Astronomy news

• 12 Jan 2023 (22 hours away): Mars ends retrograde motion

  11-01-2023 23:23 via in-the-sky.org
  Mars returns to its usual eastward motion after opposition.
  
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• In photos: Virgin Orbit's first UK launch from Spaceport Cornwall

  11-01-2023 23:00 via space.com
  
  Virgin Orbit made spaceflight history despite its successful launch from Spaceport Cornwall. See some of the best photos from the event here.
  
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• 12 Jan 2023 (23 hours away): Mars ends retrograde motion

  11-01-2023 22:03 via in-the-sky.org
  Mars returns to its usual eastward motion after opposition.
  
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• Rocket Lab targeting Jan. 23 for 1st launch from US soil

  11-01-2023 22:00 via space.com
  
  Rocket Lab's debut mission from American soil will lift off from Virginia on Jan. 23, if all goes according to plan.
  
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• 7-year eclipse reveals 'exceptionally rare' binary system with 1000-year orbit

  11-01-2023 21:00 via space.com
  
  The strange 7-year dimming of a distant star was caused when its oddball stellar companion eclipsed it. The event was serendipitously caught by astronomers and won’t occur again for centuries.
  
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• Rare 'green pea' galaxy may be the most 'chemically primitive' galaxy ever discovered

  11-01-2023 20:00 via space.com
  
  A 'green pea' galaxy seen in an early James Webb Space Telescope image may be the most chemically primitive galaxy ever discovered.
  
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• Astronomers make 1st-ever 3D map of Local Bubble's magnetic fields

  11-01-2023 19:30 via space.com
  
  The magnetic fields swept up on the surface of the Local Bubble influence where star formation occurs in the vicinity of the sun.
  
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• NASA's Juno Jupiter probe bounces back from memory glitch

  11-01-2023 19:00 via space.com
  
  NASA's Jupiter explorer Juno's memory is back online, and most of the precious images of the gas giant and its volcanic moon Io Juno took just before the glitch hit have been salvaged.
  
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• SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule returns to Earth after 6-week stay at space station

  11-01-2023 18:19 via space.com
  
  A robotic SpaceX capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida on Wednesday morning (Jan. 11), wrapping up its six-week cargo mission.
  
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• Solar flare hat trick: Sun unleashes another powerful X-flare in less than a week!

  11-01-2023 18:00 via space.com
  
  The sun has fired off its third powerful X-class solar flare in less than a week, scoring an explosive hat trick.
  
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• Everything we know about Star Wars Jedi Survivor: release date, plot & more

  11-01-2023 17:00 via space.com
  
  Hit the music and start the text crawl - here's everything we know about Star Wars Jedi Survivor.
  
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• Russia to launch new Soyuz capsule to replace leaky spacecraft on space station

  11-01-2023 16:43 via space.com
  
  Russia will launch an empty Soyuz capsule to the International Space Station February to replace a damaged spacecraft that is unsafe to return its crew.
  
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• Curiosity rover discovers opal gems on Mars with clues to watery past

  11-01-2023 16:00 via space.com
  
  Opals, which contain a lot of water, have been found on Mars. They might be an indicator of past life and possibly a source of water for astronauts in the future.
  
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• Astronomers spot the most distant stars in the Milky Way — a million light-years away

  11-01-2023 15:00 via space.com
  Researchers have discovered more than 200 RR Lyrae stars in our galaxy's stellar halo.
  
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• NASA moon camera on South Korean probe takes a peek where the sun doesn't shine

  11-01-2023 14:00 via space.com
  
  South Korea's first moon mission has delivered a stunning first image from a NASA camera designed to peer into permanently shadowed areas near the lunar poles.
  
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• 10 ways to save money on astrophotography gear 2023

  11-01-2023 13:46 via space.com
  
  Here are some great ways to save money on astrophotography gear, whether you're a seasoned astronomer or a newbie stargazer.
  
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• Destiny 2 beginner’s guide: joining the fight before Lightfall

  11-01-2023 13:30 via space.com
  
  As Destiny 2 approaches the end of its first massive saga, many players want to become Guardians. Our Destiny 2 beginner’s guide aims to make the late arrival easier.
  
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• SpaceX stacks giant Starship rocket again to prep for test flight (video)

  11-01-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX has stacked its giant Starship rocket once again, as a dramatic new video shows.
  
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• See 133 days on the sun in just 2 minutes in this mesmerizing NASA video

  11-01-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  A new NASA video reveals the ever-changing surface of the sun in a stunning time-lapse that spans 133 days.
  
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• Smallsat launcher ABL Space Systems fails on 1st-ever orbital mission

  11-01-2023 01:18 via space.com
  
  ABL Space Systems' RS1 rocket failed shortly after launching on its first-ever orbital mission Tuesday (Jan. 10), resulting in the loss of two small satellites.
  
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• 1st orbital rocket launch by ABL Space Systems fails

  11-01-2023 01:18 via space.com
  
  ABL Space Systems' RS1 rocket failed shortly after launching on its first-ever orbital mission Tuesday (Jan. 10), resulting in the loss of two small satellites.
  
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• 18 Jan 2023 (7 days away): 134340 Pluto at solar conjunction

  11-01-2023 01:05 via in-the-sky.org
  134340 Pluto is unobservable as it passes around the far side of the Sun.
  
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• 17 Jan 2023 (6 days away): Lunar occultation of Delta Scorpii

  11-01-2023 01:05 via in-the-sky.org
  The Moon will pass in front of Delta Scorpii (Dschubba), creating a lunar occultation visible from Asia, Christmas Island, Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands.
  
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• 16 Jan 2023 (5 days away): Asteroid 2 Pallas at opposition

  11-01-2023 01:05 via in-the-sky.org
  Asteroid 2 Pallas makes closest approach to the Earth.
  
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• 15 Jan 2023 (4 days away): Moon at Last Quarter

  11-01-2023 01:05 via in-the-sky.org
  The Moon rises in the east at around midnight and appears high in the sky at sunrise.
  
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• 12 Jan 2023 (Tomorrow): Mars ends retrograde motion

  11-01-2023 01:05 via in-the-sky.org
  Mars returns to its usual eastward motion after opposition.
  
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• 12 Jan 2023 (Tomorrow): C/2022 E3 (ZTF) at perihelion

  11-01-2023 01:05 via in-the-sky.org
  C/2022 E3 (ZTF) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
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