Space
Jun 4, 12:00
Not an alien spacecraft: Hunt for 'technosignatures' around interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS comes up empty
Scientists failed to find radio signals emanating from the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, further bolstering its status as a natural object, not one made by aliens.
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Radio astronomers recently hunted for " technosignatures " coming from 3I/ATLAS , which is just the third confirmed interstellar object ever seen in our solar system . As expected, that search came up empty — but it still gathered valuable data, the scientists said.
TL;DR:
Scientists failed to find radio signals emanating from the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, further bolstering its status as a natural object, not one made by aliens.
Skyandtelescope
Jun 4, 12:00
A Globular Season Surprise
Jennifer Willis explores the genesis of globular clusters in the latest installment of Why We Look Up. The post A Globular Season Surprise appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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A Globular Season Surprise. Jennifer Willis explores the genesis of globular clusters in the latest installment of Why We Look Up. The post A Globular Season Surprise appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
The post A Globular Season Surprise appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
Space
Jun 4, 10:00
Meteorite found in Sahara desert may be 1st evidence of lost solar system world
A rare meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert contains evidence of a long-lost moon-size world that existed just a few million years after the solar system formed.
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The meteorite , known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774, is a roughly one-pound (454-gram) rock discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2019. This particular chunk of space rock, known as NWA 12774, preserves an unusual chemical signature that suggests some of the solar system's earliest worlds developed differently from other rocky planets, researchers say.
TL;DR:
A rare meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert contains evidence of a long-lost moon-size world that existed just a few million years after the solar system formed.
Space
Jun 3, 22:00
Can black holes turn into white holes? It's not such a crazy idea, scientists say
New research suggests primordial black holes born during the Big Bang could live much longer than previously estimated — long enough to become energy-spewing white holes.
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Primordial black holes are proposed to have formed through fluctuations in the incredibly hot and dense matter that filled the universe moments after the Big Bang . This is in contrast to stellar-mass or "astrophysical" black holes that are familiar to us the collapse of massive stars like the.
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New research suggests primordial black holes born during the Big Bang could live much longer than previously estimated — long enough to become energy-spewing white holes.
Space
Jun 3, 20:00
Forget 'Masters of the Universe', the best live-action He-Man and Skeletor encounter was in an insurance commercial
Set in the evening, the scene broods as an unknown figure, only identifiable by his terrible Lego haircut and furry boots, stomps toward the Stallion Saloon.
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Set in the evening, the scene broods as an unknown figure, only identifiable by his terrible Lego haircut and furry boots, stomps toward the Stallion Saloon. It looks like one of those rough places where too much liquor and too much testosterone culminate in bouts of fisticuffs for no good reason. It's basically that mixed with the cantina from Star Wars.
TL;DR:
He-Man and Skeletor had the power … the power to dance as the Ballroom Masters of the Universe.
Space
Jun 3, 19:00
'The mirror passed with flying colors': NASA just took its last look at the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope before launch
NASA engineers completed their final inspection of the Roman telescope's primary mirror and are now preparing to ship the telescope to its Florida launch site.
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'The mirror passed with flying colors': NASA just took its last look at the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope before launch. NASA engineers completed their final inspection of the Roman telescope's primary mirror and are now preparing to ship the telescope to its Florida launch site.
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NASA engineers completed their final inspection of the Roman telescope's primary mirror and are now preparing to ship the telescope to its Florida launch site.
Space
Jun 3, 18:00
The 9 best one-season space and sci-fi shows of all time
One-and-done still hits the sweet spot with these (inter)stellar space shows.
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The 9 best one-season space and sci-fi shows of all time. One-and-done still hits the sweet spot with these (inter)stellar space shows.
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One-and-done still hits the sweet spot with these (inter)stellar space shows.
Universetoday
Jun 3, 17:44
A New Map of Stars Shows That the Small Magellanic Cloud is Expanding
A multi-year survey of millions of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud shows that the dwarf galaxy is expanding rather than rotating. This is due to the influence of its larger neighbour, the Large Magellanic Cloud.
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A multi-year survey of millions of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud shows that the dwarf galaxy is expanding rather than rotating. This is due to the influence of its larger neighbour, the Large Magellanic Cloud.
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A multi-year survey of millions of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud shows that the dwarf galaxy is expanding rather than rotating.
Space
Jun 3, 17:00
Our choice for the best deep-space viewing telescope — now with $200 off, this telescope deal is worth grabbing fast
Expert tester rated the Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope with an impressive review and it's now at its best price of the year in this early Amazon Prime Day deal.
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The unmistakable orange-colored Celestron NexStar 8SE is without doubt a brilliantly performing telescope, and such performance is rarely discounted. This telescope is universally loved by astronomers, and has a spec which impressed in testing, and scored it with a 4.5-star rating.
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Expert tester rated the Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope with an impressive review and it's now at its best price of the year in this early Amazon Prime Day deal.
Skyandtelescope
Jun 3, 16:28
Venus, Jupiter Converge in Stunning June 9th Dusk Conjunction
A beautiful conjunction is coming, and all you need are your eyes to enjoy it. The post Venus, Jupiter Converge in Stunning June 9th Dusk Conjunction appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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Venus, Jupiter Converge in Stunning June 9th Dusk Conjunction. A beautiful conjunction is coming, and all you need are your eyes to enjoy it. The post Venus, Jupiter Converge in Stunning June 9th Dusk Conjunction appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
The post Venus, Jupiter Converge in Stunning June 9th Dusk Conjunction appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
NASA Image of the Day
Jun 3, 15:51
Journey to the Center of the Virgo Cluster
Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The…
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
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This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy Messier 88 (M88).
Space
Jun 3, 15:39
Sun erupts with 3 colossal solar flares in less than 24 hours, boosting chances for northern lights
A trio of major solar flares triggered radio blackouts across Earth and may spark impressive northern lights as possible solar storms head our way.
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Sun erupts with 3 colossal solar flares in less than 24 hours, boosting chances for northern lights. A trio of major solar flares triggered radio blackouts across Earth and may spark impressive northern lights as possible solar storms head our way.
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A trio of major solar flares triggered radio blackouts across Earth and may spark impressive northern lights as possible solar storms head our way.
Universetoday
Jun 3, 15:33
Here's Why So Many Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe Stop Forming Stars
The early Universe is full of massive galaxies that stopped forming stars very early. They're called massive quenchers (MQ) and they're challenging to explain. New research shows that another type of galaxy, dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) can explain why. It's all about mergers, starbursts, and AGN feedback.
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Here's Why So Many Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe Stop Forming Stars. They're called massive quenchers (MQ) and they're challenging to explain. New research shows that another type of galaxy, dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) can explain why.
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The early Universe is full of massive galaxies that stopped forming stars very early.
Space
Jun 3, 15:32
NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter is officially dead after months of radio silence
After months of repeated attempts to reestablish contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) satellite, NASA has declared the Red Planet probe dead.
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After months of repeated attempts to reestablish contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) satellite, NASA has declared the Red Planet probe dead. 6, by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), before the solar-powered spacecraft's orbit took it behind Mars.
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NASA has declared its MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after Red Planet anomaly led to months of lost contact.
Space
Jun 3, 15:00
Spain's total solar eclipse 2026 comes with a catch — here's how to avoid ruining your view
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.
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Spain's total solar eclipse 2026 comes with a catch — here's how to avoid ruining your view. With the eclipse occurring near sunset over a complex landscape, eclipse chasers must do their research before the big moment on Aug. Here's what to do.
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With the eclipse occurring near sunset over a complex landscape, eclipse chasers must do their research before the big moment on Aug.
Universetoday
Jun 3, 14:30
Exoplanetary Weather Watchers Find Strong Evidence of Magnetic Fields
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.
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Exoplanetary Weather Watchers Find Strong Evidence of Magnetic Fields. 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.
TL;DR:
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.
Space
Jun 3, 14:00
Happy Pride Month! Remembering Sally Ride's historic legacy | Space photo of the day for June 3, 2026
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.
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Happy Pride Month! Remembering Sally Ride's historic legacy photo of the day for June 3, 2026. Nearly three decades later, we learned that she had also been an LGBTQ trailblazer.
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In June 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly to space.
Skyandtelescope
Jun 3, 13:57
Mars MAVEN Mission Lost; NASA Says Farewell
NASA is working to restore communications with its MAVEN Mars Orbiter mission. The post Mars MAVEN Mission Lost; NASA Says Farewell appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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Mars MAVEN Mission Lost; NASA Says Farewell. NASA is working to restore communications with its MAVEN Mars Orbiter mission. The post Mars MAVEN Mission Lost; NASA Says Farewell appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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NASA is working to restore communications with its MAVEN Mars Orbiter mission.
Universetoday
Jun 3, 13:49
Asteroid Dirt is "Fluffier" Than We Thought
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.
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Asteroid Dirt is "Fluffier" Than We Thought. 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.
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The strength of gravity is different on every body in the solar system.
Space
Jun 3, 13:00
Should we store Mars samples on the moon to keep alien germs away from Earth?
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.
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The researchers contend that our moon offers a naturally sterile and isolated environment that can act as humanity's first line of biological defense against organisms perhaps harmful to Earth and its life. "It's no secret that there is a race between the United States and China to build a base on the moon," Moxley tells Space.com.
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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.
Space
Jun 3, 12:00
Astrophotographer captures breathtaking view of 548 galaxies from a balcony
The ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera is the best dedicated astro camera out there, in our opinion. It features zero amp glow, 80% quantum efficiency and a 20FPS frame rate.
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The ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera is the best dedicated astro camera out there, in our opinion. The Leo Triplet is made up of the spiral galaxies M65, M66 and NGC 3628, which are located about 30 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo .
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Over 60 hours of light data was used to create this stunning view of the gravitationally bound "Leo Triplet" galaxies.
Space
Jun 3, 10:00
This star system creates a rare triple eclipse. Here's what that would look like
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.
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The triple system, known as TIC 295741342, is 3,080 light-years from Earth and was found by NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission. It features a binary system composed of two stars almost identical to the sun , orbited by a larger third star of 1.7 solar masses .
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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.
Space
Jun 2, 22:00
'The movie has tremendous heart': We sat down with the director of 'Masters of the Universe' to learn how he found 'the power' for the new He-Man
"My compass was about trying to please the eight-year-old version of myself who discovered He-Man for the first time."
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'The movie has tremendous heart': We sat down with the director of 'Masters of the Universe' to learn how he found 'the power' for the new He-Man. "My compass was about trying to please the eight-year-old version of myself who discovered He-Man for the first time."
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"My compass was about trying to please the eight-year-old version of myself who discovered He-Man for the first time."
Space
Jun 2, 21:00
Scientists locate source of mysterious radio signals after 20 year search: A vampire star and its victim
The origin of enigmatic long-period radio bursts has been shown to be from the clash of magnetic fields as a white dwarf steals matter from a close red dwarf star.
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The signals, or long-period radio transients, are a class of celestial radio emissions discovered in 2005. Symbiotic binaries feature a compact object — usually a white dwarf , which is the core remains of a sun -like star — stealing matter from a close companion star.
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The origin of enigmatic long-period radio bursts has been shown to be from the clash of magnetic fields as a white dwarf steals matter from a close red dwarf star.
Space
Jun 2, 20:00
China launches debut mission of Falcon 9-like rocket with no advance notice (video)
China launched its partially reusable Long March 12B rocket for the first time ever on Monday (June 1), sending it up without issuing airspace closure notices ahead of time.
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China launched its Long March 12B vehicle for the first time ever on Monday (June 1), sending it up from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The Long March 12B looks a lot like SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 . (SpaceX has landed Falcon 9 first stages more than 600 times to date.)
TL;DR:
China launched its partially reusable Long March 12B rocket for the first time ever on Monday (June 1), sending it up without issuing airspace closure notices ahead of time.
Universetoday
Jun 2, 19:33
Astronomers Uncover Statistical Evidence for Recoiling Supermassive Black Holes
Galactic collisions are events of breathtaking proportions. The Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) at their centers plunge into a chaotic orbital dance that eventually coalesce into a single remnant. On their way to that point, they could eventually get “kicked” out of the center of their galaxy - and finding these “recoiling” black holes has been a challenge of cosmology for decades. A new paper, available on arXiv by an international team, used a novel idea to track down these fast-moving behemoths.
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Astronomers Uncover Statistical Evidence for Recoiling Supermassive Black Holes. The Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) at their centers plunge into a chaotic orbital dance that eventually coalesce into a single remnant. A new paper, available on arXiv by an international team, used a novel idea to track down these fast-moving behemoths.
TL;DR:
On their way to that point, they could eventually get “kicked” out of the center of their galaxy - and finding these “recoiling” black holes has been a challenge of cosmology for decades.
Universetoday
Jun 2, 19:14
The Next-Generation Very Large Array Prototype (ngVLA) Gathers its First Light
The prototype ngVLA antenna tested its systems by observing and tracking the Crab Nebula, also known as Taurus A (3C144), the remnant of an exploded star.
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The Very Large Array (VLA), the iconic field of radio antennas featured in the film Contact (inspired by Carl Sagan's novel), has a long and distinguished history of service. But after more than forty-five years of studying the radio sky and probing the mysteries of the Universe, the U.S.
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The prototype ngVLA antenna tested its systems by observing and tracking the Crab Nebula, also known as Taurus A (3C144), the remnant of an exploded star.
Space
Jun 2, 19:00
Casio's 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' watches will show you the time, as well as the way
Casio G-Shock takes timely inspiration from the galaxy far, far away
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Casio's 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' watches will show you the time, as well as the way. Casio G-Shock takes timely inspiration from the galaxy far, far away
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Casio G-Shock takes timely inspiration from the galaxy far, far away
Universetoday
Jun 2, 18:09
Flash-Melted Glass from Chang'e-5 Reveals a High Levels of Iron on the Moon
It might not seem like it, but the Moon is constantly being both sandblasted and baked. Its lack of a thick atmosphere allows micrometeorites to impact the surface at speed, and the solar wind isn’t held back either, baking the regolith with a constant flow of high-energy particles. These processes drive what is called “space weathering”, and it can drastically alter the physical and chemical properties of the lunar dirt over the course of billions of years. And we’re finally getting a better sense of what that means in practice thanks to two new papers from researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, which used advanced electron tomography and spectroscopic techniques to analyze samples returned from the Chang’e-5 mission to the near side of the Moon.
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Flash-Melted Glass from Chang'e-5 Reveals a High Levels of Iron on the Moon. Its lack of a thick atmosphere allows micrometeorites to impact the surface at speed, and the solar wind isn’t held back either, baking the regolith with a constant flow of high-energy particles.
TL;DR:
It might not seem like it, but the Moon is constantly being both sandblasted and baked.
Space
Jun 2, 18:00
SpaceX wins $4 billion Space Force contract for satellites that target 'airborne threats' anywhere on Earth
The massive contract is under the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) program, which will add space systems to the U.S. military's tracking capabilities.
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The massive contract is under the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) program, which will add space systems to the U.S. SpaceX is the first of nine companies that Space Force has disclosed for the SB-AMTI vendor pool. Ryan Frazier, acting Space Force portfolio acquisition executive for SBST, said in a statement .
TL;DR:
The U.S Space Force has awarded SpaceX $4.16 billion to help the military track airborne targets using satellites.
Universetoday
Jun 2, 17:21
How Early Earth's Unlikely Chemical Hero Appeared
Though it's a toxic chemical, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is also important for the development of life. It's a precursor to things like amino acids and nucleic acids and plays a central role in theories of the origin of life on Earth. Recently, difficult questions have been asked about how it could have formed on the early Earth. But the authors of new research in PNAS seemed to have figured it out.
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How Early Earth's Unlikely Chemical Hero Appeared. It's a precursor to things like amino acids and nucleic acids and plays a central role in theories of the origin of life on Earth. Recently, difficult questions have been asked about how it could have formed on the early Earth.
TL;DR:
Though it's a toxic chemical, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is also important for the development of life.
Universetoday
Jun 2, 16:57
Mars Hid its Warm, Wet Crystals Underground
The search for any sign of life on Mars continues. In the latest update, a new data release from Curiosity’s Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) - essentially the rover’s portable X-ray diffraction lab - and published in a paper in Science, analyzes 20 different rock samples from various elevations of Mount Sharp, the mountain in the center of Gale Crater that Curiosity has been slowly climbing. In the paper, the researchers describe how the size of the crystals in those samples could help scientists determine where to look for evidence that life might have evolved on the Red Planet.
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Mars Hid its Warm, Wet Crystals Underground. In the latest update, a new data release from Curiosity’s Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) - essentially the rover’s portable X-ray diffraction lab - and published in a paper in Science, analyzes 20 different rock samples from various elevations of Mount Sharp, the mountain in the center of Gale Crater that Curiosity has been slowl…
TL;DR:
The search for any sign of life on Mars continues.
Space
Jun 2, 16:00
'Hot Jupiter' winds blasting at over 15,000 mph reveal 1st evidence of exoplanets with magnetic fields
Astronomers have discovered the first evidence of magnetic worlds beyond the solar system thanks to their high-speed, violent winds, representing a major step forward in exoplanet research.
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Astronomers have discovered the first evidence of magnetic worlds beyond the solar system thanks to their high-speed, violent winds, representing a major step forward in exoplanet research.
Space
Jun 2, 15:00
10 easy places to see the total solar eclipse 2026 from Spain's major vacation destinations
From urban beaches and hidden capes to lighthouses and mountain peaks, here's where to see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, if you're on Spain's east coast or in the Balearic Islands.
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10 easy places to see the total solar eclipse 2026 from Spain's major vacation destinations. From urban beaches and hidden capes to lighthouses and mountain peaks, here's where to see the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, if you're on Spain's east coast or in the Balearic Islands.
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From urban beaches and hidden capes to lighthouses and mountain peaks, here's where to see the total solar eclipse on Aug.
Universetoday
Jun 2, 14:52
Could the Milky Way’s Missing Mass Be Hiding in a Swarm of Interstellar Comets?
3I/ATLAS has caused quite a stir over the last year, inviting astronomers to update what they know about other solar systems as well as our own. However, this third interstellar visitor may have an unexpected impact on our understanding of dark matter. A new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv from researchers at the University of Hamburg, attempts to calculate the impact that the presence of large amounts of interstellar objects (ISOs) would have on our calculation of dark matter in our galaxy.
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Could the Milky Way’s Missing Mass Be Hiding in a Swarm of Interstellar Comets?. However, this third interstellar visitor may have an unexpected impact on our understanding of dark matter. A new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv from researchers at the University of Hamburg, attempts to calculate the impact that the presence of large amounts of interstellar objects (ISOs)…
TL;DR:
3I/ATLAS has caused quite a stir over the last year, inviting astronomers to update what they know about other solar systems as well as our own.
Space
Jun 2, 14:00
Celestron Origin Intelligent Home Observatory Mark II smart telescope review
The Celestron Origin Mark II smart telescope will have you capturing crisp images of deep-sky objects within minutes of taking it out of the box.
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The Celestron Origin Mark II smart telescope will have you capturing crisp images of deep-sky objects within minutes of taking it out of the box.
Space
Jun 2, 14:00
Student-powered 'moon' rovers put to the test | Space photo of the day for June 2, 2026
Hundreds of students came together to design, build, and test rovers on an Earth obstacle course to prepare for the moon as part of a NASA challenge.
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Hundreds of students came together to design, build, and test rovers on an Earth obstacle course to prepare for the moon as part of a NASA challenge.
Space
Jun 2, 13:00
Massive boom over northeastern US was a meteor explosion as powerful as 300 tons of TNT, NASA confirms
Footage from a satellite confirmed that a May 30 sonic boom heard over the northeastern US was from a meteor, NASA stated.
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Footage from a satellite confirmed that a May 30 sonic boom heard over the northeastern US was from a meteor, NASA stated.
Space
Jun 2, 12:00
Unlocking 'the true space age': Impulse Space raises $500 million to build out fleet of ultra-mobile spacecraft
Impulse Space — which was founded by Tom Mueller, SpaceX's first-ever employee — just raised $500 million to build out the ultra-mobile spacecraft that it believes will transform the space economy.
TL;DR:
Impulse Space — which was founded by Tom Mueller, SpaceX's first-ever employee — just raised $500 million to build out the ultra-mobile spacecraft that it believes will transform the space economy.
Bbc
Jun 2, 07:50
Paralympian could become first astronaut with disability in orbit
John McFall takes one step closer to becoming first disabled astronaut.
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Paralympian could become first astronaut with disability in orbit. John McFall takes one step closer to becoming first disabled astronaut.
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John McFall takes one step closer to becoming first disabled astronaut.
Space
Jun 1, 21:00
How do you study an invisible exoplanet? Astronomers discover planetary 'fingerprints' in the rings around stars
How do you weigh a planet you can't see? Astronomers may have the answer and it involves "reading between the rings," the bright beautiful structures exoplanets create.
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How do you weigh a planet you can't see? Astronomers may have the answer and it involves "reading between the rings," the bright beautiful structures exoplanets create.
TL;DR:
Astronomers may have the answer and it involves "reading between the rings," the bright beautiful structures exoplanets create.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 20:39
Are the JWST's Early Overrmassive Black Holes Just Normal-Range Outliers?
The JWST found an abundance of overmassive black holes at high redshifts, pushing the limits of black hole (BH) science in the early Universe. Results have claimed that these BHs are significantly more massive than expected from the BH mass-host galaxy stellar mass relation derived from the local Universe. But new research shows they were just outliers in the normal range of masses that don't require any special causes.
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Are the JWST's Early Overrmassive Black Holes Just Normal-Range Outliers?. Results have claimed that these BHs are significantly more massive than expected from the BH mass-host galaxy stellar mass relation derived from the local Universe. But new research shows they were just outliers in the normal range of masses that don't require any special causes.
TL;DR:
The JWST found an abundance of overmassive black holes at high redshifts, pushing the limits of black hole (BH) science in the early Universe.
Space
Jun 1, 20:00
Shockwaves from dying stars may sculpt 'cosmic wagon wheel' stellar nurseries, simulations reveal
3D simulations reveal how shockwaves from stellar explosions and winds may carve hub-and-spoke structures in molecular clouds, shaping star formation in the Milky Way.
TL;DR:
3D simulations reveal how shockwaves from stellar explosions and winds may carve hub-and-spoke structures in molecular clouds, shaping star formation in the Milky Way.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 19:49
Astrobiology's Looming Statistical Crisis
Multi-billion dollar space telescope programs aren’t only feats of aerospace engineering. They also feature “lies, damn lies, and statistics”. Or at least statistics. They definitely feature those, as does all good observational astronomy. The problem with statistics is, in order to get a clear definitive answer, you need lots of samples. And, to put it mildly, it’s hard to find lots of samples of planets with alien life on them. And even harder to prove that the signals we think are caused by alien life aren’t caused by some other non-biological process. Or at least that’s the theory underpinning a new paper available in pre-print on arXiv from David Kipping of Columbia University (and Cool Worlds YouTube fame).
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They also feature “lies, damn lies, and statistics”. The problem with statistics is, in order to get a clear definitive answer, you need lots of samples. And, to put it mildly, it’s hard to find lots of samples of planets with alien life on them.
TL;DR:
Multi-billion dollar space telescope programs aren’t only feats of aerospace engineering.
Space
Jun 1, 19:00
'The Lone Gunmen' at 25: the underrated 'X-Files' spin-off that aspired to be 'Mission: Impossible' with geeks
Conspiracy theories, print media, and James (sorry, Jimmy) Bond collide in an all-too-brief extension of Mulder and Scully's world.
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'The Lone Gunmen' at 25: the underrated 'X-Files' spin-off that aspired to be 'Mission: Impossible' with geeks. Conspiracy theories, print media, and James (sorry, Jimmy) Bond collide in an all-too-brief extension of Mulder and Scully's world.
TL;DR:
Conspiracy theories, print media, and James (sorry, Jimmy) Bond collide in an all-too-brief extension of Mulder and Scully's world.
Space
Jun 1, 18:30
Rocket goes boom, satellite cameras zoom: Explosive Blue Origin damage is visible from space
Satellites zoomed-in on the aftermath of the New Glenn rocket explosion at Blue Origin's LC-36 launchpad, and the extent of the damage is visible from orbit.
TL;DR:
Satellites zoomed-in on the aftermath of the New Glenn rocket explosion at Blue Origin's LC-36 launchpad, and the extent of the damage is visible from orbit.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 18:16
The Filamentary Funnels That Form Stars
The universe is full of fascinating structures, and some of the most striking take shape inside the giant clouds where stars are born. There, streams of gas appear to converge from all directions toward a dense central hub, like spokes meeting at the center of a wheel. New simulations show why this is, and why star formation overall is so inefficient.
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The Filamentary Funnels That Form Stars. There, streams of gas appear to converge from all directions toward a dense central hub, like spokes meeting at the center of a wheel. New simulations show why this is, and why star formation overall is so inefficient.
TL;DR:
The universe is full of fascinating structures, and some of the most striking take shape inside the giant clouds where stars are born.
Space
Jun 1, 18:00
NASA's X-59 jet is ready to break the sound barrier for the 1st time this month
NASA's X-59 jet is on the verge of finally breaking the sound barrier as the agency looks forward to the aircraft's first supersonic flight this month.
TL;DR:
NASA's X-59 jet is on the verge of finally breaking the sound barrier as the agency looks forward to the aircraft's first supersonic flight this month.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 17:55
How Heavy Can a Neutron Star Get?
The physics of neutron stars are almost too fantastic to believe. Something the weight of two Suns compacted to a sphere the size of a city. Each teaspoon of its material would weigh billions of tons. If you’ve done any reading on the topic, you’ve heard these facts before. But despite the intense interest these extreme objects hold, we are still actively learning lots about them. One of the most pertinent outstanding questions is where is the line between becoming a neutron star and becoming a black hole when a star dies. A new paper by researchers at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Hungary describes what they believe to be a definitive answer to that question - between 2.2 and 2.3 solar masses.
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How Heavy Can a Neutron Star Get?. One of the most pertinent outstanding questions is where is the line between becoming a neutron star and becoming a black hole when a star dies. A new paper by researchers at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Hungary describes what they believe to be a definitive answer to that question - between 2.2 and 2.3 solar masses.
TL;DR:
The physics of neutron stars are almost too fantastic to believe.
Space
Jun 1, 17:00
It had the power! The weird origins of He-Man, Skeletor, and the 'Masters of the Universe'
Mattel's musclebound response to 'Star Wars' had a life of its own
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It had the power! The weird origins of He-Man, Skeletor, and the 'Masters of the Universe'. Mattel's musclebound response to 'Star Wars' had a life of its own
TL;DR:
Mattel's musclebound response to 'Star Wars' had a life of its own
Universetoday
Jun 1, 15:36
Jupiter Created the Birthplace of Rocky Bodies in the Early Solar System
Jupiter helped create the different rocky bodies in the Solar System. The massive gas giant created a planet-induced pressure bump in the gas in the disk surrounding the young Sun. This pressure bump filtered different types of dust at different times, leading to the formation of planetesimals with different compositions at different times.
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Jupiter Created the Birthplace of Rocky Bodies in the Early Solar System. The massive gas giant created a planet-induced pressure bump in the gas in the disk surrounding the young Sun. This pressure bump filtered different types of dust at different times, leading to the formation of planetesimals with different compositions at different times.
TL;DR:
Jupiter helped create the different rocky bodies in the Solar System.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 15:21
How a Giant Moon and a Steam Atmosphere Built the Recipe for Life
4.5 billion years ago was an interesting time for the Earth. The atmosphere was thick and what we would now think of as toxic. The Moon, which was freshly formed, looks much more massive than it does today and faintly glows with the residual heat from its own creation. And the floor was literally lava. Everywhere. If there were any children alive at the time, they would have no chance of winning that game. But for a long time, scientists had thought this molten phase of the Earth didn’t last long. But according to a new paper, available in preprint on arXiv by researchers at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, it might have lasted for upwards of half a billion years.
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How a Giant Moon and a Steam Atmosphere Built the Recipe for Life. But for a long time, scientists had thought this molten phase of the Earth didn’t last long. But according to a new paper, available in preprint on arXiv by researchers at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, it might have lasted for upwards of half a billion years.
TL;DR:
4.5 billion years ago was an interesting time for the Earth.
NASA Image of the Day
Jun 1, 14:46
Pretty in Pink
This image of Westerlund 2 features Chandra X-ray Observatory data (pink) and James Webb infrared data (red, orange, green, cyan, and blue).
TL;DR:
This image of Westerlund 2 features Chandra X-ray Observatory data (pink) and James Webb infrared data (red, orange, green, cyan, and blue).
Universetoday
Jun 1, 14:08
A Faster Way To Forecast Alien Weather
The TRAPPIST-1 system, located about 41 light years from Earth, has been a focal point of much exoplanetary discussion - mainly because it has 7 confirmed planets orbiting a dim M-dwarf star. Two of those planets - TRAPPIST-1e and -1f - are thought to be in the star’s habitable zone. However, the habitable zone of M-dwarfs is so close to the star itself the planets are likely tidally locked to it, meaning they have a permanent day and night side, with a “twilight terminator” in between. Armed with that knowledge, scientists have been attempting to model the climate on these two exoplanets, and a new paper from Jacob Haqq-Misra of Blue Marble Space uses a new type of climate model to accurately do so with much less computational power.
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A Faster Way To Forecast Alien Weather. The TRAPPIST-1 system, located about 41 light years from Earth, has been a focal point of much exoplanetary discussion - mainly because it has 7 confirmed planets orbiting a dim M-dwarf star.
TL;DR:
Two of those planets - TRAPPIST-1e and -1f - are thought to be in the star’s habitable zone.
Space
Jun 1, 14:00
Manhattanhenge is back! | Space photo of the day for June 1, 2026
The city spectacle is back for 2026 — and don't worry you'll have another chance to see it in July.
TL;DR:
The city spectacle is back for 2026 — and don't worry you'll have another chance to see it in July.
Space
Jun 1, 13:00
3 bright planets light up June's night sky — Here's where and when to look
Venus, Jupiter and Mercury headline a spectacular month of planetary viewing.
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3 bright planets light up June's night sky — Here's where and when to look. Venus, Jupiter and Mercury headline a spectacular month of planetary viewing.
TL;DR:
Venus, Jupiter and Mercury headline a spectacular month of planetary viewing.
Space
Jun 1, 12:00
Astronomers discover a 'lost world' of black hole mergers: 'It's the astronomical equivalent of uncovering an ancient civilization'
This could change our understanding of how the cosmic titans collide.
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Astronomers discover a 'lost world' of black hole mergers: 'It's the astronomical equivalent of uncovering an ancient civilization'. This could change our understanding of how the cosmic titans collide.
TL;DR:
This could change our understanding of how the cosmic titans collide.
Space
Jun 1, 11:55
May's Blue Moon wows stargazers worldwide — see these stunning photos of the smallest full moon of 2026
The second full moon of May put on a spectacular show on May 31.
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May's Blue Moon wows stargazers worldwide — see these stunning photos of the smallest full moon of 2026. The second full moon of May put on a spectacular show on May 31.
TL;DR:
The second full moon of May put on a spectacular show on May 31.
Sciencedaily
Jun 1, 10:53
Hubble captures M88 on a perilous journey that could change it forever
A stunning spiral galaxy called Messier 88 is racing through the crowded Virgo Cluster on a journey that will dramatically reshape its future. At its heart lies a supermassive black hole about 100 million times the mass of the Sun, while its graceful spiral arms sparkle with young star clusters and dark clouds of dust. But as M88 plunges deeper into the cluster over the next few hundred million years, powerful forces will strip away much of the gas it needs to create new stars.
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Hubble captures M88 on a perilous journey that could change it forever. At its heart lies a supermassive black hole about 100 million times the mass of the Sun, while its graceful spiral arms sparkle with young star clusters and dark clouds of dust.
TL;DR:
A stunning spiral galaxy called Messier 88 is racing through the crowded Virgo Cluster on a journey that will dramatically reshape its future.
Sciencedaily
Jun 1, 10:53
NASA’s Roman telescope could reveal 100,000 hidden worlds
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could revolutionize the search for alien worlds by discovering around 100,000 exoplanets—far more than all previous missions combined. It will look deep into unexplored parts of the Milky Way, helping scientists compare planetary systems across very different galactic environments. The mission will also uncover rare Earth-sized planets, study thousands of exotic alien atmospheres, and provide a treasure trove of data that could reshape our understanding of how planets form.
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NASA’s Roman telescope could reveal 100,000 hidden worlds. It will look deep into unexplored parts of the Milky Way, helping scientists compare planetary systems across very different galactic environments.
TL;DR:
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could revolutionize the search for alien worlds by discovering around 100,000 exoplanets—far more than all previous missions combined.
Space
Jun 1, 10:00
'A pretty significant setback': How Blue Origin's rocket explosion affects NASA's moon plans
The explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is a big setback for the spaceflight company and will have implications for NASA's plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon.
TL;DR:
The explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is a big setback for the spaceflight company and will have implications for NASA's plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon.
Skyandtelescope
Jun 1, 06:11
June Podcast: Dance of the Planets
This month’s episode highlights the close pairing of Venus and Jupiter under way in the western sky after sunset. You'll also learn why astronomers are fixated on a star in Corona Borealis — and how to find a huge but dim constellation that will likely be new to you. So grab curiosity and come along on this month’s Sky Tour. The post June Podcast: Dance of the Planets appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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June Podcast: Dance of the Planets. You'll also learn why astronomers are fixated on a star in Corona Borealis — and how to find a huge but dim constellation that will likely be new to you. The post June Podcast: Dance of the Planets appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
This month’s episode highlights the close pairing of Venus and Jupiter under way in the western sky after sunset.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 05:34
Longest-period young transiting exoplanets discovered
It’s 2234, you’re on your annual class field trip touring exoplanets, and your teacher informs everyone they can pick one more exoplanetary system to explore before heading back to Earth. You and your classmates are exhausted from the day’s activities and you’re hungry. However, you get really excited because you already know what everyone will want. You and your classmates all shout in unison, “The young and far away puffy ones!”
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Longest-period young transiting exoplanets discovered. You and your classmates are exhausted from the day’s activities and you’re hungry. You and your classmates all shout in unison, “The young and far away puffy ones!”
TL;DR:
It’s 2234, you’re on your annual class field trip touring exoplanets, and your teacher informs everyone they can pick one more exoplanetary system to explore before heading back to Earth.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 04:05
Roman Telescope's massive infrared mirror is ready to fly
It’s June 2027, and you’re fresh off defending your PhD studying the direct imaging of exoplanets while starting your postdoctoral journey at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The trauma of eating ramen and living off a sub-living wage for the last five years of your life is still fresh in your brain. But you’re excited to finally get your real career started with funding you received for viewing time on the much-anticipated Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman for short). You begin to download the first set of data as your eyes tear up knowing your entire journey in research and academia is about to be worth it.
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Roman Telescope's massive infrared mirror is ready to fly. But you’re excited to finally get your real career started with funding you received for viewing time on the much-anticipated Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman for short). You begin to download the first set of data as your eyes tear up knowing your entire journey in research and academia is about to be worth it.
TL;DR:
It’s June 2027, and you’re fresh off defending your PhD studying the direct imaging of exoplanets while starting your postdoctoral journey at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Universetoday
Jun 1, 01:08
JWST Finds Methane Atmosphere on Temperate Exoplanet
It’s 2165, and methane is in high demand, especially after the Titan Treaty of 2145 made it illegal to harvest methane from Saturn’s moon, Titan. But the advent of interstellar travel has made exoplanetary exploration far easier, enabling corporations to identify and harvest methane from exoplanets. However, it’s far cheaper and easier to harvest methane from exoplanets with reasonable (also called temperate) temperatures, because it means higher quantities of methane. The Exoplanet Exploration Corporation decides to send its first ship to one such exoplanet loaded with methane that could bring their quarterly financial statements back into the green.
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JWST Finds Methane Atmosphere on Temperate Exoplanet. However, it’s far cheaper and easier to harvest methane from exoplanets with reasonable (also called temperate) temperatures, because it means higher quantities of methane.
TL;DR:
It’s 2165, and methane is in high demand, especially after the Titan Treaty of 2145 made it illegal to harvest methane from Saturn’s moon, Titan.
Universetoday
May 31, 22:43
Blue Origin's Lunar Lander Just Passed Its Toughest Test Yet
Before any spacecraft can survive the Moon, it has to survive something almost as brutal, a giant metal chamber in Houston that strips away every molecule of air and swings temperatures from scorching to freezing in minutes. Blue Origin's lunar lander just spent time in exactly that chamber and it came out the other side ready for the real thing.
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Before any spacecraft can survive the Moon, it has to survive something almost as brutal, a giant metal chamber in Houston that strips away every molecule of air and swings temperatures from scorching to freezing in minutes. Blue Origin's lunar lander just spent time in exactly that chamber and it came out the other side ready for the real thing.
TL;DR:
Before any spacecraft can survive the Moon, it has to survive something almost as brutal, a giant metal chamber in Houston that strips away every molecule of air and swings temperatures from scorching to freezing in minutes.
Universetoday
May 31, 22:17
The Loudest Planet Wins
We are closer than ever to detecting signs of life on another world. The James Webb Space Telescope is already ‘sniffing’ alien atmospheres, and the Habitable Worlds Observatory is being built specifically to find biology beyond Earth. But a new paper raises an uncomfortable question; when we do find that first biosignature, will it actually tell us anything meaningful about life in the universe? The answer, it turns out, might be no.
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The Loudest Planet Wins. We are closer than ever to detecting signs of life on another world. But a new paper raises an uncomfortable question; when we do find that first biosignature, will it actually tell us anything meaningful about life in the universe?
TL;DR:
The James Webb Space Telescope is already ‘sniffing’ alien atmospheres, and the Habitable Worlds Observatory is being built specifically to find biology beyond Earth.
Universetoday
May 31, 21:48
A Brief-ish History of SETI. Part VIII: Paradox? What Paradox?
In recent decades, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has seen a revival, and future surveys will benefit from new technologies. Similarly, our perception of what technologies an advanced civilization might use has expanded.
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A Brief-ish History of SETI. Part VIII: Paradox? Similarly, our perception of what technologies an advanced civilization might use has expanded.
TL;DR:
In recent decades, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has seen a revival, and future surveys will benefit from new technologies.
Universetoday
May 31, 19:35
The Galaxy That Forgot to Spin
Every galaxy we know of spins. It's one of those rules of the universe so fundamental that astronomers barely think about it anymore. So when the James Webb Space Telescope pointed at one of the most massive galaxies in the early universe and found…well nothing. No spin, just stillness. They had to look twice.
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The Galaxy That Forgot to Spin. Every galaxy we know of spins. It's one of those rules of the universe so fundamental that astronomers barely think about it anymore.
TL;DR:
So when the James Webb Space Telescope pointed at one of the most massive galaxies in the early universe and found…well nothing.
Universetoday
May 31, 19:26
Did We Invent Dark Energy for Nothing?
For nearly thirty years, dark energy has been cosmology's great get out of jail free card, the invisible, mysterious force we invented to explain why the universe is expanding faster than it should be. Now a team of mathematicians says we may never have needed it at all. And the implications are stranger than you might think.
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Did We Invent Dark Energy for Nothing?. Now a team of mathematicians says we may never have needed it at all. And the implications are stranger than you might think.
TL;DR:
For nearly thirty years, dark energy has been cosmology's great get out of jail free card, the invisible, mysterious force we invented to explain why the universe is expanding faster than it should be.
Universetoday
May 31, 17:20
It Took a Cosmic Village to Shape Early Galaxies
An early galaxy cluster named after an Indian lake is teaching astronomers about influences on galaxy evolution in the infant Universe. Astronomer Ronaldo Laishram of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) used the Subaru Telescope’s wide-field camera, Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), to conduct a large sky survey to look for early galaxies with active star formation. The result was the discovery of a massive protocluster of galaxies that existed some 12.6 billion years ago, very early in cosmic time. Detailed study of this region could give new insight into how galaxies and their clusters form and evolve.
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It Took a Cosmic Village to Shape Early Galaxies. The result was the discovery of a massive protocluster of galaxies that existed some 12.6 billion years ago, very early in cosmic time. Detailed study of this region could give new insight into how galaxies and their clusters form and evolve.
TL;DR:
An early galaxy cluster named after an Indian lake is teaching astronomers about influences on galaxy evolution in the infant Universe.
Space
May 31, 16:00
'The Arrival' at 30: Charlie Sheen’s criminally underrated alien invasion thriller feels much scarier today
'If you can't tend to your own planet, none of you deserve to live here.'
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'The Arrival' at 30: Charlie Sheen’s criminally underrated alien invasion thriller feels much scarier today. 'If you can't tend to your own planet, none of you deserve to live here.'
TL;DR:
'If you can't tend to your own planet, none of you deserve to live here.'
Space
May 31, 14:00
Watch this bio-inspired Mars rover concept 'swim' through sand on curved wheels (video)
The sandfish locomotion idea has been adopted from Scincus scincus, a lizard found in the Sahara desert.
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Watch this bio-inspired Mars rover concept 'swim' through sand on curved wheels (video). The sandfish locomotion idea has been adopted from Scincus scincus, a lizard found in the Sahara desert.
TL;DR:
The sandfish locomotion idea has been adopted from Scincus scincus, a lizard found in the Sahara desert.
Space
May 31, 12:00
The 11 best cozy sci-fi games for those chill cosmic vibes
From farming and walking sims to space trucking, you can live that cozy life… but in space!
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The 11 best cozy sci-fi games for those chill cosmic vibes. From farming and walking sims to space trucking, you can live that cozy life… but in space!
TL;DR:
From farming and walking sims to space trucking, you can live that cozy life… but in space!
Phys
May 31, 10:16
Meteor over Massachusetts causes explosion reports, sightings from Delaware to Montreal
Reports of an explosion from people across New England on Saturday afternoon sent police agencies and others scrambling to understand what caused a double boom that shook buildings in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
TL;DR:
Reports of an explosion from people across New England on Saturday afternoon sent police agencies and others scrambling to understand what caused a double boom that shook buildings in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Space
May 31, 10:00
Can solar sails really send humans out into interstellar space?
"I think these are not far-out type of ideas; they are not really futuristic ideas that we are talking about."
TL;DR:
"I think these are not far-out type of ideas; they are not really futuristic ideas that we are talking about."
Phys
May 30, 23:31
Is extracting oxygen from lunar soil the future of space exploration?
A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China. Unlike fifty years ago, the goal is no longer just about landing and leaving, but establishing a base that allows for a sustainable presence and extended stays on the surface of our natural satellite. The objective is now to use the moon as a testing ground for technologies that will enable us to travel further, particularly to Mars.
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Is extracting oxygen from lunar soil the future of space exploration?. A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China. The objective is now to use the moon as a testing ground for technologies that will enable us to travel further, particularly to Mars.
TL;DR:
A new race to the moon is emerging between the United States and China.
Universetoday
May 30, 19:50
Lasers at the Lunar Poles Could Help Astronauts Navigate
A team of scientists is exploring ways to use dark craters at the lunar poles as sites for ultrastable lasers to aid in surface and near-lunar navigation. The group, led by Physicist Jun Ye, an expert on lasers and precision measurements, were discussing the types of instruments that Artemis astronauts could install and use during their time on the Moon.
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A team of scientists is exploring ways to use dark craters at the lunar poles as sites for ultrastable lasers to aid in surface and near-lunar navigation. The group, led by Physicist Jun Ye, an expert on lasers and precision measurements, were discussing the types of instruments that Artemis astronauts could install and use during their time on the Moon.
TL;DR:
A team of scientists is exploring ways to use dark craters at the lunar poles as sites for ultrastable lasers to aid in surface and near-lunar navigation.
Space
May 30, 18:00
'For All Mankind' star Wrenn Schmidt on her character's journey from NASA's mission control to the slammer (interview)
‘She listens to Dolly Parton now. She’s exposed to all kinds of things being in jail, because she’s got nothing but time.’
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'For All Mankind' star Wrenn Schmidt on her character's journey from NASA's mission control to the slammer (interview). ‘She listens to Dolly Parton now. She’s exposed to all kinds of things being in jail, because she’s got nothing but time.’
TL;DR:
‘She listens to Dolly Parton now.
Space
May 30, 15:24
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 212 — Kabooms, Starship, and a Moon Base
On Episode 212 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Space.com's Mike Wall to discuss the loss of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.
TL;DR:
On Episode 212 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Space.com's Mike Wall to discuss the loss of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.
Space
May 30, 15:00
Why is the idea of a Blue Moon so enchanting? Over 100 years of pop culture fascination
What is it about the Blue Moon that inspires us to write songs and name beers after it?
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Why is the idea of a Blue Moon so enchanting? Over 100 years of pop culture fascination. What is it about the Blue Moon that inspires us to write songs and name beers after it?
TL;DR:
What is it about the Blue Moon that inspires us to write songs and name beers after it?
Space
May 30, 14:00
'I was literally becoming Teela': We chat to Camilla Mendes about kicking ass in 'Masters of the Universe'
Played by Camila Mendes, Teela is the captain of the Royal Guard on Eternia, the alien world where He-Man and Skeletor duke it out.
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'I was literally becoming Teela': We chat to Camilla Mendes about kicking ass in 'Masters of the Universe'. Played by Camila Mendes, Teela is the captain of the Royal Guard on Eternia, the alien world where He-Man and Skeletor duke it out.
TL;DR:
Played by Camila Mendes, Teela is the captain of the Royal Guard on Eternia, the alien world where He-Man and Skeletor duke it out.
Space
May 30, 13:00
Watch the smallest full moon of 2026 tonight in this rare 'Blue Moon' livestream
Don't miss 2026's smallest full moon with this livestream from Italy with the Virtual Telescope Project. The 'Blue Moon' livestream will begin at 9:30 p.m. EDT (0130 GMT).
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Watch the smallest full moon of 2026 tonight in this rare 'Blue Moon' livestream. Don't miss 2026's smallest full moon with this livestream from Italy with the Virtual Telescope Project. The 'Blue Moon' livestream will begin at 9:30 p.m.
TL;DR:
Don't miss 2026's smallest full moon with this livestream from Italy with the Virtual Telescope Project.
Space
May 30, 12:00
From 'Tetris' to 'StarCraft 2' — 5 times astronauts took video games into space
How would you like to play a game ... in spaaaaaaccccceeeeeee!!!!
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From 'Tetris' to 'StarCraft 2' — 5 times astronauts took video games into space. How would you like to play a game ... in spaaaaaaccccceeeeeee!!!!
TL;DR:
How would you like to play a game ...
Universetoday
May 30, 11:01
Who You Send to the Moon Matters More Than You Think
Building a permanent base on the Moon sounds like an engineering problem. Design the habitat, sort the power supply, figure out life support, and you're most of the way there. But the engineers who've spent time thinking hard about this will tell you the real challenge isn't the hardware — it's the humans inside it. Now researchers have built a virtual Moon base and run tens of thousands of simulated missions inside it, studying not the rocket engines or the radiation shielding, but the astronauts themselves. What they found could reshape how we plan humanity's return to the lunar surface.
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Who You Send to the Moon Matters More Than You Think. Building a permanent base on the Moon sounds like an engineering problem. Now researchers have built a virtual Moon base and run tens of thousands of simulated missions inside it, studying not the rocket engines or the radiation shielding, but the astronauts themselves.
TL;DR:
Building a permanent base on the Moon sounds like an engineering problem.
Space
May 30, 10:00
The Blue Moon rises tonight: Where and when to see the second full moon of May
The second full moon of May takes to the night sky tonight. Here's what to expect.
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The Blue Moon rises tonight: Where and when to see the second full moon of May. The second full moon of May takes to the night sky tonight. Here's what to expect.
TL;DR:
The second full moon of May takes to the night sky tonight.
Universetoday
May 30, 00:32
MAVEN Spacecraft Finds New Plasma Squeezing at Mars
A cloaked alien invasion force is approaching Earth and coming up on Mars. The first officer looks through a viewfinder and says, “Captain, the fourth planet’s atmosphere is behaving strangely. As though it were trying to block incoming energy.” The captain takes a moment, then his (already big) eyes get wide and he exclaims, “It’s a defense shield! The Earthlings are hiding on the fourth planet and are prepared to attack us! Abort the invasion!” The first officer responds, “Aye aye, Captain!”
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MAVEN Spacecraft Finds New Plasma Squeezing at Mars. A cloaked alien invasion force is approaching Earth and coming up on Mars. Abort the invasion!” The first officer responds, “Aye aye, Captain!”
TL;DR:
A cloaked alien invasion force is approaching Earth and coming up on Mars.
Phys
May 29, 23:26
What to know about Manhattanhenge, NYC's sunset spectacle
New York City residents and visitors look up at the sky to experience a phenomenon twice a year known as Manhattanhenge.
TL;DR:
New York City residents and visitors look up at the sky to experience a phenomenon twice a year known as Manhattanhenge.
Phys
May 29, 23:26
Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launch pad during an engine-firing test
A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin exploded during a test at the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange.
TL;DR:
A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin exploded during a test at the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange.
Phys
May 29, 23:26
A hidden supermassive black hole may be lurking inside the Antennae galaxies
Astronomers may have uncovered a hidden supermassive black hole inside the famous Antennae galaxies NGC 4038/4039, a pair of colliding galaxies best known for their spectacular bursts of star formation. The paper outlining the findings was posted to the arXiv preprint server on May 21.
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Astronomers may have uncovered a hidden supermassive black hole inside the famous Antennae galaxies NGC 4038/4039, a pair of colliding galaxies best known for their spectacular bursts of star formation. The paper outlining the findings was posted to the arXiv preprint server on May 21.
TL;DR:
Astronomers may have uncovered a hidden supermassive black hole inside the famous Antennae galaxies NGC 4038/4039, a pair of colliding galaxies best known for their spectacular bursts of star formation.
Space
May 29, 19:00
'Star City': Release date & how to watch Apple TV's superb Soviet space series
Bundle up for our frigid trek behind the Iron Curtain in this new 'For All Mankind' spinoff
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'Star City': Release date & how to watch Apple TV's superb Soviet space series. Bundle up for our frigid trek behind the Iron Curtain in this new 'For All Mankind' spinoff
TL;DR:
Bundle up for our frigid trek behind the Iron Curtain in this new 'For All Mankind' spinoff
Space
May 29, 18:29
China's Shenzhou 21 astronauts return to Earth after being briefly 'stranded', wrapping up record-breaking mission (video)
China's Shenzhou 21 astronauts returned to Earth on Friday (May 29), wrapping up a record-breaking, and very eventful, space mission.
TL;DR:
China's Shenzhou 21 astronauts returned to Earth on Friday (May 29), wrapping up a record-breaking, and very eventful, space mission.
Skyandtelescope
May 29, 18:25
NASA Brings Its Lunar Ambitions into Focus with Moon Base Missions
Rovers, drones, and landers will usher in a sustained lunar presence, under the new plan NASA announced this week. The post NASA Brings Its Lunar Ambitions into Focus with Moon Base Missions appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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NASA Brings Its Lunar Ambitions into Focus with Moon Base Missions. Rovers, drones, and landers will usher in a sustained lunar presence, under the new plan NASA announced this week. The post NASA Brings Its Lunar Ambitions into Focus with Moon Base Missions appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
The post NASA Brings Its Lunar Ambitions into Focus with Moon Base Missions appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
Space
May 29, 18:00
Rare Blue Moon hides the red light of an ancient star on May 31: Will you be able to see it?
Prepare for a spectacular sight, as the second full moon of May meets the red star Antares this weekend.
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Rare Blue Moon hides the red light of an ancient star on May 31: Will you be able to see it?. Prepare for a spectacular sight, as the second full moon of May meets the red star Antares this weekend.
TL;DR:
Prepare for a spectacular sight, as the second full moon of May meets the red star Antares this weekend.
Space
May 29, 17:00
'For All Mankind' spin-off 'Star City' will make you want to know more about the Soviet space program
Stories of NASA and Apollo have passed into folklore, but the equivalent stories from the other side of the Iron Curtain have often been shrouded in secrecy.
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'For All Mankind' spin-off 'Star City' will make you want to know more about the Soviet space program. Stories of NASA and Apollo have passed into folklore, but the equivalent stories from the other side of the Iron Curtain have often been shrouded in secrecy.
TL;DR:
Stories of NASA and Apollo have passed into folklore, but the equivalent stories from the other side of the Iron Curtain have often been shrouded in secrecy.
Universetoday
May 29, 16:46
The Sun is Changing and We Don’t Know Why
The Sun has a heartbeat. Every eleven years it swells with magnetic fury, hurling solar flares and charged particles into space, sparking auroral displays and threatening power grids, all before quietening down again. We've tracked this rhythm for centuries. But now, scientists listening to sound waves deep inside our local star have found something deeply unexpected, that heartbeat is changing. And nobody yet knows what it means.
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The Sun is Changing and We Don’t Know Why. Every eleven years it swells with magnetic fury, hurling solar flares and charged particles into space, sparking auroral displays and threatening power grids, all before quietening down again. But now, scientists listening to sound waves deep inside our local star have found something deeply unexpected, that heartbeat is changing.
TL;DR:
Every eleven years it swells with magnetic fury, hurling solar flares and charged particles into space, sparking auroral displays and threatening power grids, all before quietening down again.
NASA Image of the Day
May 29, 16:16
Hubble Spies Faint Irregular Galaxy
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image captures the faint glow of the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017.
TL;DR:
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image captures the faint glow of the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017.
Skyandtelescope
May 29, 16:11
Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes
Reanalysis shows that the Hubble Space Telescope's detection of water vapor escaping from Jupiter’s moon Europa might have been a glitch. The post Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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Reanalysis shows that the Hubble Space Telescope's detection of water vapor escaping from Jupiter’s moon Europa might have been a glitch. The post Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
Reanalysis shows that the Hubble Space Telescope's detection of water vapor escaping from Jupiter’s moon Europa might have been a glitch.
Space
May 29, 16:00
Watch an Atlas V rocket launch 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit tonight
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is poised to launch 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on Friday night (May 28).
TL;DR:
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is poised to launch 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on Friday night (May 28).
Space
May 29, 14:33
Incredible videos show Blue Origin rocket explosion could be seen from hundreds of miles away
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket exploded during testing Thursday night, May 28, blasting flames and debris high into the sky in a display visible across wide swaths of Florida.
TL;DR:
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket exploded during testing Thursday night, May 28, blasting flames and debris high into the sky in a display visible across wide swaths of Florida.
Space
May 29, 14:22
SpaceX sends 29 Starlink satellites into orbit on Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, May 29, 2026.
TL;DR:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Space
May 29, 14:02
Unistellar blasts 15% off all smart telescope prices in Father's Day sale
Unistellar's Father's Day sale is running from now until July 2 and is delivering 15% off their entire range of smart telescopes, backpacks and solar filters.
TL;DR:
Unistellar's Father's Day sale is running from now until July 2 and is delivering 15% off their entire range of smart telescopes, backpacks and solar filters.
Space
May 29, 14:00
It's so hot across Europe, you can see the heat wave from space | Space photo of the day for May 29, 2026
In new data from Europe's Sentinel-3 mission, we can see the scorching temperatures spreading across the continent .
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It's so hot across Europe, you can see the heat wave from space photo of the day for May 29, 2026. In new data from Europe's Sentinel-3 mission, we can see the scorching temperatures spreading across the continent . It's part of a series of Earth-observing satellites that look down at our planet to study changes across the seas and land.
TL;DR:
In new data from Europe's Sentinel-3 mission, we can see the scorching temperatures spreading across the continent .
Space
May 29, 13:00
'The Man Who Fell To Earth' at 50: Was David Bowie’s strange stranded alien his best role ever?
Maverick director Nicolas Roeg delivered a surreal sci-fi classic in 1976 that still resonates today.
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'The Man Who Fell To Earth' at 50: Was David Bowie’s strange stranded alien his best role ever?. Maverick director Nicolas Roeg delivered a surreal sci-fi classic in 1976 that still resonates today.
TL;DR:
Maverick director Nicolas Roeg delivered a surreal sci-fi classic in 1976 that still resonates today.
Universetoday
May 29, 12:48
ESA Selects Two New Scout-Class Missions
When it comes to understanding Earth and our changing environment, space is the place. Not only does it give us an overall holistic view of the planet below, but satellite-based imagery can transcend national boundaries and give us an understanding of key changes that often go unseen at ground level. Now, the European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen two new missions to address key questions in Earth environmental science: Hibidis and SOVA-S.
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ESA Selects Two New Scout-Class Missions. When it comes to understanding Earth and our changing environment, space is the place. Now, the European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen two new missions to address key questions in Earth environmental science: Hibidis and SOVA-S.
TL;DR:
When it comes to understanding Earth and our changing environment, space is the place.
Space
May 29, 12:00
Red dwarf stars are cosmic killers that eat their own planets
Astronomers have discovered the first evidence that tiny red dwarf stars can devour their own planets.
TL;DR:
Astronomers have discovered the first evidence that tiny red dwarf stars can devour their own planets.
Space
May 29, 10:00
A 'lost planet' may have given Jupiter and Uranus their moons
New research suggests the moons of Jupiter and Uranus may hint that our planetary neighborhood once had a third ice giant.
TL;DR:
New research suggests the moons of Jupiter and Uranus may hint that our planetary neighborhood once had a third ice giant.
Universetoday
May 29, 09:27
20,000 Eyes on the Universe
We live in a golden age of astronomical imaging. Telescopes are capturing billions of galaxy images, painting the universe in breathtaking detail. But there's a problem, and it's a big one. A photograph tells you what something looks like but it doesn't tell you what it's made of, how fast it's moving, or how far away it really is. For that, you need spectroscopy. And right now, astronomy has a catastrophic imbalance, billions of images and nowhere near enough spectra to match them. A new telescope currently under construction in the mountains of western China is about to change that quite dramatically.
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20,000 Eyes on the Universe. Telescopes are capturing billions of galaxy images, painting the universe in breathtaking detail. A new telescope currently under construction in the mountains of western China is about to change that quite dramatically.
TL;DR:
Telescopes are capturing billions of galaxy images, painting the universe in breathtaking detail.
Universetoday
May 29, 09:18
The Flash Memory That Space Can't Destroy
Every byte of data a spacecraft collects, every image, every reading, every scientific measurement has to survive one of the most hostile environments imaginable. Space is awash with radiation, and that radiation is the silent enemy of conventional data storage. Now, a team of researchers have built a new kind of memory chip that doesn't just tolerate radiation, it laughs in its face. Using a quirk of physics called ferroelectricity, this technology can withstand radiation levels equivalent to 100 million X-rays, and it could transform how we store data on missions heading deeper into the Solar System than we've ever ventured before.
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The Flash Memory That Space Can't Destroy. Space is awash with radiation, and that radiation is the silent enemy of conventional data storage. Using a quirk of physics called ferroelectricity, this technology can withstand radiation levels equivalent to 100 million X-rays, and it could transform how we store data on missions heading deeper into the Solar System than we've ever…
TL;DR:
Space is awash with radiation, and that radiation is the silent enemy of conventional data storage.
Universetoday
May 29, 09:08
We Can Now Weigh Galaxies Using Dead Stars As Scales
Researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have found a new way to measure the mass of neighbouring galaxies using pulsars. Using the universe's most precise natural clocks it’s possible to detect tiny gravitational disturbances rippling through the Milky Way. By analysing 54 millisecond pulsars, the team directly measured the gravitational pull of both the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy, including their dark matter. The same technique could eventually map dark matter across the entire Galaxy bringing us closer to understanding what it actually is.
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We Can Now Weigh Galaxies Using Dead Stars As Scales. Researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have found a new way to measure the mass of neighbouring galaxies using pulsars. The same technique could eventually map dark matter across the entire Galaxy bringing us closer to understanding what it actually is.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have found a new way to measure the mass of neighbouring galaxies using pulsars.
Skyandtelescope
May 29, 08:46
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7
Venus and Jupiter grab your eyes in the west in late twilight. The Summer Triangle marks the dark in the east. So will the subtler Milky Way once the glary Moon is gone. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7. So will the subtler Milky Way once the glary Moon is gone. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
Space
May 29, 03:41
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes in massive fireball during prelaunch test
Blue Origin's fourth New Glenn rocket exploded during a prelaunch engine test on Thursday night (May 28). It could be a big setback for the company and for NASA's moon ambitions.
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Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes in massive fireball during prelaunch test. Blue Origin's fourth New Glenn rocket exploded during a prelaunch engine test on Thursday night (May 28). It could be a big setback for the company and for NASA's moon ambitions.
TL;DR:
Blue Origin's fourth New Glenn rocket exploded during a prelaunch engine test on Thursday night (May 28).
Phys
May 28, 23:24
A beautiful death: How a dying star created the Crystal Ball Nebula
Planetary nebulae like the Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC 1514) are sort of like stellar obituaries. Though crystal balls supposedly reveal the future, the Crystal Ball Nebula tells us more about the past. It shows us how a binary pair of stars met their end. And since NGC 1514 is 1,500 light years away, we're seeing what it looked like 1,500 years ago.
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A beautiful death: How a dying star created the Crystal Ball Nebula. Planetary nebulae like the Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC 1514) are sort of like stellar obituaries. And since NGC 1514 is 1,500 light years away, we're seeing what it looked like 1,500 years ago.
TL;DR:
Planetary nebulae like the Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC 1514) are sort of like stellar obituaries.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
New material could help NASA melt moon rocks, harness lunar resources
A material recently discovered and tested at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland could help astronauts pack lighter for future missions to the moon. NASA is researching ways explorers could "live off the land" by harnessing lunar resources, including melting moon rocks to extract metals for building infrastructure and oxygen for fuel and life support.
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A material recently discovered and tested at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland could help astronauts pack lighter for future missions to the moon. NASA is researching ways explorers could "live off the land" by harnessing lunar resources, including melting moon rocks to extract metals for building infrastructure and oxygen for fuel and life support.
TL;DR:
A material recently discovered and tested at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland could help astronauts pack lighter for future missions to the moon.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Universe's most distant 'Hot DOG' yet may owe extreme infrared glow to polar dust, Webb reveals
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed fresh details about one of the most luminous known objects in the universe: the dust-shrouded quasar W2246−0526, seen just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The paper outlining the results was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on May 14.
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New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed fresh details about one of the most luminous known objects in the universe: the dust-shrouded quasar W2246−0526, seen just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The paper outlining the results was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on May 14.
TL;DR:
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed fresh details about one of the most luminous known objects in the universe: the dust-shrouded quasar W2246−0526, seen just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Supermassive black holes can render exoplanets uninhabitable at great distances
The thinking around exoplanet habitability is mostly concerned with a planet's distance from its star. Too close, and any surface water is boiled away into space. Too far, and surface water is frozen. Both are severe limits on the prospects for life. Habitability depends on an exoplanet being in the Goldilocks Zone, a distance range around a star where liquid water can persist.
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Supermassive black holes can render exoplanets uninhabitable at great distances. Too close, and any surface water is boiled away into space. Habitability depends on an exoplanet being in the Goldilocks Zone, a distance range around a star where liquid water can persist.
TL;DR:
The thinking around exoplanet habitability is mostly concerned with a planet's distance from its star.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
How Mars can help us understand 'marginal' exoplanets
Mars holds a special place in the solar system. It represents marginal habitability. This means it transitioned from warm and wet and potentially hospitable, to cold and dry and inhospitable.
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How Mars can help us understand 'marginal' exoplanets. Mars holds a special place in the solar system. This means it transitioned from warm and wet and potentially hospitable, to cold and dry and inhospitable.
TL;DR:
Mars holds a special place in the solar system.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Triply-eclipsing triple star system discovered with TESS
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have discovered a triply-eclipsing star system. The newfound system, designated TIC 295741342, consists of two sun-like stars in an eclipsing binary and a giant tertiary companion, which orbits the binary. The finding was reported in a paper published May 19 on the arXiv pre-print server.
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Triply-eclipsing triple star system discovered with TESS. Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have discovered a triply-eclipsing star system. The newfound system, designated TIC 295741342, consists of two sun-like stars in an eclipsing binary and a giant tertiary companion, which orbits the binary.
TL;DR:
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have discovered a triply-eclipsing star system.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Mercury's water ice may have been deposited by a larger, slower impactor than previously thought—in only one day
The source of the significant water ice deposits hidden in Mercury's polar regions has been a topic of debate among researchers. A new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, suggests that these deposits were accumulated in only one Mercurian day (176 Earth days) by a large impactor, such as a comet or asteroid. While previous studies have suggested a similar scenario, this is the first study to fully model the impact. Furthermore, these new models suggest that the impactor may have been larger and slower than previously suggested.
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Mercury's water ice may have been deposited by a larger, slower impactor than previously thought—in only one day. A new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, suggests that these deposits were accumulated in only one Mercurian day (176 Earth days) by a large impactor, such as a comet or asteroid.
TL;DR:
The source of the significant water ice deposits hidden in Mercury's polar regions has been a topic of debate among researchers.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang, galaxies were already shaped by where they lived
A large protocluster of galaxies that existed 12.6 billion years ago, first discovered with the Subaru Telescope, has been examined in detail using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The study found that galaxies in crowded regions are more extended than similar galaxies in less dense environments. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters , show that even when the universe was only 1.2 billion years old, environment was already influencing how galaxies grow.
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A large protocluster of galaxies that existed 12.6 billion years ago, first discovered with the Subaru Telescope, has been examined in detail using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The study found that galaxies in crowded regions are more extended than similar galaxies in less dense environments.
TL;DR:
A large protocluster of galaxies that existed 12.6 billion years ago, first discovered with the Subaru Telescope, has been examined in detail using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Astrophysicists strike black gold with treasure trove of gravitational wave detections
Researchers from the University of Glasgow's Institute for Gravitational Research are celebrating the publication of a vast new treasure trove of gravitational wave detections, hailed as a milestone marking the coming of age of gravitational astronomy.
TL;DR:
Researchers from the University of Glasgow's Institute for Gravitational Research are celebrating the publication of a vast new treasure trove of gravitational wave detections, hailed as a milestone marking the coming of age of gravitational astronomy.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
NASA lays out moon base plans with landers, buggies and drones at the top of the list
NASA is already ordering landers, rovers and drones for a sprawling moon base, less than two months after the Artemis II's record-breaking lunar flyaround.
TL;DR:
NASA is already ordering landers, rovers and drones for a sprawling moon base, less than two months after the Artemis II's record-breaking lunar flyaround.
Phys
May 28, 23:24
Could aliens ever visit Earth? An aerospace scientist unpacks the challenges of interstellar spaceflight
On May 22, 2026, the Pentagon released a second batch of previously classified photos and videos showing what appear to be unexplained flying objects. These file dumps were the culmination of a process that was set in motion back in July 2023, when a group of government whistleblowers testified before Congress that the U.S. government was secretly in possession of extraterrestrial spacecraft and suspected alien body parts.
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Could aliens ever visit Earth? On May 22, 2026, the Pentagon released a second batch of previously classified photos and videos showing what appear to be unexplained flying objects. government was secretly in possession of extraterrestrial spacecraft and suspected alien body parts.
TL;DR:
On May 22, 2026, the Pentagon released a second batch of previously classified photos and videos showing what appear to be unexplained flying objects.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Rare observations reveal an X9 solar flare before it erupts
Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the sun's surface, which can wreak havoc on Earth's power grids, damage orbiting satellites, and pose serious radiation risks to astronauts. Yet despite decades of study, the processes that trigger these eruptions remain poorly understood.
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Rare observations reveal an X9 solar flare before it erupts. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the sun's surface, which can wreak havoc on Earth's power grids, damage orbiting satellites, and pose serious radiation risks to astronauts. Yet despite decades of study, the processes that trigger these eruptions remain poorly understood.
TL;DR:
Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the sun's surface, which can wreak havoc on Earth's power grids, damage orbiting satellites, and pose serious radiation risks to astronauts.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Moon base missions face an unseen threat, and these simulations show where it could strike first
Researchers have developed a novel virtual model for simulating how astronauts in future moon base operations might interact with each other and with their environment, with preliminary simulations revealing potential opportunities to boost the chances of a successful mission. Raymond Vera and colleagues at George Mason University in Virginia, U.S., present these findings in PLOS One.
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Researchers have developed a novel virtual model for simulating how astronauts in future moon base operations might interact with each other and with their environment, with preliminary simulations revealing potential opportunities to boost the chances of a successful mission. Raymond Vera and colleagues at George Mason University in Virginia, U.S.
TL;DR:
Researchers have developed a novel virtual model for simulating how astronauts in future moon base operations might interact with each other and with their environment, with preliminary simulations revealing potential opportunities to boost the chances of a successful mission.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Hubble spies faint irregular galaxy ESO 490-017
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017, roughly 12,000 light-years in diameter and some 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it appear as a faint, starry swarm behind brighter foreground stars that are easily recognized by their diffraction spikes. Numerous red, orange, and beige dots are distant galaxies peppering the black background, many exhibiting distinct spiral structure.
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Hubble spies faint irregular galaxy ESO 490-017. This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017, roughly 12,000 light-years in diameter and some 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. Numerous red, orange, and beige dots are distant galaxies peppering the black background, many exhibiting distinct spiral structure.
TL;DR:
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the dwarf irregular galaxy ESO 490-017, roughly 12,000 light-years in diameter and some 23 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Where are all the intermediate mass black holes? Microlensing fast radio bursts might reveal them
Astrophysicists think that black hole masses are hierarchical. The largest are supermassive black holes (SMBH) like the one at the center of the Milky Way and other galaxies. Stellar mass black holes are born of collapsing stars, and are smaller. The smallest of all are the theoretical primordial black holes, which only formed in the weird physics of the early universe.
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Where are all the intermediate mass black holes? Stellar mass black holes are born of collapsing stars, and are smaller. The smallest of all are the theoretical primordial black holes, which only formed in the weird physics of the early universe.
TL;DR:
The largest are supermassive black holes (SMBH) like the one at the center of the Milky Way and other galaxies.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Listening to the sun reveals previously hidden changes to solar cycle
Internal changes due to the sun's "active biorhythm" have become increasingly "skin-deep" over the past four solar activity cycles, according to a new study.
TL;DR:
Internal changes due to the sun's "active biorhythm" have become increasingly "skin-deep" over the past four solar activity cycles, according to a new study.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
The definitive census of multiple star systems within ten parsecs
Our sun is a loner. It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it. But we've known for a long time that that's actually relatively rare—most stars have at least one gravitationally bound partner. Understanding how exactly those stars are related to each other is critical for observational campaigns—especially for those of exoplanets. So a new paper posted to the arXiv preprint server from researchers at the University of Madrid that categorizes almost every star within 10 light years into companion categories is a welcome addition to the literature on the subject, and could be used to inform the next round of planet-habitable planet-hunting satellites.
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The definitive census of multiple star systems within ten parsecs. It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it. But we've known for a long time that that's actually relatively rare—most stars have at least one gravitationally bound partner.
TL;DR:
It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
SpaceX's Starship rockets are grounded pending investigation after test flight
SpaceX Starship launches are on hold pending an investigation into last week's test flight.
TL;DR:
SpaceX Starship launches are on hold pending an investigation into last week's test flight.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Astronomers discover how to estimate masses of newborn planets using dust rings
A team of astronomers, led by University of Warwick in collaboration with researchers at MIT and McMaster, have developed a novel method to use the properties of dust rings around stars to estimate the masses of newborn planets. Published in The Astrophysical Journal, this research offers astronomers a new way to find and characterize planets that are too deeply embedded in their birth environment to be seen directly.
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A team of astronomers, led by University of Warwick in collaboration with researchers at MIT and McMaster, have developed a novel method to use the properties of dust rings around stars to estimate the masses of newborn planets.
TL;DR:
A team of astronomers, led by University of Warwick in collaboration with researchers at MIT and McMaster, have developed a novel method to use the properties of dust rings around stars to estimate the masses of newborn planets.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
A rare blue micromoon rises this weekend
Get set for a rare blue micromoon this weekend—a blue moon that's also the most distant and smallest-looking full moon of the year.
TL;DR:
Get set for a rare blue micromoon this weekend—a blue moon that's also the most distant and smallest-looking full moon of the year.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Chang'e-5 regolith studies reveal nanoscale space-weathering processes
On the moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface processes in the space environment.
TL;DR:
On the moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface processes in the space environment.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Bare supercontinent may have tipped ancient Earth into 'Snowball' phase
About a billion years ago, Earth started to come into its own. It was past the awkwardness of its younger years full of growing pains and turmoil: comet strikes and slimy water, including the Great Oxidation Event that flipped the world upside down. Roughly a billion years ago, the planet began to advance and mature, with plant life developing about 700 million years ago, but still with the occasional wild climate parties to keep things interesting.
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Bare supercontinent may have tipped ancient Earth into 'Snowball' phase. About a billion years ago, Earth started to come into its own. Roughly a billion years ago, the planet began to advance and mature, with plant life developing about 700 million years ago, but still with the occasional wild climate parties to keep things interesting.
TL;DR:
About a billion years ago, Earth started to come into its own.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
Taking dark energy out of the equation: Mathematicians challenge the standard cosmological model of the universe
Mathematicians are challenging the idea that dark energy is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, mathematicians from the University of California, Davis, provide mathematical proof that instabilities inherent in the Einstein-Euler equations imply that the current model of the expanding universe is not viable.
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Mathematicians are challenging the idea that dark energy is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, mathematicians from the University of California, Davis, provide mathematical proof that instabilities inherent in the Einstein-Euler equations imply that the current model of the expanding unive…
TL;DR:
Mathematicians are challenging the idea that dark energy is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Phys
May 28, 23:23
The solar wind's secret hammerheads and what they tell us about heat in space
The proton sharks showed up on a Friday. In a routine data calibration meeting for NASA's Parker Solar Probe in 2020, a small group of scientists were scrolling through visualizations of their data showing solar winds. Suddenly, a weird shape flashed on the screen: Instead of the usual rounded blob of solar-wind protons, this distribution had a long, flattened, head-like structure jutting out to one side.
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The proton sharks showed up on a Friday. In a routine data calibration meeting for NASA's Parker Solar Probe in 2020, a small group of scientists were scrolling through visualizations of their data showing solar winds.
TL;DR:
In a routine data calibration meeting for NASA's Parker Solar Probe in 2020, a small group of scientists were scrolling through visualizations of their data showing solar winds.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Why two-sun planets keep disappearing scientists blame Einstein
Astronomers have long been puzzled by a cosmic mystery: planets orbiting two stars—like Star Wars’ Tatooine—are surprisingly rare, even though they should be common. New research suggests the culprit is none other than Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
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Why two-sun planets keep disappearing scientists blame Einstein. Astronomers have long been puzzled by a cosmic mystery: planets orbiting two stars—like Star Wars’ Tatooine—are surprisingly rare, even though they should be common. New research suggests the culprit is none other than Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
TL;DR:
Astronomers have long been puzzled by a cosmic mystery: planets orbiting two stars—like Star Wars’ Tatooine—are surprisingly rare, even though they should be common.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
A bizarre new state of matter may be hiding inside Uranus and Neptune
Deep inside planets like Uranus and Neptune, scientists may have uncovered a bizarre new state of matter where atoms behave in unexpected ways. Advanced simulations suggest that carbon and hydrogen, under crushing pressures and scorching temperatures, can form a strange hybrid phase—part solid, part fluid—where hydrogen atoms spiral through a rigid carbon framework. This unusual “superionic” structure could reshape how heat and electricity flow inside these distant worlds, potentially helping explain their mysterious magnetic fields.
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Deep inside planets like Uranus and Neptune, scientists may have uncovered a bizarre new state of matter where atoms behave in unexpected ways. Advanced simulations suggest that carbon and hydrogen, under crushing pressures and scorching temperatures, can form a strange hybrid phase—part solid, part fluid—where hydrogen atoms spiral through a rigid carbon framework.
TL;DR:
Deep inside planets like Uranus and Neptune, scientists may have uncovered a bizarre new state of matter where atoms behave in unexpected ways.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists stunned as JWST finds ice clouds on a giant alien planet
Scientists have discovered unexpected water-ice clouds on a distant, Jupiter-like exoplanet, challenging current atmospheric models. By directly imaging Epsilon Indi Ab with the James Webb Space Telescope, they found less ammonia than expected—likely hidden by thick, patchy clouds. The finding reveals new layers of complexity in giant planets and shows how much we still have to learn.
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Scientists stunned as JWST finds ice clouds on a giant alien planet. Scientists have discovered unexpected water-ice clouds on a distant, Jupiter-like exoplanet, challenging current atmospheric models. By directly imaging Epsilon Indi Ab with the James Webb Space Telescope, they found less ammonia than expected—likely hidden by thick, patchy clouds.
TL;DR:
Scientists have discovered unexpected water-ice clouds on a distant, Jupiter-like exoplanet, challenging current atmospheric models.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA scientist says a mysterious "fifth force" may be hiding in our solar system
Scientists are grappling with a cosmic mystery: why does the Universe behave differently on massive scales compared to our own solar system? While distant galaxies reveal clear signs of something bending the rules of gravity—often attributed to dark energy or a hidden “fifth force”—everything nearby seems to follow Einstein’s playbook perfectly.
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Scientists are grappling with a cosmic mystery: why does the Universe behave differently on massive scales compared to our own solar system? While distant galaxies reveal clear signs of something bending the rules of gravity—often attributed to dark energy or a hidden “fifth force”—everything nearby seems to follow Einstein’s playbook perfectly.
TL;DR:
Scientists are grappling with a cosmic mystery: why does the Universe behave differently on massive scales compared to our own solar system?
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Astronomers may have found a strange new kind of cosmic explosion
A mysterious cosmic explosion has astronomers buzzing, as a strange event may hint at an entirely new kind of stellar cataclysm. After detecting ripples in space-time, scientists spotted a fast-fading red glow that initially looked like a rare kilonova—the kind of collision that forges gold and uranium. But just days later, the signal shifted, behaving more like a supernova, leaving researchers puzzled. Now, some think they may have witnessed something never seen before: a “superkilonova.”
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Astronomers may have found a strange new kind of cosmic explosion. A mysterious cosmic explosion has astronomers buzzing, as a strange event may hint at an entirely new kind of stellar cataclysm. After detecting ripples in space-time, scientists spotted a fast-fading red glow that initially looked like a rare kilonova—the kind of collision that forges gold and uranium.
TL;DR:
A mysterious cosmic explosion has astronomers buzzing, as a strange event may hint at an entirely new kind of stellar cataclysm.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
This exotic particle could finally explain why matter has mass
A major physics experiment has uncovered evidence for a strange new form of matter, where a fleeting particle gets trapped inside a nucleus. This exotic state may reveal how mass is generated, suggesting that particles can weigh less when surrounded by dense nuclear matter. The findings support long-standing theories about how the vacuum of space influences mass.
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This exotic particle could finally explain why matter has mass. This exotic state may reveal how mass is generated, suggesting that particles can weigh less when surrounded by dense nuclear matter. The findings support long-standing theories about how the vacuum of space influences mass.
TL;DR:
A major physics experiment has uncovered evidence for a strange new form of matter, where a fleeting particle gets trapped inside a nucleus.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Gravitational waves may have created dark matter in the early universe
In the chaotic first moments after the Big Bang, ripples in spacetime may have done more than just echo through the cosmos—they could have helped create dark matter itself. New research suggests that faint, ancient gravitational waves might have transformed into particles that eventually became the invisible substance shaping galaxies today.
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In the chaotic first moments after the Big Bang, ripples in spacetime may have done more than just echo through the cosmos—they could have helped create dark matter itself. New research suggests that faint, ancient gravitational waves might have transformed into particles that eventually became the invisible substance shaping galaxies today.
TL;DR:
In the chaotic first moments after the Big Bang, ripples in spacetime may have done more than just echo through the cosmos—they could have helped create dark matter itself.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
This massive 3D map of 47 million galaxies could unlock dark energy
A massive cosmic milestone has just been reached: scientists have completed the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever created. Built using data from over 47 million galaxies and quasars, this map could unlock new clues about dark energy—the mysterious force driving the universe’s expansion. Despite setbacks like wildfire disruptions, the international DESI collaboration powered through, gathering an unprecedented dataset that already hints dark energy may behave in unexpected ways.
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This massive 3D map of 47 million galaxies could unlock dark energy. A massive cosmic milestone has just been reached: scientists have completed the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever created. Built using data from over 47 million galaxies and quasars, this map could unlock new clues about dark energy—the mysterious force driving the universe’s expansion.
TL;DR:
A massive cosmic milestone has just been reached: scientists have completed the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever created.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Students build a “cosmic radio” to listen for dark matter
A group of undergraduate students pulled off something remarkable: they built their own dark matter detector and used it to probe one of physics’ biggest mysteries. Working with limited resources but plenty of creativity, they designed a stripped-down experiment to hunt for axions — hypothetical particles that could make up dark matter.
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A group of undergraduate students pulled off something remarkable: they built their own dark matter detector and used it to probe one of physics’ biggest mysteries. Working with limited resources but plenty of creativity, they designed a stripped-down experiment to hunt for axions — hypothetical particles that could make up dark matter.
TL;DR:
A group of undergraduate students pulled off something remarkable: they built their own dark matter detector and used it to probe one of physics’ biggest mysteries.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA Curiosity rover finds mysterious life linked molecules on Mars
Curiosity has detected a surprising variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds tied to the chemistry of life. Some of these molecules may be billions of years old, preserved in ancient clay-rich rocks that once held water. One standout find resembles building blocks of DNA, raising exciting questions about Mars’ past. Although not proof of life, the discovery suggests the Red Planet may have once been far more biologically promising than we thought.
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NASA Curiosity rover finds mysterious life linked molecules on Mars. Curiosity has detected a surprising variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds tied to the chemistry of life. Although not proof of life, the discovery suggests the Red Planet may have once been far more biologically promising than we thought.
TL;DR:
Curiosity has detected a surprising variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds tied to the chemistry of life.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists just found the Milky Way’s edge and it’s closer than expected
Scientists have uncovered the true boundary of the Milky Way’s star-forming region using stellar “age mapping.” They found a telltale U-shaped pattern showing that star formation drops sharply around 35,000–40,000 light-years from the center. Beyond that, stars are mostly migrants, slowly drifting outward rather than forming in place. The discovery gives a long-sought answer to where our galaxy’s stellar nursery really ends.
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Scientists have uncovered the true boundary of the Milky Way’s star-forming region using stellar “age mapping.” They found a telltale U-shaped pattern showing that star formation drops sharply around 35,000–40,000 light-years from the center. Beyond that, stars are mostly migrants, slowly drifting outward rather than forming in place.
TL;DR:
Scientists have uncovered the true boundary of the Milky Way’s star-forming region using stellar “age mapping.” They found a telltale U-shaped pattern showing that star formation drops sharply around 35,000–40,000 light-years from the center.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
A one-in-a-million supernova seen five times could reveal the Universe’s true speed
A spectacular cosmic event nicknamed “SN Winny” could help solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: how fast the universe is expanding. This rare superluminous supernova, located 10 billion light-years away, appears five times in the sky thanks to gravitational lensing, creating a dazzling “cosmic fireworks” effect. By measuring the slight delays between each appearance—caused by light taking different paths around two foreground galaxies—scientists can directly calculate the universe’s expansion rate.
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A spectacular cosmic event nicknamed “SN Winny” could help solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: how fast the universe is expanding. This rare superluminous supernova, located 10 billion light-years away, appears five times in the sky thanks to gravitational lensing, creating a dazzling “cosmic fireworks” effect.
TL;DR:
A spectacular cosmic event nicknamed “SN Winny” could help solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: how fast the universe is expanding.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Astronomers finally solve the gamma-Cas X-ray mystery after 50 years
A decades-old cosmic mystery has finally been cracked: the strange X-rays coming from the bright star gamma-Cas are caused by a hidden stellar companion feeding off it. Using cutting-edge observations from the XRISM space mission, astronomers discovered that an unseen white dwarf star is siphoning material from gamma-Cas, heating it to extreme temperatures and producing powerful X-ray emissions. This breakthrough resolves a puzzle that has baffled scientists since the 1970s and sheds new light on how these unusual stellar pairs form and evolve.
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A decades-old cosmic mystery has finally been cracked: the strange X-rays coming from the bright star gamma-Cas are caused by a hidden stellar companion feeding off it. Using cutting-edge observations from the XRISM space mission, astronomers discovered that an unseen white dwarf star is siphoning material from gamma-Cas, heating it to extreme temperatures and producing powerf…
TL;DR:
A decades-old cosmic mystery has finally been cracked: the strange X-rays coming from the bright star gamma-Cas are caused by a hidden stellar companion feeding off it.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Physicists just found a tiny flaw in time itself
Physicists are rethinking one of quantum mechanics’ biggest puzzles: how fuzzy possibilities become definite reality. New research suggests that spontaneous “collapse” processes—possibly linked to gravity—could subtly blur time itself. This wouldn’t affect clocks we use today, but it reveals a hidden limit to how precise time can ever be. The findings open a new path toward uniting quantum physics with gravity.
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Physicists just found a tiny flaw in time itself. New research suggests that spontaneous “collapse” processes—possibly linked to gravity—could subtly blur time itself. This wouldn’t affect clocks we use today, but it reveals a hidden limit to how precise time can ever be.
TL;DR:
Physicists are rethinking one of quantum mechanics’ biggest puzzles: how fuzzy possibilities become definite reality.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Powerful AI finds 100+ hidden planets in NASA data including rare and extreme worlds
Astronomers have unleashed a powerful new AI tool called RAVEN to comb through data from NASA’s TESS mission—and it’s paying off in a big way. By analyzing millions of stars, the system has confirmed over 100 exoplanets, including 31 brand-new worlds, and identified thousands more promising candidates. What makes this especially exciting is the discovery of rare and extreme planets, like those that whip around their stars in less than a day and others lurking in the mysterious “Neptunian desert,” where planets are thought to be scarce.
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Astronomers have unleashed a powerful new AI tool called RAVEN to comb through data from NASA’s TESS mission—and it’s paying off in a big way. By analyzing millions of stars, the system has confirmed over 100 exoplanets, including 31 brand-new worlds, and identified thousands more promising candidates.
TL;DR:
Astronomers have unleashed a powerful new AI tool called RAVEN to comb through data from NASA’s TESS mission—and it’s paying off in a big way.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA shuts down 49-year-old Voyager 1 instrument to keep it alive
Voyager 1 just powered down a nearly 50-year-old instrument to stay alive in deep space. The spacecraft is running critically low on energy, forcing NASA to make careful sacrifices to keep its mission going. Despite the shutdown, it continues to send back unique data from beyond our solar system. Engineers are now working on a bold plan that could extend its life — and possibly revive the instrument later.
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NASA shuts down 49-year-old Voyager 1 instrument to keep it alive. Voyager 1 just powered down a nearly 50-year-old instrument to stay alive in deep space. The spacecraft is running critically low on energy, forcing NASA to make careful sacrifices to keep its mission going.
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Voyager 1 just powered down a nearly 50-year-old instrument to stay alive in deep space.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA just took a huge step toward the Moon after Artemis II success
Artemis II proved NASA’s deep space systems are ready for the next leap. Orion survived its high-speed return with improved heat shield performance and pinpoint landing accuracy, while the SLS rocket nailed its trajectory. Even the launch pad upgrades paid off, with minimal damage despite the powerful liftoff. With only minor issues to resolve, NASA is now gearing up for Artemis III and future Moon missions.
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NASA just took a huge step toward the Moon after Artemis II success. Artemis II proved NASA’s deep space systems are ready for the next leap. With only minor issues to resolve, NASA is now gearing up for Artemis III and future Moon missions.
TL;DR:
Artemis II proved NASA’s deep space systems are ready for the next leap.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Webb space telescope reveals a scorching “super-Earth” that looks like Mercury
A scorching, airless world just 48 light-years away is offering scientists a rare glimpse into the geology of distant planets. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers studied LHS 3844 b—a tidally locked “super-Earth” with a permanent dayside hot enough to melt metal—and discovered it’s a dark, barren rock with no atmosphere.
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A scorching, airless world just 48 light-years away is offering scientists a rare glimpse into the geology of distant planets. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers studied LHS 3844 b—a tidally locked “super-Earth” with a permanent dayside hot enough to melt metal—and discovered it’s a dark, barren rock with no atmosphere.
TL;DR:
A scorching, airless world just 48 light-years away is offering scientists a rare glimpse into the geology of distant planets.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
This tiny outer Solar System world has an atmosphere. It shouldn’t
Astronomers have spotted something surprising in the far outer Solar System—a faint, short-lived atmosphere clinging to a tiny icy world that shouldn’t be able to hold one at all. The object, called 2002 XV93, is far smaller than Pluto, yet observations during a rare stellar alignment revealed its presence through a subtle dimming of starlight. Even more puzzling, calculations suggest this atmosphere should vanish within about 1,000 years unless it’s constantly being replenished.
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This tiny outer Solar System world has an atmosphere. Astronomers have spotted something surprising in the far outer Solar System—a faint, short-lived atmosphere clinging to a tiny icy world that shouldn’t be able to hold one at all. Even more puzzling, calculations suggest this atmosphere should vanish within about 1,000 years unless it’s constantly being replenished.
TL;DR:
Astronomers have spotted something surprising in the far outer Solar System—a faint, short-lived atmosphere clinging to a tiny icy world that shouldn’t be able to hold one at all.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Blue Origin’s new moon lander just survived extreme space testing on Earth
A bold step toward returning humans to the Moon is underway with Blue Origin’s uncrewed MK1 “Endurance” lander, designed to test the technologies that future astronauts will rely on. Built in partnership with NASA, the mission will showcase precision landing, autonomous navigation, and advanced cryogenic propulsion—key capabilities for operating on the lunar surface. It will also carry cutting-edge NASA instruments to study how rocket plumes interact with the Moon and to improve navigation accuracy from orbit.
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Blue Origin’s new moon lander just survived extreme space testing on Earth. Built in partnership with NASA, the mission will showcase precision landing, autonomous navigation, and advanced cryogenic propulsion—key capabilities for operating on the lunar surface.
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It will also carry cutting-edge NASA instruments to study how rocket plumes interact with the Moon and to improve navigation accuracy from orbit.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA just tested a powerful new thruster that could send humans to Mars
A powerful new electromagnetic thruster has taken a major step forward after a successful high-energy test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Fueled by lithium vapor and driven by intense magnetic forces, the experimental engine reached record-breaking power levels—far beyond anything currently used in space. Glowing hotter than molten lava and firing inside a specialized vacuum chamber, the thruster hints at a future where spacecraft could travel farther and more efficiently than ever before.
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A powerful new electromagnetic thruster has taken a major step forward after a successful high-energy test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Fueled by lithium vapor and driven by intense magnetic forces, the experimental engine reached record-breaking power levels—far beyond anything currently used in space.
TL;DR:
A powerful new electromagnetic thruster has taken a major step forward after a successful high-energy test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
This strange planet pair shouldn’t exist, but it does
A bizarre planetary pairing 190 light-years away is challenging everything astronomers thought they knew about how worlds form. A “lonely” hot Jupiter — typically found without nearby companions — is sharing its system with a smaller mini-Neptune tucked even closer to the star, a setup once thought nearly impossible.
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This strange planet pair shouldn’t exist, but it does. A bizarre planetary pairing 190 light-years away is challenging everything astronomers thought they knew about how worlds form. A “lonely” hot Jupiter — typically found without nearby companions — is sharing its system with a smaller mini-Neptune tucked even closer to the star, a setup once thought nearly impossible.
TL;DR:
A bizarre planetary pairing 190 light-years away is challenging everything astronomers thought they knew about how worlds form.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Webb space telescope finds a giant galaxy that doesn’t spin
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted something that shouldn’t exist—at least not so early in the universe. A massive galaxy, formed less than 2 billion years after the Big Bang, appears to have no rotation at all, a trait usually seen only in much older, evolved galaxies. This challenges current theories that young galaxies should still be spinning from their formation.
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Webb space telescope finds a giant galaxy that doesn’t spin. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted something that shouldn’t exist—at least not so early in the universe. A massive galaxy, formed less than 2 billion years after the Big Bang, appears to have no rotation at all, a trait usually seen only in much older, evolved galaxies.
TL;DR:
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted something that shouldn’t exist—at least not so early in the universe.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
The Universe’s biggest black holes may be forged in violent mergers
The Universe’s biggest black holes may not be born giants after all. Scientists analyzing gravitational-wave signals from dozens of black hole collisions found evidence that the heaviest black holes are likely “cosmic recyclers” — formed through repeated smashups inside incredibly crowded star clusters. These violent chain reactions appear to create a distinct class of rapidly spinning black holes that stand apart from ordinary ones formed by dying stars.
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The Universe’s biggest black holes may be forged in violent mergers. The Universe’s biggest black holes may not be born giants after all. Scientists analyzing gravitational-wave signals from dozens of black hole collisions found evidence that the heaviest black holes are likely “cosmic recyclers” — formed through repeated smashups inside incredibly crowded star clusters.
TL;DR:
The Universe’s biggest black holes may not be born giants after all.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS contains strange water never seen in our solar system
A mysterious comet from beyond our solar system is giving astronomers a rare glimpse into alien worlds — and it may have formed in a place far colder and stranger than anything around our Sun. The interstellar visitor, called 3I/ATLAS, contains an astonishingly high amount of “heavy water,” far exceeding anything seen in our own solar system.
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A mysterious comet from beyond our solar system is giving astronomers a rare glimpse into alien worlds — and it may have formed in a place far colder and stranger than anything around our Sun. The interstellar visitor, called 3I/ATLAS, contains an astonishingly high amount of “heavy water,” far exceeding anything seen in our own solar system.
TL;DR:
A mysterious comet from beyond our solar system is giving astronomers a rare glimpse into alien worlds — and it may have formed in a place far colder and stranger than anything around our Sun.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists make stunning discovery that could change our understanding of the Universe
Scientists may have uncovered a surprising secret behind why life exists at all. A new study suggests that the Universe’s fundamental constants — the deep physical rules that govern everything from atoms to stars — appear to sit within an incredibly narrow “sweet spot” that allows liquids to flow properly inside living cells. Even tiny shifts in these constants could make blood too thick, water too sticky, or cellular motion impossible, potentially wiping out life as we know it.
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Scientists make stunning discovery that could change our understanding of the Universe. Scientists may have uncovered a surprising secret behind why life exists at all. Even tiny shifts in these constants could make blood too thick, water too sticky, or cellular motion impossible, potentially wiping out life as we know it.
TL;DR:
Scientists may have uncovered a surprising secret behind why life exists at all.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists say Dante’s Inferno described an asteroid impact 500 years before modern science
Dante’s Inferno may have been far more than a religious epic. New research argues that the 14th-century poet essentially imagined a catastrophic asteroid impact centuries before modern science understood meteors. In this interpretation, Satan crashes into Earth like a giant cosmic object, blasting through the Southern Hemisphere and reshaping the planet itself — carving out the circles of Hell while forcing up Mount Purgatory on the opposite side of the globe.
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Scientists say Dante’s Inferno described an asteroid impact 500 years before modern science. New research argues that the 14th-century poet essentially imagined a catastrophic asteroid impact centuries before modern science understood meteors.
TL;DR:
In this interpretation, Satan crashes into Earth like a giant cosmic object, blasting through the Southern Hemisphere and reshaping the planet itself — carving out the circles of Hell while forcing up Mount Purgatory on the opposite side of the globe.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA’s Curiosity rover accidentally pulled a rock out of Mars
NASA’s Curiosity rover had an unexpectedly stubborn Mars souvenir after drilling into a rock nicknamed “Atacama” — the entire chunk ripped loose from the ground and stayed stuck to the rover’s drill. Engineers watched as Curiosity shook, vibrated, tilted, and spun the drill over several days in an effort to free the rock, while cameras captured the strange scene on the Red Planet.
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NASA’s Curiosity rover had an unexpectedly stubborn Mars souvenir after drilling into a rock nicknamed “Atacama” — the entire chunk ripped loose from the ground and stayed stuck to the rover’s drill.
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NASA’s Curiosity rover had an unexpectedly stubborn Mars souvenir after drilling into a rock nicknamed “Atacama” — the entire chunk ripped loose from the ground and stayed stuck to the rover’s drill.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA’s Psyche probe is about to slingshot around Mars at 12,000 mph
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is about to pull off a dramatic close flyby of Mars, skimming just 2,800 miles above the planet to get a powerful gravitational boost on its journey to the mysterious metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The maneuver will save propellant while giving mission scientists a rare chance to test and calibrate the spacecraft’s instruments using Mars as a target. As Psyche approaches from the planet’s dark side, it’s expected to capture striking crescent views of Mars, search for faint dust rings around the planet, and even gather magnetic and cosmic ray data during the encounter.
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NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is about to pull off a dramatic close flyby of Mars, skimming just 2,800 miles above the planet to get a powerful gravitational boost on its journey to the mysterious metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The maneuver will save propellant while giving mission scientists a rare chance to test and calibrate the spacecraft’s instruments using Mars as a target.
TL;DR:
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is about to pull off a dramatic close flyby of Mars, skimming just 2,800 miles above the planet to get a powerful gravitational boost on its journey to the mysterious metal-rich asteroid Psyche.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
James Webb telescope reveals the clearest map ever of the Universe’s cosmic web
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have created the clearest map yet of the universe’s “cosmic web” — the enormous hidden structure that connects galaxies across space. By analyzing more than 164,000 galaxies through the massive COSMOS-Web survey, researchers were able to trace this vast network back to when the universe was just a billion years old.
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Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have created the clearest map yet of the universe’s “cosmic web” — the enormous hidden structure that connects galaxies across space. By analyzing more than 164,000 galaxies through the massive COSMOS-Web survey, researchers were able to trace this vast network back to when the universe was just a billion years old.
TL;DR:
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have created the clearest map yet of the universe’s “cosmic web” — the enormous hidden structure that connects galaxies across space.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists discover hidden chemical signature that could reveal alien life
Scientists may have found a powerful new way to hunt for alien life — not by searching for specific molecules, but by looking for hidden patterns in how those molecules are organized. Researchers discovered that living systems leave behind a kind of chemical “fingerprint” in the statistical distribution of amino acids and fatty acids, one that consistently differs from nonliving chemistry.
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Scientists may have found a powerful new way to hunt for alien life — not by searching for specific molecules, but by looking for hidden patterns in how those molecules are organized. Researchers discovered that living systems leave behind a kind of chemical “fingerprint” in the statistical distribution of amino acids and fatty acids, one that consistently differs from nonlivi…
TL;DR:
Scientists may have found a powerful new way to hunt for alien life — not by searching for specific molecules, but by looking for hidden patterns in how those molecules are organized.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA’s Hubble reveals a giant chaotic planet nursery unlike anything seen before
Hubble has revealed a giant planet-forming disk unlike anything astronomers have seen before. Nicknamed “Dracula’s Chivito,” the enormous structure appears turbulent and oddly lopsided, with towering filaments visible on only one side. The disk contains enough material to potentially create multiple giant planets, making it a fascinating new laboratory for studying how planetary systems are born.
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NASA’s Hubble reveals a giant chaotic planet nursery unlike anything seen before. Hubble has revealed a giant planet-forming disk unlike anything astronomers have seen before. The disk contains enough material to potentially create multiple giant planets, making it a fascinating new laboratory for studying how planetary systems are born.
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Hubble has revealed a giant planet-forming disk unlike anything astronomers have seen before.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Halley’s comet may be named after the wrong person
A medieval monk may have beaten Edmond Halley to one of astronomy’s greatest discoveries by nearly 700 years. Researchers say Eilmer of Malmesbury recognized that the blazing comet seen in 1066 was the same one he had witnessed in 989. At the time, comets were viewed as terrifying omens tied to war and royal deaths, adding even more drama to the famous celestial event shown in the Bayeux Tapestry. The discovery is sparking debate over whether Halley’s Comet deserves a different name.
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Halley’s comet may be named after the wrong person. A medieval monk may have beaten Edmond Halley to one of astronomy’s greatest discoveries by nearly 700 years. The discovery is sparking debate over whether Halley’s Comet deserves a different name.
TL;DR:
A medieval monk may have beaten Edmond Halley to one of astronomy’s greatest discoveries by nearly 700 years.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Earth is flying through ancient supernova debris and scientists found the evidence in Antarctic ice
Earth is quietly collecting radioactive debris from an ancient stellar explosion as our Solar System drifts through a giant cloud of gas and dust between the stars. Scientists analyzing Antarctic ice up to 80,000 years old discovered traces of iron-60 — a rare isotope forged in supernova explosions — and found evidence that this “cosmic ash” has been lingering inside the Local Interstellar Cloud for ages. The discovery suggests the cloud surrounding our Solar System was shaped by a long-ago exploding star, offering researchers a new way to study our galactic neighborhood.
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Earth is quietly collecting radioactive debris from an ancient stellar explosion as our Solar System drifts through a giant cloud of gas and dust between the stars. Scientists analyzing Antarctic ice up to 80,000 years old discovered traces of iron-60 — a rare isotope forged in supernova explosions — and found evidence that this “cosmic ash” has been lingering inside the Local…
TL;DR:
Earth is quietly collecting radioactive debris from an ancient stellar explosion as our Solar System drifts through a giant cloud of gas and dust between the stars.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
After 100 years, scientists finally uncover hidden rule behind cosmic rays
Scientists studying mysterious ultra-powerful cosmic rays have uncovered a surprising hidden pattern that could finally help explain where these particles come from. Using the DAMPE space telescope, researchers found that cosmic ray particles—from tiny protons to heavy iron nuclei—all begin fading away more sharply at the exact same point, hinting at a universal rule governing their behavior across the galaxy.
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Scientists studying mysterious ultra-powerful cosmic rays have uncovered a surprising hidden pattern that could finally help explain where these particles come from. Using the DAMPE space telescope, researchers found that cosmic ray particles—from tiny protons to heavy iron nuclei—all begin fading away more sharply at the exact same point, hinting at a universal rule governing…
TL;DR:
Scientists studying mysterious ultra-powerful cosmic rays have uncovered a surprising hidden pattern that could finally help explain where these particles come from.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists discover a mysterious asteroid breaking apart near the Sun
A newly discovered meteor stream may be the smoking gun of an asteroid slowly disintegrating under the Sun’s intense heat. Scientists say these fiery streaks across the night sky could reveal hidden near-Earth asteroids that telescopes struggle to detect.
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Scientists discover a mysterious asteroid breaking apart near the Sun. A newly discovered meteor stream may be the smoking gun of an asteroid slowly disintegrating under the Sun’s intense heat. Scientists say these fiery streaks across the night sky could reveal hidden near-Earth asteroids that telescopes struggle to detect.
TL;DR:
A newly discovered meteor stream may be the smoking gun of an asteroid slowly disintegrating under the Sun’s intense heat.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Deadly “red sky” solar storm from 800 years ago discovered in ancient trees
Researchers in Japan traced a hidden medieval solar storm using ancient tree rings and centuries-old sky observations. The team linked reports of eerie red auroras with spikes of carbon-14 trapped in buried wood, revealing a powerful solar radiation event around 1200 CE. The findings suggest the Sun was far more active at the time, with unusually short solar cycles.
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Deadly “red sky” solar storm from 800 years ago discovered in ancient trees. Researchers in Japan traced a hidden medieval solar storm using ancient tree rings and centuries-old sky observations. The findings suggest the Sun was far more active at the time, with unusually short solar cycles.
TL;DR:
Researchers in Japan traced a hidden medieval solar storm using ancient tree rings and centuries-old sky observations.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could reveal millions of invisible neutron stars
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could expose a vast hidden population of neutron stars lurking unseen across the Milky Way. By detecting subtle shifts in starlight caused by gravity, the mission may identify and even weigh isolated neutron stars that are otherwise impossible to see. Scientists hope the discoveries will reveal how these extreme objects are born and why they are blasted through space at incredible speeds.
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NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could reveal millions of invisible neutron stars. NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could expose a vast hidden population of neutron stars lurking unseen across the Milky Way. Scientists hope the discoveries will reveal how these extreme objects are born and why they are blasted through space at incredible speeds.
TL;DR:
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could expose a vast hidden population of neutron stars lurking unseen across the Milky Way.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA’s new AI space chip could let spacecraft think for themselves
NASA is testing a next-generation space computer chip that could give spacecraft the ability to operate far more independently in deep space. The radiation-hardened processor is showing performance levels hundreds of times beyond current spaceflight computers while surviving punishing tests designed to mimic the harsh conditions of space. The technology could enable AI-powered spacecraft, faster scientific discoveries, and smarter missions to the Moon and Mars.
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NASA’s new AI space chip could let spacecraft think for themselves. NASA is testing a next-generation space computer chip that could give spacecraft the ability to operate far more independently in deep space. The technology could enable AI-powered spacecraft, faster scientific discoveries, and smarter missions to the Moon and Mars.
TL;DR:
NASA is testing a next-generation space computer chip that could give spacecraft the ability to operate far more independently in deep space.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Mars may have once had an ocean and this chaotic valley is a big clue
A colossal valley near Mars’s equator is revealing dramatic clues about the Red Planet’s watery and volcanic past. Stretching roughly 1,300 kilometers, Shalbatana Vallis was carved billions of years ago when enormous floods of groundwater burst onto the surface, gouging deep winding channels across the landscape. Today, the region is a striking mix of ancient flood scars, collapsed “chaotic terrain,” lava-smoothed plains, volcanic ash, and battered impact craters — all hinting at a Mars that may once have been far warmer and wetter than it is now.
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Mars may have once had an ocean and this chaotic valley is a big clue. A colossal valley near Mars’s equator is revealing dramatic clues about the Red Planet’s watery and volcanic past. Today, the region is a striking mix of ancient flood scars, collapsed “chaotic terrain,” lava-smoothed plains, volcanic ash, and battered impact craters — all hinting at a Mars that may once ha…
TL;DR:
A colossal valley near Mars’s equator is revealing dramatic clues about the Red Planet’s watery and volcanic past.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
First-ever direct image of the cosmic web reveals the Universe’s hidden highways
Astronomers have revealed the sharpest image ever captured of a filament in the cosmic web — the enormous hidden structure connecting galaxies across the Universe. The glowing strand stretches 3 million light-years and links two galaxies from nearly 12 billion years ago. By observing this faint intergalactic gas directly for the first time in such detail, scientists gained new insight into how galaxies are fueled and formed.
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First-ever direct image of the cosmic web reveals the Universe’s hidden highways. Astronomers have revealed the sharpest image ever captured of a filament in the cosmic web — the enormous hidden structure connecting galaxies across the Universe. The glowing strand stretches 3 million light-years and links two galaxies from nearly 12 billion years ago.
TL;DR:
Astronomers have revealed the sharpest image ever captured of a filament in the cosmic web — the enormous hidden structure connecting galaxies across the Universe.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Schrödinger’s clock: Time could tick faster and slower at the same time
Time might be even stranger than Einstein imagined. Physicists are now exploring the possibility that a single clock could exist in a quantum superposition, ticking both faster and slower at the same time — almost like Schrödinger’s cat being both alive and dead simultaneously. Using incredibly precise atomic clocks and cutting-edge quantum technologies, researchers believe they may soon be able to test this bizarre prediction in the lab for the first time.
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Schrödinger’s clock: Time could tick faster and slower at the same time. Time might be even stranger than Einstein imagined. Physicists are now exploring the possibility that a single clock could exist in a quantum superposition, ticking both faster and slower at the same time — almost like Schrödinger’s cat being both alive and dead simultaneously.
TL;DR:
Time might be even stranger than Einstein imagined.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
Scientists opened a sealed envelope after 10 years and gravity still didn’t make sense
For more than 200 years, scientists have struggled to pin down the exact strength of gravity — and one physicist spent a decade chasing the answer while keeping his own results hidden from himself. Stephan Schlamminger and his team at NIST painstakingly recreated a landmark French experiment designed to measure “big G,” the universal gravitational constant that governs everything from falling apples to galaxies. When he finally opened a sealed envelope containing the secret number needed to decode the experiment, the results brought both relief and disappointment
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For more than 200 years, scientists have struggled to pin down the exact strength of gravity — and one physicist spent a decade chasing the answer while keeping his own results hidden from himself.
TL;DR:
For more than 200 years, scientists have struggled to pin down the exact strength of gravity — and one physicist spent a decade chasing the answer while keeping his own results hidden from himself.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
NASA’s powerful Roman Space Telescope is about to transform astronomy
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now aiming for an earlier launch in September 2026. Designed to explore dark matter, dark energy, and distant exoplanets, the telescope will capture massive, ultra-detailed surveys of the cosmos using infrared vision. Scientists expect Roman to uncover hundreds of millions of galaxies and possibly even entirely new cosmic phenomena. Its enormous data archive could reshape astronomy for decades.
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NASA’s powerful Roman Space Telescope is about to transform astronomy. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now aiming for an earlier launch in September 2026. Designed to explore dark matter, dark energy, and distant exoplanets, the telescope will capture massive, ultra-detailed surveys of the cosmos using infrared vision.
TL;DR:
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now aiming for an earlier launch in September 2026.
Sciencedaily
May 28, 23:23
A strange ripple in spacetime could be the first fingerprint of dark matter
Black holes crashing together may be revealing clues about dark matter hidden across the universe. Physicists created a new model predicting how dark matter could subtly distort gravitational waves produced during black hole mergers. When they tested the method on real LIGO data, one signal stood out as potentially carrying a dark matter imprint.
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A strange ripple in spacetime could be the first fingerprint of dark matter. Black holes crashing together may be revealing clues about dark matter hidden across the universe. When they tested the method on real LIGO data, one signal stood out as potentially carrying a dark matter imprint.
TL;DR:
Black holes crashing together may be revealing clues about dark matter hidden across the universe.
Nature Astronomy
May 28, 23:16
China's FAST Telescope Detects 100 New Fast Radio Bursts
China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope detected 100 new FRBs in a single observation campaign, tripling the known catalogue.
TL;DR:
China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope detected 100 new FRBs in a single observation campaign, tripling the known catalogue.
Universetoday
May 28, 22:06
JWST Studies a Dark and Airless Super-Earth
There's a planet out there called LHS 3844 b, orbiting a star about 48 light-years away. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) found it in 2018 when the planet transited across the face of its star. The James Webb Space Telescope zxeroed in on the planet and found it to be a barren, rocky place with no atmosphere.
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There's a planet out there called LHS 3844 b, orbiting a star about 48 light-years away. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) found it in 2018 when the planet transited across the face of its star. The James Webb Space Telescope zxeroed in on the planet and found it to be a barren, rocky place with no atmosphere.
TL;DR:
There's a planet out there called LHS 3844 b, orbiting a star about 48 light-years away.
Space
May 28, 22:00
Companies like SpaceX want electromagnetic catapults on the moon. Could they be used as weapons?
A new report stresses the strategic and security implications of placing mass drivers on the moon by arguing that these launchers could serve as valuable first strike weapons systems.
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According to the theory behind them, these mass drivers could use powerful magnetic fields to throw satellites and other probes into space without the need for costly and heavy chemical propellants. Putting railguns on the moon isn't a new idea, and was most recently proposed by SpaceX as a means of launching thousands of AI data center satellites into deep space.
TL;DR:
A new report stresses the strategic and security implications of placing mass drivers on the moon by arguing that these launchers could serve as valuable first strike weapons systems.
Space
May 28, 22:00
Companies like SpaceX want electromagnetic catapults on the moon. Could they be used as weapons? - Space
Companies like SpaceX want electromagnetic catapults on the moon. Could they be used as weapons? Space
TL;DR:
Companies like SpaceX want electromagnetic catapults on the moon.
Universetoday
May 28, 21:46
Earthly Hors d'oeuvres For Hungry Red Dwarfs
We know that stars can engulf planets because stars that swell up to become red giants overwhelm any close-in planets. The Sun will do this to Venus, Mercury, and possibly Earth in a few billion years. But research shows that it can happen when low-mass stars first enter the main sequence. Lithium gives it away.
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Earthly Hors d'oeuvres For Hungry Red Dwarfs. We know that stars can engulf planets because stars that swell up to become red giants overwhelm any close-in planets. The Sun will do this to Venus, Mercury, and possibly Earth in a few billion years.
TL;DR:
We know that stars can engulf planets because stars that swell up to become red giants overwhelm any close-in planets.
Space
May 28, 21:00
Andy Weir's 'The Martian' just got a deluxe edition to celebrate the book's 15-year anniversary, and it's a stunner
Before 'Project Hail Mary,' Weir wrote the quintessential space saga now being given a stunning makeover
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Andy Weir's 'The Martian' just got a deluxe edition to celebrate the book's 15-year anniversary, and it's a stunner. Before 'Project Hail Mary,' Weir wrote the quintessential space saga now being given a stunning makeover
TL;DR:
Before 'Project Hail Mary,' Weir wrote the quintessential space saga now being given a stunning makeover
Space
May 28, 20:00
NASA is hatching a 'fast-paced plan' to boost this space telescope. But first, they'll have to find it
NASA is working hard to predict where in Earth orbit its Swift space telescope will be this fall, so that a private spacecraft can meet up with the observatory and boost its altitude.
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A private spacecraft called "Link" is set to lift off late next month to meet up with NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory , which launched to low Earth orbit (LEO) in 2004 to hunt for powerful space explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Link will be the scope's savior, if all goes to plan, meeting up with Swift in LEO and boosting it to a higher altitude.
TL;DR:
NASA is working hard to predict where in Earth orbit its Swift space telescope will be this fall, so that a private spacecraft can meet up with the observatory and boost its altitude.
Skyandtelescope
May 28, 19:20
Close Encounter: Jupiter and Venus
The two brightest planets in our sky will be less than 2 degrees apart on June 9th at sunset. The post Close Encounter: Jupiter and Venus appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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The two brightest planets in our sky will be less than 2 degrees apart on June 9th at sunset. The post Close Encounter: Jupiter and Venus appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
The two brightest planets in our sky will be less than 2 degrees apart on June 9th at sunset.
Universetoday
May 28, 19:14
The Name N159 Doesn't Do This Brilliant Star-Forming Region Justice
This ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week captures all the glory of the star-forming region N159. It's in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and is dwarfed by its much larger neighbour, the Tarantula Nebula. But N159 is gorgeous, too, so captivating that it's been featured as a Picture of the Week several times.
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The Name N159 Doesn't Do This Brilliant Star-Forming Region Justice. This ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week captures all the glory of the star-forming region N159. But N159 is gorgeous, too, so captivating that it's been featured as a Picture of the Week several times.
TL;DR:
This ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week captures all the glory of the star-forming region N159.
Universetoday
May 28, 18:30
An Orbiting Satellite Triad Reveals Motions Inside Earth
Our planet's liquid iron outer core is slowly giving up its secrets to a trio of satellites launched by ESA in 2013. Called Swarm, the three probes have been studying Earth's magnetic field at the source. In the process, they've revealed startling changes in a molten layer region 2,200 kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean. In 2010, material in that area of Earth's outer core changed direction. Insteading of moving slowly westward, it's now headed east and picking up speed. Scientists are working to figure out why by using the European Space Agency's (ESA) Swarm data and additional information from ESA's CryoSat mission and ground-based instruments.
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An Orbiting Satellite Triad Reveals Motions Inside Earth. Our planet's liquid iron outer core is slowly giving up its secrets to a trio of satellites launched by ESA in 2013. Scientists are working to figure out why by using the European Space Agency's (ESA) Swarm data and additional information from ESA's CryoSat mission and ground-based instruments.
TL;DR:
Our planet's liquid iron outer core is slowly giving up its secrets to a trio of satellites launched by ESA in 2013.
Space
May 28, 18:00
James Webb Space Telescope discovers a black hole that formed before its host galaxy. Scientists aren't sure how
Observations of "Little Red Dot" ancient galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope could answer the question: which comes first, the black hole or its galaxy? The shocking answer could represent a complete paradigm shift.
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The shocking answer could represent a complete paradigm shift.
TL;DR:
Observations of "Little Red Dot" ancient galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope could answer the question: which comes first, the black hole or its galaxy?
Universetoday
May 28, 17:53
Just Like Stars, Open Clusters Can Form Binary Pairs
Open star clusters are prevalent stellar structures in the Milky Way. Astronomers think their could be 100,000 of them. But they're not all the same: some are binary clusters, and within those, there's a hierarchy based on how they form. Recent research explores the different types and how many of each type is in the Milky Way.
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Just Like Stars, Open Clusters Can Form Binary Pairs. Open star clusters are prevalent stellar structures in the Milky Way. Recent research explores the different types and how many of each type is in the Milky Way.
TL;DR:
Open star clusters are prevalent stellar structures in the Milky Way.
NASA Image of the Day
May 28, 16:02
Going Low and Slow in Testing
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during testing focused on lower-speed and altitude flight conditions in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. NASA continues to include two-flight days in its envelope expansion as teams work to better understand how the aircraft responds throughout its operating range.
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NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during testing focused on lower-speed and altitude flight conditions in support of NASA’s Quesst mission.
TL;DR:
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during testing focused on lower-speed and altitude flight conditions in support of NASA’s Quesst mission.
Space
May 28, 15:00
Astrophotographer spends 115 hours capturing Horsehead Nebula in striking detail with backyard telescope
The Horsehead Nebula cuts a dark silhouette against glowing clouds in the constellation Orion.
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Astrophotographer spends 115 hours capturing Horsehead Nebula in striking detail with backyard telescope. The Horsehead Nebula cuts a dark silhouette against glowing clouds in the constellation Orion.
TL;DR:
The Horsehead Nebula cuts a dark silhouette against glowing clouds in the constellation Orion.
Space
May 28, 14:00
Astronaut captures aurora magic from the ISS | Space photo of the day for May 28, 2026
Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) snapped this photo from a window aboard the ISS, capturing a piece of the station itself, a sliver of Earth's atmosphere , and a peek out…
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In January, Yui returned from space after completing the nearly five-month SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the ISS. Rather than a view of just Earth, space, or the space station, it's a mesmerizing combination of all three.
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Rather than a view of just Earth, space, or the space station, it's a mesmerizing combination of all three.
Space
May 28, 13:00
How to catch the perfect full moonrise — just in time for the Blue Moon show on May 30
A rare second full moon arrives this week — and if you get the timing wrong, you'll miss its magic. Here's how to plan it precisely.
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How to catch the perfect full moonrise — just in time for the Blue Moon show on May 30. A rare second full moon arrives this week — and if you get the timing wrong, you'll miss its magic. Here's how to plan it precisely.
TL;DR:
A rare second full moon arrives this week — and if you get the timing wrong, you'll miss its magic.
Space
May 28, 13:00
What's next for SpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket after its historic debut flight?
SpaceX's "V3" Starship megarocket did pretty well on its debut flight last week. What's next for the powerful next-gen vehicle?
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What's next for SpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket after its historic debut flight?. SpaceX's "V3" Starship megarocket did pretty well on its debut flight last week. What's next for the powerful next-gen vehicle?
TL;DR:
SpaceX's "V3" Starship megarocket did pretty well on its debut flight last week.
Space
May 28, 12:00
Most powerful 'ghost particle' ever may have come from a cosmic particle accelerator fed by a black hole
The most energetic "ghost particle" neutrino ever detected may have been blasted at Earth by blazars, suggesting that these events and their black hole engines are powerful cosmic particle accelerators.
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Blazars are a type of quasar , the regions at the hearts of galaxies that host feeding supermassive black holes and discharge powerful jets of radiation. The neutrino was 30 times more energetic than carried with it 30 times the energy of the previous most energetic neutrino ever detected.
TL;DR:
The most energetic "ghost particle" neutrino ever detected may have been blasted at Earth by blazars, suggesting that these events and their black hole engines are powerful cosmic particle accelerators.
Space
May 28, 11:00
Enjoy the Season 5 finale of 'For All Mankind' and be first to view spinoff series 'Star City' anywhere with these exclusive VPN deals — save 87% off and a bonus free $30 Amazon Gift Card
Surfshark comes recommended as one of the best VPN services, and offers online security and convenience, now with a $415 discount and a $30 Amazon voucher.
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Enjoy the Season 5 finale of 'For All Mankind' and be first to view spinoff series 'Star City' anywhere with these exclusive VPN deals — save 87% off and a bonus free $30 Amazon Gift Card. Surfshark comes recommended as one of the best VPN services, and offers online security and convenience, now with a $415 discount and a $30 Amazon voucher.
TL;DR:
Surfshark comes recommended as one of the best VPN services, and offers online security and convenience, now with a $415 discount and a $30 Amazon voucher.
Space
May 28, 10:00
Where did Mercury get its water ice? Maybe from a single slow asteroid impact
Mercury may have gotten much of its polar ice within a single Mercurian day following a massive asteroid impact, a new study suggests.
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Being the closest planet to the sun, Mercury seems like the last place in the solar system where water ice should survive. The sun appears nearly three times larger in Mercury's sky than it does from Earth, while daytime temperatures on the scorched world can soar above 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius).
TL;DR:
Mercury may have gotten much of its polar ice within a single Mercurian day following a massive asteroid impact, a new study suggests.
Phys.org
May 28, 08:52
Think it's hot now? The next five years will smash records, UN says - Phys.org
Think it's hot now? The next five years will smash records, UN says Phys.org
TL;DR:
The next five years will smash records, UN says Phys.org
Universetoday
May 28, 00:10
Astrophysical Calibration Could "Autotune" Gravitational Wave Detection
The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) detector network has a new trick up its sleeve to improve the instruments’ sensitivity to gravitational waves: it’s called Astrophysical Calibration and it plays a role similar to auto-tune in music production.
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Ever since gravitational waves were first confirmed in 2017 by scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), over 390 gravitational wave events have been detected.
TL;DR:
The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) detector network has a new trick up its sleeve to improve the instruments’ sensitivity to gravitational waves: it’s called Astrophysical Calibration and it plays a role similar to auto-tune in music production.
Universetoday
May 27, 22:49
Something Just Passed Between Us and a Distant Star.
In December 2019, astronomers detected a one hour brightening of a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a classic gravitational microlensing event. These occur when a compact object bends a distant the light of a distant star as it passes in front of it. The object responsible in this instance, named Phoebe, has a mass of roughly three times that of our Moon making it far too small to be a stellar black hole, but consistent with a primordial black hole formed moments after the Big Bang.
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Something Just Passed Between Us and a Distant Star.. These occur when a compact object bends a distant the light of a distant star as it passes in front of it. The object responsible in this instance, named Phoebe, has a mass of roughly three times that of our Moon making it far too small to be a stellar black hole, but consistent with a primordial black hole formed moments a…
TL;DR:
In December 2019, astronomers detected a one hour brightening of a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a classic gravitational microlensing event.
Universetoday
May 27, 22:35
When Spacetime Crystallises, a Black Hole is Born
Physicists have thought for decades that microscopic black holes can theoretically emerge not from exploding stars but from delicate "critical states" in which space and time organise themselves into a crystal like structure. Now, for the first time, researchers from TU Wien and Goethe University Frankfurt have derived an exact mathematical formula describing this bizarre phenomenon using a surprising trick involving infinitely many dimensions!
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Physicists have thought for decades that microscopic black holes can theoretically emerge not from exploding stars but from delicate "critical states" in which space and time organise themselves into a crystal like structure.
TL;DR:
Physicists have thought for decades that microscopic black holes can theoretically emerge not from exploding stars but from delicate "critical states" in which space and time organise themselves into a crystal like structure.
Space
May 27, 20:56
Russian cosmonauts install sun-watching telescope on ISS during 6-hour spacewalk
Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev worked to install and retrieve science experiments while on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
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Expedition 74 commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev spent 6 hours and 5 minutes outside the space station, conducting an extravehicular activity (EVA) that ran from 10:18 a.m. The Solntse-Teragerts telescope that the duo mounted outside Zvezda was designed to observe and collect data about strong solar flares emanating from the sun .
TL;DR:
Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev worked to install and retrieve science experiments while on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Universetoday
May 27, 20:55
The Weirdness of Early Universe SMBHs Gets Even Weirder
The JWST has shown us some strange things about supermassive black holes (SMBH) in the early Universe. Many of them are far more massive than we think they should be. Now astronomers working with the JWST have found one that seems to have formed before its galaxy did.
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The Weirdness of Early Universe SMBHs Gets Even Weirder. The JWST has shown us some strange things about supermassive black holes (SMBH) in the early Universe. Now astronomers working with the JWST have found one that seems to have formed before its galaxy did.
TL;DR:
The JWST has shown us some strange things about supermassive black holes (SMBH) in the early Universe.
Space
May 27, 18:00
China shakes up its space programs to land astronauts on the moon by 2030: 'We will spare no effort'
China is melding its robotic Chang'e lunar probe activities with the country's human spaceflight program in an effort to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.
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Zhang pointed to past low-altitude demonstration tests of the Long March-10 carrier rocket system and maximum-dynamic-pressure escape/abort tests of their larger Mengzhou crewed spacecraft system . Those tests are paving the way for a reusable crewed transportation system and future crewed moon landings, said Zhang.
TL;DR:
China is melding its robotic Chang'e lunar probe activities with the country's human spaceflight program in an effort to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.
Universetoday
May 27, 17:53
A Natural Chemistry Laboratory in Protostar Shock Waves
Complex organic molecules (COMS) are at the heart of life. They're created where jets from protostars slam into the interstellar medium, environments that scientists call natural laboratories. In these intense environments, important carbon-bearing molecules are created. Recent research took a close look at one of these jets and found some COMS in them for the first time.
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A Natural Chemistry Laboratory in Protostar Shock Waves. They're created where jets from protostars slam into the interstellar medium, environments that scientists call natural laboratories. Recent research took a close look at one of these jets and found some COMS in them for the first time.
TL;DR:
Complex organic molecules (COMS) are at the heart of life.
Space
May 27, 17:28
FAA grounds SpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket after Flight 12 'mishap'
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has declared the debut flight of SpaceX's Starship V3 vehicle a mishap and is requiring an investigation before the megarocket can fly again.
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Starship consists of two elements, both of which are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable — a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or Ship for short.
TL;DR:
Federal Aviation Administration has declared the debut flight of SpaceX's Starship V3 vehicle a mishap and is requiring an investigation before the megarocket can fly again.
Universetoday
May 27, 16:46
A New Model Helps Astronomers Study How Merging Black Holes Ring
Gravitational wave astronomy has been a tremendous breakthrough in our understanding of black holes. We can now detect not just the electromagnetic spectrum of light, but also the very ripples of spa…
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Gravitational wave astronomy has been a tremendous breakthrough in our understanding of black holes. We can now detect not just the electromagnetic spectrum of light, but also the very ripples of spacetime created by the mergers of stellar-mass black holes. To separate the data from the noise, we use mathematical models of black hole mergers to identify the events.
TL;DR:
A new statistical model reveals more details about the ringdown period of merging black holes.
Space
May 27, 16:00
What is Star City, the secret Cold War cosmonaut training town in Apple TV's new 'For All Mankind' spinoff?
But far from being pure fiction, "Star City" is based on the real-life hidden Russian city just outside Moscow where cosmonauts lived and trained alongside engineers, scientists, and the ever-present…
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But far from being pure fiction, "Star City" is based on the real-life hidden Russian city just outside Moscow where cosmonauts lived and trained alongside engineers, scientists, and the ever-present eyes and ears of KGB agents keeping a lid on Soviet secrets.
TL;DR:
Here's everything you need to know about the forbidden city.
Universetoday
May 27, 15:55
Why the Second Full Moon of May is a ‘Blue Minimoon’
There’s nothing like a random celestial coincidence, turned good internet meme. In this case, the chance event is this weekend’s Full Moon, which also happens to be the second Full Moon of May, and is also the most distant and visually smallest Full Moon of the year.
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Why the Second Full Moon of May is a ‘Blue Minimoon’. There’s nothing like a random celestial coincidence, turned good internet meme. In this case, the chance event is this weekend’s Full Moon, which also happens to be the second Full Moon of May, and is also the most distant and visually smallest Full Moon of the year.
TL;DR:
In this case, the chance event is this weekend’s Full Moon, which also happens to be the second Full Moon of May, and is also the most distant and visually smallest Full Moon of the year.
NASA Image of the Day
May 27, 15:46
Students Build Moon Robots for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge
Katherine Rauscher, of Michigan Technological University, prepares her team’s prototype lunar robot for its turn during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S. designed and built remote-controlled robots capable of traversing challenging lunar terrain while constructing regolith-based berm under conditions similar to those the agency will face as it returns to the lunar surface through Artemis.
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Katherine Rauscher, of Michigan Technological University, prepares her team’s prototype lunar robot for its turn during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Forty-seven teams from around the U.S.
TL;DR:
Katherine Rauscher, of Michigan Technological University, prepares her team’s prototype lunar robot for its turn during the finals for NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge competition on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, inside the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Skyandtelescope
May 27, 15:31
Lost in the Star Clouds — A Milky Way Odyssey
I share my "discovery" of a new Milky Way star cloud that's been staring at me for ages. The post Lost in the Star Clouds — A Milky Way Odyssey appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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Lost in the Star Clouds — A Milky Way Odyssey. I share my "discovery" of a new Milky Way star cloud that's been staring at me for ages. The post Lost in the Star Clouds — A Milky Way Odyssey appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
I share my "discovery" of a new Milky Way star cloud that's been staring at me for ages.
Space
May 27, 15:00
Every Lego Star Wars set released in 2026 that I wish I had
Lego is going all out with Star Wars this year, from awesome mid-sided AT-AT through to a whole range of super-interactive Smart Brick-enabled models. Here are the sets I absolutely have to add to my Lego Star Wars collection.
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Every Lego Star Wars set released in 2026 that I wish I had. Lego is going all out with Star Wars this year, from awesome mid-sided AT-AT through to a whole range of super-interactive Smart Brick-enabled models. Here are the sets I absolutely have to add to my Lego Star Wars collection.
TL;DR:
Lego is going all out with Star Wars this year, from awesome mid-sided AT-AT through to a whole range of super-interactive Smart Brick-enabled models.
Space
May 27, 15:00
3 planets will line up in the night sky tonight: Here's where to look for the mini planetary parade
Don't miss Jupiter, Venus and Mercury create a dazzling line in the western sky at sunset tonight.
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3 planets will line up in the night sky tonight: Here's where to look for the mini planetary parade. Don't miss Jupiter, Venus and Mercury create a dazzling line in the western sky at sunset tonight.
TL;DR:
Don't miss Jupiter, Venus and Mercury create a dazzling line in the western sky at sunset tonight.
Phys.org
May 27, 14:01
Could aliens ever visit Earth? An aerospace scientist unpacks the challenges of interstellar spaceflight - Phys.org
Could aliens ever visit Earth? An aerospace scientist unpacks the challenges of interstellar spaceflight Phys.org
TL;DR:
Could aliens ever visit Earth?
Space
May 27, 14:00
Laser beams blast through the cosmos | Space photo of the day for May 27, 2026
Fear not, these lasers are just doing science.
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Laser beams blast through the cosmos photo of the day for May 27, 2026. Fear not, these lasers are just doing science.
TL;DR:
Fear not, these lasers are just doing science.
Space
May 27, 13:00
NASA will reveal the Artemis 3 astronauts on June 9
On June 9, NASA will reveal the four-person Artemis 3 crew and provide a progress update about the mission, agency officials said on Tuesday evening (May 26).
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On June 9, NASA will reveal the four-person Artemis 3 crew and provide a progress update about the mission, agency officials said on Tuesday evening (May 26). Artemis 3 was originally supposed to be the first landing mission of the Artemis program , which aims to establish a lasting human presence on the moon over the next decade or so.
TL;DR:
On June 9, NASA will reveal the astronauts who will fly on the Artemis 3 docking mission in Earth orbit next year.
Space
May 27, 12:10
'One of the great unresolved embarrassments of physics': It's been 340 years since Newton and scientists still haven't solved the secret of gravity
Big G is the oldest fundamental constant in physics and remains the least clearly defined. One scientist has spent a decade attempting to crack the mystery of the gravitational constant, and it all came down to the opening of a single envelope.
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'One of the great unresolved embarrassments of physics': It's been 340 years since Newton and scientists still haven't solved the secret of gravity. Big G is the oldest fundamental constant in physics and remains the least clearly defined.
TL;DR:
Big G is the oldest fundamental constant in physics and remains the least clearly defined.
Space
May 27, 10:00
The Milky Way may have devoured another galaxy named Loki, and astronomers think they've found its remains
Astronomers say that they have identified 20 stars that may have grown up together in a dwarf galaxy named "Loki" that eventually became part of our Milky Way.
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It turns out that the stars leftover from these dwarf galaxies still share characteristics, and scientists are getting better at identifying them. By studying their similarities, scientists use these stars to determine their galaxies of origin. But now, Sestitio and the team have new features that they can use to identify stars' original galaxies.
TL;DR:
Astronomers say that they have identified 20 stars that may have grown up together in a dwarf galaxy named "Loki" that eventually became part of our Milky Way.
Universetoday
May 27, 07:10
NASA TESS Reveals Epic All-Sky Map of Distant Worlds
You’re on a camping trip with your family and your parents tell you to turn off all the lights. But, of course, your little brother wants to shine his flashlight directly at the sky saying aliens will see it. You finally get him to shut off his flashlight, and you give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness. As they do, more and more stars begin to appear in the night sky that were initially hidden beneath the glare of your (loser) brother’s flashlight. As the stars get brighter and increase in number, you start firing off a slew of questions in your head: How far away are they? Are there planets around them? What kinds of life are on those planets?
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NASA TESS Reveals Epic All-Sky Map of Distant Worlds. As they do, more and more stars begin to appear in the night sky that were initially hidden beneath the glare of your (loser) brother’s flashlight. What kinds of life are on those planets?
TL;DR:
What kinds of life are on those planets?
Space
May 27, 04:05
Watch 2 Russian cosmonauts take 5-hour spacewalk outside the ISS today
Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev will perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (May 27), and you can watch the action live.
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Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos , will perform a five-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) today, starting at about 10:15 a.m. You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency .
TL;DR:
Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev will perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (May 27), and you can watch the action live.
Universetoday
May 27, 01:08
Astronomers Observe the Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy in the Early Universe
An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima of Kanazawa University has captured a rare look at the early universe. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the power of gravitational lensing, the team achieved a definitive characterization of LAP1-B, an ultra-faint galaxy from 13 billion years ago.
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An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima of Kanazawa University has captured a rare look at the early universe. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the power of gravitational lensing, the team achieved a definitive characterization of LAP1-B, an ultra-faint galaxy from 13 billion years ago.
TL;DR:
An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima of Kanazawa University has captured a rare look at the early universe.
Space
May 26, 21:47
Artemis moon base will cover 'hundreds of square miles' with hopping drones and new lunar rovers, NASA says
NASA envisions its moon base covering hundreds of square miles, and hopping scout drones may mark the facility's perimeter. The agency just awarded $1 billion in contracts to get the ball rolling.
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Artemis moon base will cover 'hundreds of square miles' with hopping drones and new lunar rovers, NASA says. NASA envisions its moon base covering hundreds of square miles, and hopping scout drones may mark the facility's perimeter. The agency just awarded $1 billion in contracts to get the ball rolling.
TL;DR:
NASA envisions its moon base covering hundreds of square miles, and hopping scout drones may mark the facility's perimeter.
Space
May 26, 20:00
'Masters of the Universe' gets a final trailer, and it's a perfect blend of nostalgia, sci-fi battles, and muscles (video)
'Skeletor took my family and he destroyed our world. I'm gonna fight for it.'
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'Masters of the Universe' gets a final trailer, and it's a perfect blend of nostalgia, sci-fi battles, and muscles (video). 'Skeletor took my family and he destroyed our world. I'm gonna fight for it.'
TL;DR:
'Skeletor took my family and he destroyed our world.
Universetoday
May 26, 19:26
When the Sun Tries to Explode and Fails
Scientists have captured one of the most detailed observations ever of a failed solar eruption, a powerful blast from the Sun that built into what should have been a billion tonne plasma ejection, then stalled and collapsed back to the surface. Using data from five spacecraft simultaneously, the team identified a double magnetic process that strangled the eruption from both above and below.
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Scientists have captured one of the most detailed observations ever of a failed solar eruption, a powerful blast from the Sun that built into what should have been a billion tonne plasma ejection, then stalled and collapsed back to the surface.
TL;DR:
Scientists have captured one of the most detailed observations ever of a failed solar eruption, a powerful blast from the Sun that built into what should have been a billion tonne plasma ejection, then stalled and collapsed back to the surface.
Universetoday
May 26, 19:20
The Sun Just Did Something Nobody Expected and it Kept Going For 19 Days
In August 2025, a NASA spacecraft detected a solar radio burst that refused to stop lasting 19 days, nearly four times longer than any previously recorded. A team of researchers used data from four spacecraft spread across the inner Solar System to track the event and pinpoint its source to a magnetic structure called a helmet streamer, likely supercharged by a series of powerful solar eruptions.
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In August 2025, a NASA spacecraft detected a solar radio burst that refused to stop lasting 19 days, nearly four times longer than any previously recorded. A team of researchers used data from four spacecraft spread across the inner Solar System to track the event and pinpoint its source to a magnetic structure called a helmet streamer, likely supercharged by a series of power…
TL;DR:
In August 2025, a NASA spacecraft detected a solar radio burst that refused to stop lasting 19 days, nearly four times longer than any previously recorded.
Universetoday
May 26, 19:11
Three Stars, One Extraordinary System and a Drama Still to Come
Astronomers have discovered a remarkable triple star system in which two Sun like stars orbit each other every 4.75 days, while a giant star, ten times the size of our Sun circles the pair every 412 days. All three orbit in almost exactly the same plane, and because we view that plane edge on from Earth, the stars eclipse each other in a distinctive pattern that allows all three to be measured simultaneously. The giant is slowly swelling and will eventually overflow its gravitational boundary, triggering a dramatic mass transfer event that could reshape or even destroy the system.
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Astronomers have discovered a remarkable triple star system in which two Sun like stars orbit each other every 4.75 days, while a giant star, ten times the size of our Sun circles the pair every 412 days.
TL;DR:
Astronomers have discovered a remarkable triple star system in which two Sun like stars orbit each other every 4.75 days, while a giant star, ten times the size of our Sun circles the pair every 412 days.
Universetoday
May 26, 19:09
The Definitive Census of Multiple Star Systems Within 10 Parsecs
Our Sun is a loner. It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it. But we’ve known for a long time that’s actually relatively rare - most stars have at least one gravitationally bound partner. Understanding how exactly those stars are related to each other is critical for observational campaigns - especially for those of exoplanets. So a new paper from researchers at the University of Madrid that categorizes almost every star within ten light years into companion categories is a welcome addition to the literature on the subject, and could be used to inform the next round of planet habitable planet hunting satellites.
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The Definitive Census of Multiple Star Systems Within 10 Parsecs. It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it. So a new paper from researchers at the University of Madrid that categorizes almost every star within ten light years into companion categories is a welcome addition to the literature on the subject, and could be used to inform the next ro…
TL;DR:
It lacks a stellar companion hurtling through interstellar space with it.
Space
May 26, 18:00
Satellites imaged an underwater volcano erupting — but scientists have no idea what's actually happening on the seafloor
Satellites captured footage of an underwater volcano eruption in a part of the sea that remains largely a mystery.
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Satellites imaged an underwater volcano erupting — but scientists have no idea what's actually happening on the seafloor. Satellites captured footage of an underwater volcano eruption in a part of the sea that remains largely a mystery.
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Satellites captured footage of an underwater volcano eruption in a part of the sea that remains largely a mystery.
Universetoday
May 26, 17:26
Are Satellite Megaconstellations Accidentally Geoengineering the Earth?
We’ve been reporting a lot lately on the negative impacts of satellite constellations. And unfortunately it’s time for another article about a paper pointing out the potential hazards of them. This one, by lead author Conner Barker of University College London, focuses on the pollution caused by rocket launches - and admittedly contains some good news, but also a cautionary tale that policy makers should be aware of.
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Are Satellite Megaconstellations Accidentally Geoengineering the Earth?. And unfortunately it’s time for another article about a paper pointing out the potential hazards of them. This one, by lead author Conner Barker of University College London, focuses on the pollution caused by rocket launches - and admittedly contains some good news, but also a cautionary tale that policy…
TL;DR:
We’ve been reporting a lot lately on the negative impacts of satellite constellations.
Space
May 26, 15:00
'Redshift' blends James Webb Space Telescope, Artemis 2 and Pink Floyd into a cosmic journey through light and sound (video, photos)
Artist Ashley Zelinskie and DJ illich Mujica get psychedelic in New York City.
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'Redshift' blends James Webb Space Telescope, Artemis 2 and Pink Floyd into a cosmic journey through light and sound (video, photos). Artist Ashley Zelinskie and DJ illich Mujica get psychedelic in New York City.
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Artist Ashley Zelinskie and DJ illich Mujica get psychedelic in New York City.
NASA Image of the Day
May 26, 14:50
Chennai City Lights
Chennai, on India's southern coast along the Bay of Bengal and with a metropolitan population of about 8.7 million, shines with white LED streetlights in this photograph taken at approximately 9:13 p.m. local time on May 2, 2026, from the International Space Station.
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Chennai City Lights. Chennai, on India's southern coast along the Bay of Bengal and with a metropolitan population of about 8.7 million, shines with white LED streetlights in this photograph taken at approximately 9:13 p.m. local time on May 2, 2026, from the International Space Station.
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local time on May 2, 2026, from the International Space Station.
Skyandtelescope
May 26, 14:48
NASA's Psyche Sends Back Amazing Images of Mars
NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission made a course adjustment via a flyby past Mars en route to its final destination. Here's what it saw. The post NASA's Psyche Sends Back Amazing Images of Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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NASA's Psyche Sends Back Amazing Images of Mars. NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission made a course adjustment via a flyby past Mars en route to its final destination. The post NASA's Psyche Sends Back Amazing Images of Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission made a course adjustment via a flyby past Mars en route to its final destination.
Space
May 26, 14:00
Seeing double with the Artemis 2 rocket boosters | Space photo of the day for May 26, 2026
The two boosters hang out mid-air after separation.
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Seeing double with the Artemis 2 rocket boosters photo of the day for May 26, 2026. The two boosters hang out mid-air after separation.
TL;DR:
The two boosters hang out mid-air after separation.
Space
May 26, 13:00
Could a cosmic uncertainty principle help explain dark matter?
The universe may have its own version of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, and that might be enough to explain dark energy without invoking any new physics at all.
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Our standard model, Lambda-CDM (or LCDM), is one of the most successful theories in the history of science. It accounts for the cosmic microwave background , the large-scale distribution of galaxies, the abundances of light elements, and basically every other large-scale observation we throw at it. The trouble is that we have no idea why Lambda has the value it does.
TL;DR:
The universe may have its own version of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, and that might be enough to explain dark energy without invoking any new physics at all.
Space
May 26, 12:00
Unusual red northern lights over Japan suggest some solar storms are stronger than we thought
Researchers analyzing crimson auroras over Japan found the glowing displays stretched hundreds of miles higher into Earth's atmosphere than expected, challenging long-held assumptions about the strength of geomagnetic storms.
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Researchers studying faint red auroras observed above Japan in June 2024 found that the displays stretched far higher into Earth's atmosphere than expected, reaching altitudes between roughly 310 and 500 miles (500 to 800 kilometers) — which is unusually high for a storm that was not considered especially severe by conventional geomagnetic indices, according to a statement fro…
TL;DR:
Researchers analyzing crimson auroras over Japan found the glowing displays stretched hundreds of miles higher into Earth's atmosphere than expected, challenging long-held assumptions about the strength of geomagnetic storms.
Space
May 26, 11:00
HBO's 'Lanterns' does have some green in it after all, as latest trailer shows Hal Jordan unleashing the power of the ring (video)
I can't say we were exactly enthused when the first lifeless, profanity-laced ' Lanterns trailer ' arrived earlier this year; It was devoid of the dashing superhero escapades we'd expect from the int…
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I can't say we were exactly enthused when the first lifeless, profanity-laced ' Lanterns trailer ' arrived earlier this year; It was devoid of the dashing superhero escapades we'd expect from the interplanetary space police force known as the Green Lanterns, but more importantly, there was barely any green in it.
TL;DR:
It's the most powerful weapon in the universe."
Space
May 26, 10:00
'Very interesting wiggles' in data from silent NASA Mars spacecraft lead to unexpected solar wind discovery
Data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft revealed a never-before-seen atmospheric effect on Mars, revealing how solar storms may shape planets without strong magnetic fields.
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The finding could help scientists better understand how space weather shapes worlds without protective magnetic shields, including planets such as Venus and Saturn's largest moon Titan , the researchers say.
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Data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft revealed a never-before-seen atmospheric effect on Mars, revealing how solar storms may shape planets without strong magnetic fields.
Space
May 25, 17:00
DARPA readies robotic deep-space repair satellite for 2026 launch
DARPA has a plan to keep geosynchronous satellites going for years beyond their expiration date. The agency aims to test it with a mission launching as soon as this summer.
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DARPA readies robotic deep-space repair satellite for 2026 launch. DARPA has a plan to keep geosynchronous satellites going for years beyond their expiration date. The agency aims to test it with a mission launching as soon as this summer.
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DARPA has a plan to keep geosynchronous satellites going for years beyond their expiration date.
Space
May 25, 16:00
'The Mandalorian and Grogu' wastes a potentially brilliant era of 'Star Wars'
The franchise's latest big-screen outing gets sidetracked in less interesting corners of that galaxy far, far away
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'The Mandalorian and Grogu' wastes a potentially brilliant era of 'Star Wars'. The franchise's latest big-screen outing gets sidetracked in less interesting corners of that galaxy far, far away
TL;DR:
The franchise's latest big-screen outing gets sidetracked in less interesting corners of that galaxy far, far away
Space
May 25, 15:00
What is the blue-white star next to the moon tonight?
Don't miss Spica greet the waxing moon in the southern sky on May 26
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What is the blue-white star next to the moon tonight?. Don't miss Spica greet the waxing moon in the southern sky on May 26
TL;DR:
Don't miss Spica greet the waxing moon in the southern sky on May 26
Space
May 25, 14:00
Nothing beats a beautiful sunset (from space) | Space photo of the day for May 25, 2026
NASA astronaut Chris Williams captured this image of a sunset from aboard the International Space Station , as it orbited 266 miles (428 kilometers) above Earth on May 4, 2026.
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Being able to see Earth from space is an incredible privilege. The first color view of Earth from space was seen with the groundbreaking Earthrise image captured of our planet from lunar orbit during Apollo 8 in 1968. This view was incredibly influential, showing our planet as it is, with just a thin atmosphere between us and the vast vacuum of space.
TL;DR:
NASA astronaut Chris Williams captured this image of a sunset from aboard the International Space Station , as it orbited 266 miles (428 kilometers) above Earth on May 4, 2026.
Space
May 25, 13:00
Scientists just found a supercharged supernova — powered up by a magnetic star corpse
NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray spacecraft has observed a super-bright, supercharged supernova explosion powered up by the creation of a highly magnetic dead star, or magnetar.
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During these core-collapse supernovas , stellar cores with between one and two times the mass of the sun crush down to a radius of around 12 miles (20 kilometers) to create a neutron star , just like scientists say they see here.
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NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray spacecraft has observed a super-bright, supercharged supernova explosion powered up by the creation of a highly magnetic dead star, or magnetar.
Space
May 25, 10:00
Scientists want to send a roly-poly robot filled with 'dandelion drones' to investigate hidden tunnels on Mars
Engineers are increasingly turning to the concept of "biomimicry" for the next generation of Mars robots.
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Scientists want to send a roly-poly robot filled with 'dandelion drones' to investigate hidden tunnels on Mars. Engineers are increasingly turning to the concept of "biomimicry" for the next generation of Mars robots.
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Engineers are increasingly turning to the concept of "biomimicry" for the next generation of Mars robots.
Space
May 24, 15:00
The original (and best) 'Transformers' movie is rolling back out into theaters for its 40th anniversary
Relive the trauma when Autobots and Decepticons reassemble in this animated cult classic.
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The original (and best) 'Transformers' movie is rolling back out into theaters for its 40th anniversary. Relive the trauma when Autobots and Decepticons reassemble in this animated cult classic.
TL;DR:
Relive the trauma when Autobots and Decepticons reassemble in this animated cult classic.
Space
May 24, 14:00
15 sci-fi books to read before you die: Put these science fiction gems on your bucket list
With so many quality sci-fi books out there, and more arriving every year, it's easy to get swamped. To make sure you're not missing out, we've rounded up the best sci-fi books to read before you die.
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15 sci-fi books to read before you die: Put these science fiction gems on your bucket list. With so many quality sci-fi books out there, and more arriving every year, it's easy to get swamped. To make sure you're not missing out, we've rounded up the best sci-fi books to read before you die.
TL;DR:
With so many quality sci-fi books out there, and more arriving every year, it's easy to get swamped.
Space
May 24, 14:00
Grab the Estes Blue Origin model rocket ahead of Memorial Day with it's lowest price since January!
Normally $36, the Blue Origin New Shepard model rocket from Estes is currently on sale for $29.99 on Amazon and is cheaper than the official Estes webstore.
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Get the Estes Blue Origin New Shepard model rocket, on sale right now for $29.99 at Amazon. The Blue Origin New Shepard is a sub-orbital launch vehicle which had its maiden flight in 2015 and is designed for space tourism . The Estes New Shepard model is to a scale of 1:66, so while it might not be as big as the real thing, it sure looks like it.
TL;DR:
Normally $36, the Blue Origin New Shepard model rocket from Estes is currently on sale for $29.99 on Amazon and is cheaper than the official Estes webstore.
Space
May 24, 12:00
Lunar Strike offers a pessimistic, and worryingly realistic look at the future of space travel
But, ironically, NASA's achievement doesn't exist in a vacuum, and it’s time for a reality check. As rocket launches become more common, and the goal shifts away from exploration for the good of huma…
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Lunar Strike offers a pessimistic, and worryingly realistic look at the future of space travel. That's the cold future that the upcoming space game "Lunar Strike" presents. Sure, sci-fi can be bleak — there's no end to the cosmic horrors and savage alien races that game developers can conjure up — but that almost always comes as a result of humanity's success in space.
TL;DR:
That's the cold future that the upcoming space game "Lunar Strike" presents.
Space
May 24, 10:00
The most common type of planet in the galaxy may not look anything like Earth on the inside
The familiar concept of a planetary core, a small, dense metallic heart we take for granted, may be the exception rather than the rule for exoplanets.
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The most common type of planet in the galaxy may not look anything like Earth on the inside. The familiar concept of a planetary core, a small, dense metallic heart we take for granted, may be the exception rather than the rule for exoplanets.
TL;DR:
The familiar concept of a planetary core, a small, dense metallic heart we take for granted, may be the exception rather than the rule for exoplanets.
Space
May 24, 01:20
China reveals 3-person Shenzhou 23 crew, including Hong Kong's 1st astronaut
China has named the three astronauts due to fly on the Shenzhou 23 mission on Sunday (May 24), including Hong Kong's first astronaut.
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Beijing time) on Sunday (May 24) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, sending the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft into orbit to dock with China's Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit . Another major first from the mission will see one Shenzhou 23 astronaut carry out China's first continuous year in orbit.
TL;DR:
China has named the three astronauts due to fly on the Shenzhou 23 mission on Sunday (May 24), including Hong Kong's first astronaut.
Science Magazine
May 24, 00:16
Mars Water Discovery: Subsurface Lake System Confirmed
Radar data from Mars Express confirmed a network of liquid water lakes beneath Mars' south pole.
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Radar data from Mars Express confirmed a network of liquid water lakes beneath Mars' south pole.
ESA
May 24, 00:16
New Dark Matter Map Reveals Cosmic Web Filaments
The Euclid mission produced the largest-ever 3D map of dark matter distribution, spanning 10 billion light-years.
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The Euclid mission produced the largest-ever 3D map of dark matter distribution, spanning 10 billion light-years.
Space
May 23, 21:00
'Rick and Morty' Season 9: Release date & how to watch Adult Swim’s zany sci-fi satire
And just in time for the addictive series' sci-fi shenanigans, news was announced that longtime "Rick and Morty" director Jacob Hair will be helming an upcoming and long-rumored "Rick and Morty" feat…
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Let's prepare for an existential plunge into the demented "Rick and Morty" multiverse to see what’s new in their bizarro world this season! When Is "Rick and Morty" Season 9's Release Date? Basic (Ads): $10.99/month or $109.99/year Standard (No Ads): $18.49/month or $184.99/year Premium (4K): $22.99/month or $229.99/year Watch Rick & Morty on Hulu: Hulu with Ads: $11.
TL;DR:
‘Anything is possible, when everything is possible'
Space
May 23, 15:34
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 211 — Oysters in Space
When one ponders the diet of Mars-bound astonauts, oysters don't often come to mind... but they should.
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When one ponders the diet of Mars-bound astonauts, oysters don't often come to mind... Model rocket maker Estes' stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket that you can pick up now. This Week in Space covers the new space age.
TL;DR:
On Episode 211 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Jacob Scoccimerra of Monolith Space.
Space
May 23, 13:52
SpaceX Starship Flight 12: Don't miss these stunning photos from the launch of the most powerful Starship yet
Starship V3 led to some stunning launch photography after it lifted off from Starbase on SpaceX's 12th flight of the rocket that aims to land astronauts on the moon.
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Starship launch blasted off on Friday (May 22) from SpaceX's Starbase test site in South Texas, at 6:30 p.m. The massive ship made a sojourn in suborbital space before both the Starship Super Heavy booster and its Ship upper stage made fiery splashdowns to conclude the mission.
TL;DR:
Starship V3 led to some stunning launch photography after it lifted off from Starbase on SpaceX's 12th flight of the rocket that aims to land astronauts on the moon.
Space
May 23, 13:00
'For All Mankind's' Costa Ronin on ruling Mars, honoring cosmonaut history, and learning to tie his tie (interview)
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and that goes for Red Planet rulers as well as Earth.
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'For All Mankind's' Costa Ronin on ruling Mars, honoring cosmonaut history, and learning to tie his tie (interview). Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and that goes for Red Planet rulers as well as Earth.
TL;DR:
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and that goes for Red Planet rulers as well as Earth.
Space
May 23, 13:00
Massive 'X' and 'V' shapes will appear on the moon tonight — here's how to see them
A trick of the light will make a colossal "X" and "V" appear on the moon overnight on May 23-24, as sunlight catches broken crater rims along the line separating night from day.
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A trick of the light will make a colossal "X" and "V" appear on the moon overnight on May 23-24, as sunlight catches broken crater rims along the line separating night from day. Both clair-obscur effects will be at their most visible from 6 p.m.
TL;DR:
Here's when to see a pair of massive letters shining on the lunar surface around May's first quarter moon phase.
Space
May 23, 12:00
China just launched 3 astronauts to Tiangong space station. One will stay for a full year. (video)
China's Shenzhou 23 astronaut mission launched Sunday (May 24) to relieve an overdue crew on the Tiangong space station.
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A 203-foot-long (62 meters) Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 23 mission on Sunday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 11:08 a.m. Shenzhou 23 is sending the next trio of astronauts to Tiangong to begin a six-month-long stay aboard the space station. (Chinese space officials have not yet said which astronaut will fly this extra-long mission.
TL;DR:
China's Shenzhou 23 astronaut mission launched Sunday (May 24) to relieve an overdue crew on the Tiangong space station.
Space
May 23, 00:32
SpaceX just launched Starship V3 — its most powerful megarocket yet — into space for the 1st time in spectacular Flight 12 test (video)
SpaceX's Starship V3, the most powerful rocket ever built, just roared off its launch pad in a spectacular show of power and technology.
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SpaceX launched the newest version of its giant Starship rocket Friday (May 22), from a recently completed second pad at its Starbase manufacturing and test facility in South Texas. "Congratulations SpaceX team on an epic first Starship V3 launch & landing!," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X after the launch .
TL;DR:
SpaceX's Starship V3, the most powerful rocket ever built, just roared off its launch pad in a spectacular show of power and technology.
NASA Image of the Day
May 22, 18:26
Webb Studies Star Clusters
Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The…
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
This near-infrared image shows a section of one of the spiral arms of Messier 51 (M51).
Skyandtelescope
May 22, 09:11
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 22 – 31
Venus and Jupiter — the Evening Star and the False Evening Star — draw closer together in the western twilight and point down to Mercury. The waxing Moon shows off its rich telescopic detail. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 22 – 31 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 22 – 31. Venus and Jupiter — the Evening Star and the False Evening Star — draw closer together in the western twilight and point down to Mercury. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 22 – 31 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
Venus and Jupiter — the Evening Star and the False Evening Star — draw closer together in the western twilight and point down to Mercury.
Skyandtelescope
May 22, 07:18
Nereid Could be Neptune’s Only Original Moon
New research suggests that Triton — or a Triton-like object — might have disrupted Neptune's original moon system. Nereid might be the sole survivor. The post Nereid Could be Neptune’s Only Original Moon appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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Nereid Could be Neptune’s Only Original Moon. New research suggests that Triton — or a Triton-like object — might have disrupted Neptune's original moon system. The post Nereid Could be Neptune’s Only Original Moon appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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The post Nereid Could be Neptune’s Only Original Moon appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
Space
May 22, 07:00
Scientists thought Jupiter's moon Europa was ejecting water. Now they're not so sure - Space
Scientists thought Jupiter's moon Europa was ejecting water. Now they're not so sure Space
TL;DR:
Scientists thought Jupiter's moon Europa was ejecting water.
NASA Image of the Day
May 21, 17:38
Hubble Sights Galaxy in Transition
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope images reveals the lenticular galaxy, NGC 1266. This enigmatic post-starburst galaxy has a bright center and a face that hints at spiral structure, yet it holds no discernable spiral arms.
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Hubble Sights Galaxy in Transition. This NASA Hubble Space Telescope images reveals the lenticular galaxy, NGC 1266. This enigmatic post-starburst galaxy has a bright center and a face that hints at spiral structure, yet it holds no discernable spiral arms.
TL;DR:
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope images reveals the lenticular galaxy, NGC 1266.
NASA Image of the Day
May 21, 17:38
Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, capturing images as it came within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. This is an enhanced-color view of the large double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.
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Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, capturing images as it came within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. This is an enhanced-color view of the large double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.
TL;DR:
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, capturing images as it came within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface.
Skyandtelescope
May 20, 12:00
Stonehenge and the Geometry of the Sky
For most of human history, the sky was not something we studied — it was something we lived with. The post Stonehenge and the Geometry of the Sky appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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Stonehenge and the Geometry of the Sky. For most of human history, the sky was not something we studied — it was something we lived with. The post Stonehenge and the Geometry of the Sky appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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The post Stonehenge and the Geometry of the Sky appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
NASA Image of the Day
May 19, 17:08
Moon-Venus Conjunction
The Moon and Venus, center, are seen in conjunction above the Washington Monument, Monday, May 18, 2026, as viewed from the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters Building in Washington.
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Moon-Venus Conjunction. The Moon and Venus, center, are seen in conjunction above the Washington Monument, Monday, May 18, 2026, as viewed from the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters Building in Washington.
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Jackson NASA Headquarters Building in Washington.
Skyandtelescope
May 19, 14:16
How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core
A new model explains how Ganymede got its molten core — which in turn has given Jupiter's largest moon its magnetic field. The post How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core. A new model explains how Ganymede got its molten core — which in turn has given Jupiter's largest moon its magnetic field. The post How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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The post How Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede Melted Its Core appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
Skyandtelescope
May 19, 05:26
SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches
An innovative new mission will probe the mystery of how the Earth’s magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind. The post SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches. An innovative new mission will probe the mystery of how the Earth’s magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind. The post SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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The post SMILE: European Space Weather Mission Launches appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
NASA
May 19, 00:16
JWST Discovers Six Rogue Planets Without a Star
Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The…
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
The James Webb Space Telescope detected six free-floating planetary-mass objects in a nearby star-forming region.
NASA Image of the Day
May 18, 15:32
Beacon of Light
This latest Picture of the Month from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features Messier 77 (M77), a barred spiral galaxy famous and appreciated among astronomers for its combination of relative proximity and spectacular features to study. It is located 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale).
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This latest Picture of the Month from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features Messier 77 (M77), a barred spiral galaxy famous and appreciated among astronomers for its combination of relative proximity and spectacular features to study. It is located 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale).
TL;DR:
This latest Picture of the Month from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features Messier 77 (M77), a barred spiral galaxy famous and appreciated among astronomers for its combination of relative proximity and spectacular features to study.
Skyandtelescope
May 18, 13:00
What's Feeding Our Supermassive Black Hole?
Astronomers have identified the likely source of gas that flows into the maw of the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*. The post What's Feeding Our Supermassive Black Hole? appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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What's Feeding Our Supermassive Black Hole?. The post What's Feeding Our Supermassive Black Hole? appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
SpaceNews
May 18, 00:16
Boeing Starliner Successfully Docks With ISS After Years of Delays
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner completed its first crewed docking with the International Space Station, carrying two NASA astronauts.
TL;DR:
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner completed its first crewed docking with the International Space Station, carrying two NASA astronauts.
NASA Image of the Day
May 15, 15:05
Curiosity Shakes Loose a Pesky Rock
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this view of a rock nicknamed “Atacama” on May 6, 2026, the 4,877th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rock had gotten stuck to the drill on the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm on April 25.
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this view of a rock nicknamed “Atacama” on May 6, 2026, the 4,877th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rock had gotten stuck to the drill on the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm on April 25.
TL;DR:
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this view of a rock nicknamed “Atacama” on May 6, 2026, the 4,877th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Skyandtelescope
May 15, 08:57
This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 15 – 24
The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter — the three brightest celestial objects after the Sun — will form up beautifully in twilight this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 15 – 24 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
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This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 15 – 24. The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter — the three brightest celestial objects after the Sun — will form up beautifully in twilight this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 15 – 24 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
TL;DR:
The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 15 – 24 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
NASA Image of the Day
May 14, 14:56
Fresh Food Delivery for Space Station
You're allowed to play with your food when you're on the International Space Station! To celebrate a delivery of fresh food, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway (bottom left), Jessica Meir (middle left), and Chris Williams (bottom right), and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot (top right) pose for a group photo.
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Fresh Food Delivery for Space Station. You're allowed to play with your food when you're on the International Space Station! To celebrate a delivery of fresh food, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway (bottom left), Jessica Meir (middle left), and Chris Williams (bottom right), and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot (top right) pose for a group photo.
TL;DR:
You're allowed to play with your food when you're on the International Space Station!
NASA Image of the Day
May 13, 19:20
Rise Goes to Washington
“Rise,” the Artemis II zero gravity indicator, is seen sitting on the dais as the Artemis II astronauts speak with congressional staff, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Washington.
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
“Rise,” the Artemis II zero gravity indicator, is seen sitting on the dais as the Artemis II astronauts speak with congressional staff, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Washington.
NASA Image of the Day
May 12, 17:23
Perseverance Stuns in New Selfie
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls “Lac de Charmes.”
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls “Lac de Charmes.”
NASA Image of the Day
May 11, 14:01
NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir poses with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit during an official portrait session at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir poses with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit during an official portrait session at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA Image of the Day
May 8, 15:23
Glowing Views from the Space Station
This celestial image captured from a window on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station highlights the Milky Way rising above Earth's atmospheric glow.
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
This celestial image captured from a window on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station highlights the Milky Way rising above Earth's atmospheric glow.
NASA Image of the Day
May 7, 15:31
A Light in the Dark
Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The…
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
A sliver of the edge of Earth is brightly illuminated against the vast darkness of space.
NASA Image of the Day
May 6, 15:09
Unlocking the Mystery of X-ray Dots
A newly discovered object may be a key to unlocking the true nature of a mysterious class of sources that astronomers have found in the early universe in recent years.
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
A newly discovered object may be a key to unlocking the true nature of a mysterious class of sources that astronomers have found in the early universe in recent years.
NASA Image of the Day
May 5, 16:06
Building on America’s 65-Year Legacy of Human Spaceflight
America’s first human spaceflight begins as the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) space vehicle, with astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. aboard, launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 5, 1961.
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Building on America’s 65-Year Legacy of Human Spaceflight. America’s first human spaceflight begins as the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) space vehicle, with astronaut Alan B. aboard, launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 5, 1961.
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America’s first human spaceflight begins as the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) space vehicle, with astronaut Alan B.
NASA Image of the Day
May 4, 15:18
Hubble Spots a Starry Spiral
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the glittering spiral galaxy NGC 3137, located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump).
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the glittering spiral galaxy NGC 3137, located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (the Air Pump).
NASA Image of the Day
May 1, 16:10
NASA Artemis II Crew Rings Nasdaq Closing Bell
Nasdaq Chair and Chief Executive Officer Adena T. Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crew ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
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Nasdaq Chair and Chief Executive Officer Adena T. Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crew ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
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Friedman, left, and NASA’s Artemis II crew ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq market session, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
NASA Image of the Day
Apr 30, 17:53
Artemis III Rocket Core Stage Moves to NASA Kennedy
NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) core stage for the Artemis III mission moves into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) core stage for the Artemis III mission moves into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
NASA Image of the Day
Apr 29, 16:43
A Gently Glowing Galaxy
Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The…
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Search Suggested Searches Climate Change Artemis Expedition 64 Mars perseverance SpaceX Crew-2 International Space Station View All Topics A-Z Home Missions Humans in Space Earth The Solar System The Universe Science Aeronautics Technology Learning Resources About NASA Español News & Events Multimedia NASA+ Featured 4 min read NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets L…
TL;DR:
The barred spiral galaxy IC 486 glows with a soft, ethereal light in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image.