Space-little-girl-blog - Space Girl

Falcon 9 prepares for first post-Shuttle era launch from Kennedy Space Center.

The first Falcon 9 rocket stands atop LC-39A Thursday evening, February 16, 2017. Preparing for a Saturday morning launch, the completed rocket and Dragon spacecraft arrived at the launch pad Friday afternoon. Over 5,000 pounds of science experiments and cargo are launching to the International Space Station on CRS-10,  the tenth of 20 missions NASA has contracted to SpaceX to deliver cargo to the orbiting laboratory. CRS-10 marks the first time a rocket has stood atop LC-39A since the final space shuttle mission in 2011, and the first uncrewed rocket atop the pad since the Skylab space station was launched in 1973. SpaceX began leasing the historic Apollo and Shuttle era launch pad in 2015 to accommodate their crewed Falcon and Falcon Heavy launches. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:01am EST February 18. SpaceX will be providing a webcast beginning at 9:50am here, as well as NASA TV coverage here. Shortly after the Dragon spacecraft is expected to reach orbit, the rocket’s first stage will attempt a landing at Landing Zone-1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station nine miles away. P/C: SpaceX

“NASA has just released 2,540 gorgeous new photos of Mars.”

Elephant Trunk Nebula

When radiation and winds from massive young stars impact clouds of cool gas, they can trigger new generations of stars to form. This is what may be happening in this object known as the Elephant Trunk Nebula (or its official name of IC 1396A).  

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/Getman et al, Optical: DSS, Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The lightest known star, OTS 44

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for all the space ppl out there, nasa is doing a live feed of earth in space on youtube rn! 👀💫🌍

Canada: After getting my feet well and truly soaked photographing the sea at sunset, it seemed like a good idea to go and stand in near-freezing temperatures for a couple of hours, just up the coast at Porteau Cove Provincial Park, writes photographer Alexis Birkill.

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NASA’s Best Photographs of 2016

Asa Smith - Phases of the Moon, “Smith’s Illustrated Astronomy”, 1855.