ALT Spectacular high-resolution image of our home planet viewed through the Orion Crew Module window by the Artemis II astronauts as they continue their journey to the Moon on Flight Day 2, 3 April 2026 (pic: NASA)
ALT A full disc image of Earth, as seen from the Orion Crew Module. The planet is a pale blue, swirling with white clouds and glowing slightly lighter blue in place from reflected light. At lower left, a large brown landmass is Africa, with Spain and Portugal with twinkling lights where the planet curves. At top right, auroras glow in a thin green glow, just barely separated from the planet's surface. Earth is set against the black of space (pic: NASA/R.Wiseman)
ALT Artist’s impressions of planetary systems around different stars than our Sun. One image depicts a purple planet orbiting a redder star, which could cause microbes and plants on the planet's surface to reflect very different colors from Earth’s green forests. The other image depicts a planetary system around a slightly hotter star than our Sun. In prior research, Carl Sagan Institute scientists have theorized that organisms could evolve biofluorescence to protect themselves from a more intense star.
ALT Artistic illustration of the magnetic interaction between a red dwarf star such as GJ 687, and its exoplanet. Credit: Danielle Futselaar/Artsource.nl
