Astronomy news

• Rocket issue delays 1st orbital rocket launch from the UK

  02-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) just put the brakes on its first launch.While testing its RFA One rocket on the launch pad at the U.K.'s SaxaVord Spaceport on the Shetland Islands in Scotland, the company found "an issue with the vehicle that requires further investigation," RFA wrote on X on Wednesday (July 28). Previously, the launch had been expected to happen in August or September, but RFA did not disclose a new launch date.RFA did not disclose the nature of the issue, but said
  
  Read more

• Celestron Moon Mission 100mm tabletop Dobsonian review

  02-08-2026 11:00 via space.com
  
  The excitement of the new moon mission has potentially helped create a new generation of stargazers, just like the Apollo program did 60 years ago. These new observers will be looking for a beginner’s telescope that is easy to use and which can show them the craters on the moon in particular. The Celestron Moon Mission 100mm Tabletop Dobsonian could be the perfect entry point for them. It has a superb price-point for its aperture, and is capable of bringing not only the moon, but double st
  
  Read more

• Move over He-Man, Mattel's Major Matt Mason space toys could still be blasting off for Hollywood

  01-08-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  As evidenced by Paramount's live-action "Transformers" movies and the recent "Masters of the Universe" film released by Amazon MGM Studios, nostalgic toy lines can serve as fertile grounds for a variety of engaging Hollywood projects leaning into vintage intellectual properties.With Mattel ramping up their own film production efforts and toy-to-screen endeavors after enormous success with "The Barbie Movie" and hi-octane plans for Hot Wheels movies rolling into theaters, the toys-to-silver scree
  
  Read more

• This Week In Space podcast: Episode 221 — Starship Can Float?

  01-08-2026 16:16 via space.com
  
  On Episode 221 of This Week In Space, Tariq Malik and guest host Rick Jenet of the National Space Society talk about SpaceX's Starship Flight 13, which deployed new Starlink V3 satellites and stunned viewers when theship survived reentry intact enough to float in the ocean for daysafterward.They also discuss NASA's Roman Space Telescope, now just a month fromlaunch, and an in-progress emergency effort to save the ailing SwiftSpace Observatory using a servicing spacecraft that is itself nowexperi
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• On this day in space! Aug. 1, 1968: NASA ends production of Saturn V moon rocket

  01-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On Aug. 1, 1968, NASA canceled the production of its Saturn V moon rocket. At the time, the giant rocket was the only launch vehicle to have ever carried astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit, and it was then the largest, most powerful rocket ever. NASA built 15 of these rockets but only flew 13 of them. When NASA made the decision to stop building the Saturn V, it was almost a year before Apollo 11 astronauts would walk on the moon for the first time. 10 Surprising Facts About NASA's Mighty Saturn
  
  Read more

• Dinosaur-killing asteroid may have caused firestorms 17 times hotter than the thermal limit lethal to humans

  01-08-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Scientists once suspected that a brutal, years-long winter starved the dinosaurs following an asteroid impact 66 million years ago. New evidence suggests a more violent end: widespread firestorms that may have burned even thick-skinned dinosaurs to a crisp within hours.The roughly six-mile-wide (10-kilometer-wide) asteroid struck Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, excavating the Chicxulub crater and vaporizing enormous quantities of rock. Some of that material condensed into tiny droplets called
  
  Read more

• 'Flight of the Navigator' at 40: the Disney space movie that messed with time dilation long before 'Interstellar'

  01-08-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  Despite Han Solo's protestations to the contrary, travelling faster than light on screen is usually just as straightforward as dusting crops. So whether you're in "Star Wars", "Star Trek" or "Battlestar Galactica", jumping to hyperspace, going to warp or spooling up the FTL really is as simple as popping out to the store.In fact, Albert Einstein's time-dilating general theory of relativity tends to be little more than an afterthought, with films highlighting the inconveniences of interstellar tr
  
  Read more

• SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (photos)

  01-08-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX has sent yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites into orbit.A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 of the broadband spacecraft lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday (July 31) at 11:08 p.m. EDT (8:08 p.m. local time; 0308 GMT on Aug. 1).The rocket's first stage came back to Earth as planned 8.5 minutes later, touching down in the Pacific Ocean atop the SpaceX droneship "Of Course I Still Love You." It was the 26th mission for this particular booster, which
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• SpaceX's Starship seen in space by next-gen Starlink satellite (video)

  01-08-2026 01:27 via space.com
  
  We just got an amazing new view of SpaceX's Starship vehicle, thanks to one of the company's next-gen Starlink satellites.Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, launched on its 13th test flight from South Texas last Friday (July 24). The suborbital jaunt was similar in many respects to past Starship test missions, with one big exception: This time, the vehicle deployed a batch of functional, next-gen Starlink internet satellites into space.Six of those "Starlink V3" spacecraf
  
  Read more

• How do supermassive black holes grow? AI finds 7 spacetime-warping 'quasars' that could help solve the mystery

  01-08-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  Some of the brightest objects in the universe may also hold the key to understanding how galaxies evolve — especially when gravity transforms them into giant cosmic magnifying glasses.Using artificial intelligence to search through data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), astronomers have identified seven promising candidates for quasars acting as gravitational lenses— natural cosmic magnifying glasses created when a massive object's gravity bends and magnifies ligh
  
  Read more

• 'The End of Oak Street: Could JJ Abrams' new 'Twilight Zone meets Jurassic Park' movie be the sleeper hit of the summer?

  31-07-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  The summer is slowly waning as we soon turn the calendar page to August and back to school supplies are already cluttering store shelves, but Hollywood still has a pocketful of of possible surprises hitting the silver screen. My prediction for "Masters of the Universe" as a summertime sleeper hit did not come to pass, though it was a totally enjoyable nostalgic romp, if not about 20 minutes or so too long.Recent teasers and trailers starring Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway and their suburban fam
  
  Read more

• The Milky Way has a hidden feature you've probably never noticed. Here's how to find it

  31-07-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  If you've not seen the Milky Way this year from the Northern Hemisphere, it's time to make a plan. August's dark sky window opens around Aug. 6, when the moon begins to rise late at night as a waning crescent, meaning dark moonless skies for about 10 nights. That's when to see the Milky Way (and if you can time it for Aug. 12/13's Perseid meteor shower peak, all the better).Five things are required to successfully see the Milky Way:the correct time of year (The brightest part is visible March-Oc
  
  Read more

• Our 1st look at 'Blade Runner 2099' shows replicants ruling future Los Angeles: 'It's our time now'

  31-07-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  We've seen things you people wouldn't believe!The script is flipped in Prime Video's upcoming "Blade Runner 2099" series where replicants have rebelled and seized power from human beings in a massive uprising. An arresting new trailer was unleashed during the annual San Diego Comic-Con pop culture pageant and it's an atmospheric return to the futuristic realm of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" universe 80 years later."The old world forever fights to come back," Olwen tells Cora in this interesting
  
  Read more

• NASA is sending 2 probes to the moon to test complex 'three-body orbits'

  31-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  NASA is planning to send two maneuverable probes to lunar orbit in order to learn how spacecraft are affected by the complex gravitational environment near the moon.The mission, known as CAPSTONE 02, is currently aiming to launch in 2027. It will see the two probes maneuver in close proximity to one another and fly in "formation" so mission operators can better understand the gravitational effects spacecraft experience in cislunar space. This area of space is under the influence of both Earth's
  
  Read more

• Watch SpaceX's Starship land at sea in these stunning new videos

  31-07-2026 16:30 via space.com
  
  It was Lucky 13 for SpaceX, as new videos show just how much work came into getting the latest flight of Starship’s upper stage softly down into the ocean.After Starship made its 13th launch on Friday (July 24) from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas, the upper stage achieved all major milestones: putting 20 next-gen Starlink satellites aloft to watch it go, reigniting a Raptor engine in space, and then the soft splashdown off the coast of Western Australia. While the lower stage of Sta
  
  Read more

• On this day in space! July 31, 1971: Apollo 15 astronauts drive on the moon for 1st time

  31-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On July 31, 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts drove on the moon for the first time. David Scott, the commander of Apollo 15, and James Irwin, the lunar module pilot explored the moon for three days by driving around in the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Apollo 15 command module pilot Al Worden remained in orbit around the moon. This moon buggy was folded up and stowed inside the lunar module and deployed after landing. Unpacked, it measured about 10 feet long, 7 feet wide and 45 inches high. The lunar rover cou
  
  Read more

• Artemis moonsuits take a dive | Space photo of the day for July 31, 2026

  31-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Exploration geologists and Artemis science officers Trevor Graff, left, and Angela Garcia carry out a lunar training development run at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) in Houston.(Image credit: NASA)Sometimes to go to the moon, you first have to go underwater.NASA is currently developing the training program for NASA's Artemis astronauts, some of whom could set foot on the moon during the agency's planned Artemis IV mission. As part of that development, two agency scientists recently do
  
  Read more

• Watching August's 2026 solar eclipse from the UK? Stay safe with the best solar eclipse glasses

  31-07-2026 15:42 via space.com
  
  Looking forward to the 2026 solar eclipse, happening on Aug. 12? I know I am and even though it's not a total solar eclipse here in the UK (the path of totality crosses Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain), we'll still get to watch the moon obscure around 90% of the Sun, a sight that terrified our ancient ancestors.However, you'll need proper eye protection, such as solar eclipse glasses, to watch the eclipse safely. Sunglasses are not sufficient for a solar eclipse; instead, you need eclipse
  
  Read more

• The night sky is changing this August — here's which planets to watch

  31-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Venus dominates the evening sky throughout August, but early risers have a special treat too, as Mercury and Jupiter draw together in a beautiful dawn conjunction around mid-month.From our vantage point on Earth, Venus reaches the end of its tether to the sun on the evening of Aug. 15, when it is at greatest elongation 46 degrees to the east of the sun. And yet, paradoxically, instead of appearing high up in the west, Venus is getting noticeably lower to the west-southwest horizon as the month p
  
  Read more

• Our favorite space and sci-fi Playmobil sets: From Star Trek playsets to ESA-collaborated models

  31-07-2026 11:00 via space.com
  
  Playmobil is known for crafting imaginative playsets, taking kids (and adults) on big adventures from the comfort of their homes. When it comes to the exploration of space, they've got a lot to offer. Not only has Playmobil created two mega Star Trek sets, releasing the Playmobil USS Enterprise long before LEGO released its own version and the Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey back in 2023 (both of which we've reviewed and loved), but they've even collaborated with the real-life European Space Agen
  
  Read more

• The US government wants to bypass environmental laws for commercial launches and spacecraft reentries

  30-07-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  A new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposal says the agency wants to speed up commercial space licensing for rocket launches and spacecraft re-entries by removing "unnecessary" environmental regulations.The proposed FAA rule, released yesterday (July 29), has a 30-day period for comment and if approved, would apply to rocket launches, re-entering spacecraft, and the sites at which launches and re-entries take place. The FAA proposes to "waive requirements of laws of the U.S. for a licen
  
  Read more

• 1st three-headed asteroid found in our solar system — and it has a little moon

  30-07-2026 19:03 via space.com
  
  Scientists have found the first triple-lobed asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter — and it has a small moon to boot.The asteroid in question is 44 Nysa, which was discovered all the way back in 1857. Of course, back then it was just a pinprick of light in the sky, and subsequent observations — including some from the Hubble Space Telescope —had failed to tell us much about Nysa. Those previous observations suggested Nysa might be bi-lobed, like many asteroids
  
  Read more

• HBO's 'Lanterns' teases shape-shifting Manhunters: 'The most dangerous beings to ever exist in the galaxy' (video)

  30-07-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Trailers and teasers for HBO’s upcoming "Lanterns" series have been suspiciously devoid of much outer space footage for the intergalactic cops known as the Green Lanterns, but that's all history now with this exhilarating new preview. Beware the power of this illuminating peek that not only delivers generous doses of Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) mentoring his young apprentice, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), but also tosses in cool shots above an alien planet, a prison world, and what could be
  
  Read more

• Satellites spy penguin poop on Danger Islands | Space photo of the day for July 30, 2026

  30-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Pieces of sea ice drift near Antarctica's Danger Islands in this image, acquired on Jan. 22, 2023, by the Landsat 8 satellite. Several of the islands are stained pink by guano from Adélie penguins with a krill-rich diet. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison)The diets of penguins on Antarctica's Danger Islands can be seen from space. At least indirectly.Using satellite images captured by the Landsat 8 spacecraft operated by NASA and the United States Geological Surve
  
  Read more

• Pink penguin poop on the Danger Islands | Space photo of the day for July 30, 2026

  30-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Pieces of sea ice drift near Antarctica's Danger Islands in this image, acquired on Jan. 22, 2023, by the Landsat 8 satellite. Several of the islands are stained pink by guano from Adélie penguins with a krill-rich diet. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison)The diets of penguins on Antarctica's Danger Islands can be seen from space. At least indirectly.Using satellite images captured by the Landsat 8 spacecraft operated by NASA and the United States Geological Surve
  
  Read more

• On this day in space! July 30, 1610: Galileo sees Saturn's rings for the 1st time

  30-07-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On July 30, 1610, the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei became the first to observe rings around the planet Saturn. Shortly after the telescope was invented in 1608, Galileo peered out into the solar system and saw the amazing ring system. At first he didn't actually think they were rings. Instead, Galileo thought Saturn might have planetary "love handles" that gave it a weird shape. He also wondered if perhaps he was looking at two very large moons on either side of the planet. It wasn't until
  
  Read more

• 'Strange New Worlds'' latest episode is more 'Event Horizon' than classic Trek

  30-07-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  "Doctor Who" may have a reputation for making kids hide behind the sofa, and the "Alien" franchise famously sold itself on the futility of screaming in outer space, but "Star Trek"'s traditional "story of the week" format has also provided numerous opportunities to bring sci-fi scares to starship corridors. But few of the franchise's horror outings have been quite as overt as "The Griffin Incident", the latest episode of "Strange New Worlds". In it, Spock (Ethan Peck), La'an Noonien-Singh (Chris
  
  Read more

• July full moon delights skywatchers worldwide. Here are our favorite photos of the majestic Buck Moon

  30-07-2026 12:09 via space.com
  
  The full Buck Moon rose to delight and dazzle stargazers with a spectacular display of moonlight on July 29 and we've got the photos to prove it!July's moon is also known as the full "Buck Moon" — a traditional name used by Native American tribes to reflect the time of year when young deer grow out their antlers. Sadly, the name didn't herald any dramatic transformation in the appearance of the moon, but it still made for a spectacular sight — and photo opportunities — as it cl
  
  Read more

• A SpaceX rocket will crash into the moon next week, and scientists aren't sure what to expect

  30-07-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  On Aug. 5, Earth's moon is due for a human-made, high-speed impact from an identified flying object: a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage. The event will lead to a literal "dust up" on the lunar landscape. That Falcon 9 upper stage is a leftover from the launch that sent Firefly's Blue Ghost-1 lander to the moon on Jan. 15, 2025. Onboard the same flight was the Hakuto-R Mission 2, called Resilience, a robotic lunar lander developed by the Japanese company ispace.And according to a new study by an
  
  Read more

• 'It's going to do things that currently are impossible': The Roman Space Telescope, NASA's next great observatory, is ready to launch Aug. 30

  30-07-2026 00:41 via space.com
  
  The next great American observatory in space is just one month away from leaving this planet.NASA scientists got together Wednesday (July 29) to share a status update on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — the agency's next great observatory that will soon join the ranks of absolute legends like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.And that press conference was overflowing with good news. The $4 billion Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX r
  
  Read more

Follow @newsl_astronomy on Twitter!