Astronomy news

• Two 'super-puff' cotton candy exoplanets are the lightest gas giants ever discovered

  25-06-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  What is rarer than discovering a "super-puff" planet with densities much (much) lower than those of the solar system gas giants? Discovering two orbiting the same star.That is exactly what astronomers have done, finding two extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that are super-puff siblings orbiting the same star. Both planets, designated TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c, have densities lower than that of cotton candy, making them the lightest exoplanets ever seen."Only a handful of these super-puffy planets
  
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• Modern sci-fi movie posters usually suck, but Supergirl shows that it doesn't have to be that way

  25-06-2026 21:00 via space.com
  
  DC's new "Supergirl" may or may not turn out to be a classic of the comic-book genre. It may or may not be a smash hit in theaters. But whatever else happens when Kara Zor-El flies into the unpredictable headwinds of the worldwide box office, one thing the new movie has got 100% right is its promo poster. Let's take a look at its components. The bright, primary-colored House of El logo in the background is so bold and unmistakable that there's no need to spell out that this is a Super movie. At
  
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• This Prime Day, save nearly $700 on 'a camera of epic proportions'

  25-06-2026 20:11 via space.com
  
  Canon is rightly regarded as one of the premier manufacturers of cameras and optical equipment, and the Canon EOS R5 is a reminder of why. Labelled 'a camera of epic proportions' by our reviewer Jacob Little, it's an astonishing $699 off for Prime Day. Buy this Canon EOS R5 body from Amazon for $2599.Couple this 45 megapixel Canon EOS R5 body with one of the best lenses for astrophotography and you'll be stunned by its image quality, as our expert was in their Canon EOS R5 review, where they awa
  
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• James Webb Space Telescope catches 6 galaxies merging into one of the largest galaxies in the universe

  25-06-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  An intense demolition derby of at least six galaxies smashing into one another has been found lurking in the early universe by the James Webb Space Telescope. This merger is also expected to fuel the growth of a supermassive black hole and trigger the formation of what will eventually become one of the most massive galaxies in the cosmos."What makes this special is that we can follow both the build-up of a giant galaxy and the growth of the black hole at its center," Huub Röttgering, an ast
  
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• I got a sneak peek at space shuttle Endeavour's new home in California, and it's breathtaking (photos)

  25-06-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  LOS ANGELES — The space shuttle Endeavour is absolutely breathtaking in its 20-story new home at the California Science Center's brand-new Air & Space Center, which is set to open on Nov. 13, the museum announced on Wednesday (June 24). After over three decades of ideation, development and construction, the California Science Center has officially announced an opening date for its brand-new Samuel Oschin Air & Space Center, which will feature the space shuttle Endeavour. On Wednesd
  
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• Hosting a solar eclipse viewing party? Get money off solar eclipse multipacks this Prime Day

  25-06-2026 18:18 via space.com
  
  With the next total solar eclipse coming up on Aug. 12, you still have plenty of time to grab solar viewing gear for getting a better look at it. If you are hosting a solar eclipse party or want to make sure everyone in your family has a chance of observing the sun safely, grabbing a multipack of solar eclipse glasses is a great shout. Whilst they may seem like once-in-a-lifetime events, they happen fairly frequently in astronomical terms and can be predicted thousands of years into the future.
  
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• A SpaceX rocket will slam into the moon this August. Will we be able to see it?

  25-06-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Earth's moon is due for a human-made impact this August courtesy of a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage.The Falcon 9 upper stage is left over from the launch that sent Firefly's Blue Ghost-1 lander to the moon on Jan. 15, 2025 by way of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Also sent moonward on that flight was the Hakuto-R Mission 2, called Resilience, a robotic lunar lander developed by the Japanese company ispace.This striking event is expected to occur close to Einstein
  
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• 'F9' took a car into space, but 5 years on, just how ridiculous was the scene? We asked the experts

  25-06-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  Five years ago, an internet meme turned into a reality in "F9" when the Fast & Furious crew launched a car into space. Depending on your sense of humor and ability to suspend disbelief, it's either peak cinema or extreme tomfoolery, but it's clear that the only way this franchise will ever top this moment is by drag racing a velociraptor in a "Jurassic World" crossover.The "F9" scene sees Tej Parker (played by Ludacris) and Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) sit inside a rocket-strapped Pontiac Fi
  
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• 15 of our favorite sci-fi audiobooks to transport you to another planet

  25-06-2026 16:30 via space.com
  
  The world of science fiction books is vast and inspiring, with tales of distant planets and alien life transporting you into a new world to get lost in. It's the perfect genre for audiobooks, whether you like listening on the sofa, on a walk or on your daily commute, these books can fill you with wonder about the possibilities of our modern scientific age. We have tales of sentient rocks, long-term alien invasions and deep pining for our home, Earth. My favorite book on this list is Jeff Vanderm
  
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• Summer solstice seen from space | Space photo of the day for June 25, 2026

  25-06-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The solstice can even be seen from space in this new image from the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) mission.(Image credit: ESA/Eumetsat)Twice each year, we celebrate what we call a solstice when Earth is at its maximum tilt toward or away from the sun. And during this June's summer solstice, a European weather satellite managed to capture a striking image of the celestial moment from space. What is it? This image of the solstice was captured on June 21 by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Meteos
  
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• New to drone flying? Our expert thinks this five-star drone gives you 'everything you could possibly need' and it's $133 off

  25-06-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  DJI and Amazon really are knocking it out of the park with their Prime Day Deals. The DJI Neo is superb value right now, but for just $256 you can net the superior DJI Mini 4K, which our expert said "Offers everything you could possibly need in a drone while providing ease of use and reliability."Get the DJI Mini 4K on sale right now at Amazon for $256.DJI is one of the most trusted and acclaimed, drone manufacturers, and the DJI Mini 4K is another gem, appearing in our best drones, best beginn
  
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• Another 'Star' is born: SpaceX names AI megaconstellation 'Starmind'

  25-06-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Once again, SpaceX has looked to the stars for naming inspiration.Elon Musk confirmed on Tuesday (June 23) that SpaceX will call its planned AI satellite megaconstellation "Starmind".The choice should come as no surprise, as it continues the company's long-running stellar naming theme. Here's a rundown:Starship: SpaceX's next-generation launch vehicle, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. Starship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, a breakthrough that Musk thinks will make
  
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• Watch "Avatar: Fire and Ash" with Disney+ and Hulu — get up to 50% off this streaming bundle

  25-06-2026 14:58 via space.com
  
  Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment of James Cameron’s epic saga, has just landed not on the alien moon Pandora, but Disney+.Get a Disney+ and Hulu bundle subscription for just $11.99 a month, that's 50% cheaper per month!Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Kate Winslet, Avatar: Fire and Ash is available now to stream on Disney Plus. Right now, Disney Plus is offering one of the best streaming deals around with a huge 50% discount on the standard price of a Disney Plus and Hul
  
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• Traveling to see the total solar eclipse this August? This solar binocular Prime Day deal is a total-ly bright idea!

  25-06-2026 14:34 via space.com
  
  Who doesn't love a good total solar eclipse, now that we know they're not a portent of the world ending? The next one is on August 12 and these Celestron EclipSmart 12x50 solar binoculars are just what you need to observe the sun safely.Get these Celestron EclipSmart 12x50 solar binoculars right now at Amazon for $100.Our expert, Jamie Carter, awarded them four stars in his Celestron EclipSmart 12x50 solar binoculars review, praising their image quality and ease of use. But if you buy them, don'
  
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• What time is it on the moon? The US and China disagree

  25-06-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  If you stand outside the old Corn Exchange in Bristol, you'll see a clock with two minute hands above the entrance. One hand is set to London time, the other to Bristol's — ten minutes behind. The lag is because the sun reaches its peak over the second city a little bit after the first. Of course, when it comes to scheduling anything with bounds beyond one city, having two poses an issue. This is why, in 1840, the British company Great Western Railway imposed what it called "Railway Time"
  
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• We praised this telescope's 'legendary performance,' and the whole range is even cheaper for Prime Day

  25-06-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Looking for a beginner-friendly telescope? Then you'll love Celestron's Nexstar SE range of go-to telescopes, which takes all the work out of stargazing. And, from the entry-level 4SE to the top-tier 8SE, their prices have been slashed for Prime Day.
  Save $100 on the Celestron Nexstar 4SE and $200 on the 8SE at Amazon — both of which we have reviewed and rate highly.As our expert noted, you can find objects in the sky in a matter of seconds; with the 4SE that'll be planets and bright objec
  
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• 3 billion years old! This Australian crater is the oldest known asteroid impact site on Earth

  25-06-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  The oldest known asteroid impact site on Earth was created 3.02 billion years ago in what's now Western Australia — not far from where we've seen the oldest traces of life on our planet.A rock formation in Western Australia's Pilbara region seems to offer evidence of an asteroid slamming into Earth's newly-formed rocky crust around 3.02 billion years ago. That makes the formation, called the North Pole Dome, the oldest evidence of an asteroid impact on Earth, according to a recent study, w
  
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• I regret missing Project Hail Mary on the big screen but I'm not skipping this cheapest-ever UK Prime Day Lego deal

  25-06-2026 11:00 via space.com
  
  Were you lucky enough to watch Project Hail Mary on the big screen? Then you'll want to snap up this Lego Icons Project Hail Mary set and it's cheaper than ever with this UK Prime Day.Save £16 on this Lego Icons Project Hail Mary set in the UK for its cheapest-ever price.Or, get it in the US at full price for $99.99 on Amazon, or Lego (but Lego has a 60 day wait).Yes, I'm a little bitter that I waited until Project Hail Mary was streaming on MGM+, so I didn't get the full movie theater exp
  
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• My nephew still uses this kids' star projector every night — get it for just $15 at Amazon on Prime Day

  25-06-2026 09:17 via space.com
  
  It has been four years since I reviewed the Astronaut Starry Sky projector and donated it to my then one-year-old nephew to enjoy as part of his bedtime routine. Now five years old, he still insists on it being turned on every night, leaving it to fill up his bedroom with lights and lasers until it turns itself off after 90 minutes, thanks to the built-in timer.You can get this astronaut star projector on sale right now for just $15.19 at Amazon.The astronaut star projector shown in this deal do
  
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• NASA's aging infrastructure can't handle Artemis launches without $1 billion in upgrades, watchdog warns

  25-06-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon and bolster a rapidly growing commercial space industry is facing an infrastructure obstacle. A new report from NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) warns that launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia are approaching capacity as demand accelerates across the agency and the private sector. Support infrastructure — such as roads, electricity, and gas and fuel pipelines that laid the
  
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