Astronomy Picture of the Day

Explanation: How can you wash your hair in space -- without gravity? Long a bother for space-faring astronauts, Karen Nyberg, a flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013, gave a tutorial. Key components are a squirt package of water, no-rinse shampoo, and vigorous use of a towel and comb. Even so, the featured video shows that the whole process should take only a few minutes. Residual water will eventually evaporate from your hair, be captured by the space station's air conditioning system, and be purified into drinking water. After returning from a total of 180 days in space, Nyberg has worked for NASA in several capacities including as the Chief of Robotics branch.