Astronomy & Space News

During its close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io on December 30, 2023, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured some of the most detailed imagery ever of Io’s volcanic surface. This image is the NASA Science Image of the Month for October 2025.

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the nebula LMC N44C.

This stunning Earth image taken from the International Space Station looks at a large lake in eastern Kazakhstan with golden sunglint: Lake Balkhash. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia and is the 15th largest lake in the world.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), the agency’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On–Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. The missions will each focus on different effects of the solar wind — the continuous stream of particles emitted by the Sun — and space weather — the changing conditions in space driven by the Sun — from their origins at the Sun to their farthest reaches billions of miles away at the edge of our solar system.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague watches as Robert Schmidle Pitts Aerobatics perform, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, during the Joint Base Andrews Air Show at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George's County, Maryland. Hague spent 171 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72.

NASA’s 10 new astronaut candidates were introduced Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, following a competitive selection process of more than 8,000 applicants from across the United States.

IC 348 is a star-forming region in our Milky Way galaxy.

In this infrared photograph, the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory at JPL’s Table Mountain Facility near Wrightwood, California, beams its eight-laser beacon to the Deep Space Optical Communications flight laser transceiver aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft.

The Milky Way appears above Earth's bright atmospheric glow in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 261 miles above southern Iran at approximately 12:54 a.m. local time on Aug. 23, 2025.

NASA astronaut Zena Cardman processes bone cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module's Life Science Glovebox on Aug. 28, 2025.

Westerlund 1 is the biggest and closest “super” star cluster to Earth. Data from Chandra and other telescopes are helping astronomers delve deeper into this galactic factory where stars are vigorously being produced. Observations from Chandra have uncovered thousands of individual stars pumping out X-ray emission into the cluster.

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick (left) and Mark Vande Hei (right) prepare to fly out to a landing zone in the Rocky Mountains as part of the certification run for the NASA Artemis course at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, Colorado, Aug. 26.

The Sun blew out a coronal mass ejection along with part of a solar filament over a three-hour period on Feb. 24, 2015. While some of the strands fell back into the Sun, a substantial part raced into space in a bright cloud of particles (as observed by the NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft). Because this occurred way over near the edge of the Sun, it was unlikely to have any effect on Earth.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured newborn stars forming in clouds of dust and gas (colored golden and orange in this image) in a star-forming region called Pismis 24.

Dinner is served aboard the International Space Station! One tray features shrimp cocktail on whole grain wheat crackers, while the other holds sushi made with seaweed, Spam, tuna, and rice.

Born Nov. 2, 1885, In Missouri, Harlow Shapley earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1913. From 1914 to 1921, he was posted at Mount Wilson Observatory, where he used the 60-inch telescope to study globular clusters and Cepheid variables. From 1921 to 1952, Shapley was the director of the Harvard College Observatory, helping establishContinue reading "Nov. 2, 1885: Birth of Harlow Shapley"

The post Nov. 2, 1885: Birth of Harlow Shapley appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  November 1: Dip into the Bay of Rainbows Daylight saving time ends today at 2 A.M. So, if you are in an area that observes daylight saving time, your clocks will “fall back” from 1:59 A.M. daylight time to 1 A.M. standardContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, November 2: Neptune nestles between Saturn and the Moon"

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, November 2: Neptune nestles between Saturn and the Moon appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Now that we’ve passed Halloween and moved into November, comet-watchers expect that Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) will fade. But we really can’t tell right now because the bright Moon is spreading so much light in our night sky that it makes the comet hard to see. So, between now and November 5, let’s take a break and wait untilContinue reading "Comet Lemmon in November"

The post Comet Lemmon in November 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 "2025 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases"

The post 2025 Full Moon calendar: When to see the Full Moon and phases appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Under the leadership of George Ellery Hale, the mirror for Mount Wilson’s 100-inch scope was ordered in 1906. Businessman John Hooker initially covered the expenses; when he later withdrew his support, Andrew Carnegie would complete the funding. The project was delayed several times, at first by disappointment with the initial version of the mirror thatContinue reading "Nov. 1, 1917: The Hooker Telescope sees first light"

The post Nov. 1, 1917: The Hooker Telescope sees first light appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

In late 2023, I flew in space. But I didn’t fly as a NASA astronaut or a space tourist. Instead, I flew on a training and research mission aboard a Virgin Galactic spaceplane for my company, the more-than-3,000-person research and development nonprofit Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The mission, named Galactic 5, was barely an hourContinue reading "How I flew to space, by S. Alan Stern"

The post How I flew to space, by S. Alan Stern appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 31: Peer into the Ghost’s Goblet Tonight is a chance to view the remains of a huge impact crater on the Moon: Sinus Iridium, which carves out a chunk of Mare Imbrium.  You can begin viewing the Moon any time thisContinue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, November 1: Dip into the Bay of Rainbows"

The post The Sky Today on Saturday, November 1: Dip into the Bay of Rainbows appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Mercury switches from the evening to morning sky this month, while the giant planets dominate the night. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn offer many events. Venus stars on early November mornings, but drops lower day by day.  Mercury shines at magnitude –0.1 on Nov. 1 and hangs low in the southwest after sunset. ItContinue reading "November 2025: What’s in the sky this month? Mercury switches from evening to morning as giant planets dominate the night"

The post November 2025: What’s in the sky this month? Mercury switches from evening to morning as giant planets dominate the night appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

As November begins, two of the solar system’s rocky planets form a nice pair low in the western sky during twilight. They add a sparkle to our view of the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion as it sinks toward the horizon. Innermost Mercury comes into view first. It shines at magnitude –0.1 and appears 8° directlyContinue reading "November 2025: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month?"

The post November 2025: What’s in the Southern Hemisphere sky this month? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

For decades, astronomers have been aware of something weird lurking on old, 1950s-era photographic plates: starlike flashes of light (called “transients”) that appear from nowhere and vanish just as quickly. Since these plates were taken before the 1957 launch of Sputnik, the usual explanation of satellites or space junk was out. These mystery blips haveContinue reading "Did aliens watch 1950s nuclear tests? ‘Maybe,’ studies say"

The post Did aliens watch 1950s nuclear tests? ‘Maybe,’ studies say appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

In this month’s Sky Tour astronomy podcast, we’ll watch two sets of shooting stars, spot some bright planets, point out a few late-autumn constellations, and put a spotlight on five fascinating stars.

The post November Podcast: Five Fascinating Stars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Saturn is in excellent view all evening. In a telescope its rings look like a thin needle piercing the big yellow globe. Soon the rings will turn exactly edge-on.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 30 –November 9 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A new study has found that the 260-day ritual calendar is the key to understanding how the Maya predicted solar eclipses.

The post Maya 260-day Calendar Provides Key to Solar Eclipse Predictions appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

An alien comet will soon depart from the Sun's glare and enter the morning sky. It may be even brighter than expected, so get ready for the observing opportunity of a lifetime.

The post All Eyes on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Two recent discoveries of black hole mergers add to the evidence that such mergers happen over and over again.

The post Gravitational Wave Detectors Spot Merging Black Holes That Have Merged Before appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Albert H. Nagler, a pioneer of telescope optics, passed away at the office of his company Tele Vue Optics on Monday, October 27th. He was 90 years old.

The post Al Nagler (1935–2025) appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Astronomers have discovered a ready-to-image super-Earth candidate less than 20 light-years away.

The post A Super-Earth Candidate Less Than 20 Light-Years Away appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The crescent Moon returns and waxes to first quarter. Two binocular comets are on the way out. And Arcturus is once again the Ghost of Summer Suns.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 24 –November 2 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The merged remnants of stellar pairs may orbit the Milky Way’s central, supermassive black hole.

The post Merged Stellar Pairs May Orbit the Milky Way’s Black Hole  appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Astronomers have discovered a second asteroid in the inner solar system, circling the Sun almost entirely within the orbit of Venus.

The post Newly Discovered Asteroid Circles the Sun Inside Venus’s Orbit appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Spacetime isn’t something that exists; it’s a model for describing how events happen. Treating events as objects creates philosophical confusion and fuels misconceptions, such as time-travel paradoxes. Recognizing that events merely occur within an existing world brings clarity to physics and philosophy alike.

A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the first 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet. The fiery WASP-18b, a massive “ultra-hot Jupiter,” revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot they destroy water molecules. This pioneering eclipse mapping technique lets scientists visualize alien weather in unprecedented detail and could soon be applied to smaller, rocky planets.

Researchers uncovered that trace compounds like nickel and urea may have delayed Earth’s oxygenation for millions of years. Experiments mimicking early Earth revealed how their concentrations controlled cyanobacterial growth, dictating when oxygen began to accumulate. As nickel declined and urea stabilized, photosynthetic life thrived, sparking the Great Oxidation Event. The findings could also guide the search for biosignatures on distant worlds.

Astronomers have captured a haunting image of a “cosmic bat” spreading its wings across deep space. This nebula, 10,000 light-years away, glows crimson as newborn stars ignite clouds of gas and dust.

The Taurid meteor shower, born from Comet Encke, delights skywatchers but may conceal hidden risks. Research led by Mark Boslough examines potential Taurid swarms that could increase impact danger in 2032 and 2036. Using planetary defense modeling and telescope data, scientists assess these threats while fighting misinformation and promoting preparedness.

Earth’s magnetosphere, once thought to have a simple electric polarity pattern, has revealed a surprising twist. New satellite data and advanced simulations show that the morning side of the magnetosphere carries a negative charge, not positive as long believed. Researchers from Kyoto, Nagoya, and Kyushu Universities found that while the polar regions retain the expected polarity, the equatorial areas flip it entirely.

Scientists have developed a groundbreaking tool called Effort.jl that lets them simulate the structure of the universe using just a laptop. The team created a system that dramatically speeds up how researchers study cosmic data, turning what once took days of supercomputer time into just a few hours. This new approach helps scientists explore massive datasets, test models, and fine-tune their understanding of how galaxies form and evolve.

JWST observations show that early galaxies were chaotic, gas-filled systems rather than stable disks. Researchers from Cambridge studied over 250 galaxies and found most were turbulent, still forming stars and merging rapidly. These findings challenge earlier views of early galactic order and bridge the gap between the universe’s early chaos and the calmer “cosmic noon” era of peak star formation.

Two recently observed black hole mergers, occurring just weeks apart in late 2024, have opened an extraordinary new window into the universe’s most extreme events. These collisions not only revealed exotic spins and possible second-generation black holes but also provided unprecedented tests of Einstein’s general relativity. The precision of these detections allowed scientists to confirm theoretical predictions with unmatched accuracy, while also probing the possible existence of ultralight bosons—mysterious particles that could draw energy from black holes.

In a rare global collaboration, scientists from Japan and the United States joined forces to explore one of the universe’s deepest mysteries — why anything exists at all. By combining years of data from two massive neutrino experiments, researchers took a big step toward understanding how these invisible “ghost particles” might have tipped the cosmic balance in favor of matter over antimatter.

Tohoku University researchers have found a way to make quantum sensors more sensitive by connecting superconducting qubits in optimized network patterns. These networks amplify faint signals possibly left by dark matter. The approach outperformed traditional methods even under realistic noise. Beyond physics, it could revolutionize radar, MRI, and navigation technologies.

Rice University researchers have captured the temperature profile of quark-gluon plasma, the ultra-hot state of matter from the dawn of the universe. By analyzing rare electron-positron emissions from atomic collisions, they determined precise temperatures at different phases of the plasma’s evolution. The results not only confirm theoretical predictions but also refine the “QCD phase diagram,” which maps matter’s behavior under extreme conditions.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first detailed look at a carbon-rich disk surrounding the exoplanet CT Cha b, located about 625 light-years from Earth. The observations reveal a possible “moon factory,” where dust and gas could be coalescing into new moons. The planet orbits a young star only 2 million years old, and the disk’s composition offers rare insight into how moons and planets form in the early stages of a solar system’s life.

Two Sydney PhD students have pulled off a remarkable space science feat from Earth—using AI-driven software to correct image blurring in NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Their innovation, called AMIGO, fixed distortions in the telescope’s infrared camera, restoring its ultra-sharp vision without the need for a space mission.

Researchers have directly observed torsional Alfvén waves twisting through the Sun’s corona — magnetic waves first predicted over 80 years ago. Captured using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, these motions could explain why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the Sun’s surface. The finding helps validate decades of solar physics theories and opens new paths to studying solar energy transfer.