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[Artist Concept] Neptune-mass exoplanets like the one shown in this artist's rendering may be the most common in the icy regions of planetary systems. Beyond a certain distance from a young star, water and other substances remain frozen, leading to an abundant population of icy objects that can collide and form the cores of new planets. In the foreground, an icy body left over from this period drifts past the planet. Credits: NASA/Goddard/Francis Reddy #nasa #neptune #exoplanet #space #nasabeyond #astronomy #planet #science

Uma foto publicada por NASA (@nasa) em Dez 19, 2016 às 4:11 PST

Launch! Hurricane forecasters will soon have a new tool to better understand and forecast storm intensity. A constellation of eight microsatellites, called Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System mission, or CYGNSS, got a boost into Earth orbit at 8:37 a.m. EST today aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket. The unique, air-launched vehicle was carried aloft by Orbital’s modified L-1011 aircraft, “Stargazer,” which took off from the Skid Strip runway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and deployed the three-stage Pegasus XL rocket at a predetermined drop point 39,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and about 110 nautical miles east-northeast of Daytona Beach. Credit: NASA #nasa #space #cygnss #earth #hurricane #weather #satellite #stargazer #earthrightnow #science

Um vídeo publicado por NASA (@nasa) em Dez 15, 2016 às 10:19 PST

A Jupiter 'Pearl!' This image, taken by our Juno spacecraft, highlights the seventh of eight features forming a 'string of pearls' on Jupiter -- massive counterclockwise rotating storms that appear as white ovals in the gas giant's southern hemisphere. Since 1986, these white ovals have varied in number from six to nine. There are currently eight white ovals visible. At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was about 15,300 miles (24,600 kilometers) from the planet. JunoCam is a color, visible-light camera designed to capture remarkable pictures of Jupiter's poles and cloud tops. As Juno's eyes, it will provide a wide view, helping to provide context for the spacecraft's other instruments. JunoCam was included on the spacecraft specifically for purposes of public engagement; although its images will be helpful to the science team, it is not considered one of the mission's science instruments. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS (@NASAJPL) #nasa #jupiter #juno #nasabeyond #planets #solarsystem #science

Uma foto publicada por NASA (@nasa) em Dez 14, 2016 às 3:58 PST

Japanese Cargo Craft Approaches Space Station: Station Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA shared this photograph of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kounotori H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-6) as it approached the International Space Station (@ISS) today, writing, "Beautiful #HTV6 Space Station. @NASA and @EuropeanSpaceAgency astronauts using station's robot arm to capture the spacecraft. Proud of Int'l. #Teamwork" Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA successfully captured the 12-ton spacecraft using the @canadianspaceagency's robotic arm. Robotic ground controllers then installed it on the Earth-facing side of the Harmony module. Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA monitored HTV-6 systems during the rendezvous and grapple. The unpiloted cargo spacecraft is loaded with more than 4.5 tons of supplies, water, spare parts and experiment hardware for the six-person station crew. Credit: NASA #nasa #space #spacestation #iss #jaxa #esa #spacecraft #htv

Uma foto publicada por NASA (@nasa) em Dez 13, 2016 às 2:54 PST