Astronomy news

• 30 Sep 2024 (4 days away): Mercury at superior solar conjunction

  26-09-2024 01:29 via in-the-sky.org
  
  Mercury passes around the far side of the Sun.
  
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• 'Project Hail Mary' is finally streaming Amazon Prime Video, and we can't wait to watch it again

  07-07-2026 21:00 via space.com
  
  Amazon MGM Studios' "Project Hail Mary," the science fiction blockbuster starring Ryan Gosling that launched into theaters back on March 20, 2026 is now hitting its streaming stride on Prime Video after a stop on MGM+. The $200 million outer space saga, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("The Lego Movie," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse") and adapted from author Andy Weir's 2021 novel of the same name, made a respectable $630 million in its full theatrical run. Despite a general jo
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (43 minutes away): Moon at Last Quarter

  07-07-2026 20:46 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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• 07 Jul 2026 (3 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 20:46 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
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• Artemis 2's Jeremy Hansen stepping down from active astronaut duty after epic moon mission

  07-07-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  The first non-American to reach the moon is ready for a new mission.Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, best known for his flight around the moon in April on NASA's Artemis 2 mission, will step back from active astronaut duty in September. Hansen, who's also a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), will next serve as a reservist to "enable the vital work happening in Canada with respect to space," the astronaut wrote Monday (July 6) in a statement on X."Our future depen
  
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• 10 Jul 2026 (4 days away): The Great Peacock Globular Cluster is well placed

  07-07-2026 19:44 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The bright globular cluster NGC 6752 (mag 5.4) in Pavo culminates at around midnight local time.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (4 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 19:44 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (1 hour away): Moon at Last Quarter

  07-07-2026 19:44 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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• How public–private partnerships can turn Mars into an economic frontier (Op-Ed)

  07-07-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  Futurists and science fiction writers have predicted privately funded missions to Mars for decades, but until recently, the prospect appeared to be decades away. While fully private human missions to Mars are probably not yet practical (given the complexity and cost of such missions), the commercial sector, in partnership with space agencies such as NASA, has a critical role to play in enabling a human presence on Mars. Whether that possibility becomes reality will depend on the choices we make
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (2 hours ago): Close approach of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 18:32 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn pass close to each other.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (1 hour ago): Close approach of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 18:32 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn pass close to each other.
  
  Read more

• 07 Jul 2026 (5 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 18:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (4 minutes away): Close approach of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 18:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn pass close to each other.
  
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• China releases 1st photo of Earth's elusive 'quasi-moon' Kamo'oalewa

  07-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  China's first-ever asteroid sampling mission has sent home a picture of its first target, the "quasi-moon" Kamo'oalewa.The Tianwen-2 probe launched in 2025 and traveled 620 million miles (1 billion kilometers) to reach a safe distance about 12 miles (20 km) away from Kamo'oalewa, more formally known as asteroid 2016HO3. The spacecraft will spend nearly a year studying the asteroid with a suite of 11 different scientific instruments before attempting to collect a sample from its surface, which wi
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (6 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 17:31 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (3 hours away): Moon at Last Quarter

  07-07-2026 17:31 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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• 'That's going to come back and bite us': Former NASA chief questions Artemis moon lander plans

  07-07-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  The former head of NASA is questioning the agency's plans to return astronauts to the moon, asking whether the crewed landers selected for the Artemis program are the right vehicles to get the job done. Jim Bridenstine, who served as NASA administrator during President Donald Trump's first term, joined Space.com's Tariq Malik and co-host Rod Pyle on the This Week in Space podcast on June 12 to discuss his recently appointed position as CEO of Quantum Space and current events in the space industr
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (7 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 16:38 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
  Read more

• 07 Jul 2026 (4 hours away): Moon at Last Quarter

  07-07-2026 16:38 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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• 07 Jul 2026 (1 hour away): Close approach of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 16:38 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn pass close to each other.
  
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• Astronaut flexes his muscles mid-spacewalk | Space photo of the day for July 7, 2026

  07-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  NASA astronaut Chris Williams flexes his muscles while on a spacewalk in this image snapped by fellow astronaut Jessica Meir on June 30, 2026.(Image credit: NASA/Jessica Meir)Mid-spacewalk, one NASA astronaut had to take a moment to show off his muscles. What is it? NASA astronaut Chris Williams recently left the confines of the International Space Station for a 7-hour-and-20-minute spacewalk with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir. This was Williams' second spacewalk and Meir's fifth.In a moment of
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (5 hours away): Moon at Last Quarter

  07-07-2026 15:37 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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• 07 Jul 2026 (2 hours away): Close approach of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 15:37 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn pass close to each other.
  
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• Chinese scientists find the best way to nuke an asteroid on its way to impact Earth

  07-07-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  How do you stop a large, threatening asteroid on its way to Earth? A new Chinese paper, investigating the issue, suggests a "pre-excavation detonation" could be the solution if there's enough warning time.There may be millions of asteroids in our solar system, with a tiny percentage of them posing a possible, very tiny threat to our planet. NASA and many other entities keep an eye on the skies, and continue discovering new asteroids, but have found no imminent threats yet; Apophis, previously be
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (8 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 14:51 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (6 hours away): Moon at Last Quarter

  07-07-2026 14:51 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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• 07 Jul 2026 (3 hours away): Close approach of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 14:51 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn pass close to each other.
  
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• SpaceX just launched the 1st-ever nuclear-powered commercial satellite

  07-07-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  The world's first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite has reached orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) satellite, built by Florida-based company City Labs, launched to space early this morning (July 7) on SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare mission. Transporter-17's Falcon 9 rocket, which was carrying a total of 81 payloads, lifted off early this morning from the SpaceX pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and began delivering
  
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• 10 Jul 2026 (4 days away): Close approach of the Moon and M45

  07-07-2026 13:59 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and M45 pass close to each other.
  
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• 07 Jul 2026 (9 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

  07-07-2026 13:59 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Saturn share the same right ascension, at a separation of 6°39'.
  
  Read more

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