Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, grew to its current size in part by consuming smaller galaxies. Now, new data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging with the young Milky Way galaxy in the earliest phases of its evolution. This finding extends our knowledge of our galaxy’s history 1.8 billion years farther back in time than before.

Press Release N° 38–2026

Media representatives are invited to join online media briefings in English, French and German ahead of the launch of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Imager weather satellite, MTG-I2.

We broadcast live from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre in Spain as a total solar eclipse crossed Europe on 12 August 2026. 

The path of totality swept across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small area of northeastern Portugal, while much of Europe experienced a partial eclipse. 

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun. 

The Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre is a world-class astronomical observatory located within the path of totality. During the broadcast, scientists, astronomers and special guests explored the science behind eclipses, the Sun

Earlier this year, the UK National PNT Digital Twin Environment (UPDATE) project, funded under the European Space Agency’s NAVISP programme, reached a key milestone in helping the United Kingdom understand and manage its dependence on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) across critical national systems.

Watch ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot venture into the vacuum of space for her first-ever spacewalk on Tuesday, 8 August.

Week in images: 10-14 August 2026

Discover our week through the lens

On 12 August 2026, Europe witnessed the first total solar eclipse in over two decades. Millions of people were awed by the Moon completely covering the Sun's bright disc, briefly turning day into night and revealing the Sun's outer atmosphere. Totality could be seen from Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal, while most of the rest of Europe saw a partial eclipse.

First the European Space Agency's Hera asteroid mission separated from its launcher on 7 October 2024, next its lengthy ‘cruise phase’ began – the car-sized spacecraft’s journey through millions of kilometres of nothingness to converge on its rocky destination.