The bright rocks in this picture of the Mars surface (taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) are believed by scientists to contain minerals that have water. Data from MRO’s scientific instrument known as the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) along with high-resolution images supplied by the HiRiSE platform were used to make this (still speculative) determination. This should help scientists further postulate and study the state of Mars’ past climate and geography.
Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is what remains of a supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia. Cas A is a massive star that exploded in a supernova more than 11,000 years ago and has long confounded astronomers and scientists.
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory took images (top) of Cassiopeia A using low-energy X-rays which showed certain elements, such as iron, that were heated by the shock waves released in the explosion of Cas A. The iron is seen mainly in the outer portions of the star.
NASA’s Terra satellite used its Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) to capture this thermal infrared view of wildfires burning in Dominican Republic’s Valle Nuevo National Park. The predominant area of this part of the national forest/park still has healthy vegetation which is shown in red. Active fires and hot spots are shown in yellow while the burned areas are dark gray.
NASA’s NEOWISE telescope spotted Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring shortly before it is expected to fly by Mars in the fall of this year. In this composite image encompassing four frames, the comet can be seen in multiple positions as it traverses through space relative to the stars in the background. At the time that these pictures were taken, Comet Siding Spring was approximately 175 million miles (1.88 astronomical units) from the Sun.
This picture of comet Siding Spring also provides a view of the radio galaxy Fornax A (NGC1316) near the upper right corner.
The Raditladi basin on Mercury is believed to be a relatively young formation, showing very few impact craters. The crater has a diameter of 257.7 km (160.1 miles). This eleven colour view of Raditladi was taken by the MESSENGER spacecraft using its Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and more clearly shows the depressions (also called hollows) within the basin, shown by the areas in white.
