversity of Pinnacle and Conical Microbial Mats in the Perennially Ice-Covered Lake Untersee, East Antarctica. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11(607251).
• NASA Earth Observatory (2006, June 18) Strelley Pool Chert and Early Life. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• SETI (2026, February 26) Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Season 18-19 February. Accessed March 10, 2026.
• Verpoorter, C., et al. (2014) A global inventory of lakes based on high-resolution satellite imagery. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(18), 6396-6402.
• Vimercati, L. Lake Untersee, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Accessed March 10, 2026.

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Download PDF: Insights into Spallation Mechanisms of Thermal Protection System Materials from Mass Spectrometry and HyMETS Testing

An effort was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms responsible for internal pressure build up within thermal protection system (TPS) materials subjected to high-enthalpy environments. Understanding how gases evolve, migrate, and interact with the microstructure of a TPS is essential for predicting degradation and failure modes such as spallation. To this end, complementary experimental approaches were employed that provided both chemical and mechanical insight into subsurface processes.  

Chemical evolution and internal pressure buildup were identified using the processes illustrated in Figure 1. In part A, in-depth pressure measurements obtained during testing in the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HyMETS) quantified the dynamic buildup of subsurface pressure as gases evolved. In part B, mass spectrometry was applied to characterize volatile species released as the TPS decomposed under heating. This analysis distinguished between species that desorb at lower temperatures, such as water release prior to significant changes in permeability, and those produced during the breakdown of the polymer backbone through high-temperature pyrolysis. Together, these data sets established a quantitative link between chemical decomposition and mechanical response, forming a foundation for interpreting how microscale chemical processes manifest as macroscale material instability.  

Lessons gleaned from mass spectrometry and HyMETS testing led to an enhanced understanding of the spallation mechanisms of TPS, as illustrated in Figure 1. Initial heating of the TPS induces the release of absorbed water from microballoons and the surrounding matrix before extensive pyrolysis (I). This early release of exiguous water can generate localized stresses when the material is in a state of low permeability and may result in localized crack formation before pyrolysis. As heating continues, the pyrolysis front advances, liberating a significant amount of gas and a rapid buildup of pressure occurs (II). If the internal pressure surpasses the local material strength, sudden ejection of fragments follows, marking a spallation event (III). This sequence highlights the probable interplay between early-stage volatile release, pyrolysis gas evolution, and stress generation, all of which govern the stability of TPS material under entry conditions.  

For information, contact Dr. Brody K. Bessire. brody.k.bessire@nasa.gov