Astronomy news

• Ultra-powerful space explosion, 1st of its kind, may have been triggered by black hole star-destroyer

  08-09-2023 23:00 via space.com
  
  A "Luminous Fast Cooler" explosion that emits as much energy in weeks as the sun will over 10 billion years could be the result of a black hole wrecking a star.
  
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• NASA's mighty SLS megarocket for Artemis moonshots 'unaffordable' for sustained exploration, audit finds

  08-09-2023 22:30 via space.com
  
  NASA needs to be more transparent about the costs and schedules for its Space Launch System moon rocket, a newly released audit has found.
  
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• Watch Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket fire up its engine for the 1st time (video)

  08-09-2023 21:30 via space.com
  
  Europe's next-generation heavy-lift rocket just took a big step towards its first, much-awaited launch thanks to a successful hot fire of its Vulcain 2.1 engine.
  
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• SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites in nighttime liftoff (video)

  08-09-2023 21:21 via space.com
  
  SpaceX launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit tonight (Sept. 8) and landed the returning rocket on a ship at sea.
  
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• How NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory will search exoplanets for signs of alien life

  08-09-2023 20:30 via space.com
  
  Planning is well underway for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, a telescope project that will hunt for telltale signs of life in the atmospheres of planets outside the solar system.
  
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• Venus is now a beacon in the early morning sky. Here's how to see it

  08-09-2023 20:00 via space.com
  
  With each passing morning, Venus has been rising ever higher and has been getting a little brighter. The planet will reach its brightest in the morning sky on Sept. 19. Here's how to see it.
  
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• FAA closes investigation of SpaceX's Starship launch mishap

  08-09-2023 19:51 via space.com
  
  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has closed its investigation into the first flight of SpaceX's giant Starship vehicle, which ended with a bang this past April.
  
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• New 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' book goes behind the scenes of a true sci-fi classic (exclusive)

  08-09-2023 19:00 via space.com
  
  Check out an exclusive 'Star Trek' Day preview for Titan Books' newest release, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Making of the Classic Film."
  
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• Virgin Galactic launches 3 of its original space tourist customers to the final frontier (video)

  08-09-2023 18:12 via space.com
  
  Virgin Galactic launched three of its longest-standing ticketholders today (Sept. 8), sending them to suborbital space on the 'Galactic 03' mission.
  
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• Virgin Galactic launches 3 of its original space tourist customers to the final frontier

  08-09-2023 18:12 via space.com
  
  Virgin Galactic launched three of its longest-standing ticketholders today (Sept. 8), sending them to suborbital space on the 'Galactic 03' mission.
  
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• Why Artemis 2 moon launch with astronauts is different from Artemis 1

  08-09-2023 17:00 via space.com
  
  NASA's mobile launcher for Artemis 2 is at the launch pad right now for testing. Space.com spoke with the agency to learn how the Space Launch System and related systems will get ready for the historic moon launch with astronauts in 2024.
  
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• How helicopters on Mars could find hidden magnetism in planet's crust

  08-09-2023 16:00 via space.com
  
  Originally designed for a simple technology demonstration, Ingenuity has far exceeded its initial one-month, five-flight mission.
  
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• EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station review

  08-09-2023 16:00 via space.com
  
  The huge 2048Wh capacity of the EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max power station will easily keep you powered up off-grid, but be prepared for a workout.
  
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• Astronauts just 3D-printed knee cartilage in space for the 1st time and it's as weird as it sounds

  08-09-2023 15:00 via space.com
  
  The first-ever knee cartilage in microgravity was made on the International Space Station. Redwire Corp. says the meniscus will assist with treating military personnel and aging seniors on Earth.
  
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• NASA's Perseverance Mars rover wraps up MOXIE oxygen-making experiment

  08-09-2023 14:00 via space.com
  
  The Perseverance rover's MOXIE experiment produced a total of 122 grams of oxygen on Mars. At its most efficient, it generated 12 grams of the life-sustaining element every hour.
  
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• Warp into Star Trek Day 2023 today with new animated 'very Short Treks'

  08-09-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  Paramount rolls out new "Star Trek: very Short Treks" animated promos for "Star Trek" Day 2023.
  
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• SpaceX's Starship rocket spotted from space ahead of key test flight (satellite photo)

  08-09-2023 12:00 via space.com
  
  Maxar Technologies' WorldView-1 satellite captured a great photo of SpaceX's Starship vehicle on the launch pad in South Texas ahead of its upcoming test flight.
  
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• 16 Sep 2023 (8 days away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mars

  08-09-2023 01:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mars share the same right ascension, at a separation of 39'.
  
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• 15 Sep 2023 (7 days away): New Moon

  08-09-2023 01:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon disappears into the Sun's glare for a few days.
  
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• 13 Sep 2023 (5 days away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  08-09-2023 01:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 5°59'.
  
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• 12 Sep 2023 (4 days away): The Moon at apogee

  08-09-2023 01:28 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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• 12 Sep 2023 (4 days away): Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) passes perigee

  08-09-2023 01:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) makes its closest approach to the Earth.
  
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• 09 Sep 2023 (2 days away): September ε-Perseid meteor shower 2023

  08-09-2023 01:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The September ε-Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak.
  
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• Virgin Galactic will launch some of its 1st space tourist customers on 'Galactic 03' today. But who's flying?

  08-09-2023 00:00 via space.com
  
  Virgin Galactic plans to launch its 'Galactic 03' space tourism mission on Sept. 8, sending three customers to the final frontier and back. You won't be able to watch it live, though.
  
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• Virgin Galactic will launch some of its 1st space tourist customers on 'Galactic 03' flight Friday. But who's flying?

  08-09-2023 00:00 via space.com
  
  Virgin Galactic plans to launch its 'Galactic 03' space tourism mission on Sept. 8, sending three customers to the final frontier and back. You won't be able to watch it live, though.
  
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