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A circular, yellow honeycomb pattern reflector that is semi-transparent overlaps in front of the left third of Earth against the black of space.

Earth photobombs a satellite deploying its giant reflector | Space photo of the day for May 14, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

ViaSat's ViaSat-3 F2 satellite has bloomed.

Satellites

The Whirlpool Galaxy comes alive | Space photo of the day for May 13, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy, looks incredible in this new snap by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Astrophysics
A white, snowy artic landscape has large swirling patterns with small holes or gaps at their center with what appears to be dark water underneath.

Mesmerizing vortexes swirl near an Antarctic volcano | Space photo of the day for May 12, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

The arctic winds have created something truly stunning.

2 Comments
Earth
A small robot Lego figurine stands to the left of a miniature space capsule, both sitting in reddish dirt.

They really launched this tiny spacecraft (Well, sort of.) | Space photo of the day for May 11, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

It's the tiniest Mars test we've seen yet.

Mars
A space capsule with charred black on its bottom sits inside of a tall clean room.

The charred hull of Artemis 2's Orion | Space photo of the day for May 8, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

NASA's Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft rests after its flight around the moon, charred from the return to Earth.

13 Comments
Human Spaceflight
On the upper righthand side of this image of the black of space is a small rock that is actually Jupiter's Moon Thebe.

Moon joy at Jupiter | Space photo of the day for May 7, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

NASA's Juno spacecraft captured a photo of Jupiter's moon Thebe.

5 Comments
Jupiter
A close-up of the heads side of a penny covered in Mars dust.

Why does NASA's Curiosity rover have a 'lucky penny' on Mars? | Space photo of the day for May 6, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Providing good luck to the first Martian to find it.

3 Comments
Mars Rovers
a tall cylindrical spacecraft wrapped in gold foil can be seen through a round door in a large metal chamber

Moon lander preps for the lunar surface | Space photo of the day for May 5, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

Blue Origin's MK1 moon lander has passed its tests in the vacuum chamber as NASA continues to develop the hardware needed to return astronauts to the moon.

4 Comments
Private Spaceflight
four bright yellow lines of light extend up into a starry night sky

Lasers take aim at a galaxy far, far away | Space photo of the day for May 4, 2026

By Brett Tingley published

Looking like a scene out of "Star Wars," this image shows the ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) beaming four separate lasers into the sky towards the Tarantula Nebula.

Astronomy
Two people wearing glasses work above what looks like a large tire with fabric on the outside on a table.

Is it cake? No, it's a parachute! | Space photo of the day for May 1, 2026

By Chelsea Gohd published

In this donut-shaped bag is a massive parachute. Next stop? Mars.

Mars
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