All's not as it appears, this tale has many twists -
but if I wasn't here documenting the story
would that mean that the plot did not exist?

— Peter Hammill

Feed aggregator

New Barbie doll celebrates 60 years as an astronaut, but forgets when humans first flew into space

Space.com - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 3:00pm
Earth to astronaut Barbie, we have a new space collectible, but probably not for all of the reasons Mattel intended. The toy company has released a Barbie Miss Astronaut 60th anniversary doll.
Categories: Astronomy

Like Sands Through the Hourglass…

NASA Image of the Day - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 2:25pm
Shimmering ejections emitted by two actively forming stars make up Lynds 483 (L483). High-resolution near-infrared light captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows incredible new detail and structure within these lobes, including asymmetrical lines that appear to run into one another. L483 is 650 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.
Categories: Astronomy, NASA

SpaceX launches secret US spy satellite on 19th anniversary of company's 1st-ever liftoff (video, photos)

Space.com - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 2:09pm
SpaceX launched its third mission of the year for the United States' spy satellite agency today (March 24), the 19th anniversary of the company's first-ever liftoff.
Categories: Astronomy

Like Sands Through the Hourglass…

NASA - Breaking News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 2:09pm
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Two actively forming stars are responsible for the shimmering hourglass-shaped ejections of gas and dust that gleam in orange, blue, and purple in this representative color image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. This star system, called Lynds 483, is named for American astronomer Beverly T. Lynds, who published extensive catalogs of “dark” and “bright” nebulae in the early 1960s.

The two protostars are at the center of the hourglass shape, in an opaque horizontal disk of cold gas and dust that fits within a single pixel. Much farther out, above and below the flattened disk where dust is thinner, the bright light from the stars shines through the gas and dust, forming large semi-transparent orange cones.

Learn what the incredibly fine details in this image reveal.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Categories: NASA

Like Sands Through the Hourglass…

NASA News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 2:09pm
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Two actively forming stars are responsible for the shimmering hourglass-shaped ejections of gas and dust that gleam in orange, blue, and purple in this representative color image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. This star system, called Lynds 483, is named for American astronomer Beverly T. Lynds, who published extensive catalogs of “dark” and “bright” nebulae in the early 1960s.

The two protostars are at the center of the hourglass shape, in an opaque horizontal disk of cold gas and dust that fits within a single pixel. Much farther out, above and below the flattened disk where dust is thinner, the bright light from the stars shines through the gas and dust, forming large semi-transparent orange cones.

Learn what the incredibly fine details in this image reveal.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Categories: NASA

Floating wood could help us refreeze the Arctic seas

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 2:00pm
Floating platforms of wood could draw up seawater and help it to freeze, seeding the formation of new sea ice
Categories: Astronomy

Floating wood could help us refreeze the Arctic seas

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 2:00pm
Floating platforms of wood could draw up seawater and help it to freeze, seeding the formation of new sea ice
Categories: Astronomy

Researchers Test a Completely Flat Telescope Lens

Universe Today - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:53pm

Telescope optics can be made of mirrors or lenses, but in both cases, they're bulky and need to follow a strict mathematical curve to focus light. Researchers have shown that it's possible to make a completely flat lens that focuses light. Traditionally, this has been done with Fresnel lenses, but they distort colors. Their new technique carves tiny concentric rings into a substrate that matches the wavelengths of different colors, allowing a full-color, in-focus image.

Categories: Astronomy

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Services

NASA - Breaking News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:49pm

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Overview

Welcome to the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) services page. Provided here are different resources to support informed steps toward a new career opportunity in the public or private sector.

Transition Assistance

NASA is partnering with OPM to offer a 1-day workshop covering multiple areas associated with career transitions. The workshop will be offered virtually on pre-scheduled dates and will include:

  • Career Exploration (1 Hour)
  • Job Search Strategy (1 Hour)
  • Resume Writing (2 Hours)
  • Interview Techniques (2 Hours)
  • One-On-One Counseling

NASA will follow-up with employees eligible for CTAP to enroll them in the workshop and share participation details.

Transition Resources

Below are links to guidance, resources, and tools that are helpful during a career move, including resume preparation, interview preparation, networking strategies, job search assistance, and more.

Resume Preparation

Resources to help craft strong professional resumes that showcase personal skills and experience, including specialized training and tools.

General

Resume Tips Brochure to Launch Your Career

JPL Resume Workshop

Writing an Effective Resume

CareerOneStop



Federal/State/Local Government

How to Build a Resume

What Should You Include in Your Resume

How to Indicate Your CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility

How to Make Your Resume and Profile Searchable



Private Sector

Creating A Successful Private Sector Resume from Your Federal Resume

Beyond Federal Service: How to Transition to the Private Sector


Interview Coaching

Resources to prepare for job interviews and improve interview skills, including information about the interview process, how to prepare and respond to interview questions, and platforms to conduct practice interviews and receive feedback on responses.


Interview Process

Interview Tips from Department of Labor

Interview Tips from DOL’s CareerOneStop


Interview Responses

STAR Method: How to Use This Technique to Ace Your Next Job Interview


Interview Practice

Barclays Virtual Interview Practice Tool (Free)

Google Interview Warmup (Free)

Pramp (Free)

Networking

Guidance on how to leverage LinkedIn for job search and professional networking, and providing feedback on LinkedIn profiles, optimizing keywords, and increasing visibility to recruiters.

Rock Your LinkedIn Profile Learning Series Videos

LinkedIn Profile Best Practices

LinkedIn Profile Summary Best Practices

Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search Success

Make the Most of LinkedIn for Your Job Search

Forming a Network


Job Information/Job Search Assistance

Free online resources for identifying adjacent or new career opportunities, including job matching websites and websites offering personality or career assessments.

Career Search

CareerOneStop

O*NET Online

Self-Assessment

CareerExplorer Assessment

CareerOneStop Self-Assessments

O*NET Interest Profiler

USAJOBS Career Explorer

Job Search

Apprenticeship Job Finder

CareerOneStop Job Search

Indeed

Monster

USAJOBS

ZipRecruiter


Other

CareerOneStop Find American Job Centers

Retraining

Free and fee-based online e-learning resources to enhance current skills or acquire new skills.

Codeacademy

Coursera

edX

Harvard Online Learning

Khan Academy

LinkedIn Learning

MasterClass

MIT OpenCourseWare

Skillshare

Stanford Online

Udemy

Employment Counseling

NASA’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential counseling that can be used to obtain employment counseling and support during a career transition, as well as referrals to other needed resources.

NASA Enterprise EAP Page

NASA Center EAP Pages

Additional Transition Resources

There are also additional career transition resources available through OPM including:

The Employee’s Guide to Career Transition

Share Details Last Updated Mar 24, 2025 Related Terms

Categories: NASA

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Services

NASA News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:49pm

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Overview

Welcome to the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) services page. Provided here are different resources to support informed steps toward a new career opportunity in the public or private sector.

Transition Assistance

NASA is partnering with OPM to offer a 1-day workshop covering multiple areas associated with career transitions. The workshop will be offered virtually on pre-scheduled dates and will include:

  • Career Exploration (1 Hour)
  • Job Search Strategy (1 Hour)
  • Resume Writing (2 Hours)
  • Interview Techniques (2 Hours)
  • One-On-One Counseling

NASA will follow-up with employees eligible for CTAP to enroll them in the workshop and share participation details.

Transition Resources

Below are links to guidance, resources, and tools that are helpful during a career move, including resume preparation, interview preparation, networking strategies, job search assistance, and more.

Resume Preparation

Resources to help craft strong professional resumes that showcase personal skills and experience, including specialized training and tools.

General

Resume Tips Brochure to Launch Your Career

JPL Resume Workshop

Writing an Effective Resume

CareerOneStop



Federal/State/Local Government

Federal employees who have been displaced due to a Reduction in Force (RIF) may be eligible for priority selection for another federal job under the CTAP. In their USAJOBS profiles, they can indicate their CTAP eligibility under the Federal Service section and make their resume and profile searchable for Agency Talent Portal (ATP) users by selecting a saved resume under the Documents tab.

How to Build a Resume

What Should I Include in My Resume

How to Make Your Resume and Profile Searchable



Private Sector

Creating A Successful Private Sector Resume from Your Federal Resume

Beyond Federal Service: How to Transition to the Private Sector


Interview Coaching

Resources to prepare for job interviews and improve interview skills, including information about the interview process, how to prepare and respond to interview questions, and platforms to conduct practice interviews and receive feedback on responses.


Interview Process

Interview Tips from Department of Labor

Interview Tips from DOL’s CareerOneStop


Interview Responses

STAR Method: How to Use This Technique to Ace Your Next Job Interview


Interview Practice

Barclays Virtual Interview Practice Tool (Free)

Google Interview Warmup (Free)

Pramp (Free)

Networking

Guidance on how to leverage LinkedIn for job search and professional networking, and providing feedback on LinkedIn profiles, optimizing keywords, and increasing visibility to recruiters.

Rock Your LinkedIn Profile Learning Series Videos

LinkedIn Profile Best Practices

LinkedIn Profile Summary Best Practices

Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search Success

Make the Most of LinkedIn for Your Job Search

Forming a Network


Job Information/Job Search Assistance

Free online resources for identifying adjacent or new career opportunities, including job matching websites and websites offering personality or career assessments.

Career Search

CareerOneStop

O*NET Online

Self-Assessment

CareerExplorer Assessment

CareerOneStop Self-Assessments

O*NET Interest Profiler

USAJOBS Career Explorer

Job Search

Apprenticeship Job Finder

CareerOneStop Job Search

Indeed

Monster

USAJOBS

ZipRecruiter


Other

CareerOneStop Find American Job Centers

Retraining

Free and fee-based online e-learning resources to enhance current skills or acquire new skills.

Codeacademy

Coursera

edX

Harvard Online Learning

Khan Academy

LinkedIn Learning

MasterClass

MIT OpenCourseWare

Skillshare

Stanford Online

Udemy

Employment Counseling

NASA’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential counseling that can be used to obtain employment counseling and support during a career transition, as well as referrals to other needed resources.

NASA Enterprise EAP Page

NASA Center EAP Pages

Additional Transition Resources

There are also additional career transition resources available through OPM including:

The Employee’s Guide to Career Transition

Share Details Last Updated Mar 24, 2025 Related Terms

Categories: NASA

NASA Invites Media to SpaceX’s 32nd Resupply Launch to Space Station

NASA - Breaking News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:34pm
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 4, 2024, on the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station.Credit: SpaceX

Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Monday, April 21, to launch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch is the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.

Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m., EDT, Friday, April 4. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov


Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email after approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact NASA Kennedy’s newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.

Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.

Along with food and essential equipment for the crew, Dragon is delivering a variety of experiments, including a demonstration of refined maneuvers for free-floating robots. Dragon also carries an enhanced air quality monitoring system that could protect crew members on exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and two atomic clocks to examine fundamental physics concepts, such as relativity, and test worldwide synchronization of precision timepieces.

Astronauts have occupied the space station continuously since November 2000. In that time, 283 people from 23 countries have visited the orbital outpost. The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under the Artemis campaign, and human exploration of Mars.

Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply missions at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Julian Coltre / Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-876-2468
stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Share Details Last Updated Mar 24, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Categories: NASA

NASA Invites Media to SpaceX’s 32nd Resupply Launch to Space Station

NASA News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:34pm
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 4, 2024, on the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station.Credit: SpaceX

Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Monday, April 21, to launch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch is the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.

Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m., EDT, Friday, April 4. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov


Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email after approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact NASA Kennedy’s newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.

Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.

Along with food and essential equipment for the crew, Dragon is delivering a variety of experiments, including a demonstration of refined maneuvers for free-floating robots. Dragon also carries an enhanced air quality monitoring system that could protect crew members on exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, and two atomic clocks to examine fundamental physics concepts, such as relativity, and test worldwide synchronization of precision timepieces.

Astronauts have occupied the space station continuously since November 2000. In that time, 283 people from 23 countries have visited the orbital outpost. The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under the Artemis campaign, and human exploration of Mars.

Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply missions at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Julian Coltre / Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-876-2468
stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Share Details Last Updated Mar 24, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Categories: NASA

Even moderate CO2 emissions could lead to 7°C of warming by 2200

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:32pm
There's a small chance of very high warming even with moderate future emissions, according to a computer model exploring what could happen in the next thousand years
Categories: Astronomy

Even moderate CO2 emissions could lead to 7°C of warming by 2200

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:32pm
There's a small chance of very high warming even with moderate future emissions, according to a computer model exploring what could happen in the next thousand years
Categories: Astronomy

Hurry! Only six days left to get 72% off Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus meaning you can watch season two of "Star Wars: Andor" with a huge discount

Space.com - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:30pm
With season two of Star Wars: Andor hitting the small screen on April 22, now is the time to get a Disney Plus subscription bundle and it's 72% off.
Categories: Astronomy

FEMA Disaster Aid Review Could Deter Migrants from Seeking Help in Extreme Weather

Scientific American.com - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:30pm

A previously undisclosed FEMA review could block disaster assistance to millions of undocumented people and deter legal immigrants from seeking help in extreme weather

Categories: Astronomy

What would happen if the Milky Way's black hole erupted? This distant galaxy paints a terrifying picture

Space.com - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 1:00pm
The observation of titanic jets emerging from the supermassive black hole at the heart of a distant galaxy could be a grim prediction of the Milky Way's future.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA Takes to the Air to Study Wildflowers

NASA - Breaking News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 12:51pm

5 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Researcher Ann Raiho measures sunlight interacting with yellow Coreopsis gigantea flowers during field work in the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve in California’s Santa Barbara County in 2022.NASA/Yoseline Angel

For many plant species, flowering is biologically synced with the seasons. Scientists are clocking blooms to understand our ever-changing planet.

NASA research is revealing there’s more to flowers than meets the human eye. A recent analysis of wildflowers in California shows how aircraft- and space-based instruments can use color to track seasonal flower cycles. The results suggest a potential new tool for farmers and natural-resource managers who rely on flowering plants.

In their study, the scientists surveyed thousands of acres of nature preserve using a technology built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The instrument — an imaging spectrometer — mapped the landscape in hundreds of wavelengths of light, capturing flowers as they blossomed and aged over the course of months.

It was the first time the instrument had been deployed to track vegetation steadily through the growing season, making this a “first-of-a-kind study,” said David Schimel, a research scientist at JPL.

In this illustration, an imaging spectrometer aboard a research plane measures sunlight reflecting off California coastal scrub. In the data cube below, the top panel shows the true-color view of the area. Lower panels depict the spectral fingerprint for every point in the image, capturing the visible range of light (blue, green, and red wavelengths) to the near-infrared (NIR) and beyond. Spatial resolution is around 16 feet (5 meters).NASA

For many plant species from crops to cacti, flowering is timed to seasonal swings in temperature, daylight, and precipitation. Scientists are taking a closer look at the relationship between plant life and seasons — known as vegetation phenology — to understand how rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns may be impacting ecosystems.

Typically, wildflower surveys rely on boots-on-the-ground observations and tools such as time-lapse photography. But these approaches cannot capture broader changes that may be happening in different ecosystems around the globe, said lead author Yoseline Angel, a scientist at the University of Maryland-College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

“One challenge is that compared to leaves or other parts of a plant, flowers can be pretty ephemeral,” she said. “They may last only a few weeks.”

To track blooms on a large scale, Angel and other NASA scientists are looking to one of the signature qualities of flowers: color.

NASA’s AVIRIS sensors have been used to study wildfires, World Trade Center wreckage, and critical minerals, among numerous airborne missions over the years. AVIRIS-3 is seen here on a field campaign in Panama, where it helped analyze vegetation in many wavelengths of light not visible to human eyes.NASA/Shawn Serbin Mapping Native Shrubs

Flower pigments fall into three major groups: carotenoids and betalains (associated with yellow, orange, and red colors), and anthocyanins (responsible for many deep reds, violets, and blues). The different chemical structures of the pigments reflect and absorb light in unique patterns.

Spectrometers allow scientists to analyze the patterns and catalog plant species by their chemical “fingerprint.” As all molecules reflect and absorb a unique pattern of light, spectrometers can identify a wide range of biological substances, minerals, and gases.

Handheld devices are used to analyze samples in the field or lab. To survey moons and planets, including Earth, NASA has developed increasingly powerful imaging spectrometers over the past 45 years.

One such instrument is called AVIRIS-NG (short for Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation), which was built by JPL to fly on aircraft. In 2022 it was used in a large ecology field campaign to survey vegetation in the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve and the Sedgwick Reserve, both in Santa Barbara County. Among the plants observed were two native shrub species — Coreopsis gigantea and Artemisia californica — from February to June.

The scientists developed a method to tease out the spectral fingerprint of the flowers from other landscape features that crowded their image pixels. In fact, they were able to capture 97% of the subtle spectral differences among flowers, leaves, and background cover (soil and shadows) and identify different flowering stages with 80% certainty.

Predicting Superblooms

The results open the door to more air- and space-based studies of flowering plants, which represent about 90% of all plant species on land. One of the ultimate goals, Angel said, would be to support farmers and natural resource managers who depend on these species along with insects and other pollinators in their midst. Fruit, nuts, many medicines, and cotton are a few of the commodities produced from flowering plants.

Angel is working with new data collected by AVIRIS’ sister spectrometer that orbits on the International Space Station. Called EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation), it was designed to map minerals around Earth’s arid regions. Combining its data with other environmental observations could help scientists study superblooms, a phenomenon where vast patches of desert flowers bloom after heavy rains.

One of the delights of researching flowers, Angel said, is the enthusiasm from citizen scientists. “I have social media alerts on my phone,” she added, noting one way she stays on top of wildflower activity around the world.

The wildflower study was supported as part of the Surface Biology and Geology High-Frequency Time Series (SHIFT) campaign. An airborne and field research effort, SHIFT was jointly led by the Nature Conservancy, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and JPL. Caltech, in Pasadena, manages JPL for NASA.

The AVIRIS instrument was originally developed through funding from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office.

News Media Contacts

Andrew Wang / Jane J. Lee
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov

Written by Sally Younger
NASA’s Earth Science News Team

2025-041

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Categories: NASA

NASA Takes to the Air to Study Wildflowers

NASA News - Mon, 03/24/2025 - 12:51pm

5 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Researcher Ann Raiho measures sunlight interacting with yellow Coreopsis gigantea flowers during field work in the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve in California’s Santa Barbara County in 2022.NASA/Yoseline Angel

For many plant species, flowering is biologically synced with the seasons. Scientists are clocking blooms to understand our ever-changing planet.

NASA research is revealing there’s more to flowers than meets the human eye. A recent analysis of wildflowers in California shows how aircraft- and space-based instruments can use color to track seasonal flower cycles. The results suggest a potential new tool for farmers and natural-resource managers who rely on flowering plants.

In their study, the scientists surveyed thousands of acres of nature preserve using a technology built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The instrument — an imaging spectrometer — mapped the landscape in hundreds of wavelengths of light, capturing flowers as they blossomed and aged over the course of months.

It was the first time the instrument had been deployed to track vegetation steadily through the growing season, making this a “first-of-a-kind study,” said David Schimel, a research scientist at JPL.

In this illustration, an imaging spectrometer aboard a research plane measures sunlight reflecting off California coastal scrub. In the data cube below, the top panel shows the true-color view of the area. Lower panels depict the spectral fingerprint for every point in the image, capturing the visible range of light (blue, green, and red wavelengths) to the near-infrared (NIR) and beyond. Spatial resolution is around 16 feet (5 meters).NASA

For many plant species from crops to cacti, flowering is timed to seasonal swings in temperature, daylight, and precipitation. Scientists are taking a closer look at the relationship between plant life and seasons — known as vegetation phenology — to understand how rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns may be impacting ecosystems.

Typically, wildflower surveys rely on boots-on-the-ground observations and tools such as time-lapse photography. But these approaches cannot capture broader changes that may be happening in different ecosystems around the globe, said lead author Yoseline Angel, a scientist at the University of Maryland-College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

“One challenge is that compared to leaves or other parts of a plant, flowers can be pretty ephemeral,” she said. “They may last only a few weeks.”

To track blooms on a large scale, Angel and other NASA scientists are looking to one of the signature qualities of flowers: color.

NASA’s AVIRIS sensors have been used to study wildfires, World Trade Center wreckage, and critical minerals, among numerous airborne missions over the years. AVIRIS-3 is seen here on a field campaign in Panama, where it helped analyze vegetation in many wavelengths of light not visible to human eyes.NASA/Shawn Serbin Mapping Native Shrubs

Flower pigments fall into three major groups: carotenoids and betalains (associated with yellow, orange, and red colors), and anthocyanins (responsible for many deep reds, violets, and blues). The different chemical structures of the pigments reflect and absorb light in unique patterns.

Spectrometers allow scientists to analyze the patterns and catalog plant species by their chemical “fingerprint.” As all molecules reflect and absorb a unique pattern of light, spectrometers can identify a wide range of biological substances, minerals, and gases.

Handheld devices are used to analyze samples in the field or lab. To survey moons and planets, including Earth, NASA has developed increasingly powerful imaging spectrometers over the past 45 years.

One such instrument is called AVIRIS-NG (short for Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation), which was built by JPL to fly on aircraft. In 2022 it was used in a large ecology field campaign to survey vegetation in the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve and the Sedgwick Reserve, both in Santa Barbara County. Among the plants observed were two native shrub species — Coreopsis gigantea and Artemisia californica — from February to June.

The scientists developed a method to tease out the spectral fingerprint of the flowers from other landscape features that crowded their image pixels. In fact, they were able to capture 97% of the subtle spectral differences among flowers, leaves, and background cover (soil and shadows) and identify different flowering stages with 80% certainty.

Predicting Superblooms

The results open the door to more air- and space-based studies of flowering plants, which represent about 90% of all plant species on land. One of the ultimate goals, Angel said, would be to support farmers and natural resource managers who depend on these species along with insects and other pollinators in their midst. Fruit, nuts, many medicines, and cotton are a few of the commodities produced from flowering plants.

Angel is working with new data collected by AVIRIS’ sister spectrometer that orbits on the International Space Station. Called EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation), it was designed to map minerals around Earth’s arid regions. Combining its data with other environmental observations could help scientists study superblooms, a phenomenon where vast patches of desert flowers bloom after heavy rains.

One of the delights of researching flowers, Angel said, is the enthusiasm from citizen scientists. “I have social media alerts on my phone,” she added, noting one way she stays on top of wildflower activity around the world.

The wildflower study was supported as part of the Surface Biology and Geology High-Frequency Time Series (SHIFT) campaign. An airborne and field research effort, SHIFT was jointly led by the Nature Conservancy, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and JPL. Caltech, in Pasadena, manages JPL for NASA.

The AVIRIS instrument was originally developed through funding from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office.

News Media Contacts

Andrew Wang / Jane J. Lee
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov

Written by Sally Younger
NASA’s Earth Science News Team

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