Image of The Day

X-ray Clues Reveal Destroyed Planet

In about 5 billion years, our Sun will run out of fuel and expand, possibly engulfing Earth. These end stages of a star’s life can be utterly beautiful – as is the case with this planetary nebula called the Helix Nebula. Astronomers study these objects by looking at all kinds of light. This images show X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (magenta), optical light data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (orange, light blue), infrared data from the European Southern Observatory VISTA telescope (gold, dark blue), and ultraviolet data from GALEX (purple) of the Helix Nebula.

Browse NASA Image Archive

New knowledge about giant lightning bolts in space

Measurements from the large ASIM space project shows a firework of blue lightning and X-ray radiation above thunderclouds. After one year in space, the ASIM (Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor) observatory on the International Space Station (ISS) has given researchers from Denmark’s Technical University (DTU) a new and better understanding of how lightning is created, and how thunderstorms can affect the stratosphere and the climate. Picture: ESA

The Science Circling Above Us on the International Space Station

The International Space Station orbits Earth, 400 km above our heads, running scientific experiments that cannot be done anywhere else. Read on for our bi-weekly update on European science in space. Picture: ESA

ASIM observatory captures first giant lightning

DTU scientists have analysed the first amazing images of a violent thunderstorm over the Earth captured by the ASIM observatory at the International Space Station. Picture: ESA/DTU Space

ASIM observatory now installed

DTU is looking forward to receiving data from the ASIM space observatory, which was installed on the International Space Station (ISS) last weekend. Picture: ESA/P.Thomsen

Congratulations to ASIM launch and installation

IDEAS congratulates the University of Bergen, the Birkeland Centre for Space Science, Terma AS and the Technical University of Denmark with the successful launch and installation of the ASIM instrument featuring the MXGS gamma ray detector on the International Space Station.

New atmosphere instrument on International Space Station looking for thunderstorms

On Friday, April 13, 2018, the Danish ASIM experiment will be installed on the outside of the European Columbus module of the ISS International Space Station. The instrument must give us insight into the luminous phenomena that take place over violent thunderstorms. The Belgian B.USOC is responsible for the infrastructure and operations of ASIM. Picture: DTU Space

The Dragon module carrying ASIM has arrived at the ISS

The Dragon spacecraft with the Danish ASIM project on board has reached the International Space Station. Andreas Mogensen helps guide the spacecraft from the NASA control centre in Houston. Picture: NASA TV

Hunting mystery giant lightning from space

Thunderstorms are some of the most spectacular events in nature, yet what we can see from the surface of our planet is only the beginning.

Prototech with hardware delivery to the climate observatory ASIM at the International Space Station

The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) was successfully launched on April the 2nd by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. On board was equipment delivered by Prototech. Picture: ESA