ESA Science

This month with Mars Express, we visit one of the most ancient parts of the Red Planet, surfing over shimmering waves in the enormous Kaiser Crater. Zoom in and explore the image in more detail 👇 esa.int/Science_Explor…

@s_amber386 @ESA_Euclid Total (bolometric) luminosity. The farthest one, EUCL J172902.75+641018.1, is at redshift 7.77

@esascience @ESA_Euclid trillion suns - is that bolometric or just UV? what's the redshift on the farthest one

📣 Most ancient quasars ever found! @ESA_Euclid has discovered 31 ancient quasars. Two of them shone with the light of a trillion Suns back when the Universe was 670 million years old – just 5% of its current age. Discover more 👉 esa.int/Science_Explor…

The masses have not yet been estimated for most of the quasars. What the scientists can say is that to shine with the light of a trillion Suns, a black hole accreting at the maximum ‘stable’ rate (the Eddington limit) would need a mass of roughly a billion solar masses. The estimated masses will come in a follow-up paper soon.

@esascience @ESA_Euclid what’s the estimated black hole mass on those trillion-sun ones - feeding that fast at z~7?

First episode of the series out on 16 July. Stay tuned ☀️ 👉 pod.link/1567538653

🔊 What if you could listen to the Universe instead of looking at it? Enter Expedition Sound – our new podcast using sonification to explore what our missions teach us about space, guided by the expertise of scientists and vision impaired astronomers.

🆕 Omega Centauri’s first stellar-mass black hole has been found! ⭐🕳️ The massive globular cluster Omega Centauri has puzzled astronomers for decades. It should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars. But where are they? 🤔 1/3

In Spain for the 12 August #EuropeanSolarEclipse? Join us for a free public observation programme in the city of León, organised in collaboration with the University of León and the city council. Details 👉 esa.int/Science_Explor…

🗣️“it feels like rehearsing the final act while the show is still running." As @esa / @JAXA_en #BepiColombo prepares for #MercuryArrival, simulations are already underway – all while continuing to fly the spacecraft. 🛰️ Read more here 👉 esa.int/Enabling_Suppo… @esascience @BepiColombo

🚨 New podcast series incoming 🚨 On 16 July, we're launching ‘Expedition Sound’ – a new podcast series that invites you to explore the Universe through sound instead of just sight. Are you joining the adventure? 🎧 Stay tuned for the first episode ☀️

@sunildmonte @esa @ESA_Euclid Hi there! You can explore the image on ESA Sky for better resolution: cosmos.esa.int/web/euclid/euc…

@esa @esascience @ESA_Euclid Hi, I downloaded the ~1GB tif image, but it's strangely poor quality? When I zoom in just a little, it pixellates. What am I missing?

Today, our Euclid mission revealed the largest, most detailed photo ever taken of our galaxy's centre in visible light. 🔗 esa.int/Science_Explor…

📣 Media invitation Join us for two online media briefings, in English and Spanish, on 15 July ahead of the solar eclipse of 12 August 2026. Register by 15:00 CEST on Tuesday 14 July. More details 👉 esa.int/Newsroom/Press… #EuropeanSolarEclipse

@philipvdm @esa @JAXA_en No, SEP was not on for the duration of the eight years. It was switched on periodically as needed. It was, however, the only source of propulsion during the cruise phase.

@esa @JAXA_en @esascience was the engine on for 8 years?

After 8 years travelling across the inner Solar System, BepiColombo has switched off its ion engines. The ESA/JAXA mission is now entering its final approach to Mercury, with key arrival steps starting in September. 🔗 esa.int/Enabling_Suppo… @JAXA_en @esascience @esaoperations

The change in propulsion method is connected to the different demands of these two mission stages. For the cruise phase, SEP was ideal because it's fuel efficient and generates the kind of thrust that was ideal for that part of the mission. At Mercury, the navigation demands are different, which makes chemical propulsion the more optimal alternative for propulsion.

@esa @JAXA_en @esascience So pumped! Wondering, why did we switch from SEP to chemical propulsion, for the rest of the mission?

🆕 The #NIRCam on Webb has captured the protostars of the FS Tau system. These are just 1 to 3 million years old – young by cosmic standards! 👶⭐ 1/2

🆕 Our ESA/Webb Picture of the Month features a cosmic construction project 👷‍♂️🏗️ This is the galaxy cluster MACS J0553.4-3342, which is seen in this #NIRCam image as it was 4.4 billion years in the past. The cluster is actually composed of two sub-clusters which are in the process of merging. 1/3

Written in its stars ✨ On its 4th science anniversary, Webb has turned its gaze towards Centaurus A. Thanks to its high resolution we can now study the galaxy star by star, reconstructing when different events in its history happened 👉 esa.int/Science_Explor…

Ready to launch your career in space? Our Junior Professional Programme could be your lift‑off. 🚀 If you hold a Master’s degree and have up to three years’ experience, this is your chance to join the European space sector. Apply now 👉 esa.int/About_Us/Caree… #ESArecruits

🆕 How did this planet survive the death of its star? ☠️⭐ WD 1856 b is a Jupiter-sized exoplanet which orbits its host star (a white dwarf) extremely tightly. If it had originally been orbiting at this distance, it would have been obliterated while the star was a red giant! 🔥 1/3