Space Pictures This Week: Mars Touchdown, Odd Moon, More

Sun Storm

Image courtesy SDO/NASA

A small sunspot called AR1538 (pictured) spewed more than a dozen flares at a rate of nearly one per hour between July 30 and 31, as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

AR1538 is experiencing a heightened period of activity because of tension in the sun's magnetic field.

In a process called magnetic reconnection, magnetic loops along the sun's surface are pulled into a collection of stronger loops, leaving loose ends of unconnected magnetic lines.

When the electrons in these rogue lines hit plasma, the resulting reaction is known as a solar flare.

(See "Solar Flare Sparks Biggest Eruption Ever Seen on Sun.")

Published August 13, 2012

Misshapen Moon

Photograph courtesy NASA

Distortion by Earth's atmosphere gives an elliptical appearance to the August 1 full moon, as seen from the International Space Station.

(Also see "Supermoon Pictures: Best Shots of Year's Biggest Full Moon.")

Published August 13, 2012

The Heat Is On

Photograph courtesy Rick Goodfriend, U.S. Air Force

A heat shield is subjected to punishing testing at the Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee in a recently released picture.

The shield is one of several under scrutiny for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, which will be the flagship of the next-generation U.S. space fleet.

Though Orion resembles its Apollo-era predecessors, the two vehicles' "technology and capability are light-years apart," according to NASA. For instance, Orion will feature a larger, more advanced crew module suitable for long-term spaceflight.

(Read about the future of spaceflight.)

Published August 13, 2012

Galaxy Far, Far Away

Image courtesy Caltech/NASA

In an August 2 Spitzer Space Telescope picture of spiral galaxy M100, blue represents cooler matter, while pink indicates hotter material, particularly in the galaxy's spiral arms.

Studying the M100's size and position is helping astronomers calculate the date of the big bang.

(See "Pictures: New Proof Spiral Galaxies Eat, Digest Dwarfs.")

Published August 13, 2012

Burning Bright

Image courtesy Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, Earth Observatory/SNPP/NASA

Wildfires blaze in eastern Siberia in an August 3 satellite picture snapped by NASA's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite. The bright, squiggly lines are flames, while smoke is seen in light gray.

The instrument is so sensitive to low light that it can detect wildfires at night—a useful tool for estimating the sizes and extents of fast-moving blazes. (See more wildfire pictures.)

Published August 13, 2012

Mission Accomplished

Photograph by Damian Dovarganes, AP

Joyous NASA engineers hug and cheer at receiving confirmation of the Curiosity rover's Mars landing on August 5.

Curiosity will roam the planet's surface for the next two years, transmitting data that could help scientists extrapolate whether life existed on the red planet.

(See "Curiosity Landing on Mars Greeted with Whoops and Tears of Jubilation.")

Published August 13, 2012

Next: More Great Space Pictures

Image by Stephen Mounioloux, Your Shot

Published August 13, 2012