← Friday 23 Octobernote 13 of 14
Astronomy and spaceflightFri 23 Oct 2026 · 13 of 14

NASA APOD Highlights First Green Star White Dwarf

Unsupported claims · 4/5 supported1 cited · 1 min read

nasa.gov reports that the Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026‑10‑22 features an illustration of the white dwarf WD J1330+6435, described as “The First Green Star” . nasa.gov reports that white dwarfs are small, faint stellar remnants left after a Sun‑like star exhausts its nuclear fuel . nasa.gov reports that some white dwarfs can appear yellow, green, cyan, pink, or purple because trace elements accreted onto them alter the color of their atmospheres . nasa.gov reports that these colored white dwarfs are too faint to be seen with the naked eye from Earth .

Why it matters. nasa.gov reports that because these colored white dwarfs are too faint to see unaided, they will remain observable only with telescopic equipment .

Earlier on Astronomy and spaceflight

Thu 22 Oct 2026NASA hot‑fire test of RS‑25 engine No. 10001 supports Artemis missionsnasa.gov reports that NASA tested RS‑25 engine No. 10001 on Oct. 21 at the Fred Haise Test Stand, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. nasa.gov reports that the developmental engine was fired for almost eight‑and‑a‑half minutes (500 seconds), the same duration as RS‑25 engines during SLS launches. nasa.gov reports that operators ran the engine up to 111% power level, matching the thrust needed for new production engines for SLS and Orion missions. nasa.gov reports that the test’s main objectives were to acceptance‑test RS‑25 flight components for future Artemis missions and to validate a new thermal protection system for the engine nozzle. nasa.gov reports that, although the developmental engine will not fly, the hot‑fire test provides data to improve engine performance and reliability.Wed 21 Oct 2026NASA unveils SR-1 Freedom, first fission-powered spacecraft slated for 2028 launchnasa.gov reports that NASA announced the Space Reactor-1 (SR-1) Freedom mission, its first fission-powered spacecraft to travel beyond Earth orbit, at the agency’s “Ignition” event. nasa.gov reports that the mission will demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion in deep space. nasa.gov reports that progress is underway on the nuclear power module, with Sierra Lobo Inc. providing the closed Brayton cycle power converter. nasa.gov reports that contract actions are intended to keep the project on track and reduce technical risk. nasa.gov reports that NASA targets a launch of SR-1 Freedom in 2028.Tue 20 Oct 2026NASA streamlines shock and vibration analysis for launch hardwarenasa.gov reports that NASA engineers are improving shock and vibration analysis for rockets and spacecraft. nasa.gov reports that the Dynamic Environments Group at NASA’s Launch Services Program Office in Kennedy Space Center has streamlined processes to ensure hardware can withstand harsh vibration, shock, and stress. nasa.gov reports that a commercial digital software tool is being used in a new way to create a standardized finite element modeling workflow for shock and vibration analysis. nasa.gov reports that this computer‑based method predicts how rockets and spacecraft behave under extreme launch conditions before hardware is built and helps identify weak spots early so the team can address findings.
Next · Astronomy and spaceflightHubble captures gravitational lens image ahead of Roman telescope observations →