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Training programmes for people with aphantasia – the inability to create mental images – are challenging neuroscientists' understanding of how we create thoughts

What unexpected things do you see when you look up at the night sky? Today’s image resembles an

Amplifying the brain's waste disposal system seems to clear a substance that drives migraines, relieving some of the pain associated with the condition

Amplifying the brain's waste disposal system seems to clear a substance that drives migraines, relieving some of the pain associated with the condition

Anaerobic digesters converting manure to biogas reduce methane emissions from livestock, but incentives for them have encouraged factory farms to get bigger

Anaerobic digesters converting manure to biogas reduce methane emissions from livestock, but incentives for them have encouraged factory farms to get bigger

The Artemis 2 crew set records and provided amazing views — with more to come — as they journeyed around the Moon.

The post Amazing Views From Artemis 2’s Historic Lunar Flyby appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The first images from NASA’s Artemis II mission’s lunar flyby were worth the wait

Artemis II’s astronauts got the opportunity to re-create an iconic 1968 photograph on either side of their journey around the moon, showing Earth as beautiful—and precious—as ever

Artemis II’s sixth day was a whirlwind of science and awe, with the mission’s astronauts glimpsing parts of the moon never before seen by any human—and talking to the U.S. president

If NASA’s ambitious lunar exploration plans succeed, scientists will cover the moon with sensors—and find answers to several long-standing questions about the inner solar system

Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has been knocking it out of the park with small-body exploration missions for decades. They had historic successes with both Hayabusa and Hayabusa2, and they are going to visit the Martian Moons soon with the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. But after that, they are aiming for something much more pristine and arguably more difficult - a comet. The Next Generation Small-Body Return (NGSR) was recently described in a paper at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), and is under assessment as a large-class mission for the 2030s.

On 6 April 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission, powered by ESA’s European Service Module (ESM), brought humans further than ever before. 

But how do future astronauts train to live on the Moon, and what kind of lunar base could they create?

That’s where school students like you can come in!

An elegant mix of math and gravity powers the Artemis II “free return” trajectory from Earth to the moon and back

Four NASA astronauts have now travelled further from Earth than any humans before them, as they flew around the moon during the Artemis II mission on 6 April

Four NASA astronauts have now travelled further from Earth than any humans before them, as they flew around the moon during the Artemis II mission on 6 April

Lasers could one day steer solar sails and adjust a satellite’s position in outer space, thanks to graphene. An experiment on a gravity rollercoaster ride showed how this innovative material has the potential to revolutionise propulsion beyond Earth.

Shallow groundwater aquifers are driest in northern and central Florida in this map based on observations acquired on March 30, 2026, by the GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) satellites.NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Florida is among the wettest U.S. states, but that doesn’t mean it is drought-free. Nearly all of Florida faced at least “moderate” drought, and nearly 80 percent faced “extreme” conditions in April 2026, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Unusually dry conditions gripped the state for much of 2025, but the intensity and extent of the drought ratcheted up starting in January 2026.

Data from a NASA and German Research Center for Geosciences satellite mission show that the drought has left its imprint on the state’s underground water supplies, which are often tapped for drinking water and farming. The map above combines data from the twin GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) satellites and ground-based measurements to estimate the relative amount of groundwater stored underground as of March 30, 2026. The colors depict the wetness percentile, or how the amount of shallow groundwater compares to long-term records (1948–2010). Blue areas have more water than usual, and orange and red areas have less. Aquifers in the northern and central regions of the state are particularly dry.

The drought is being felt throughout Florida. Some water districts have imposed restrictions on when water can be used for certain activities, such as lawn watering and car washes. News reports suggest that the dry weather poses a threat to crops, many of which already suffered severe damage during hard freezes in February. Large wildland fires have flared up in some areas, and even wetland ecosystems like the Everglades face unusually dry conditions.  

The 2025-2026 drought is the most severe to affect Florida since 2012, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor show.NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin

U.S. Drought Monitor records indicate that the current drought is the most widespread and severe to affect the state since 2012. Many areas have received less than half their normal rainfall since September 1, 2025, according to the National Weather Service. St. Petersburg has seen only 7.7 inches (195.6 millimeters) of rain since September 1, compared to the normal 19.0 inches, making this the driest year on record for that period. 

However, the current drought does not yet rival the worst drought that has parched the state, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Their analysis indicates that the 2000–2001 drought was more intense, lasted longer, and affected a larger area. GRACE-FO observations are among the sources of information that the U.S. Drought Monitor considers when mapping drought conditions in its weekly assessments. Forecasters anticipate that a slow-moving rainstorm set to hit Florida this week may offer some relief.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using GRACE-FO data from The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Story by Adam Voiland.

Downloads March 30, 2026

JPEG (1.01 MB)

References and Resources

• AccuWeather (2026, April 5) Slow-moving rainstorm to douse Florida drought, wildfire risk this week. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Florida Climate Center (2026, February) Climate Summary for Florida. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection (2024, December 13) Aquifer Essentials. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (2026, February 20) Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces Recent Freezes Caused Over $3 Billion in Estimated Losses to Florida Agriculture. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• FOX Business (2026, March 11) Florida drought deepens strain on citrus industry as growers battle costs, disease. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• FOX Weather (2026, March 25) New Florida water restrictions issued as historic drought intensifies, with little relief expected. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Main St. Daily News (2026) Floridan aquifer levels hit lowest since 2011 with little March rain. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• National Weather Service (2026, April 2) Drought Information Statement for West Central and Southwest Florida. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• National Weather Service (2026, April 2) Drought Information Statement for Southeast Alabama, Southwest Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle & Big Bend. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• South Florida Water Management District Groundwater Modeling. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Southwest Florida Water Management District (2026, March 24) District Declares Modified Phase III Water Shortage. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Tampa Bay Times (2026, March 21) ‘Dry to the bone’: Drought squeezes Everglades airboat operators. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• U.S. Drought Monitor (2026, April 2) Florida. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• WUFT (2026, March 11) North Florida drought strains farmers as dry conditions persist. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• WUSF (2026, March 24) Stricter outdoor watering restrictions are coming due to ongoing drought. Accessed April 6, 2026.

Earth Observatory

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2. Earth Observatory
3. Drought Parches Florida

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Shallow groundwater aquifers are driest in northern and central Florida in this map based on observations acquired on March 30, 2026, by the GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) satellites.NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Florida is among the wettest U.S. states, but that doesn’t mean it is drought-free. Nearly all of Florida faced at least “moderate” drought, and nearly 80 percent faced “extreme” conditions in April 2026, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Unusually dry conditions gripped the state for much of 2025, but the intensity and extent of the drought ratcheted up starting in January 2026.

Data from a NASA and German Research Center for Geosciences satellite mission show that the drought has left its imprint on the state’s underground water supplies, which are often tapped for drinking water and farming. The map above combines data from the twin GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) satellites and ground-based measurements to estimate the relative amount of groundwater stored underground as of March 30, 2026. The colors depict the wetness percentile, or how the amount of shallow groundwater compares to long-term records (1948–2010). Blue areas have more water than usual, and orange and red areas have less. Aquifers in the northern and central regions of the state are particularly dry.

The drought is being felt throughout Florida. Some water districts have imposed restrictions on when water can be used for certain activities, such as lawn watering and car washes. News reports suggest that the dry weather poses a threat to crops, many of which already suffered severe damage during hard freezes in February. Large wildland fires have flared up in some areas, and even wetland ecosystems like the Everglades face unusually dry conditions.  

The 2025-2026 drought is the most severe to affect Florida since 2012, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor show.NASA Earth Observatory / Lauren Dauphin

U.S. Drought Monitor records indicate that the current drought is the most widespread and severe to affect the state since 2012. Many areas have received less than half their normal rainfall since September 1, 2025, according to the National Weather Service. St. Petersburg has seen only 7.7 inches (195.6 millimeters) of rain since September 1, compared to the normal 19.0 inches, making this the driest year on record for that period. 

However, the current drought does not yet rival the worst drought that has parched the state, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Their analysis indicates that the 2000–2001 drought was more intense, lasted longer, and affected a larger area. GRACE-FO observations are among the sources of information that the U.S. Drought Monitor considers when mapping drought conditions in its weekly assessments. Forecasters anticipate that a slow-moving rainstorm set to hit Florida this week may offer some relief.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using GRACE-FO data from The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Story by Adam Voiland.

Downloads March 30, 2026

JPEG (1.01 MB)

References and Resources

• AccuWeather (2026, April 5) Slow-moving rainstorm to douse Florida drought, wildfire risk this week. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Florida Climate Center (2026, February) Climate Summary for Florida. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection (2024, December 13) Aquifer Essentials. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (2026, February 20) Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces Recent Freezes Caused Over $3 Billion in Estimated Losses to Florida Agriculture. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• FOX Business (2026, March 11) Florida drought deepens strain on citrus industry as growers battle costs, disease. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• FOX Weather (2026, March 25) New Florida water restrictions issued as historic drought intensifies, with little relief expected. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Main St. Daily News (2026) Floridan aquifer levels hit lowest since 2011 with little March rain. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• National Weather Service (2026, April 2) Drought Information Statement for West Central and Southwest Florida. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• National Weather Service (2026, April 2) Drought Information Statement for Southeast Alabama, Southwest Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle & Big Bend. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• South Florida Water Management District Groundwater Modeling. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Southwest Florida Water Management District (2026, March 24) District Declares Modified Phase III Water Shortage. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Tampa Bay Times (2026, March 21) ‘Dry to the bone’: Drought squeezes Everglades airboat operators. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• U.S. Drought Monitor (2026, April 2) Florida. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• WUFT (2026, March 11) North Florida drought strains farmers as dry conditions persist. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• WUSF (2026, March 24) Stricter outdoor watering restrictions are coming due to ongoing drought. Accessed April 6, 2026.

Earth Observatory

1. Science
2. Earth Observatory
3. Drought Parches Florida

• Earth
• Earth Observatory
• Image of the Day
• EO Explorer
• Topics
• More Content
• About

On Monday night, the U.S. president called the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft to congratulate them on their moon mission