NASA JPL
@NASAJPL

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory advances science and discovery through NASA robotic missions exploring Earth, the solar system, and the universe.

 Southern California
jpl.nasa.gov
Joined January 2009
5,552 Photos and videos
Enjoy the Harvest Moon and more this weekend. nasa.gov/skywatching
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An image processing method developed at JPL – for Mars – is helping uncover ancient rock art, buildings, and even tattoos on mummified human remains on Earth. See more (literally): go.nasa.gov/4j1Wl3S
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“We’re seeing volcanoes around the world that we’ve never really had eyes on like this before.” – Matthew Pritchard, NISAR science team See how NISAR captured a volcano that hasn’t erupted since about 1550 ⤵️
NASA Earth
@NASAEarth
Sep 24
For the first time in nearly five centuries, Krasheninnikov erupted. 🌋 The @NASA/@ISRO NISAR satellite captured lava filling its caldera and overflowing into a wider crater, showing how NISAR can repeatedly monitor volcanoes and other natural hazards in sharp detail.
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Today, NASA announced PRIMA, a new space telescope that will explore long-standing mysteries around the formation of planets, stars, black holes, and even how water on Earth came to be. go.nasa.gov/3TgGh3W
An illustration of a telescope spacecraft with a parabolic mirror floating in deep space.

ALT An illustration of a telescope spacecraft with a parabolic mirror floating in deep space.

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With a 5.9-foot telescope, PRIMA will conduct deep surveys of the universe in far-infrared light, helping bridge the gap between existing infrared observatories, such as @NASAWebb, and radio telescopes. JPL is proud to manage the mission, which is targeted to launch in 2033.
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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Mars
@NASAMars
Sep 23
Layered beauty 😍 The Arabia Terra region on Mars has deposits that preserve a record of the planet’s ancient climate. The rhythmic nature of the layers could be due to cyclic processes, such as dust storms, perhaps involving groundwater. 1/2
A desert landscape seen from directly above. The left side of the frame is filled with layers of light-toned rock and pits filled with dark sand. On the right, below a cliff, is more dark sand windblown into a rippled pattern. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

ALT A desert landscape seen from directly above. The left side of the frame is filled with layers of light-toned rock and pits filled with dark sand. On the right, below a cliff, is more dark sand windblown into a rippled pattern. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

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A tiny amoeba broke complex life’s heat record and could broaden the search for habitable worlds. 🔥 NASA-supported researchers found the first known eukaryote able to reproduce at 145°F (63°C), hotter than scientists thought complex cells could withstand. go.nasa.gov/4hg7prz
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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA
@NASA
Sep 22
Sept. 22 marks the fall equinox. That means day and night are nearly equal in length around the world, and in the Northern Hemisphere, fall begins. In the Southern Hemisphere, spring begins on this day.
A satellite's-eye view from October 2022 of the Adirondack Mountains of northeast New York during fall. The leaves on trees are a fiery orange and red. Some trees remain green. White fluffy clouds are visible at the edges of the image.

ALT A satellite's-eye view from October 2022 of the Adirondack Mountains of northeast New York during fall. The leaves on trees are a fiery orange and red. Some trees remain green. White fluffy clouds are visible at the edges of the image.

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As of Sept. 22, it's officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere…while spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere. 🍁 🌎 💐 That's the September equinox, when the Sun is directly above Earth's equator and day and night are close to equal in length around the world.
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No matter what season is beginning where you are, you can find more skywatching tips at go.nasa.gov/whatsup

Skywatching Tips From NASA

NASA's skywatching resources are shared in that same spirit of exploration. We recognize that there's an explorer in each of us, and we want you to remember

science.nasa.gov
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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Mars
@NASAMars
Sep 21
Sometimes following the water can lead to surprising places💧 A new study of data from Perseverance reveals that rocks in Jezero Crater were shaped by a complex sequence of ancient lakes, groundwater systems, and hydrothermal fluids. 1/2
A panoramic view of a desert landscape with reddish rocks and sand and low hills in the distance. At the center-right of the frame, rover tracks can be seen.

ALT A panoramic view of a desert landscape with reddish rocks and sand and low hills in the distance. At the center-right of the frame, rover tracks can be seen.

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Two reminders, stargazers! 👀 Venus hits peak brilliance on Sept. 18 🌓 Sept. 19 is International Observe the Moon Night
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Get more skywatching tips from NASA: go.nasa.gov/whatsup

Skywatching Tips From NASA

NASA's skywatching resources are shared in that same spirit of exploration. We recognize that there's an explorer in each of us, and we want you to remember

science.nasa.gov
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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Mars
@NASAMars
Sep 16
Sunrise, sunset 🏜️ To mark Curiosity’s 5,000th Martian day on the Red Planet, the rover’s team created this postcard. It combines two panoramas, with blue colors representing images taken in the morning, and yellow colors for the images taken at dusk. 1/2
A panoramic view of a rocky desert landscape. Hills of layered rock stand in the background. The image has two predominant colors: blue tones for the portions of the image captured in the morning, and warmer tones for the portions captured in the eventing. In the foreground is the back half of a robotic Mars rover, with two of its wheels, its top deck, antennas, and its thermal generator visible. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ALT A panoramic view of a rocky desert landscape. Hills of layered rock stand in the background. The image has two predominant colors: blue tones for the portions of the image captured in the morning, and warmer tones for the portions captured in the eventing. In the foreground is the back half of a robotic Mars rover, with two of its wheels, its top deck, antennas, and its thermal generator visible. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Earth
@NASAEarth
Sep 16
If Earth were a hard marble, its center of mass would stay in the middle – but in reality, the center shifts as seasons move water, ice, and air around the planet. NASA scientists developed a new way to track these motions more precisely, helping improve mapping and navigation.
A 3D digital illustration of Earth with a slice cut away to reveal its internal layers. The exterior shows a realistic view of the globe, focusing on Europe, Asia, and Africa with visible geographic features and grid lines. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

ALT A 3D digital illustration of Earth with a slice cut away to reveal its internal layers. The exterior shows a realistic view of the globe, focusing on Europe, Asia, and Africa with visible geographic features and grid lines. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

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We like the looks of that! 👁️ Congrats to the entire @NASARoman team on this milestone. We're especially excited to see that testing is going well for our Roman Coronagraph, which will demo new ways to directly image planets around other stars! More: go.nasa.gov/4yvDYss

NASA Activates Roman’s Primary Instrument, Checks Out Coronagraph - NASA Science

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully activated the Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared camera that will allow scientists

science.nasa.gov
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
@NASARoman
Sep 15
Sometimes your eyes need a minute to focus when you wake up. Roman's Wide Field Instrument just woke up for the first time EVER, and scientists have started adjusting its "eyes" so they can focus on the bigger picture. Check out its first test image below go.nasa.gov/4j51w30
This test image captures the very first photons of starlight to reach the Wide Field Instrument on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. It was taken as an initial performance assessment with the detector array still stowed as it was for launch, far from best focus. Roman’s primary science instrument has opened its eyes to the universe for the first time, revealing a sea of out-of-focus stars, each spread out over many thousands of pixels. The image, which zooms into one detector and zooms again to a single star in the insets, offers a baseline the Roman team will work from to align the telescope’s optics and tune the focus. The team will soon activate the instrument’s fine-guidance system, which will mean Roman can lock onto targets. They’ll also focus the observatory, which will shrink each star’s light to appear as a crisp point, rather than the broad, donut-like features seen here (which appear as expected given the instrument’s present configuration).

ALT This test image captures the very first photons of starlight to reach the Wide Field Instrument on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. It was taken as an initial performance assessment with the detector array still stowed as it was for launch, far from best focus. Roman’s primary science instrument has opened its eyes to the universe for the first time, revealing a sea of out-of-focus stars, each spread out over many thousands of pixels. The image, which zooms into one detector and zooms again to a single star in the insets, offers a baseline the Roman team will work from to align the telescope’s optics and tune the focus. The team will soon activate the instrument’s fine-guidance system, which will mean Roman can lock onto targets. They’ll also focus the observatory, which will shrink each star’s light to appear as a crisp point, rather than the broad, donut-like features seen here (which appear as expected given the instrument’s present configuration).

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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Science
@NASAScience_
Sep 14
Nature’s coronagraph. 🌙☀️ Here’s a throwback to the 2024 total solar eclipse, when scientists and citizen scientists used this unique opportunity to collect observations of the innermost corona, helping researchers study how heat and energy move through the solar atmosphere.
A near‑total solar eclipse with the Moon covering most of the Sun. A bright burst of sunlight, known as the “diamond ring” effect, appears on the lower right edge. Soft rays extend outward, and several small, pink solar prominences are visible around the rim of the Sun.

ALT A near‑total solar eclipse with the Moon covering most of the Sun. A bright burst of sunlight, known as the “diamond ring” effect, appears on the lower right edge. Soft rays extend outward, and several small, pink solar prominences are visible around the rim of the Sun.

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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Earth
@NASAEarth
Sep 9
How will El Niño affect hurricanes? NASA satellites are helping improve predictions. 🌀 NASA and European Sentinel-6 satellites measure sea level height to track changes in ocean heat and better understand shifts in hurricane patterns. The data can help guide disaster response.
Hurricane Melissa as seen from the International Space Station on Oct. 28, 2025. Thick white clouds spiral out from the storm's eye 50 miles south of Jamaica. A panel of the ISS cuts in on the left. Credit: NASA

ALT Hurricane Melissa as seen from the International Space Station on Oct. 28, 2025. Thick white clouds spiral out from the storm's eye 50 miles south of Jamaica. A panel of the ISS cuts in on the left. Credit: NASA

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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Earth
@NASAEarth
Sep 8
Do you recognize this area? If so, you might be a Star Trek fan! 🖖 This @NASA satellite image shows Vasquez Rocks Natural Area in Southern California. Multiple Star Trek scenes were filmed here, including an iconic battle between Captain James T. Kirk and a reptilian alien.
Natural color satellite image showing the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area and surrounding area in Southern California. Most of the landscape is brown and mountainous.The Vasquez Rocks appear as a patch of curved gray stripes just below and to the left of center near Agua Dulce. Palmdale is barely visible in the top right corner and the Bouquet Reservoir is near the top left corner. Credit: NASA

ALT Natural color satellite image showing the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area and surrounding area in Southern California. Most of the landscape is brown and mountainous.The Vasquez Rocks appear as a patch of curved gray stripes just below and to the left of center near Agua Dulce. Palmdale is barely visible in the top right corner and the Bouquet Reservoir is near the top left corner. Credit: NASA

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NASA JPL retweeted
NASA Mars
@NASAMars
Sep 1
The Curiosity rover has now been exploring the surface of Mars for more than 5000 Martian days! Each day on Mars, or "sol," is about 24.6 hours long. How did Curiosity and its team mark the occasion? By working, of course. 🪏 1/2
Black-and-white photo of a small, dune-like ripple of sand and soil-like material. The ripple is crossed by a deep rover track.

ALT Black-and-white photo of a small, dune-like ripple of sand and soil-like material. The ripple is crossed by a deep rover track.

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