Astronomy news

• This tiny moon rover has a leg up on traditional spacecraft designs

  16-08-2022 12:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Students at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands are developing the world's smallest and lightest moon rover, called Lunar Zebro.
  
  Read more

• The Star Wars Eclipse — Want to see the 2027 total solar eclipse on Tatooine? Head to Tunisia

  03-11-2026 17:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On Aug. 2, 2027, darkness will fall on Tatooine. The path of the "eclipse of the century" crosses southern Tunisia, putting several of the most famous Star Wars filming locations in the moon's shadow for up to four minutes. Around Tozeur, eclipse chasers can experience totality among the dunes of Mos Espa and the rocky Jundland Wastes, while on Djerba, locations used for Mos Eisley and Obi-Wan Kenobi's home will also briefly go dark.Other iconic sites are tantalizingly close to — but beyond �
  
  Read more

• Robot cube explores the International Space Station | Space photo of the day for Nov. 3, 2026

  03-11-2026 16:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  An Astrobee, a tiny robot cube, is zipping around the International Space Station helping out the astronauts on board. (Image credit: NASA/Jessica Watkins)A tiny robot cube is zipping around the International Space Station, trying to help astronauts with the endless challenging tasks onboard. What is it?Reminiscent of Rocky rolling around the lab helping out Dr. Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary, the Astrobee robot is a helpful assistant for astronauts aboard the space station. A metal cube abou
  
  Read more

• Do we know how many Starship launches SpaceX will need to get NASA astronauts to the moon? No. Will its refuelling plan be simple? Also no.

  03-11-2026 14:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  NASA's Artemis IV moon mission will be a complicated affair — especially if SpaceX's Starship ends up being the lunar lander.For all of the changing components of the Artemis program over the past several years, one of its most persistent may be the question of how many refueling flights Starship will need to land astronauts on the moon. By summer 2021, it was common knowledge that Starship would require multiple launches to pull off an Artemis moon landing. A Government Accountability Office
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Why does Betelgeuse keep fading? The mystery of Orion's giant star

  03-11-2026 12:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Betelguese, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, has been putting on quite a show lately — but not in the way you might expect. The famous red supergiant in the constellation Orion has been growing noticeably fainter in recent months. Of the 21 brightest stars in the night sky, Betelgeuse is perhaps the most enigmatic. Its changing brightness poses a puzzle: how do the star's pulsations, dust eruptions, and a possible companion contribute to its fading?A giant star with a puzzling name
  
  Read more

• New 'Star Trek: The Original Voyages' book traces the stellar legacy of the bold sci-fi brand

  02-11-2026 21:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  "Star Trek" celebrated its diamond anniversary last month, marking 60 years since it first aired on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966. There were a bunch of Trekkie-themed celebrations and news stories over September, including festive documentaries, special screenings, tributes, parade floats, interviews, and even a Galileo shuttle story.Now, publishers Penguin Random House and Ten Speed Press are releasing "Star Trek: The Original Voyages: A Visual History" on Nov. 10, 2026. This coffee table book promises
  
  Read more

• Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 II EVO FE (APO) lens review — how good is this budget lens for astrophotography?

  02-11-2026 20:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Key specsType: Full-frame prime lensFocal length: 35 mmMaximum aperture: f/1.8Lens mount: Sony FE & Nikon ZWeight: 12.52 oz / 355 gDimensions: 3.33 x 4.37 in / 69 x 76 mmFilter thread: 58 mmRelease date: April 2026Budget primes can be, surprisingly, excellent choices for photographers shooting all subjects. It’s all too easy to get carried away with the best specs, such as a large maximum aperture and impressive optical design often seen in more expensive options. But affordable lenses lik
  
  Read more

• James Webb Space Telescope uncovers new clues about the origins of 'interstellar invader' comet 3I/ATLAS

  02-11-2026 18:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have found that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was built from tiny grains of ice mixed with dust that are quite different from the solar system’s comets. These ice grains do, however, bear striking similarities to some icy bodies located at the edge of the solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune, so-called trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs).3I/ATLAS was discovered entering the solar system in the summer of 2025. It was only the third objec
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• A rainbow of ancient rocks on Mars | Space photo of the day for Nov. 2, 2026

  02-11-2026 16:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  In this image, we can see a colorful view of an ancient, rocky Martian hill. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona)This rainbow-hued rocky plain looks like the landscape of an alien world. And, it turns out, it is. What is it?In this image, we can see an ancient, rocky hill on Mars. In the Red Planet's Southern Highlands, this alien terrain is chock-full of minerals, which we can see clearly defined in this color-enhanced view of the region.This image was snapped by the HiRISE camera aboard N
  
  Read more

• 'VisionQuest' homework guide: Everything you need to watch to understand Marvel's WandaVision follow-up

  02-11-2026 14:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Marvel Studios' existential superhero series "VisionQuest" has arrived on Disney+, and we've already been treated to four intriguing episodes that delve into the complex life of Vision, Paul Bettany's intelligent android and former card-carrying member of The Avengers.The staggered storyline leading up to this show began with 2021's "WandaVision" and the 2024 follow-up, "Agatha All Along," with Marvel Studios proclaiming "VisionQuest" to be "the final vision of the groundbreaking trilogy." So, f
  
  Read more

• What is Starshield? A look at SpaceX's military satellite network

  02-11-2026 12:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX is building and operating two satellite networks at the moment, Starlink and Starshield. What’s the difference between the two, and who uses them?For more than a week in October 2026, Ukrainian drone operators found their high-speed satellite links shut off. Officials in Kyiv said that terminals for SpaceX’s Starshield network stopped working at speeds of above 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) from Oct. 14, hampering efforts to conduct defensive operations and intercept Ru
  
  Read more

• 'The Sea God Surveys': Watch Rocket Lab launch Japanese Earth-observing satellite today

  02-11-2026 07:20 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Rocket Lab will launch its 99th mission to date today (Nov. 2), and you can watch the action live.An Electron rocket is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today, during a window that opens at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT; 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 local New Zealand time), The mission, which Rocket Lab calls "The Sea God Surveys," will carry an Earth-observing radar satellite for the Japanese company iQPS. You can watch it live via Rocket Lab starting about 30 minutes before launch, a
  
  Read more

• 'The Sea God Surveys': Rocket Lab launches Japanese Earth-observing satellite

  02-11-2026 07:20 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Rocket Lab will launch its 99th mission to date today (Nov. 2), and you can watch the action live.An Electron rocket is scheduled to lift off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today, during a window that opens at 11:41 a.m. EST (1641 GMT; 5:41 a.m. on Nov. 3 local New Zealand time), The mission, which Rocket Lab calls "The Sea God Surveys," will carry an Earth-observing radar satellite for the Japanese company iQPS. You can watch it live via Rocket Lab starting about 30 minutes before launch, a
  
  Read more

• Rocket Lab launches Japanese Earth-observing satellite on 99th mission to date (video)

  02-11-2026 07:20 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Rocket Lab launched its 99th mission to date today (Nov. 2), sending a private Japanese Earth-observing satellite toward orbit.An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today at 11:41 a.m. EST (1641 GMT; 5:41 a.m. on Nov. 3 local New Zealand time).The mission, which Rocket Lab calls "The Sea God Surveys," is carrying an Earth-observing radar satellite to low Earth orbit (LEO) for the Japanese company iQPS. If all goes to plan, the spacecraft will be deployed at an altitude
  
  Read more

• Rocket Lab launches Japanese Earth-observing satellite on 99th mission to date (photos)

  02-11-2026 07:20 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Rocket Lab launched its 99th mission to date today (Nov. 2), sending a private Japanese Earth-observing satellite toward orbit.An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site today at 11:41 a.m. EST (1641 GMT; 5:41 a.m. on Nov. 3 local New Zealand time).The mission, which Rocket Lab calls "The Sea God Surveys," is carrying an Earth-observing radar satellite to low Earth orbit (LEO) for the Japanese company iQPS. If all goes to plan, the spacecraft will be deployed at an altitude
  
  Read more

• 'Metroid Prime' needs some 'Resident Evil'-style remakes to rediscover its sci-fi shooter mojo

  01-11-2026 18:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was, unfortunately, not the return many were hoping for when it finally arrived on Nintendo Switch consoles in 2025. After five years in development at Retro Studios, the original makers of the Metroid Prime series, fans were greeted with annoying side characters, a bike for Samus to roam the barren landscape on, and a deeply unsatisfying ending.It’s a shame, considering how beloved the Metroid Prime series has been since the first title’s 2002 debut for the Nintendo
  
  Read more

• Planetary defense: How military and civil satellites are watching fireballs to help keep Earth safe from space rocks

  01-11-2026 16:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  It came from outer space, exploding high above the South Atlantic off the coast of Argentina. That April 1 event — an incoming meteor, also termed a bolide — was observed by both U.S. space-based military and civil sensors.Hush-hush U.S. government satellite sensors detected the speedy fireball cutting through our atmosphere. The object's brightness peaked at an altitude of nearly 60 miles (90.5 kilometers) over the South Atlantic.That dazzling spectacle was also caught by the National Atmos
  
  Read more

• On this day in space! Nov. 1, 1962: The Soviet Union Launches Mars 1 spacecraft to Red Planet during the Space Race

  01-11-2026 15:50 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On Nov. 1, 1962, the Soviet Union launched the Mars 1 spacecraft on a mission to fly by the Red Planet. While it did end up flying by Mars, the mission was not exactly a success. After it separated from the rocket, it deployed its solar panels and started cruising toward Mars. When mission controllers were checking out the telemetry it transmitted back to Earth, they found out that Mars 1 had sprung a leak in one of the gas valves that controls the spacecraft's orientation. And without a working
  
  Read more

• NASA's Swift space telescope is about to crash to Earth. Where will it fall?

  01-11-2026 14:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  NASA's Swift space telescope is expected to crash back to Earth in the next few days. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will reenter Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled fashion, after a robotic rescue mission failed to boost the scope to a higher orbit. Swift launched to Earth orbit back in November 2004. Over the next two decades, it studied gamma-ray bursts — the most powerful explosions in the universe — and other cosmic objects and events using a trio of telescopes: a Burst Alert Tele
  
  Read more

• 5 bright planets to spot in November — when and where to see them

  01-11-2026 12:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  This is a great month for planet watching, either in the evenings or mornings. During convenient evening hours, the planet of choice is Saturn, visible well up in the southern sky during mid-to-late evening hours. Telescopically, the southern side of its famous ring system is currently tilted about 6½ degrees to our line of sight. Around the middle of the night, Mars and Jupiter come into view above the east-northeast horizon and just before the break of dawn are in excellent position, soaring
  
  Read more

• 9 nightmarish sci-fi spaceships to crawl aboard for Halloween if you dare

  31-10-2026 16:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Abandoned, possessed, or infested spaceships in sci-fi films, books, and video games are usually not a welcoming place to hang your helmet and kick back inside. Many are distinctly marked as DO NOT APPROACH zones and equipped with clearly articulated warning messages to keep your distance, but that doesn't ever seem to stop scavengers, space pirates, or evil industrial mega corporations from waving off these dangerous signs to board anyway. Other creaky craft are apt to contain nasty alien hitch
  
  Read more

• This Week In Space podcast: Episode 234 — Living in Lunar Caves

  31-10-2026 14:36 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On Episode 234 of This Week In Space, Tariq Malik and Mike Wall are joined by Than Putzig of the Planetary Science Institute about a NASA-backed payload bound for the Marius Hills Pit on the moon.In our ongoing quest to develop a moon base, could we possibly utilize the area beneath the surface of the moon in order to make the moon habitable? Could Marius Hills Pit, a roughly 50-meter-wide opening that may lead into a lunar lava tube, become the Moon's first living habitat for humans? Putzig exp
  
  Read more

• On this day in space! Oct. 31, 2015: Creepy skull-shaped Halloween asteroid flies by Earth, NASA names it the 'Great Pumpkin'

  31-10-2026 14:26 via Latest from Space.com
  
  On October 31, 2015, an asteroid shaped like a human skull flew by Earth. It arrived with excellent timing on Halloween, which made the already-creepy asteroid even creepier. During its closest approach, the creepy asteroid was about 300,000 miles from Earth, or 1.3 times the average distance between Earth and the moon. So, it didn't pose a threat to our planet. It was discovered by astronomers at Hawaii's Pan-STARRS observatory only three weeks before the flyby, and it was given the official de
  
  Read more

• The moon, Mars, and Jupiter shine in the heart of the Lion overnight on Nov. 1-2

  31-10-2026 14:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  The moon dives towards the glowing heart of the constellation Leo for a spectacular rendezvous with Mars and Jupiter overnight on Nov. 1-2, as the glittering stars of the Beehive Cluster shine nearby. Here's what you need to know.Look to the eastern horizon an hour after midnight to see the 45%-lit waning moon shining less than 5 degrees from the red light of Mars — roughly the width of your three middle fingers held at arm's length to the night sky.Jupiter's bright light will gleam just below
  
  Read more

• Betelgeuse is haunted by a cosmic poltergeist tormenting the doomed star's atmosphere

  31-10-2026 13:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Something spooky is stirring in the shadows of the infamous star Betelgeuse, a cosmic poltergeist that is disrupting the atmosphere of the red supergiant.New radio observations have shown Betelgeuse's smaller stellar companion, Siwarha (not Betelguese Betelguese, unfortunately), cutting through the supergiant's extended atmosphere and leaving a wake in its path, like a jet boat slicing through a lake. Because the name of this red supergiant star located about 650 light-years away from Earth, mar
  
  Read more

• Halloween night sky 2026 — Saturn, shooting stars and a space station await US stargazers

  31-10-2026 11:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  There could be more than just ghosts and ghouls lurking in the skies this Halloween! From Saturn's spectacular rings to shooting stars and even a space station flyover, the night sky has a few treats of its own in store for U.S. skywatchers on Oct. 31. Based on the latest national forecast, skies will be mainly clear on Saturday evening over most of New York State, northeast Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and New England as well as a swath of the southern and central Great Plains, central Roc
  
  Read more

• Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (video)

  31-10-2026 06:24 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX celebrated Halloween with an early-morning launch from California. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Oct. 31) at 12:04 a.m. EDT (0404 GMT; 9:04 p.m. on Oct. 30 local time), sending 27 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO).The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth as planned, touching down about 8.5 minutes after launch on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.A Sp
  
  Read more

• Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California

  31-10-2026 06:24 via Latest from Space.com
  
  SpaceX celebrated Halloween with an early-morning launch from California. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Oct. 31) at 12:04 a.m. EDT (0404 GMT; 9:04 p.m. on Oct. 30 local time), sending 27 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO).The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth as planned, touching down about 8.5 minutes after launch on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.The
  
  Read more

• The world mourns the passing of 'Star Trek's' Patrick Stewart with a galaxy of tearful tributes

  31-10-2026 00:26 via Latest from Space.com
  
  As we all begin to absorb the bitter news of Patrick Stewart's death at the age of 86, a flood of personal tributes are pouring in, reflecting this global treasure's wonderful life lived with a dignity and bravado that few mortals possess.We’re getting just a hint of what Patrick Stewart meant to those who worked with him or knew him throughout his stellar career. Whether on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, on TV as the dashing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generatio
  
  Read more

• An aquanaut comes home: Returning to Earth from an undersea 'space station'

  30-10-2026 22:00 via Latest from Space.com
  
  Our time on our "space mission" underwater was coming to an end, and I felt like what I imagine an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) must feel before returning to Earth. On one hand, you are excited to return to your home and loved ones, as well as to fresh food and normal hygiene. On the other, you know you will miss your crew and the incredible experience of being in space.While my SEA STAR crew and I had not left Earth during our mission, we were separated from the surface of
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Astronomy on Twitter!