NASA

Moon Joy June: Launch Inspo

Moon Joy June artists! Looking for a little inspiration?

The prompt for this week is “Launch.” Here is a small collection of photos of the launch of the Artemis II mission, which took place on April 1, 2026. What followed was ten days of our Artemis astronauts circling the Moon, returning to Earth, and experiencing pure Moon joy all throughout.

A close-up image of the fiery blast from the solid rocket boosters of the Space Launch System rocket as the Artemis II mission launches on April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The glow of the blast stands out against the dark sky in the background. Credit: NASA/John Kraus

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft blasts into the blue sky on April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plumes of the blast trail behind the rocket as it shoots into the upper right corner of the image. Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

As the Artemis II rocket and spacecraft launch into the expanse of the blue sky, a fiery trail follows it. Plumes bloom where the rocket launched from Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Sam Lott

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ignition glows. The rocket launches between three lightning towers. The sky is blue in the background. Credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon

You can find more launch photos here.

If you’re feeling inspired to make some art, you can share your creations on Tumblr with the #ArtemisArtShow hashtag!

ArtemisArtShow NASA space Moon Artemis MoonJoy

Meet Our Dino-Sized Telescope!

An illustration of a T. rex facing left is at the top of this graphic. Below it is an illustrated model of the Roman observatory, showing that they’re about the same length. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

This illustration shows the relative scale of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Roman is over 42 feet (12.7 meters) long — about the length of a T. rex — and over 14 feet (4.4 meters) wide when fully deployed. Roman also weighs around 18,000 pounds, or 8,000 kilograms (dry mass), which is the approximate mass of a T. rex as well.

Did you know NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is both roughly as long and as massive as a Tyrannosaurus rex? This observatory, which will move to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida very soon, is over 42 feet (12.7 meters) long and weighs around 18,000 pounds (8,000 kilograms), not including the fuel. Let’s explore some of the components that bring Roman to T. rex proportions.

Keep reading

NASA astronomy telescope Roman Space Telescope space science STEM National Dinosaur Day universe Youtube

Join Moon Joy June!

A graphic that depicts the Moon in bright purple and pink hues. Overlaid on the image are the following words in white letters: “Moon Joy June. (June 1-7, 2026) Week 1: Launch. (June 8-14, 2026) Week 2: Moon. (June 15-21, 2026) Week 3: Crew. (June 22-30, 2026) Week 4: Earth.” Credit: NASA

Are you in need of some serious Moon joy? Get ready for Moon Joy June.

NASA is hosting a month-long art challenge and we would love for you to participate! For every week of June, NASA will introduce a new prompt to inspire artists and creators of all kinds:

June 1-7: Launch
June 8-14: Moon
June 15-21: Crew
June 22-30: Earth

To share your Moon joy-inspired art on Tumblr, use the hashtag #ArtemisArtShow.

The sky is (not) the limit! We encourage all forms of art, including but not limited to: paintings, drawings, sculptures, dances, music, animations, nail art, latte foam art, poetry, fashion. Choose your favorite medium and share it with us!

Learn more about the challenge in our FAQ. Happy Moon Joy June to all who celebrate!

ArtemisArtShow NASA Space Moon Artemis MoonJoy

What’s Hiding in the Emptiest Parts of Space?

Glowing pinkish-purple filaments fill the screen. Brighter and denser areas made up of myriad yellow dots which represent matter (both normal and “dark”), while voids are black. Mile markers appear over the voids and a label that says “Cosmic Voids” appears. Credit: Volker Springel (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics) et al., NASA

This artist’s impression pinpoints many cosmic voids –– relatively empty bubbles of space.

The universe is home to trillions of galaxies, each chock full of smaller cosmic objects like stars and planets. Since galaxies gravitate together in a web-like pattern, there are also immense open spaces called cosmic voids in between. In those growing, gloomy places, dark energy dominates.

On a black background, small blobby galaxies are faintly arranged in large, ring-like structures. The animation appears to zoom in and all galaxies move outward from the center. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Galaxies in this animation are structured a bit like a Hoberman sphere (a lattice-like toy ball that expands and collapses), growing farther apart as the universe expands.