Earth · Oct 12, 2026
Antarctic Sea Ice Peaks Near a Record Low
Antarctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent on Sept. 14, 2026, covering about 17.59 million square kilometers, NASA's Earth Observatory reported Oct. 12.
The daily edition
Monday, October 12, 2026
In this edition
Hurricane Simon soaked Mexico's Pacific coast, Perseverance set an off-world driving record, and Antarctic sea ice peaked near a record low. In this edition: earth, Antarctic Sea Ice Peaks Near a Record Low; space, Perseverance Breaks the Off-World Driving Record. Every fact comes straight from primary sources, listed below.
Featured Stories
Space · Oct 12, 2026
Perseverance Breaks the Off-World Driving Record
NASA's Perseverance rover has driven farther than any vehicle on another world, the agency said Oct. 12.
Sources for this edition
- NASA Earth Observatory: Antarctic Sea Ice Grows to Its 2026 Maximumscience.nasa.gov ↗ · used in Antarctic Sea Ice Peaks Near a Record Low
- NASA Science: NASA's Perseverance Sets Off-World Record for Total Distance Drivenscience.nasa.gov ↗ · used in Perseverance Breaks the Off-World Driving Record
Image and footage credits
- Lead image: NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright)
- NASA Earth Observatory · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright)
- Lead image: NASA/JPL-Caltech · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright)
- NASA/JPL-Caltech · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright)