Hop on board Mars Express, for a flight over Flaugergues Crater. Be sure to turn up the volume for the audio guide 🔊 More info, images and a map showing the route of the video 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭🧪

ESA Council approved Laurent Jaffart as Director of the new Resilience, Navigation & Connectivity Directorate. This new position reflects our commitment to bolstering resilience and enhancing navigation and connectivity in line with security and defence priorities. www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre...

Hubble has captured the sharpest image yet of the lenticular galaxy NGC 7722 and its long, winding dust lanes! Read more 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭

🗞️The ESA Science Newsletter is out! In it: 🔴 Next M-Class mission presentations 🔴 Community Workshop on ESA's mission to Enceladus 🔴 The Leiden/ESA Astrophysics Programme for Summer Students 🔴 Upcoming vacancy: Plato Mission Manager Access the edition & subscribe 👉 cosmos.esa.int/web/scinews 🔭 ☄️

🚨 Webb pushes the boundaries of the observable Universe closer to cosmic dawn. The space telescope has confirmed that the bright galaxy MoM-z14 existed only 280 million years after the Big Bang. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🧪 🔭

With help from a new AI tool 🤖 astronomers at ESA have found 1400 quirky objects in the Hubble archive! More than 800 of them had never been documented before. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪

This galaxy cluster has long received the celebrity treatment from leading telescopes, and for good reason. This Webb image is filled with examples of gravitational lensing 🔍 caused by the vast gravity of MACS J1149.5+2223. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭 🧪

We’re sad to report the passing of former ESA Director of Science Prof. Roger-Maurice Bonnet on 19 January 2026, aged 88. 🔗 esa.int/About_Us/Cor... @cmundell.esa.int @science.esa.int @josefaschbacher.esa.int

Hubble has helped astronomers solve the mystery of why some stars, called ‘blue stragglers’, seem to defy ageing! A quieter cosmic neighbourhood and companionship seem the play a role. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪

Ever wondered what powers a solar flare? 💥 Solar Orbiter is finally giving us answers to this long-standing mystery. The mission caught a 'magnetic avalanche' on the surface of the Sun just before a flare was released. 🔭🧪1/3

With Blue Monday shortly coming up, we're here to brighten your week with this Webb image. This is the clearest infrared view yet of the famous Helix Nebula 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭 🧪

The list of the latest proposals accepted for our Archival Research Visitor Programme has been published. Congratulations to the researchers who will join us to conduct science using data in our Space Science Archives 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esdc/vis...

Plato passes vibe check ✅ The spacecraft was vigorously shaken to mimic the powerful jolts and vibrations that Plato will experience during launch. The vibration tests are part of a series of tough exams that Plato has to pass to graduate for launch 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭 #exoplanets

There is a blackout between Mars and Earth, and the Sun is to blame. 🔴⚫️🌍 🌞 Once every 25 months, our star passes between these two planets. The alignment is called solar conjunction. 🔇 While the Sun blocks our view of Mars until 21 January, communication with our martian orbiters falls silent.

New infrared observations from Webb are changing how we see the material near the Circinus Galaxy’s supermassive black hole! Read more 👉 esawebb.org/images/circi... 🔭🧪

#MediaInvitation: Journalists are invited to join the 18th European Space Conference on 27–28 January 2026 in Brussels. ESA DG @josefaschbacher.esa.int and Directors will deliver keynotes, join panels and be available for interviews.

From the Smile mission launch and new data sets from Euclid, to Plato getting ready for launch, a total solar eclipse and BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury, 2026 is set to be a packed year for Science!

Our #MarsExpress has spotted martian winds whipping up sand grains and acting as a cosmic sandblaster, carving our intriguing grooves in the Red Planet's surface. More info, images and zoom in 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪

📣 Scientists using Hubble have uncovered a new type of astronomical object!  This starless, dark-matter-dominated cloud is a relic from the early Universe, a failed galaxy. Read more 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cloud-9_a_new_celestial_object_found_by_Hubble 🔭 🧪

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Solar Orbiter sent to us A world-first view The Sun's south pole 🌞 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter/Solar_Orbiter_gets_world-first_views_of_the_Sun_s_poles 🔭

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Webb sent to us A chaotic scene around massive young stars A detail in the Cat’s Paw Nebula 🐾 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_scratches_under_Cat_s_Paw_Nebula_for_third_anniversary 🔭

On the tenth day of Christmas, Euclid sent to us A first snapshot of its deep field  A sea of galaxies with a sprinkle of foreground stars 🌌 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/03/Euclid_Deep_Field_South_70x_zoom 🔭

On the ninth day of Christmas, SOHO sent to us A stellar collage Our changing Sun over 30 years 🌞 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/12/30_years_of_SOHO_imaging_the_Sun_unannotated 🔭

On the eight day of Christmas, XMM-Newton sent to us An X-ray flare report  From the newly awakened black hole Ansky 🕳️ Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/XMM-Newton/From_boring_to_bursting_a_giant_black_hole_awakens 🔭

Goodbye 2025! 🎊 On the seventh day of Christmas, Webb sent to us This festive view  The complex planetary nebula NGC 6072 🎆 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_traces_details_of_complex_planetary_nebula 🔭

On the sixth day of Christmas, Cheops sent to us This triggering discovery  A clingy exoplanet disturbing its host star 🔥 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cheops/Clingy_planets_can_trigger_own_doom_suspect_Cheops_and_TESS 🔭

On the fifth day of Christmas, Gaia sent to us This unexpected finding  The Milky Way's great wave 〰️ Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia/Gaia_discovers_our_galaxy_s_great_wave 🔭

Hubble brings you a scene from the N159 star-forming complex, with thick hydrogen clouds forming ridges, bubbles, and filaments.  Baby stars are beginning to shine within these clouds 👶 Read more 👉 https://esahubble.org/images/potw2552a/ 🔭

On the fourth day of Christmas, Mars Express sent to us This dramatic view  The western edge of Acheron Fossae on Mars 🔴 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/When_martian_ground_falls_apart 🔭

On the third day of Christmas, Hubble sent to us This exquisitely detailed view  The flocculent spiral galaxy NGC 5335 🌀 Discover the full image here 👉 https://esahubble.org/images/heic2505i/ 🔭

On the second day of Christmas, BepiColombo sent to us This shadowy view  Mercury's north pole 🌑 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/01/Mercury_s_shadowy_north_pole_revealed_by_M-CAM_1_with_labels 🔭

Why send a spacecraft like Solar Orbiter so close to the scorching Sun when we can take images of the Sun from Earth? The short answer is science.  The long one is here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter/Why_we_need_Solar_Orbiter 🔭 1/3

Happy Holidays! 🎄 On the first day of Christmas, Webb sent to us A glittering view  The largest star-forming cloud in our galaxy 🌟 Discover the full image here 👉 https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_explores_largest_star-forming_cloud_in_our_galaxy 🔭

This cosmic butterfly is IRAS 23077+6707, the largest planet-forming disc seen around a young star yet!  Hubble has revealed it to be an unusually chaotic specimen, with wisps of material flying far beyond the disc 👉 https://esahubble.org/images/opo2606/ 🔭

🎄 Are your holiday decorations ready? Euclid has a cosmic garland to add: NGC 646. The large barred spiral galaxy appears close to a smaller galaxy to the left, but they’re actually about 45 million light-years apart 👉 https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/12/Euclid_s_galaxy_garland 🔭

Hubble has snapped a seemingly close pair of galaxies, Arp 4 – but looks can be deceiving! Find out why here 👉 https://esahubble.org/images/potw2551a/ 🔭

#ESAJuice is en route to Jupiter to investigate how life-friendly worlds form around gas giants. Part of this study implies better understanding Jupiter itself by looking into: ☁️ Jupiter's atmosphere 🧲 Its magnetic environment 💍 Its invisible rings Discover more 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭

❄️ With the winter holidays around the corner, we’re unwrapping a cosmic gift early, Westerlund 2 🎁✨ This glittering star cluster is host to some of our Milky Way galaxy's hottest, brightest, and most massive stars 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭 🧪

In a historical milestone, Hubble has witnessed the catastrophic collision of asteroids in the nearby Fomalhaut planetary system 🪨💥  Observations also revealed that an object previously suspected to be a candidate planet was, in fact, a dust cloud.  🔭 🧪

🐣 Found: newborn stars and planets #ESAGaia & ALMA joined forces to study 31 baby star systems, finding hints of planets 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... The collage also shows our own Solar System for reference on the bottom right, as it is predicted to have looked at an age of 1 million years. 🔭 🧪

#XRISM joins the crew of telescopes observing comet 3I/ATLAS. The image shows X-rays coming from a region of around 400 000 km around the comet nucleus. These X-rays could be generated by the interaction of the solar wind with gases from the comet. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭

2025 was a landmark year for Europe in space 🚀 From celebrating 50 years of ESA to new missions and scientific breakthroughs, the year reaffirmed Europe’s leadership in science, exploration, climate action and innovation. 🎥 Watch our highlights video: youtu.be/obJbRWZ8f1Y?...

This latest image from Hubble gives us a view of a curious feature: a glowing cloud of gas streaming from the disc of NGC 4388! So, what caused it? Find out here 👉 esahubble.org/images/potw2... 🔭 🧪

Our XMM-Newton has observed comet 3I/ATLAS in X-ray light! When gas molecules streaming from a comet collide with the solar wind they produce X-rays, seen here as the red glow of 3I/ATLAS 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... Blue marks empty space with little X-rays. The black line is a detector gap 🔭 🧪

Join us for a behind the scenes look at the very moment when the Gaia spacecraft was switched off. On 27 March 2025, this emotionally charged milestone marked the end of operations, but not an end to the science coming from the Gaia data 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduXM5FbpcY 🔭

🗞️The latest edition of the ESA Science Newsletter is out! Learn about: 🔴 Funding for our Space Science Programme 🔴 Upcoming: Proba-3 1st Guest Investigator Announcement of Opportunity 🔴 Upcoming: Einstein Probe Science Archive Access the edition & subscribe 👉 https://cosmos.esa.int/web/scinews ☄️

How will LISA capture gravitational waves? When two black holes orbit each other, heading for a collision, they shake the fabric of space-time. The ripples alter the distance between objects. LISA will use laser beams between 3️⃣ spacecraft that house free-floating cubes to detect these changes.

The ESAC Science Data Centre is *the* place where anyone can access observations from our space science missions. It has recently undergone a major network architecture upgrade to improve the resiliency & availability of our infrastructure. Ready to delve in? 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esdc

From a scorching closest approach to the Sun, to a flight past Venus for a gravity boost – 2025 has been quite a year for our #ESAJuice! Tune in to the latest episode of 'The journey of Juice' to go behind the scenes with the people working on the mission 👇 🔭 🧪

Check out our #ESAHighlights for 2025! From BepiColombo's sixth Mercury flyby to Euclid's first data release, and from photos of Mars to distant galaxies and stellar nurseries, it's been a full year for Science 👇