Thursday, 6 August 2026

NASA’s Perseverance Captures Phobos and Earth

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NASA’s Perseverance Captures Phobos and Earth

A grainy black image showing a horizontal sequence of seven faint crescent shapes evenly spaced from left to right. A tiny bright white dot moves diagonally from the upper left to the lower right, appearing to pass behind the crescent shapes.
PIA26758
Credits:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/SSI

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NASA’s Perseverance Captures Phobos and Earth

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PIA26758 Figure A

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PIA26758 Figure B

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Description

This composite of seven images from the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover shows Earth, visible as a small bright dot moving from upper left to lower right, passing behind the Martian moon Phobos on July 2, 2026, 1,907th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

The black background is the result of image processing that removed extraneous light in the background to enhance detail.

A desolate landscape with a dark horizon sits under a hazy, gray-blue sky. A large rectangular inset in the sky, connected by lines to a smaller rectangle, shows a sequence of five faint crescent shapes with a tiny bright dot moving downward.
Figure A

Figure A is an annotated composite of nine images taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard Perseverance on July 2, 2026. The inset on the upper right, comprised of five images, shows Earth — the small bright dot moving from upper left to lower right — passing behind the Martian moon Phobos. 

The rectangle outlined at the left in the annotation indicates the patch of sky that was imaged several times to capture Earth passing behind Phobos. In the larger rectangular inset, the images captured from that patch of sky are displayed in time order from left to right, with Phobos moving up and Earth moving down. 

The gray of the Martian sky is the approximate true color of the twilight (about 40 minutes after sunset) on that sol. It is blue-gray lower, where it is brighter, and reddish gray above.

A dark horizon under a hazy gray-blue sky. A red-outlined rectangular inset, connected by lines to a smaller rectangle, shows five faint crescent shapes with a bright dot moving downward. Timecodes beneath each crescent indicate a span of 40 seconds.
Figure B

Figure B includes annotations showing the local solar time on Mars during which the five individual images that captured the occultation were taken. 

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which is managed by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. Arizona State University leads the operations of the rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras.

For more about Perseverance:

science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/



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Wednesday, 5 August 2026

The Paradox of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

Bright white sand dunes stretch for dozens of kilometers between the dark blue Atlantic Ocean and green coastal vegetation. Blue and green freshwater lagoons fill low areas between the dunes, while dark-green vegetated patches lie within the dune field.
A mosaic of hundreds of freshwater lagoons partially filled the troughs around many of the park’s dunes when the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 captured this image on June 8, 2026.
NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison

The coastal dune system in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil is among the most surreal landscapes on Earth. At first glance, the park looks like a desert, but it is far from it. This place receives about 125 centimeters (50 inches) of rain per year—slightly more than Seattle and double what falls in London. 

The result is a paradox: rows of sparkling white quartz dunes, some rising 30 meters (100 feet), soar over a mosaic of blue and green freshwater lagoons. The park’s name stems from the Portuguese word lençóis, meaning “bedsheets,” a reference that makes the most sense when the park is viewed from afar. From that perspective, the sweeping curves of the largest coastal dune field in South America resemble a rumpled, white bedsheet.

These Landsat 9 images were captured in June 2026, around the time when lagoon water levels typically peak. The partially impermeable layer of bedrock and clay beneath the sand prevents the lagoons from draining during the wet season. However, as rains subside between August and November, the water table falls, and by December, most of the lagoons dry up.

The various blue and greens of the lagoons are more visible in this view of a portion of the dune field. A small river with brown water is visible running northward through the dune field.
Winds blowing from the northeast created the lines of dunes visible in this detailed view of a portion of the Landsat 9 image shown above.
NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison

The dune field, a tan area within an expanse of green, is the centerpiece of the park. It spans about 900 square kilometers (350 square miles), roughly the size of New York City. From above, shallower lagoons appear light blue, often taking on turquoise or aquamarine hues as sunlight reflects off the sand below. Deeper lagoons are darker, a result of the deeper water absorbing more red, yellow, and green wavelengths, leaving mostly blue light to scatter back. Suspended sediment, microscopic algae, and dissolved organic matter also contribute to the array of colors, giving some lagoons greener and browner tones.                                    

Green vegetation surrounds the dune field, which sits at the intersection of three Brazilian biomes: the Amazon rainforest to the west, the tropical wooded savannas of the Cerrado to the south, and the dry shrublands and thorn forests of the Caatinga to the east. Closest to the dunes are mangroves and restinga forests, ecosystems well adapted to sandy, coastal soils.

The dune field exists because of the rare convergence of geologic and climatic conditions. Rivers, including the Mearim and Parnaíba, deliver the key ingredient—quartz sand—to this unusually flat portion of the Maranhão coastline in massive quantities. It has accumulated here over the past few hundred thousand years driven in part by fluctuating sea levels and shoreline transgression and regression. Persistent easterly trade winds have also played a critical role. During the dry season, winds often reach at least 50 kilometers per hour, fast enough to build the dunes and push them westward at a pace of roughly 4 to 25 meters per year. That is fast for sand dunes, though not the fastest in the world. Satellites have tracked small barchan dunes in Namibia’s Sperrgebiet region moving at rates exceeding 80 meters per year.

Bright white sand dunes stretch for dozens of kilometers between the dark blue Atlantic Ocean and green coastal vegetation. Blue and green freshwater lagoons fill low areas between the dunes, while dark-green vegetated patches lie within the dune field.
NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison

Landsat images, meanwhile, show the dune field at Lençóis Maranhenses has extended westward by about 0.5 kilometers between 1986 and 2026 in some areas due to the conveyor belt of dunes running inland from the coastline. The nearly constant movement of sand prevents vegetation from becoming established across much of the dune field.

UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage site in 2024, citing its remarkable geology and rich biodiversity. The park is home to more than 850 documented species, including fish, birds, reptiles, mammals, and phytoplankton. Among them are four endangered species, including the neotropical otter, West Indian manatee, scarlet ibis, and oncilla (a type of wild cat). Among the lagoons’ most remarkable inhabitants are the trahira (Hoplias malabaricus), a predatory fish species with large canine-like teeth. During the dry season, it burrows far enough under the sand to find damp mud, where it enters a dormant state, emerging after the rains to hunt insects and other fish.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

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Bright white sand dunes stretch for dozens of kilometers between the dark blue Atlantic Ocean and green coastal vegetation. Blue and green freshwater lagoons fill low areas between the dunes, while dark-green vegetated patches lie within the dune field.

June 8, 2026

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NASA Will Attempt to Observe Rocket Part’s Lunar Impact

The Moon's rugged surface is on display in this image. Most of the Moon is visible, with the bottom of the sphere disappearing into the darkness. This line between light and dark is called the terminator. The terminator is lined with many craters.
The Moon’s rocky, uneven, and otherworldly surface features are highlighted by the terminator – the difference between light and darkness.
NASA

Using ground-based telescopes and space-based assets, NASA and SpaceX are tracking a used Falcon 9 upper stage from a commercial mission expected to impact the Moon on Wednesday, Aug. 5, near the Einstein and Bell craters. The impact poses no danger to Earth and NASA scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event and refine techniques for tracking objects in space. 

On Jan. 15, 2025, SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket and successfully deployed Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander to the Moon under NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. Solar activity and gravitational forces caused the stage’s unplanned return to the Moon. NASA and SpaceX remain in communication about the upper stage and its flight path.

Independent astronomers first identified the trajectory using publicly available data. NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which tracks natural objects that could pose hazards to Earth, later confirmed the stage has a 100% chance of impacting the Moon. NASA will continue tracking it as part of training operations.

Because the Moon has no atmosphere to slow incoming objects, it is struck by meteoroids daily. Human‑made object impacts are far less common but do occur. The rocket stage is expected to create a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep and throw dust and rock outward as ejecta. For comparison, a meteoroid with the same energy as the upper stage hits the Moon about every six days, so the lunar surface is constantly absorbing impacts with the same force. Despite the disturbance, observing impacts gives scientists valuable insight by revealing how ejecta plumes behave, helping to understand the Moon’s geology and refine models that guide future exploration and science missions.

The impact will not be visible to the naked eye on Earth, but NASA will attempt to observe it in real time. The Meteoroid Environments Office at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, will use ground‑based telescopes to image the impact; however, weather and lighting conditions may make viewing difficult.

Additionally, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ShadowCam instrument aboard South Korea’s Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter will look for chances to image the site before and after the impact. Image availability will depend on lighting, orbital timing, and spacecraft position, and it may take several days to receive imagery. Any data collected will help scientists better understand artificial impacts and their exploration implications.

Although unplanned in this instance, disposing of upper stages on the lunar surface is a technically accepted and safe method and, in some cases, can be the only practical option for missions in low lunar orbit. Many operators choose controlled impacts because they provide predictable and trackable end of life outcomes.

NASA is committed to debris mitigation and demonstrating responsible disposal practices that safeguard Earth, its orbital environment, and other planetary bodies while enabling discoveries that deepen our understanding of the solar system and benefit humanity.



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August 2026 Satellite Puzzler

A landform displays various shades of green interspersed with several especially dark channels toward the right and light brown patches toward the left.

Every month, NASA Earth Observatory features a puzzling satellite image. The August 2026 puzzler appears above. 

Your Challenge
Identify the location shown in this satellite image. Share what clues you see, where you think it is, and what makes this place interesting or unique to you.

How to Answer
Submit your response using this form and select “Puzzler Answer” as the topic. Please include your preferred name or alias.

You can keep it simple and just guess the location. Want to impress us? Tell us which satellite and instrument captured the image, which spectral bands were used, or point out a subtle detail about the geology or history of the area. If something catches your eye, or if this is your home or means something to you, we’d love to hear about it.

The Prize
We can’t offer prize money or a trip to space to see Earth like satellites and astronauts do. But we can offer something almost as rewarding: puzzler bragging rights.

About a week after the challenge, we’ll post the answer at the top of this page, along with a link to an Earth Observatory Image of the Day story that explains the image in more detail. We’ll recognize the first person who correctly guesses the location, and we may also highlight readers who share especially thoughtful or interesting answers. By submitting a response, you acknowledge that your comments may be edited, excerpted, and published on this page.

Until then, zoom in, look closely, and enjoy the challenge. See you at the reveal!



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Tuesday, 4 August 2026

A Bare Summer for Barnes Ice Cap

A detailed view of the ice cap’s northeast side shows a network of meltwater channels crossing the ice, many reaching its edge. Several land-based lakes sit near the ice’s edge.
Meltwater channels cross the surface of the Barnes Ice Cap’s northeast side in this July 12, 2026, image from the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9, with many channels reaching the ice edge.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin
A detailed view of the ice cap’s southwest side shows blue water ponded atop the ice. Several land-based lakes sit near the ice’s edge.
Meltwater ponds in vivid blue pools on the surface of the Barnes Ice Cap’s southwest side in this July 12, 2026, image from the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

For most of the year, the Barnes Ice Cap in the Canadian Arctic lies quiet under a blanket of snow. By summer, that snow melts back, and the ice cap transforms in texture, its bare ice dotted with turquoise ponds and its surface threaded with meltwater channels. In summer 2026, this seasonal awakening arrived fast and early.

Located in the center of Baffin Island, the ice cap is a remnant of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which once covered much of northern North America. Today, the bowling-pin-shaped ice cap spans around 5,700 square kilometers (2,200 square miles), with ice up to about 730 meters (2,400 feet) thick. Like most of the glacial ice across the Canadian Arctic, the Barnes Ice Cap is thinning and retreating.  

The ice cap entered the 2026 melt season with an already-thin snowpack, and within a few weeks it had gone from snow-covered to mostly bare. By mid-July, its snow cover was effectively gone—“the earliest it has been this bare,” said glaciologist Mauri Pelto of Nichols College, who has monitored the ice cap using images from Landsat satellites and, when possible, field observations.

The surface of Barnes Ice Cap appears white, gray, and light brown. A fingerprint-like pattern of meltwater channels spans much of the ice. Brown land and several lakes, some ice-covered, surround it.

Once snow cover melts away and bare ice is exposed, melting speeds up in the Arctic summer sunshine. Bare ice is darker than snow and absorbs more solar energy, so as the reflective snow cover disappears, the ice cap warms and melts faster. At the same time, a network of meltwater channels, many of which persist from year to year, becomes increasingly visible.

The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 9 acquired these images of the ice cap on July 12, 2026. Ponded blue meltwater dots the ice in places, and a vast network of meltwater channels spans the ice cap’s surface from its middle to its edges. Faint, curving gray lines indicate the many millennia of snow and ice accumulation that built the ice cap.

Barnes Ice Cap has been snow-free before, including in 2019, 2020, and 2024, Pelto said, but this year it happened sooner. The early snow loss and return of meltwater channels in 2026 means that meltwater runoff is starting earlier too, with implications for the ice cap’s mass balance. Water that might once have pooled and then percolated into any remaining snowpack and firn and refrozen there—adding mass back to the ice cap—instead gets whisked away. That surface drainage becomes more efficient as the season progresses and channels widen and connect.

Research indicates the ice cap thinned roughly 1 meter (3 feet) per year from 2000 to 2020, and over the past 40 years its margin has retreated about 4 meters (13 feet) per year on average. However, retreat rates vary widely across the ice cap. An especially fast-retreating area on the ice cap’s central-southern side pulled back by more than 400 meters (1,300 feet) total, or roughly 10 meters (33 feet) per year. This retreat is visible in the wide view above as a lighter brown band of freshly exposed earth and rock along that side of the ice cap.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Kathryn Hansen, with science review by Christopher Shuman, UMBC (retired).

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The surface of Barnes Ice Cap appears white, gray, and light brown. A fingerprint-like pattern of meltwater channels spans much of the ice. Brown land and several lakes, some ice-covered, surround it.

July 12, 2026

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NASA’s Perseverance Captures Phobos and Earth

2 Min Read NASA’s Perseverance Captures Phobos and Earth PIA26758 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/SSI ...