WASHINGTON/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA is launching an official Instagram profile that will take its fans on an out-of-this-world journey through images of Earth and beyond.

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"We're constantly looking to expand our social media portfolio to include tools that will best tell NASA's story of exploration and discovery," said NASA Press Secretary Lauren Worley. "Instagram has a passionate following of users who are hungry for new and exciting photos. We believe we have some of the most engaging images on and off the planet -- and we can't wait to engage with Instagrammers."

Aeronautics, astrophysics, Earth science, human spaceflight and more, the NASA account will provide a comprehensive view of the agency by sharing new and historic images and videos.

The first NASA posts will highlight the scheduled launch of the agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) at 11:27 p.m. EDT Friday, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility onWallops Island, Va.

LADEE is a robotic research mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust is being lofted into the lunar sky. Using Instagram, NASA will post historic moon images and real-time photos from the launch complex before and during Friday's scheduled liftoff.

To follow NASA's new Instagram account, visit:

Instagram complements NASA's strong social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, Foursquare, Reddit and other sites. All are aimed at engaging and inspiring the public with NASA's unique content. The agency's primary Twitter account, @NASA, has almost 5 million followers -- more than any other federal agency. NASA's innovative use of social media is recognized as one of the best in federal government.

Along with the new official NASA account, the agency's Goddard Spaceflight Center and Ames Research Center also have profiles on Instagram. To follow, visit:

http://instagram.com/nasagoddard 
and 
http://instagram.com/nasaames

For a comprehensive list of NASA social media websites, visit: 
http://www.nasa.gov/connect

To learn more about NASA's LADEE mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ladee

SOURCE NASA