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Explore the Universe Through Space Weather Tracker Videos
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Discover the science of the Sun, auroras, solar storms, and the universe through engaging visual explanations.
Latest Videos
0:25Antarctica: Earth's Coldest Place
The lowest natural air temperature ever recorded on Earth was measured in East Antarctica -- a look at what makes the continent's interior so extreme, and why.
0:30What Causes Auroras?
Charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth's upper atmosphere, exciting oxygen and nitrogen atoms that release the shimmering green and purple light of the aurora.
0:30The Ocean: Earth's Second World
The ocean covers most of Earth's surface and holds the vast majority of its water, shaping global climate and hosting far more of the planet's living space than land does.
0:30What Are Clouds Actually Made Of?
A single cloud can hold millions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals, each formed around a microscopic speck of dust, salt, or pollen floating in the air.
0:30Inside a Typhoon
Typhoons form over warm tropical ocean water, drawing energy from the heat below to build into some of the most powerful storms on Earth.
0:20What Are Shooting Stars?
A "shooting star" isn't a star at all -- it's a tiny particle, often no bigger than a grain of sand, burning up in the atmosphere.
0:20Planetary Alignment 2026: Uranus, Saturn & Neptune
A look at Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune sharing the same region of sky in 2026 -- a reminder of how planetary motion works.
0:20A Rare Cosmic Event Is Coming
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on the surface.
0:203... 2... 1... Liftoff
Every rocket launch is a real-time balance of thrust, fuel, and precision engineering -- the final countdown explained.
0:20The Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseids are one of the most reliable, brightest meteor showers of the year, peaking every August.
0:20What is a Planetary Parade?
A planetary parade is when several planets appear to line up in the same part of the sky, all roughly along the ecliptic.
0:20What is a Meteor Shower?
A meteor shower happens when Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by a comet.
0:15How Solar Flares Work
How solar flares form near sunspot groups, and how scientists classify them on the A-B-C-M-X scale.
0:10What Is Space Weather?
An introduction to space weather -- what it is, what causes it, and why it matters for Earth.
0:10What Causes the Northern Lights?
How charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth's atmosphere to create the aurora borealis.
0:15What is a Supermoon?
A supermoon happens when a full moon coincides with perigee -- the point in the Moon's orbit where it is closest to Earth.
0:15What is Dark Matter
Dark matter doesn't emit, absorb, or reflect light, so it can't be observed directly -- but its gravitational effects reveal it.
0:20Why is a Solar Eclipse Rare?
Total solar eclipses require the Moon's shadow to fall in a narrow path on Earth's surface -- a precise alignment.
0:10What is a Black Hole?
A short introduction to black holes -- regions of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.
Aurora Views from the ISS: November 2025 Geomagnetic Storm
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station capture the aurora during the November 11-13, 2025 geomagnetic storm, following an X5.1 solar flare.
Large Solar Flares Erupt From the Sun
A side-by-side NASA comparison of two large solar flares captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on Nov. 14 and Nov. 30, 2025.
0:36M 8.8 Kamchatka Peninsula Earthquake ShakeMovie
A USGS ShakeMovie animation showing seismic waves radiating outward from the magnitude 8.8 Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake of July 2025.
M7.4 Flare from Active Region 13964
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captures an M7.4 solar flare and its complex post-flare evolution in extreme ultraviolet light.
3:24January 17, 2025 -- Kilauea Summit Eruption
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory footage of lava fountaining and a rare wind vortex during the Kilauea summit eruption.
NASA's Pandora Mission Closer To Probing Alien Atmospheres
NASA overview of the Pandora mission, a small satellite designed to help separate exoplanet atmosphere signals from their host stars' own light.
Moon Phase and Libration, 2025
NASA visualization of the Moon's phase, libration, and apparent size throughout 2025, at hourly intervals.
GOES-19 Captures Extended Images of the Sun's Atmosphere
NOAA's GOES-19 satellite captures extended-view mosaics of the Sun's middle corona using its SUVI instrument during solar maximum.
What is Solar Maximum?
NASA explains solar maximum, the most active phase of the Sun's 11-year solar cycle, and how it drives space weather.
2:57Hydrothermal Explosion in Yellowstone's Biscuit Basin
USGS footage and explanation of the July 23, 2024 hydrothermal explosion at Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone's Biscuit Basin.
Largest Flare yet from Solar Cycle 25
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captures the X8.7 flare of May 14, 2024 -- the largest flare of Solar Cycle 25 to date.
NASA Black Hole Visualization Takes Viewers Beyond the Brink
A NASA supercomputer visualization tracking a camera as it approaches, orbits, and crosses the event horizon of a supermassive black hole.
NOAA Satellites View Total Solar Eclipse
NOAA's GOES-16 and GOES-18 satellites track the Moon's shadow crossing North America during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse.
NOAA Satellites Detect Severe Solar Storm
NOAA's GOES-16 and GOES-18 satellites observe a powerful X-class solar flare and its associated coronal mass ejection in March 2024.
Large Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth
NOAA's GOES-16 satellite observes a coronal mass ejection and the geomagnetic storm and aurora it produced on Earth in April 2023.
6:53The James Webb Space Telescope's Science Goals: Space Sparks Episode 1
An ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode introducing the science goals of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
Black Hole Pulse Animation
A NASA Goddard animation of the pulsing X-ray "heartbeat" of black hole system IGR J17091-3624.
Space Sparks Episode 7: Webb's Star-Filled Portrait of the Pillars of Creation
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb's star-filled portrait of the iconic Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula.
NOAA Celebrates 50 Years of GOES Satellites
A retrospective marking 50 years of NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program and its partnership with NASA.
Space Sparks Episode 13: Webb Captures the Iconic Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Detail
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb's unprecedented, detailed view of the iconic Horsehead Nebula.
Webb's First Images: ESA/Webb Space Sparks Episode 3
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode introducing the James Webb Space Telescope's first full-color science images, released July 2022.
GOES-T Mission Overview
NOAA overview of the GOES-T satellite (renamed GOES-18 on orbit), the third in the GOES-R Series providing weather-observing coverage for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific.
Black Hole Accretion Disk Simulation
A NASA Goddard general-relativity simulation visualizing the accretion disk and light-bending physics around a black hole.
The Helix Nebula (Webb, Hubble and Spitzer views)
A comparison video of the Helix Nebula as seen by the James Webb, Hubble, and Spitzer space telescopes.
Pan of Interacting Galaxies Arp 142
A panning video across Webb's NIRCam and MIRI image of the interacting galaxy pair Arp 142.
Space Sparks Episode 11: Webb Celebrates First Year of Science
An ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode marking Webb's first year of science with a close-up look at the birth of sun-like stars.
Space Sparks Episode 8: Webb Catches Fiery Hourglass
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on a fiery hourglass-shaped structure around a still-forming star, imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Space Sparks Episode 10: Wolf-Rayet 124, A Star in Transition
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Wolf-Rayet 124, a rare, rapidly evolving massive star captured by Webb.
Space Sparks Episode 14: First-of-its-Kind Detection in Striking New Webb Image
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode covering a first-of-its-kind detection made in a striking new James Webb Space Telescope image.
Space Sparks Episode 22: NGC 5134
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on NGC 5134, a spiral galaxy featured as a Picture of the Month.
Space Sparks Episode 25: A Beacon of Light in Swirls of Dust
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on a young star system glowing as a beacon of light within surrounding swirls of cosmic dust.
Space Sparks Episode 20: The Red Spider Nebula
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on the Red Spider Nebula, a planetary nebula imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Space Sparks Episode 27: Webb Pinpoints Millions of Stars Within the Cigar Galaxy
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb pinpointing millions of individual stars within the Cigar Galaxy, M82.
Space Sparks Episode 26: Webb Unveils Young Stars Across Every Stage of Formation
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb unveiling young stars captured across every stage of stellar formation.
Space Sparks Episode 17: Webb Showcases M82
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode showcasing M82, the Cigar Galaxy, as the June 2025 Picture of the Month.
Space Sparks Episode 24: Webb Looks Into the Cradles of Star Clusters
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb's look into the cradles of star clusters, finding massive clusters emerge faster than expected.
Space Sparks Episode 16 Light: Actively Forming Star System
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb's incredibly detailed view of an actively forming star system.
Space Sparks Episode 18: Highlights from Webb's Third Year of Science
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode covering highlights from the James Webb Space Telescope's third year of science operations.
Space Sparks Episode 23: A Pair of Planet-Forming Discs
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on a pair of planet-forming discs around young stars, imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Space Sparks Episode 16: Herbig-Haro 49/50
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Herbig-Haro 49/50, an outflow from a nearby still-forming star.
Space Sparks Episode 21: A Celebrity Cluster in the Spotlight
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode putting a well-known star cluster in the spotlight, as imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Webb Sets Out to Study Exoplanets: Space Sparks Episode 9
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on how the James Webb Space Telescope studies exoplanet atmospheres.
Space Sparks Episode 6: Webb's First Views of Neptune
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on Webb's first views of Neptune and its rings.
Space Sparks Episode 5: Webb Captures a Cosmic Tarantula
ESA/Webb Space Sparks episode on the Tarantula Nebula, a vast star-forming region captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA Visualization Probes the Doubly Warped World of Binary Black Holes
A NASA visualization of two orbiting supermassive black holes, showing how their extreme gravity distorts light from each other.
GOES-T Wildfire Detection and Monitoring
NOAA overview of how the GOES-T (now GOES-18) satellite locates wildfire hot spots, tracks fire behavior, and monitors smoke and air quality effects.
NOAA GOES-S (GOES-17): High Definition GOES West
NOAA overview of the GOES-S satellite (renamed GOES-17), which paired with GOES-16 to provide constant weather-monitoring coverage across the Western Hemisphere.
Advanced Baseline Imager: GOES-R's Primary Instrument
NASA Goddard overview of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), the primary instrument on NOAA's GOES-R series satellites for scanning Earth's weather, oceans, and environment.