Astronomy news

• The Supermoon Blue Moon is coming. Here's what to expect

  15-08-2024 18:07 via space.com
  
  Discover the August Supermoon Blue Moon. Learn what it is, when to see it, and what to expect from this stunning sight.
  
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• 22 years of science! NASA's Roman Space Telescope doubles its lifetime with super-precise engine burn

  15-09-2026 23:24 via space.com
  
  NASA's newly launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to extend its lifespan and double its exciting potential for discovery thanks to an efficient use of fuel on its way to its final orbit."As a result of exquisite planning by our orbital dynamics team, brilliant execution by the operations team, and a precise launch from SpaceX, Roman has fuel for at least 22 years of potential science operations," said Jamie Dunn, the center director at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in a statem
  
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• New 'StarCraft' game announced, but it's a grim open-world shooter and it's not coming until 2030

  15-09-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  BlizzCon 2026 delivered big gaming news over the weekend, including Diablo 5 and a new Warcraft 3 expansion announcement, but sci-fi lovers were the ones with the most cause to celebrate, as we learned that StarCraft will return in 2030. It's not coming back as a sci-fi strategy game this time, though.16 years after StarCraft 2's initial launch and after months of rumors, Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled StarCraft, the next chapter in the franchise. Provisional title or not ('Dominion' is jus
  
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• US Space Force says it operates weapons in orbit: 'Our aim is deterrence'

  15-09-2026 21:54 via space.com
  
  The U.S. Space Force is opening up about its operation of orbital weapons, but not much beyond admitting that they exist.During a "State of the Space Force" address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Tuesday (Sept. 15), Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess stated unequivocally that the Space Force uses active space-based weaponry to support United States national defense. “Let me be crystal clear: T
  
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• SpaceX's next Starship launch will lift off on Sept. 22 and aim to reach orbit for 1st time

  15-09-2026 20:33 via space.com
  
  We now have a launch date for Starship's most ambitious mission to date.SpaceX announced today (Sept. 15) that it's targeting Sept. 22 for the first orbital flight of Starship, the fully reusable megarocket that the company is developing to help humanity settle the moon, Mars and more.Liftoff, from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas, will occur during a 75-minute window that opens at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT and 7:15 a.m. local Texas time). You can watch it live here at Space.com when the time
  
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• Microscopic alien technology may be hidden in moon dust, scientists say

  15-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Could we find alien technology embedded in moon dust?The bold idea, not yet peer-reviewed, suggests checking out the lunar surface for "microscopic technosignatures." The SETI Institute — or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute — describes these technosignatures as "tiny engineered particles" that may have come from interstellar space before settling on the moon.The institute recently highlighted a paper on the topic, published on arxiv in August, and added the rese
  
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• 'Captain EO' at 40: Michael Jackson's wild sci-fi movie that you could only watch at Disney theme parks

  15-09-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  40 years ago on Sept. 12, 1986, musical icon Michael Jackson debuted in "Captain EO," a 17-minute long 3D sci-fi fantasy film. The catch? You could only see it at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center in Florida, or — six days later — at Disneyland’s Magic Eye Theater over in Tomorrowland.Jackson had already been anointed the King of Pop in the ‘80s with the stellar multi-platinum album "Thriller" when the creative cosmic tumblers aligned, joining the immense talents of Jackso
  
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• Making rocket fuel out of Mars' thin air: New breakthrough could make it happen

  15-09-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Astronauts could travel back to Earth from Mars using rocket fuel converted directly from the carbon dioxide in the Red Planet's atmosphere, using a technique known as electrochemical reduction, a recent study reports.It's an old method involving electrolysis, which is the application of an electrical current to drive a chemical reaction, but the new trick produces methane pure enough to be used as liquid propellant. (A number of rocket engines these days burn liquid oxygen and liquid methane &m
  
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• 'The violence leaves a mark': How satellites are helping the world monitor war and atrocities

  15-09-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  For decades, researchers have been monitoring armed conflict around the world by analyzing news reports and collecting oral testimonies. This approach, while valuable, has its limitations. A new study suggests that a satellite's view from above might fill the gaps in our understanding of the grim realities of war.In 2017, the Myanmar Army murdered several hundred Muslim Rohingya civilians in the village of Chut Pyin near the country's western coast. Reports of the massacre in the settlement of a
  
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• On this day in space! Sept. 15, 1968: Russian tortoises (& other critters) launch around the moon on Zond 5 spacecraft in wild first circumlunar flight

  15-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On Sept. 15, 1968, the Soviet Union launched the Zond 5 spacecraft on a mission to loop around the moon and return to Earth. There were no cosmonauts aboard, but there were several smaller vertebrates — including the first two tortoises to ever go to space! Other passengers included wine flies, mealworms, plants and seeds. These were the first animals in deep space and the first to travel around the moon. Photos: Pioneering Animals in SpaceThe Soviet Zond 5 rentry capsule in the ocean (lef
  
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• Curiosity rover spots odd 'footprints' on Mars | Space photo of the day for Sept. 15, 2026

  15-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  A broad pit that looks almost like a "footprint" on Mars is unlike anything researchers have ever seen on the Red Planet.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)Is that a footprint on Mars? Sorry to burst your bubble, but no. However, scientists have found a strange feature unlike anything they've seen before on the Red Planet's surface. What is it?While NASA's Perseverance rover is the newest addition to the agency's robotic Red Planet fleet, its cousin Curiosity is still going strong and finding
  
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• International Observe the Moon Night 2026 is on Sept. 19: Here's how to join in

  15-09-2026 15:04 via space.com
  
  Moon lovers rejoice! International Observe the Moon Night returns on Sept. 19. Here's everything you need to know about how to participate in the annual celebration of Earth's natural satellite both in-person and from the comfort of your home.International Observe the Moon Night takes place around the first quarter moon in September or October, when the moon is conveniently visible in the late afternoon and evening. It's also an excellent phase for exploring features along the terminator —
  
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• SpaceX launching 2nd classified mission for US Space Force in less than a week tonight: Watch it live

  15-09-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX will launch its second classified mission for the U.S. Space Force in less than a week tonight (Sept. 15), and you can watch the action live.A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base today, during a four-hour window that opens at 9 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. local California time; 0100 GMT on Sept. 16).You can watch it live via SpaceX beginning about 10 minutes before launch.We don't know much about tonight's mission, which is called USSF-259. And we'r
  
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• 'If I wanted to go to space, I would have stayed at NASA': What's next for Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover after his mission to the moon

  15-09-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  NASA astronaut Victor Glover is now "astronaut emeritus." He's hanging up his spacesuit for a position he hopes can guide the future engineering and science leaders of tomorrow. Glover, who served as pilot on NASA's Artemis II mission that flew around the moon in April, officially began his new role as executive advisor to Jeff Armstrong, president of the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly),on Sept. 1, and is stepping away from the majority of his duties at the space agency. NASA
  
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• The warmest summer on record: 2026 hit a scorching new high in the US

  14-09-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  If this summer felt hotter than usual, you're not alone. As it turns out, this past summer was the hottest on record in the United States. This is the hottest that summer in the U.S. has been in at least 132 years. Specifically, the temperatures rose to 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.67 degrees Celsius) above average, beating out the most recent record set in 2021 of 0.4 degrees F (0.22 degrees C) above average, according to a new report from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And
  
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• Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS likely formed where its star's light couldn't touch it

  14-09-2026 21:00 via space.com
  
  It has now been just over a year since the comet 3I/ATLAS first captured the world's attention as the third known object to fly through our solar system from beyond. Astronomers are still learning new things about where exactly it came from.For the first time ever, they've been able to study charged particles in the tail of the interstellar comet. This has told them that 3I/ATLAS contains more nitrogen than the typical comet from our own solar system — revealing a tantalizing clue about ho
  
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• Vega C rocket launches 2 European Earth-observing satellites to orbit from South America (video)

  14-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Two European Earth-observing spacecraft lifted off from South America tonight (Sept. 14).A Vega C rocket carrying the FLEX and Copernicus-3C satellites launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 9:21 p.m. EDT (10:21 p.m. local time in Kourou and 0121 GMT on Sept. 15).Both FLEX and Sentinel-3C were deployed as planned. They were released at an altitude of about 509 miles (820 kilometers), and both were flying freely by 116 minutes after launch.A Vega C rocket launches the FLEX a
  
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• Vega C rocket launches 2 European Earth-observing satellites to orbit from South America

  14-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Two European Earth-observing spacecraft lifted off from South America tonight (Sept. 14).A Vega C rocket carrying the FLEX and Copernicus-3C satellites launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 9:21 p.m. EDT (10:21 p.m. local time in Kourou and 0121 GMT on Sept. 15).Both FLEX and Sentinel-3C are scheduled to be deployed at an altitude of about 509 miles (820 kilometers). The two satellites will be flying freely by 116 minutes after launch, if all goes to plan.The Vega C rocket
  
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• 2 European Earth-observing satellites launching to orbit from South America tonight: Watch it live

  14-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Two European Earth-observing spacecraft will lift off from South America tonight (Sept. 14), and you can watch the action live. A Vega C rocket carrying the FLEX and Copernicus-3C satellites is scheduled to launch from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 9:21 p.m. EDT (10:21 p.m. local time in Kourou and 0121 GMT on Sept. 15).You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of the European Space Agency, or directly via ESA. Coverage will begin at 8:50 p.m. EDT (0050 GMT).A Vega C rock
  
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• The US government is 'sincere in its efforts to understand UAP', new White House council chair says

  14-09-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  Whatever they are and from where, UFOs, now known as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAP, are the subject of serious scrutiny at the highest levels of the U.S. government.In June 2026, the White House established a new UAP Science Advisory Council in coordination with the Pentagon's All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the FBIDeep diving into the UAP landscape is Avi Loeb, noted Harvard astrophysicist. He is also director of the Galile
  
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• The original 'Star Wars' is coming to IMAX for the first time ever in 2027

  14-09-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Unless you’ve been living in a galaxy far, far away, you probably already know that 2027 marks the 50th anniversary of "Star Wars", as George Lucas’s sprawling space opera first struck theaters back on May 25, 1977.To celebrate this milestone occasion, Disney and Lucasfilm are bringing the original Star Wars theatrical release to IMAX screens for the first time. We don't have an exact date yet, but it'll likely be just before the anniversary date in early 2027. "Star Wars: Starfighte
  
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• No cities on the moon — there isn't enough water, scientists say (op-ed)

  14-09-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  The discovery of water at the poles of the moon has inspired speculation about whether we can build there – cities, industrial neighborhoods, places where people work and live. But is there enough water, and can we use it efficiently enough? In their new article in Frontiers in Space Technologies, Dr. Martin Elvis and Dr. Jonathan McDowell do the math. Even at the most generous estimates of the available water and recycling efficiency, a city of one million people would only last 100 years
  
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• On this day in space! Sept. 14, 1966: NASA's Gemini 11 astronauts set altitude record for Earth orbit that went unbroken for 58 years

  14-09-2026 16:55 via space.com
  
  On Sept. 14, 1966, NASA's Gemini 11 mission set an spaceflight altitude record that lasted for nearly six decades when two astronauts reached an orbit of 850 miles above the Earth. It remained the highest altitude ever achieved by a crewed, non-lunar mission until 2024. Gemini 11 command pilot Pete Conrad and pilot Dick Gordon spent three days orbiting the Earth in their cramped Gemini spacecraft. After launch, they performed the first-ever direct-ascent rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle.
  
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• Cygnus the swan lifts up the International Space Station | Space photo of the day for Sept. 14, 2026

  14-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The engines fire on Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft to lift up the International Space Station's orbit.(Image credit: NASA)Everyone needs a helping hand from their friends now and again  — even space stations. Recently, the International Space Station got an orbital boost from the docked Cygnus XL spacecraft, helping the station get to the correct altitude. What is it?On Aug. 27, while attached to the International Space Station's Unity module, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus
  
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• Pre-order the Unistellar Envision AR binoculars and learn about the night sky in real-time

  14-09-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  When had an early preview of the Unistellar Envisions earlier this year, our editor-in-chief Tariq Malik said they felt like something out of Star Trek. I have been very excited about getting my hands on these for a long time and I can't wait to use them to identify stars and constellations in the night sky. You can preorder the Unistellar Envision AR smart binoculars right now, available for $1499 exclusively from Unistellar.Unistellar announced that pre-orders were opening for the highly-antic
  
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• Is there a hidden 'Planet 9' in our solar system?

  14-09-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  For more than a century, astronomers have been captivated by the idea that an undiscovered planet could be lurking in the furthest reaches of our solar system.The search for this elusive, hypothetical planet has taken many forms over the decades. The discovery of Neptune in 1846 demonstrated that an unseen planet might be inferred from its gravitational effects on other worlds. Based on this, the search for a ninth planet began in earnest, seemingly culminating with the discovery of Pluto by ast
  
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• James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble discover 27 puzzling new objects orbiting the sun far beyond Neptune

  14-09-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  The Hubble and James Webb space telescopes have teamed up to target some of the smallest, most distant objects in the solar system, discovering that the history of these tiny objects is more puzzling than we'd realized.The two orbiting observatories collectively discovered 27 new Trans-Neptunian Objects, or TNOs, all less than 25 miles (40 kilometers) across, with the smallest being only 6 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter. As their name suggests, TNOs orbit the sun from far beyond Neptune. Some
  
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• SpaceX launches 3 telecom satellites to orbit on 700th Falcon mission of all time (video)

  13-09-2026 23:41 via space.com
  
  SpaceX lofted three telecom satellites to orbit today (Sept. 13) on a milestone mission for the company.A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 GMT), carrying the final three satellites for Luxembourg-based SES' O3b mPOWER constellation.It was the 700th mission to date for SpaceX's Falcon rocket family, according to the company. That family first spread its wings in March 2006 when the Falcon 1 debuted. The Falcon 1 flew a total
  
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• On this day in space! Sept. 13, 2007: Japan launches Kaguya spacecraft to the moon to map the lunar surface in HD

  13-09-2026 19:45 via space.com
  
  On Sept. 13, 2007, Japan launched the Kaguya spacecraft on a mission to the moon. Formally known as SELENE, which is short for SELenological and ENgineering Explorer, it was Japan's second moon mission. Kaguya launched from Tanegashima Space Center on a Japanese H-IIA rocket and looped around the Earth twice before heading to the moon. NOTE: While the launch occurred on Sept. 13 in the evening Eastern Time, it was actually 10:31 a.m. on Sept. 14 at the launch site. The spacecraft carried 14 scie
  
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• The 10 best underground sci-fi movies to dig into now that 'Silo' season 3 has ended

  13-09-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  Unless you’re a naked mole rat or a worm-lizard, you were never meant to live your life out underground like the poor doomsday denizens of Apple TV's "Silo." Season 3 has revealed how a trillionaire industrialist named Per Stenson (Colin Hanks) funded the insane project to build 50 subterranean bunkers in Georgia, housing 10,000 people each, as a bold failsafe effort against humanity’s inevitable extinction in the face of global nanotech warfare.Hollywood has mined the sci-fi subgenr
  
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