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Here's How to Watch International Observe the Moon Night 2018 Online Tonight!
Oct. 20 is International Observe the Moon Night, an annual celebration allowing people all over the world to enjoy the science and beauty from looking at our closest neighbor. Two livestreams will allow you to participate online.
Categories: Astronomy
On This Day in Space! Oct. 20, 1970: Soviet Union Launches the Last 'Zond' Moon Mission
On Oct. 20, 1970, the Soviet Union launched the Zond 8 spacecraft on a mission to the moon. This was the last mission in the Zond program.
See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!
Categories: Astronomy
BepiColombo's Path: Why Does It Take So Long to Get to Mercury?
The European and Japanese space agencies launched their first mission to Mercury yesterday, but now, the mission's engineers and admirers have to endure a seven-year wait before the project's science begins in earnest.
Categories: Astronomy
Chandra X-ray Observatory Should Return to Action Next Week
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory remains on course to bounce back from its gyroscope issues soon, mission team members said.
Categories: Astronomy
Orionid Meteor Shower 2018: When, Where & How to See It
Some of the brightest and swiftest shooting stars will bedazzle the night sky this year during the Orionid meteor shower, which will peak between Oct. 20 and 22 and continue through early November.
Categories: Astronomy
BepiColombo Spacecraft Launch on 7-Year Trek to Mercury for Europe and Japan
A joint European-Japanese mission to the tiniest planet, Mercury, blasted off from French Guiana on its long journey tonight (Oct. 19, Oct. 20 GMT).
Categories: Astronomy
BepiColombo in Pictures: A Mercury Mission by Europe and Japan
Tiny Mercury is a strange planet that may hide secrets to how our solar system formed — and that's why the European and Japanese space agencies decided to build a pair of spacecraft to study it.
Categories: Astronomy
Image of the Day
Three galaxies in deep space appear to form an astronomical smiley face in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope. Beneath its two bright-yellow "eyes" is an arc-shaped galaxy that has been gravitationally lensed.
Categories: Astronomy
BepiColombo, the First Mercury Mission in 14 Years, Launches Tonight — Watch Live!
It's been more than 14 years since a spacecraft launched toward Mercury, so don't miss your chance to watch a rocket do just that.
Categories: Astronomy
Orionid Meteor Shower 2018 Peaks This Weekend with Bits of Halley's Comet: What to Expect
If you're a meteor enthusiast, the year 2018 has been very kind to you — and another reliable meteor shower is on its way this weekend.
Categories: Astronomy
Red Dwarf Star's Mighty 'Hazflare' Could Be Bad News for Alien Life
Another red dwarf has been caught firing off a superpowerful flare, further bolstering the notion that life might have a hard time taking root around these small, dim stars.
Categories: Astronomy
Astronomers Just Caught the Tiniest Cannibal Galaxy in the Universe
This cannibal galaxy is tiny, and it's right in our cosmic neighborhood.
Categories: Astronomy
This Hunk of Metal Fell From Space and Landed in California
Iridium 70 fell out of orbit Oct. 10. A few days later, one of its fuel tanks caused a stir in central California.
Categories: Astronomy
The Most Amazing Space Photos This Week!
Here are our picks for the most amazing space photos of the week.
Categories: Astronomy
Space Force to be the Topic of Next National Space Council Meeting
The status of proposals to create a separate branch of the U.S. military devoted to space will be the subject of the next meeting of the National Space Council on Oct. 23.
Categories: Astronomy
Five in a Row! See the Planets Align in the Night Sky
For the second time this year, the five brightest planets can be seen at the same time. You can catch them by looking towards the western sky after sunset. The planets will form a line rising up from the horizon.
Categories: Astronomy
International Observe the Moon Night 2018 Saturday Marks Apollo's 50th Anniversary
People taking part in International Observe the Moon Night (IOTN) on Saturday (Oct. 20) have an extra thing to celebrate: the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon program this month.
Categories: Astronomy
AstroCritic Review: 'First Man' Shows You What Real Astronauts Are Like
I grew up in the 1960s, during the beginning of the space race. The first astronauts were my heroes, and it was the Apollo 11 moon landing that kicked off my dream of becoming an astronaut myself.
Categories: Astronomy
Curiosity Rover on Mars Exercises Its 'New' Brain (Photo)
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is putting its "new" brain to work a bit while mission team members try to fix a memory issue with the "old" one.
Categories: Astronomy
After Soyuz Abort, Russia Wants 3 Successful Robotic Flights Before Next Crew Launch
The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, promised an investigation into the failed Oct. 11 Soyuz crew launch, and the preliminary report should be complete by the end of this week, the agency announced in a statement released yesterday (Oct. 17).
Categories: Astronomy