Diane Hope, Charlene Ung, and Cathryn Murray-Wooddell oversee preparations for vibration testing of the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) science instrument at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in October 2021. The testing simulates the accelerations and vibrations the instrument will experience during its launch to the International Space Station. Hope is the EMIT mission manager at the NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder Program Office (ESSPPO), Ung is EMIT's project manager at JPL, and Murray-Wooddell is a program analyst from ESSPPO. EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects using its telescope and imaging spectrometer will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. EMIT was developed at JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It is set to launch in June 2022 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the ISS aboard SpaceX's 25th commercial resupply mission. Once EMIT begins operation, its data will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25150

Engineers and technicians at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California assemble components of the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission instrument in December 2021. The upper portion consists of EMIT's optical subsystem, including a telescope and imaging spectrometer, while the baseplate below holds electronics. EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25146

NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) collected this hyperspectral image of the Amazon River in the northern Brazilian state of Pará on June 30, 2024. The tan and yellow colors represent vegetated land, while the blue and turquoise hues signify water. Clouds are white. This image is part of a new dataset providing new information on global ecosystem biodiversity. EMIT, installed on the International Space Station in 2022, was originally tasked with mapping minerals over Earth's desert regions to help determine the cooling and heating effects that dust can have on regional and global climate. Since early 2024 the instrument has been on an extended mission in which its data is being used in research on a diverse range of topics including agricultural practices, snow hydrology, wildflower blooming, phytoplankton and carbon dynamics in inland waters, ecosystem biodiversity, and functional traits of forests. Imaging spectrometers like EMIT detect the light reflected from Earth and then separate visible and infrared light into hundreds of wavelength bands. Scientists use patterns of reflection and absorption at different wavelengths to determine the composition of whatever the instrument is observing. EMIT is laying the groundwork for NASA's future Surface Biology and Geology-Visible Shortwave Infrared satellite mission. SBG-VSWIR will cover Earth's land and coasts more frequently than EMIT, with finer spatial resolution. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26417

From its vantage point aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission will map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about particle color and composition as the instrument, designed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, orbits over the planet's dry, sparsely vegetated regions. EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25145

The mineral map shows an area of southwestern Libya in the Sahara Desert observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission as it maps the world's mineral dust sources, gathering information about surface composition as the instrument, designed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, orbits aboard the International Space Station. The instrument works by measuring reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists are using these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to identify surface minerals and pinpoint their locations on a map. The map is among the first produced by scientists with EMIT data. Analysis of the patterns indicate that the surface contains kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral, and goethite and hematite, two varieties of iron oxide, which is darker. When dust from the kaolinite-dominated areas is lofted into the atmosphere, the particles tend to scatter sunlight and reflect it back to space, cooling the air. The opposite effect occurs with airborne particles of iron oxide, which tend to absorb heat and warm the surrounding air. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. EMIT was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It launched to the space station in July 2022. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25424

Produced with data from NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission, this image uses two different ways of displaying methane's unique pattern of absorbed infrared light – called a spectral fingerprint. This potent greenhouse gas is estimated to be 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. EMIT uses an imaging spectrometer to detect the spectral fingerprints of various materials on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. Installed on the International Space Station in July 2022, EMIT was originally intended to map the prevalence of minerals in Earth's arid regions, such as the deserts of Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Scientists verified that EMIT could also detect the spectral fingerprints of methane and carbon dioxide exceptionally well when they were checking the accuracy of the image spectrometer's mineral data. The left panel shows an EMIT data cube that spans an area of Turkmenistan roughly 2,500 square miles (6,400 square kilometers). The rainbow colors extending through the data cube represent the spectral fingerprints from each location within the scene at the front of the cube. The purple, orange, and yellow streaks shown on the satellite image represent multiple methane plumes; the colors correspond to differing concentrations of methane. The line graph on the right displays the methane spectral fingerprint measured by EMIT (blue line). The red line displays the expected spectral fingerprint for methane calculated using an atmospheric simulation. The data for this image was collected by EMIT in August 2022. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25593

Data collected by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) on April 23, 2024, indicates the location of a variety of planet communites across a swath of the mid-Atlantic United States. Overlain on a Google base map, each color represents a different type of natural biome or agricultural land. Hyperspectral data such as this is being analyzed in a range of NASA-funded research projects looking at the distribution and traits of plant communities, including agricultural crops. EMIT, installed on the International Space Station in 2022, was originally tasked with mapping minerals over Earth's desert regions to help determine the cooling and heating effects that dust can have on regional and global climate. Since early 2024 the instrument has been on an extended mission in which its data is being used in research on a diverse range of topics including agricultural practices, snow hydrology, wildflower blooming, phytoplankton and carbon dynamics in inland waters, ecosystem biodiversity, and functional traits of forests. Imaging spectrometers like EMIT detect the light reflected from Earth and then separate visible and infrared light into hundreds of wavelength bands. Scientists use patterns of reflection and absorption at different wavelengths to determine the composition of whatever the instrument is observing. EMIT is laying the groundwork for NASA's future Surface Biology and Geology-Visible Shortwave Infrared satellite mission. SBG-VSWIR will cover Earth's land and coasts more frequently than EMIT, with finer spatial resolution. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26418

Since NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer was installed on the International Space Station in late July 2022, the EMIT science team has been validating its data against data gathered in 2018 by NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). EMIT recently collected data from a mountainous area of Nevada about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northeast of Lake Tahoe. The instrument measures reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists use these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to pinpoint the locations of surface minerals on a map. The top left map shows the region both the EMIT and AVIRIS data sets cover. The center image is a mineral map featuring AVIRIS data. At right is a map generated with EMIT data. The center and right images reveal portions of the landscape dominated by kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral that scatters sunlight. This comparison, which shows a close match of the data, was one of many that confirmed the accuracy of EMIT's data. The bottom row features an AVIRIS spectral fingerprint, left, beside EMIT data for the same location. The graphs show agreement in the kaolinite fingerprint region, which is marked in blue. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25428

This image shows the first measurements taken by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) from aboard the International Space Station at 7:51 p.m. PDT (10:51 p.m. EDT) on July 27, 2022, as it passed over western Australia. The image at the front of the cube shows a mix of materials in western Australia, including exposed soil (brown), vegetation (dark green), agricultural fields (light green), a small river, and clouds. The rainbow colors extending through the main part of the cube are the wavelengths of light (in nanometers), or spectral fingerprints, from corresponding spots in the front image. The line graph (Figure 1) shows spectral fingerprints for a sample of soil, vegetation, and a river from the image cube. Radiance indicates the amount of each wavelength of light reflected from a substance. Researchers use the combination of radiance and wavelength to determine a substance's spectral fingerprint. Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, EMIT works by measuring the hundreds of wavelengths of light reflected from materials on Earth. Different substances reflect different wavelengths of light, producing a kind of spectral fingerprint that, when collected by an imaging spectrometer and analyzed by researchers, reveal what they are made of. When science operations begin later in August 2022, EMIT's primary mission will be to collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals in regions between 50-degrees south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The minerals include hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum. The compositional data EMIT collects will help scientists study the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. Data from EMIT will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24529

NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) detected a cluster of 12 methane plumes on Sept. 1, 2022, in an approximately 150-square-mile (400-square-kilometer) region of southern Uzbekistan. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas about 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide during the time methane spends in the atmosphere, which is typically about a decade. This an area no NASA airborne imaging spectrometers have covered. Whereas EMIT captured the scene in an instant, an airborne campaign might have taken about 65 hours of flight time to cover the same amount of land. The blue shading covers the area captured by EMIT in one "scene," which is 50 miles by 50 miles (80 kilometers by 80 kilometers). The emissions total about 49,734 pounds (22,559 kilograms) per hour. EMIT uses an imaging spectrometer to detect the unique pattern of reflected and absorbed light – called a spectral fingerprint – from various materials on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. Perched on the International Space Station, EMIT was originally intended to map the prevalence of minerals in Earth's arid regions, such as the deserts of Africa and Australia. Scientists verified that EMIT could also detect methane and carbon dioxide when they were checking the accuracy of the image spectrometer's mineral data. EMIT was selected from the Earth Venture Instrument-4 solicitation under the Earth Science Division of NASA Science Mission Directorate and was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14, 2022. The instrument's data will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26113

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission instrument (right) sits in the "trunk" that will travel aboard SpaceX's 25th cargo resupply mission – planned for June 7, 2022 – to the International Space Station. This image was taken May 3, 2022, at SpaceX's Dragonland facility in Florida. Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, EMIT will map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about particle color and composition as it orbits over the planet's dry, sparsely vegetated regions. After being mounted on the space station, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. The white covering will prevent the spread of the heat the instrument generates, keeping it from affecting the space station and nearby instruments. EMIT will be one of two pieces of equipment transported to the space station in the external cargo "trunk" on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The other (left) is a Battery Charge/Discharge Unit. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25148

A plume of methane – a potent greenhouse gas about 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – is detected flowing from an area southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in an image that uses data from NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission. The 2-mile (3.3-kilometer) long plume originates in an area known as the Permian Basin, which spans parts of southeastern New Mexico and western Texas and is one of the largest oilfields in the world. EMIT uses an imaging spectrometer to detect the unique pattern of reflected and absorbed light – called a spectral fingerprint – from various materials on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere. Perched on the International Space Station, EMIT was originally intended to map the prevalence of minerals in Earth's arid regions, such as the deserts of Africa and Australia. Scientists verified that EMIT could also detect methane and carbon dioxide when they were checking the accuracy of the image spectrometer's mineral data. The data for these images was collected by EMIT in August 2022. Scientists estimate flow rates of 20.2 tons (18.3 metric tons) per hour at the Permian site, 55.6 tons (50.4 metric tons) per hour in total for the Turkmenistan sources, and 9.4 tons (8.5 metric tons) per hour at the Iran site. While quite large, these emission rates are broadly consistent with previous studies of locations like the Permian Basin, as well as emission source types like landfills. The Turkmenistan example has a similar magnitude to the 2015 Aliso Canyon Blowout. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25592

The front panel of this image cube shows the true-color view of an area in northwest Nevada observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint for every point in the image, which shows an area about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northeast of Lake Tahoe. The instrument works by measuring reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists are using these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to identify surface minerals and pinpoint their locations on a map. The cube was among the first created by EMIT scientists as they confirmed that the instrument was collecting data accurately before the start of science operations. Analysis of the patterns indicate areas dominated by kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral. When dust from the kaolinite-dominated areas is lofted into the atmosphere, the particles tend to scatter sunlight and reflect it back to space, cooling the air. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. Since EMIT was installed on the International Space Station in late July 2022, the science team has been validating the data it collects against data gathered in 2018 by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). EMIT and AVIRIS were developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25427

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission instrument (left) sits in the "trunk" that will travel aboard SpaceX's 25th cargo resupply mission – planned for June 7, 2022 – to the International Space Station. This image was taken May 3, 2022, at SpaceX's Dragonland facility in Florida. Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, EMIT will map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about particle color and composition as it orbits over the planet's dry, sparsely vegetated regions. After being mounted on the space station, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, kaolinite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. The mirror-like side radiator panels are designed to keep the instrument's interior electronics and optics at a low enough temperature to work optimally. The white covering will prevent the spread of the heat the instrument generates, keeping it from affecting the space station and nearby instruments. EMIT will be one of two pieces of equipment transported to the space station in the external cargo "trunk" on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The other (left) is a Battery Charge/Discharge Unit. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25149

The front panel of this image cube features the true-color view of an area in southwest Libya observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) imaging spectrometer, which orbits the planet aboard the International Space Station. The side panels depict the spectral fingerprint for every point in the image, which shows an area about 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of Tripoli. The instrument works by measuring reflected solar energy from Earth across hundreds of wavelengths, from the visible to the infrared range of the spectrum. The intensity of the reflected light varies by wavelength based on the material. Scientists use these patterns, called spectral fingerprints, to identify surface minerals and pinpoint their locations on a map. The cube is among the first created by scientists with EMIT data. Analysis of the patterns indicated that the surface contains kaolinite, a light-colored clay mineral, and goethite and hematite, two varieties of iron oxide, which is darker. When dust from the kaolinite-dominated areas is lofted into the atmosphere, the particles tend to scatter sunlight and reflect it back to space, cooling the air. The opposite effect occurs with airborne particles of iron oxide, which tend to absorb heat and warm the surrounding air. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25430

Scientists on NASA's EMIT mission used data from its powerful imaging spectrometer, developed at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to map the presence and geographic distributions of three key minerals in the planet's arid regions. The three substances – hematite, goethite, and kaolinite – are thought to have an effect on atmospheric and surface temperatures when wind lofts them into the air, forming dust storms. The data, collected over the course of a year ending in November 2023, was used to create this map. Red represents hematite, green goethite, and blue kaolinite. Magenta indicates regions with hematite and kaolinite, while yellow shows areas that hematite and goethite, and cyan signifies locations with goethite and kaolinite. White indicates the presence of all three, and black signifies portions of the study area that contain none of them. In total, EMIT – short for the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation – is mapping 10 minerals as part of its prime mission. In addition to hematite, goethite, and kaolinite, it is also monitoring illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum. Launched to the International Space Station in July 2022, EMIT was developed in response to the need for more detailed surface mineral composition information to advance climate science. Researchers know that darker, iron oxide-rich substances, such as hematite and goethite, absorb the Sun's energy and warm the surrounding air, while non-iron-based, whiter substances like kaolinite reflect light and heat, cooling the air. Whether those effects have a net warming or cooling impact, however, has remained uncertain. The missing piece has been the composition – the color, essentially – of the surface in the places dust typically originates. To date, the mission has captured more than 55,000 "scenes" – 50-by-50-mile (80-by-80-kilometer) images of the surface – in its study area, which includes arid regions within a 6,900-mile-wide (11,000-kilometer-wide) belt between 51.6 degrees north and south latitude. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26116

This image shows locations in parts of North Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia observed by NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT). Each blue box is a "scene" the instrument, which is aboard the International Space Station, has captured. The red box indicates where the instrument recently gathered data on three minerals in a location in southwest Libya, in the Sahara Desert. Installed on the space station in July 2022, EMIT orbits Earth about once every 90 minutes to map the world's mineral-dust sources, gathering information about surface composition as the instrument completes about 16 orbits per day. Over the course of its 12-month mission, EMIT will collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals – kaolinite, hematite, goethite, illite, vermiculite, calcite, dolomite, montmorillonite, chlorite, and gypsum – in arid regions between 50-degree south and north latitudes in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia. The data EMIT collects will help scientists better understand the role of airborne dust particles in heating and cooling Earth's atmosphere on global and regional scales. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25429

The sun emitted a solar flare on Dec. 4, 2014, seen as the flash of light in this image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The image blends two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light – 131 and 171 Angstroms – which are typically colored in teal and gold, respectively. Read more: <a href="http://1.usa.gov/121n7PP" rel="nofollow">1.usa.gov/121n7PP</a> Image Credit: NASA/SDO

Astroculture is a suite of technologies used to produce and maintain a closed controlled environment for plant growth. The two most recent missions supported growth of potato, dwarf wheat, and mustard plants, and provided scientists with the first opportunity to conduct true plant research in space. Light emitting diodes have particular usefulness for plant growth lighting because they emit a much smaller amount of radiant heat than do conventional lighting sources and because they have potential of directing a higher percentage of the emitted light onto plants surfaces. Furthermore, the high output LED's have emissions in the 600-700 nm waveband, which is of highest efficiency for photosynthesis by plants.

The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 12:22 p.m. EDT on March 11, 2015. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare is classified as an X2.2-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Caption: A burst of solar material leaps off the left side of the sun in what’s known as a prominence eruption. This image combines three images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured on May 3, 2013, at 1:45 pm EDT, just as an M-class solar flare from the same region was subsiding. The images include light from the 131, 171 and 304 Angstrom wavelengths. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO --- The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided. This flare is classified as an M5.7 class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013. Updates will be provided as they are available on the flare and whether there was an associated coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Caption: A burst of solar material leaps off the left side of the sun in what’s known as a prominence eruption. This image combines three images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured on May 3, 2013, at 1:45 pm EDT, just as an M-class solar flare from the same region was subsiding. The images include light from the 131, 171 and 304 Angstrom wavelengths. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO --- The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided. This flare is classified as an M5.7 class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013. Updates will be provided as they are available on the flare and whether there was an associated coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Caption: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an M5.7 class flare on May 3, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. This image shows light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength of light that can show material at the very hot temperatures of a solar flare and that is typically colorized in teal. Caption: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an M5.7 class flare on May 3, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. This image shows light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength of light that can show material at the very hot temperatures of a solar flare and that is typically colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO --- The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided. This flare is classified as an M5.7 class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013. Updates will be provided as they are available on the flare and whether there was an associated coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Caption: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an M5.7 class flare on May 3, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. This image shows light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength of light that can show material at the very hot temperatures of a solar flare and that is typically colorized in teal. Caption: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an M5.7 class flare on May 3, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. This image shows light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength of light that can show material at the very hot temperatures of a solar flare and that is typically colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO --- The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided. This flare is classified as an M5.7 class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013. Updates will be provided as they are available on the flare and whether there was an associated coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on Dec. 4, 2014, an M6.1-class, seen as the flash of light in the lower right of this image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The image blends two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light – 131 and 171 Angstroms – which are typically colored in teal and gold, respectively. Read more: <a href="http://1.usa.gov/121n7PP" rel="nofollow">1.usa.gov/121n7PP</a> Image Credit: NASA/SDO <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Caption: This image from June 20, 2013, at 11:15 p.m. EDT shows the bright light of a solar flare on the left side of the sun and an eruption of solar material shooting through the sun’s atmosphere, called a prominence eruption. Shortly thereafter, this same region of the sun sent a coronal mass ejection out into space. --- On June 20, 2013, at 11:24 p.m., the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and ESA/NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 1350 miles per second, which is a fast speed for CMEs. Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they funnel energy into Earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. The CME’s magnetic fields peel back the outermost layers of Earth's fields changing their very shape. Magnetic storms can degrade communication signals and cause unexpected electrical surges in power grids. They also can cause aurora. Storms are rare during solar minimum, but as the sun’s activity ramps up every 11 years toward solar maximum – currently expected in late 2013 -- large storms occur several times per year. In the past, geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs of this strength and direction have usually been mild. Read more: <a href="http://1.usa.gov/14OxuEe" rel="nofollow">1.usa.gov/14OxuEe</a> Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

Caption: This image from June 20, 2013, at 11:15 p.m. EDT shows the bright light of a solar flare on the left side of the sun and an eruption of solar material shooting through the sun’s atmosphere, called a prominence eruption. Shortly thereafter, this same region of the sun sent a coronal mass ejection out into space. --- On June 20, 2013, at 11:24 p.m., the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and ESA/NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 1350 miles per second, which is a fast speed for CMEs. Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they funnel energy into Earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. The CME’s magnetic fields peel back the outermost layers of Earth's fields changing their very shape. Magnetic storms can degrade communication signals and cause unexpected electrical surges in power grids. They also can cause aurora. Storms are rare during solar minimum, but as the sun’s activity ramps up every 11 years toward solar maximum – currently expected in late 2013 -- large storms occur several times per year. In the past, geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs of this strength and direction have usually been mild. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 3:01 p.m. EDT on Oct. 2, 2014. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun 24-hours a day, captured images of the flare. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare is classified as an M7.3 flare. M-class flares are one-tenth as powerful as the most powerful flares, which are designated X-class flares. Download high res: <a href="http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=11670" rel="nofollow">svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=11670</a> Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 12:22 p.m. EDT on March 11, 2015. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare is classified as an X2.2-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 131 Ångström wavelengths. The Earth is shown to scale. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SDO <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

iss052e073846 (Aug. 25, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer installling the Biological Research In Canisters (BRIC) Light Emitting Diode (LED) for future BRIC-LED experiments.

iss052e073850 (Aug. 25, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Jack Fischer installs hardware Biological Research In Canisters - Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED) for future experiments investigating seedling, microbial, or fungal growth.

What started out as an attempt to develop a light which would allow for the growth of plants in space led to a remarkable discovery: The Light Emitting Diode (LED). This device through extensive study and experimentation has developed into a tool used by surgeons in the fight against brain cancer in children. Pictured is a mock-up of brain surgery being performed. By encapsulating the end of the LED with a balloon, light is diffused over a larger area of the brain allowing the surgeon a better view. This is one of many programs that begin as research for the space program, and through extensive study end up benefitting all of mankind.

The red light from the Light Emitting Diode (LED) probe shines through the fingers of Dr. Harry Whelan, a pediatric neurologist at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Dr. Whelan uses the long waves of light from the LED surgical probe to activate special drugs that kill brain tumors. Laser light previously has been used for this type of surgery, but the LED light illuminates through all nearby tissues, reaching parts of tumors that shorter wavelengths of laser light carnot. The new probe is safer because the longer wavelengths of light are cooler than the shorter wavelengths of laser light, making the LED less likely to injure normal brain tissue near the tumor. Also, it can be used for hours at a time while still remaining cool to the touch. The probe was developed for photodynamic cancer therapy under a NASA Small Business Innovative Research Program grant. The program is part of NASA's Technology Transfer Department at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

A special lighting technology was developed for space-based commercial plant growth research on NASA's Space Shuttle. Surgeons have used this technology to treat brain cancer on Earth, in two successful operations. The treatment technique called photodynamic therapy, requires the surgeon to use tiny pinhead-size Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (a source releasing long wavelengths of light) to activate light-sensitive, tumor-treating drugs. Laser light has been used for this type of surgery in the past, but the LED light illuminates through all nearby tissues, reaching parts of a tumor that shorter wavelengths of laser light carnot. The new probe is safer because the longer wavelengths of light are cooler than the shorter wavelengths of laser light, making the LED less likely to injure normal brain tissue near the tumor. It can also be used for hours at a time while still remaining cool to the touch. The LED probe consists of 144 tiny pinhead-size diodes, is 9-inches long, and about one-half-inch in diameter. The small balloon aids in even distribution of the light source. The LED light source is compact, about the size of a briefcase, and can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a laser. The probe was developed for photodynamic cancer therapy by the Marshall Space Flight Center under a NASA Small Business Innovative Research program grant.

Three X-class flares erupted from the left side of the sun June 10-11, 2014. These images are from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and show light in a blend of two ultraviolet wavelengths: 171 and 131 angstroms. The former is colorized in yellow; the latter, in red. Read more: <a href="http://1.usa.gov/1lneJ3p" rel="nofollow">1.usa.gov/1lneJ3p</a> Credit: NASA/SDO <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

A special lighting technology was developed for space-based commercial plant growth research on NASA's Space Shuttle. Surgeons have used this technology to treat brain cancer on Earth, in two successful operations. The treatment technique, called Photodynamic Therapy, requires the surgeon to use tiny, pinhead-size Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (a source that releases long wavelengths of light ) to activate light-sensitive, tumor-treating drugs. "A young woman operated on in May 1999 has fully recovered with no complications and no evidence of the tumor coming back," said Dr. Harry Whelan, a pediatric neurologist at the Medical Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Laser light has been used for this type of surgery in the past, but the LED light illuminates through all nearby tissues, reaching parts of a tumor that shorter wavelengths of laser light carnot. The new probe is safer because the longer wavelengths of light are cooler than the shorter wavelengths of laser light, making the LED less likely to injure normal brain tissue near the tumor. It can be used for hours at a time while still remaining cool to the touch. The LED light source is compact, about the size of a briefcase, and can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a laser. The LEDs, developed and managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, have been used on seven Space Shuttle flights inside the Microgravity Astroculture Facility. This technology has also been successfully used to further commercial research in crop growth.

Illumination in this image comes from MAHLI two ultraviolet LEDs, which emit light in a waveband centered at a wavelength of 365 nanometers in this image of a calibration target on NASA Mars rover Curiosity.

Our planet emits energy as thermal infrared radiation at wavelengths we cannot normally see but can feel -- for example, if we stand close to a hot surface. This map is from NASA ASTER GED.

This graphic, using data from NASA Cassini spacecraft, shows how the south polar terrain of Saturn moon Enceladus emits much more power than scientists had originally predicted.

Stardust Capsule Return as seen from NASA DC-8 Airborne Laboratory with a mission to explore the conditions during reentry from the light emitted by the fireball caused when the capsule streaked through the sky

This image from NASA Phoenix Mars Lander of the Canadian-built meteorological station lidar, which was successfully activated on Sol 2 by first opening its dust cover, then emitting rapid pulses of light.

The magnetic field of our Milky Way galaxy as seen by ESA Planck satellite. This image was compiled from the first all-sky observations of polarized light emitted by interstellar dust in the Milky Way.

iss067e191368 (July 24, 2022) --- At right, the Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation, or EMIT, after retrieving it from the trunk of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft. EMIT was installed on ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-1 (top center) on the port side of the International Space Station's truss structure. The station's main solar arrays are also seen extending from the port truss segment. EMIT is a mineral dust source observation experiment that explores the Earth’s mineral dust cycle.

Astroculture is a suite of technologies used to produce and maintain a closed controlled environment for plant growth. The two most recent missions supported growth of potato, dwarf wheat, and mustard plants and provided scientists with the first opportunity to conduct true plant research in space. Light emitting diodes have particular usefulness for plant growth lighting because they emit a much smaller amount of radiant heat than do conventional lighting sources and because they have potential of directing a higher percentage of the emitted light onto plants surfaces. Furthermore, the high output LED's have emissions in the 600-700 nm waveband, which is of highest efficiency for photosynthesis by plants.

The blue dots in this field of galaxies, known as the COSMOS field, show galaxies that contain supermassive black holes emitting high-energy X-rays. The black holes were detected by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, or NuSTAR, which spotted 32 such black holes in this field and has observed hundreds across the whole sky so far. The other colored dots are galaxies that host black holes emitting lower-energy X-rays, and were spotted by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Chandra data show X-rays with energies between 0.5 to 7 kiloelectron volts, while NuSTAR data show X-rays between 8 to 24 kiloelectron volts. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20865

This image of a Martian rock dubbed Sayunei is illuminated by ultraviolet LEDs light emitting diodes is part of the first set of nighttime images taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imagery camera at the end of the robotic arm of NASA Mars rover Curiosity.

During pre-flight testing in March 2011, the Mars Hand Lens Imager MAHLI camera on NASA Mars rover Curiosity took this image of the MAHLI calibration target under illumination from MAHLI two ultraviolet LEDs light emitting diodes.

How did scientists know that NASA Voyager spacecraft entered interstellar space? Increase in the density of charged particles was the key piece of evidence. Our sun sits in a bubble, called the heliosphere, carved out by wind emitted from the hot sun.

A Martian rock in the Yellowknife Bay area of Mars Gale Crater is illuminated by white-light light emitting diodes is part of the first set of nighttime images taken by the MAHLI camera at the end of the robotic arm of NASA Mars rover Curiosity.

Two Phase Flow Facility, Toffy Modular Light Emitting Diode (LED) Light System Camera file: 45548822 PSD on backup Pictured: Arthur Stackowicz

This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Tarantula Nebula in two wavelengths of infrared light, each represented by a different color. The red color at the heart of the nebula shows the presence of particularly hot gas emitting infrared light at a wavelength of 4.5 micrometers. The blue regions are dust composed of molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are also found in ash from coal, wood and oil fires on Earth. Regions emitting both wavelengths appear white. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23646

jsc2022e042616 (5/20/2022) --- The EMIT instrument before the enclosure panels were attached. The long tube in the foreground is the EMIT telescope baffle. The telescope resides in the large aluminum cube behind the baffle, and the spectrometer assembly is attached to the back of the telescope. The entire assembly is called the Optical Bench Assembly, or OBA. The OBA sits above the Electronics Mounting Plate, which is home to all of the instrument electronics and the cryocooler (not visible). Image courtesy of JPL.

This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Tarantula Nebula in three wavelengths of infrared light, each represented by a different color. The magenta-colored regions are dust composed of molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are also found in ash from coal, wood and oil fires on Earth. PAHs emit in multiple wavelengths. The PAHs emit in multiple wavelengths, so the magenta color is a combination of red (corresponding to an infrared wavelength of 8 micrometers) and blue (3.6 micrometers). The green color in this image shows the presence of particularly hot gas emitting infrared light at a wavelength of 4.5 micrometers. The stars in the image are mostly a combination of green and blue. White hues indicate regions that radiate in all three wavelengths. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23647

Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator, participates in a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator, participates in a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

NASA's Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) mission will measure the amount of heat Earth emits into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. Data from the mission will improve computer models researchers use to predict how Earth's ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world. This artist's concept depicts one of two PREFIRE CubeSats in orbit around Earth. Earth absorbs a lot of the Sun's energy at the tropics, and weather and ocean currents transport that heat to the poles. Ice, snow, clouds, and other parts of the polar environment emit the heat into space, much of it in the form of far-infrared radiation. The difference between how much heat Earth absorbs at the tropics and then radiates out to space from the Arctic and Antarctic determines the planet's temperature and drives a dynamic system of climate and weather. But far-infrared emissions at the poles have never been systematically measured. This is where PREFIRE comes in. The mission will help researchers gain a clearer understanding of when and where Earth's poles emit far-infrared radiation, as well as how atmospheric water vapor and clouds influence the amount that escapes to space. PREFIRE is composed of two roughly shoebox-size CubeSats outfitted with specialized miniature heat sensors that will give researchers a more accurate picture of how much heat Earth emits into space. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26185

iss054e001485 (Dec. 19, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Joe Acaba with Biological Research in Canisters - Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED) canisters prior to installation in the Destiny Laboratory to provide capabilities for seedling, microbial, or fungal growth investigations.

iss054e001490 (Dec. 19, 2017) --- Biological Research in Canisters - Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED) locker installed in the Destiny Laboratory to provide capabilities for seedling, microbial, or fungal growth investigations.

Employees of Daimler-Benz Aerospace in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility install insulation on the Cryogenic Infrared Spectro-meters and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) payload for the STS-85 mission. The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s middle atmosphere. During the 11- day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The final tasks to prepare the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) payload for the STS-85 mission are completed aboard Discovery at Launch Complex 39A. The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s middle atmosphere. During the 11-day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere.

Employees of Daimler-Benz Aerospace in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility install insulation on the Cryogenic Infrared Spectro-meters and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) payload for the STS-85 mission. The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s middle atmosphere. During the 11- day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery's payload bay doors are closed in preparation for the flight of mission STS-85. The payload includes the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2). The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s middle atmosphere. During the 11-day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere.

Employees of Daimler-Benz Aerospace in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility install insulation on the Cryogenic Infrared Spectro-meters and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) payload for the STS-85 mission. The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s middle atmosphere. During the 11- day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The final tasks to prepare the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) payload for the STS-85 mission are completed aboard Discovery at Launch Complex 39A. The CRISTA is a system of three telescopes and four spectrometers to measure infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s middle atmosphere. During the 11-day mission, the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free-flying satellite will be deployed from Discovery and retrieved later in the flight. Also onboard the satellite will be the Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) to measure ultraviolet radiation emitted and scattered by the Earth’s atmosphere.

A climate conversation is held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. Participants, from left are Moderator Tylar Greene, NASA Communications; Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and climate advisor; Heidi Parris, associate scientist, International Space Station Program; Mike Roberts, chief scientist, ISS National Lab; Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator; and Paula do Vale Pereira, BeaverCube, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

A climate conversation is held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. Participants, from left are Moderator Tylar Greene, NASA Communications; Kate Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and climate advisor; Heidi Parris, associate scientist, International Space Station Program; Mike Roberts, chief scientist, ISS National Lab; Rob Green, JPL senior research scientist and EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) principal investigator; and Paula do Vale Pereira, BeaverCube, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.

This image of a xenon ion engine, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows the faint blue glow of charged atoms being emitted from the engine. The ion propulsion engine is the first non-chemical propulsion to be used as the primary means of propelling a spacecraft. Though the thrust of the ion propulsion is about the same as the downward pressure of a single sheet of paper, by the end of the mission, the ion engine will have changed the spacecraft speed by about 13,700 kilometers/hour (8500 miles/hour). Even then, it will have expended only about 64 kg of its 81.5 kg supply of xenon propellant. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04247

An engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California inspects the gamma ray and neutron spectrometer instrument as it is integrated into the agency's Psyche spacecraft on Aug. 23, 2021. Psyche, set to launch in August 2022, will investigate a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, which lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists believe the asteroid could be part or all of the iron-rich interior of an early planetary building block that was stripped of its outer rocky shell as it repeatedly collided with other large bodies during the early formation of the solar system. The spacecraft will use the GRNS to study the neutrons and gamma rays coming from the asteroid's surface to help determine its elemental composition. As cosmic rays and high energy particles impact the surface of Psyche, the elements that make up the surface material absorb the energy and in response emit neutrons and gamma rays of varying energy levels. These emitted neutrons and gamma rays can be detected by the GRNS and analyzed by scientists, who can match their properties to those emitted by known elements to determine what Psyche is made of. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24892

This image shows one of two shoebox-size satellites that make up NASA's Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) mission. PREFIRE will measure the amount of heat Earth emits into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. Data from the cube satellites, or CubeSats, will improve computer models researchers use to predict how Earth's ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world. Earth absorbs a lot of the Sun's energy at the tropics, and weather and ocean currents transport that heat to the poles. Ice, snow, clouds, and other parts of the polar environment emit the heat into space, much of it in the form of far-infrared radiation. The difference between this incoming and outgoing heat helps to determines the planet's temperature and drives a dynamic system of climate and weather. But far-infrared emissions at the poles have never been systematically measured. This is where PREFIRE comes in. The crucial instrument on each spacecraft is a thermal infrared spectrometer, which will measure wavelengths of light in the far-infrared range. The mission will help researchers gain a clearer understanding of when and where Earth's poles emit far-infrared radiation, as well as how atmospheric water vapor and clouds influence the amount that escapes to space. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26186

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California integrate the gamma ray and neutron spectrometer instrument into the agency's Psyche spacecraft on Aug. 23, 2021. Psyche, set to launch in August 2022, will investigate a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, which lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists believe the asteroid could be part or all of the iron-rich interior of an early planetary building block that was stripped of its outer rocky shell as it repeatedly collided with other large bodies during the early formation of the solar system. The spacecraft will use the GRNS to study the neutrons and gamma rays coming from the asteroid's surface to help determine its elemental composition. As cosmic rays and high energy particles impact the surface of Psyche, the elements that make up the surface material absorb the energy and in response emit neutrons and gamma rays of varying energy levels. These emitted neutrons and gamma rays can be detected by the GRNS and analyzed by scientists, who can match their properties to those emitted by known elements to determine what Psyche is made of. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24891

The Laminar Soot Processes (LSP) Experiment Mounting Structure (EMS) was used to conduct the LSP experiment on Combustion Module-1. The EMS was inserted into the nozzle on the EMS and ignited by a hot wire igniter. The flame and its soot emitting properties were studied.

iss054e001472 (Dec. 19, 2017) --- NASA astronaut Joe Acaba with Biological Research in Canisters - Light Emitting Diode (BRIC-LED) canisters in the Destiny Laboratory prior to installation to provide capabilities for seedling, microbial, or fungal growth investigations. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is visible in the background.

The star-forming nebula W51 is one of the largest "star factories" in the Milky Way galaxy. Interstellar dust blocks the visible light emitted by the region, but it is revealed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which captures infrared light that can penetrate dust clouds. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23865

This 1970 photograph shows the flight unit for Skylab's Ultraviolet (UV) Scarning Polychromator Spectroheliometer, an Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) facility. It was designed to observe temporal changes in UV radiation emitted by the Sun's chromosphere and lower corona. The Marshall Space Flight Center had program management responsibility for the development of Skylab hardware and experiments.

This chart describes scientific parameters of the Skylab Ultraviolet (UV) Scanning Polychromator Spectroheliometer, one the eight Apollo Telescope Mount facilities. It was designed to observe and provide temporal changes in UV radiation emitted by the Sun's chromosphere and lower corona. The Marshall Space Flight Center had program management responsibility for the development of skylab hardware and experiments.

jsc2025e067423 (8/5/20250 --- Germicidal UV light is emitted by an optical fiber running through the center of an agar plate. Researchers are testing whether microgravity changes the ability of the light to prevent growth of microbial communities known as biofilms. Credit: Arizona State University

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Swift spacecraft, fully encased inside the payload transfer canister, is secured on a transport vehicle for a trip to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Spectrum Astro Inc. technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida lower the protective cover over the Swift spacecraft before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A Boeing technician in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida attaches two of the lower segments of the payload transfer canister being installed around the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. secure the plastic cover around the Swift spacecraft before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. prepare to cover the Swift spacecraft with plastic before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Boeing technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida install a second ring of segments of the payload transfer canister around the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. secure the plastic cover around the Swift spacecraft before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. prepare to cover the Swift spacecraft with plastic before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. complete securing the plastic cover around the Swift spacecraft before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. prepare to lower the protective cover over the Swift spacecraft before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Boeing technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida attach the top of the payload transfer canister to the lower segments that surround the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft. The top holds an additional cover that will be lowered into place over the canister. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Boeing technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida maneuver a segment of the payload transfer canister into place around the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - With four rows of payload transfer canister segments in place around the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft, Boeing technicians lower the top into place. The top holds an additional cover that will be lowered into place over the canister. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, technicians with Spectrum Astro Inc. lower the protective cover over the Swift spacecraft before moving it to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Swift spacecraft, fully encased inside the payload transfer canister, is lifted onto a transport vehicle for a trip to the launch pad. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

The blue dots in this field of galaxies, known as the COSMOS field, show galaxies that contain supermassive black holes emitting high-energy X-rays. The black holes were detected by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, or NuSTAR, which spotted 32 such black holes in this field and has observed hundreds across the whole sky so far. The other colored dots are galaxies that host black holes emitting lower-energy X-rays, and were spotted by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Chandra data show X-rays with energies between 0.5 to 7 kiloelectron volts, while NuSTAR data show X-rays between 8 to 24 kiloelectron volts. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20865

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Boeing technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida install the lower part of the payload transfer canister around the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Boeing technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida secure bands around the payload transfer canister to hold the plastic cover in place. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Boeing technicians in Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida set up segments of the payload transfer canister that will be installed around the plastic-wrapped Swift spacecraft. The launch of the Swift observatory, a NASA spacecraft to pinpoint the location of gamma-ray bursts, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from Pad 17-A on CCAFS. Liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. They are the most powerful explosions known in the universe, emitting more than 100 billion times the energy that the Sun emits in a year. Yet they last only from a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear in the same spot again.

This illustration shows how newly discovered organic compounds — the ingredients of amino acids — were detected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in the ice grains emitted from Saturn's moon Enceladus. Powerful hydrothermal vents eject material from Enceladus' core into the moon's massive subsurface ocean. After mixing with the water, the material is released into space as water vapor and ice grains. Condensed onto the ice grains are nitrogen- and oxygen-bearing organic compounds. On Earth hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor provide the energy that fuels reactions that produce amino acids, the building blocks of life. Scientists believe Enceladus' hydrothermal vents may operate in the same way, supplying energy that leads to the production of amino acids. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23173

Popocatepetl, Mexico's most active volcano, erupted on February 23, sending blocks and bombs down the volcano's flanks, and emitting an ash column 1 km above the summit. Two days later, an ash cloud was still seen coming from the volcano. The thermal infrared color composite reveals a hot spot (red) at the summit crater. The dark red color near the vent of the east-blowing ash cloud suggests that its composition is dominantly ash material; further downwind, the color changes to purple, suggesting that some of the ash particles may be ice-covered. The images were acquired February 25, 2020, cover an area of 18 by 22.5 km, and are located at 19 degrees north, 98.6 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23680

jsc2022e057881 (2/25/2022) --- Launch configuration of the HSU-SAT1 1-Unit (1U) CubeSat. HSU-SAT1 provides a demonstration that modulated infrared light emitted from a ground station can be used as a command transmission link. HSU-SAT1 also evaluates new technologies for electrical power supply, on board computing, and other satellite bus components. Image courtesy of Future Science Institute.

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks at the dedication of the newest display at the entrance to the center's visitor complex. The historic countdown clock was originally set up at the space center's Press Site and was used from the launch of Apollo 12 on Nov. 14, 1969 to the final space shuttle mission, STS-135, launched on July 8, 2011. The old countdown clock was replaced in 2014 with a modern light emitting diode, or LED, display.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Hyeon-Hye Kim, a plant physiologist with the National Research Council at the Space Life Sciences Lab, discusses the growing of plants utilizing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Lab for members of the news media. A major challenge to growing plants in space will be controlling and supplying sufficient quantity and quality of light. LEDs represent an innovative artificial lighting source with several features specific for supporting plants, whether on space-based transit vehicles or planetary life support systems.