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NASA - Breaking News
Young ‘Sun’ Caught Blowing Bubbles by NASA’s Chandra
2026-02-23 20:07
Young ‘Sun’ Caught Blowing Bubbles by NASA’s Chandra
For the first time, a much younger version of the Sun has been caught red-handed blowing bubbles in the galaxy, by astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
HD 61005 in X-ray, infrared, and optical light
The bubble – called an “astrosphere” – completely surrounds the juvenile star. Winds from the star’s surface are blowing up the bubble and filling it with hot gas as it expands into much cooler galactic gas and dust surrounding the star. The Sun has a similar bubble around it, which scientists call the heliosphere, created by the solar wind. It extends far beyond the planets in our solar system and protects Earth from cosmic radiation.
This is the first image of an astrosphere astronomers have obtained around a star similar to the Sun. It shows slightly extended emission, rather than a single point of light as seen for other such stars.
“We have been studying our Sun’s astrosphere for decades, but we can’t see it from the outside,” said Carey Lisse of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the study, which published [day of week] in the Astrophysical Journal. “This new Chandra result about a similar star’s astrosphere teaches us about the shape of the Sun’s, and how it has changed over billions of years as the Sun evolves and moves through the galaxy.”
The star is called HD 61005 and is located about 120 light-years from Earth, making it relatively close. HD 61005 has roughly the same mass and temperature as the Sun, but it is much younger with an age of about 100 million years, compared to the Sun’s age of about 5 billion years.
Because it is so young, HD 61005 has a much stronger wind of particles blowing from its surface that travels about 3 times faster and is about 25 times denser than the wind from the Sun. This amplifies the process of astrosphere bubble-blowing and mimics how our Sun was behaving several billion years ago.
“We are impacted by the Sun every day, not only through the light it gives off, but also by the wind it sends out into space that can affect our satellites and potentially astronauts traveling to the Moon or Mars,” said co-author Scott Wolk of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA). “This image of the astrosphere around HD 61005 gives us important information about what the Sun’s wind may have been like early in its evolution.”
Astronomers have nicknamed the HD 61005 star system the “Moth” because it is surrounded by large amounts of dust patterned similarly to the shape of a moth’s wings when viewed through infrared telescopes. The wings are formed from material left behind after the formation of the star, similar to the Kuiper Belt in our own solar system. Observations of these wings with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope showed that the interstellar matter surrounding HD 61005 is about a thousand times denser than that around the Sun.
Since the 1990s, astronomers have been trying to capture an image of an astrosphere around a Sun-like star. Chandra was able to detect the astrosphere around HD 61005 because it is producing X-rays as the stellar wind runs into cooler local interstellar medium dust and gas that surrounds the star. The dense local galactic environment, combined with Chandra’s high-resolution X-ray vision, the strong stellar wind, and the star’s proximity, all helped create a strong X-ray signal, allowing discovery of an astrosphere around HD 61005. It has a diameter about 200 times the distance from Earth to the Sun.
“There’s a saying about a moth being drawn to a flame,” said co-author Brad Snios, formerly of CfA and now at MITRE, a non-profit that participates in federally funded research. “In the case of HD 61005, the ‘Moth’ can’t easily escape from the flame because it was born around it and might be sustained by a disk around it.”
The Sun not only likely passed through a phase of development similar to HD 61005 when it was younger, it also likely traveled through a denser region of dust and gas than where the Sun is currently located, strengthening the connection with HD 61005.
“It is amazing to think that our protective heliosphere would only extend out to the orbit of Saturn if we were in the part of the galaxy where the Moth is located, or, conversely, that the Moth would have an astrosphere 10 times wider larger than the Sun’s if it were located here,” Lisse said.
HD 61005 is not visible from Earth with the unaided eye, but it is close enough that skywatchers could see it using binoculars.
The first hints of X-ray emission from the Moth’s central star were based on a brief, one-hour-long Chandra observation of HD 61005 in 2014. In 2021, astronomers observed HD 61005 for almost 19 hours, which allowed the detection of the extended astrospheric structure.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/John Hopkins Univ./C.M. Lisse et al.; Infrared: NASA/ESA/STIS; Optical: NSF/NoirLab/CTIO/DECaPS2; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk
To learn more about Chandra, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/chandra
Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory
Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:
Visual Description
This release contains three main images, each offering a different take on the astrosphere surrounding a young star called HD 61005. An astrosphere is a wind-blown bubble full of gas and dust particles that encases a star as it pushes through interstellar space.
In this release, an optical image from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile shows HD 61005 in the context of its star field. Here, the star in question appears as a glowing, gleaming white dot surrounded by other glowing dots of similar and smaller sizes. The image is utterly packed with specks of light in shades of blue, white, gold, green, and red. At this distance, in an optical observation, the star’s astrosphere is not discernible.
The second image is a composite, which presents a close-up of HD 61005 using infrared data from Hubble, and X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Here, the spherical star has a brilliant core bursting with white X-ray light. Ringing the white core is a neon purple glow; the astrosphere surrounding the star. A distinguishing feature of HD 61005 is a white, wedge-shaped tail with neon blue tips, which trails the fast-moving star. This tail is dusty material left behind after the star’s formation. The wedge, or wing shape of the tail has earned the star the nickname ‘Moth’ by astronomers spying it through infrared telescopes.
The third image in this release is an artist’s illustration of an astrosphere in action. Here, a large, pale purple ball soars from our right toward our left, into a misty brown cloud. The purple ball appears to be protected by a blue force field, which pushes the brown cloud aside as the ball dives in. In this illustration, the purple ball represents the astrosphere surrounding a star and the brown cloud is interstellar gas. The blue force field is a bow shock, a curved free-floating shock wave, similar to the sonic boom that travels in front of a supersonic plane. The bow shock is caused by the motion of the star and its astrosphere hurtling through space. This illustration features a series of faint lines representing wind patterns from HD 61005, but does not show the tail of debris found behind and beside HD 61005.
News Media Contact
Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
Joel Wallace
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
joel.w.wallace@nasa.gov
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Astronomy Activation Ambassadors: Embracing Multiple Perspectives
2026-02-23 20:03
5 min read
Astronomy Activation Ambassadors: Embracing Multiple Perspectives
The Astronomy Activation Ambassadors (AAA) project, part of the NASA Science Activation program, aims to measurably enhance student STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) engagement via middle school, high school, and community college science teacher professional development. AAA participants draw on NASA resources and subject matter experts to enhance their teaching and help share their excitement about astronomy and planetary science with their students. An important component of AAA teacher professional development is STEM immersion experiences, including guided tours of working observatories.
Teacher visits to observatories offer a rare chance to connect science with history, culture, and place. Framing those visits around the historical context of astronomy and the cultural significance of “high places” helps students see science as a human endeavor shaped by many voices. People everywhere look to the sky for meaning and knowledge, and mountain peaks often carry spiritual, cultural, and historical weight for local communities. The significance of these locations can be shared with their students.
AAA STEM immersion experiences took place in Hilo, Hawaii, and Tucson, Arizona, respectively, in April and September 2025. During the weekend of April 12-13, 16 teachers from across the state of Hawai`i gathered in Hilo for a full agenda involving a hands-on electromagnetic spectrum and multiwavelength astronomy curriculum workshop, subject matter expert presentations regarding astronomy research and native Hawaiian perspectives on Maunakea, and a visit to the summit of Maunakea (Figures 1 & 2). Teacher participants expressed their appreciation especially for the summit visit portion of the workshop and had numerous discussions during the journey about ways they could incorporate this content into their teaching.
The tour paused on the way up the mountain at the mid-level Onizuka Visitors Center. There, workshop participant, local high school teacher, and native Hawaiian cultural practitioner Toni Kaui addressed the group: “Standing here, we have passed through the wao kele (vah-oh kay-lay; forested uplands) and are about to enter the wao akua (vah-oh ah-koo-ah), the heavenly realm where our spirits and our elements of sacredness lie. […] This is where we come to have our spiritual connection with the mauna (mountain). In the wao akua, all of our sacred and elemental processes happen, and those processes help to determine the well-being of our ‘aina (-eye-nah; homeland) down below in the wao kanaka (vah-oh kah-nah-kah; human realm) where we came from.”
The Maunakea visit was recorded by the NASA Science Activation program’s Infiniscope (Arizona State University) team, who joined AAA in the production of a virtual (video) tour highlighting both native Hawaiian and scientific researcher respect for the mountain. The virtual tour will be placed in the Infiniscope library (https://infiniscope.org) to be shared with a world-wide public audience.
The AAA program’s final workshop and STEM immersion experience was offered September 13-14 to 25 teachers from throughout the U.S. at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab headquarters in Tucson, Arizona and at Kitt Peak National Observatory (Figure 3).
Kitt Peak National Observatory is located within the land of the Tohono O’odham (tuh-hoh-noh aw-tuhm) Native American tribe, whose name for Kitt Peak is I’oligam Du’ag (ee-oh-lih-gahm doo-ahg), meaning “Manzanita Shrub Mountain”. Dr. Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan, Tohono Oʼodham Education Development Liaison with the NOIRLab, spoke with workshop participants regarding the long history of productive collaboration between local indigenous authorities and organizations developing and managing astronomy facilities on the mountain (Figure 4). She noted that the lease agreement between the Tohono O’odham nation and the NSF: “… is in perpetuity, as long as the mountain is used for astronomical study and research/education.” The AAA participant teachers found Dr. Ramon-Sauberan so inspiring that they enthusiastically gave up part of their scheduled lunch hour so she could have more time for her presentation.
The AAA project is winding down operations after 10 years as an active part of the NASA Science Activation’s collective efforts. In 2025, the ensemble of SciAct projects reached millions of learners in the U.S. and around the world via web-based content, public events, and education resources. As of the end of 2025, the AAA project alone had 780 teacher participants in 46 U.S. states plus 10 countries; 420 teachers have received STEM immersion experiences including flights on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) or visits to ground-based observatories. An estimated 70,000 students nation-wide have been influenced and inspired by AAA educators.
Participant or Team Member Quotes
Lillian Reynolds, Hawai`i middle school science teacher, stated: “I was fortunate to go to this STEM experience at Maunakea. One thing that I learned is about how many other jobs and people it takes to run all the telescopes and everything up there. I had this preconceived idea that it’s mostly astronomers, PhD people that I didn’t really relate to. I got to meet a lot of the technicians and other folks and that really opened my eyes to other opportunities for my students. So, that’s what I’m looking forward to taking back. It made me feel hopeful that we can really increase our base of home-grown scientists here in Hawai`i.”
Olivia Kuper, Tennessee high school science teacher, noted: “The inclusion of the Indigenous history and perspectives connected to Kitt Peak was one of the most important aspects of the training for me. It reinforced the importance of teaching astronomy in ways that respect the land and the people tied to it. This approach deepened my understanding and will help my students recognize the value of cultural perspectives and historical context in scientific practice.”
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NASA to Cover 33rd SpaceX Resupply Mission Station Departure
2026-02-23 18:47
NASA and its international partners will receive scientific research samples and hardware when a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft departs the International Space Station on Thursday, Feb. 26, and returns to Earth.
Watch NASA’s live coverage of the undocking and departure of the agency’s 33rd SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services mission starting at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content on a variety of online platforms, including social media.
A Dragon spacecraft will autonomously undock from the Harmony module’s forward-facing port at 12:05 p.m. and fire its thrusters to move safely away from the space station. Splashdown is scheduled later that evening at approximately 11:44 p.m. PST off the California coast. NASA will not stream the splashdown but will post updates on its space station blog.
Several scientific investigations are returning aboard Dragon, offering insights that could help shape future space exploration and life on Earth. The Euro Material Ageing study exposed 141 samples to space for a year to examine how coatings, insulation, and 3D-printed materials degrade, while Thailand’s Liquid Crystals experiment observed the stability of films used in electronics in microgravity. Both could lead to stronger spacecraft, better displays, and improved optical devices on future missions.
Frozen samples from the Stellar Stem Cells Mission 2 experiment are helping study how microgravity affects brain and heart stem cell growth, which could improve treatments for diseases such as ALS and Parkinson’s disease. The SpaceDuino project is paving the way for more low-cost instruments after successfully measuring vibrations using a commercially available single-board computer and open-source software. The Moon Microscope also successfully tested a portable diagnostic kit for blood analysis in space that could support future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The Dragon spacecraft supporting the mission also introduced a new capability to reboost the space station, helping maintain its altitude and counter atmospheric drag, which is critical for safe operations and the long-term sustainability of the orbital complex. During its time docked to the station, Dragon performed six reboosts — five in 2025 and a final maneuver on Jan. 23 — before preparations for its departure began.
Loaded with thousands of pounds of crew supplies, science experiments, and equipment, the spacecraft arrived at the station on Aug. 25, 2025, following its launch a day earlier on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars.
Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
-end-
Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov
Curiosity Studies Nodules on Boxwork Formations
2026-02-23 17:58
Curiosity Studies Nodules on Boxwork Formations
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Description
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover discovered these bumpy, pea-sized nodules while exploring a region filled with boxwork formations — low ridges standing roughly 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) tall with sandy hollows in-between. This mosaic is made up of 50 individual images taken by Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a camera on the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on Aug. 21, 2025, the 4,636th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Ten images at different focus settings were taken at each of five locations to produce a sharp mosaic. The images were stitched together after being sent back to Earth.
Figure A is the same image with a small scale bar added to the right-hand side.
Nodules like these have been seen many times before on the Red Planet, including by Curiosity. They were made by minerals left behind as water dried billions of years ago. Crisscrossing the surface for miles, the boxwork formations suggest ancient groundwater flowed on this part of the Red Planet later than expected, raising new questions about how long microbial life could have survived on Mars billions of years ago, before rivers and lakes dried up.
The boxwork ridgetops often include a dark line the team refers to as “central fractures,” where groundwater originally seeped through a rock crack, allowing minerals to concentrate. Surprisingly, the mission did not find nodules near these central fractures. Instead, they were found along the walls of the ridges and in the hollows between them. The wavy ridges between the groups of nodules are mineral veins made of calcium sulfate, also deposited by groundwater.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.
To learn more about Curiosity, visit:
Curiosity Surveys the Boxwork Region
2026-02-23 17:34
Curiosity Surveys the Boxwork Region
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Description
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this panorama of boxwork formations — the low ridges seen here with hollows in between them — using its Mastcam on Sept. 26, 2025, the 4,671st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. These boxwork formations were created billions of years ago when water leaked through rock cracks. Minerals carried into the cracks later hardened; after eons of windblown sand eroding away the softer rock, the hardened ridges were left exposed.
The panorama is made up of 179 individual images that were stitched together after being sent back to Earth. This natural color view is approximately how the scene would appear to an average person if they were on Mars.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.
For more about Curiosity, visit:
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