Astronomy news

• 18 Aug 2023 (13 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 23:50 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (10 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 23:50 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
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• Neptune's clouds have vanished, and the sun may be to blame (video)

  17-08-2023 23:30 via space.com
  
  Thanks to the sun's 11-year-long cycle, Neptune might be systematically purged of its clouds.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (14 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 22:50 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

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• 18 Aug 2023 (11 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 22:50 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• Maui satellite photo shows full scale of deadliest US fire in more than a century

  17-08-2023 22:30 via space.com
  
  The Landsat 8 satellite captured the deadly flames that burned through the town of Lahaina in Hawaii and killed at least 99 people.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (12 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 22:11 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• Take an interstellar cruise into the cosmos in new limited series 'The Space Between' (exclusive)

  17-08-2023 22:00 via space.com
  
  An exclusive first peek at Boom! Studios' new sci-fi limited series, 'The Space Between.'
  
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• Satellites watch wildfires rage across Canadian northwest (photos)

  17-08-2023 21:30 via space.com
  
  Satellite images reveal the scope of devastating wildfires in the Canadian northwest where an entire capital city had to be evacuated due to approaching flames.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (15 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 21:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• Russia's Luna-25 moon lander snaps 1st photo of lunar surface

  17-08-2023 21:06 via space.com
  
  Luna-25, Russia's first moon mission since 1976, has snapped its first detailed photo of the lunar surface.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (16 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 20:49 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (13 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 20:49 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• James Webb Space Telescope confirms 'Maisie's galaxy' is one of the earliest ever seen

  17-08-2023 20:18 via space.com
  
  The universe's age when Maisie's galaxy was seen by the James Webb Space Telescope has been confirmed, proving that this realm is one of the earliest galaxies ever observed.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (14 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 20:01 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• Powerful helium star could finally reveal secrets about highly magnetic stellar corpses

  17-08-2023 20:00 via space.com
  
  A newly discovered, highly magnetic and massive helium star could explain how magnetars, stellar corpses with the universe's strongest magnetic fields, are born.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (17 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 19:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (15 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 19:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• Watch SpaceX launch 21 Starlink satellites early Tuesday

  17-08-2023 19:21 via space.com
  
  SpaceX plans to launch 21 of its Starlink satellites to orbit early Tuesday (Aug. 22), and you can watch the liftoff live.
  
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• Watch SpaceX launch 21 Starlink satellites early Friday

  17-08-2023 19:21 via space.com
  
  SpaceX plans to launch 21 of its Starlink satellites to orbit early Friday (Aug. 18), and you can watch the liftoff live.
  
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• Astronaut-artist Karen Nyberg unveils quilt portraits of first women to fly in space

  17-08-2023 19:09 via space.com
  
  The 50th woman to fly into space, Karen Nyberg has paid tribute to the first woman and first American woman to do so with a pair of original works celebrating the first 60 years of women in space.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (18 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 18:32 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• India's Chandrayaan-3 moon lander successfully separates, prepares for Aug. 23 touchdown

  17-08-2023 18:06 via space.com
  
  India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander is a step closer to landing on the moon after separating Aug. 17 from the propulsion module that carried the mission to lunar orbit.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (19 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 17:46 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (16 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 17:46 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• Perseid meteor shower 2023 lights up the sky in these gorgeous reader photos (gallery)

  17-08-2023 17:14 via space.com
  
  Gaze at some of our best 2023 Perseid meteor shower photo submissions from across the world.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (17 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 17:09 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (20 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 16:36 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (18 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 16:09 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• Watch how 'Ahsoka' explores the bond between Jedi masters and apprentices in 'Star Wars' (video)

  17-08-2023 16:00 via space.com
  
  A new 'Ahsoka' featurette goes behind the scenes to delve into the connection between Jedi masters and their apprentices in the "Star Wars" universe.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (21 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 15:41 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (22 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 15:04 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (19 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 15:04 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• A 142-year-old astronomy building was serendipitously unearthed in Michigan (photos)

  17-08-2023 15:00 via space.com
  
  The foundations of Michigan State University's first astronomy building recently came to light, showing a long history of telescope work in the Wolverine State.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (20 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 14:19 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• How did supermassive black holes get so big so fast just after the Big Bang?

  17-08-2023 14:00 via space.com
  
  Finding supermassive black holes with masses billions of times greater than the sun under a billion years after the Big Bang has scientists confused how these cosmic titans got so big so quickly.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (23 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 13:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (21 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 12:43 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (22 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 12:03 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• SpaceX's Crew-7 mission will launch international crew to ISS next week

  17-08-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  The astronauts on SpaceX's Crew-7 mission emphasized how well the International Space Station partnership is thriving, as new space alliances begin to take shape.
  
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• Rare iron meteorite could help reveal secrets of early solar system

  17-08-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  Scientists have discovered the origin of a rare iron meteorite that fell to Earth in 2020. It's the first iron meteorite from a parent body with a known orbit.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (23 hours away): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 11:02 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• 24 Aug 2023 (7 days away): Moon at First Quarter

  17-08-2023 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon reaches first quarter phase – appearing high in the sky at sunset and setting in the west at around midnight.
  
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• 19 Aug 2023 (2 days away): Close approach of the Moon and Mars

  17-08-2023 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mars pass within 1°55' of each other.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (Tomorrow): The Moon at perihelion

  17-08-2023 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its orbit's closest point to the Sun, which happens each month around the time of new moon.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (Tomorrow): κ-Cygnid meteor shower 2023

  17-08-2023 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The κ-Cygnid meteor shower reaches its peak.
  
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• 18 Aug 2023 (Tomorrow): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  17-08-2023 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°56'.
  
  Read more

• 18 Aug 2023 (2 days away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mars

  17-08-2023 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mars share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°10'.
  
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