ESA Top Multimedia

This picture was published as part of a set on social media by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, with the following caption:

Day 194, orbit 3010 — A few pictures from my second EVA, straight from the cameras!

--

Jour 194, orbite 3010 – Quelques photos de ma deuxième sortie dans l’espace, tout droit sorties des appareils photo !

Photosynthesis itself cannot be measured directly by satellites. However, when plants absorb sunlight for photosynthesis, a small fraction of this energy is re-emitted as a very faint fluorescence signal known as solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence.

This fluorescence, which is invisible to the naked eye, occurs when chlorophyll molecules release absorbed light at longer red and far-red wavelengths. Because its intensity varies with environmental conditions and the physiological state of vegetation, fluorescence provides a unique window into plant activity and health — and, remarkably, can be detected from orbit. Using cutting-edge technology, ESA’s FLEX mission is designed to measure this faint signal of fluorescence to assess photosynthetic activity and plant health.

The animation illustrates how this works. In this case, healthy plants emit a strong fluorescence signal as they photosynthesise. When water becomes scarce, photosynthetic activity is affected and the fluorescence signal begins to decrease – before visible signs of stress appear in the leaves. FLEX can detect these subtle changes from orbit, providing an early indication of water stress.

As the plant withers, its fluorescence signal changes further, demonstrating how fluorescence can reveal the progression of plant stress and provide valuable information about vegetation health.

The EasyMotion-2 experiment is investigating whether adding electro-myostimulation (EMS) to an astronaut's exercise routine can better preserve muscle tone, stiffness and functional strength in space. EMS delivers mild electrical impulses through the skin to activate specific muscles in a controlled and safe way.

For about three to four weeks, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot completed EMS-assisted exercise sessions on the T2 treadmill and ARED resistive exercise device. These exercises targeted key muscle groups involved in posture and movement, including the neck, back, shoulders, thighs and knees.

Measurements are taken before, during and after the mission using a range of techniques, including myotonometry supported by dynamometry, surface electromyography (sEMG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

This picture was published by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on social media with the following caption:

Day 192 orbit 2976 — From orbit, the shades of blue and green in the Atlantic are breathtaking... In this picture, you can clearly see Europe's highest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat, as well as sandbanks, intricate wave patterns, pine forests marked by wildfires, and hundreds of mooring buoys helping to protect the marine ecosystem by eliminating the need to drop anchor. France is so beautiful!

--

Jour 192, orbite 2976 – Depuis l’orbite, les nuances de bleu et de vert de l’Atlantique sont à couper le souffle… On distingue clairement sur cette photo la plus haute dune de sable d’Europe, la Dune du Pilat, le Banc d’Arguin et le Banc du Toulinguet, de curieux motifs dessinés par les vagues, les forêts de pins marquées par les incendies, et des centaines de bouées de mouillage qui contribuent à protéger l’écosystème marin en évitant que les bateaux ne jettent l'ancre. Que la France est belle !

Just one week after making her spacewalking debut, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is heading back outside the International Space Station.

Together with NASA astronaut Anil Menon, Sophie will exit the Station from the Quest airlock at approximately 13:35 BST/14:35 CEST to install a Space-to-Ground antenna (SGANT) – a critical communications system used to transmit data and enable high-speed communication between Mission Control in Houston and the Space Station.

Anil and Sophie are expected to spend about six and a half hours outside the orbital complex, installing and connecting the antenna to restore full redundancy to the Station.

Join the livestream coverage on ESA WebTV and ESA’s YouTube channel at 12:00 BST/13:00 CEST.

We broadcast live from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre in Spain as a total solar eclipse crossed Europe on 12 August 2026. 

The path of totality swept across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small area of northeastern Portugal, while much of Europe experienced a partial eclipse. 

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun. 

The Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre is a world-class astronomical observatory located within the path of totality. During the broadcast, scientists, astronomers and special guests explored the science behind eclipses, the Sun and their wider relevance for space science and Earth. 

The broadcast was hosted by Dame Dr Maggie Aderin, award-winning space scientist and science communicator, and featured ESA's Director of Science Carole Mundell alongside other guests. 

It included live telescope views of the eclipse, expert commentary and interviews, insights into solar science and space weather, behind-the-scenes coverage from the observatory, and discussions on ESA’s activities linked to the eclipse. 

Learn more about ESA’s activities surrounding the 2026 eclipse, as well as those coming to Europe in 2027 and 2028. 

Yesterday between 20:26 and 20:34 CEST, parts of the Iberian peninsula experienced a total solar eclipse. This animation, composed of images from the Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I1), caught the Moon’s dark shadow as it passed over Earth’s surface – converging with the advancing twilight shadow as dusk fell over Europe.

From its vantage point in geostationary orbit, MTG-I1 keeps its imaging instruments focused on Europe and northern Africa from a distance of 36 000 km above Earth’s surface. This enabled it to track the Moon’s shadow, called the path of totality, as it swept first over Greenland and Iceland, then over a small part of northeastern Portugal and finally, Spain.

While the total eclipse itself lasted just a few minutes on mainland Europe, a partial eclipse was visible over a much wider area. Spectators were able to see the Moon partially covering the Sun’s disc as far apart as northern Canada, the Nordic countries and the western coast of Africa, as far south as Sierra Leone and Liberia. 

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the face of the Sun for a short period. During totality, a halo of light is visible around the Moon, known as the Sun’s corona.

There are more solar eclipses to come between now and 2028 – watch out for updates on ESA’s solar eclipse activities.

The MTG mission is preparing to place its third satellite in orbit. MTG-I2 is scheduled for launch on 27 August 2026, on board flight VA270 on an Ariane 6 launcher, from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

This image features data from Webb’s NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument) to capture the most detailed mid-infrared view yet of the field that hosts the highly evolved star IRS 3, which is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.

An international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to this supermassive black hole. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.

[Image description: A dense star field fills the entire image, with countless stars scattered across a backdrop of glowing clouds in shades of red, orange, pink, white, and blue. At the centre, a brilliant concentration of stars creates a bright, almost white core surrounded by intricate filaments and wisps of illuminated gas and dust that radiate outward. Dark, irregular patches of opaque dust interrupt the glowing clouds, particularly toward the left side of the image, where they appear as silhouetted shapes against the brighter background. The surrounding stellar population varies in brightness and colour, with cool blue stars and warmer orange and red stars distributed throughout the scene.]

Observing across the starry 'plains' of space, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has taken images of NGC 2392, nicknamed the Lion Nebula.

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope previously viewed this planetary nebula in 2000, imaging the lion face-shaped target in visible light and revealing features such as the “mane” of hazy, comet-shaped objects. Now Webb has captured a clearer, more detailed view of the Lion Nebula due to its high-resolution imaging.

At first glance the nebula’s overall structure in Webb’s infrared images, both with the NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), may look quite similar to Hubble's earlier visible-light view. However, Webb's infrared vision highlights features like compact clumps of dust and haze of ionised gas. It’s taken several thousand years for this collection of gas and dust to reach its current shape, and the nebula’s components continue to be altered.

The source of these constant changes and the reason for the Lion Nebula’s distinct appearance is located at the centre: the remains of a dying star. Though it looks like the button nose of the lion, the central white dwarf's energy is powering the intricate structures seen here.

The bubble of ionised gas, which forms the lion’s face, is expanding over time and destroying dust that is in its path. Understanding the reason for why the swept-up gas has a complex structure of rings and shells, a common feature in planetary nebulae, is an ongoing endeavor.

The mane of the lion is the interior of a dust shell that is being illuminated by the white dwarf at the centre. The tufts of hair, which look like cometary tails of material, are compact clumps of dust that have survived the stellar core’s radiation and are protecting the material that lies behind them.

Webb’s imagery “freezes” this planetary nebula in time, though the star's death, and its tumultuous effects, go on. NGC 2392 will continue to undergo changes as its gas and dust migrate away from the stellar core. Astronomers estimate that the lion will eventually disperse in approximately 10,000 years — a relatively short period in astronomical terms.

[Image description: Planetary nebula NGC 2392, also called the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is in the centre, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very centre is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane.]

Links

• Release on esawebb.org
• Release on NASA website