Alan Dyer of Amazingsky.net recorded this video from his home in southern Alberta, Canada, around 51 degrees north latitude. Watch satellites swarm across the night sky in a 2.5-hour time lapse aimed toward the summer Milky Way. Video via Alan Dyer/ AmazingSky.net. Used with permission.
Alan Dyer of Amazingsky.net shared this mind-boggling video of 2.5 hours of the summer Milky Way, as satellites swarmed the view like a plague of locusts. EarthSky reached out to Alan, who captures his images from southern Alberta in Canada. Alan told us:
I take these images to illustrate the satellite issues.
Here are the details he shared about his video:
This 1-minute time-lapse records the tracks of the large number of satellites now passing across our skies on any given night.
The night in question here was June 13-14, 2026, from 11:43 p.m. MDT to 2:10 a.m. MDT [5:43 to 08:10 UTC], so over about 2.5 hours.
I shot this from my location in southern Alberta at 51 degrees north latitude. That latitude range is the worst for seeing satellites in abundance as:
in summer around the solstice even satellites in low-Earth orbit are lit by sunlight all night long, and …
many sets of Starlink satellites peak at the most northerly point in their inclined orbits at about my latitude.
And yes, most of the satellite trails are from SpaceX Starlink satellites as most of the satellites now in orbit are Starlinks. And most seen here are following similar parallel paths, as Starlinks sets do.
Alan shared the photographic details of his video above and the still image below. He wrote:
The fast lens and long exposures I used do make satellites visible that were too faint to see with the unaided eye, just as fainter stars than your eye can see are recorded. Nevertheless, this shows just how many satellites are now passing through any field of view, be it unaided eye, with a camera or with a telescope.
The movie is from 1,200 frames. I took them starting when the sky was still a deep blue in late twilight until past the middle of the short summer night. The final still images stack the first 200 frames taken over 23 minutes, then each subsequent image adds another 100 frames, recording another 12 minutes of trails. This totals 600 frames at the end, taken over 71 minutes … with so many satellite trails the stars are obliterated. And yet this was only half the number of images taken this night.
Alan Dyer shared this composite image looking toward the summer Milky Way from Alberta, Canada. Alan wrote: “This is an accumulation of exposures showing the number of satellites across the Milky Way during 35 minutes, from 12:28 a.m. to 1:03 a.m. on June 14, 2026. The field of view here frames the Summer Triangle. I stacked just 300 frames out of 1,200 I shot this night over 2 hours and 30 minutes. Stacking more frames only produced a dense, chaotic mess, with so many satellite trails the stars were hidden behind a wall of bright streaks.” Image via Alan Dyer/ AmazingSky.net. Used with permission.
Bottom line: Alan Dyer shared this new video as satellites swarm across the sky, obscuring the summer Milky Way. Read more about Alan’s video here.
Alan Dyer of Amazingsky.net recorded this video from his home in southern Alberta, Canada, around 51 degrees north latitude. Watch satellites swarm across the night sky in a 2.5-hour time lapse aimed toward the summer Milky Way. Video via Alan Dyer/ AmazingSky.net. Used with permission.
Alan Dyer of Amazingsky.net shared this mind-boggling video of 2.5 hours of the summer Milky Way, as satellites swarmed the view like a plague of locusts. EarthSky reached out to Alan, who captures his images from southern Alberta in Canada. Alan told us:
I take these images to illustrate the satellite issues.
Here are the details he shared about his video:
This 1-minute time-lapse records the tracks of the large number of satellites now passing across our skies on any given night.
The night in question here was June 13-14, 2026, from 11:43 p.m. MDT to 2:10 a.m. MDT [5:43 to 08:10 UTC], so over about 2.5 hours.
I shot this from my location in southern Alberta at 51 degrees north latitude. That latitude range is the worst for seeing satellites in abundance as:
in summer around the solstice even satellites in low-Earth orbit are lit by sunlight all night long, and …
many sets of Starlink satellites peak at the most northerly point in their inclined orbits at about my latitude.
And yes, most of the satellite trails are from SpaceX Starlink satellites as most of the satellites now in orbit are Starlinks. And most seen here are following similar parallel paths, as Starlinks sets do.
Alan shared the photographic details of his video above and the still image below. He wrote:
The fast lens and long exposures I used do make satellites visible that were too faint to see with the unaided eye, just as fainter stars than your eye can see are recorded. Nevertheless, this shows just how many satellites are now passing through any field of view, be it unaided eye, with a camera or with a telescope.
The movie is from 1,200 frames. I took them starting when the sky was still a deep blue in late twilight until past the middle of the short summer night. The final still images stack the first 200 frames taken over 23 minutes, then each subsequent image adds another 100 frames, recording another 12 minutes of trails. This totals 600 frames at the end, taken over 71 minutes … with so many satellite trails the stars are obliterated. And yet this was only half the number of images taken this night.
Alan Dyer shared this composite image looking toward the summer Milky Way from Alberta, Canada. Alan wrote: “This is an accumulation of exposures showing the number of satellites across the Milky Way during 35 minutes, from 12:28 a.m. to 1:03 a.m. on June 14, 2026. The field of view here frames the Summer Triangle. I stacked just 300 frames out of 1,200 I shot this night over 2 hours and 30 minutes. Stacking more frames only produced a dense, chaotic mess, with so many satellite trails the stars were hidden behind a wall of bright streaks.” Image via Alan Dyer/ AmazingSky.net. Used with permission.
Bottom line: Alan Dyer shared this new video as satellites swarm across the sky, obscuring the summer Milky Way. Read more about Alan’s video here.
There was a nice display of noctilucent clouds last night. Here's the view from the North York Moors, overlooking Teesside at 23:11 UT. #NoctilucentClouds #Noctilucent #NLCs
Noctilucent clouds, or night-shining clouds, are thin clouds high up in Earth’s atmosphere – the mesosphere – as much as 50 miles (80 km) above Earth’s surface. Scientists think they’re made of ice crystals that form on fine dust particles, often from meteors. They can only form when temperatures are incredibly low and when there’s water available to form ice crystals.
So, why do these clouds – which require such cold temperatures – form in the summer? It’s because of the strange dynamics of the atmosphere. At that height in the mesosphere, you actually get the coldest temperatures of the year near the poles in summer. Read on to find out why.
Photo of noctilucent clouds taken in Laboe, Germany, on June 21, 2019. Image by Matthias Süßen/ Wikipedia.
What causes noctilucent clouds?
Here’s how it works: during summer, air close to the ground heats up and rises. Since atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, the rising air expands. But, when the air expands, it also cools down. This, along with other processes in the upper atmosphere, drives the air even higher causing it to cool even more. As a result, temperatures in the mesosphere can plunge to as low as -225 degrees Fahrenheit (-143 C).
In the Northern Hemisphere, the mesosphere reaches these temperatures by mid-May in most years.
We see noctilucent clouds when most of the sky has grown dark, but the rays from the sun can still reach and reflect off these ethereal, electric-blue clouds. When satellites or astronauts view them from space, they’re referred to as polar mesospheric clouds.
If you want to see them for yourself, now’s the time to look!
Astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) took this photo on January 5, 2013, when the ISS was over the Pacific Ocean south of French Polynesia. The pale orange band below the brightly lit noctilucent clouds is the stratosphere. Image via NASA.
It’s noctilucent cloud season
The season for noctilucent clouds at northerly latitudes is now. People at high latitudes report seeing noctilucent clouds. This happens every year, from about May through August in the Northern Hemisphere, and from November through February in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sighting them at lower latitudes might be due to a couple of things. According to Royal Museums Greenwich:
In the Northern Hemisphere noctilucent clouds have been seen at much lower latitudes than expected. Scientists believe this is a result of climate change, but it could also be due to other factors, such as rocket launches expelling particles into the atmosphere which go on to form noctilucent clouds.
How to see these night-shining clouds
To see noctilucent clouds, you’ll need certain conditions in your favor. One factor is when to look. Right about now – June to July – is typically when noctilucent clouds are most widespread.
You’ll also want to be positioned as far north as possible during the Northern Hemisphere’s peak season. Canada and the U.K. are two locations where you’ll have a better chance to spot night-shining clouds.
Then, look west about 30 minutes after sunset. The farther north you are, the longer throughout the night you can see them. That’s because the sun doesn’t dip as far below your horizon.
Noctilucent clouds look like electric, luminous tendrils of blue-white light. They are the clouds that glow after other clouds have darkened.
Noctilucent clouds are night-shining clouds because they are so high up that after other clouds are dark, the sun can still reach them. These polar mesospheric clouds appear as eerily blue in a mostly darkened sky. Chart via EarthSky.
What noctilucent clouds can teach us
Noctilucent clouds are sensitive to atmospheric temperatures. Therefore, they can act as a proxy for information about the wind circulation that causes these temperatures. First of all, they can tell scientists that the circulation exists. They can also tell us something about the strength of the circulation.
Scientists studying these clouds got help from NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite. This satellite, launched in 2007, observed noctilucent clouds using several onboard instruments to collect information such as temperature, atmospheric gases, ice crystal size and changes in the clouds. It even accounted for the amount of meteoric space dust that enters the atmosphere. The AIM spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up in August 2024.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Petr Horálek braved a cow pasture to get this view of noctilucent clouds on July 3. Petr wrote: “This early morning, the bright NLCs appeared over Central Europe. I found a great spot by Prosec u Sece, Czech Republic. When I started shooting, I found out that cows are close … and a bull too. I was pretty scared of the bull, as he seemed very aggressive, but I managed to make at least one shot before he decided to check me out. So the shot is truly spontaneous and a result of small drama, too.” Thank you, Petr!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Joel Weatherly captured noctilucent clouds from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 1. Joel wrote: “Last night we had a significant outbreak of noctilucent clouds. These shimmering NLCs showcased brilliant waves and ripples.” Thank you, Joel!
Noctilucent clouds in 2024
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jean-Baptiste Feldmann in Gleizé, France, captured these noctilucent – or night-shining – clouds on July 13. Jean-Baptiste wrote: “Impressive festival of noctilucent clouds a little before 5 in the morning, while I was finishing my planetary observations with the telescope. I had never seen noctilucent with such intensity before. A real treat!” Thank you, Jean-Baptiste!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Marek Nikodem caught these noctilucent clouds on June 14, from near Szubin, Poland. Thank you, Marek!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lorraine Osullivan was in Pembrokeshire, Wales, when she took this image of night-shining clouds on June 25. Lorraine wrote: “I was on holiday when I took this photo, it is taken from our balcony at our cottage.” Thank you, Lorraine!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lea Proicheva in Gennep, The Netherlands, captured this image on June 28. Lea wrote: “This time of year the sun goes down very late and twilight last for a long time.” Thank you, Lea!
There was a nice display of noctilucent clouds last night. Here's the view from the North York Moors, overlooking Teesside at 23:11 UT. #NoctilucentClouds #Noctilucent #NLCs
Noctilucent clouds, or night-shining clouds, are thin clouds high up in Earth’s atmosphere – the mesosphere – as much as 50 miles (80 km) above Earth’s surface. Scientists think they’re made of ice crystals that form on fine dust particles, often from meteors. They can only form when temperatures are incredibly low and when there’s water available to form ice crystals.
So, why do these clouds – which require such cold temperatures – form in the summer? It’s because of the strange dynamics of the atmosphere. At that height in the mesosphere, you actually get the coldest temperatures of the year near the poles in summer. Read on to find out why.
Photo of noctilucent clouds taken in Laboe, Germany, on June 21, 2019. Image by Matthias Süßen/ Wikipedia.
What causes noctilucent clouds?
Here’s how it works: during summer, air close to the ground heats up and rises. Since atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, the rising air expands. But, when the air expands, it also cools down. This, along with other processes in the upper atmosphere, drives the air even higher causing it to cool even more. As a result, temperatures in the mesosphere can plunge to as low as -225 degrees Fahrenheit (-143 C).
In the Northern Hemisphere, the mesosphere reaches these temperatures by mid-May in most years.
We see noctilucent clouds when most of the sky has grown dark, but the rays from the sun can still reach and reflect off these ethereal, electric-blue clouds. When satellites or astronauts view them from space, they’re referred to as polar mesospheric clouds.
If you want to see them for yourself, now’s the time to look!
Astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) took this photo on January 5, 2013, when the ISS was over the Pacific Ocean south of French Polynesia. The pale orange band below the brightly lit noctilucent clouds is the stratosphere. Image via NASA.
It’s noctilucent cloud season
The season for noctilucent clouds at northerly latitudes is now. People at high latitudes report seeing noctilucent clouds. This happens every year, from about May through August in the Northern Hemisphere, and from November through February in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sighting them at lower latitudes might be due to a couple of things. According to Royal Museums Greenwich:
In the Northern Hemisphere noctilucent clouds have been seen at much lower latitudes than expected. Scientists believe this is a result of climate change, but it could also be due to other factors, such as rocket launches expelling particles into the atmosphere which go on to form noctilucent clouds.
How to see these night-shining clouds
To see noctilucent clouds, you’ll need certain conditions in your favor. One factor is when to look. Right about now – June to July – is typically when noctilucent clouds are most widespread.
You’ll also want to be positioned as far north as possible during the Northern Hemisphere’s peak season. Canada and the U.K. are two locations where you’ll have a better chance to spot night-shining clouds.
Then, look west about 30 minutes after sunset. The farther north you are, the longer throughout the night you can see them. That’s because the sun doesn’t dip as far below your horizon.
Noctilucent clouds look like electric, luminous tendrils of blue-white light. They are the clouds that glow after other clouds have darkened.
Noctilucent clouds are night-shining clouds because they are so high up that after other clouds are dark, the sun can still reach them. These polar mesospheric clouds appear as eerily blue in a mostly darkened sky. Chart via EarthSky.
What noctilucent clouds can teach us
Noctilucent clouds are sensitive to atmospheric temperatures. Therefore, they can act as a proxy for information about the wind circulation that causes these temperatures. First of all, they can tell scientists that the circulation exists. They can also tell us something about the strength of the circulation.
Scientists studying these clouds got help from NASA’s Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite. This satellite, launched in 2007, observed noctilucent clouds using several onboard instruments to collect information such as temperature, atmospheric gases, ice crystal size and changes in the clouds. It even accounted for the amount of meteoric space dust that enters the atmosphere. The AIM spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up in August 2024.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Petr Horálek braved a cow pasture to get this view of noctilucent clouds on July 3. Petr wrote: “This early morning, the bright NLCs appeared over Central Europe. I found a great spot by Prosec u Sece, Czech Republic. When I started shooting, I found out that cows are close … and a bull too. I was pretty scared of the bull, as he seemed very aggressive, but I managed to make at least one shot before he decided to check me out. So the shot is truly spontaneous and a result of small drama, too.” Thank you, Petr!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Joel Weatherly captured noctilucent clouds from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 1. Joel wrote: “Last night we had a significant outbreak of noctilucent clouds. These shimmering NLCs showcased brilliant waves and ripples.” Thank you, Joel!
Noctilucent clouds in 2024
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jean-Baptiste Feldmann in Gleizé, France, captured these noctilucent – or night-shining – clouds on July 13. Jean-Baptiste wrote: “Impressive festival of noctilucent clouds a little before 5 in the morning, while I was finishing my planetary observations with the telescope. I had never seen noctilucent with such intensity before. A real treat!” Thank you, Jean-Baptiste!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Marek Nikodem caught these noctilucent clouds on June 14, from near Szubin, Poland. Thank you, Marek!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lorraine Osullivan was in Pembrokeshire, Wales, when she took this image of night-shining clouds on June 25. Lorraine wrote: “I was on holiday when I took this photo, it is taken from our balcony at our cottage.” Thank you, Lorraine!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lea Proicheva in Gennep, The Netherlands, captured this image on June 28. Lea wrote: “This time of year the sun goes down very late and twilight last for a long time.” Thank you, Lea!
Question 1: What’s the brightest planet in our sky?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amheric Hall in Reno, Nevada, captured the moon and a bright planet in 2024. Thanks, Amheric! This planet is brighter than all other planets in Earth’s sky. In fact, it’s so bright you can sometimes spot it in broad daylight. Which planet is it?
Question 2: Do you know the North Star’s proper name?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeff Grubbs in Elgin, Arizona, took a long-exposure photo of the northern sky. It shows all the stars circling around the North Star (or Pole Star). Thanks, Jeff! This star has a proper name, recognized by the International Astronomical Union. What is it?
Question 6: Is the early evening crescent moon waxing or waning?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Roberto Ortu in Marina di Torregrande, Sardinia, Italy, captured the crescent moon and Venus on May 18, 2026. Thanks, Roberto! When you see a crescent moon after sunset in the early evening sky, is it waxing or waning?
Question 7: What is this mysterious cone of light?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Osama Fathi in the Western Desert of Egypt captured this mysterious pyramid of light on an autumn morning, extending up from the eastern horizon before dawn. Thanks, Osama! What’s this light called? Hint: It’s sunlight reflecting off dust grains that move in the plane of the solar system. The dust might originate on Mars!
Question 8: Where do most meteors come from?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Cox from Deep River, Ontario, Canada, shared this composite image of Perseid meteors and the aurora. Thanks, David! We see meteors when tiny bits of debris in space hit Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, emitting light. What is the source of most of the debris that create meteor showers?
Question 1: What’s the brightest planet in our sky?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amheric Hall in Reno, Nevada, captured the moon and a bright planet in 2024. Thanks, Amheric! This planet is brighter than all other planets in Earth’s sky. In fact, it’s so bright you can sometimes spot it in broad daylight. Which planet is it?
Question 2: Do you know the North Star’s proper name?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeff Grubbs in Elgin, Arizona, took a long-exposure photo of the northern sky. It shows all the stars circling around the North Star (or Pole Star). Thanks, Jeff! This star has a proper name, recognized by the International Astronomical Union. What is it?
Question 6: Is the early evening crescent moon waxing or waning?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Roberto Ortu in Marina di Torregrande, Sardinia, Italy, captured the crescent moon and Venus on May 18, 2026. Thanks, Roberto! When you see a crescent moon after sunset in the early evening sky, is it waxing or waning?
Question 7: What is this mysterious cone of light?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Osama Fathi in the Western Desert of Egypt captured this mysterious pyramid of light on an autumn morning, extending up from the eastern horizon before dawn. Thanks, Osama! What’s this light called? Hint: It’s sunlight reflecting off dust grains that move in the plane of the solar system. The dust might originate on Mars!
Question 8: Where do most meteors come from?
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Cox from Deep River, Ontario, Canada, shared this composite image of Perseid meteors and the aurora. Thanks, David! We see meteors when tiny bits of debris in space hit Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, emitting light. What is the source of most of the debris that create meteor showers?
At nightfall tonight, or any June evening, look in a general southward direction for Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, Spica appears overhead or high in the north. Spica is your jumping off point to three faint constellations: Corvus the Crow, Crater the Cup and Hydra the Water Snake.
Use the Big Dipper to find Spica
Check out the two charts below. If you’re familiar with the Big Dipper, use it to star-hop to Spica, as shown in the first chart.
Then you can use Spica to find the constellation Corvus. And alternatively, use Corvus to confirm that you’ve found Spica, as shown in the second chart.
Use the Big Dipper to locate the stars Arcturus and Spica for months to come.Here’s another way to verify that you’re looking at Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
Okay … got Spica? Now, as nightfall deepens into later evening, watch for a number of fainter stars to become visible. That’s when the Crow, Cup and Water Snake will come into view.
Crow, Cup and Water Snake in skylore
In Greek mythology, Apollo sent the crow to fetch a cup of water. But the crow, Corvus, got distracted eating figs. It was only after much delay that he finally remembered his mission. The crow knew Apollo would be angry, so he plucked a snake from the water and concocted a story about how it had attacked and delayed him.
Apollo was not fooled and angrily flung the Crow, Cup and Snake into the sky, placing the Crow and Cup on the Snake’s back. Then the god ordered Hydra to never let the Crow drink from the Cup. As a further punishment, he ordered that the Crow could never sing again, only screech and caw.
None of these constellations have any bright stars, but Hydra holds the distinction of being the longest constellation in the heavens.
At nightfall tonight, or any June evening, look in a general southward direction for Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, Spica appears overhead or high in the north. Spica is your jumping off point to three faint constellations: Corvus the Crow, Crater the Cup and Hydra the Water Snake.
Use the Big Dipper to find Spica
Check out the two charts below. If you’re familiar with the Big Dipper, use it to star-hop to Spica, as shown in the first chart.
Then you can use Spica to find the constellation Corvus. And alternatively, use Corvus to confirm that you’ve found Spica, as shown in the second chart.
Use the Big Dipper to locate the stars Arcturus and Spica for months to come.Here’s another way to verify that you’re looking at Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
Okay … got Spica? Now, as nightfall deepens into later evening, watch for a number of fainter stars to become visible. That’s when the Crow, Cup and Water Snake will come into view.
Crow, Cup and Water Snake in skylore
In Greek mythology, Apollo sent the crow to fetch a cup of water. But the crow, Corvus, got distracted eating figs. It was only after much delay that he finally remembered his mission. The crow knew Apollo would be angry, so he plucked a snake from the water and concocted a story about how it had attacked and delayed him.
Apollo was not fooled and angrily flung the Crow, Cup and Snake into the sky, placing the Crow and Cup on the Snake’s back. Then the god ordered Hydra to never let the Crow drink from the Cup. As a further punishment, he ordered that the Crow could never sing again, only screech and caw.
None of these constellations have any bright stars, but Hydra holds the distinction of being the longest constellation in the heavens.
On June 14, 2026, Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii spawned a volnado, or a volcanic-generated tornado. Video via USGS.
On June 14, 2026, Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii experienced the 49th episode of its most recent eruptive period, which began on December 23, 2024. The 49th episode was short-lived – only lasting for seven hours – but it produced a volnado, or a volcanic-generated tornado!
This vortex was technically a landspout, or a tornado that is not from a supercell thunderstorm. They form from the ground up.
Volnadoes are made of ash and dust from the intense heat from lava fountains interacting with cooler air, lifting volcanic particles into a spinning column. And they’re visible because of the dark ash and steam rising from the powerful lava jets.
See another angle of the volnado from one of the three USGS live cams that stream activity at Kilauea below.
This angle of the eruption shows the volnado a bit more obscured in ash and steam. On June 14, 2026, Kilauea had its 49th episode in its most recent series of eruptions on the Big Island of Hawaii. Video via USGS.
Watch the Kilauea live cam
Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. Is it erupting again? Check the live cam below to see for yourself. The 49th eruption lasted just seven hours. But the next eruptive episode could start at any time.
A live came of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.
A volnado from November
In November, Kilauea produced another volnado, or a tornado-like whirlwind. Volnadoes are somewhere between a dust devil and fire tornado. See it in the video below.
On June 14, 2026, Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii spawned a volnado, or a volcanic-generated tornado. Video via USGS.
On June 14, 2026, Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii experienced the 49th episode of its most recent eruptive period, which began on December 23, 2024. The 49th episode was short-lived – only lasting for seven hours – but it produced a volnado, or a volcanic-generated tornado!
This vortex was technically a landspout, or a tornado that is not from a supercell thunderstorm. They form from the ground up.
Volnadoes are made of ash and dust from the intense heat from lava fountains interacting with cooler air, lifting volcanic particles into a spinning column. And they’re visible because of the dark ash and steam rising from the powerful lava jets.
See another angle of the volnado from one of the three USGS live cams that stream activity at Kilauea below.
This angle of the eruption shows the volnado a bit more obscured in ash and steam. On June 14, 2026, Kilauea had its 49th episode in its most recent series of eruptions on the Big Island of Hawaii. Video via USGS.
Watch the Kilauea live cam
Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. Is it erupting again? Check the live cam below to see for yourself. The 49th eruption lasted just seven hours. But the next eruptive episode could start at any time.
A live came of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.
A volnado from November
In November, Kilauea produced another volnado, or a tornado-like whirlwind. Volnadoes are somewhere between a dust devil and fire tornado. See it in the video below.
Rosalind Franklin rover to search for life on Mars
There’ve been a total of six robot rovers creeping across the surface of the world next door, Mars. Only two – Curiosity and Perseverance – are active today. But, in 2028, the Rosalind Franklin rover will join them. It’ll ride to Mars on the European Space Agency’s ExoMars mission. Its goal is specifically to search for signs of microbial life. And its target is the Oxia Planum region on Mars.
Why this region? It’s known to be rich in clay minerals, which require water to form and might preserve traces of ancient life. Now, researchers in France have published a new study that makes this region even more interesting. They said on June 4, 2026, that the clay deposits here are even more extensive than previously thought.
The findings bolster the chances that Rosalind Franklin might at last find traces of life on Mars.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed paper on April 19, 2026 (with a version of record on June 2, 2026) in the journal Icarus.
New research reveals vast clay deposits at our Rosalind Franklin rover landing site, pointing to a once water-rich Mars and strengthening the search for signs of past life.Read more: http://www.esa.int/Science_Expl…@science.esa.int @exploration.esa.int
The new study shows that Oxia Planum’s rich clay deposits aren’t constrained to that region.
They also reach into Mawrth Vallis, which is 185 miles (300 km) away. Overall, the deposits stretch about 373 miles (600 km) and rise over 0.6 miles (1 km) in altitude.
This video shows the geological map of Oxia Planum on Mars. It identifies 15 different geological features in the region. Video via Animation: P. FAwdon, The Open University. Images: CaSSIS/ HiRISE/ HRSC/ ESA.View larger. | Orbital view of the Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis regions on Mars. ESA’s new Rosalind Franklin rover will explore here. A new study suggests more clays here than we knew. That’s good news for scientists searching for Mars life. Image via NASA/ Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera/ JPL-Caltech/ ESA.
Its search site is also very old
The clays in Oxia Planum are the older than those in Mawrth Vallis. They appear to be about 4 billion years old, nearly as old as Mars itself (4.5 billion years). So the clays in Mawrth Vallis came later in Mars’ history.
And, since Oxia Planum’s clay deposits are extremely ancient, they might have the best chances of preserving ancient life on Mars, if it existed. Lead author Inés Torres Auré at the University of Lyon in France said:
We now have a new timeline: Oxia Planum’s clays formed first, about 4 billion years ago, predating those at Mawrth Vallis. By landing at Oxia Planum, we’ll uncover a large-scale process that shaped ancient clays across Mars.
Evidence for an ancient ocean?
The abundance of clays means there was a lot of water in Oxia Planum long ago. This region might have been part of Mars’ northern ocean, for which there has been growing evidence in recent years. Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist, said:
Because the area is so large, we are not talking about a localized occurrence, but rather a regional or global process that would have required immense amounts of water.
We are targeting the oldest deposits in the sequence, which makes the potential implications for the geology and early climate of Mars very relevant for the Rosalind Franklin mission in its search for life.
Or … another explanation?
Or the clays might have formed in groundwater that once flooded the region. Which scenario is most likely? The Rosalind Franklin rover should be able to figure that out.
The rover will be able to determine the ground truth in relation to findings made by the various spacecraft in orbit around Mars. Elliot Sefton-Nash, ExoMars deputy project scientist, said:
We will use the instruments on board to ground truth the discoveries made from orbit, learn about the ancient environment in which they formed, and if they preserve any evidence of Martian life.
Warmth and nutrients on an early Martian seabed could have provided habitats for early life.
Inés added:
To prepare for the rover’s arrival, we are working to map the full extent of these deposits, identify any additional pauses in their formation, and quantify their duration. This will provide deeper insights into Mars’s early history before the rover starts working on the surface.
Inès Torres Auré at the University of Lyon in France led the new study about clays on Mars. Image via GitHub.
The rover will track environmental change
Not only do the data in the new study record the more extensive clay deposits, they also document environmental change over time. The OMEGA instrument on ESA’s Mars Express orbiter and the CRISM instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter studied the mineralogy of the region. They found that the mineral layers in both Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis were quite similar.
And at the boundary between the two main clay units (bodies), scientists identified a paleosurface. That’s the remnant of an ancient, exposed surface that was heavily cratered and later covered by younger clay deposits. It also marks where sedimentation paused and then shifted in water chemistry and mineralogy across both sites. Inés noted:
We have identified a pause in deposition, which is quite puzzling because it implies a period of minimal surface activity (except for meteorite bombardment), followed by a shift in water chemistry and mineralogy in both Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis.
Overall, these findings support earlier ones suggesting that Mars experienced an intermittently wet climate.
Last year, scientists announced that finding evidence of past life might be easier than first anticipated. Rockfalls and ancient floods could have brought organic materials close to the landing site, where the rover can easily sample them. That’s an exciting possibility!
In 2019, ESA named the rover for scientist Rosalind Franklin. She was one of the great seekers of the mysterious structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, more commonly known by its abbreviation DNA. Her work helped reveal DNA’s famous double helix structure in the early 1950s.
Bottom line: The Rosalind Franklin rover will land on Mars in 2028. It’ll explore Oxia Planum, a region rich in clays. New evidence suggests the clays are even more extensive than thought. And clays are a good place to search for life.
Rosalind Franklin rover to search for life on Mars
There’ve been a total of six robot rovers creeping across the surface of the world next door, Mars. Only two – Curiosity and Perseverance – are active today. But, in 2028, the Rosalind Franklin rover will join them. It’ll ride to Mars on the European Space Agency’s ExoMars mission. Its goal is specifically to search for signs of microbial life. And its target is the Oxia Planum region on Mars.
Why this region? It’s known to be rich in clay minerals, which require water to form and might preserve traces of ancient life. Now, researchers in France have published a new study that makes this region even more interesting. They said on June 4, 2026, that the clay deposits here are even more extensive than previously thought.
The findings bolster the chances that Rosalind Franklin might at last find traces of life on Mars.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed paper on April 19, 2026 (with a version of record on June 2, 2026) in the journal Icarus.
New research reveals vast clay deposits at our Rosalind Franklin rover landing site, pointing to a once water-rich Mars and strengthening the search for signs of past life.Read more: http://www.esa.int/Science_Expl…@science.esa.int @exploration.esa.int
The new study shows that Oxia Planum’s rich clay deposits aren’t constrained to that region.
They also reach into Mawrth Vallis, which is 185 miles (300 km) away. Overall, the deposits stretch about 373 miles (600 km) and rise over 0.6 miles (1 km) in altitude.
This video shows the geological map of Oxia Planum on Mars. It identifies 15 different geological features in the region. Video via Animation: P. FAwdon, The Open University. Images: CaSSIS/ HiRISE/ HRSC/ ESA.View larger. | Orbital view of the Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis regions on Mars. ESA’s new Rosalind Franklin rover will explore here. A new study suggests more clays here than we knew. That’s good news for scientists searching for Mars life. Image via NASA/ Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera/ JPL-Caltech/ ESA.
Its search site is also very old
The clays in Oxia Planum are the older than those in Mawrth Vallis. They appear to be about 4 billion years old, nearly as old as Mars itself (4.5 billion years). So the clays in Mawrth Vallis came later in Mars’ history.
And, since Oxia Planum’s clay deposits are extremely ancient, they might have the best chances of preserving ancient life on Mars, if it existed. Lead author Inés Torres Auré at the University of Lyon in France said:
We now have a new timeline: Oxia Planum’s clays formed first, about 4 billion years ago, predating those at Mawrth Vallis. By landing at Oxia Planum, we’ll uncover a large-scale process that shaped ancient clays across Mars.
Evidence for an ancient ocean?
The abundance of clays means there was a lot of water in Oxia Planum long ago. This region might have been part of Mars’ northern ocean, for which there has been growing evidence in recent years. Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist, said:
Because the area is so large, we are not talking about a localized occurrence, but rather a regional or global process that would have required immense amounts of water.
We are targeting the oldest deposits in the sequence, which makes the potential implications for the geology and early climate of Mars very relevant for the Rosalind Franklin mission in its search for life.
Or … another explanation?
Or the clays might have formed in groundwater that once flooded the region. Which scenario is most likely? The Rosalind Franklin rover should be able to figure that out.
The rover will be able to determine the ground truth in relation to findings made by the various spacecraft in orbit around Mars. Elliot Sefton-Nash, ExoMars deputy project scientist, said:
We will use the instruments on board to ground truth the discoveries made from orbit, learn about the ancient environment in which they formed, and if they preserve any evidence of Martian life.
Warmth and nutrients on an early Martian seabed could have provided habitats for early life.
Inés added:
To prepare for the rover’s arrival, we are working to map the full extent of these deposits, identify any additional pauses in their formation, and quantify their duration. This will provide deeper insights into Mars’s early history before the rover starts working on the surface.
Inès Torres Auré at the University of Lyon in France led the new study about clays on Mars. Image via GitHub.
The rover will track environmental change
Not only do the data in the new study record the more extensive clay deposits, they also document environmental change over time. The OMEGA instrument on ESA’s Mars Express orbiter and the CRISM instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter studied the mineralogy of the region. They found that the mineral layers in both Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis were quite similar.
And at the boundary between the two main clay units (bodies), scientists identified a paleosurface. That’s the remnant of an ancient, exposed surface that was heavily cratered and later covered by younger clay deposits. It also marks where sedimentation paused and then shifted in water chemistry and mineralogy across both sites. Inés noted:
We have identified a pause in deposition, which is quite puzzling because it implies a period of minimal surface activity (except for meteorite bombardment), followed by a shift in water chemistry and mineralogy in both Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis.
Overall, these findings support earlier ones suggesting that Mars experienced an intermittently wet climate.
Last year, scientists announced that finding evidence of past life might be easier than first anticipated. Rockfalls and ancient floods could have brought organic materials close to the landing site, where the rover can easily sample them. That’s an exciting possibility!
In 2019, ESA named the rover for scientist Rosalind Franklin. She was one of the great seekers of the mysterious structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, more commonly known by its abbreviation DNA. Her work helped reveal DNA’s famous double helix structure in the early 1950s.
Bottom line: The Rosalind Franklin rover will land on Mars in 2028. It’ll explore Oxia Planum, a region rich in clays. New evidence suggests the clays are even more extensive than thought. And clays are a good place to search for life.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ray Tolomeo wrote: “Looking to the northwest, the International Space Station flies over Lake Brittle near Warrenton, Virginia, on the evening of May 8, 2026. This is a composite of 7 30-second exposures.” Thank you, Ray!
See the International Space Station before it’s gone!
The International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting our planet since 1998. And it’s scheduled to be de-orbited – and safely brought down over the Pacific Ocean – as early as 2031. So now is the time to see it in your sky! From about 95% of the inhabited locations on Earth, ISS makes periodic passes across the sky. It looks like a bright star, moving quickly from horizon to horizon.
But how do you know when to see the ISS pass overhead from your location?
NASA has a great tool to help. Sign up to the Spot the Station program and you’ll receive alerts to let you know when the ISS will be visible from your location, wherever you are in the world. Plus, there’s a map-based feature to track when to look for the station as it flies over you.
Typically, alerts are sent out a few times each month when the station’s orbit is near your location. You’ll get notices only when the ISS will be clearly visible from your location for at least a couple of minutes.
One note: ISS is not visible north or south of about the 51st parallel. Specifically, it’s not visible 51.6 degrees north or south.
If you’re close to that latitude, say, just below it, you might want to visit the Spot the Station website directly to see upcoming sighting opportunities. This is because notifications in this region will be rare.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Filippo Galati in Sampieri, Sicily, Italy, shared this image. Filippo wrote: “On May 16, 2022 … I photographed a particularly favorable passage of the International Space Station over the skies of Sicily. It is framed by the ancient furnace Penna and highlighted in the sky by the constellation Ursa Major.” Thank you, Filippo!
How to spot the International Space Station
Spot the Station will tell you which direction to look for the ISS in your night sky. If you’re not sure about your directions, just note where the sun rises or sets from your observing spot. You know it rises generally east and sets generally west. Knowing east and west can anchor you, and help you find the direction where the station will appear (for example, in the southeast or northwest).
Via NASA’s service, the height at which the station will appear in your sky is given in degrees. And remember, 90 degrees is directly over your head. So any number less than 90 degrees means the station will appear somewhere between the horizon and the overhead mark.
Want a way to measure degrees on the sky’s dome? Make a fist, and stretch out your arm: your fist at arm’s length is equal to about 10 degrees. Then, just use the appropriate number of fist-lengths to find the location marker. For example, four fist-lengths from the horizon would be about 40 degrees.
And don’t worry, the station is bright! It’s hard to miss if you’re looking in the correct direction.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohammad Adeel in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, captured this image on June 2, 2023. Mohammad wrote: “It had been a while since ISS showed up in the sky, and tonight I had the chance to capture it with some interesting conjunctions. Planet Venus being at greatest western elongation and shining brightly was lining up with the twins (Pollux and Castor) in a straight line, while planet Mars was almost over the Beehive Cluster. And having ISS in the frame was too much of a busy sky not to be captured.” Thank you, Mohammad!
Over two decades of human occupation
The first module of the ISS was launched into space in 1998. The initial construction of the station took about two years to complete. Human occupation of the station began on November 2, 2000. And since that time, ISS has been continuously occupied.
ISS orbits at approximately 220 miles (350 km) above the Earth. It travels at an average speed of 17,227 miles per hour (27,724 km/h). It makes approximately 16 orbits around Earth every day.
And it serves as both an orbiting laboratory and a port for international spacecraft.
The primary partnering countries involved in operating the ISS include the United States, Canada, Japan, several European countries and Russia. China has its own space station, Tiangong, with the first module launched in 2021 and the last of its three initial modules launched in November 2022.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Patricio Leon in Santiago, Chile, captured this shot of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule approaching the International Space Station on April 9, 2022. He wrote: “Imaged at dawn today, the chasing Dragon capsule appeared as a bright star close to the ISS at the telescope finder, a very nice surprise indeed. Actual docking took place 2 hours after. The station’s solar panels lie along our line of view so are poorly represented, and the bright sphere on the left of the main body is another docked Dragon capsule.” Thank you, Patricio!
Bottom line: Learn how to spot the International Space Station from your location.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ray Tolomeo wrote: “Looking to the northwest, the International Space Station flies over Lake Brittle near Warrenton, Virginia, on the evening of May 8, 2026. This is a composite of 7 30-second exposures.” Thank you, Ray!
See the International Space Station before it’s gone!
The International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting our planet since 1998. And it’s scheduled to be de-orbited – and safely brought down over the Pacific Ocean – as early as 2031. So now is the time to see it in your sky! From about 95% of the inhabited locations on Earth, ISS makes periodic passes across the sky. It looks like a bright star, moving quickly from horizon to horizon.
But how do you know when to see the ISS pass overhead from your location?
NASA has a great tool to help. Sign up to the Spot the Station program and you’ll receive alerts to let you know when the ISS will be visible from your location, wherever you are in the world. Plus, there’s a map-based feature to track when to look for the station as it flies over you.
Typically, alerts are sent out a few times each month when the station’s orbit is near your location. You’ll get notices only when the ISS will be clearly visible from your location for at least a couple of minutes.
One note: ISS is not visible north or south of about the 51st parallel. Specifically, it’s not visible 51.6 degrees north or south.
If you’re close to that latitude, say, just below it, you might want to visit the Spot the Station website directly to see upcoming sighting opportunities. This is because notifications in this region will be rare.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Filippo Galati in Sampieri, Sicily, Italy, shared this image. Filippo wrote: “On May 16, 2022 … I photographed a particularly favorable passage of the International Space Station over the skies of Sicily. It is framed by the ancient furnace Penna and highlighted in the sky by the constellation Ursa Major.” Thank you, Filippo!
How to spot the International Space Station
Spot the Station will tell you which direction to look for the ISS in your night sky. If you’re not sure about your directions, just note where the sun rises or sets from your observing spot. You know it rises generally east and sets generally west. Knowing east and west can anchor you, and help you find the direction where the station will appear (for example, in the southeast or northwest).
Via NASA’s service, the height at which the station will appear in your sky is given in degrees. And remember, 90 degrees is directly over your head. So any number less than 90 degrees means the station will appear somewhere between the horizon and the overhead mark.
Want a way to measure degrees on the sky’s dome? Make a fist, and stretch out your arm: your fist at arm’s length is equal to about 10 degrees. Then, just use the appropriate number of fist-lengths to find the location marker. For example, four fist-lengths from the horizon would be about 40 degrees.
And don’t worry, the station is bright! It’s hard to miss if you’re looking in the correct direction.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohammad Adeel in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, captured this image on June 2, 2023. Mohammad wrote: “It had been a while since ISS showed up in the sky, and tonight I had the chance to capture it with some interesting conjunctions. Planet Venus being at greatest western elongation and shining brightly was lining up with the twins (Pollux and Castor) in a straight line, while planet Mars was almost over the Beehive Cluster. And having ISS in the frame was too much of a busy sky not to be captured.” Thank you, Mohammad!
Over two decades of human occupation
The first module of the ISS was launched into space in 1998. The initial construction of the station took about two years to complete. Human occupation of the station began on November 2, 2000. And since that time, ISS has been continuously occupied.
ISS orbits at approximately 220 miles (350 km) above the Earth. It travels at an average speed of 17,227 miles per hour (27,724 km/h). It makes approximately 16 orbits around Earth every day.
And it serves as both an orbiting laboratory and a port for international spacecraft.
The primary partnering countries involved in operating the ISS include the United States, Canada, Japan, several European countries and Russia. China has its own space station, Tiangong, with the first module launched in 2021 and the last of its three initial modules launched in November 2022.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Patricio Leon in Santiago, Chile, captured this shot of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule approaching the International Space Station on April 9, 2022. He wrote: “Imaged at dawn today, the chasing Dragon capsule appeared as a bright star close to the ISS at the telescope finder, a very nice surprise indeed. Actual docking took place 2 hours after. The station’s solar panels lie along our line of view so are poorly represented, and the bright sphere on the left of the main body is another docked Dragon capsule.” Thank you, Patricio!
Bottom line: Learn how to spot the International Space Station from your location.
