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Map Showing Potential Origins of Martian Meteorite Teghaza 001

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This global map of Mars shows 13 locations that match the mineralogy and chemistry of Teghaza 001, one of the most ancient Martian meteorites ever found on Earth. While scientists can never know for sure where a Martian meteorite originated, Teghaza 001 includes clues that link it to highlands in the southern hemisphere of the Red Planet.

The base map of this image was produced with data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor mission. Scientists used data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to identify areas of the map (noted with white circles) that have similar mineralogy and chemistry as Teghaza 001.

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Source: science.nasa.gov

March 22, 2025

October 10, 2026

March 22, 2025October 10, 2026

March 22, 2025

October 10, 2026

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Shrouded in ice in the lonely Weddell Sea, Vega Island is an eerie sight to behold. On this speck of land east of the Antarctic Peninsula, ice, rock outcrops, and glacial moraines combine to create the appearance of a smirking skull in profile looking toward Devil Island.

These images show Vega Island’s creepy countenance at the start of austral autumn (left) and in spring (right). They were acquired with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 on March 22, 2025, and October 10, 2026, respectively. (Clouds obscured the island in March 2026.) A nunatak jutting out of the ice has the appearance of an eye socket, a lateral moraine forms a mouth, and Bahía del Diablo (Devil’s Bay) Glacier constitutes a jawbone. In the March 2025 image, a layer of snow coats the ice, which is typical of the region’s wettest month. That contrasts with the October 2026 image, when snow is absent from large areas and darker ice surfaces are visible.

Above-average temperatures in winter 2026—particularly in June—were partly responsible for so much bare ice in October, said glaciologist Mauri Pelto of Nichols College. The ice exposed on Vega and nearby islands indicates limited new snow accumulation over the winter, further reduced by sublimation and wind scouring, he said. “The winter season was no treat for these glaciers.”

The melt season ahead may also be more trick than treat. Bare ice is darker than snow and absorbs more solar energy, meaning that melting is poised to speed up as the days grow longer and warmer. “Even a thin cover of new snow from a spring storm would be helpful in the short run,” Pelto said. “When entombed in snow and ice, the skull is preserved. But when exposed to melt, it weathers away, which will lead to a changing jawline and expanding eye socket.”

The first comprehensive mapping of Vega Island’s ice was aided by Landsat imagery. In a study published in 1982, scientists described the island’s four ice caps with protruding rocky cliffs and outlet glaciers. They leveraged early Landsat observations along with aerial photos and topographic maps to catalog 29 glaciers on Vega.

Of those glaciers, Devil’s Bay Glacier has been closely monitored since the austral summer of 1998-1999, with researchers measuring an overall decline in its mass. Satellite images acquired in recent decades show ice loss from other glaciers on the island as well, with increased areas of exposed bedrock.

Long before scientists began tracking its glaciers, Vega was a bright spot in a tale of terror born out of early exploration of the area. The Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1903 set out to study the geography, geology, climate, and wildlife on and around the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. The party became split into three groups during their explorations, isolated for a winter in different locations. Adding to the horror, they lost their ship to the pack ice. Cape Well-met, as it would come to be known, off the “forehead” of the Vega Island skull, was the site of a happy reunion of two of the groups in spring 1903. Soon thereafter, an Argentinean expedition rescued the survivors of the ordeal.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

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References & Resources

• From a Glaciers Perspective (2026, October 24) Snow Free Glacier Surfaces on Antarctic Peninsula October 2026. Accessed October 28, 2026.
• From a Glaciers Perspective (2012, January 22) Northwest Vega Island, Antarctica Glacier Retreat. Accessed October 28, 2026.
• Rabassa, J., et al. (1982) Glacier Inventory of James Ross and Vega Islands, Antarctic Peninsula. Annals of Glaciology, 3, 260–264.
• Skvarca, P., et al. (2004) Mass balance of ‘Glaciar Bahía del Diablo’, Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Annals of Glaciology, 39, 209–213.
• South-Pole, Otto Nordenskjöld. Accessed October 28, 2026.
• Swoop Antarctica (2024, October 8) The greatest Antarctic survival story you’ve never heard of. Accessed October 28, 2026.
• World Glacier Monitoring Service (2025) Glaciar Bahía del Diablo. Accessed October 28, 2026.

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Source: science.nasa.gov

NASA issued a Request for Information Oct. 29 to learn more about industry capabilities for in-space servicing to support the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope.

“Hubble still has important science ahead of it, and we should be looking at every reasonable opportunity to keep it delivering for as long as possible,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “If there are innovative and cost-effective ways to extend the life of an asset already on orbit, we owe it to the American taxpayer and the scientific community to explore them. Extending Hubble’s life would mean more discoveries, more science, and more opportunities to expand our understanding of the universe.”

The Request for Information seeks commercial interest in: potentially conducting a mission to boost Hubble to a higher altitude to extend its science lifetime; servicing Hubble to enhance its capabilities; or performing a safe, controlled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere or orbital disposal at the end of Hubble’s mission.

“Hubble is a national icon that has fundamentally changed how humanity views our universe for more than 35 years,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Commercial industry has rapidly evolved in recent years to offer new capabilities for in-space satellite capture and servicing. Given the time we have until Hubble’s anticipated re-entry, we are eager to explore the breadth of possibilities to boost Hubble to a higher orbit while we develop the flagship mission to follow.”

The Request for Information is available online and will remain open for responses until 3 p.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 30.

Like all spacecraft in low Earth orbit, Hubble’s altitude is slowly decreasing over time because of atmospheric drag. Hubble does not have a propulsion system to maintain its own orbit, and analysis predicts Hubble is likely to re-enter the atmosphere in the 2033 to 2034 timeframe. As such, NASA anticipates that a mission would need to take place by 2032.

The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for more than three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.

To learn more about NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/hubble

Media Contacts:

Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
[email protected]

Claire Andreoli
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
202-286-1940
[email protected]

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America’s newest aerospace expo and air show – MAX POWER – is fast approaching, and NASA has announced key events beginning Friday, Nov. 6, and running through Sunday, Nov. 8, hosted on and near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Through multiple park experiences at MAX POWER, NASA and a variety of external collaborators will showcase the newest aircraft, autonomous vehicles, technologies, and more defining the future of air and space. NASA will display its quiet supersonic X-59 plane, and agency partners will showcase Moon rovers, spacecraft, and more. The expo also is a culmination of the agency’s recent Inspiration Tour, which included numerous flyovers to highlight NASA’s fleet of aircraft.

A current schedule of events is available on the agency’s website.

MAX POWER includes opportunities to meet leadership, astronauts, engineers, scientists, and other subject matter experts during the family-friendly public events with gates opening at 9 a.m. EST on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8.

NASA also will share multiple news updates during the weekend, including hosting a news conference at 5 p.m. on Nov. 7, to provide its latest Moon Base update. Located near the lunar South Pole, the Moon Base is humanity’s first outpost for long-term lunar exploration.

Live coverage of the news conference will stream on a variety of platforms online. Learn where to watch:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Join NASA for Key Events

Media credentialing for this event is closed. Media approved for this event must request interviews in advance. Space in the news conference is limited, and first come, first served. Media also may participate in the news conference virtually. To request call details or an interview, please contact Lauren Low in the NASA Headquarters newsroom at: [email protected].

A short list of key NASA activities during MAX POWER are listed below. All times are listed in Eastern standard time, and are subject to change.

Friday, Nov. 6:

• 2 p.m., to 4 p.m.: Media one-on-one opportunities to preview weekend MAX POWER activities
  • Location: NASA Press Site

Saturday, Nov. 7:

• 10 a.m.: Nuclear NASA media gaggle
  • Location: UP.Summit Main Stage
  • Cynthia Simmons, director, Space Reactors Division

• 11:30 a.m.: Opening air show remarks featuring NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson
  • Location: Air Dot Show Main Stage

• 11:58 a.m.: F-5 flyover in the Air Dot Show featuring NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman

• 12:45 p.m.: Meet the Astronauts: NASA’s Artemis III Crew
  • Location: Air Dot Show Main Stage
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    • ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano (pilot)
    • NASA astronaut Frank Rubio (mission specialist)
    • NASA astronaut Bob Hines, backup crew member
  • NASA will host a media gaggle with crew immediately following this event.

• 1:31 p.m.: MiG-29 flyover featuring Isaacman

• 2 p.m.: Learn about NASA’s Roman Space Telescope
  • Location: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (Journey to Mars Theater)
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• 5 p.m. Moon Base News Conference
  • Location: Press Site Auditorium
  • Participants:
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    • Carlos García-Galán, director, Moon Base
    • Nicky Fox, associate administrator for Science, NASA Headquarters
    • Dayna Ise, director, Utility and Infrastructure, Moon Base Program
  • NASA subject matter experts will be available for one-on-one interviews following this announcement.

Sunday, Nov. 8:

• 9 a.m. NASA’s X-59 media gaggle
  • Location: UP.Summit Exhibit Area
  • Participants:
    • Laurie Grindle, director, NASA Aeronautics Division
    • Peter Coen, NASA Quesst mission manager, NASA Langley
    • Jim “Clue” Less, test pilot, X-59, NASA Armstrong

• 10 a.m.: Student challenge announcement
  • Location: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Rocket Garden
  • Participants:
    • NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
    • Carlos García-Galán, director, Moon Base Program
  • NASA experts may be available for interviews at this location. Media interested in attending must contact Lauren Low by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at: [email protected].

• 11:58 a.m.: F-5 flyover in the Air Dot Show featuring Isaacman

• 12:45 p.m.: United States Space Academy
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  • NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson

• 12:45 p.m.: Meet the Astronauts: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12
  • Location: Air Dot Show Main Stage
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• 1:31 p.m.: MiG-29 flyover featuring Isaacman

For more information about MAX POWER, including the latest schedule of events and how to attend, visit the agency’s website:

https://www.nasa.gov/maxpower

-end-

George Alderman / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
[email protected] / [email protected]

Source: www.nasa.gov

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Slice of Martian Meteorite Teghaza 001

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This slice of Teghaza 001, one of the most ancient Martian meteorites ever found on Earth, was used to determine the age of the rock. Reflected light images like these serve as a scientist’s road map, helping them find minerals of interest to analyze by different instruments.

Figure A is the same image with annotations showing minerals like iron-titanium oxides (brighter grains) and pyroxene (medium gray), both of which tell a story about the formation of Mars’ crust and mantle. Shocked plagioclase (darker gray) is created by extreme pressures during impacts, including the one that sent Teghaza 001 flying through space to Earth. The alteration represents fine grain carbonate, sulfate and clay minerals formed on Earth.

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Twin Travelers

In 1977, NASA launched twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and 2, taking advantage of a once-every-175-year planetary alignment of the four largest planets in our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Using six gravity assists between them, this Grand Tour gave us up-close views of the gas and ice giants, including several moons. By the 1980s, the two probes went their separate ways at Saturn. As Voyager 2 continued toward Uranus and Neptune, Voyager 1 grabbed one more portrait of the solar system (excluding Mercury and Mars), including a final image of the pale blue dot we call home.

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Did you know that a light-minute is a measure of distance, not time? In August 2012 and November 2018, Voyager 1 and 2 crossed the heliopause, the boundary where the Sun’s solar wind meets the interstellar medium. Using NASA’s Deep Space Network, Earth communicates with both spacecraft and tracks each on its journey. At the time of this article, the Canberra antenna tracked Voyager 1 at 25.80 billion km, or just over 16 billion miles.

On November 18, 2026, 49 years after its launch, Voyager 1 will cross the one-light-day mark, 16.1 billion miles from the Sun. You may have heard the term light-year in your favorite sci-fi movie or show, or when stargazing and referring to an object outside of our solar system. This video best demonstrates the different distances between the inner solar system, outer solar system, and beyond, using light measurements. Additionally, track each Voyager spacecraft here.

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Source: science.nasa.gov