Astronomy & Space News

A full moon is seen shining over NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher in the early hours of February 1, 2026.

NASA's Orion spacecraft sits atop the agency's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket at the launch pad after rollout on Jan. 17, 2026.

Deep Space Station 15 (DSS-15), one of the 112-foot (34-meter) antennas at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, looks skyward, with the stars of the Milky Way overhead, in September 2025.

A new image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope of a portion of the Helix Nebula highlights comet-like knots, fierce stellar winds, and layers of gas shed off by a dying star interacting with its surrounding environment. Webb’s image also shows the stark transition between the hottest gas to the coolest gas as the shell expands out from the central white dwarf.

This stellar landscape is reminiscent of a winter vista in a view from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (red, green, and blue). Chandra data (red, green and blue) punctuate the scene with bursts of colored lights representing high-energy activity from the active stars.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s 2024 NIRCam image shows protostar EC 53 circled. Researchers using new data from Webb’s MIRI proved that crystalline silicates form in the hottest part of the disk of gas and dust surrounding the star — and may be shot to the system’s edges.

A seemingly serene landscape of gas and dust is hopping with star formation behind the scenes.

A green and red aurora streams across Earth’s horizon above the city lights of Europe in this Jan. 19, 2026, photograph, which looks north across Italy toward Germany. The International Space Station was orbiting 262 miles above the Mediterranean Sea at approximately 10:02 p.m. local time when the image was captured.

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen during a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA's massive Crawler-Transporter, upgraded for the Artemis program, carried the agency's SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft on the Mobile Launcher from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the Artemis II mission.

A bright reflection nebula shares the stage with a protostar and planet-forming disk in this Hubble image.

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 moves toward the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The crawler will transport NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B ahead of the Artemis II launch.

Jets of ionized gas streak across a cosmic landscape from a newly forming star.

The New York–Newark–Jersey City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which spans 23 counties across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and has a population of about 19.9 million, is pictured at approximately 3:29 a.m. local time Dec. 20, 2025, from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above the Atlantic coast.

NASA’s Pandora small satellite, and NASA-sponsored Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS), and Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope (BlackCAT) CubeSat, are ready to be encapsulated inside a SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing in this early January 2026 photo. Pandora and the CubeSats launched Sunday, Jan. 11, from Vandenberg Space Force Base located on California’s central coast.

A groundbreaking new study using artificial intelligence (AI) has revealed that the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago caused only a modest decline in shark and ray species. The findings contradict previous theories of how severely the event affected life in the oceans. Led by Swansea University, researchers combined AIContinue reading "The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was a bit selective"

The post The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was a bit selective appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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 to see the Full Moon and phases appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Born Feb. 4, 1906, Clyde Tombaugh grew up on farms in Illinois and Kansas. Tombaugh couldn’t afford to attend college – though he eventually completed his bachelor’s (1936) and master’s (1939) degree while he was working – but taught himself astronomy and optics. He built his own telescopes out of old farm machinery and carContinue reading "Feb. 4, 1906: The birth of Clyde Tombaugh"

The post Feb. 4, 1906: The birth of Clyde Tombaugh appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

When a budding astroimager decides they’re ready to move past their DSLR and buy a dedicated astro camera, a hard question arises: Should they choose a one-shot color or monochrome camera? It’s a difficult decision because both have advantages and disadvantages. One-shot color cameras (OSC) capture all three color bands (red, green, and blue) inContinue reading "Which astrophotography camera should you choose?"

The post Which astrophotography camera should you choose? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Chengcheng Xu/Tianyao Yang A Full Moon rises Feb. 1 above Launch Complex 39B, from where the Artemis 2 mission and its Space Launch System booster will depart no earlier than March, following a delay due to multiple issues during the mission’s first wet dress rehearsal. The photographers captured this shot from Titusville, Florida, around 11Continue reading "Departure delay"

The post Departure delay appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  February 3: Uranus stands still Io and its shadow transit Jupiter this evening, beginning shortly after 10 P.M. EST.  By the time the transit starts, the planet is above the horizon for the entire U.S. In the Midwest, it is high inContinue reading "The Sky Today on Wednesday, February 4: Io and its shadow transit Jupiter"

The post The Sky Today on Wednesday, February 4: Io and its shadow transit Jupiter appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The FAA has warned pilots to be prepared to “exercise extreme caution” when flying below the trajectory of commercial spacecraft — some of which have the potential for “catastrophic failures resulting in debris fields.” That is the language used in a recent Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), dated Jan. 8, that is intended to provide guidance toContinue reading "FAA warns ‘catastrophic’ spaceflight mishaps pose threat to aircraft"

The post FAA warns ‘catastrophic’ spaceflight mishaps pose threat to aircraft appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

NASA completed a crucial test, a wet dress rehearsal, for its Artemis 2 mission early Tuesday morning, Feb. 3. Originally hoping to launch in early February, following challenges during the rehearsal, NASA is now targeting one of several launch windows in March for the mission. Nonetheless, the completion of the wet dress rehearsal moves theContinue reading "Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal: What is it and what happened? "

The post Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal: What is it and what happened?  appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

On Jan. 31, 1966, the Soviets launched Luna 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome with a plan to land on the surface of the Moon. Missions in the three previous years had been fraught, with Luna 4 and 6 missing the Moon entirely, and Luna 5, 7, and 8 crashing into its surface. Three days later, atContinue reading "Feb. 3, 1966: Luna 9 successfully lands"

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If you live in the United States, mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 3. That’s when a total lunar eclipse will occur above the contiguous states, although the farther west you are, the more of it you’ll be able to see. Lunar eclipses happen when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon align — in that order — and whenContinue reading "Get ready for next month’s total lunar eclipse"

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The proposed installation — less than 10 miles from Paranal Observatory — sparked international concern. Now it’s canceled.

The post Chilean Observatories Saved from Industrial Megaproject appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

An AI search through decades-old spacecraft images reveals that Mercury may still be alive and kicking, geologically speaking.

The post Hundreds of Bright Streaks Suggest Mercury’s Still Active appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

In this month’s episode, go on a tour of the stars and planets that you’ll see overhead during February. First we’ll keep tabs on the Moon; say good-bye to Saturn; trace out the Winter Milky Way; and explore some lesser-known constellations near Orion.

The post February Podcast: Winter’s Milky Way appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The dazzling Moon occults Regulus Monday night while Regulus is busy announcing February. Betelgeuse turns the Winter Hexagon into the Heavenly G.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 30 – February 8 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

New observations reveal a strange structure in the iconic nebula that has evaded astronomers for centuries.

The post The Ring Nebula Has an “Iron Bar”  appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The final release of data from the Dark Energy Survey widens tensions in our understanding of the cosmic evolution.

The post The Dark Energy Survey Weighs in on Cosmic Tensions appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Sculpted gases in the Helix Nebula, revealed in a new Webb image, look like the firework-like tendrils in a distant amateur-discovered supernova remnant — here's why.

The post What the Helix Nebula Has in Common with a Supernova Remnant appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Tiny Mars might have an outsize effect on Earth's climate over hundreds of thousands of years.

The post Scientists Measure Mars's Effect on Earth's Climate appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A new study suggests that an early version of Mars’s smaller moon Deimos was pulverized by its own debris, explaining the moon's oddities.

The post Martian Moon Deimos Might Have Reshaped Itself and Its Orbit appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The waxing Moon marches east across the evening sky. It says hello to binary Gamma Arietis on Saturday, then occults some of the Pleiades for Europe on Tuesday. But it's past them by nightfall in North America.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 23 - February 1 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of dark matter, revealing the invisible framework that shaped the Universe long before stars and galaxies formed. Using powerful new observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the research shows how dark matter gathered ordinary matter into dense regions, setting the stage for galaxies like the Milky Way and eventually planets like Earth.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 team has entered a carefully controlled two-week quarantine as the countdown begins for their journey to the International Space Station. The four astronauts—representing NASA, the European Space Agency, and Roscosmos—are isolating at Johnson Space Center before heading to Florida for final launch preparations. The mission could lift off as early as February 11, with multiple backup launch windows lined up.

Hidden lava tunnels on the Moon and Mars could one day shelter human explorers, offering natural protection from radiation and space debris. A European research team has unveiled a bold new mission concept that uses three different robots working together to explore these extreme underground environments autonomously. Recently tested in the volcanic caves of Lanzarote, the system maps cave entrances, deploys sensors, lowers a scout rover, and creates detailed 3D maps of the interior.

A newly detected gravitational wave, GW250114, is giving scientists their clearest look yet at a black hole collision—and a powerful way to test Einstein’s theory of gravity. Its clarity allowed scientists to measure multiple “tones” from the collision, all matching Einstein’s predictions. That confirmation is exciting—but so is the possibility that future signals won’t behave so neatly. Any deviation could point to new physics beyond our current understanding of gravity.

Jupiter’s swirling storms have concealed its true makeup for centuries, but a new model is finally peeling back the clouds. Researchers found the planet likely holds significantly more oxygen than the Sun, a key clue to how Jupiter—and the rest of the solar system—came together. The study also reveals that gases move through Jupiter’s atmosphere much more slowly than scientists once thought. Together, the findings reshape our understanding of the solar system’s largest planet.

A young star called V1298 Tau is giving astronomers a front-row seat to the birth of the galaxy’s most common planets. Four massive but extremely low-density worlds orbiting the star appear to be inflated precursors of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. By watching how the planets subtly tug on one another, scientists measured their masses and confirmed they are far puffier than expected. The system reveals how these planets dramatically shrink and transform as they age.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has just made history by driving across Mars using routes planned by artificial intelligence instead of human operators. A vision-capable AI analyzed the same images and terrain data normally used by rover planners, identified hazards like rocks and sand ripples, and charted a safe path across the Martian surface. After extensive testing in a virtual replica of the rover, Perseverance successfully followed the AI-generated routes, traveling hundreds of feet autonomously.

Low-Earth orbit is more crowded—and fragile—than it looks. Satellites constantly weave past each other, burning fuel and making dozens of evasive maneuvers every year just to stay safe. A major solar storm could disable navigation and communications, turning that careful dance into chaos. According to new calculations, it may take just days—not decades—for a catastrophic chain reaction to begin, potentially choking off humanity’s access to space for generations.

JWST has revealed a strange early universe filled with ultra-bright “blue monster” galaxies, mysterious “little red dots,” and black holes that seem far too massive for their age. A new study proposes that dark stars—hypothetical stars powered by dark matter—could tie all these surprises together. These exotic objects may have grown huge very quickly, lighting up the early cosmos and planting the seeds of supermassive black holes.

For the first time, astronomers have captured radio signals from a rare exploding star, exposing what happened in the years leading up to its death. The radio waves reveal that the star violently shed huge amounts of material shortly before it exploded, likely due to interaction with a nearby companion star. This discovery gives scientists a new tool to rewind the clock on stellar deaths. It also shows that some supernovae are far more dramatic in their final moments than previously thought.

A repeating fast radio burst has just given up one of its biggest secrets. Long-term observations revealed a rare signal flare caused by plasma likely ejected from a nearby companion star. This shows the burst source isn’t alone, but part of a binary system. The finding strengthens the case that magnetars interacting with stellar companions can generate repeating cosmic flashes.

Bright white rocks spotted by NASA’s Perseverance rover are rewriting what we thought we knew about ancient Mars. These aluminum-rich clays, called kaolinite, usually form on Earth only after millions of years of heavy rainfall in warm, humid environments—conditions similar to tropical rainforests. Their presence on today’s cold, dry Mars suggests the planet once had abundant rain, flowing water, and possibly lush oases long ago. Even more puzzling, the rocks are scattered across the landscape with no obvious source nearby, hinting at dramatic ancient events like floods, river transport, or asteroid impacts.

Astronomers may have finally cracked one of the universe’s biggest mysteries: how black holes grew so enormous so fast after the Big Bang. New simulations show that early, chaotic galaxies created perfect conditions for small “baby” black holes to go on extreme growth spurts, devouring gas at astonishing rates. These feeding frenzies allowed modest black holes—once thought too puny to matter—to balloon into monsters tens of thousands of times the Sun’s mass.

Webb’s latest image of the Helix Nebula reveals a dramatic close-up of a dying star shedding its outer layers. The detailed view highlights glowing knots of gas shaped by fast-moving stellar winds colliding with older material. Changes in color trace a shift from scorching hot gas near the center to cooler regions farther out. The scene captures how stellar death helps supply the building blocks for future worlds.

NASA is moving into a new phase of space exploration, with major progress across human spaceflight, science missions, and advanced technology. In just one year, the agency has launched multiple crewed and science missions, test-flown new aircraft, and pushed forward plans for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. With Artemis II set to send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA is laying the groundwork not just for a return to the lunar surface, but for a sustained human presence in deep space.