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As the Sun sets on 30 August, the biggest and the brightest Moon of 2023 will rise in the east. It's a Super Blue Moon in conjunction with Saturn. A Super Blue Moon is an extremely rare celestial event, combining a Blue Moon and a Supermoon. The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical or slightly oval trajectory. This means there are points during its orbit when it's closer to the Earth (perigee) and points when it's farther away (apogee). A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides closely with the perigee, making it appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than at its farthest point or during a micromoon. The August 30-31 full Moon is the third Supermoon of 2023. Next, we have the term Blue Moon. Typically, each month has only one full Moon, but given the Moon's cycle is about 29.5 days, there's a small window for a second one to squeeze into a single calendar month. This happens approximately once every 2.7 years. The August 30-31 full Moon is the month's second full Moon. Hence, it's called a Blue Moon. Combining the above two events (the second full Moon of August around perigee), we have a Super Blue Moon that will be visible tonight. However, there's another thing that makes this event even more special. When you gaze at the Moon on the night of August 30, you will notice a bright speck of light close to it. It’s not a star but the ringed planet Saturn. August 30 also marks the day of the conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Aquarius. As seen in the sky, the two celestial bodies will be just a few degrees apart. Even more remarkable is that Saturn will be around its opposition or the closest approach to Earth around the Super Blue Moon. Happy sky gazing 🌌✨

The Deep Space Network, NASA’s international collection of giant radio antennas used to communicate with spacecraft at the Moon and beyond, helps scientists and engineers use gravity and radio science experiments to learn more about our planetary neighborhood. After reaching a spacecraft reaches its destination, it uses radio antennas to communicate with the Deep Space Network, which in turn transmits radio signals back to the spacecraft. Every spacecraft travels in a predetermined path emitting radio signals as it orbits around its target. Scientists and engineers can infer the spacecraft's location and how fast it's going by measuring changes in the spacecraft's radio signal frequency. This is made possible by the Doppler effect, the same phenomenon that causes a siren to sound different as it travels towards and away from you. The Doppler phenomenon is observed here when the spacecraft and the Deep Space Network antenna move in relation to each other. Differences between the frequency of radio signals sent by the spacecraft as it orbits and signals received on Earth give us details about the gravitational field of a planetary body. For example, if the gravity is slightly stronger, the spacecraft will accelerate slightly more. If gravity is slightly weaker, the spacecraft will accelerate slightly less. By developing a model of the planetary body's gravitational field, which can be mapped as a gravitational shape, scientists and researchers can deduce information about its internal structure. The Deep Space Network was developed by and is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The antennas of the Deep Space Network are the indispensable link to robotic explorers venturing beyond Earth. They provide the crucial connection for commanding our spacecraft and receiving never-before-seen images and scientific information on Earth, propelling our understanding of the universe, our solar system and ultimately, our place within it. JPL manages the Deep Space Network for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program, based at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Learn more about the DSN at go.nasa.gov/about-dsn Learn more about the DSN and the Doppler Shift at • How Do We Know Where Faraway Spacecra... Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

In this video, we embark on a unique journey towards NASA, when the world is asleep and the realm of stars is awake. This video illustrates how NASA scientists, when immersed in the darkness of the night, their work continues to shine brightly in the light. Credit: NASA

We're making our software available to the public! Our 2023 edition of the NASA Software Catalog is here. Browse through hundreds of software programs made for space and free for you: https://go.nasa.gov/448dFZL Download open source codes, specialized programs and more at https://software.nasa.gov Credit: NASA

On the heels of record-breaking June temperatures, climate experts from NASA and NOAA (the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) will discuss the latest findings, and how using satellite data can help manage the effects of climate change. Participants include: • Bill Nelson, administrator, NASA • Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor, NASA Headquarters • Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division, NASA Headquarters • Gavin Schmidt, director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York • Carlos Del Castillo, chief, Ocean Ecology Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland • Sarah Kapnick, chief scientist, NOAA Then, join us at 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 UTC) for a NASA Science Live episode to discuss recent climate trends. Ask questions in our live chat and they may get answered on air: https://www.youtube.com/live/HZ3q7yAr... Credit: NASA

Introducing NASA's new streaming service, NASA+, launching soon. More space. More rockets. More science. More missions. More NASA. All in one place. No subscription needed. NASA+ is ad free, no cost, and family friendly. It will feature NASA's Emmy award-winning live coverage, and new original video series. NASA+ will be available on most major platforms via the NASA App on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices; streaming media players such as, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV; and on the web across desktop and mobile devices. Download the NASA app now to be one of the first to get NASA+ when it drops. https://www.nasa.gov/nasaapp Producer: Phil Sexton Editors: Phil Sexton & Sonnet Apple Credit: NASA