Exploring the Cosmos: NASA Videos and Space Discoveries

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who marked day 300 of a historic year in space on Jan. 21, 2016, shows off another fascinating feature of life in microgravity. Kelly used two paddles with hydrophobic, or water-repellant features to pass a sphere of water back and forth. Scientists use the microgravity environment of the space station to advance scientific knowledge in Earth, space, physical, and biological sciences that otherwise wouldn't be possible down here on the planet. The paddles are polycarbonate laser etched so that the surfaces are actually arrays of 300-micrometer posts (0.3mm). The surfaces were then spray-coated with a Teflon coat. The combined effects of surface roughness and non-wettability produce a super-hydrophobic surface capable of preventing water adhesion in dynamic processes. The larger the drop, the less force it takes to break it up. The smaller the drop, the harder you can hit it. Scott is demonstrating about a 4 mL drop (over 100 times larger than a raindrop).

On April 17, 2016, an active region on the sun’s right side released a mid-level solar flare, captured here by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. This solar flare caused moderate radio blackouts, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Scientists study active regions – which are areas of intense magnetism – to better understand why they sometimes erupt with such flares. This video was captured in several wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, a type of light that is typically invisible to our eyes, but is color-coded in SDO images for easy viewing. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/Genna Duberstein The music is Collide by Greg Lehrman in the KillerTracks catalog

When Apollo placed the first steps on the Moon, Artemis opens the door for humanity to sustainably work and live on another world for the first time.

Virtual tour of the Moon in all-new 4K resolution, thanks to data provided by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. As the visualization moves around the near side, far side, north and south poles, we highlight interesting features, sites, and information gathered on the lunar terrain. Music Provided By Killer Tracks: "Never Looking Back" - Frederick Wiedmann. "Flying over Turmoil" - Benjamin Krause & Scott Goodman

Water in space behaves… differently. Surface tension and capillary flow can be harnessed to move fluids in more efficient ways. What looks like fun could actually help us improve systems for moving fluids in microgravity, in things like fuel tanks for space travel.

The people who get to see the Earth from space marvel at its beauty, the colors, and the fragility they feel about the planet 250 miles below them. Now it’s your turn: this ultra-high definition video, captured during the International Space Station’s Expedition 65, allows you an extended, appreciative gawk at the home planet in all its glory. Hit play, and go into orbit mode

On the left side of the frame is the full circle of the Sun. It appears in a golden yellow color but is splotchy and with thin yellow wisps extending from the surface. Some areas are very bright and others are almost black. The whole Sun rotates steadily, with one full rotation taking 12 minutes in this time-lapse. There are usually only a few bright regions visible at a time and they shift and flash like small fires. From these regions, there are wispy loops reaching up above the surface that rapidly change shape and size. On the right side of the frame are two white-outlined squares with enlargements of interesting regions of the Sun.