NASA has declared its MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after Red Planet anomaly led to months of lost contact. Continue ReadingLike ‘the loss of a loved one’: NASA’s Mars orbiter MAVEN is officially dead after months of radio silence
With the eclipse occurring near sunset over a complex landscape, eclipse chasers must do their research before the big moment on Aug. 12, 2026. Here’s what to do. Continue ReadingSpain’s total solar eclipse 2026 comes with a catch — here’s how to avoid ruining your view
Astronomers studying wind speeds on distant exoplanets have discovered weather systems driven by magnetic fields, rather than the largely hydrodynamic weather patterns observed on Earth. This discovery is among the best evidence yet for the existence of magnetic fields on exoplanets.
The strength of gravity is different on every body in the solar system. Whether it’s the crushing weight of Jupiter or the miniscule pull of a small asteroid, this fundamental force of physics still has a major impact on the material those bodies are made up of. A new paper from researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) showcases just how different it can be by letting planetary simulants freefall inside a giant drop tower and measuring how “fluffy” the space dirt got.
From planetary rovers and asteroid sample return missions to the recent Artemis II flight above the far side of the moon, we are seemingly good at doing space. But our achievements still do not match many of our space dreams, science fiction or otherwise.
In June 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly to space. Nearly three decades later, we learned that she had also been an LGBTQ trailblazer. Continue ReadingHappy Pride Month! Remembering Sally Ride’s historic legacy | Space photo of the day for June 3, 2026
Scientists propose that a moon base could act as an isolated first line of biological defense against extraterrestrial samples that might be harmful to Earth’s biosphere. Continue ReadingScientists call for a secure lunar quarantine facility for extraterrestrial samples: ‘The moon may become humanity’s first line of biological defense’
The brainchild of George Ellery Hale, the 200-inch Hale Telescope was dedicated June 3, 1948, at Palomar Observatory in California. In promoting and fundraising for the project, Hale had a firm science agenda for the scope, but also wrote more fancifully of “the lure of the uncharted seas of space”; though he died in 1938,Continue reading “June 3, 1948: Hale Telescope dedicated” The post June 3, 1948: Hale Telescope dedicated appeared first on Astronomy Magazine. Continue ReadingJune 3, 1948: Hale Telescope dedicated
Chevron seven will not lock Continue ReadingNew ‘Stargate’ show cancelled at Amazon MGM
Over 60 hours of light data was used to create this stunning view of the gravitationally bound “Leo Triplet” galaxies. Continue ReadingAstrophotographer captures breathtaking view of 548 galaxies from a balcony
A former NASA engineer named John Muratore sat on console as launch director in early September 2016 as propellant flowed onto a Falcon 9 rocket in Florida. Ahead of a planned launch two days later, SpaceX was preparing for a static fire test of the vehicle. Then, all of a sudden, the rocket exploded. “It came out of nowhere, and it was really violent,” Muratore said. This fireball resulted in the destruction of the rocket, much of its launch site, and the AMOS-6 satellite already attached to the vehicle. Nearly a decade later, on May 28, Blue Origin conducted a Continue ReadingHow long will it take to rebuild Blue Origin’s launch pad? We asked some SpaceX vets.
Black holes, regions in space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, have been widely studied over the past decades, due to their unique and intriguing properties. Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts that black holes obey a set of rules, known as the laws of black hole mechanics. These rules somewhat resemble the laws of thermodynamics, which delineate how energy, heat, and entropy behave in our universe.
A triple star system in which the stars all eclipse one another from our vantage point is standing out as one of the best studied stellar trios. Continue ReadingThis star system creates a rare triple eclipse. Here’s what that would look like
As SpaceX prepares its long-awaited stock market debut, investors everywhere are scrambling to get a piece of the action—through investment funds, related company stocks, and even online prediction markets.
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. June 2: Titan stands close to Saturn Asteroid 3 Juno is stationary at 3 P.M. EDT, standing still against the stars of Aquila the Eagle. The large main-belt world is in far eastern Aquila and doesn’t rise until an hour before midnight.Continue reading “The Sky Today on Wednesday, June 3: Juno stands still” The post The Sky Today on Wednesday, June 3: Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Wednesday, June 3: Juno stands still
Ever since the JWST revealed a population of SMBH in the early universe that were overmassive, scientists have been working hard to explain them. These black holes existed when the universe was only about 2 billion years old, during Cosmic Noon, and according to our models of black hole growth, there simply wasn’t enough time for them to grow so massive.
An aerial view of launch complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station showing the aftermath of the New Glenn explosion last Thursday. The rocket itself virtually disintegrated in the blast leaving its transporter-erector in wreckage on the concrete pad’s surface. The large gantry suffered structural damage near its base while the mangled remains of a lightning tower are visible to the right of the pad surface. A large processing hangar (at left) came Continue ReadingBlue Origin vows to resume New Glenn flights by year’s end
When rockets fire into space, the insides of their engines become an extreme environment where temperatures soar and tiny particles are thrown around at hypersonic speeds. These particles behave in ways that break long-held assumptions, according to new research that could help improve the durability, safety and performance of future space and defense technologies.
Using more than a decade of observations from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds (VMC), researchers measured the motions of millions of stars across the Small Magellanic Cloud with unprecedented precision. The new study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, provides direct evidence of a galaxy-wide tidal disruption of the Small Magellanic Cloud from its interaction with the Large Magellanic Cloud.
A 1-millimeter difference in the size of a nest box entrance could help rare little pygmy-possums recover after bushfire, according to new research by Adelaide University, Kangaroo Island Research Station, and Kangaroo Island Dance School.
