Mission highlight: SPAINSAT New Generation II This week’s highlighted mission is the launch of the SPAINSAT New Generation (NG) II satellite for the Spanish satellite operator hisdeSat. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 9:30 p.m. EDT. hisdeSat wasContinue reading "Spain’s new communications satellite to launch this week"

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A piece of smoldering wreckage found in Western Australia is likely part of a Chinese rocket that crashed to Earth on Saturday (Oct. 18), experts say.

SpaceX has long held the contract to land NASA's Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon a few years from now. But the agency plans to reopen the bidding, according to acting NASA chief Sean Duffy.

A physicist explains the idea of virtual particles and why they are important to study.

Ancient rocks from Greenland, Canada and Hawaii preserve a rare chemical fingerprint that may come from the Earth before the moon-forming impact, a new study reports.

For the first time, astronomers have gotten a detailed look at how a supermassive black hole (SMBH) eats, discovering two large spiral arms of gas that are funneling its meals inward. The finding, made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, has been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. It offers aContinue reading "Supermassive black hole seen feeding via a pair of spiral arms"

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"The Russians and the Chinese are demonstrating more sophisticated orbital maneuvering abilities. There's no denying that."

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Emeritus Dave Eicher invites you to head out in the early morning hours between midnight at 4 a.m. to view meteors, also known as shooting stars, that appear to originate from the constellation Orion the Hunter. The peak activity will be during the morning of October 21, but you’ll see OrionidContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The Orionid meteor shower"

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The new moon will see dark skies for the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, while three days will pass in front of the red star Antares for observers in South America.

BepiColombo, a joint mission of the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launched Oct. 20, 2018. The spacecraft is actually two satellites in one, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), commissioned with investigating one of the least-visited planets in our solar system. To reach its final position,Continue reading "Oct. 20, 2018: BepiColombo launches"

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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures the glittering spiral galaxy NGC 6951, where a central bar fuels a spectacular ring of newborn stars.

Here's what to expect when the Orionid meteor shower peaks on Oct. 21-23 in a dark, moonless sky.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 19: The Moon and Venus before dawn By 10 P.M. local daylight time, the Pleiades (M45) is already 30° high in the east. This lovely naked-eye cluster is well known across the world, sparkling in northwestern Taurus. Several of its starsContinue reading "The Sky Today on Monday, October 20: Visit the Pleiades"

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Chury Wang from Jinan, China The summer Milky Way arches above a site in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, with millennia-old Buddhist stone carvings. The photographer used a Nikon DSLR and 35mm lens at f/1.4 to take 30-second sky frames at ISO 800, plus 10-second foreground frames at f/2 and ISO 3200. The finalContinue reading "Sanctity of starlight"

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This quiz will test your knowledge of 'Star Trek' ships, species, episodes, and the ideals that explore the final frontier.

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is currently a 5th-magnitude fuzzball low in the northwestern sky. This means that, from a dark site, sharp-eyed observers could glimpse it with their naked eyes. And it’s predicted to get brighter. By how much? Between two and six times as bright as it is now. (We hope. Comets are fickle.) On Sunday night, the comet will be inContinue reading "See Comet Lemmon at its brightest"

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Fallout Season 2 is taking us back to New Vegas as the legendary RPG turns 15, but there are more reasons to return to the Mojave.

Sometime around the year 1837, a strange object passed an invisible cosmic mile marker: 1,000 astronomical units from the Sun. (One astronomical unit, or AU, is the average Earth-Sun distance.) For more than a century, it continued undetected toward our star. Finally, on Oct. 19, 2017, humans noticed the visitor. That night, a faint, thinContinue reading "Oct. 19, 2017: The discovery of ‘Oumuamua"

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The livestream is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) on Oct. 20.

The Heart Nebula shines 6,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 18: Io, Europa, and their shadows cross Jupiter The Moon and Venus hang close together in the predawn sky, sharing the sky in the constellation Virgo. An hour before sunrise, look east to spot Venus, the brightest point of light, blazingContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, October 19: The Moon and Venus before dawn"

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set a new reuse record today (Oct. 19) on a Starlink satellite launch, flying for the 31st time.

Author(s): Philip Ball

Large-scale obstacles to crystal growth can throw the whole lattice off kilter, but quasicrystals can accommodate them without losing their atomic-scale order.  

[Physics 18, 171] Published Fri Oct 17, 2025

The cosmos is getting its own red carpet. The inaugural Global Space Awards will launch later this year with world-renowned physicist and science communicator Brian Greene set as the host.

On Episode 182 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Terry Hart to discuss his career from a fighter jet pilot to a NASA astronaut.

On Oct. 18, 1977, Charles Kowal was at the 1.2-meter Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory in California – reportedly his favorite equipment at the facility to observe with – when he unwittingly discovered an entirely new class of objects. Kowal was conducting a survey for slow-moving objects beyond the Main Belt, taking two plates ofContinue reading "Oct. 18, 1977: The enigma of Chiron"

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An academic looks at the risks of drone aircraft, from airplanes to civilian attacks and injuries.

Watch this stunning pairing in the pre-dawn sky.

SpaceX launched its 10,000th Starlink satellite to orbit from California today (Oct. 19), on the company's record-tying 132nd Falcon 9 mission of the year.

Get a free Northern Lights diorama set and double loyalty points with purchases over $150 until October 20 and it's free to sign up to Lego Insiders.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 17: Catch open cluster M34 Jupiter stands high in the sky early this morning, ripe for viewing as two of its four Galilean moons chase their shadows across the cloud tops.  By 6 A.M. EDT, the gas giant stands nearly 60°Continue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, October 18: Io, Europa, and their shadows cross Jupiter"

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ace Frehley passed away on Thursday (Oct. 16), leaving behind a cosmic legacy.

Science and maintenance work continue on the International Space Station, but updates are still halted due to the U.S. government shutdown. A JAXA astronaut's social media posts are the exception.

If life ever existed on Mars, traces of it might still be frozen beneath the planet’s icy surface.

In this quiz, you'll be asked to pair famous sci-fi titles with their creators.

'Building that was a very careful and sensitive process because I had to imagine everything'

Two academics look at the stakes involved with air and water pollution if the EPA's budget is cut.

V883 Orionis is a young star that formed in the Orion Nebula half a million years ago.

This Ryan Gosling-led standalone 'Star Wars' movie is coming to theaters in our galaxy in 2027.

The U.S. Air Force has approved SpaceX's proposal to launch up to 100 rockets per year from Vandenberg Space Force Bas, which sits on California's rugged, beautiful and often cloudy central coast.

Join Space.com's monthly, virtual reading community where we enjoy science fiction one short story at a time.

How can a celestial object be bright and faint at the same time? The answer hinges on its surface brightness. In the case of spiral galaxy NGC 6946, its overall brightness, magnitude 9.6, is high for a galaxy. Unfortunately, that light spreads over an area 1/20 of 1° across. For comparison, that area is one-quarter ofContinue reading "Michael’s Miscellany: Observe the Fireworks Galaxy"

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A Long March 8A rocket lofted another batch of China's Guowang internet satellites on Wednesday evening (Oct. 15). It was the 600th launch overall for a Long March vehicle.

The world's first commercial astronomy space telescope will look for stars that may host habitable exoplanets.

One of the more reliable annual meteor showers, the Orionids, peaks during a new moon, making 2025 an excellent year to watch for shooting stars in the autumn sky.

Born Oct. 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, and raised in Chicago, Mae Jemison showed a passion and talent for science from early in her childhood. After graduating high school by the age of 16, Jemison attended Stanford University and earned a B.S. in chemical engineering and a B.A. in African American studies. She went onContinue reading "Oct. 17, 1956: Birth of Mae Jemison"

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A striking new image from the Gemini North telescope captures the changing face of the night sky, where stars mingle ever more frequently with satellite trails.

Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) will make a close flyby of Earth on Oct. 21.

Right now, you can save $130 on the best binoculars we've tested for on-the-go stargazing

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 16: The Moon rises with Regulus Rising higher as the evening progresses is the constellation Perseus, perhaps most famous for its so-called Demon Star, the variable star Algol. But the Hero hosts many other treasures, including M34, a bright open clusterContinue reading "The Sky Today on Friday, October 17: Catch open cluster M34"

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Jeffrey Horne/Drew Evans The Cygnus Rift is a dark, broad lane of dust often captured in images of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070), occupying the gulf between the two and forming their outlines. But this inky, swirling complex takes center stage in this image comprising nearly 365 hoursContinue reading "Negative space"

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Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, October 17The Summer Triangle is now sinking in the west late in the evening as the winter constellations prepare to take over the sky. Look west around 10 P.M. local daylight time and you can still see the three bright stars of theContinue reading "The Sky This Week from October 17 to 24: The Orionids peak"

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Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky worked outside the International Space Station on Tuesday (Oct. 16), conducting a spacewalk to install, retrieve and jettison equipment.

Photographer Josh Dury has captured a gorgeous view of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) brightening the skies above the UK as it nears planet Earth.

SpaceX video from Starship's Oct. 13 launch shows the rocket's Super Heavy booster hovering over the gulf before its dive into the deep.

Blocks of carbon dioxide ice appear to carve mysterious gullies on Mars as they melt down dune slopes and blast away sand.

The Chinese company Orienspace's Gravity-1 solid rocket launched for the second time ever on Oct. 10, sending three satellites to orbit from the deck of a ship.

Vast's Haven-1 is poised to become the first privately built space station, marking a turning point in the post-International Space Station era.

The so-called tidal disruption event also produced two puzzling delayed outbursts.

During the past week, you had to get up before morning twilight to spot Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). And you still can. But thanks to its position in the north, now you also can see it in the evening sky. The comet is currently passing in front of the stars of the constellation Canes VenaticiContinue reading "Now’s the time to see Comet Lemmon"

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PLATO powered up and extended its solar panels as the exoplanet-hunting spacecraft readies for launch as soon as December.

A brilliant focal point for any Star Wars Lego collection, this 700-piece set has a 20% saving in this Amazon deal.

Humanity has a new tool in the fight against space junk — "Space Armor," a multi-functional composite that could protect both spacecraft and astronauts.

A joint project of NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) program provides continuous monitoring of weather both on Earth and in space. The GOES satellites map lightning activity, measure and image atmospheric conditions, and track solar activity and space weather. This constant flow of data isContinue reading "Oct. 16, 1975: The first GOES satellite launches"

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From above Earth, LandSat 9's keen eye captures a stunning Y-shaped meeting of ridge and river in China's Tarim Basin.

Auroras may be visible from Alaska to Iowa as geomagnetic storm conditions are predicted for tonight.

Struzan's signature artwork defined an entire generation of Hollywood filmmaking.

Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy will conduct a spacewalk outside the ISS today (Oct. 16), and you can watch it live.

SpaceX launched 28 more of its Starlink broadband satellites on Thursday morning (Oct. 16), sending them up from Florida's Space Coast.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 15: Check out Comet Lemmon The waning Moon has moved into Leo and stands close to Regulus, the Lion’s bright heart, in the early-morning sky today. An hour before sunrise, they are 40° high in the east, with the crescent Moon justContinue reading "The Sky Today on Thursday, October 16: The Moon rises with Regulus"

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Rod Pommier from Portland, Oregon Spiral galaxy M94 earns the nickname of the Cat’s Eye Galaxy for its hypnotic visual appearance — the disk surrounding its core is highlighted by a bright blue ring of star formation, called a starburst ring. Outside the disk lies what appears to be a faint outer ring that isContinue reading "A galactic eye"

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Author(s): Charles Day

Electrostatic repulsion between electrons usually impairs the performance of electron microscopes. Now it can be turned into an advantage.

[Physics 18, s123] Published Wed Oct 15, 2025

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

A new spectroscopy method outperforms its rivals by pairing an ordinary frequency comb with an entangled one.

[Physics 18, s139] Published Wed Oct 15, 2025

A new study suggests dark matter could subtly tint or polarize light, leaving faint color clues that next-generation telescopes might detect.

New SpaceX footage from Starship Flight 11 shows the final moments of Oct. 13 mission, which ended with a picture-perfect splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

October is an excellent time to observe the Andromeda spiral galaxy as it passes high overhead in the Autumn night sky.

Identifying the gravitational waves from black holes binaries could also make it clearer to detect primordial gravitational waves that date back to inflation at the moment of the Big Bang.

In April, I wrote a story inviting readers to join me in Egypt for the 2027 total solar eclipse. Well, that adventure is completely sold out. But if you still want to go, Astronomy magazine’s tour provider, Eclipse Traveler, has created another excursion you can sign up for. Called “2027 Pharaoh’s Shadow,” this six-night tour begins withContinue reading "Don’t miss the eclipse of our lifetime"

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A fireball flared to life in the skies over southern America in the early hours of Oct. 14, briefly turning night to day before fragmenting as it neared the surface.

A small asteroid, called 2025 TP5, safely flew by our planet on Oct. 15 at about a quarter of the distance to the moon.

This official tie-in title was created in collaboration with the film's director, Dan Trachtenberg.

Impulse Space — which was founded by Tom Mueller, SpaceX's second-ever employee — just announced that it plans to build a robotic moon lander to help open the lunar frontier.

SpaceX plans to launch 21 satellites for an advanced new U.S. military constellation this evening (Oct. 15), and you can watch the action live.

Author(s): Ryan Wilkinson

A newly devised cylindrical metamaterial could protect sensitive engineering equipment by isolating vibrations.

[Physics 18, s129] Published Tue Oct 14, 2025

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on Monday announced that it will lay off about 550 employees, or about 11 percent of its workforce. According to JPL director Dave Gallagher, the move has nothing to do with the ongoing government shutdown, which the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has pledged to use as anContinue reading "NASA’s JPL lays off 550 employees"

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Since its arrival this summer, scientists have been racing to understand as much as possible about 3I/ATLAS, the third recorded visitor from outside our solar system. A breakthrough study published on Sept. 30 has scientists exclaiming, “OH!”: the first detection of hydroxyl gas (OH) from an interstellar object. The finding provides a crucial touchstone forContinue reading "Comet 3I/ATLAS shows signs of water"

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The Moon may seem like a lifeless, unchanging world, but new research reveals it’s more geologically active than previously understood. A team of Chinese scientists has identified 41 new landslides on the lunar surface that formed since 2009, concluding they were most likely triggered by seismic activity. This discovery has significant implications for our understandingContinue reading "Moonquakes are the primary trigger for lunar landslides, study finds"

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Satellite data reveal that a weak region in Earth's magnetic field has grown by an area roughly half the size of continental Europe in the last 10 years.

At 4:43 A.M. on Oct. 15, 1997, the staccato crackle of the Titan IVB/Centaur’s two side-mounted solid rocket boosters shattered the predawn gloom. Pushing Cassini-Huygens off the pad with a thrust of 3.4 million pounds (1.5 million kilograms), their bright glare turned night into day (and set off numerous car alarms) above a sleeping Florida.Continue reading "Oct. 15, 1997: Cassini-Huygens launches"

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Satellites recorded the largest ocean swells ever seen from space, highlighting how massive waves can act as storm “messengers,” carrying a storm’s power across entire oceans.

Beneath the shadow of Chile's Licancabur volcano, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) peers into the coldest and most distant reaches of the universe.

NASA launched an exoplanet-hunting experiment Oct. 1 despite the government shutdown. After the mission's end on Oct. 2, news reports got a little confused.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 14: Look south for Pluto and M75 Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) is currently making a splash across the sky, recently observed at magnitude 5.7 and visible in the predawn sky about an hour and a half before the Sun rises.  ThisContinue reading "The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 15: Check out Comet Lemmon"

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Andrew Stone The Pacman Nebula (NGC 281) in Cassiopeia glows at around magnitude 7, but that brightness is spread across an area slightly larger than the Full Moon. This image comprises around 28 hours of exposure in Hα/OIII and SII/OIII dual-band filters, taken with a 5.5-inch scope at f/4.3 and processed in the Hubble palette.

The post Waka-waka-waka… appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

See how the solar wind shredded Comet Lemmon's tail in an extraordinary view from Earth

SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket for the 11th time on Monday (Oct. 13), on a successful test flight that marked the end of the road for "Version 2" of the vehicle.

SpaceX’s Starship rocket successfully completed its 11th test flight on Monday, capping a tumultuous year for the hulking vehicle as the company looks to push the envelope with a more powerful configuration. Monday’s test continued Starship’s return to form, marking its second consecutive reentry and splashdown following a string of in-flight and test stand mishaps. It was Starship’s finalContinue reading "Starship’s 11th Test Flight marks new era for SpaceX rocket"

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Conquer the cosmos and lead ships, fleets, and even entire civilizations to victory in the best space strategy games.

NASA has announced a new wave of layoffs at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as the agency undergoes a sweeping "realignment" of its workforce.

The weak nuclear force doesn't play by the normal rules — and, in fact, it breaks one of the biggest rules of all.

One of the big questions about Mars is how wet was it in the past, and why is it so dry today? A new study published online September 2, 2025, in the journal Geology, examined a number of martian craters. Scientists were looking for past ice deposits, which act like archives where the planet’s geological history can be studied. TheyContinue reading "Mars’ ice has been disappearing"

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Scientists say a train of CMEs could impact Earth's magnetic field Oct. 15–17, bringing a chance of northern lights across northern North America.

An Apex Alien joins Mitsuki atop a hillside in "Invasion"

From glowing comets to ancient galaxies, autumn's night sky is filled with celestial treasures.

This quiz will take you on a journey through the legends, locations, and logic behind the constellations we know and love.

When Glamorous Glennis, an experimental Bell X-1 aircraft built to mimic the shape of a .50 caliber bullet, shot to 700 mph (1,127 km/h) with Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager inside, it paved the way for Americans to one day travel to space. On Oct. 14, 1947, the X-1 was launched from the bomb bayContinue reading "Oct. 14, 1947: Flying faster than sound"

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If you think you've met the wildest exoplanet yet, you haven't learned about TOI-4507 b. This strange world breaks almost every known rule for how planets should behave.

ESA astronaut Marco Sieber journeyed deep underground in Italy's Apennines for CAVES training

Three new ORCS – "odd radio circles" – have been found associated with giant, active galaxies, giving astronomers clues as to how these immense, enigmatic structures form.

📷: Ogetay Kayali from Houghton, Michigan Three objects fill this frame in the constellation Cepheus. At far right is the Shark Nebula (LDN 1235), at center left is the Wolf’s Cave Nebula (LDN 1217), and in the upper left corner is … well, what looks like a piece of toast to this imager, who proposedContinue reading "I propose a Toast"

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 13: The Moon reaches Last Quarter The Moon rises together with Jupiter around midnight on October 13 and are visible into the early-morning hours of October 14.  The Moon lies just to the lower left of bright Jupiter; the planet isContinue reading "The Sky Today on Tuesday, October 14: Look south for Pluto and M75"

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Rocket Lab launched a radar satellite for Synspective today (Oct. 14), the seventh spacecraft it has lofted for the Japanese Earth-observation company.

SpaceX's Starship megarocket aced its test flight today (Oct. 13), the 11th overall for the program and the final mission for this version of the giant vehicle.

On Oct. 13, 1773, Charles Messier spotted the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) for the first time. Writing of it a few months later, he described the object as a “very faint nebula without any stars”; it would become the 51st entry in his famous catalog of non-comets. In 1781, Messier’s friend and fellow astronomer Pierre MechainContinue reading "Oct. 13, 1773: The discovery of the Whirlpool Galaxy"

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We talk to "Solar Opposites "executive producers Mike McMahan and Josh Bycel about the show's wild final season.

Hundreds of satellites may soon be flying in orbital regions that are already too packed to allow safe and long-term operations, a new study suggests.

The Taurid meteor streams have a reputation for generating impressive fireball meteors.

From how space rocks wobble to where to hit them, scientists are learning the fine art of asteroid deflection — and it could one day save Earth.

The Vezda might be vanquished, but there are more cosmic threats for Captain Pike and the Enterprise crew to confront in 2026.

New research suggests that this mystery platinum signature underneath the Greenland ice sheet may have originated from a volcanic fissure eruption in Iceland, not space.

Mission highlight: SpaceX Starship Test Flight 11 This week’s highlighted mission is the eleventh integrated flight test of SpaceX’s Starship. Liftoff from Starbase in Texas is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 13, with the launch window opening at 7:15 p.m. EDT. A livestream will begin here about 30 minutes before liftoff. The upcoming flight will buildContinue reading "How to watch today’s Starship Test Flight 11 launch"

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Nearly 300 space advocates from across the United States converged on Capitol Hill on Oct. 6 for a “Save NASA Science” Day of Action, pressing lawmakers to protect the agency’s budget. The event, organized by The Planetary Society and a coalition of 20 science and education organizations, took place against the backdrop of a federalContinue reading "Advocates rally to “Save NASA Science” amidst government shutdown"

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In 2030, the International Space Station will be deorbited: driven into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.

If the universe is expanding, then what is it expanding into, and what is it expanding from? Where's the edge of the universe, and where is its center?

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Emeritus Dave Eicher invites you to head out in the early morning hours of October 14 to view the Moon close to Jupiter, which lies in the constellation Gemini the Twins. Although the Moon won’t be at its brightest, it still spreads a lot of light into the sky. But JupiterContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The Moon meets Jupiter"

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The discovery of what is potentially the smallest clump of dark matter ever seen strengthens the case for cold dark matter.

We actually know very little about what's going on inside Uranus and Neptune, causing researchers to propose that these planets be called "rocky giants" instead.

The annual Orionid meteor shower comes to a peak on Oct. 20-21

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Simonyi Survey Telescope scans the heavens to start its decade-long exploration in the search for dark matter.

Is the New Moon ever visible? If so, can it be seen without a telescope? Esther BockMilwaukee, Wisconsin The New Moon is typically invisible to the naked eye. It occurs when the Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun, with its illuminated side facing away from us. As a result, the side we seeContinue reading "Is the New Moon ever visible?"

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The isotopic ratio of sulfur-33 on the moon differs from that of Earth. Did the moon's sulfur instead come from the impactor that formed it?

"Show me you’re worthy of this uniform!" — We finally have a release date for 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,' with the Paramount+ TV series warping onto our screens on Jan 15, 2026.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 12: The Saturn Nebula shines Last Quarter Moon occurs this afternoon at 2:13 P.M. EDT. A few hours later, the Moon passes 4° north of Jupiter at 6 P.M. EDT. The pair rises around midnight and are visible into the early-morningContinue reading "The Sky Today on Monday, October 13: The Moon reaches Last Quarter"

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Wang Zhipu, taken from Fuzhou, China The evening of Nov. 8 2022 offered skywatchers in parts of Asia and North America a rare chance to see a totally eclipsed Moon occult Uranus. Under normal circumstances, Uranus (at around magnitude 5.7) would be lost in the Moon’s glare, but the dimmed Moon during totality allowed bothContinue reading "Uranus plays lunar peekaboo"

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An academic dives into using quantum physics to explore dark matter.

SpaceX plans to launch Flight 11 of its huge, reusable Starship rocket on Monday evening (Oct. 13), and you can watch the action live.

Microbes essential for human health have proven resilient against the extreme forces of space travel, offering hope for maintaining astronaut well-being on future long-duration missions.

From phases to phenomena, this moon-themed skywatching quiz will test your lunar knowledge.

Voshkod 1 kicked off the second series of manned Soviet spaceflights, following the Vostok missions that had been the first to put humans in space. When the craft launched on Oct. 12, 1964, for its flight of just over 24 hours, it was the seventh crewed spaceflight for the Soviet Union — but the firstContinue reading "Oct. 12, 1964: Voshkod 1 sends the first crew to space"

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Don't miss the moon, Jupiter and the stars of the constellation Orion rise along the southern horizon on Oct. 12.

Two bright wanderers share the autumn sky as Jupiter rises beside the half moon.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 11: Io and Europa cross Jupiter Now that spooky season is upon us, let’s chase some cosmic ghosts. Tonight we’re seeking the Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009), a planetary nebula that, as its name implies, looks like a ghostly version of theContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, October 12: The Saturn Nebula shines"

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On Episode 181 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Alma Okpalefe to discuss World Space Week, a global celebration of all things space.

Author(s): Charles Day

Quantum effects prevent trapped atoms from thermalizing, despite being repeatedly jiggled through laser excitation.

[Physics 18, 168] Published Fri Oct 10, 2025

Twenty-one months after the deaths of the Apollo 1 crew in a fire during a test on the launchpad, the three men who had originally served as their backup crew — Walter Schirra Jr., Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham — flew on Apollo 7. The first manned American spaceflight since the accident, their mission wasContinue reading "Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7 launches"

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This 'Star Wars' quiz is your chance to prove your knowledge of the saga that changed cinema — and pop culture — forever.

SpaceX plans to launch the 11th test flight of its Starship megarocket at 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT) on Monday (Oct. 13). Here's how you can watch.

A baby exoplanet has been spotted nestled inside a ring around its young parent star, offering a never-before-seen view of planet formation.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 10: Spot Ceres in Cetus Last week, Io and Europa took a trip together across Jupiter, transiting the planet with their shadows. The moons’ resonant orbits mean similar events often repeat, and this morning is your chance to catch another one. Continue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, October 11: Io and Europa cross Jupiter"

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Greg Meyer from Phoenix, Arizona Stars swirl around Polaris to the north and arc across the sky to the south in this 360° star-trail panorama taken at the Okie-Tex Star Party. The photographer used an Insta360 X4 action cam, taking 30-second exposures at ISO 800; the final stacked image was blended with another shot ofContinue reading "Okie-Tex starry night"

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Science and maintenance work continue on the International Space Station, but updates have been all but halted by the U.S. government shutdown. A JAXA astronaut's social media posts are the exception.

Four proposed sun-gazing spacecraft, working together, could help speed up space weather warnings by 40%, a new study suggests.

Here's how to find Comet Lemmon in October's night sky.

After decades of searching, astronomers have imaged two supermassive black holes in orbit around each other at the heart of quasar OJ287.

Scientists have spotted the first clear sign of water from an interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, offering new clues to the chemistry of other planetary systems.

These binoculars guide you through the night sky in real time, with a database of 200,000 stars, and in this hands-on test, I was impressed with their quality. They're currently also $500 off for pre-orders.

The Delta Aurigids 2025 will make for a challenging skywatching event, here's why.

Over the course of human history, perhaps no single object in the night sky has drawn more attention than the Andromeda Galaxy, which the 10th-century Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi dubbed a “nebulous smear.” For centuries, the fuzzy object nestled in the night sky between her mythological parents, Cepheus and Cassiopeia, and winged Pegasus heldContinue reading "Unveiling the Andromeda Galaxy’s true nature"

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Hulu's adult animated sci-fi series launches its final season on Oct. 13.

The sun's returning coronal hole could stir up geomagnetic storms and dazzling auroras under clear, dark skies this weekend.

A train of glittering SpaceX Starlink satellites shine brightly above a green aurora in a new video released by NASA astronaut Don Pettit.

Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere is a great time to hunt galaxies. You’ll find objects ranging from the marvelous Andromeda Galaxy (M31) to Stephan’s Quintet (NGCs 7317, 7318A, 7318B, 7319, and 7320) to NGC 1. But except for a few, like M31, most galaxies are faint and lack detail unless your telescope is large. So,Continue reading "Michael’s Miscellany: Glorious Albireo"

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A compilation of various images from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the effects of gravitational lensing caused by dark matter.

"It would be hard, but may be doable."

Author(s): Marric Stephens

Simulations have shown that the 2D sheets in twisted bilayers such as graphene can slide past one another even at small twists and under extreme compression. 

[Physics 18, s128] Published Thu Oct 09, 2025

On Oct. 10, 1846, William Lassell peered through his 20-foot reflector in Liverpool, England. Lassell was a self-funded amateur astronomer who had made a fortune as a brewer, and he’d built his own scope – apparently doing quite a good job of it, since through it, Lassell spotted Triton orbiting Neptune. Neptune itself had beenContinue reading "Oct. 10, 1846: The discovery of Triton"

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World Space Week 2025 casts a lens on life in space — here, we take a look at how astronauts traveling beyond Earth can affect their families.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  1 Ceres is passing close to the 5th-magnitude star Phi2 (φ2) Ceti this evening. Viewing will be best about two hours after sunset, after the sky has grown dark but shortly before the Moon rises. At that time, Ceres will be about 15°Continue reading "The Sky Today on Friday, October 10: Spot Ceres in Cetus"

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📷: David Gluchowski from Brooklyn, New York The Harvest Moon rises behind the Empire State Building on the evening of Oct. 6. This sequence was taken with a Canon mirrorless camera and 150–600mm zoom lens.

The post Empire State of Shine appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Sky This Week is brought to you in part by Celestron. Friday, October 10The Moon passes 5° north of Uranus at 5 A.M. EDT. The pair is visible in the southwest in the hours leading up to sunrise, although you’ll need binoculars to view the distant ice giant, as it glows a faint magnitude 5.6.Continue reading "The Sky This Week from October 10 to 17: The Moon meets Jupiter"

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We're not the only ones who see a baboon in this nebula photo, right?

SpaceX moved its Super Heavy booster to the pad recently to gear up for Flight 11 of its Starship megarocket, which is scheduled for Oct. 13.

Just four minutes of darkness was enough to confuse dozens of species of birds.

It's not too late to hop aboard the alien mothership for the sensational Apple TV+ sci-fi series.

SpaceX launched 24 of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites Monday (Oct. 13), bringing the total number of spacecraft lofted for the nascent broadband megaconstellation to 153.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will work to streamline space regulations, a push just announced in the newly christened "Space Month" of October 2025.

Author(s): Sumanta Chakraborty

A neutron star’s viscosity determines how the star interacts with gravitational waves, a behavior that could be useful to the study of neutron-star interiors.

[Physics 18, 169] Published Wed Oct 08, 2025

Author(s): Michael Schirber

New experiments show that adding polymers to a fluid can reduce energy dissipation by suppressing small eddies.

[Physics 18, s130] Published Wed Oct 08, 2025

Ask most astronomers, and they’ll tell you that dark matter and dark energy make up more than 95 percent of the universe and that they are the explanations for many of the large-scale phenomena we observe. But a new study published Sept. 12 in the journal “Galaxies” offers a different scenario: that what we see is the weakeningContinue reading "Are dark matter and dark energy only an illusion?"

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This quiz is your chance to explore the wonders of the James Webb Space Telescope, from its mind-blowing discoveries to the science behind its design.

CAS Space is preparing to launch its first liquid propellant rocket, the Kinetica 2, carrying a prototype cargo spacecraft — the latest sign of China's accelerating commercial launch sector.

NASA's Lunar Electric Rover was tested in Arizona's rugged desert terrain to simulate lunar exploration and refine designs for future missions.

Karl Schwarzschild was born Oct. 9, 1873 – just one day after his famous collaborator Ejnar Hertzsprung – and grew up in a Jewish family in Germany. Schwarzschild was considered a child prodigy, publishing a paper on celestial mechanics by age 16. He studied astronomy at the University of Strasbourg, then went on to receiveContinue reading "Oct. 9, 1873: The birth of Karl Schwarzschild"

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The Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon is still $100 off, despite Prime Day in October finishing, as Walmart still has several top deals available.

Join 'Space Gal' Emily Calandrelli to help Arm and Hammer celebrate Baking Soda Rocket Day with 14,000 nationwide.

As part of World Space Week, which is highlighting the theme of living in space, we look at one scientist's dream of gigantic space habitats.

Todd Bossaller from Marshall, Missouri A disconnection event is when the ion tail of a comet appears to briefly become detached from its nucleus due to turbulence in the solar wind. Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) experienced one such event on the morning of Oc. 9, captured here with a 4-inch scope at f/5 and 30Continue reading "Lemmon’s tail disconnects"

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The Moon crosses in front of several stars in the Pleiades star cluster of Taurus this evening, creating a series of occultations that many in North America will be able to catch. Note, however, that the Moon’s waning gibbous phase means the stars will vanish behind the bright leading edge of the Moon, which makesContinue reading "The Sky Today on Thursday, October 9: The Moon crosses the Pleiades"

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Blue Origin rolled the first stage of its powerful New Glenn rocket to the pad Wednesday (Oct. 8) for testing ahead of a planned launch of two NASA Mars probes.

A new study indicates that crews with a wider range of personalities perform better under pressure, possibly informing how NASA selects and trains its astronauts for future missions to Mars.

Australia's SpIRIT nanosatellite has snapped its first "selfie" from space, marking a successful start to its mission.

Prime Japanese Viewing Location (TBD) Centered around the September 2, 2035, Total Solar Eclipse This tour is currently under development. Eclipse Traveler is designing an exclusive journey to place you in an optimal viewing location for this incredible celestial event. The full itinerary, pricing, and booking details are coming soon. For the most up-to-date information,Continue reading "2035 Japan Total Solar Eclipse"

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Aboard a Cruise off the Coast of Australia (TBD) Centered around the July 22, 2028, Total Solar Eclipse This tour is currently under development. Eclipse Traveler is designing an exclusive cruise journey to place you in an optimal viewing location for this incredible celestial event. The full itinerary, pricing, and booking details are coming soon.Continue reading "2028 Australia Total Solar Eclipse Cruise"

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The crew on the Chinese Tiangong space station enjoyed tasty treats for mid-Autumn festival while spending time looking at the Earth below them.

Two decades of spacecraft images reveal more than 1,000 dust devils whipping across Mars at unexpected speeds, offering fresh insight into how wind and dust shape the Red Planet.

Prime Chilean Viewing Location (TBD) Centered around the July 11, 2029, Partial Solar Eclipse This tour is currently under development. Eclipse Traveler is designing an exclusive journey to place you in an optimal viewing location for this incredible celestial event. The full itinerary, pricing, and booking details are coming soon. For the most up-to-date information,Continue reading "2029 Chile Partial Solar Eclipse"

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Prime South African Viewing Location (TBD) Centered around the November 25, 2030, Total Solar Eclipse This tour is currently under development. Eclipse Traveler is designing an exclusive journey to place you in an optimal viewing location for this incredible celestial event. The full itinerary, pricing, and booking details are coming soon. For the most up-to-dateContinue reading "2030 South Africa Total Solar Eclipse"

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Prime Australian Viewing Location (TBD)Centered around the November 25, 2030, Total Solar Eclipse This tour is currently under development. Eclipse Traveler is designing an exclusive journey to place you in an optimal viewing location for this incredible celestial event. The full itinerary, pricing, and booking details are coming soon. For the most up-to-date information, clickContinue reading "2030 Australia Total Solar Eclipse"

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For two decades, images from European spacecraft have captured bits of unremarkable digital noise as they photograph Mars. Now, scientists have turned that noise into a breakthrough, cataloging 1,039 martian dust devils to create the first global map of the Red Planet’s surface winds. The new study, published Oct. 8 in Science Advances, details howContinue reading "A thousand martian dust devils help chart the Red Planet’s winds"

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This newly discovered comet could soon glow bright enough for the naked eye as it sweeps through October's morning and evening skies.

Grab the best deals we have found across Lego, streaming, skywatching gear and cameras!

HBO Max is a treasure trove of Sci-Fi shows and movies, and thanks to this Prime Day deal, you can save 25% on Max and Starz. From sandworms to deadites, you really can't go wrong with this deal.

Whether you're building them now or putting sets away for the holidays, you can't have enough Lego. From Star Wars to Marvel, we've rounded up the best Prime Day Lego deals, but you'll have to hurry.

These are the best telescope deals I have seen for Amazon's Prime Day in October, with huge savings across our favorite models.

How memorable sound effects elevated "Alien: Earth to the next level.

Now is your last chance to save 30% and get the lowest price on the Lego Star Wars Grogu with Hover Pram set, as October Prime Day is soon coming to a close.

30% off for Prime Day, this Celestron Astromaster 130EQ is just what you need to capture the majesty of the moon, or zoom in on the breathtaking Orionid meteor shower.

Amazon Prime Day in October is in its final day and this telescope deal on the Celestron Inspire 100AZ brings the price down to $304 — perfect for a better view of comet Lemmon.

Blue Origin launched its 15th space tourism mission today (Oct. 8), sending six people on a brief trip to the final frontier.

Author(s): Michael Schirber

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes the discovery of macroscopic quantum tunneling in electrical circuits.

[Physics 18, 170] Published Tue Oct 07, 2025

Author(s): Tianhan Liu

Experiments clarify the degree to which a graphene coating can reduce the strength of van der Waals interactions with a surface.

[Physics 18, s127] Published Tue Oct 07, 2025

The smart telescope revolution continues to grow, with ZWO as one of the leading innovators. Last year, the company introduced the least expensive “smarty” yet: the Seestar S30. The S30 is a compact, all-in-one astroimaging system. Like its larger sibling, the popular Seestar S50 (which I reviewed in the January 2025 issue), the S30 includes pretty much everythingContinue reading "Astronomy tests ZWO’s Seestar S30"

The post Astronomy tests ZWO’s Seestar S30 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Considering a drone for the first time? You won't go wrong with the DJI Mini 3 — our drone expert scored it with a flawless review, praising its camera and ease of use as real highlights.

On the evening of Oct. 9, a waning gibbous moon visits the famous Pleiades Star Cluster  — the Seven Sisters  — in the Taurus constellation.

I search deals for a living and 77% off, plus three free months of NordVPN, is one of the best deals for online and streaming security while traveling.

Astronomers using JWST have captured the clearest view yet of a doomed red supergiant star just before it exploded, solving a decades-old mystery about why such stars rarely appear to go supernova.

On Oct. 8, 1873, Ejnar Hertzsprung was born near Copenhagen, Denmark. His father had studied astronomy and worked in finance, and Hertzsprung himself showed interest in astronomy and math, but pursued a degree in chemical engineering. After graduating from the Polytechnical Institute in Copenhagen, he worked as a chemist in St. Petersburg, Russia, and wentContinue reading "Oct. 8, 1873: The birth of Ejnar Hertzsprung"

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A newly discovered asteroid, 2025 TF, skimmed past Earth closer than many satellites and was photographed by the Catalina Sky Survey and ESA's planetary defense programs.

This chestburstingly good Hulu deal lets you save 20% on Disney Plus's entire catalogue, including Sci-Fi like Alien: Earth, Prey, Star Wars, Doctor Who and much more.

Dream of taking to the skies? This DJI Neo drone, equipped with a camera and autonomous flight, is $159 this Prime Day. That's the lowest price it's ever been, but you'll have to catch it fast!

After marking the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the first exoplanet around a sun-like star, we now look forward to what the next 30 years might offer.

The DJI Mini 4K is one of the best drones on the market and this October Prime Day drone deal saves you 20% on a model that was already good value.

Can't wait for Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2? This Prime Day in October, step into the shoes of the show's villain with 32% off this Baylan Skoll Force FX Elite electronic lightsaber.

I search for deals for a living and I believe STARZ for just $2.50 a month is a streaming deal worth getting — there's plenty of Sci-Fi content to watch.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched for the 29th time on Tuesday (Oct. 7), one shy of the company's reuse record.

Let’s visit Venus in the early-morning sky; the bright planet rises around 5 A.M. local daylight time and stands nearly 10° high in the east an hour later. Blazing at magnitude –3.9, it’s unmissable in far eastern Leo; it will cross into western Virgo by tomorrow morning.  Venus is stunning through binoculars or any telescope;Continue reading "The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 8: Venus’ last day in Leo"

The post The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 8: Venus’ last day in Leo appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Alessandro Carrozzi Several sunspot groups — active regions AR 4136, 4139, 4143, and 4146 — all approach the solar limb in this Hydrogen-alpha image taken July 19, 2025 with a 6-inch f/25 refractor.

The post The spotted Sun appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

A European Mars probe witnessed the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS' Red Planet flyby on Oct. 3, snapping imagery of the interloper from just 19 million miles (30 million kilometers) away.

JWST's detection of phosphine on a brown dwarf, also known as a "failed star," could have repercussions for the claimed detection of the molecule on Venus.

Cairns – Great Barrier Reef – Daintree Rainforest – Uluru – Melbourne – Great Ocean Road July 25 – August 1, 2028 Continue your journey down under with an 8-day extension that showcases Australia’s diverse landscapes, beginning just after the Sydney eclipse tour. Fly to the tropical north to Cairns, the gateway to two UNESCOContinue reading "2028 Highlights of Australia Post-Eclipse Tour"

The post 2028 Highlights of Australia Post-Eclipse Tour appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Sydney – Blue Mountains – Hunter ValleyJuly 19 – July 25, 2028 Discover the best of Sydney and its breathtaking surroundings on this 7-day tour, perfectly timed for the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2028. Your journey begins with a deep dive into Australia’s most famous city, exploring iconic sites including the Sydney OperaContinue reading "2028 Sydney 7-Day Total Solar Eclipse Adventure"

The post 2028 Sydney 7-Day Total Solar Eclipse Adventure appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Auckland – Rotorua – Queenstown – Milford Sound – Sydney – Blue Mountains – Hunter ValleyJuly 13 – July 25, 2028 Embark on an unforgettable 13-day journey through the natural wonders of New Zealand and the iconic landmarks of Australia, centered around the total solar eclipse of July 22, 2028. The adventure begins in Auckland,Continue reading "2028 New Zealand & Australia 13-Day Total Solar Eclipse Tour"

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Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to launch its 15th space tourism mission on Wednesday morning (Oct. 8), and you can watch it live.

The Lego Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon features over 7,500 pieces and is now $100 off at Walmart in this anti-Prime Day deal

This anti-Prime Day deal from Walmart gets you the high-resolution Fujifilm X-T5 with the XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 lens for just $2260.

Looking to start stargazing? I know firsthand that the Celestron Travel Scope 70 is a superb first step into the hobby, and it's a fantastic $40 off this Prime Day!

Cairo – Nile Cruise – LuxorJuly 27 – August 2, 2027 Embark on a 7-day journey through the heart of ancient Egypt, combining iconic historical sites with the breathtaking spectacle of the August 2 total solar eclipse. Your tour begins in Cairo, where you will explore the new Grand Egyptian Museum, home to Tutankhamun’s completeContinue reading "2027 Pharaoh’s Shadow 6-Night Total Solar Eclipse Tour"

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Luxor – Karnak Temple – Dendera Temple and Abydos (Optional)July 30 – August 3, 2027 Experience the awe of ancient history and the spectacle of a rare celestial event on this 5-day journey to Luxor, centered around the August 2 total solar eclipse. With an incredible totality of 6 minutes and 22 seconds, this tourContinue reading "2027 Luxor 4-Night Eclipse Discovery Tour"

The post 2027 Luxor 4-Night Eclipse Discovery Tour appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The Draconid meteor shower peaks on Oct. 8, as a waning gibbous moon graces the night sky.

The new science book "First Contact" is a vivid, humorous and deeply informed exploration of the many ways humanity has imagined, and actively searched for, life beyond Earth.

This Pococo Galaxy Star Projector outclasses many of the competition, with its portability and realistic images, and it's an absolute steal at $80 this Prime Day.

If you get up before twilight begins to paint the eastern sky, you might be able to spot Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). It’s currently in the constellation Ursa Major the Great Bear near the 3rd-magnitude star Tania Australis, also known as Mu Ursae Majoris. The comet rises around 1:30 a.m. local time, but you’ll wantContinue reading "How to see Comet Lemmon"

The post How to see Comet Lemmon appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The Hommkiety Galaxy Projector is 25% off and at its lowest-ever price for Prime Day in October, bringing the cosmos indoors for less.

I think Celestron's Skymaster 20x80 binoculars are a brilliant alternative to a telescope, especially if you want to escape light pollution. With Amazon Prime Big Deals Day, they're 24% off.

On Oct. 4, 1959, exactly two years after the launch of Sputnik, the Soviet Union scored another win when Luna 3 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and set off for the Moon. It was the third spacecraft in the Luna program, Luna 1 having overshot the Moon after a rocket-burn error, and LunaContinue reading "Oct. 7, 1959: The first photos of the Moon’s farside are taken."

The post Oct. 7, 1959: The first photos of the Moon’s farside are taken. appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

'The Martian' author Andy Weir leaves the Solar System behind as Ryan Gosling blasts off on a mission to save the world.

You know, I'm something of a space hipster myself.

See the best images of the October 2025 full Harvest Supermoon.

A recent view from Hubble shows the Large Magellanic Cloud, where newborn stars sculpt dense gas and dust.

Author(s): Matteo Viel

The new map of the Universe’s expansion history released by the DESI Collaboration offers hints at a breakdown of the standard model of cosmology.

[Physics 18, 130] Published Mon Oct 06, 2025

This October Prime Day deal gets you the Celestron Cometron 7x50 binoculars for just $41 at Amazon.

One final Predator: Badlands trailer has hit ahead of the movie's release, showing off the dangerous planet of Kalisk in all its glory.

As Beijing prepares to tackle space debris, transparency and trust will determine whether the effort is viewed as stewardship or a strategic threat.

SpaceX launched 28 more of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit today (Oct. 7), sending them up from Florida's Space Coast.

Step outside tonight in the early evening, when Sagittarius lies above the southwestern horizon. Globular cluster M22 shines brightly at magnitude 5.1, readily observable with binoculars or any size telescope. It’s far from the Full Moon, increasing your chances of a good view tonight.  You can find this ancient ball of stars some 2.5° northeastContinue reading "The Sky Today on Tuesday, October 7: View the ancient stars of M22"

The post The Sky Today on Tuesday, October 7: View the ancient stars of M22 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

On Monday (Oct. 6), the nonprofit Planetary Society held a "day of action" to urge Congress to restore NASA's science funding, which was slashed nearly in half in the White House's proposed 2026 federal budget.

Cédric de Decker/Louis Leroux-Géré/Vincent Martin/Thibault Rouillée Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) is still just outside the edge of naked-eye visibility, according to reports, but it is showing fine, rapidly changing detail in images. These astroimagers caught Lemmon as it was passing the Little Pinwheel Galaxy (NGC 3184) on Oct. 5 with 45 minutes of LRGB exposureContinue reading "Comet Lemmon and the Little Pinwheel"

The post Comet Lemmon and the Little Pinwheel appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

You've explored outer space and battled aliens alone, but now it's time to buddy up with the best co-op space games to play with friends.

As we bring more human consciousness to space, we'll bring with it our human religions while finding new names for new types of spiritual experiences unique to space.

From a distance, Biosphere 2 emerges from the cacti and creosote of the Sonoran desert like a gleaming oasis, a colony of glass and bright white structures. Despite being just outside Tucson, Arizona, it looks almost like a colony on another planet. When one of the facility’s 100,000 annual visitors steps inside, they see a whole worldContinue reading "Biosphere 2’s latest mission: Learning how life first emerged on Earth – and how to make barren worlds habitable"

The post Biosphere 2’s latest mission: Learning how life first emerged on Earth – and how to make barren worlds habitable appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Mission highlight: Blue Origin to launch 15th human flight This week’s highlighted mission is a crewed suborbital flight from Blue Origin. The company is planning to launch the NS-36 mission aboard its New Shepard rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 9:00 a.m. EDT  from Launch Site One in West Texas. A liveContinue reading "Blue Origin’s NS-36 to carry six passengers to space"

The post Blue Origin’s NS-36 to carry six passengers to space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

As just one of all the living creatures on Earth, you're along for the ride as our planet constantly moves in two major ways.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover may have captured an image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS streaking across the sky above the Red Planet.

Watch Alien: Earth in its entirety and Prey, the precursor to Predator: Badlands, on Hulu with over 20% off for three months before the price increases.

Tune in to see this year's first supermoon as it lights up the autumn sky above the Italian countryside.

The company Inversion just unveiled Arc, a spacecraft designed to serve as an orbital storehouse and superfast delivery system for mission-critical gear, getting it anywhere on Earth in less than an hour.

Image specialist Andy Saunders on mining NASA's archives for the ultimate record of America's early space programs

To keep the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at peak performance, ESO engineers carefully recoat its enormous mirrors.

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Emeritus Dave Eicher invites you to head out late in the evening of October 9 and find the Moon. This won’t be a problem because it will be bright. Then scan the area around the Moon to find the Pleiades star cluster, also known as M45. If you can’t find itContinue reading "This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The Moon and the Pleiades"

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The U.S. government shut down the same day Juno's last mission extension expired, putting the status of the mission in limbo.

What would a bucket full of deep space contain? Richard LivitskiSeal Beach, California One would think that this excellent question would be easy to answer: A bucket full of “deep space” would contain essentially nothing — and, well, there you are! Outer space is, after all, the closest approximation we have to a vacuum. However,Continue reading "What would a bucket full of deep space contain?"

The post What would a bucket full of deep space contain? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

On Oct. 6, 2010, only five days after launching, the Chang-e 2 spacecraft arrived at the Moon and initiated a rocket burn, slipping into its lunar orbit. Part of China’s Lunar Exploration Program, Chang’e 2 carried an improved camera for 3D mapping, laser altimeter, X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers, microwave radiometer, high-energy particle detector, and solarContinue reading "Oct. 6, 2010: Chang-e 2 arrives at the Moon"

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See the full Harvest Supermoon rise at sunset on Oct. 6.

The discovery of the "hot Jupiter" exoplanet 51 Pegasi b on Oct. 6, 1995 changed the course of astronomical history.

Full Moon occurs late tonight at 11:48 P.M. EDT. October’s Full Moon is traditionally called the Hunter’s Moon. But this October’s Full Moon also has two other names: It is both a Super Moon and the 2025 Harvest Moon.  A Super Moon occurs when the Full phase coincides with the Moon reaching (or close to)Continue reading "The Sky Today on Monday, October 6: The Full Harvest Super Moon shines"

The post The Sky Today on Monday, October 6: The Full Harvest Super Moon shines appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Artist Ashley Zelinskie unveils the 'Unfolding the Universe: Wandering Through Time and Space' exhibit to celebrate the James Webb Space Telescope.

A recent DARPA study laid out a step-by-step process that could enable an economic link between Earth and the moon. But how real is the promise of giving the moon an industrial makeover?

A team of researchers discusses how the xAI plant in Memphis emitted normal amounts of air pollution.

On Oct. 4, 1923, Edwin Hubble took a photographic plate of the Andromeda Nebula (as it was known then) using the 100-inch Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson. The next night, Oct. 5th, he took another plate and found that a star that seemed to belong to the nebula had changed in brightness. At first, he thought thisContinue reading "Oct. 5th, 1923: Hubble discovers galaxies beyond the Milky Way"

The post Oct. 5th, 1923: Hubble discovers galaxies beyond the Milky Way appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

This quiz will test your grasp of everything from orbital mechanics and international partnerships to basic facts about the International Space Station

A total solar eclipse will sweep across Australia and New Zealand on July 22, 2028, bringing over five minutes of midday darkness.

The nearly Full Moon passes 4° north of Saturn at 11 P.M. EDT and sits close to the ringed planet all night. Despite our satellite’s proximity, you’ll want your telescope trained on Saturn this evening to catch the last in the current series of Titan shadow transits — there won’t be another until 2040!  AroundContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, October 5: Titan’s last shadow transit"

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, October 5: Titan’s last shadow transit appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

On Episode 180 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the headlines, from the shutdown of NASA to the risky dismantling of the space shuttle Discovery (because Texas insists).

Does this compact and portable smart telescope provide an affordable way for beginners to get started with astroimaging?

An expert discusses the many ways that Alaska's arctic sea ice melt is affecting the lives of those who live in the area.

On Oct. 4th, 1957, at 10:29 PM Moscow time, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1 into space on a repurposed R-7 rocket. The world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik was about 22 inches (58 centimeters) in diameter and weighed 184 pounds (84 kilograms). Although there were no scientific instruments aboard, the transmitter it carried sentContinue reading "Oct. 4th, 1957: Sputnik launches"

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This quiz will take you on a journey through fiery facts, explosive history, and the science behind these fireballs.

World Space Week 2025 (Oct. 4–10) explores the theme "Living in Space," with global events highlighting the challenges and future of life beyond Earth.

Grab your telescope and hunt down these four lunar features to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night 2025 on Oct. 4.

Author(s): Michael Schirber

Turning a biologically important molecular motor at a constant rate saves energy, according to experiments.

[Physics 18, 167] Published Fri Oct 03, 2025

Jupiter’s Galilean moons often transit the planet’s disk one at a time — tonight, however, Io and Europa cross the disk together. The two moons even appear to partially overlap as their transits begin early this morning at 4:04 a.m. EDT, with smaller Europa passing in front of larger Io.  You’ll spot bright Jupiter highContinue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, October 4: Io and Europa overlap"

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The Expedition 73 crew continued their science research and maintenance work aboard the International Space Station this week, despite the start of a U.S. government shutdown back on Earth.

See stunning photos of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) as it brightens ahead of a possible naked eye appearance in mid-October.

Alien: Earth suggests a future where consciousness isn't confined to the body you're born in, but is this a realistic possibility, or merely science fiction? We spoke to experts to find out.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin just announced the passenger list for NS-36, the company's 15th space tourism launch.

What does the next generation of martian exploration look like? The answer, quite literally, is blowing in the wind. The Tumbleweed Mars rover, a spherical robot designed to roll across the martian surface, driven by the martian wind, has passed crucial technical tests, validating its potential for low-cost, large-scale exploration. The concept, developed by TeamContinue reading "The wind-driven future of Mars exploration"

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Originally scheduled for October 11, a big observational event in southwestern New Mexico has been changed to Saturday, November 15. The original October date now faces a high chance of rainstorms in the area. This event will take place near Animas, New Mexico, under an incredibly dark sky. Not only will the new 30-inch scopeContinue reading "New Mexico Stargaze rescheduled due to weather"

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SpaceX sent 28 more of its Starlink satellites skyward from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California today (Oct. 3). It was the company's 125th Falcon 9 launch of the year already.

Rogue Incursion's non-VR edition isn't among the finest Alien games of all time, but Zula Hendricks' video game debut is no snoozer.

When we target objects in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, one of the first that observers go to is the North America Nebula (NGC 6000), and then they head right next door to the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070). But there’s another, equally fascinating nebulous region that covers even more area in the Swan: the VeilContinue reading "Michael’s Miscellany: Observe the Veil Nebula"

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Look up Oct. 5: the nearly Harvest Moon will guide you to Saturn, where a telescope reveals its famous rings — even if they're just a thin line for now.

An asteroid, called 2025 TF, safely passed within roughly 250 miles (400 km) of our planet on Sept. 30 after surprising astronomers.

Promising a trick up its sleeve for astrophotographers, does the wholly digital OM System OM-3 deliver?

The European Space Agency signed a cooperation deal with South Korea and advanced a rideshare mission with Japan, as the agency pushes for wider global partnerships.

Author(s): David Ehrenstein

An atomically smooth surface that oscillates vertically can host drops that either bounce or hover in place, depending on the oscillation frequency.

[Physics 18, 166] Published Thu Oct 02, 2025

In 1848, James Marshall was building a lumber mill in northern California for his employer, John Sutter. One January morning, Marshall spotted sparkling pebbles within the mill’s outflow; Sutter and Marshall soon realized they had found gold in “them thar hills.” The chance discovery sparked the California Gold Rush, with treasure-seeking scouts streaming to theContinue reading "Why NASA is targeting the Moon’s south pole for Artemis"

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