Astronomy news

• 10 Oct 2023 (6 hours ago): The Moon at apogee

  10-10-2023 05:41 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon recedes to its orbit's furthest point from the Earth, making it appear fractionally smaller than at other times of the month.
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (14 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 21:43 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (15 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 20:41 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• Mars may have once been filled with seas of magma that made the Red Planet habitable

  30-06-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Deep oceans of magma once sloshed about inside the crust of Mars, seismic measurements taken by NASA's InSight mission suggest. The marsquakes detected by InSight show a boundary 15 miles (24 kilometers) deep between two different types of rock that were formed by enormous pools of magma. The presence of these magma pools could completely change what we thought we knew about the early development of Mars.Already, scientists say the discovery could change what we know about the history of Mars. "
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (16 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 19:35 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• 'Star Fox' is an eye-catching reimagining of a timeless sci-fi classic, but we've been here before

  30-06-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  Star Fox 64 is the Nintendo game that refuses to fade away, and we're not complaining, especially when the new Switch 2 remake — simply titled Star Fox — amplifies its replay value and expands the original vision with a bunch of new content.Roughly a decade ago, Star Fox Zero almost killed the franchise for good. The ill-fated Wii U entry's structure and plot stuck staggeringly close to Star Fox 64 (Lylat Wars for us PAL gamers), but no one could definitely answer if it was a remake,
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (17 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 18:30 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• Rubin Observatory begins filming the 'greatest cosmic movie ever' beginning a new era of astronomy

  30-06-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  The universe is ready for its close-up! That's because today marks the day that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins it's 10-year mission to shoot the greatest cosmic move ever created. The decade-long project officially known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is set to revolutionize our view of the universe. That means June 30, 2026 marks the beginning of a new era for astronomy."Today, we begin filming the greatest cosmic movie ever made," U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) dir
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (18 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 17:32 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• America 250: How has telescope technology evolved since the dawn of the U.S.?

  30-06-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  The past 250 years of optical telescopes have seen revolutionary discoveries and technology that the telescope's inventor, a seventeenth century spectacle-maker by the name of Hans Lippershey, maybe wouldn't have believed possible. When we look back through the annals of telescope history, we find that a significant turning point came, coincidentally, just five years after the United States' Declaration of Independence was christened.It was back in England, in 1781. William Herschel had just mad
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (19 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 16:32 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• Europe's deadly heat wave seen from space | Space photo of the day for June 30, 2026

  30-06-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Land surface temperature data captured by Europe's Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission on Wednesday, June 23, 2026. The data were captured in the late morning, local time. (Image credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA)Over 1,300 deaths have been attributed to a heat wave that swept across Europe and broke temperature records earlier this month.From its perch in sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, Europe's Sentinel-3 satellite captured data that helps visualize the hea
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (20 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 15:37 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• 'Titan is actually a very reasonable destination for humans': Scientists start mapping out crewed mission to huge Saturn moon

  30-06-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  BOULDER, Colorado — After Earth's moon and Mars, where could humans plant their footprints? The "Humans to Titan Summit 2026" was held here on June 11 and June 12 to explore the concept of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, as the next human exploration destination, post-Mars. Researchers looked into how demanding such a trek could be and what would be required to make it, along with next steps to further that ambitious goal. A NASA image of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. (Image credit: NAS
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (21 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 14:21 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• NASA will announce moon base news today: Watch it live

  30-06-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  NASA will provide an update about its moon base plans this afternoon (June 30), and you can watch it live.Agency chief Jared Isaacman and Carlos García-Galán, the manager for NASA's moon base program, "will discuss the next set of awards for new lunar lander missions and preview upcoming opportunities as the agency works toward building a sustained presence on the moon," NASA officials wrote in a media advisory.The event will begin today at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT). You can watch i
  
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• 01 Jul 2026 (22 hours away): Mercury at aphelion

  30-06-2026 13:07 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes the furthest point along its orbit from the Sun.
  
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• June's Strawberry Moon serves up a low-hanging treat for skywatchers worldwide. Here are our favorite photos

  30-06-2026 12:08 via space.com
  
  The first full moon of summer, June's Strawberry Moon, wowed skywatchers worldwide with a spectacular display. June's full moon was the lowest-hanging full moon of the year for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. That's because a full moon always sits opposite the sun in the sky. During the summer solstice that just passed on June 21, the sun was following its highest path of the year; that means this full moon took the opposite route, skimming low across the southern sky. It rose in the south
  
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• 06 Jul 2026 (6 days away): The Earth at aphelion

  30-06-2026 11:47 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Earth reaches its furthest point from the Sun.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (9 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (8 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (7 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (6 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (5 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (44 minutes ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (4 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (3 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (2 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (10 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 11:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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• 30 Jun 2026 (27 minutes away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  30-06-2026 10:35 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon will pass in front of Sigma Sagittarii (Nunki), creating a lunar occultation visible from countries and territories including Argentina, Chile, Peru and New Zealand amongst others.
  
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