Astronomy news

• Is empty space really empty? This magnetic star may finally solve a 90-year-old mystery

  14-08-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  Empty space is not as empty as it looks.That is the takeaway of a new study examining signals from a dead star, offering what researchers say is the strongest evidence yet that extreme magnetic fields can alter the properties of a vacuum, causing seemingly empty space to act like a prism and changing how light travels through itThe findings, led by Rachael Stewart, a graduate student in physics at the George Washington University, confirm a prediction of a strange effect first proposed 90 years
  
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• Touchdown! Private Chinese rocket aces landing on 2nd-ever flight

  19-08-2026 03:29 via space.com
  
  China just notched another big spaceflight milestone.The Beijing startup LandSpace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket this evening (Aug. 18), becoming the first Chinese company ever to do so during an orbital launch.It was just the second Chinese orbital rocket touchdown overall. The first was pulled of on July 10 by a Long March 10B, which is built by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).The Long March 10B had some help returning to E
  
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• Forget 'Halo' — the latest 'Futurama' episode has a ring world covered in super-intelligent rats (exclusive)

  18-08-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  Ringed worlds seem to be a fertile source of science fiction material, whether it be in sci-fi master Larry Niven's circular alien constructs in his "Ringworld" novels, the spherical megastructures of "Halo's" video game universe — which just launched its "Campaign Evolved" remake of the original game for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on July 28 — or the ringed orbital habitat for the ultra-rich depicted in director Neill Blomkamp's 2013 sci-fi flick, "Elysium."Leave it to the funny folks
  
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• NASA astronaut and 1st female French spacewalker remove failed ISS antenna but run out of time for replacement

  18-08-2026 21:36 via space.com
  
  Two astronauts — including the first French woman in history to perform a spacewalk — worked outside of the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (Aug 18), becoming temporary TV repairpersons. Just like what frequently happens on Earth, the work required more time than the "appointment" allowed, requiring a second visit to be scheduled.NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot were tasked with the removal and replacement of a Space-to-Gr
  
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• Starship lives! SpaceX craft arrives at Christmas Island after 24-day ocean ordeal

  18-08-2026 19:29 via space.com
  
  The seas have been kind, or at least kinder than expected, to SpaceX's Starship spacecraft, as it's been tugged through the Indian Ocean to friendlier tides. Ship 40, the upper stage that flew on Starship's Flight 13 test launch, performed the vehicle's first successful intact ocean splashdown at the end of its mission on July 24, after lifting off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas. The spacecraft landed in the Indian Ocean as planned and has since become the focus of the SpaceX Rec
  
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• Watch SpaceX launch its 100th mission of the year tonight

  18-08-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX is about to hit the century mark for the third year in a row.A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight (Aug. 18), during a four-hour window that opens at 10 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. local time; 0200 GMT on Aug. 19).It will be the 97th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 100th mission of 2026 overall for SpaceX. You can watch live via the company's website, beginning about 10 minutes before liftoff.Tonight's mission will carry 24 of SpaceX's S
  
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• SpaceX launches its 100th mission of the year, sends Starlink satellites to orbit

  18-08-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX has hit the century mark for the third year in a row.A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday (Aug. 19) at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT; 9:01 p.m. on Aug. 18 local time).It was the 97th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 100th mission of 2026 overall for SpaceX. The Falcon 9's first stage rests on the deck of a drone ship after its successful landing on Aug. 19, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)The mission is carrying 24 of SpaceX's Starlink internet
  
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• Hydrogen-powered 'rocket car' tops 400 mph in record-breaking test (video)

  18-08-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  Is it a rocket car? Tearing across the Utah desert at over 400 mph (644 kph), a hydrogen-powered car has set a new land speed record. Wing Commander Andy Green, a retired British Royal Air Force fighter pilot, just set a new world land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the JCB Hydromax vehicle. On two different runs on Aug. 11, the car went 400.623 mph (644.740 kph) and then 412.135 mph (663.267 kph), which averages out to 406.320 mph (653.909 kph). That's the fastest that any car wit
  
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• Hubble, James Webb team up to capture the 'Black Eye Galaxy' | Space photo of the day for Aug. 18, 2026

  18-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The "Black Eye Galaxy" is captured in this new composite image from the Hubble Space Telescope and JWST.(Image credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, F. Belfiore (European Southern Observatory – Germany), J. Lee (Space Telescope Science Institute), A. Leroy (The Ohio State University), and D. Thilker (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))Sometimes, incredibly powerful space telescopes work together to accomplish amazing things. Recently, observatio
  
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• Hubble, James Webb Space Telescope team up to capture the 'Black Eye Galaxy' | Space photo of the day for Aug. 18, 2026

  18-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The "Black Eye Galaxy" is captured in this new composite image from the Hubble Space Telescope and JWST.(Image credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, F. Belfiore (European Southern Observatory – Germany), J. Lee (Space Telescope Science Institute), A. Leroy (The Ohio State University), and D. Thilker (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))Sometimes, incredibly powerful space telescopes work together to accomplish amazing things. Recently, observatio
  
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• A beginner’s guide to observing the night sky with a manual telescope

  18-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  The night sky is not an impenetrable “blanket of stars.” There is depth and detail that can be navigated and known, probed and plundered for rewards — and the best way to do all of that is with a manual telescope. Sure, you can get a motorized computerized “go-to” telescope and even one of the best smart telescopes that self-align and do all the work for you. Arguably, they also take much of the reward and leave you none the wiser. Can users of smart telescopes find
  
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• It's harder to poop in space. Scientists may finally know why

  18-08-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  Astronauts have long struggled with constipation in space. Now, scientists may finally understand why.A new study of 52 astronauts who lived aboard the International Space Station (ISS) suggests that microgravity may slow the movement of food through the intestines, changing how gut bacteria break down nutrients. The findings could ultimately help researchers develop dietary strategies to keep astronauts' digestive systems running smoothly during future missions to the moon and Mars — whil
  
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• See gorgeous views of the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse captured from space

  18-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse didn't only plunge millions of people across Greenland, Iceland and Spain into a false twilight — a fleet of spacecraft orbiting our planet managed to capture the magic, too. August's total solar eclipse occurred as the moon passed directly between the sun and Earth during its monthly new moon phase. Those lucky enough to be in the path of totality watched on in awe as the moon progressively swallowed the light of the sun, ultimately revealing our star's ten
  
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• Watch European astronaut make history during spacewalk today

  18-08-2026 06:05 via space.com
  
  Sophie Adenot will make spaceflight history today (Aug. 18).The European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut will become the first French woman ever to conduct a spacewalk, an activity she'll undertake with NASA astronaut Anil Menon.The duo are scheduled to step outside the International Space Station (ISS) for a 6.5-hour excursion today at around 8:35 a.m. EDT (1235 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA. Coverage starts at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT).Sophie Adenot is part of the Eu
  
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• How an ancient collision with another galaxy transformed the Milky Way

  17-08-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered evidence that our galaxy experienced a significant collision and merger with a dwarf galaxy 11.8 billion years ago.Mergers between galaxies are one of the main ways in which galaxies can grow. However, while we can witness mergers taking place in other galaxies, figuring out our Milky Way galaxy's history requires painstaking detective work. Even now,the story is only partly known."Our home is the Milky Way galaxy, but we do not know how our house was bu
  
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• China bounces back from Long March rocket explosion with back-to-back launches (video)

  17-08-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  China just completed not one but two space missions, less than a week after a Long March 7A rocket explosion briefly grounded its fleet. The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) returned to flight with the launch of a Long March 12 rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site in Wenchang. The rocket lifted off on Aug. 16 at 12:10 a.m. EDT (0410 GMT; 12:10 p.m. local time in China) and delivered a stack of 24 internet-beaming satellites into low Earth orbit
  
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• The best Ruko drone to date is half-price at Amazon but you'll have to hurry

  17-08-2026 21:56 via space.com
  
  We've seen drone deals come and go, but this Ruko F11 Pro 2 really is something else. Equipped with a 6K camera and built to last, this drone is 54% off at Amazon, saving you $280! Save $280 on this Ruko F11 Pro 2 drone at Amazon. In our Ruko F11 Pro 2 review we called it "The best designed and built Ruko drone to date," and that still stands. It can capture 30FPS 4K video, or snap 6K stills and comes with 2 batteries for a 70-minute flight time. $280 off is a serious saving, though there is one
  
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• Scientists find dead star that predicts our sun's future: 'Broken apart and returned to the galaxy'

  17-08-2026 20:16 via space.com
  
  Astronomers have watched a dead star, in the guise of the Helix Nebula, being recycled back into the interstellar gas from which it originally came, bringing the story of that star full circle.Stars can last for millions, or even billions, of years, but they do not last forever. When a sun-like star reaches the end, it blossoms into a beautiful planetary nebula. The Helix Nebula, located 650 light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer, is one such example of a planetary n
  
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• The 1st 'Star Wars: Ahsoka' season 2 trailer finally gives us a release date (video)

  17-08-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  After a solid but often unfocused debut in 2023, Ahsoka season 2 has finally kicked off its marketing campaign with a stellar first trailer that promises higher stakes and a much bigger scale when it premieres on Disney Plus early next year.As part of the D23 2026 celebrations, Disney and Lucasfilm shared a first look at the long-in-the-works second season of the live-action show – set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens – on August 15. Moreover, we now have a premiere d
  
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• Scientists find 3 supermassive black holes on the verge of collision inside a distant galaxy

  17-08-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  A trio of heavyweight black holes are entangled in a dance of death that will quite possibly see them gradually all merge to form an even greater behemoth.Scientists have discovered the black holes in a galaxy that is so far away its light has taken 12.5 billion years to reach us, meaning we see it as it was less than 1.3 billion years after the Big Bang. And it's offering strong supporting evidence that one of the ways black holes grew so massive so quickly in the early universe was through mer
  
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• Wildfire smoke blankets volcanoes across the Pacific Northwest | Space photo of the day for Aug. 17, 2026

  17-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  (Image credit: NASA)Imagine orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth and seeing your home planet below — up in smoke.That was the reality recently for astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) who captured this image of the volcano Mount Rainier covered in smoke from nearby wildfires. What is it?This past July, hundreds of wildfires devastated a number of regions across Canada. But unfortunately, this was not the end of wildfires decimating North America this summer. Recently,
  
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• These eight Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets are out now and Marvel needs to be next.

  17-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  It's a good time to be a Lego Star Wars fan. Not only are there a bunch of Mandalorian movie tie-in sets to look forward to, but there are eight brand new sets out, as part of Lego's new Smart Play system. Aimed at kids, these new Smart Play sets are designed to make play more interactive than ever before by introducing light and sound effects without the need for app support. The key element of these Smart Play sets is an interactive, audio- and light-equipped Smart Brick. The Smart Brick respo
  
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• A 'river' of cosmic gas 1 trillion miles long sent planets in the Orion constellation into tilted orbits

  17-08-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  A rare planet-forming disk around a young triple-star system in the Orion constellation has been tipped over by a river of gas over 1 trillion miles (1.6 trillion kilometers) long. The discovery, made at radio wavelengths with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, could explain why astronomers keep finding planets with orbits that are drastically misaligned with the rotational axes of their stars.GW Orionis is a triple system consisting of three pre-main sequence stars
  
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• 'This is unprecedented': Why the Pentagon's recent UFO file releases are so important

  17-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  As "The X Files" famously told us, "the truth is out there." But at the same time, inquiring minds are immersed today in finding out whether or not the proof is out there — specifically, proof that at least some unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) come from somewhere beyond Earth.The UAP acronym originally stood for "unidentified aerial phenomena," a term that itself was a rebranding of "unidentified flying object" (UFO). And UFO was a replacement of sorts for the long-lasting and styli
  
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• Blue Origin adding second pad to Cape Canaveral launch complex amid rocket explosion repairs

  17-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Blue Origin plans to return its Florida launch site to a dual-pad facility to support its bigger, more powerful New Glenn "9x4" rocket, which is still under development. As facility repairs continue following the explosion of one of Blue Origin's New Glenn "7x2" rockets during tests at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex-36 in May, the company has announced its intent to expand thesite with an additional pad. The company also plans to build operations infrastructure for the compl
  
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• How to watch 'Lanterns' — HBO's gritty new Green Lantern show

  17-08-2026 01:02 via space.com
  
  In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night… Come on, you know the rest! DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps. spans the infinite boundaries of the cosmos with its legion of 7,204 intergalactic space cops representing all races, genders, and biological entities patrolling thousands of Guardian sectors of the universe. The fabled interstellar law enforcement society based on the planet Oa, armed with the coolest oath ever recited, is getting its own gritty, grounded "Lanterns" TV series and fans are eag
  
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• NASA funds spherical 'Aerobots' that could explore the caves of Saturn's moon Titan

  16-08-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  Spherical "Aerobots" may one day swarm the caves of Titan — a moon of Saturn that NASA says is one of the most Earthlike in our solar system.Titan is covered in rivers, lakes and seas of hydrocarbons, like methane and ethane, as well as a strange "karst" terrain including underground sinkholes and caves. No rover could easily traverse this surface, but flying vehicles may have more success.So a new grant, under the early-stage NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, aims to creat
  
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• Artemis II pilot thanks NASA for letting him fly Orion by hand: 'I'm still blown away by that trust'

  16-08-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  MORRISON, Colorado - The Artemis II crew that circuited the moon earlier this year came full circle, dropping by a distinctive spot on Earth that's visually reminiscent of both the moon and Mars.On Aug. 3, the vast and stunning Red Rocks Amphitheatre served as both an inoculation of near-term nostalgia and heart-felt congratulations to the crew for the impressive journey of Artemis II. The 10-day mission began on April 1 of this year, flew around the moon and back, and splashed down in the Pacif
  
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• 'This goes beyond showcasing technological soft power': China's new moon map signals bold space ambitions (video)

  16-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Chinese researchers have presented a new map of the moon, updating a previous edition based on new scientific findings and recalibrating the moon's ancient geologic eras.The comprehensive map of the moon, with a scale of 1:5 million, was unveiled by the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (IGCAGS) on Aug. 6. The map is an update of a 2024 edition and puts forward new boundaries for the ancient Aitkenian, Nectarian and Imbrian lunar periods. (The researchers use the term
  
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• Stomp Rockets: The perfect start to model rocketry for kids?

  16-08-2026 11:00 via space.com
  
  When it comes to space exploration, rockets are probably one of the coolest things you'll learn about as a kid. Zooming off into space, traveling to new planets and searching for potential life are all things that feel like they should be impossible. For any age of space enthusiast, it's pretty darn cool. For kids, though, learning about rockets can mark an amazing introduction, sparking a lifelong love of space. But, while real rockets aren't really obtainable, kids can always start out with mo
  
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