The forces of rotation caused red hot masses of stones to be torn away from the Earth and to be thrown into the ether, and this is the origin of the stars.

— Anaxagoras 428 BC

Astronomy

The 1st private mission to Venus comes together ahead of possible 2026 launch (photos)

Space.com - Sun, 03/16/2025 - 10:00am
The first private spacecraft mission to Venus, Rocket Lab's Photon Spacecraft, will take on the planet's hellish conditions with the aid of a novel woven heat shield called "HEEET."
Categories: Astronomy

You can buy Chewbacca's Bowcaster or Luke's medal at a 'Star Wars' auction, but it could cost you half a million dollars

Space.com - Sun, 03/16/2025 - 9:00am
The Force is strong with two rare screen-used 'Star Wars' props up for bids this month
Categories: Astronomy

Spiral starburst galaxy glows in gorgeous Hubble Telescope image

Space.com - Sun, 03/16/2025 - 8:00am
A recent image from the Hubble Space Telescope captures a gorgeous spiral galaxy bursting with new star formation.
Categories: Astronomy

Arctic ice is melting faster than expected — and the culprit could be dust

Space.com - Sun, 03/16/2025 - 6:00am
An audacious NASA mission suggests that dust blown north from Greenland couldhelp explain why Arctic ice is melting even faster than expected.
Categories: Astronomy

JWST Cycle 4 Spotlight, Part 2: The Distant Universe

Universe Today - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 7:01pm

Earlier this week, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) announced the science objectives for the fourth cycle of the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) General Observations program - aka. Cycle 4 GO. In keeping with Webb's major science objectives, many of these programs will focus on the study of the earliest galaxies in the Universe.

Categories: Astronomy

<p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod

APOD - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 12:00pm

Why are there so many cyclones around the north pole of Jupiter?


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

A Mars Chopper Mission Over Glaciers and Canyons

Universe Today - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 11:38am

Ingenuity proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that a helicopter can operate on another planet. Over 72 flights, the little quadcopter that could captivated the imagination of space exploration fans everywhere. But, several factors limited it, and researchers at NASA think they can do better. Two papers presented at the recent Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held March 10-14 in The Woodlands, Texas, and led by Pascal Lee of NASA Ames and Derric Loya of the SETI Institute and Colorado Mesa University, describe a use case for that still-under-development helicopter, which they call Nighthawk.

Categories: Astronomy

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 152 — Atomic Rockets II: Nuclear Electric Boogaloo

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 11:30am
On Episode 152 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik host Robert O'Brien for a deep dive into nuclear propulsion technology for space exploration
Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX aces 3rd launch in 13 hours, sending 23 Starlink satellites to orbit (video)

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 11:03am
SpaceX launched its third mission in less than 13 hours this morning (March 15), sending 23 of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
Categories: Astronomy

Where will the partial solar eclipse be visible in March 2025?

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 9:00am
The partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025, will be seen from North America, Europe, Russia and parts of Africa.
Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX's Crew-10 mission arrives at International Space Station to relieve Starliner astronauts (video)

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 8:01am
SpaceX's Crew-10 astronaut mission arrived at the International Space Station early Sunday morning (March 16).
Categories: Astronomy

4 rocky exoplanets found around Barnard's Star, one of the sun's nearest neighbors

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 6:00am
After many previous claims and false alarms, astronomers can finally confirm the existence of at least four planets less massive than Earth orbiting Barnard's Star.
Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX Crew-10 folds traits, hopes into origami crane zero-g indicator

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 1:00am
What do you get when you fold together the contributions of four space station-bound astronauts from the U.S., Japan and Russia? A zero-gravity indicator in the form of a crocheted origami crane.
Categories: Astronomy

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launching for 6th time ever soon: Watch it live

Space.com - Sat, 03/15/2025 - 12:01am
Firefly Aerospace plans to launch its Alpha rocket for the sixth time ever soon, and you can watch the action live.
Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX launches relief crew for NASA's beleaguered Starliner astronauts on ISS (video)

Space.com - Fri, 03/14/2025 - 7:34pm
SpaceX launched the Crew-10 mission to the ISS today (March 14) to relieve the 'stuck' Starliner astronauts and two other crewmembers aboard the orbiting lab.
Categories: Astronomy

Lego Star Wars Grogu with Hover Pram review

Space.com - Fri, 03/14/2025 - 6:00pm
Lego is off to a strong start with its range of 2025 Star Wars sets, and Grogu with Hover Pram is one of our favorites.
Categories: Astronomy

'Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3' has been officially announced, but you'll have to wait a while to purge more alien scum

Space.com - Fri, 03/14/2025 - 5:00pm
Know no fear brother, because 'Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3' is officially on the way.
Categories: Astronomy

New Horizons Needs a New Flyby Target. Vera Rubin Can Help.

Universe Today - Fri, 03/14/2025 - 4:22pm

Exploration of the outer Solar System may be getting a boost from the Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO). When this gigantic telescope opens its eye later in 2025, it begins a decade-long survey of the ever-changing sky. As part of this time-lapse vision of the cosmos, distant objects in the Kuiper Belt will be among its most challenging targets.

Categories: Astronomy

'Poppy seeds' and 'leopard spots' on Mars could hint at ancient microbial life

Space.com - Fri, 03/14/2025 - 4:00pm
A rock on Mars that may hold clues about ancient microbial life on the Red Planet continues to puzzle scientists.
Categories: Astronomy

See the Total Lunar Eclipse from the Moon in Photos from Blue Ghost Lander

Scientific American.com - Fri, 03/14/2025 - 3:45pm

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander snapped incredible photographs of the March 13–14 total lunar eclipse, as seen from the moon

Categories: Astronomy