The bright beacon of Jupiter stands 2° due north of Zeta (ζ) Tauri in the evening sky tonight. Look west and hour after sunset to find the magnitude –1.9 gas giant still 11° high. Zeta Tau, which shines at magnitude 3, lies to the planet’s lower left. Near this pairing is the location of M1,Continue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, May 18: Jupiter and Zeta Tauri” The post The Sky Today on Sunday, May Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Sunday, May 18: Jupiter and Zeta Tauri→

An Indian launch of a radar imaging satellite failed May 17 when a problem with the third stage prevented the payload from reaching orbit. The post PSLV launch of Indian radar imaging satellite fails appeared first on SpaceNews.

India attempted to launch an Earth-observing radar satellite on Saturday (May 17) but a problem with the mission’s rocket resulted in a failure. Continue ReadingIndian rocket launch fails, Earth-observation satellite lost→

Earth’s magnetosphere channels particles from solar storms into stunning auroras. Mars lacks a planet-wide magnetic field and has patchy auroras barely detectable with instruments. Or so we thought. New images captured by NASA’s Perseverance Rover with its Mastcam-Z instrument show green auroras in visible light. When humans finally walk on Mars and look to the skies, they could possibly see faint auroras there, too.

A familiar face from ancient “Doctor Who” history makes an unexpected return. Continue ReadingWho is the mysterious woman in the Doctor’s ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ visions?→

Mission patches are a decades-old tradition in spaceflight. They can range from the figurative to the abstract, prompting valuable insights or feeding confusion. Some are just plain weird. Ars published a story a few months ago on spaceflight patches from NASA, SpaceX, Russia, and the NRO, the US government’s spy satellite agency, which is responsible for some of the most head-scratching mission logos. Until recently, China’s entries in the realm of spaceflight patches often lacked the Continue ReadingDo these Buddhist gods hint at the purpose of China’s super-secret satellites?→

The Emmy-winning animated anthology returns, and we’ve scored every exceptional short from bottom to top. Continue ReadingEvery episode of Netflix’s ‘Love, Death + Robots’ Volume 4, ranked→

‘This hospital is a good hospital. And I always forget that it’s kind of alive!’ Continue ReadingThe space doctors are in! Season 2 of Prime Video’s ‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy’ gets a wacky new teaser and release date (video)→

Chinese launch startup Landspace sent six satellites into orbit Saturday with the fifth launch of its Zhuque-2 series methane-fueled rocket. The post Landspace launches 6 satellites with enhanced Zhuque-2 rocket appeared first on SpaceNews.

Rocket Lab launched the latest in a series of radar imaging satellites for a Japanese company May 17. The post Rocket Lab launches radar imaging satellite for iQPS appeared first on SpaceNews.

Building a sustainable economy on the moon won’t be easy, but we at least have some ideas about how to get started. Continue ReadingCan we actually build a thriving economy on and around the moon?→

On Episode 161 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik catch up on headlines … and space dad jokes! Continue ReadingThis Week In Space podcast: Episode 161 — The TWiS Comedy Hour!→

India will launch an Earth-observing radar satellite tonight (May 17) on the nation’s second mission of 2025, and you can watch the action live. Continue ReadingWatch India launch its 2nd space mission of the year tonight→

In a recent paper, an international team proposed an ultra-long wavelength radio interferometer that could examine the Cosmic Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn. Known as the Dark Ages Explorer (DEX), this telescope could provide fresh insights into how and when the first stars and galaxies formed.

Visible for some five hours after sunset is Mars, making its way through Cancer. Shining at 1st magnitude, this ruddy point of light is easy to find in the western sky during May evenings, standing directly above the bright star Procyon in Canis Minor as these constellations set.  Through a telescope, Mars’ disk spans justContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Mars crosses Cancer” The post The Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Mars crosses Cancer→

Scientists have made the most accurate predictions yet of the gravitational waves produced when two black holes fly past each other. Continue ReadingBlack hole dance illuminates hidden math of the universe→

During a House Committee on Space, Science and Technology hearing, experts discussed the state of NASA’s planetary defense capabilities. Continue ReadingUS Representatives worry Trump’s NASA budget plan will make it harder to track dangerous asteroids→

Rocket Lab is scheduled to launch an Earth-observing satellite for the Japanese company iQPS early Saturday morning (May 17), and you can watch the action live. Continue ReadingWatch Rocket Lab launch private Japanese Earth-observing satellite early May 17→