Astronomy news

• 17 Mar 2024 (6 hours ago): Neptune at solar conjunction

  17-03-2024 12:13 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Neptune is unobservable as it passes around the far side of the Sun – marking the end of one apparition and the beginning of the next.
  
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• 28 Jul 2026 (16 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 19:31 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
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• On this day in space! July 27, 1962: The 1st zero-g cosmonaut training flight takes off on a Soviet jetliner

  27-07-2026 19:20 via space.com
  
  On July 27, 1962, two Russian cosmonauts boarded a Soviet airliner and experienced weightlessness without going to space. This was the first time cosmonauts completed zero-G training on an airplane. The Tupolev Tu-104 was a type of jetliner originally designed to transport 50 passengers. It was modified to accommodate cosmonauts who needed to train in an environment that simulated weightlessness. By flying in a parabolic arc, passengers could experience 6 to 25 seconds of weightlessness on each
  
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• Are we overlooking signs of alien life that aren't technological or biological? 'Bread would be a signature of intelligence'

  27-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  The search for alien life has tended to focus on looking for either signs of extraterrestrial technology or evidence of biological processes on other worlds. But new and ongoing research suggests that scientists should start considering signs of intelligence that are not necessarily technological, but which are sufficiently complex as to be evidence of a conscious mind at work. Biosignatures are possible signs of biology on other planets, whereas technosignatures are clues to the presence of adv
  
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• 30 Jul 2026 (3 days away): Southern δ-Aquariid meteor shower 2026

  27-07-2026 17:58 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Southern δ-Aquariid meteor shower reaches its peak.
  
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• 28 Jul 2026 (17 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 17:58 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
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• 27 Jul 2026 (31 minutes ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 17:26 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
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• 27 Jul 2026 (2 hours ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 17:26 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
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• 27 Jul 2026 (1 hour ago): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 17:26 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

• 28 Jul 2026 (18 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 17:13 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
  Read more

• 27 Jul 2026 (13 minutes away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 17:13 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

• 28 Jul 2026 (19 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 16:30 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
  Read more

• 27 Jul 2026 (56 minutes away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 16:30 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
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• We've found huge discounts on a range of ZWO astronomy cameras, including three we love

  27-07-2026 16:25 via space.com
  
  ZWO is well known for its Seestar smart telescopes but they also make dedicated astronomy cameras for use with telescopes to get highly detailed astrophotography. We have reviewed three of these ZWO astrocams and they have delivered beautiful images of the different objects. The color cameras like the ZWO ASI183MC Pro and ZWO ASI533MC Pro have delivered beautiful colored detail in galaxies and nebulas, whereas the monochrome ZWO ASI175 mono delivered exceptional solar photography.Explore the ZWO
  
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• Curiosity Mars rover inspects cracked wheel | Space photo of the day for July 24, 2026

  27-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  A photo of one of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover's wheels, taken by the rover using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on July 23, 2026, or Sol 4963 of its mission. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has experienced some serious wear and tear during its nearly 14 years on the Red Planet.A new photo posted to Curiosity's raw image server offers a close-up of the damage one of the rover's wheels has experienced as it explores the Martian surface.What is it?Curiosity lande
  
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• 27 Jul 2026 (1 hour away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 15:48 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
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• X-ray spacecraft finds supermassive black hole stirring up the 'red potato' galaxy: 'There may be a cook in this cosmic kitchen'

  27-07-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Using the Chandra X-ray spacecraft, astronomers have seen a supermassive black hole jet churning and "cooking" gas surrounding a galaxy nicknamed the "red potato." And this potato is seen as it was when the universe was around 2 billion years old. The galaxy in question is officially designated MQN01 J004131.9-493704 and is located about 11.7 billion light-years from Earth at the intersection of a vast cosmic web along which galaxies formed in the early universe. Originally discovered by the Jam
  
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• 28 Jul 2026 (20 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 14:58 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
  Read more

• 27 Jul 2026 (2 hours away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 14:58 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

• 28 Jul 2026 (21 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 14:12 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
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• Private companies could ruin the night sky for the entire world, and international law can't stop them

  27-07-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can single-handedly green-light massive spaceflight projects that could completely change the view of the night sky for the entire world. Despite the outcry these projects have caused, space law experts say there is very little other nations and the international community can do to thwart them if the FCC were to grant them licenses.On July 10, the FCC approved an application by California-based Reflect Orbital to launch a 59-by-59-foot (18-by-18
  
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• 28 Jul 2026 (22 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 13:27 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
  Read more

• 27 Jul 2026 (3 hours away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 13:27 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

• 27 Jul 2026 (4 hours away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 12:48 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

• 28 Jul 2026 (23 hours away): The Moon at aphelion

  27-07-2026 12:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its furthest point from the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of full moon.
  
  Read more

• 27 Jul 2026 (5 hours away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 12:03 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

• This is the best lunar eclipse until New Year's Eve 2028 — Here's how to spot the 'almost blood moon' on Aug. 27

  27-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  One month from today, skywatchers across the Americas, Europe and Africa will have the chance to witness the best lunar eclipse until New Year's Eve 2028. On Aug. 28, Earth's shadow will cover up to 96% of the moon's disk in an exceptionally deep partial lunar eclipse. At maximum eclipse, only a thin sliver of the moon will remain outside Earth's darkest shadow, creating an "almost blood moon" with nearly the entire lunar surface glowing a deep reddish-orange. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar ecl
  
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• An 'almost blood moon' is coming on Aug. 27 and it'll be the best lunar eclipse until NYE 2028

  27-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  One month from today, skywatchers across the Americas, Europe and Africa will have the chance to witness the best lunar eclipse until New Year's Eve 2028. On Aug. 28, Earth's shadow will cover up to 96% of the moon's disk in an exceptionally deep partial lunar eclipse. At maximum eclipse, only a thin sliver of the moon will remain outside Earth's darkest shadow, creating an "almost blood moon" with nearly the entire lunar surface glowing a deep reddish-orange. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar ecl
  
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• A seed that flew around the moon grew into this tree in NYC

  27-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  NEW YORK — Madison Square Park in midtown Manhattan is home to some 44 tree species. And on a Thursday afternoon blanketed in wildfire smoke, a small crowd gathered to see one in particular. The slender American sweet gum looked unassuming, especially compared to the enormous English elm neighboring it. But this tree had a secret: it had traveled 1.3 million miles before landing in New York.The sapling was germinated from one of 1,000 seeds NASA sent aboard the uncrewed Artemis I mission,
  
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• 27 Jul 2026 (6 hours away): Lunar occultation of Sigma Sagittarii

  27-07-2026 10:41 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 Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand and Tasmania amongst others.
  
  Read more

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