Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 11: Egeria moves along Early risers have a great view of a lunar feature normally located near the limb this morning. An hour before sunrise, the Moon is roughly 20° above the eastern horizon. About 25 percent of its nearside isContinue reading “The Sky Today on Tuesday, May 12: A new view of the Moon” The post The Sky Today on Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Tuesday, May 12: A new view of the Moon→

Mission Highlight: Starship Flight 12 SpaceX is targeting Friday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m. EST for the 12th flight test of its Starship megarocket — the first for the new V3 configuration and the inaugural launch from the newly completed Pad 2 at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. V3 is a significant step up fromContinue reading “SpaceX’s most powerful Starship yet is cleared for launch” The post SpaceX’s most powerful Starship yet is cleared for Continue ReadingSpaceX’s most powerful Starship yet is cleared for launch→

Winter hibernation is officially over. Spring has arrived. Warmer nights make this a great time to pull out your binoculars and enjoy everything the season offers. So, here are 10 great targets to get you started tonight. And because springtime for Northern Hemisphere amateur astronomers means it’s also galaxy season, half the objects I’ve chosenContinue reading “10 great spring binocular sights” The post 10 great spring binocular sights appeared first on Astronomy Magazine. Continue Reading10 great spring binocular sights→

Since the universe was very small right after the Big Bang and yet it contained the same amount of matter as now, would the intense gravity have slowed the passage of time? Roger ReedPierre, South Dakota Shortly after the Big Bang, the density of the universe was greater than the inside of a neutron starContinue reading “Did time move slower right after the Big Bang?” The post Did time move slower right after the Big Continue ReadingDid time move slower right after the Big Bang?→

After the end of World War II, the U.S. military searched for a location for a new long-range missile testing facility, having found the existing White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico to be too small. After a failed attempt to establish the site in California, the Committee on Long Range Proving Grounds recommended CapeContinue reading “May 11, 1949: A missile range at Cape Canaveral” The post May 11, 1949: A missile range at Cape Continue ReadingMay 11, 1949: A missile range at Cape Canaveral→

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 10: Can you catch Comet Tempel 2? Asteroid 13 Egeria is a great 10th-magnitude target in the evening sky, already high after sunset as it floats through the large constellation Virgo. Today is a particularly good day to view it, asContinue reading “The Sky Today on Monday, May 11: Egeria moves along” The post The Sky Today on Monday, May 11: Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Monday, May 11: Egeria moves along→

Born May 10, 1900, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was also the first person to discover that stars are primarily made up of hydrogen and helium — a finding that took years to be acknowledged by the scientific community. Born in Wendover, England, Payne-Gaposchkin was an active student. She attended Cambridge University with an interest in science butContinue reading “May 10, 1900: The birth of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin” The post May 10, 1900: The birth of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin appeared Continue ReadingMay 10, 1900: The birth of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin→

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 9: Look the croc in the eye Although still best for experienced observers with larger scopes, Comet 10P/Tempel (also called Tempel 2) is quickly brightening. Glowing at roughly magnitude 15, Tempel 2 is currently in Aquila the Eagle, rising late inContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, May 10: Can you catch Comet Tempel 2?” The post The Sky Today on Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Sunday, May 10: Can you catch Comet Tempel 2?→

On May 9, 2003, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched Hayabusa, its mission to asteroid 25143 Itokawa. The journey was a demonstration of new technology engineered for returning samples from asteroids: ion engines, autonomous navigation, an asteroid sampler, and a reentry capsule. After a gravity assist from Earth, Hayabusa arrived at Itokawa in SeptemberContinue reading “May 9, 2003: Hayabusa launches” The post May 9, 2003: Hayabusa launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine. Continue ReadingMay 9, 2003: Hayabusa launches→

On Dr. Jane Goodall’s birthday, April 3, the STARMUS Festival proudly unveiled the design of the Jane Goodall Earth Medal, a new international award dedicated to recognizing individuals whose work helps protect life on Earth and inspire global responsibility for our planet’s future. The medal will be presented during STARMUS VIII — The Search forContinue reading “Starmus unveils the design of the Jane Goodall Earth Medal” The post Starmus unveils the design of the Jane Continue ReadingStarmus unveils the design of the Jane Goodall Earth Medal→

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 8: Face-on spiral face-off Last Quarter Moon occurs at 5:10 P.M. EDT. With no Moon in the evening sky, deep-sky treasures are well within reach.  High in the east by 10 P.M. local daylight time is the two-star constellation Canes VenaticiContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, May 9: Look the croc in the eye” The post The Sky Today on Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Saturday, May 9: Look the croc in the eye→

We already knew interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS came from somewhere far beyond our solar system. Now scientists have more information on how alien that somewhere really is — a corner of the universe colder than, less irradiated than, and chemically distinct from the conditions that shaped our home. A study published April 23 in Nature AstronomyContinue reading “3I/ATLAS came from a strange, cold world” The post 3I/ATLAS came from a strange, cold world appeared first on Continue Reading3I/ATLAS came from a strange, cold world→

We must fight the Lylat Wars… again. Continue Reading‘Star Fox’ is returning this summer with a shiny ‘Star Fox 64’ remake for Nintendo Switch 2 full of unique features→

NASA’s Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft rests after its flight around the moon, charred from the return to Earth. Continue ReadingThe charred hull of Artemis 2’s Orion | Space photo of the day for May 8, 2026→

Forget apps — May’s bright stars and classic spring constellations make this the perfect time to learn the sky the old-fashioned way, one star-hop at a time. Continue ReadingLearn the night sky without an app: May’s easiest star-hops for beginners→

NASA’s Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft rests after its flight around the moon, charred from the return to Earth. Continue ReadingThe charred hull of Artemis 2’s Orion | Space photo of the day for May 8, 2026→

Aerospace engineers have to consider numerous factors when designing a spacecraft, but one that comes up more and more often is the need to design against Micro-Meteoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD). While most designers understand the threat, designing structural solutions capable of withstanding the hypervelocity impacts these undercontrolled pieces of material can cause can take a significant bite out of a mission’s mass budget. A new paper from Binkal Kumar Sharma of the University of Bremen and Harshitha Baskar, an independent researcher, provides a detailed review of cutting-edge options for defending against those deadly particles.

The phenomenon of a Full Moon arises when our planet, Earth, is precisely sandwiched between the Sun and the Moon. This alignment ensures the entire side of the Moon that faces us gleams under sunlight. Thanks to the Moon’s orbit around Earth, the angle of sunlight hitting the lunar surface and being reflected back toContinue reading “2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases” The post 2026 Full Moon calendar: When Continue Reading2026 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases→

In September 2012, Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok discovered Comet C/2012 S1; as they were using a telescope from the International Scientific Optical Network, the comet was named ISON. Comet ISON was a new visitor from the Oort Cloud, making its first trip to the inner solar system. With the typical build ofContinue reading “May 8, 2013: The promise of Comet ISON” The post May 8, 2013: The promise of Comet ISON appeared Continue ReadingMay 8, 2013: The promise of Comet ISON→