Astronomy news

• When a total solar eclipse darkens the sky on Aug. 12, these citizen scientists will be watching

  04-08-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Meet the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative — a passion-driven citizen science endeavour that shares breathtaking views of total solar eclipses while capturing valuable data on the sun's incandescent atmosphere.At the heart of our solar system is a burning ball of superheated gas 100 times the width of Earth, with a thermonuclear reaction raging at its core. Its radiation and gravity hold the planets in their orbit and allow for the existence of life on our Blue Marble. Yet despite centu
  
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• 11 Aug 2026 (18 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  10-08-2026 20:08 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°05'.
  
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• The Andromeda galaxy may be getting bullied by a smaller galactic neighbor, scientists find

  10-08-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have shed light on a recent chapter in the history of our Milky Way's neighboring galaxy, Andromeda.Using Hubble Space Telescope observations of Andromeda's stars, a research team showedthat the spiral galaxy's rate of making new stars has dramatically slowed down in the last 40 million years. And they've found more evidence that one of Andromeda's own neighbors — a smaller galaxy called M32 — may be to blame."We can't explicitly say
  
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• Lego Project Hail Mary review: Amaze, amaze, amaze!

  10-08-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  Given how much I enjoyed the Project Hail Mary movie, I was beyond hyped to get my hands on the Lego Project Hail Mary set. And now that I've built it, I'm thrilled to say it does not disappoint. You could even say that it's amaze, amaze, amaze!The titular Hail Mary is the spaceship from "Project Hail Mary", the Andy Weir novel-turned-Hollywood blockbuster that carries Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) across the stars to save humanity. While the design of the ship is certainly described in the book,
  
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• 11 Aug 2026 (19 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  10-08-2026 18:54 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°05'.
  
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• 11 Aug 2026 (20 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  10-08-2026 18:16 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°05'.
  
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• Chinese rocket explodes less than 90 seconds after liftoff

  10-08-2026 18:03 via space.com
  
  China's latest rocket launch ended in failure this morning, lighting up the skies with some unwanted fireworks.The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched a Long March 7A rocket today (Aug. 10) from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, in the country's Hainan province, just after 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT; 8:02 p.m. local time). Around 85 seconds into the launch, the rocket exploded, generating a massive fireball and a cloud of smoke and debris while still soaring
  
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• 11 Aug 2026 (21 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  10-08-2026 17:39 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°05'.
  
  Read more

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• 11 Aug 2026 (22 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  10-08-2026 16:23 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°05'.
  
  Read more

• This ZWO astronomy camera is perfect for solar and lunar imaging

  10-08-2026 16:11 via space.com
  
  Originally launched a decade ago, the ZWO ASI174MM is a planetary astrophotography camera — something you insert into the eyepiece of a telescope to take images and video of deep-sky objects, planets, the moon and the sun. This one is very much geared towards the latter, with solar and lunar imaging its goal.SpecificationsProduct type: Monochrome astronomy cameraSensor: 1/1.2-inch Sony Exmor IMX174LLJ / IMX174LQJ CMOSResolution: 2.3MP, 1936x1216Pixel size: 5.86µmShutter: Pregius glob
  
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• Sharpest image of the sun ever captured! | Space photo of the day for Aug. 10, 2026

  10-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  This image of the sun — the sharpest ever snapped — was captured by the NSF Inouye solar telescope.(Image credit: NSF, NSO, AURA, MPS, Inouye Tel)Scientists have captured the sharpest image ever of our sun's surface. This view has revealed incredible new details about the inner mechanisms driving stellar activity. What is it?An international team of researchers using the U.S. National Science Foundation's Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the highest-resolu
  
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• On this day in space! Aug. 10, 1972: A 'Great Daylight Fireball' lights up the sky over North America

  10-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On Aug. 10, 1972, an Earth-grazing fireball burst through the sky over North America. It didn't hit the ground, but instead it passed straight through the sky. The fireball entered the atmosphere somewhere over Utah and passed northwards, leaving the atmosphere over Alberta, Canada about 100 seconds later. Analysis of its trajectory showed the object was about 10 to 45 feet in diameter, depending on whether it was an icy comet or a denser, rocky asteroid.(Image credit: NASA/Astronomy Photo of th
  
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• 11 Aug 2026 (23 hours away): Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury

  10-08-2026 15:06 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon and Mercury share the same right ascension, at a separation of 2°05'.
  
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• Watch Japanese H3 rocket launch 10,800-pound navigation satellite to orbit today

  10-08-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Japan's H3 rocket will fly for the ninth time ever this afternoon (Aug. 10), and you can watch the action live.The H3 is scheduled to lift off from Tanegashima Space Center today during an hour-long window that opens at 3:23 p.m. EDT (1923 GMT; 4:23 a.m. on Aug. 11 local time), carrying the Michibiki 7 navigation satellite aloft.You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or directly via JAXA. Coverage will start about an hour before launch.A Japane
  
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• Pluto's atmosphere is collapsing as it drifts away from the sun into a deep freeze

  10-08-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Pluto's atmosphere appears to be freezing out as the dwarf planet moves ever further away from the sun, according to careful observations of Pluto astronomers made as it was seen passing in front of stars in the sky.Pluto is already cold. Its surface temperature is about –382 degrees Fahrenheit (–230 degrees Celsius), while its upper atmosphere is a little warmer at –333 degrees Fahrenheit (–203 degrees Celsius). As Pluto moves away from the sun it will grow even colder a
  
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• 14 Aug 2026 (4 days away): The Moon at perihelion

  10-08-2026 13:19 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon passes its closest point to the Sun, a monthly occurrence around the time of new moon.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (6 hours ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (5 hours ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (4 hours ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (35 minutes ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (3 hours ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (2 hours ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (1 minute ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
  Read more

• 10 Aug 2026 (1 hour ago): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 13:17 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
  Read more

• 10 Aug 2026 (36 minutes away): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 12:40 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
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• 10 Aug 2026 (1 hour away): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 11:25 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
  Read more

• 10 Aug 2026 (2 hours away): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 10:48 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
  Read more

• 10 Aug 2026 (3 hours away): The Moon at perigee

  10-08-2026 09:28 via in-the-sky.org
  
  The Moon makes its monthly closest approach to the Earth, appearing larger than at other times of the month – though only very fractionally.
  
  Read more

• Could the northern lights be visible during the total solar eclipse on Aug.12? Maybe.

  10-08-2026 09:00 via space.com
  
  On Aug. 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across Earth, giving skywatchers across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain an incredible view of totality. As the moon completely covers the sun, day will briefly turn to twilight, revealing the sun's faint outer atmosphere, the corona. But could totality reveal something else too? Although totality never produces true nighttime darkness, it does briefly dim the sky to roughly the brightness of twilight. Since eclipse chasers in Greenland and
  
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• Could the northern lights be visible during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12? Maybe.

  10-08-2026 09:00 via space.com
  
  On Aug. 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across Earth, giving skywatchers across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain an incredible view of totality. As the moon completely covers the sun, day will briefly turn to twilight, revealing the sun's faint outer atmosphere, the corona. But could totality reveal something else too? Although totality never produces true nighttime darkness, it does briefly dim the sky to roughly the brightness of twilight. Since eclipse chasers in Greenland and
  
  Read more

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