Astronomy & Space News

Like a collage made of layered sheets of colored cellophane, a vibrant new image layers observations of a famous star-forming nebula from NASA space telescopes. The resulting cosmic “craft” reveals new details about the star formation region known as 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula.

This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain on, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

The constellation Orion is framed by two Perseid meteors on Aug. 12, 2018, in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah.

A total solar eclipse is seen from San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope imaged the planetary nebula NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, using the observatory’s NIRCam and MIRI instruments. The central star’s remains are responsible for the nebula’s structure, including a lion face-shaped bubble of ionized gas and dust “mane.”

NASA astronaut and Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir wears a set of virtual reality goggles, also called the Nevada Screening Vision System, for a test that measures visual function using a series of vision screening apps testing visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and more.

A first of its kind measurement of a magnetar may have captured empty space behaving in a way physicists have predicted for 90 years, but never directly observed. The results published Wednesday in Nature.

NASA astronaut candidate Adam Fuhrmann prepares for a training flight aboard NASA’s WB-57 aircraft.

Engineers connect the Orion crew and service modules for the Artemis III mission inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Technicians inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center complete installation of a commemorative plaque on the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, as photographed on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

Relatively low tidal waters expose sandflats and mudflats in the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau in this image acquired on November 28, 2025, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8. These coastal landforms support an array of invertebrates, making the archipelago a popular stopover for migratory shorebirds.

NASA opened its newest wind tunnel, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on Friday, providing a critical resource for the agency and its partners to test the safety and performance of future generations of aircraft, rockets, and space exploration vehicles.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this unusual system.

This illustration depicts charged particles from a solar storm stripping away charged particles of Mars' atmosphere, one of the processes of Martian atmosphere loss studied by NASA's MAVEN mission.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams is seen outside the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft after he landed with Expedition 74 Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikaev in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The trio returned to Earth after logging 241 days in space as a members of Expeditions 73 and 74 aboard the International Space Station.

Rocket launches this week On Tuesday, Aug. 18, Chinese aerospace firm LandSpace is targeting 7:35 p.m. EDT for the second flight of its Zhuque-3 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, according to tracking from Next Spaceflight. The launch was scrubbed last week after a Long March 7A rocket exploded hours before Zhuque-3’sContinue reading "More Starlink satellites and two big launches for China"

The post More Starlink satellites and two big launches for China appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Life in space is hard. Most orbiting observatories retire well before their 20th birthday. Yet the Hubble Space Telescope has survived and continues to thrive well into its 30s. Astronomers celebrated the observatory’s 36th birthday in April by releasing a new image of the Trifid Nebula (M20). This stellar nursery lies about 5,000 light-years fromContinue reading "Hubble captures a corner of M20"

The post Hubble captures a corner of M20 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

If a satellite’s velocity increases as it approaches a planet during a slingshot maneuver, why does it not decrease by the same amount when it leaves the planet? How can it experience a net gain in velocity? Robert WaltyStephens City, Virginia Slingshot maneuvers can seem counterintuitive. We know that a spacecraft speeds up as itContinue reading "How do slingshot maneuvers work to propel spacecraft?"

The post How do slingshot maneuvers work to propel spacecraft? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

The sharpest images ever taken of the Sun’s surface reveal ribbons of solar plasma curling into tight, wave-like vortices near the edge of a sunspot — a pattern never before seen on our star. The experiment behind the discovery was designed to push the technical limits of a new camera system, not hunt for newContinue reading "World’s largest solar telescope reveals the Sun’s hidden texture"

The post World’s largest solar telescope reveals the Sun’s hidden texture appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Astronomer Asaph Hall met Angeline Stickney at New York Central College in 1855. Two years his elder, she instructed him in geometry and German, and was reputedly so strong a mathematician that Hall and his classmate made a game of trying to stump her, yet never could. The pair were married the following year. ForContinue reading "Aug. 17, 1877: Asaph Hall discovers Phobos"

The post Aug. 17, 1877: Asaph Hall discovers Phobos appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  August 16: The Moon hangs with Venus Mars has been making its way eastward through the constellation Gemini, pulling away from open cluster M35 and approaching the two bright stars Eta (η) and Mu (μ) Geminorum. Eta shines at magnitude 3.3 and MuContinue reading "The Sky Today on Monday, August 17: Mars at Gemini’s feet"

The post The Sky Today on Monday, August 17: Mars at Gemini’s feet appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

In March of 1899, William Pickering discovered Phoebe, a moon of Saturn, on photographic plates taken on Aug. 16, 1898, by DeLisle Stewart. It was the first moon to be discovered photographically, rather than observationally, and over a hundred years later, it would be the first target of the Cassini spacecraft. Phoebe orbits at aContinue reading "Aug. 16, 1898: Phoebe makes an appearance"

The post Aug. 16, 1898: Phoebe makes an appearance appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  August 15: A conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter The Moon passes 2° south of Venus at 5 A.M. EDT, although neither is visible at that time. Instead, the Moon rises around midmorning and remains visible until after sunset. By evening, it standsContinue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, August 16: The Moon hangs with Venus"

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, August 16: The Moon hangs with Venus 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.

On Aug. 15, 1977, a narrowband radio signal was detected by the Big Ear Radio Telescope at Ohio State. The signal was powerful, lasted for 72 seconds, and was picked up on only 1 of 50 possible channels. It also showed a distinct pattern – starting low, growing, and then decreasing again – suggesting itContinue reading "Aug. 15, 1977: The Wow! Signal arrives"

The post Aug. 15, 1977: The Wow! Signal arrives appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

Elizabeth Zhang of Cupertino, California, has earned the Astronomical League's National Young Astronomer award for her study of circumbinary planets.

The post California Teen Wins 2026 National Young Astronomer Award appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

After eclipsing the Sun last Wednesday, the Moon returns to the evening sky as a crescent low in twilight. Watch it pass Venus, then Spica.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 14 – 23 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Sky & Telescope editors traveled the world, both literally and figuratively, to see the solar eclipse that darkened the world in the most magical way on August 12, 2026. Here are some of their stories.

The post Did You See the Solar Eclipse? Here’s What We Saw, from Around the World appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

With a new Moon in play, skywatchers anticipate a fine Perseid performance this year.

The post A Perfectly Timed Perseid Meteor Shower appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The star at the heart of the oft-observed Helix Nebula powered a clumpy wind before it died. Now, new images capture these clumps’ dissolution into the space between stars.

The post The Helix Nebula is Hurling Clumps of Gas through Space appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

The only total solar eclipse of the year coincides with the Perseid meteor shower. Here's what you need to know to watch the eclipse.

The post Rare Total Solar Eclipse-Perseid Meteor Shower Double-Header August 12th appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

View the August 12th total solar eclipse from anywhere — the livestream options are plentiful!

The post Where to See the August 12th Solar Eclipse Online appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

In twilight, watch bold Venus and tiny Spica approach each other to meet September 1st. And check whether you'll be able to see anything of Wednesday's solar eclipse!

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 7 – 16 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Several science campaigns plan to greet the racing shadow of the Moon on August 12th.

The post Science Campaigns Planned for the August 12th Total Solar Eclipse appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Scientists observing the Sun with the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have caught a wave-like shape that's never been seen on the Sun's visible surface.

The post Inouye Solar Telescope Sees the Sun Closer Than Ever appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Astronomers may finally have a clue to what happens to the mysterious “little red dots” that crowded the early universe. By studying a spiral galaxy nicknamed the “Saguaro,” researchers found a compact, bright red center that closely resembles these distant objects—but with something Webb usually can’t see around them: a full galaxy. When the team simulated what the Saguaro would look like much farther away, its spiral structure essentially vanished, leaving only the bright red core.

Astronomers have witnessed a black hole violently shredding a massive star, creating one of the most energetic stellar explosions ever observed. The event, nicknamed “the Whippet,” briefly released about 400 billion times the Sun’s energy and sent a shock wave racing outward at one-fifth the speed of light. Months later, scientists spotted unexpectedly fast-moving helium, suggesting that some structure may have survived the destruction.

JWST has uncovered surprising clues that Neptune’s strange inner moons may be the wreckage of an ancient cosmic catastrophe. Researchers detected clay-like minerals on Larissa, Galatea, and Neptune’s rings that form in the presence of liquid water—yet the moons themselves show no obvious water ice. The material likely came from deep inside much larger icy moons that were shattered when Triton was captured by Neptune, destroying much of the planet’s original satellite system.

Astronomers have released more than three million new spectra in a sweeping expansion that, for the first time, brings SDSS-V optical observations to the Southern Hemisphere. The data reveal everything from rare stars and glowing nebulae to hundreds of thousands of X-ray sources and supermassive black holes changing over time.

NASA’s Perseverance rover caught a striking first from Mars: Earth disappearing behind the tiny moon Phobos. Seen from nearly 195 million miles away, our planet was reduced to a single point of light before briefly vanishing behind Phobos. The rare alignment created an unusual cosmic portrait of Earth as seen from another planet.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a bizarre object from just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang that looks like an enormous star but shines far too brightly to actually be one. The mysterious red object, dubbed a “black hole star,” may contain a black hole about 100,000 times the mass of the Sun wrapped inside a dense, star-like cocoon of hydrogen roughly the size of our solar system.

James Webb has captured a striking new infrared view of NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, revealing the dramatic aftermath of a dying Sun-like star. At its center, a scorching white dwarf is blasting radiation into surrounding gas and dust, carving out the nebula’s lion-like face while illuminating a sprawling “mane” of surviving dusty clumps.

Some black holes roaming the Universe today may actually be older than the Big Bang. A new cosmic “bounce” model suggests the Universe expanded from an earlier contracting phase, allowing ancient black holes to survive the transition as cosmic fossils. These relics could potentially explain dark matter and why surprisingly massive objects appeared so early in cosmic history.

NASA is assembling the foundations of a future Moon Base through a wave of robotic missions and powerful new commercial landers. More than 20 landings are planned through 2029, testing everything from precision landings and lunar communications to rovers, power systems, and technology that can survive the Moon’s extreme conditions. Upcoming missions could also make history by exploring the Moon’s far side and a mysterious magnetic lunar swirl. Each landing brings NASA closer to a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.

A total solar eclipse will plunge parts of Europe into darkness on August 12, 2026, with Spain offering some of the best views. ESA will livestream the spectacle from the Javalambre Observatory, combining telescope feeds, drone footage, and expert commentary. At 20:31 CEST, the observatory will experience 1 minute and 21 seconds of totality, revealing the Sun’s normally hidden outer atmosphere.

NASA engineers have found a clever way to squeeze more life out of Voyager 2, nearly half a century after it left Earth. In an operation nicknamed the “Big Bang,” the team simultaneously shut down certain power-hungry hardware and switched to lower-power alternatives while keeping the spacecraft warm enough to survive.

Cassini data has revealed a surprising twist in Saturn’s magnetic shield: the planet’s rapid rotation appears to drag a key opening in its magnetosphere far toward the afternoon side instead of keeping it near noon, as happens on Earth. The finding confirms that giant planets like Saturn operate under a fundamentally different magnetic regime, where fast spin and charged material from moons such as Enceladus can overpower the Sun’s influence.

A rare meteorite that crashed through a New Jersey roof contains evidence of ancient salty fluids, organic compounds, and amino acids from a primitive asteroid. Its pristine chemistry could offer new clues about how space rocks helped supply early Earth with some of the ingredients needed for life.

Scientists have discovered incredibly tiny plasma whirlpools swirling across the Sun’s surface, some just 20 kilometers wide. These previously invisible vortices may twist magnetic fields and help build up the energy released in small solar eruptions called nanoflares. They may also help magnetic fields spread through the Sun’s atmosphere far faster than current models can explain.

A ten-month Antarctic experiment found that astronauts may struggle not only with loneliness but also with spending too much time around the same people. Frequent contact was linked to greater tension and mistrust, while the crew increasingly divided into cultural and language-based groups.