Astronomy news

• SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket-landing team gets 1st-ever Neil Armstrong Space Prize

  16-09-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  The winners of the first-ever Neil Armstrong Space Prize just got their hardware.Those awardees — the people who developed and mastered the famous landing capability of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket — were announced in April. But they didn't actually receive the prize until Tuesday night (Sept. 15), when it was bestowed during a ceremony at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.And it was richly deserved, according to Purdue University, which created the international award and named it afte
  
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• Scientists find youngest exoplanet on record — a 'newborn' named Elias

  17-09-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Astronomers have discovered the youngest exoplanet on record, and they spotted the "newborn" world hiding in old data archives. About as massive as Jupiter, the newly-discovered exoplanet Elias 2-24 b is one big baby —despite its hefty size, Elias 2-24 b is by far the youngest planet ever found, thought to be less than a million years old. In fact, the exoplanet (or, planet outside of our solar system) was located 450 light-years away from Earth, still resting in the swirling gas and dust
  
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• Space weather caused a 16-minute train delay in 1848: 'Our research has a hint of a detective story'

  17-09-2026 00:00 via space.com
  
  Detective work by a team of space-weather experts has discovered the truth about a historical event that had been thought to be the first-ever case of technological disruption by geomagnetic activity from the sun, but has now been shown to have taken place seven years later.From it being too hot or too wet to leaves on the track or cows on the line, there's a fine tradition of what the British public consider to be flimsy excuses for delays on the trains. Yet an 1871 edition of the journal Natur
  
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• The battlefield now extends all the way to the moon, U.S. military's highest-ranking officer says

  16-09-2026 23:00 via space.com
  
  The U.S. military must be ready to engage the enemy farther from home than ever before, according to its highest-ranking officer."Today's modern battlefield operates from the seabed to cislunar space," Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday (Sept. 16) during a keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.Cislunar space extends from Earth all the way out to the orbit of the moon and in
  
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• Roman Space Telescope starts waking up as NASA powers on instruments for the 1st time

  16-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  As the newest heavy hitter in orbital observatories continues the journey to its final destination, NASA has begun the process of switching the spacecraft on. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched on Aug. 30, and is on a three-month long trek to Lagrange point two (L2). L2 is a relatively idle orbital sweet spot almost a million miles from Earth that will allow Roman to remain on the planet's night side and keep the bright sun to its back. It's an optimal location for the telescope to o
  
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• The universe's most extreme dead stars can form from vampire white dwarfs — and scientists finally know how

  16-09-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  When stars the size of our sun die, they leave behind powerful stellar remnants called white dwarfs — and these white dwarfs can transform into even more extreme objects called neutron stars, composed of the densest material in the universe. However, scientists have found that conditions must be "just right" for the major makeover to occur. You can think of it like a cosmic "Goldilocks" situation.As it turns out, the white dwarf has to be feeding on a companion star like some kind of cosmi
  
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• On this day in space! Sept. 16, 1949: A US launch of a V-2 rocket explodes, killing its monkey passenger Albert III

  16-09-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  On Sept. 16, 1949, the U.S. launched a V-2 rocket with a monkey named Albert III on board. Albert III was the third monkey the U.S. attempted to launch to space. He was also the third one to be killed on the job. The U.S. precursor to NASA began launching monkeys into space in the 1940s to try to see what might happen to humans in space. This testing started more than a decade before any humans were launched up there. The monkeys were all given anesthetics and covered with sensors and probes tha
  
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• 'Lost in Space': Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on his lavish new encyclopedia of the cosmos (interview)

  16-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  Superstar astrophysicist, bestselling author, podcaster and ravenous consumer of pop culture Neil deGrasse Tyson has never been shy when it comes to sharing his candid thoughts, esoteric humor and vast depth of knowledge with the entire world. His latest book, "Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts For Navigating The Universe," is a spectacular 400-page whirlwind odyssey around the heavens that's wonderfully composed using hundreds of colorful illustrations, charts, maps, galactic images, planetary profile
  
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• Colossal cosmic cloud revealed in insane new image from the James Webb Space Telescope | Space photo of the day for Sept. 16, 2026

  16-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  An ethereal and magnificent display of gas and dust stretches across the cosmos in a spectacular new image captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. What is it?Glowing wisps of translucent gas and dust paint a striking image of the star-forming region IC 348 in this new JWST snapshot. In the image, you can see IC 348, a region found about 1,000 light-years away. In this vast expanse of gas and dust, cold molecular hydrogen gas collapses to create new stars. And this image has no shortage of
  
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• Steven Spielberg's alien conspiracy movie 'Disclosure Day' finally hits a streaming service in October

  16-09-2026 15:00 via space.com
  
  We all love Steven Spielberg and his innumerable contributions to the art of cinema over the decades. His latest entry into the genre, "Disclosure Day", wasn't quite as warmly received by audiences, but it's still an entertaining sci-fi thriller that's worth checking out. And good news on that front, because "Disclosure Day" will be streaming on Peacock from Oct. 9, 2026.Produced by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment for a cost of roughly $200 million (including marketing), "Disclosure
  
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• Where will the US Space Academy be based? NASA wants class to start by 2028

  16-09-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  The hunt is on for a state to host the U.S. Space Academy. NASA released a request for information on Sept. 9, following a meeting that NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman held in Washington for the occasion. The space agency has set a quick timeline for the project: States are encouraged to submit a proposal by Oct. 26, 2026."Now, with the RFI underway, states across the country have an opportunity to help us shape a legacy institution built for America's future in space," Isaacman said in a NASA
  
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• Russia launching 3 tons of cargo to the space station today: Watch it live

  16-09-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Russia plans to launch a cargo mission to the International Space Station today (Sept. 16), and you can watch the action live.The robotic Progress 96 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today at 9:33 a.m. EDT (1333 GMT).You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency, beginning at 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT). Roscosmos' Progress 92 cargo spacecraft is photographed in March 2026 from the I
  
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• Russia launches Progress 96 with 3 tons of cargo to the space station (video)

  16-09-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  Russia launched a cargo mission to the International Space Station today (Sept. 16), delivering the freighter spacecraft to orbit for a three-day rendezvous journey.The robotic Progress 96 spacecraft lifted off atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today at 9:33 a.m. EDT (1333 GMT).From engine ignition through solar array deployment on the spacecraft, the Progress 96 launch was completely nominal. It was "a flawless launch," said NASA's Rob Navias during the
  
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• 22 years of science! NASA's Roman Space Telescope doubles its lifetime with super-precise engine burn

  15-09-2026 23:24 via space.com
  
  NASA's newly launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to extend its lifespan and double its exciting potential for discovery thanks to an efficient use of fuel on its way to its final orbit."As a result of exquisite planning by our orbital dynamics team, brilliant execution by the operations team, and a precise launch from SpaceX, Roman has fuel for at least 22 years of potential science operations," said Jamie Dunn, the center director at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in a statem
  
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• New 'StarCraft' game announced, but it's a grim open-world shooter and it's not coming until 2030

  15-09-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  BlizzCon 2026 delivered big gaming news over the weekend, including Diablo 5 and a new Warcraft 3 expansion announcement, but sci-fi lovers were the ones with the most cause to celebrate, as we learned that StarCraft will return in 2030. It's not coming back as a sci-fi strategy game this time, though.16 years after StarCraft 2's initial launch and after months of rumors, Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled StarCraft, the next chapter in the franchise. Provisional title or not ('Dominion' is jus
  
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• US Space Force says it operates weapons in orbit: 'Our aim is deterrence'

  15-09-2026 21:54 via space.com
  
  The U.S. Space Force is opening up about its operation of orbital weapons, but not much beyond admitting that they exist.During a "State of the Space Force" address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Tuesday (Sept. 15), Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess stated unequivocally that the Space Force uses active space-based weaponry to support United States national defense. “Let me be crystal clear: T
  
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• SpaceX's next Starship launch will lift off on Sept. 22 and aim to reach orbit for 1st time

  15-09-2026 20:33 via space.com
  
  We now have a launch date for Starship's most ambitious mission to date.SpaceX announced today (Sept. 15) that it's targeting Sept. 22 for the first orbital flight of Starship, the fully reusable megarocket that the company is developing to help humanity settle the moon, Mars and more.Liftoff, from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas, will occur during a 75-minute window that opens at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT and 7:15 a.m. local Texas time). You can watch it live here at Space.com when the time
  
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• Microscopic alien technology may be hidden in moon dust, scientists say

  15-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Could we find alien technology embedded in moon dust?The bold idea, not yet peer-reviewed, suggests checking out the lunar surface for "microscopic technosignatures." The SETI Institute — or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute — describes these technosignatures as "tiny engineered particles" that may have come from interstellar space before settling on the moon.The institute recently highlighted a paper on the topic, published on arxiv in August, and added the rese
  
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• 'Captain EO' at 40: Michael Jackson's wild sci-fi movie that you could only watch at Disney theme parks

  15-09-2026 19:00 via space.com
  
  40 years ago on Sept. 12, 1986, musical icon Michael Jackson debuted in "Captain EO," a 17-minute long 3D sci-fi fantasy film. The catch? You could only see it at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center in Florida, or — six days later — at Disneyland’s Magic Eye Theater over in Tomorrowland.Jackson had already been anointed the King of Pop in the ‘80s with the stellar multi-platinum album "Thriller" when the creative cosmic tumblers aligned, joining the immense talents of Jackso
  
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• Making rocket fuel out of Mars' thin air: New breakthrough could make it happen

  15-09-2026 18:00 via space.com
  
  Astronauts could travel back to Earth from Mars using rocket fuel converted directly from the carbon dioxide in the Red Planet's atmosphere, using a technique known as electrochemical reduction, a recent study reports.It's an old method involving electrolysis, which is the application of an electrical current to drive a chemical reaction, but the new trick produces methane pure enough to be used as liquid propellant. (A number of rocket engines these days burn liquid oxygen and liquid methane &m
  
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• 'The violence leaves a mark': How satellites are helping the world monitor war and atrocities

  15-09-2026 17:00 via space.com
  
  For decades, researchers have been monitoring armed conflict around the world by analyzing news reports and collecting oral testimonies. This approach, while valuable, has its limitations. A new study suggests that a satellite's view from above might fill the gaps in our understanding of the grim realities of war.In 2017, the Myanmar Army murdered several hundred Muslim Rohingya civilians in the village of Chut Pyin near the country's western coast. Reports of the massacre in the settlement of a
  
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• On this day in space! Sept. 15, 1968: Russian tortoises (& other critters) launch around the moon on Zond 5 spacecraft in wild first circumlunar flight

  15-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  On Sept. 15, 1968, the Soviet Union launched the Zond 5 spacecraft on a mission to loop around the moon and return to Earth. There were no cosmonauts aboard, but there were several smaller vertebrates — including the first two tortoises to ever go to space! Other passengers included wine flies, mealworms, plants and seeds. These were the first animals in deep space and the first to travel around the moon. Photos: Pioneering Animals in SpaceThe Soviet Zond 5 rentry capsule in the ocean (lef
  
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• Curiosity rover spots odd 'footprints' on Mars | Space photo of the day for Sept. 15, 2026

  15-09-2026 16:00 via space.com
  
  A broad pit that looks almost like a "footprint" on Mars is unlike anything researchers have ever seen on the Red Planet.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)Is that a footprint on Mars? Sorry to burst your bubble, but no. However, scientists have found a strange feature unlike anything they've seen before on the Red Planet's surface. What is it?While NASA's Perseverance rover is the newest addition to the agency's robotic Red Planet fleet, its cousin Curiosity is still going strong and finding
  
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• International Observe the Moon Night 2026 is on Sept. 19: Here's how to join in

  15-09-2026 15:04 via space.com
  
  Moon lovers rejoice! International Observe the Moon Night returns on Sept. 19. Here's everything you need to know about how to participate in the annual celebration of Earth's natural satellite both in-person and from the comfort of your home.International Observe the Moon Night takes place around the first quarter moon in September or October, when the moon is conveniently visible in the late afternoon and evening. It's also an excellent phase for exploring features along the terminator —
  
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• SpaceX launching 2nd classified mission for US Space Force in less than a week tonight: Watch it live

  15-09-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX will launch its second classified mission for the U.S. Space Force in less than a week tonight (Sept. 15), and you can watch the action live.A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base today, during a four-hour window that opens at 9 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. local California time; 0100 GMT on Sept. 16).You can watch it live via SpaceX beginning about 10 minutes before launch.We don't know much about tonight's mission, which is called USSF-259. And we'r
  
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• SpaceX launches 2nd classified mission for US Space Force in less than a week (photos)

  15-09-2026 14:00 via space.com
  
  SpaceX launched its second classified mission for the U.S. Space Force in less than a week tonight (Sept. 16).A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 9:07 p.m. EDT (6:07 p.m. local California time; 0107 GMT on Sept. 17).You can watch it live via SpaceX beginning about 10 minutes before launch.We don't know much about tonight's mission, which is called USSF-259. And we're unlikely to learn much from the webcast, which is expected to end shortly after th
  
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• 'If I wanted to go to space, I would have stayed at NASA': What's next for Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover after his mission to the moon

  15-09-2026 12:00 via space.com
  
  NASA astronaut Victor Glover is now "astronaut emeritus." He's hanging up his spacesuit for a position he hopes can guide the future engineering and science leaders of tomorrow. Glover, who served as pilot on NASA's Artemis II mission that flew around the moon in April, officially began his new role as executive advisor to Jeff Armstrong, president of the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly),on Sept. 1, and is stepping away from the majority of his duties at the space agency. NASA
  
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• The warmest summer on record: 2026 hit a scorching new high in the US

  14-09-2026 22:00 via space.com
  
  If this summer felt hotter than usual, you're not alone. As it turns out, this past summer was the hottest on record in the United States. This is the hottest that summer in the U.S. has been in at least 132 years. Specifically, the temperatures rose to 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.67 degrees Celsius) above average, beating out the most recent record set in 2021 of 0.4 degrees F (0.22 degrees C) above average, according to a new report from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And
  
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• Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS likely formed where its star's light couldn't touch it

  14-09-2026 21:00 via space.com
  
  It has now been just over a year since the comet 3I/ATLAS first captured the world's attention as the third known object to fly through our solar system from beyond. Astronomers are still learning new things about where exactly it came from.For the first time ever, they've been able to study charged particles in the tail of the interstellar comet. This has told them that 3I/ATLAS contains more nitrogen than the typical comet from our own solar system — revealing a tantalizing clue about ho
  
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• Vega C rocket launches 2 European Earth-observing satellites to orbit from South America (video)

  14-09-2026 20:00 via space.com
  
  Two European Earth-observing spacecraft lifted off from South America tonight (Sept. 14).A Vega C rocket carrying the FLEX and Copernicus-3C satellites launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 9:21 p.m. EDT (10:21 p.m. local time in Kourou and 0121 GMT on Sept. 15).Both FLEX and Sentinel-3C were deployed as planned. They were released at an altitude of about 509 miles (820 kilometers), and both were flying freely by 116 minutes after launch.A Vega C rocket launches the FLEX a
  
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