Personally, I don't think there's intelligent life on other planets. Why should other planets be any different from this one?

— Bob Monkhouse

Astronomy

A New Study of Lunar Rocks Suggests Earth's Water Might Not Have Come from Meteorites

Universe Today - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 5:06pm

High-precision oxygen isotopes in Apollo lunar soils reveal a persistent impactor fingerprint, showing that impacts contributed only a tiny fraction of Earth’s water.

Categories: Astronomy

Hunting For T-Tauri Stars In A Dark Cloud

Universe Today - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 4:35pm

The Hubble Mission Team has released another image of the space telescope's study of star formation. This image shows the dark cloud Lupus 3, a star-forming region about 500 light-years away. Lupus 3 contains bright young T-Tauri stars, and 2 hot young stars that are creating a beautiful nebula.

Categories: Astronomy

Nights with Mira, a Most Wonderful Star

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 4:10pm

Mira the Wonderful is back! Of course, it's always been there, but now it's near maximum brightness and easily visible with the unaided eye.

The post Nights with Mira, a Most Wonderful Star appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy

NASA Crew-11 astronauts reflect on ISS medical evacuation and future of human spaceflight

Scientific American.com - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 3:30pm

At a press conference, former ISS commander Mike Fincke said Crew-11’s evacuation of the space station left him feeling more confident about human space exploration

Categories: Astronomy

‘Bat accelerator’ unlocks new clues to how these animals navigate

Scientific American.com - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 2:05pm

Bats use echolocation to get around, but it wasn’t clear how these creatures managed to navigate dense environments—until now

Categories: Astronomy

Mystery Prototaxites tower fossils may represent a newly discovered kind of life

Scientific American.com - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 2:00pm

Towering Prototaxites ruled Earth before trees—and they may have been a form of life entirely new to science

Categories: Astronomy

Stunning images reveal the rich biodiversity of remotest Tanzania

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Photographer Frédéric Noy's shots give an insight into life around the rainforests of Udzungwa Mountains National Park – and efforts to protect it
Categories: Astronomy

Stunning images reveal the rich biodiversity of remotest Tanzania

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Photographer Frédéric Noy's shots give an insight into life around the rainforests of Udzungwa Mountains National Park – and efforts to protect it
Categories: Astronomy

How – and why – we chose the best 21 ideas of the 21st century

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
From smartphones to net zero, there has been no shortage of innovative ideas in the past 25 years, which is why we have taken a look back to choose the best
Categories: Astronomy

How – and why – we chose the best 21 ideas of the 21st century

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
From smartphones to net zero, there has been no shortage of innovative ideas in the past 25 years, which is why we have taken a look back to choose the best
Categories: Astronomy

How to spot the lunar X and V

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Time it right each month, and you can spot two fleeting tricks of light on the lunar surface. Abigail Beall is planning ahead
Categories: Astronomy

How to spot the lunar X and V

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Time it right each month, and you can spot two fleeting tricks of light on the lunar surface. Abigail Beall is planning ahead
Categories: Astronomy

Let's nitpick about the physics of Stranger Things, not its ending

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Feedback has seen all the fuss about the finale of Stranger Things, but would like to point out that if we're going to dissect the plot, we have bigger things to worry about
Categories: Astronomy

Let's nitpick about the physics of Stranger Things, not its ending

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Feedback has seen all the fuss about the finale of Stranger Things, but would like to point out that if we're going to dissect the plot, we have bigger things to worry about
Categories: Astronomy

Peter F. Hamilton's latest is an epic slice of sci-fi – with one flaw

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Peter F. Hamilton’s new book A Hole in the Sky is set on a troubled ark ship hundreds of years into its voyage, with fantastic plot twists and turns. I'm a big Hamilton fan, but one aspect of the novel proved alienating for me, says Emily H. Wilson
Categories: Astronomy

Peter F. Hamilton's latest is an epic slice of sci-fi – with one flaw

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Peter F. Hamilton’s new book A Hole in the Sky is set on a troubled ark ship hundreds of years into its voyage, with fantastic plot twists and turns. I'm a big Hamilton fan, but one aspect of the novel proved alienating for me, says Emily H. Wilson
Categories: Astronomy

New Scientist recommends Avatar: Fire and Ash – especially the whale

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Categories: Astronomy

Can we battle the downsides of a rule-based world, asks a new book

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Imposing order on the world is seductive, but it flattens out the diversity and rich messiness of human life. Oddly, playing by the rules may help us fight back, argues C. Thi Nguyen in The Score
Categories: Astronomy

New Scientist recommends Avatar: Fire and Ash – especially the whale

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Categories: Astronomy

Can we battle the downsides of a rule-based world, asks a new book

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:00pm
Imposing order on the world is seductive, but it flattens out the diversity and rich messiness of human life. Oddly, playing by the rules may help us fight back, argues C. Thi Nguyen in The Score
Categories: Astronomy