Astronomy news

• 29 Aug 2023 (18 hours away): Uranus enters retrograde motion

  28-08-2023 09:12 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Uranus reverses its direction of motion across the sky.
  
  Read more

• Scientists find 'gemstones' in atmosphere of bizarre, scorching-hot 'marshmallow' exoplanet

  16-10-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have unraveled some of the atmospheric secrets of a bizarre, blisteringly hot world that has the consistency of marshmallow.The extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, under the watchful infrared eye of the JWST, is WASP-17b, located around 1,300 light-years away. The exoplanet has a mass around 0.8 times that of Jupiter, but it is around twice as wide as the solar system's largest planet, giving it a "super-puff" consistency comparable
  
  Read more

• How to see the Orionid meteor shower 2026 peak this week — and when to look

  16-10-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  If you love watching meteors, 2026 has given you plenty to enjoy. This summer, the annual Perseid meteor shower peaked on the day of a new moon — and a solar eclipse — so moonlight stayed out of the way. And there's more to look forward to: in December, the Geminids, the year's most prolific shower, will peak after a waxing crescent moon sets early in the evening, opening the door to excellent viewing.Right between those two headline showers, the dependable Orionids take their turn,
  
  Read more

• SpaceX thrusters just made a Tesla Roadster 'fly' (and Elon Musk's car is still out there in space)

  16-10-2026 19:38 via space.com
  
  Well, that was a memorable debut.Tesla unveiled its highly anticipated new Roadster last night (Oct. 16) with a spectacular stunt, using SpaceX thrusters to make the vehicle "fly.""This is not necessarily a safety-optimized car, OK?" Elon Musk, who runs both companies, said during the livestreamed reveal, which was held at SpaceX's rocket-testing facility in McGregor, Texas. "But it takes the the fun meter to 11 out of 10."Tesla first announced the next-gen Roadster in 2017, saying at the time t
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• On this day in space! Oct. 16, 1975: NASA launches the 1st-ever GOES weather satellite to watch Earth from space

  16-10-2026 19:19 via space.com
  
  On Oct. 16, 1975, NASA launched the first operational GOES satellite! GOES-A was the first in a series of weather satellites that NASA jointly operated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The name is short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite. GOES-A launched on a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. GOES satellites all have a geostationary orbit, which means they always face the same part of Earth — in this case, the Indian Ocean. Once G
  
  Read more

• 'Dark Matter's' Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly talk S2's marital disintegration and the humility of hanging on wires (interview)

  16-10-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  The eighth episode of Apple TV's "Dark Matter" season 2 has just dropped, and we're all on the edge of our seats trying to guess how the strange saga of Jason (Joel Edgerton) and Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) Dessen is going to finish up. Not even fans of the books know, as this superb adaptation of NYT bestselling author Blake Crouch's 2016 novel broke out of its source material for season 2.For Edgerton and Connelly, "Dark Matter" has been a whirlwind project as their characters search for a saf
  
  Read more

• Why can you see the moon during the day? This week is the perfect time to find out

  16-10-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  I know perfectly well that the moon comes out during the day. I have known this for decades. Yet whenever I spot it in a blue afternoon sky, some primitive part of my brain still thinks it has turned up early.I'm certainly not the only one. Many people don't understand how it could be visible in daylight. In their eyes, the moon is a nighttime object. Why? Because that's when they notice it — it appears brighter.We tend to think of the sun as belonging to the day and the moon to the night
  
  Read more

• 'Mission: 60s' event promises passport back to the Space Age

  16-10-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Your invitation to revisit the Space Age has arrived. Whether you miss the days when people got dressed up to fly or you wish your "other" ride was a rocket, Mission: 60s has a *space* reserved for you."This is a three-day celebration of Apollo, aviation, space exploration and 1960s culture," reads a promo for the Oct. 23 to 25 event in New York. "You will be fully immersed in the sights, sounds and spirit of the 1960s Space Age.""The weekend features astronauts, Apollo flight directors, Mission
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 7 best places to see the northern lights, according to an aurora chaser

  16-10-2026 17:01 via space.com
  
  I've spent years chasing the northern lights across the Arctic, from the mountains of Swedish Lapland to the dramatic Norwegian fjords. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that choosing where to see the northern lights is about much more than simply heading as far north as possible. Whether you're on the hunt for somewhere that offers the best chance of clear skies, the most dramatic scenery or a plethora of winter activities to keep you warm, choosing the right destination can make a big di
  
  Read more

• Beyond pointing your phone at the night sky, this is how to use stargazing apps effectively

  16-10-2026 16:30 via space.com
  
  Whether you are a seasoned astronomer or a newcomer to the hobby, the best stargazing apps have the potential to seriously enhance your skywatching experience. But it's easy to overlook just how useful these portable programs can be.That's why we've put together this guide to getting the best use out of stargazing apps, from identifying stars and constellations through to seeking out dark sky sites and beyond. You will wonder how you ever managed without them.So read on and get ready to take you
  
  Read more

• Supermassive black hole blasts out a neon 'treble clef' | Space photo of the day for Oct. 16, 2026

  16-10-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The "treble clef" galaxy cluster is an unusual source of radio waves, the Chandra X-ray observatory has found.(Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF-IRA/A. Botteon et al.; Infrared: UKIDSS-GPS ; Radio: ASTRON/LOFAR; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk)What looks like a neon pink treble clef floating out in space is actually a bizarre source of radio waves spotted deep in the cosmos. What is it?Scientists using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have peered far out into space to look at strange rad
  
  Read more

• 'We are getting a lot of pressure from the administrator himself': How NASA is racing to obey Trump's 'Super Intelligence' order

  16-10-2026 15:55 via space.com
  
  NASA has begun replacing references to artificial intelligence with "super intelligence" following an executive order from President Donald Trump, which directs government agencies not to acknowledge the terminology change in their external communications.An internal NASA document obtained by Space.com lays out plans to update the agency's websites, publications, organizational titles and digital infrastructure with a four-phase "super intelligence" implementation schedule extending into Decembe
  
  Read more

• Rocket Lab pushes 1st launch of next-gen Neutron rocket to 2027

  16-10-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  We'll have to wait a bit longer to see Rocket Lab's next-gen launcher fly.The California-based company just announced that it's pushing the debut of its powerful, partially reusable Neutron rocket from late 2026 into 2027 due to a manufacturing issue. "We believe Neutron is going to be a game-changer, and taking the time now to solve these challenges means we're in a better position to deliver a rocket that's ready to meet the needs for the industry for years to come," Rocket Lab founder and CEO
  
  Read more

• It's time to reassess the size of our solar system, scientists say

  16-10-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Two leading space scientists say there is a need to redefine the edge of the solar system by presenting a theory which states that measurements of the Milky Way's gravitational field, including its dark matter, redraws the sun's frontier. That theory was put forward by Jim Green, former NASA chief scientist and past director of the space agency's Planetary Science Division, along with Ed Belbruno, a professor of mathematics at Yeshiva University and a senior research associate at Princeton Unive
  
  Read more

• Astronomers discover the 1st ever green star, a cosmic zombie just in time for Halloween

  15-10-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  How awesome would it be if the sun could take on a spooky green glow for Halloween? It turns out that scientists have discovered that our star may indeed go green, but only billions of years from now after its death  — and only if it then starts eating planets like a cosmic zombie. That's possible because scientists have discovered that white dwarfs, the type of stellar remnants sun-sized stars leave behind when they die, can actually take on a range of colors including green if they
  
  Read more

• On this day in space! Oct. 15, 1997: NASA launches Cassini-Hugyens probe on 7-year voyage to Saturn

  15-10-2026 21:13 via space.com
  
  On Oct. 15, 1997, NASA launched the Cassini spacecraft on a mission to explore Saturn and its moons. It lifted off aboard a Titan 4B rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.It took almost seven years for the Cassini spacecraft to reach Saturn, with the spacecraft entering orbit around the ringed planet in 2004. Another smaller spacecraft called Huygens hitched a ride with Cassini, and it landed on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005. Cassini spent 13 years studying the Saturn system up c
  
  Read more

• SpaceX launches classified mission for the US Space Force (video)

  15-10-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX launched a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force from California this evening (Oct. 15).A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 8:01 p.m. EDT (5:01 p.m. local time; 0001 GMT on Oct. 16), rising into clear blue skies above the Golden State's central coast.Such visibly striking launches are far from guaranteed; Vandenberg and its scenic surroundings are often blanketed by fog, making rocket watching in the area a dicey proposition.The Falcon 9's first st
  
  Read more

• SpaceX launches classified mission for the US Space Force (photos)

  15-10-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX will launch a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force this evening (Oct. 15), and you can watch the action live.A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base today, on California's beautiful but frequently fog-blanketed central coast, during a four-hour window that opens at 7:44 p.m. EDT (2344 GMT; 4:44 p.m. local time).You can watch it live via a SpaceX webcast, which is expected to begin about 10 minutes before launch.(Image credit: SpaceX)This evening'
  
  Read more

• Vaonis unveils Atlas, the world's 1st modular smart telescope system

  15-10-2026 19:40 via space.com
  
  Vaonis has just announced its new generation of smart telescope technology, known as Atlas. Less of a single smart telescope and more of a new optical system, Atlas was designed with interchangeability and adaptability in mind. Its new SkyDock system allows two optical tubes to be connected and the telescope has live night sky monitoring to predict available observations. You can preorder the Vaonis Atlas with a single Atlas 80 module for $3,990, or $5,490 for the twin at Adorama. But it'll also
  
  Read more

• NASA's SkyFall helicopters will 'show us parts of Mars we've never seen before', scientists say

  15-10-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  NASA is accelerating the development of three helicopters that will be deployed into the sky above Mars after a voyage aboard NASA's Space Reactor‑1 Freedom spacecraft.Slated for launch in 2028, SR-1 Freedom is the first fission nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft and is assigned the duty of dropping off the SkyFall entry capsule loaded with the trio of aerial vehicles at the Red Planet. SR-1's trajectory will deliver the SkyFall helicopters in Mars' northern hemisphere during the pl
  
  Read more

• Windblown yardangs on Mars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 15, 2026

  15-10-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  A new image from the Mars Express spacecraft reveals windblown ridges known as yardangs, seen here as wrinkled sections on the left and right sides of the image. (Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin)A new image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft reveals the powerful erosive forces that have shaped and re-shaped the surface of the Red Planet over long periods of geological time.What is it?This new Mars Express image captures Amazonis Mensa, a large, flat mountain on the Red Plan
  
  Read more

• Beat light pollution with these six portable telescopes

  15-10-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Light pollution is the astronomer's biggest enemy, especially if you're gazing into deep space. And while some of the best telescopes can make a difference, there's no way to eliminate it. That's why, if you want to observe the cosmos without obstruction, you need to seek out darker skies, get a smart telescope or combine the two.You don't have to book a flight to a dark sky reserve; just traveling away from suburbia can be enough. That's where portable telescopes come in. Set one up in a field,
  
  Read more

• Scientists discover 'chemical starter kit' for life in planetary birthplaces

  15-10-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Methanol, coming as part of the 'chemical starter kit' around young stars, has produced some unexpected surprises that could ultimately reveal some of the conditions in which planets and potentially life form around protostars.The methanol discoveries were made by astronomers using ALMA (the Atacama Large millimeter/submillimeter Array) in the Atacama Desert in Chile, as part of a project called COMPASS (the Complex Organic Molecules in Protostars with ALMA Spectral Surveys)."Our work provides i
  
  Read more

• SpaceX wants to launch Starship more than 450 times per year from South Texas

  15-10-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX wants to start flying its Starship megarocket a lot more often.The company has requested permission to launch Starship from its Starbase site in South Texas up to 456 times per year. That's a big jump from the currently allowed cadence of 25.The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the early stages of reviewing the request. Today (Oct. 14), the agency announced "its intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, open a public scoping period and hold public sc
  
  Read more

• Watch SpaceX deliver more than 6,000 pounds of cargo to the ISS today

  15-10-2026 06:05 via space.com
  
  A Dragon is closing the gap between itself and its destination after a more than two-day-long orbital pursuit. SpaceX's cargo Dragon, flying the CRS-35 (35th Commercial Resupply Services) mission for NASA, is scheduled to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) this morning (Oct. 15), delivering fresh food, long-term provisions, research and hardware to the orbital lab and its crew. Coverage of Dragon's arrival at the ISS will begin at 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT), with docking schedul
  
  Read more

• SpaceX Cargo Dragon delivers more than 6,000 pounds of supplies to the ISS

  15-10-2026 06:05 via space.com
  
  A Dragon has settled into its nest after a more than two-day-long orbital pursuit. SpaceX's cargo Dragon, flying the CRS-35 (35th Commercial Resupply Services) mission for NASA, rendezvoused with the International Space Station (ISS) this morning (Oct. 15), delivering fresh food, long-term provisions, research and hardware to the orbital lab and its crew. Coverage of Dragon's arrival at the ISS began at 9:00 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT), as the spacecraft approached from approximately 2.3 miles (3.6 km)
  
  Read more

• Planetary genealogy: Milky Way worlds belong to 1 of 2 'families,' scientists find

  14-10-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  You can tell a lot about how a child will age by looking at their parents, and it turns out that this could be true for planetary systems, too. Scientists have performed cosmic genealogy on planetary systems in the Milky Way, finding two distinct families that influence the evolution and fate of these systems. The study team, led by researchers at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), studied 300 of the best-understood multiplanet systems of the over 1,000 that astronomers have
  
  Read more

• Planetary genealogy: Milky Way worlds belong to 1 of 2 ‘families,’ scientists find

  14-10-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  You can tell a lot about how a child will age by looking at their parents, and it turns out that this could be true for planetary systems, too. Scientists have performed cosmic genealogy on planetary systems in the Milky Way, finding two distinct families that influence the evolution and fate of these systems. The study team, led by researchers at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), studied 300 of the best-understood multiplanet systems of the over 1,000 that astronomers have
  
  Read more

• 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' author Matt Dinniman talks inspirations, success, and the upcoming Peacock TV series (interview)

  14-10-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  Fall has officially arrived, and as autumn leaves blaze in vivid colors, there is no better time to plunge into the imaginative world of New York Times best-selling author Matt Dinniman's "Dungeon Crawler Carl", the wildly addictive science fantasy book series that's taking the world by storm.Even if you haven't read them, you've probably seen folks carrying these books, emblazoned with their loud, neon-colored covers, at your neighborhood coffee house. You'll see it even more in the future, too
  
  Read more

• SpaceX's Starship just turned 10 years old. When will it go to Mars?

  14-10-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Starship just reached orbit for the first time, carrying satellites for SpaceX's Starlink program. Analysts disagree on whether that's a detour or the destination — and what of the company's plans for the Red Planet?Ten years ago, Elon Musk stood on stage at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Guadalajara, Mexico, and unveiled plans for a giant spaceship to carry people to Mars. This past Sept. 28 — a decade and a day later — the descendant of that vehicle reached
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Astronomy on Twitter!