Tenoumer Crater, Mauritania – One of the Best-Preserved Craters on Earth
One of the best-preserved craters on Earth lies deep within the Sahara Desert. On Asteroid Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite mission takes us over the…
European Space Agency
Read the latest news and developments related to ESA, the European Space Agency. Established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris, ESA is an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Riskiest Asteroid Known to Humankind in the Last Year Will Not Strike Earth for at Least 100 Years
Impact in 2052 ruled out as the European Space Agency (ESA) counts down to Asteroid Day Just in time for worldwide Asteroid Day: a threatening…
Astronomy & Astrophysics 101: Dark Matter
What is Dark Matter? Dark matter is a form of matter that cannot currently be observed directly, but is estimated to comprise about 85% of…
Po River – The Longest River in Italy – Dries Up
The Po River, the longest river in Italy, is hitting record low water levels after months without heavy rainfall. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 animation above shows…
BepiColombo Spacecraft Makes Second Gravity Assist of Planet Mercury – Captures Spectacular Close-Ups
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has made its second gravity assist of planet Mercury, capturing new close-up images as it steers closer towards Mercury orbit in…
Hubble Captures a Glittering Hoard in an Astronomical Treasure Trove
The sparkling globular cluster NGC 6569 in the constellation Sagittarius is captured in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble explored the heart…
From Windows 98 to Mars 2022: Major Upgrade for 19-Year-Old Martian Water-Spotter
The MARSIS instrument on the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft, famous for its role in the discovery of signs of liquid water on the…
Exploring Earth From Space: Lake Balkhash – The Largest Lake in Central Asia
Lake Balkhash, the largest lake in Central Asia, is featured in this false-color satellite image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. The lake, which is…
BepiColombo Spacecraft Lines Up for Second Planet Mercury Flyby
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is gearing up for its second close flyby of Mercury on June 23, 2022. ESA’s spacecraft operation team is guiding BepiColombo…
Hubble Captures Incredible Snapshot of a Massive Galaxy Cluster
The massive galaxy cluster Abell 1351 is captured in this image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for…
Exploring Earth From Space: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Part of the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, which lies along the coast of southeast Alaska, is featured in this detailed satellite image captured…
Infographic: Anatomy of a Comet
Comets are cosmic snowballs, the frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of frozen gases, dust, and rock. They range in size…
ESA’s Comet Interceptor Approved for Construction
In 2019, the European Space Agency (ESA) selected Comet Interceptor as a new fast-class (F-class) mission. These missions, where “fast” refers to development speed, are…
Starquakes! Gaia Spacecraft Sees Strange Stars in Most Detailed Milky Way Survey to Date
Gaia is a mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) to create an precise three-dimensional map of more than a billion stars throughout our Milky…
Hubble Space Telescope Captures a Stunning Cosmic Treasure Chest
On a regular basis, the Hubble Space Telescope releases spectacular images, from incredible spiral galaxies and galactic oddballs to gorgeous pictures of the planets in…
Exploring Earth From Space: City-Island-Nation of Singapore [Video]
This radar image, captured from space by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, shows us the only city-island-nation – Singapore – and one of the busiest ports…
Hubble Investigates a Mysterious Globular Cluster in Search of Clues
Like a gigantic version of Sherlock Holmes’s magnifying glass, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been used to peer into an astronomical mystery in search…
Exploring Earth From Space: Puglia, Italy [Video]
Part of Puglia, or Apulia, a region in southern Italy, is featured in this image captured from space by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Puglia is…
