Despite its cold waters and harsh winds, the North Sea is a fertile basin for phytoplankton blooms. The drifting, plantlike organisms tend to be most abundant in late spring and early summer due to high levels of nutrients in the water and increasing sunlight. via NASA http://ift.tt/1NLHJhx

While fireworks only last a short time here on Earth, a bundle of cosmic sparklers in a nearby cluster of stars will be going off for a very long time. via NASA http://ift.tt/1CNyZ3T

This view of the American flag medallion on NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity was taken by the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 44th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s work on Mars (Sept. 19, 2012). The flag is one of four “mobility logos” placed on the rover’s mobility rocker arms. via NASA http://ift.tt/1CNgkoZ

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a light-toned deposit in Aureum Chaos, a 368 kilometer (229 mile) wide area in the eastern part of Valles Marineris, on Jan. 15, 2015, at 2:51 p.m. local Mars time. via NASA http://ift.tt/1GOghuQ

In late May 2015, the highest volcano in the Galapagos Islands, Wolf volcano, erupted for the first time in 33 years. The wide image and closeup of Wolf was acquired on June 11, 2015, by the ASTER instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite. The false-color images combine near-infrared, red, and green light (ASTER bands 3-2-1). via NASA http://ift.tt/1LFLHKj

Although the D ring of Saturn is so thin that it’s barely noticeable compared to the rest of the ring system, it still displays structures seen in other Saturnian rings. via NASA http://ift.tt/1GVgmio

Astronaut Ron Garan tweeted this image from the International Space Station in August, 2011, writing, “What a `Shooting Star’ looks like from space, taken yesterday during Perseid Meteor Shower.” A special camera to record meteor showers will launch to the station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft, currently scheduled to launch on June 28, 2015. via NASA http://ift.tt/1BScbFu

The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, an M7.9-class, peaking at 4:16 a.m. EDT on June 25, 2015. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. via NASA http://ift.tt/1div2gQ

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photo of an aurora from the International Space Station on June 23, 2015. The dancing lights of the aurora provide spectacular views on the ground, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from the sun. via NASA http://ift.tt/1LuBqke

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) captured photographs and video of auroras on June 22, 2015. Kelly wrote, “Yesterday’s aurora was an impressive show from 250 miles up. Good morning from the International Space Station! ‪#‎YearInSpace‬” via NASA http://ift.tt/1e1NDyw