Astronomy news

• Could humans someday explore Saturn's moon Titan, or will humanoid robots do it for us?

  03-07-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  BOULDER, Colorado - Humans have been exploring outer space since April 1961 with the pioneering flight of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.Today, several nations are making new plans to launch human beings back to the moon, then onward to Mars and perhaps beyond. But will that pursuit be short-circuited by the fast-paced merger of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced humanoid robots?That proposition was broached during a Humans to Titan Summit, held here June 11-12, a first-time event attended
  
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• America 250: From 1776 to the moon and beyond (A Space.com series)

  04-07-2026 20:18 via space.com
  
  Happy Fourth of July, Space Fans! As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, we here at Space.com got to thinking. How have things changed in space since 1776? What was the night sky like? What have we learned and where might we go in the next 250 years?The results are what you see below. A series of stories (some serious and some less so) about the last 250 years of space exploration, NASA and American achievements in space and what lies ahead. We even took a look at what Space.com mig
  
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• This Week In Space podcast: Episode 217 — America in Space

  04-07-2026 18:26 via space.com
  
  On Episode 217 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the progression of American space efforts.Since 1958, the United States has been part of the spaceflightadventure, and since the mid-1960s has led in just about any categorythat counts. In this episode, we review which flights launched or landed on July 4, and relive some of our very favorite US space missions of all time!Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.Get episodes ad-free with
  
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• Human flight was still 7 years away in 1776. Now, we're headed back to the moon

  04-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Humanity has likely dreamed of flight since the very beginning, marveling at birds soaring overhead and trying to puzzle out their seemingly magical secret. We made some halting steps over the centuries — getting kites aloft in ancient China, for example, and drawing up ambitious but unrealized flying machines during the Renaissance — but our boots were still firmly rooted on the ground when the United States of America was born on July 4, 1776.Things changed just a few years later,
  
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• What did the night sky look like on the 1st Independence Day 250 years ago?

  04-07-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  What did the evening sky look like for Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and their contemporaries on July 4, 1776? As the United States marks its 250th birthday, many astronomy enthusiasts may be asking exactly that. If you stepped outside around 9 p.m. local time on July 5, 1776, the sky would look much as it does today. Only careful measurements would show that the stars were not in quite the same positions they occupy in 2026.To understand the sky more fully, it helps to look at how people
  
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• 30 years on, "Independence Day" still proves the versatility of the original "The War of the Worlds"

  04-07-2026 13:00 via space.com
  
  "Independence Day" definitely isn't "The War of the Worlds". The characters are all new, the alien invaders don't come from Mars, and HG Wells sure as hell didn't write about spaceships engaging in "Star Wars"-esque dogfights over Victorian England. But here's the contradiction. "Independence Day" totally is "The War of the Worlds". It's about Earth being hopelessly outgunned by aliens from outer space and a human resistance fighting back against impossible odds. It also has, more or less, the s
  
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• How to find Uranus this week, the hardest planet I've ever tried to see

  03-07-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  I used to think Uranus was the sort of planet you graduated into. Saturn and its rings first, obviously. Jupiter and its cloud bands soon after that. Venus, if it's shrinking to a crescent (which it soon will be), and, of course, Mars and its ice caps. But Uranus? The seventh planet feels like something reserved for people with huge telescopes, expensive eyepieces and incredibly lucky atmospheric seeing. It may be considered an ice giant planet, but it's almost four times farther from the sun th
  
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• As 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' turns 35, it's time to accept the truth: Terminator shouldn't be back

  03-07-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  For a franchise where the main hook is time travel, "Terminator" probably wishes it could take us back in time… or just borrow the neuralyzer from "Men in Black" to wipe everybody's mind after everything post-1991. Now, as "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" turns 35 this month, we think it's time to call it: Terminator shouldn't be back.The decline of the "Terminator" franchise might be one of the greatest falls from grace ever seen in cinema. The first two movies established themselves as genr
  
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• 'Independence Day' at 30: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin talk blowing up the White House and crafting a true sci-fi classic (interview)

  03-07-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  Happy 30th birthday to "Independence Day," the sci-fi mega blockbuster that made Will Smith an instant Hollywood star, crushed the box office by becoming the fastest film to reach $100 million, and obliterated Washington, D.C, all in one fell swoop of pure popcorn movie entertainment.We often talk about certain works of art ushering in or being ushered in by, but "Independence Day" ("ID4") truly broke the mold for how huge tentpole pictures were marketed three decades ago, something that still r
  
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• Celebrate 250 years of America with the Estes Liberty Star model rocket

  03-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Aside from fireworks, what better way to celebrate 250 years of independence than by launching your own model rocket into the sky? The limited edition Estes Liberty Star rocket is the perfect model for the job, decked out with a blue and red styling and featuring beginner friendly assembly for an easy setup.You can get the Estes Liberty Star America 250th Celebration model rocket for $38.84 on AmazonEstes features a lot in our model rocket guide, with six of their models included. They are the b
  
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• 1 private spacecraft intercepts another on Space Force's groundbreaking 'Victus Haze' mission

  03-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  A U.S. Space Force mission pitting two satellites against each other has been deemed a success, completing its first tactical intercept of an orbital target. The news comes less than two weeks after Rocket Lab broke a spaceflight readiness record, launching the company's Pioneer-class Puma satellite aboard an Electron rocket on June 19, delivering the second spacecraft of the Space Force's Victus Haze mission just 16 hours and 42 minutes after receiving notice. The mission's first satellite, Tru
  
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• Space science has come a long way since July 4, 1776. Here's a look back at the saga

  03-07-2026 16:54 via space.com
  
  On July 4, the United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday, marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and becoming a sovereign nation. Today, this relatively young country leads the way in our understanding of the universe. It's where many major players in space science, like NASA, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Northwestern University, to name just a few.And to celebrate 250 years of the U.S. as
  
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• Infant stars celebrate their independence with cosmic fireworks| Space photo of the day for July 3, 2026

  03-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The protostars of the star system FS Tau as seen by the JWST (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI))Infant stars or "protostars" celebrate their independence with cosmic fireworks in a stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
  NASA released this image to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the U.S. It is a fitting tribute as the protostars break away from the molecular cloud in which they formed to become fully fledged stars
  
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• Want to see Uranus? July 4 could be your best chance in decades

  03-07-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Want to see Uranus for yourself? Independence Day morning offers one of the best opportunities in decades, as the distant ice giant passes extraordinarily close to Mars in the predawn sky.Although we often hear that only five planets are visible to the unaided eye, Uranus can also be seen from Earth under the right conditions. As the seventh planet from the sun, it is very faint — near the threshold of naked-eye visibility at roughly sixth magnitude — so viewing it requires a very da
  
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• America at 500: Where will we be in space in 2276?

  03-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  The United States has taken some significant steps into the final frontier during its first 250 years.The nation has put people on the moon, helped build and operate a long-running space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) and sent fleets of robotic explorers to many corners of the solar system — and even beyond it, into interstellar space. All of this work has been done relatively recently, as the space age didn't dawn until 1957; when the U.S. was born on July 4, 1776, humanity was still se
  
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• SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink satellites from California (video)

  03-07-2026 00:32 via space.com
  
  SpaceX grew its Starlink network by 24 more satellites on Wednesday evening (July 1) with a launch from California.A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the two dozen new relay spacecraft (Group 17-46) lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:58 p.m. EDT (0258 GMT on July 2 or 7:58 p.m. PDT local time). About an hour later, SpaceX confirmed the satellites were successfully deployed in low Earth orbit.A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites launched f
  
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• SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink satellites from California

  03-07-2026 00:32 via space.com
  
  SpaceX grew its Starlink network by 24 more satellites on Wednesday evening (July 1) with a launch from California.A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the two dozen new relay spacecraft (Group 17-46)lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:58 p.m. EDT (0258 GMT on July 2 or 7:58 p.m. PDT local time). About an hour later, SpaceX confirmed the satellites were successfully deployed in low Earth orbit.Previous Booster B1100 launchesNROL-105 | 5 Starlink missionsThe Fal
  
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• SpaceX fires up all 6 of Starship's engines ahead of 13th test flight (video)

  03-07-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  Less than a week after its last test, SpaceX's latest Starship spacecraft went back to the stand for engine checkouts ahead of a coming test flight.The upper stage for SpaceX's giant Starship rocket, referred to simply as "Ship" — Ship 40, in this case — underwent a static-fire test of all six of its Raptor engines at the company's Massey site in Starbase, Texas. Ship 40 is in line for the 13th test flight of a fully stacked Starship, which is expected within the next month or so. Sp
  
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• 'Silo' season 3: Release date & how to watch Apple TV's sensational post-apocalyptic saga

  02-07-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  "Silo" season 3 is almost upon us, offering another round of riveting episodes of Apple TV's undeniably intriguing sci-fi series. We're about to learn how the end of the world began with the new season's split-timeline between Silo 18 and the Before Times, when the madness all started.Adapted from Hugh Howey's trilogy of dystopian sci-fi novels, "Wool," "Shift," and "Dust," "Silo" was created by and executive produced by Emmy-winning producer Graham Yost ("Speed," "Band of Brothers," "Justified"
  
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• Apollo 11 landing site, a cosmic Eagle and a blue-white star: 4 night sky targets to celebrate America 250

  02-07-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  TheUnited States' 250th birthday is almost here, so why not take a break from the fireworks and explore four America-themed wonders hiding in the summer night sky?Celestron NexStar 4SE(Image credit: Amazon)The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of the night sky. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE reviewOur celestial sightseeing targets run the gamut from lone stars and constellations to historic lunar landmarks and an uncanni
  
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• 'Stellar death is not the end': James Webb Space Telescope glimpses the fate of the solar system in a weird exoplanet orbiting a dead star

  02-07-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe an oddball gas giant exoplanet orbiting a dead star, a white dwarf, located some 80 light-years away. This "life after death" system gives scientists a portentous vision of what the solar system may look like in around 6 billion years after the sun has exhausted the hydrogen in its core, shed its outer layers, and left behind a smoldering white dwarf stellar remnant. Prior to the final stages of that transformation, our star
  
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• Astronomers discover a potentially habitable planet just 25 light-years away. 'This one is exciting'

  02-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  A potentially habitable rocky world has been found in the habitable zone around a red dwarf just 25 light-years from us.However, faced with a hostile wind of radiation from its host star, it remains unclear whether this new exoplanet supports an atmosphere, or the possibility of life. Nevertheless, astronomers are celebrating the discovery. "This one's exciting," said Paul Robertson of the University of California, Irvine, in a statement. "It's one of our closest cosmic neighbors. Twenty-five li
  
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• How to invade planet Earth: An alien's guide to bringing the human race to its knees

  02-07-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  It looks there for the taking, doesn't it? The third rock from the sun just sitting there, all defenceless, run by squabbling politicians ruling over a human race who'd rather be sharing "get ready with me" videos than vigilantly watching the skies as they should be.But next time you set your sights on invading planet Earth, remember that it's easier said than done. Some of the mightiest alien attack forces in existence have met their match in this particular corner of the Milky Way, as the resi
  
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• How to invade planet Earth: A sci-fi movie alien's guide to bringing the human race to its knees

  02-07-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  It looks there for the taking, doesn't it? The third rock from the sun just sitting there, all defenceless, run by squabbling politicians ruling over a human race who'd rather be sharing "get ready with me" videos than vigilantly watching the skies as they should be.But next time you set your sights on invading planet Earth, remember that it's easier said than done. Some of the mightiest alien attack forces in existence have met their match in this particular corner of the Milky Way, as the resi
  
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• 'Flying saucer' arrives at NASA for Artemis 3 moon mission in time for World UFO Day | Space photo of the day for July 2, 2026

  02-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The weather cover for the Artemis 3 SLS core stage arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.(Image credit: NASA/Amber Jean Notvest)Did a flying saucer just land at NASA? It sure looks like it. This is actually the weather cover for the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which is currently gearing up to launch the Artemis 3 mission in mid-2027.What is it? Aboard NASA's Pegasus barge, floating out in the Atlantic ocean, sits what looks like a classic, sci-fi movie UFO flying sauc
  
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• July full moon 2026: When, where and how to see the Buck Moon

  02-07-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  The July full moon occurs at 10:36 a.m. EDT (1436 GMT) on July 29, when the lunar disk appears fully lit as it shines opposite the sun in Earth's sky. The July full moon is often called the "Buck Moon", to reflect the time of the year when young male deer grow out their antlers in the northern hemisphere and is the first full moon of summer, occurring soon after the 2026 summer solstice. When to see the July full moonLook to the east at sunset on July 29 to catch the full Buck Moon as it climbs
  
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• In 1776, the moon was a clock, a calendar and a streetlight — and it was 31 feet closer to Earth

  02-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  After Americans declared independence on July 4, 1776, a waning gibbous moon rose in the night sky. To the people celebrating the birth of a new nation, it would have looked much the same as the moon we see today. But there was one subtle difference: 250 years ago, the moon was about 31 feet (9.4 meters) closer to Earth than it is now."The moon is currently drifting away from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 centimeters [1.5 inches] per year, which is coincidentally roughly the same speed at which h
  
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• Sun fires off 10 solar flares in 24 hours as multiple Earth-bound CMEs raise northern lights hopes for July 4 weekend

  02-07-2026 11:53 via space.com
  
  Heads up aurora chasers! The sun has been very busy. After unleashing an X1.1 solar flare on June 30, the sun continued its outburst by firing off 10 M-class solar flares in 24 hours! Several of these eruptions were accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that appear to be at least partially Earth-directed. Exactly how many of these solar storms will reach Earth (and how effective they will be) is still being calculated, but space weather forecasters say the coming days could bring heighten
  
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• Steven Spielberg sci-fi movies ranked, worst to best

  02-07-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  Steven Spielberg's latest sci-fi movie, Disclosure Day, has finally hit cinemas worldwide. It's been eight years since the iconic director released a movie in this genre, re-entering his UFO era with a twisted alien thriller. To mark his momentous return to sci-fi cinema, we've taken time to gaze across his entire sci-fi slate, ranking them from worst to best. We use the term 'worst' lightly, though. Spielberg is a movie legend after all. To date, he's directed over 30 films during his illustrio
  
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• Watch Atlas V rocket launch 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites early on July 2

  01-07-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  United Launch Alliance (ULA) will launch another batch of Amazon's internet satellites to orbit early Thursday morning (July 2), and you can watch it live.An Atlas V rocket carrying 29 Amazon Leo spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, during a 29-minute window that opens at 12:24 a.m. EDT (0424 GMT).You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of ULA, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin at around midnight EDT (0400 GMT)
  
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