Astronomy news

• A ravenous black hole in our backyard could be our window into the ancient universe

  10-07-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  A supermassive black hole at the heart of a nearby galaxy is behaving similarly to black holes that existed just after the Big Bang, voraciously feeding on copious amounts of matter. The relatively close cosmic titan could therefore provide insight into the much more distant universe.Indeed, the intense accretion behavior demonstrated by the supermassive black hole, which sits at the center of the galaxy SDSS J110546.07+145202.4 located 1.8 billion light-years away, is something scientists have
  
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• Launching from 2 continents: Germany's Isar Aerospace leases Canadian pad for $150 million

  10-07-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  German company Isar Aerospace is expanding its operations overseas after signing an agreement with Canada's Maritime Launch Services for use of its Spaceport Nova Scotia.The deal allows Isar to design and operate the pad infrastructure based on the company's needs, in order to launch its Spectrum rocket. In return, Maritime Launch Services (MLS) will provide the pad and surrounding facilities for vehicle stage and payload integration, testing and a mission control hub for launch operations.The a
  
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• SpaceX ignites all 33 powerful engines on Starship booster test ahead of Flight 13 launch

  10-07-2026 18:13 via space.com
  
  It looks like SpaceX's next Starship flight is on the horizon, and it may lift off sooner than you might think. SpaceX today (July 10) completed a brief static fire of the Starship Super Heavy booster tapped to launch the 13th test flight of the massive, mega-lift vehicle. Booster 20 — the latest Super Heavy to roll off the assembly line —was transported to the pad at SpaceX's Starbase, Texas, facility yesterday (July 9) and hoisted onto its support stand using the launch tower's sta
  
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• SpaceX ignites all 33 powerful engines on Starship booster ahead of Flight 13 launch (video)

  10-07-2026 18:13 via space.com
  
  It looks like SpaceX's next Starship flight is on the horizon, and it may lift off sooner than you might think. SpaceX today (July 10) completed a brief static fire of the Starship Super Heavy booster tapped to launch the 13th test flight of the massive, mega-lift vehicle. Booster 20 — the latest Super Heavy to roll off the assembly line —was transported to the pad at SpaceX's Starbase, Texas, facility yesterday (July 9) and hoisted onto its support stand using the launch tower's sta
  
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• SpaceX ignites all 33 powerful engines on Starship booster ahead of Flight 13 launch

  10-07-2026 18:13 via space.com
  
  It looks like SpaceX's next Starship flight is on the horizon, and it may lift off sooner than you might think. SpaceX today (July 10) completed a brief static fire of the Starship Super Heavy booster tapped to launch the 13th test flight of the massive, mega-lift vehicle. Booster 20 — the latest Super Heavy to roll off the assembly line —was transported to the pad at SpaceX's Starbase, Texas, facility yesterday (July 9) and hoisted onto its support stand using the launch tower's sta
  
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• These rare glowing 'space clouds' are summer's best-kept skywatching secret

  10-07-2026 18:03 via space.com
  
  Should stargazers also be cloudspotters? Everyone knows clouds are the first thing you see as soon as you get under a dark sky or buy a new telescope — it's almost guaranteed! However, by early July, I usually start actively looking for a special kind of noctilucent or "night shining" cloud — and they can be a magnificent sight to rival anything celestial.At its core, the search for these so-called "space clouds" is the flip side of the seemingly never-ending twilight in July in mid-
  
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• SpaceX launch creates colorful 'jellyfish' in the night sky | Space photo of the day for July 10, 2026

  10-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  A "space jellyfish" cloud lit up the early morning sky following a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch.(Image credit: SpaceX)Is it a space jellyfish? Is it an alien? No, it's the aftermath of a SpaceX rocket launch! What is it? Have you ever looked up and thought, "Why is there a giant glowing jellyfish cloud in the sky?" If so, chances are that you've seen the remnants of a rocket launch, and not a surprise alien visitor. In the early hours of July 9, SpaceX launched 29 of its Starlink broadband satellites
  
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• The moon, Mars and the Pleiades form a stunning lineup before dawn on July 11. Here's how to see it

  10-07-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Before dawn on July 11, early risers will be treated to a striking celestial scene low in the east-northeast sky. A slender waning crescent moon, softly glowing with earthshine, will appear to align with the orange light of Mars, the orange-red star Aldebaran, with the sparkling Pleiades and Hyades star clusters close by. Together, they will form a beautiful morning tableau in Taurus — one well worth setting an alarm to see.First: the moonMost obvious is, of course, the moon, appearing as
  
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• Supreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots ensures astronauts can vote from space  — or anywhere else

  10-07-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  A new ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court protecting voter rights could extend to astronauts living and working in space and training internationally, their families, and the multitude of NASA workers who travel to support their missions. On Monday (June 29), the Supreme Court ruled that mail-in ballots can be counted toward a total vote even if they arrive after election day, as long as they are postmarked by election day. The ruling followed efforts by the Trump Administration to place restrictio
  
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• Astronomers may have heard the 1st 'whispers' of ghost particles created by supernova explosions

  10-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  The universe is haunted by "cosmic ghosts" called neutrinos, and new research suggests they may be the "whispers" of stars that died in supernova explosions over the course of billions of years. The discovery is an important step forward in our understanding of the life and death of stars and how they enrich their environments with metals, elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. It could also help better understand how black holes and neutron stars are born when massive stars die.The second m
  
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• Don't miss out on 'The Ark' Season 3 — get a year-long Peacock TV deal for just over $9 a month

  10-07-2026 11:17 via space.com
  
  We've found an incredible streaming deal for you. Peacock TV has cut a year-long Premium subscription plan from $131.88 to just $109.99. It's 12 months for the price of 10, and the lowest price we've seen since Black Friday last year.Get Peacock TV for just $9.16 a month when you sign up for a one-year plan.Peacock TV also hosts the SYFY channel, and sci-fi fans can stream hit series like Resident Alien and Battlestar Galactica. There are also exciting new additions, including Season 2 of The Un
  
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• Making history! China lands rocket during an orbital launch for 1st time ever (video)

  10-07-2026 08:55 via space.com
  
  China just notched a huge spaceflight milestone.The nation has recovered a rocket during an orbital launch for the first time ever, pulling off the feat during the Long March 10B's maiden liftoff on Friday (July 10). And that recovery was unique: The rocket's first stage nestled softly into a net-like structure carried by a ship at sea."This mission marks my country's first successful controlled recovery of a launch vehicle and the world's first network-based recovery of a launch vehicle," the C
  
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• Making history! China lands rocket during an orbital launch for 1st time ever

  10-07-2026 08:55 via space.com
  
  China just notched a huge spaceflight milestone.The nation has recovered a rocket during an orbital launch for the first time ever, pulling off the feat during the Long March 10B's maiden liftoff on Friday (July 10). And that recovery was unique: The rocket's first stage nestled softly into a net-like structure carried by a ship at sea."This mission marks my country's first successful controlled recovery of a launch vehicle and the world's first network-based recovery of a launch vehicle," the C
  
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• Wally Funk, trailblazing pilot and astronaut, passes away at 87

  10-07-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  Wally Funk, who flew to space at 82 after a lifetime of flying and fighting for women in aviation and aerospace, has passed away at age 87. Born in Texas in 1939, Funk was determined to take to the skies, flying as a teenager and becoming a professional aviator at the tender age of 20. Her dreams extended even beyond Earth, and in 1961 she joined the "Mercury 13" group of women who completed the testing given to NASA's male Apollo astronauts. But Funk was the only Mercury 13 alum to ever reach s
  
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• Wally Funk, trailblazing pilot and astronaut, dies at 87

  10-07-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  Wally Funk, who flew to space at 82 after a lifetime of flying and fighting for women in aviation and aerospace, has passed away at age 87. Born in Texas in 1939, Funk was determined to take to the skies, flying as a teenager and becoming a professional aviator at the tender age of 20. Her dreams extended even beyond Earth, and in 1961 she joined the "Mercury 13" group of women who completed the testing given to NASA's male Apollo astronauts. But Funk was the only Mercury 13 alum to ever reach s
  
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