Astronomy news

• SpaceX launches its 'Starfall' return capsule for 2nd time ever (video)

  20-10-2026 13:16 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX just launched its mysterious "Starfall" return capsule for the second time ever.Starfall was one of 32 payloads on the company's Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission, which launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:04 a.m. EDT (1104 GMT) today (Oct. 20) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.SpaceX has been relatively quiet about Starfall, which debuted this past June on a Falcon 9 launch from the Cape.The payloads of SpaceX's Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission, seen in a prelaunch photo. The
  
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• Analog astronauts: How living underwater can prepare humans for space missions

  26-10-2026 22:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  I have been dreaming of doing research in space as an astronaut my whole life, but for some reason, the thought of working underwater made menervous. I’ve known for a long time that astronauts train underwater to simulate different scenarios they’re likely to experience in space. Diving was never an issue for me, either — I even made it as far as becoming a certified rescue diver.So what was the problem?This summer, I led a simulated space mission in an underwater habitat called the Jules�
  
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• On this day in space! Oct. 26, 2004: Cassini spacecraft takes 1st-ever closeup photos of Saturn moon Titan

  26-10-2026 20:47 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On Oct. 26, 2004, NASA's Cassini spacecraft took the first close-up images of Saturn's largest moon Titan. The Cassini spacecraft would later drop off a probe on Titan named Huygens, which was a European spacecraft that hitched a ride to the Saturn system with the Cassini mission. But before Cassini dropped off its robotic passenger, it flew by Titan a few times and took some amazing photos. Cassini completed its first flyby on July 3, 2004, but when it swung by a second time on Oct. 26, it got
  
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• Darth Vader wields the Infinity Gauntlet in the first-ever official 'Star Wars' & 'Marvel' crossover

  26-10-2026 20:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's non-canon, but come on; Darth Vader wielding the gleaming Infinity Gauntlet is just an excellent visual. This nerd-baiting image comes to us via the main cover of Marvel Comics' upcoming "Star Wars / Marvel: Hope Assembles #1.""Star Wars" celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, as does the first "Star Wars #1" comic, and to kick the intergalactic party off early, Marvel will publish the debut issue of this 6-issue miniseries from writer Kevin Smith ("Clerks," "Chasing A
  
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• NASA ends Swift space telescope mission after failed rescue attempt

  26-10-2026 19:43 via Latest from Space.com
  
  NASA has officially ended the mission of its Swift space telescope, after a private satellite failed in its bold bid to rescue the aging spacecraft.That rescue mission was led by the Arizona company Katalyst Space Technologies, whose LINK spacecraft tried to meet up with Swift this summer to boost its orbit. That didn't work out, however, so Swift continues its fall back toward Earth. The telescope is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere "in the next few weeks," NASA said in a statement on Fri
  
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• 'Donnie Darko' at 25: How a giant rabbit, time loops, and teen angst became a sci-fi cult classic

  26-10-2026 19:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  "Have you ever seen a portal?"The term "cult classic" has been loosely bandied about in cinematic circles until its definition has diluted into nothingness, but never has it been more appropriately applied than to director Richard Kelly’s strange psychological sci-fi thriller, "Donnie Darko", which celebrates its milestone 25th birthday today.Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, Jena Malone, and Noah Wyle, "Donnie Darko" was released on O
  
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• Stuck for a Halloween outfit? Set phasers to stunning with the best Star Trek costumes

  26-10-2026 18:35 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Are you a Star Trek fan about to beam down to a Halloween party? Maybe you want to give Trick or Treat a Trekkie twist? We've got you covered with costumes based on the iconic sci-fi franchise, from the original series through to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Discovery and beyond. Adult costumes aside, we've also included outfits for younger Star Trek fans and props to round out your outfit. You needn't put them away when Halloween is over, either. Star Trek costumes are so universa
  
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• Record breaker! Astronomers spot powerful cosmic explosion that lasted 27 days

  26-10-2026 18:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Astronomers have spotted a remarkable gamma-ray burst (GRB) that's a real Incredible Hulk compared to other cosmic explosions of the same type. What makes this GRB so special is the fact that the central engine powering it remained active for around 27 days, flaring in X-rays following the initial blast. That's 20 days longer than the longest previous GRB on record.This record-breaking burst — which is designated GRB 220706A and was spotted on July 6, 2022 — is even more exciting because sci
  
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• SpaceX ignites giant Super Heavy booster engines ahead of daring Starship launch (video)

  26-10-2026 17:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX is shooting for new heights with its upcoming Starship test flight, and the booster tapped for the mission is in its final stretch of preparations before the mission. The Super Heavy booster for Flight Test 15, Booster 22, underwent a static test fire on Sunday (Oct. 25), igniting all of its Raptor 3 engines for about 15 seconds. "Full duration 33-engine static fire for the Super Heavy booster preparing for Flight 15," SpaceX said in a post on X.The test is a beginning of final checks on
  
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• Glowing 'cauldron' of new stars | Space photo of the day for Oct. 26, 2026

  26-10-2026 15:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  The James Webb Space Telescope's stunning view of the emission nebula N159 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. (Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, E. Sabbi, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç)The NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope has captured a breathtaking view of a majestic star-forming region shining 161,000 light-years from Earth in a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way known as the Large Magellanic Cloud. What is it?The deep-space image reveals a 230-light-year-wide swathe
  
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• Rubin telescope should find more of Earth's mysterious 'mini-moons' — including some we can study up close

  26-10-2026 13:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Earth almost always has more than one moon. The others are just very small, and they never stay long — but they could provide accessible and unique insights into the solar system.Temporary satellites, or mini-moons, are small asteroids that wander into Earth’s neighborhood and get captured briefly by our planet’s gravity. A typical one stays about nine months and circles Earth roughly three times before escaping back into orbit around the sun, Grigori Fedorets of Finland's University of He
  
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• October full 'Hunter's Moon' dazzles in spectacular photos from around the world

  26-10-2026 12:42 via Latest from Space.com
  
  The full "Hunter's Moon" wowed stargazers with a breathtaking display of natural light when it rose to dominate the autumn sky overnight on Oct. 25-26. Here are our favorite photos captured from around the world.October's full moon is often known as the Hunter's Moon because it traditionally rose around the time that hunters would take to the newly harvested fields to catch animals to prepare as food for the coming winter.Well, in 2026 the Hunter's Moon certainly succeeded in captivating the ima
  
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• 'More missions, more often': NASA is overhauling how it selects science missions

  26-10-2026 11:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  NASA is overhauling how it selects and develops science missions, with changes intended to reduce costs, streamline competition and get missions into space faster.The new approach, called Competition Model 2.0 (CM 2.0), was announced on Oct. 21 in an open letter from Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), to the NASA science community. The changes, directed by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, could significantly reshape how scientists, universities, NAS
  
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• On this day in space! Oct. 25, 1671: Astronomer Giovanni Cassini discovers Iapetus, Saturn's 'yin-yang' moon

  25-10-2026 14:17 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On Oct. 25, 1671, the Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini discovered a new moon at Saturn! Iapetus was the second moon anyone had ever found orbiting Saturn, and it was the first of four moons Cassini would discover at the ringed planet.The Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens had discovered Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons, about six years earlier. After Cassini found Iapetus, he also found the moons Rhea, Tethys and Dione.When Cassini first saw Iapetus, the moon looked like a tiny speck on
  
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• October's 'Hunter's Moon' stalks into the autumn sky tonight: Here's what you need to know

  25-10-2026 11:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  The October full moon rises tonight! Here's everything you need to know about the "Hunter's Moon," including where to see it, how it got its name and other tricks of the light and mind that could conspire to create a truly spectacular lunar light show.October's moon reaches 100% illumination at 12:12 a.m. EDT (0412 GMT) on Oct. 26, as the lunar disk shines opposite the sun in Earth's sky. The shadowy terminator that separates the day and night side of the moon is conspicuously absent around this
  
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• This Week In Space podcast: Episode 233 — The Artemis Generation

  24-10-2026 17:53 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On Episode 233 of This Week In Space, Tariq Malik and guest host Rick Jenet are joined by Dr. Amanda Smith-Hackler, the Director of Education for the Universities Space Research Association and Principal Investigator for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars and STEM Workforce Development Programs, about the new and exciting opportunities available to young people seeking to enter the space workforce. Newspace is hiring! With the major powers heading to the moon, low-Earth orbit beco
  
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• 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' was afraid to say anything in season of gimmicks

  24-10-2026 14:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  It didn’t take long for fans to figure out that the fourth season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" was going to be unlike any season of "Star Trek" before it. The entire season was one giant gimmick, and that gimmick was shoving "Trek" into as many genres as possible and often directly adapting classic films from those genres. You could argue that an entire season of gimmick episodes is a bold risk: putting the characters in fun, wacky situations to see how they react. It could be interestin
  
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• Medusa's eye, Halloween fireballs and more: 5 skywatching targets to look out for this spooky season

  24-10-2026 12:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  The spooky season is officially here! To celebrate, we've put together a list of five Halloween-themed skywatching targets that you can enjoy with nothing but the naked eye or binoculars and, of course, clear skies. Over millennia, the night sky has helped shape human beliefs. In return, we have imprinted our myths, stories and perceptions upon it, seeing monsters and mythology in the twinkling lights of the stars and assigning sinister aspects to innocent cosmic objects.Many of these ghostly im
  
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• SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California as Falcon 9 cadence slows (video)

  24-10-2026 01:26 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX launched its newest batch of Starlink broadband internet satellites today (Oct. 23) from the California coast.The spacecraft, Starlink Group 15-15, were stacked 27 high inside the payload fairing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 6:48 p.m. EDT (2248 GMT; 3:48 p.m. local time in California).The rocket's first stage booster, designated B1063, executed its main engine cutoff and stage separation about 2.5 minutes into flight, sending
  
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• SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California as Falcon 9 cadence slows (photos)

  24-10-2026 01:26 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX launched its newest batch of Starlink broadband internet satellites today (Oct. 23) from the California coast.The spacecraft, Starlink Group 15-15, were stacked 27 high inside the payload fairing of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 6:48 p.m. EDT (2248 GMT; 3:48 p.m. local time in California).The rocket's first stage booster, designated B1063, executed its main engine cutoff and stage separation about 2.5 minutes into flight, sending
  
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• NASA lays out plan for Artemis 3 moon-lander test flight —but when will it launch?

  24-10-2026 00:55 via Latest from Space.com
  
  NASA just gave us our best look yet at its Artemis III moon-lander test flight.The agency laid out a detailed concept of operations for Artemis III today (Oct. 23) during a press conference at Kennedy Space Center, stressing how important the flight is to its moon plans and how challenging it will be to make everything go right."We're launching three of the most powerful rockets in the world, and undertaking what is likely the most complicated launch campaign ever undertaken," Jeremy Parsons, NA
  
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• On this day in space! Oct. 23, 2007: NASA launches Harmony module to ISS on STS-120 space shuttle mission

  23-10-2026 22:47 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On October 23, 2007, the space shuttle Discovery launched the Harmony module to the International Space Station. The Harmony module is a utility hub 14 feet wide and 24 feet long, or about the length of a minibus. It joins the European Space Agency's Columbus module and Japan's Kibo laboratory and serves as the crew quarters for the American astronauts. Once it was installed, the space station grew from about the size of a three-bedroom house to something more like a five-bedroom house. When ast
  
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• Halley's Comet dazzles from afar in spectacular astrophoto of Orionid meteor shower

  23-10-2026 20:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Tim McCollum captured a stunning view of Orionid meteors in the early hours of Oct. 21. (Image credit: Tim McCollum)Astrophotographer Tim McCollum captured a spectacular view of Orionid meteors sharing the night sky with a host of deep sky wonders on Oct. 21, as the annual shooting star display ramped up to peak activity. Comet 1P/Halley may be over 3 billion miles (4.8 kilometers) from Earth, but that didn't stop it from putting on a breathtaking display earlier this week, as particles cast off
  
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• Never finishing the fight: Where did Xbox go wrong with Halo?

  23-10-2026 18:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Halo: Campaign Evolved was Xbox’s second attempt at refreshing the 2001 sci-fi FPS classic, and it is perfectly fine. A cromulent remake, if ever there was one, but it’s hardly a franchise-saver, especially as Xbox looks to rethink its studio structure and approach to renowned IPs like Halo or Gears of War.Halo hasn’t been the same since original developer Bungie — now owned by Sony and working on Destiny and Marathon — departed, leaving 343 Industries (now Halo Studios) to guide the f
  
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• Private Griffin moon lander gets put to the test | Space photo of the day for Oct. 23, 2026

  23-10-2026 16:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  The Griffin-1 lunar lander undergoes testing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)The robotic Griffin lunar lander has passed a host of critical tests ahead of its first-ever moon mission, which is scheduled to launch later this year. What is it? At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, Voyager Technologies' Griffin Mission One (or Griffin-1) lunar lander has gone through an absolute gauntlet of tests. The spacecraft was put through environmental
  
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• 'Stupendously large black holes' aren't a major component of dark matter, study finds

  23-10-2026 14:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Black holes more massive than entire galaxies are not a major component of the mysterious dark matter that's thought to make up most of the matter in the cosmos, a new study finds.For decades, to explain why galaxies do not spin apart at the speeds at which they whirl, scientists have suggested the existence of an unseen substance known as dark matter, whose gravitational pull helps keep galaxies together. Dark matter is thought to make up about five-sixths of all matter in the universe. Much re
  
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• Rocket Lab launches 3 'Hawk' satellites to orbit to gather signals intelligence (video)

  23-10-2026 12:57 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Rocket Lab launched a trio of private signals-intelligence satellites to orbit today (Oct. 23).The mission lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand launch site today at 3:11 a.m. EDT (0711 GMT; 8:11 p.m. local time in New Zealand).The Electron carried three "Hawk" satellites for the Virginia-based company HawkEye 360, which explains the name Rocket Lab gave to the mission: "We're Not Hawking Around." Rocket Lab launched a trio of private signals-intelligence satellite
  
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• Rocket Lab launches 3 'Hawk' satellites to orbit to gather signals intelligence

  23-10-2026 12:57 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Rocket Lab launched a trio of private signals-intelligence satellites to orbit today (Oct. 23).The mission lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand launch site today at 3:11 a.m. EDT (0711 GMT; 8:11 p.m. local time in New Zealand).The Electron carried three "Hawk" satellites for the Virginia-based company HawkEye 360, which explains the name Rocket Lab gave to the mission: "We're Not Hawking Around." If all goes according to plan, the three Hawks will be deployed into
  
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• Space debris: Are we on track for true sustainability? (op-ed)

  23-10-2026 12:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  David Zamora is the chairman of the Space Data Association. He contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.The commercialization of space is well underway, and as a result, Earth’s orbit is becoming ever more congested. The current number of active satellites in orbit stands at around 16,000, according to the European Space Agency( ESA), and this number is expected to jump close to 60,000 by 2035, Novaspace projects. While it’s not always given the recognition
  
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• Europe's Space Rider vehicle comes crashing down during drop test

  23-10-2026 00:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Europe has dropped the ball on the prototype for its first reusable spacecraft. Or, rather, the prototype itself was dropped — on purpose — but the outcome of its fall was not what engineers had hoped for. The incident occurred during an Oct. 6 drop test of the full-scale Space Rider model, from the European Space Agency (ESA). The robotic vehicle's initial drogue parachute deployed successfully, but its main parafoil detached during deployment, leaving the prototype unable to slow its desce
  
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