Let's have some cheerful scenery this time.
Here's something a little special: the next total eclipse is coming, and unless you plan on flying to Iceland or Spain (I recommend Iceland this time of year), you can watch it from overhead thanks to NASA.
On Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse will cross Iceland and Spain. NASA will be there!
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) August 5, 2026
The U.S. won’t see totality this time, so we’re bringing the science to you. Follow along this week! ☀️https://t.co/gWolno6fNN pic.twitter.com/4ROPK2aHt9
I saw one a few years ago. They're impressive. If you should happen to be planning a trip to Iceland, here are some good suggestions on how to watch.
On Aug. 12, you have the chance to experience a total solar eclipse from anywhere in the world.
— NASA (@NASA) August 5, 2026
Starting at 1:15pm ET (1715 UTC), we'll stream live as the Moon passes in front of the Sun, bringing the views and the science straight to you.
Get safe viewing tips in this video. pic.twitter.com/AMkUR50Fo7
In the weird take news, there was a lot of fuss this week which can be summarized as OMG OMG OMG ELON MUSK IS GOING TO BLOW UP THE MOON! with an additional hint of Newage [stet] "The Moon Goddess will be angry! How dare you disrespect Her!" This was because a 4,000-ton upper stage was going to hit the 74 sextillion-ton Moon.
Finally a legit video! https://t.co/aacWLJzuow
— Chris Combs (iterative design enjoyer) (@DrChrisCombs) August 6, 2026
The Moon survived.
There was a lot of pretty stuff this week, too.
THIS NEW JWST IMAGE!?? I’M SPEECHLESS. pic.twitter.com/l4vdzykTG8
— Jasmine 🌌🔭 (@astro_jaz) August 6, 2026
A Wolf-Rayet star, always good for a nice picture. Translation: "The star image has been removed with SXT, but it can be seen that the stellar wind from WR134 is creating a huge bubble."
昨夜のWR134（Wolf-Rayet star）と周囲の星雲構造
— Rubber Soul (@KenJossy246115) August 6, 2026
恒星像はSXTで消していますが、WR134からの恒星風が巨大なバブルを作り出している事が分かります。
VSD90SS、Antlia Hα 4.5nm : Gain 150 300sec x 20sub、 Antlia OIII 4.5nm : Gain 150 300sec x 30sub、ASI 533MM Pro pic.twitter.com/NVFM5uTOeT
This is pretty cool, if less flashy. If you click through, there's a good little article, but the short explanation is that the Einstein Probe spotted an X-ray event in time to warn astronomers that exciting things were happening. And got some pictures.
Astronomers have followed the death of a massive star almost from the moment the explosion first emerged, giving them an unusually detailed view of how some stripped stars collapse. The event began on March 21, 2026, when the Einstein Probe detected a brief X-ray transient called… pic.twitter.com/OmuA1anE6A
— Erika (@ExploreCosmos_) August 5, 2026
Are we bored with close-up pictures of the Sun yet? I hope not.
Scientists have captured the highest-resolution video of the surface of the sun ever, showing turbulent, vortex-like structures in unprecedented detail.
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 6, 2026
The “surface” of the sun is really an unstable, roiling soup of plasma, heated to about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.… pic.twitter.com/5Ih2BEezPI
I refuse to make any political comments about dumbbells. But I'm thinking.
The queen of the summer! The beauty of the dumbbell nebula shines brightly! pic.twitter.com/e8Til1Efyw
— Michael Terhune (@SharpStarAstro) August 1, 2026
Some sad news.
On August 5, 2013, NASA's Curiosity rover celebrated its first Martian year by humming "Happy Birthday" to itself. Engineers programmed its Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument to vibrate at specific audio frequencies, creating a quiet, mechanical tune on the empty red…
— Judianna (@Judianna) August 6, 2026
If you don't follow Judianna, I recommend her. She's often laugh-out-loud funny.
These shots are always fun. You Are Here.
This may be my greatest milky way shot ever.
— Gavin DeVice (@GavinDeVicePic) August 3, 2026
📍Yellowstone National Park, WY pic.twitter.com/FP1tjWL52y
I suspect there will be many Don Pettit pictures in the near future.
I finally have all 1.2 million raw image files from my latest mission to ISS! Here is a sample of one of my favorite Milky Way photos, taken from the Cupola with Nikon Z9, Arri Zeiss 15mm lens, T1.8 with custom sidereal drive that cancelled out star motion relative to our orbit. pic.twitter.com/Sjm4UFgOs6
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) July 31, 2026
A nebula. I don't have much original to say about it. It's pretty.
My latest photo of the 'North America Nebula' 📷
— 🔭AstroBackyard (@AstroBackyard) August 1, 2026
I captured this enormous nebula region using my ultra-portable refractor telescope setup from my light-polluted backyard.
This nebula covers an area of sky several times wider than the Full Moon. My favorite detail is the bright… pic.twitter.com/szRj6Rs3nU
I think one of the big things we got from spaceflight that we sometimes don't give enough attention is seeing the Earth from above.
Mind Blowing “Niagara Falls as Seen From Space 😳” pic.twitter.com/PBoZm2TIV1
— Amazing Nature (@AmazingNature00) August 1, 2026
And finally, an anniversary.
Mind Blowing “Niagara Falls as Seen From Space 😳” pic.twitter.com/PBoZm2TIV1
— Amazing Nature (@AmazingNature00) August 1, 2026
And I think that's it for this week. Sarah and Dan Hoyt had to put their cat Havelock down today. He was a good old boy who always wanted to sit in my lap when I was over there. Spare him a kind thought.
And keep your eyes open; I have several new pieces coming this week — as well, of course, as next week's Sky Candy.
