Astronomy news

• James Webb Space Telescope observes 72 stars and finds planet formation is a race against time

  27-08-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have studied 72 young, sun-like stars. As a result, they found that forming planets is a real race against time. This is because the material that serves as the building blocks for planets is constantly escaping the swirling platters of gas and dust, or protoplanetary disks, that wrap around infant stars. Some types of planets may find their formation window closing sooner than others.The team's research represents the most in-depth invest
  
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• Astronaut Jonny Kim leaves NASA, will return to active military duty

  27-08-2026 21:02 via space.com
  
  Jonny Kim is leaving NASA to continue his military career.The 42-year-old astronaut, who has one of the most jaw-dropping resumes of any person alive, is departing today (Aug. 27) after nine years with the agency. He has one mission under his belt, a long-duration flight to the International Space Station (ISS)."Jonny has been an integral part of the agency, and his immeasurable impact will be felt for generations to come," Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston,
  
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• After failure of private rescue mission, NASA's Swift space telescope will crash back to Earth. But when and where?

  27-08-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  A private spacecraft failed to rescue NASA's Swift space telescope, meaning the big observatory will come crashing back to Earth in the near future. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launched to Earth orbit in November 2004. Over the past 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.But Swift's science work is now done, and its days in orbit are numbered.Call to actionIn Septe
  
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• Starship is coming home! SpaceX loads floating spacecraft onto huge ship in the Indian Ocean (photos)

  27-08-2026 18:45 via space.com
  
  More than a month after its epic spaceflight, Starship is finally headed home.SpaceX announced today (Aug. 27) that it has loaded Starship's 171-foot-tall (52 meters) upper stage — known as Starship, or simply Ship — onto a huge "semi-submersible" ship in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Christmas Island.Ship had been in the water since July 24, when it splashed down to bring an end to the Starship program's 13th test flight. The vehicle will now head back to SpaceX's Starbase site
  
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• Trump tried to scrap NASA's Roman Space Telescope last year. Now it's ready to launch

  27-08-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  The hours are counting down to the launch of NASA's newest flagship orbital observatory. The spacecraft recently got its last glimpse of terrestrial light before being encapsulated in its rocket's protective payload fairing last week and is imminently bound for liftoff. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA's next-generation research satellite, and it's currently slated to launch on Sunday (Aug. 30). Roman will lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at 7:27 a.m. EDT (1127 GMT) from N
  
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• On this day in space! Aug. 27, 1962: NASA launches Mariner 2 to Venus for ambitious flyby

  27-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On Aug. 27, 1962, NASA launched Mariner 2, the world's first spacecraft to successfully visit another planet. Mariner 2 flew by Venus after a 3.5-month voyage through space. The mission launched just one month after the Mariner 1 mission failed during launch. After departing from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Mariner 2 almost met the same fate when an electrical problem with the Atlas-Agena rocket caused it to start rolling, which made it unable to respond to any guidance commands from mission contro
  
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• Glowing galaxy with anomalous extra arms | Space photo of the day for Aug. 27, 2026

  27-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  An image of this spiral galaxy NGC 4258 that combines X-ray observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory (seen here in royal blue), optical light gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope (red, yellow and pale blue), and infrared light seen by the James Webb Space Telescope (bright orange). (Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare)A trio of NASA space telescopes teamed up to capture a gorgeous new loo
  
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• 'Strange New Worlds' latest episode wastes a lot of time pretending to kill off major 'Star Trek' characters

  27-08-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Every so often, "Star Trek" likes to put its brave interstellar adventurers through hell. You know the drill — a bunch of one-off crew members will probably be blown up and/or sucked into space, while set dressers get to have fun making starship bridges look like they've been through the wars. We all know that seeking out new life and new civilisations is the prime directive on that final frontier, but sometimes we just want to see how Starfleet officers respond when the chips are down.The
  
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• Watch powerful Ariane 6 rocket launch European weather satellite to orbit today

  27-08-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Europe's most powerful rocket will fly today (Aug. 27), and you can watch the action live.An Ariane 6 is scheduled to launch the MTG-I2 weather satellite from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana today (Aug. 27), during a 2.5-hour window that opens at 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT; 5:10 p.m. local time in Kourou). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of Arianespace, the French company that operates the Ariane 6. Coverage will begin about 25 minutes before liftoff. You can also foll
  
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• Powerful Ariane 6 rocket launches European weather satellite to orbit (video)

  27-08-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Europe's most powerful rocket flew again today (Aug. 27).An Ariane 6 launched the MTG-I2 weather satellite from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana today (Aug. 27) at 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT; 5:10 p.m. local time in Kourou), right at the beginning of a 2.5-hour window.The 8,400-pound (3,800 kilograms) MTG-I2 is the second imaging satellite in the Meteosat Third Generation network (hence the name). It will complete the three-spacecraft constellation in geostationary orbit, which lies 22,2
  
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• Powerful Ariane 6 rocket launches European weather satellite to orbit

  27-08-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Europe's most powerful rocket flew again today (Aug. 27).An Ariane 6 launched the MTG-I2 weather satellite from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana today (Aug. 27) at 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT; 5:10 p.m. local time in Kourou), right at the beginning of a 2.5-hour window.You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of Arianespace, the French company that operates the Ariane 6. Coverage will begin about 25 minutes before liftoff. You can also follow live directly via Arianespace.An Aria
  
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• An impressive partial lunar eclipse will turn the moon an eerie red for millions of people tonight

  27-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Tonight (Aug. 27-28), the full Sturgeon Moon will slip into Earth's shadow, creating a stunning "almost blood moon" as up to 96.2% of the lunar surface disappears into the darkest part of our planet's shadow, the umbra. At maximum eclipse, much of the moon may take on an eerie reddish hue as sunlight filtered through Earth's atmosphere is refracted into the shadow and onto the lunar surface. Only a thin sliver of moon will escape Earth's umbra, appearing as a bright arc against an otherwise dim,
  
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