Astronomy news

• 09 May 2023 (21 hours away): Uranus at solar conjunction

  08-05-2023 23:49 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Uranus 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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• Powerful sun storm could supercharge auroras this week

  08-05-2023 23:30 via space.com
  
  The sun fired a huge cloud of plasma directly at Earth on Sunday evening (May 7), an outburst that could boost auroras in the next day or so.
  
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• 09 May 2023 (22 hours away): Uranus at solar conjunction

  08-05-2023 23:09 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Uranus is unobservable as it passes around the far side of the Sun – marking the end of one apparition and the beginning of the next.
  
  Read more

• The moon's heart of iron revealed for the 1st time

  08-05-2023 23:00 via space.com
  
  New research has revealed the heart of the moon as never seen before, demonstrating that it has a solid core that is composed of iron like Earth.
  
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• Chinese startup aims to debut new reusable rocket next year

  08-05-2023 22:30 via space.com
  
  The Chinese launch startup Galactic Energy is making moves toward launching Pallas 1, its small Falcon 9-like rocket.
  
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• 09 May 2023 (23 hours away): Uranus at solar conjunction

  08-05-2023 21:57 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Uranus is unobservable as it passes around the far side of the Sun – marking the end of one apparition and the beginning of the next.
  
  Read more

• James Webb Space Telescope snaps amazing photo of alien asteroid belt

  08-05-2023 21:04 via space.com
  
  The first asteroid belt ever found outside the solar system is more complex than expected, new observations by the James Webb Space Telescope reveal.
  
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• Look for 'Earthgrazers' as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower overlaps the new moon on May 19

  08-05-2023 20:30 via space.com
  
  The peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower unfortunately coincided with a bright full moon, but there is still time to catch a few stragglers was we approach the new moon on May 19.
  
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• China's mysterious space plane returns to Earth after 9-month orbital mission

  08-05-2023 20:00 via space.com
  
  China's mysterious space plane landed on Monday (May 8), bringing its second orbital mission to an end after 276 days.
  
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• See bright Venus climb to its highest point in the night sky tonight

  08-05-2023 19:05 via space.com
  
  Venus is quite bright as it climbs high in the night sky on Monday (May 8) during its current period of evening appearances.
  
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• Virgin Galactic targeting late May for last test flight before opening for space tourism

  08-05-2023 18:26 via space.com
  
  Virgin Galactic plans to launch its fifth spaceflight late this month, a test that aims to pave the way for the start of commercial service next month.
  
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• Virgin Galactic is just weeks away from next astronaut test flight, eyes space tourist flights soon

  08-05-2023 18:26 via space.com
  
  Virgin Galactic plans to launch its fifth spaceflight late this month, a test that aims to pave the way for the start of commercial service next month.
  
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• Strange winds blow on Saturn's moon Titan. New clues could solve this decades-old mystery

  08-05-2023 15:00 via space.com
  
  New research aims to shed light on the puzzling winds on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, whose mysterious weather patterns have puzzled astronomers for decades.
  
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• 12 May 2023 (5 days away): Messier 5 is well placed

  08-05-2023 14:05 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The globular cluster M5 (NGC 5904; mag 5.7) in Serpens culminates at around midnight local time.
  
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• See 1st lunar eclipse of 2023 darken the full Flower Moon in eerie photos

  08-05-2023 14:00 via space.com
  
  The full Flower Moon of May 2023 was darkened by a penumbral lunar eclipse that was visible to most of the Eastern Hemisphere.
  
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• 08 May 2023 (5 days ago): Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) passes perihelion

  08-05-2023 14:00 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
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• 08 May 2023 (4 days ago): Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) passes perihelion

  08-05-2023 14:00 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
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• 08 May 2023 (3 days ago): Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) passes perihelion

  08-05-2023 14:00 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
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• 08 May 2023 (2 days ago): Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) passes perihelion

  08-05-2023 14:00 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
  Read more

• Will SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation make Earth more detectable to aliens?

  08-05-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  Intelligent aliens looking for life in the universe might be able to find Earth using our radio signals, a new SETI study suggests.
  
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• 'Star Trek Online' grapples with a space-time rip in new episode coming on May 9

  08-05-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  The latest episode of 'Star Trek Online' warps into a humanitarian mission that goes sideways fast when your crew uncovers a space-time issue causing conflict across the galaxy.
  
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• Rocket Lab launches 2 NASA satellites to study tropical storms and hurricanes like never before

  08-05-2023 03:44 via space.com
  
  Rocket Lab just launched a pair of storm-hunting cubesats toward orbit, the first of two missions it will fly for NASA's TROPICS constellation.
  
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• 12 May 2023 (4 days away): Moon at Last Quarter

  08-05-2023 01:18 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon reaches last quarter phase – rising in the east at around midnight and appearing high in the sky by sunrise.
  
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• 11 May 2023 (3 days away): The Moon at perigee

  08-05-2023 01:18 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, making it appear fractionally larger than at other times of the month.
  
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• 09 May 2023 (Tomorrow): Uranus at solar conjunction

  08-05-2023 01:18 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Uranus is unobservable as it passes around the far side of the Sun – marking the end of one apparition and the beginning of the next.
  
  Read more

• 09 May 2023 (Tomorrow): η-Lyrid meteor shower 2023

  08-05-2023 01:18 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The η-Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak.
  
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• 09 May 2023 (Tomorrow): Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) passes perihelion

  08-05-2023 01:18 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
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• 08 May 2023 (Today): Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) passes perihelion

  08-05-2023 01:18 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2020 V2 (ZTF) makes its closest approach to the Sun.
  
  Read more

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