Astronomy

One of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station is undergoing a “medical situation”, forcing NASA to bring the crew home early for the first time ever

Evidence is mounting that specific gut bacteria are linked to sleep conditions, which may open the doors to dietary recommendations aiming to boost the quality of our slumbers

Evidence is mounting that specific gut bacteria are linked to sleep conditions, which may open the doors to dietary recommendations aiming to boost the quality of our slumbers

A new study in macaques identifies a brain circuit that acts like a “brake” on motivation

The Full Moon is the brightest lunar phase,

A new study finds that hot super-Earths begin as large puffy worlds with low densities. Over time their atmospheres are stripped away to leave more dense planets orbiting close to their stars.

The ice-covered island may be strategically important, but it's unclear that it could be a commercially viable source of minerals and oil in the near future

The ice-covered island may be strategically important, but it's unclear that it could be a commercially viable source of minerals and oil in the near future

Calculations show that injecting randomness into a quantum neural network could help it determine properties of quantum objects that are otherwise fundamentally hard to access

Calculations show that injecting randomness into a quantum neural network could help it determine properties of quantum objects that are otherwise fundamentally hard to access

A man with auto-brewery syndrome, a rare condition in which gut microbes produce intoxicating levels of alcohol, has been successfully treated with faeces from a super donor

A man with auto-brewery syndrome, a rare condition in which gut microbes produce intoxicating levels of alcohol, has been successfully treated with faeces from a super donor

Week in images: 05-09 January 2026

Discover our week through the lens

A standard industrial knitting machine has been modified to produce fabrics from tungsten wire coated in gold, which are used to form the dish on the CarbSAR satellite

A standard industrial knitting machine has been modified to produce fabrics from tungsten wire coated in gold, which are used to form the dish on the CarbSAR satellite

The very, very long-lived Greenland sharks were long thought to be practically blind. But a new study finds that they not only can see but also maintain their vision into old age

Total eclipses, lunar occultations, planetary conjunctions and meteor showers await stargazers this year

Behind the hype of GLP-1 medications lies complex science, serious side effects and a pharmaceutical arms race.

Jupiter is at opposition. Evenings are moonless, and the winter Milky Way arches high over the world. Betelgeuse stands over Sirius.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 9 – 18 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.