Astronomy news

• NASA's hunting for a secret underground cave on the moon

  08-10-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  Are there secret underground caves on the moon? NASA has a new program that aims to find out. Though we see it in the sky most nights, the moon still holds an incredible amount of mystery. One such mystery is a large underground cave, or a cavernous tube carved out by ancient lava, that scientists think extends past a particular pit on the moon's surface. And to get to the bottom of it, NASA has selected a project known as GIMLI (the Geophysical Instruments for Marius Lunar pit Investigation, no
  
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• James Webb Space Telescope helps detect the most distant Fast Radio Burst ever seen — and scientists are surprised by its source

  08-10-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Astronomers have discovered the most distant Fast Radio Burst (FRB) ever detected. Not only could this help untangle the mystery of what causes these powerful but brief explosions of radio waves, but because FRBs are incredible celestial messengers, it could also reveal details of 11 billion years of cosmic evolution.
  This FRB, designated FRB 20240304B, was first observed by astronomers using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. Then, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronom
  
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• 'Dude! No way!' Scientists jump for joy over Artemis II moon science results

  08-10-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  We have our first look at the science from Artemis II, and it's as amazing as we might have hoped. This past April, four astronauts strapped in for a flyby around the moon and back to Earth. The first mission to the moon since the Apollo program ended in 1972, this success marked an incredible historic milestone. The Artemis II crew also conducted groundbreaking science, observing parts of the moon no human had ever laid eyes on before. And now, we have our first look at some of the science from
  
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• On this day in space! Oct. 8, 1992: NASA's Pioneer Venus probe burns up in Venusian atmosphere after 14 years orbiting the planet

  08-10-2026 16:30 via space.com
  
  On Oct. 8, 1992, NASA's Pioneer 12 spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere of Venus.Pioneer 12, also known as the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, spent 14 years orbiting Venus and studying the planet's atmosphere. It also investigated how the planet's ionosphere and magnetic field interact with charged particles from the sun called solar wind.Pioneer 12 even got to check out Halley's Comet while it was in orbit around Venus. When Pioneer 12 ran out of propellant, its orbit naturally started to decay, and
  
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• Dawn breaks on Mars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 8, 2026

  08-10-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  A snapshot of Mars captured by NASA's Curiosity rover on Aug. 11, 2026.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)Imagine the sun has just risen as you wake to the soft sounds of Martian dust swirling outside. You look out and what do you see? A beautiful mountain range, bathed in golden light. While this imaginary scenario might not be possible today, if future astronauts ever get to enjoy their morning coffee on the Red Planet, this is what they might see. What is it?A panorama of Mars created using
  
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• Relive Starship's 1st-ever orbital flight with these epic SpaceX videos

  08-10-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  The great views of Starship's first orbital flight keep on coming.The megarocket circled our planet for the first time ever on Sept. 28, its 14th liftoff to date. And Starship deployed some payloads when it got up there — 26 of the company's next-gen Starlink satellites, the first members of a broadband constellation that will eventually consist of 100,000 spacecraft, if all goes to plan.SpaceX already released still imagery of that historic deployment, which was captured by cameras on a f
  
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• Why October is one of the best months of the year for stargazing in North America

  08-10-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  October offers many North American stargazers an unusually favorable combination: clear, transparent skies, comfortable temperatures, and views of both summer and winter constellations — before cloudier November weather arrives.Why October skies stand outOctober is the clearest month of the year for many locations in the eastern and central US, based on maps issued by the National Climatic Center in Ashville, North Carolina. But only a month later, in November, sky conditions have dramatic
  
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• Astronomers watch 'vampire' star feeding on the stellar equivalent of 5 trillion quarter-pounder burgers every second

  08-10-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Astronomers have observed a "vampire" star feeding on a brown dwarf companion for the first time. It is a slow and gruesome death that could last for billions of years, despite the fact that the star is snacking on the equivalent of 5.2 trillion quarter-pounder burgers every second.Brown dwarfs straddle the line between planets and stars, with masses from 13 to 80 times that of Jupiter or 0.013 to 0.08 times that of the sun. They get their unfortunate nickname "failed stars" because, though they
  
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• Northern lights possible across the US tonight and over the weekend as 4 CMEs head for Earth

  08-10-2026 11:44 via space.com
  
  Just when you thought the sun might be taking a breather, it's unleashed another powerful eruption — and the northern lights forecast just got even more promising.A fourth coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the sun on Oct. 8, during a powerful M-class solar flare from the restless sunspot region AR4549. That brings the number of CMEs potentially heading Earth's way to four, raising the possibility of further geomagnetic activity and aurora displays over the coming days. Early analysi
  
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• 'Things are going super well at 39A': SpaceX gearing up to launch Starship from Florida for 1st time

  08-10-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  The first Starship launch from Florida may be just a few months away.All 14 of the SpaceX megarocket's test flights to date have lifted off from the company's Starbase site in South Texas — including the most recent, on Sept. 28, which saw Starship reach orbit for the first time.But SpaceX is working hard to get three pads on Florida's Space Coast ready for Starship. And one of them, historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), is nearly there, according to the company."Things ar
  
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