Astronomy

This technique could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bugs, but some scientists say the technology could be misused

A first of its kind measurement of a magnetar may have captured empty space behaving in a way physicists have predicted for 90 years, but never directly observed. The results published Wednesday in Nature.

In twilight, watch bold Venus and tiny Spica approach each other to meet September 1st. And check whether you'll be able to see anything of Wednesday's solar eclipse!

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 7 – 16 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

A U.K. safety evaluation found agents powered by Anthropic and OpenAI took unauthorized actions online, exposing a growing problem of control

Video: 00:01:44

[English] On 12 August 2026, Europe will witness one of nature’s most spectacular events: a total solar eclipse starting at 19:30 CEST.

As the Moon’s shadow sweeps across Spain, join the European Space Agency live from Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre where Dame Dr. Maggie Aderin and ESA scientists will fill you in on everything you need to know about the eclipse and reveal the science behind the spectacle.

Are you watching from Spain? Join ESA in León at Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de León for a day of science, hands-on activities and safe eclipse viewing.

Whether you're under the path of totality or watching from across the globe, ESA is your front-row seat to the cosmos.

Watch live here:

https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency

 https://watch.esa.int/

Learn more about the event in León.

Safe eclipse watching.

[Spanish] El 12 de Agosto de 2026, Europa será testigo de uno de los espectáculos más impresionantes de la naturaleza: un eclipse total de Sol, que comenzará a las 19:30 CEST.

Mientras la sombra de la Luna recorre España, acompaña a la Agencia Espacial Europea en directo desde el Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre, donde la Dra. Maggie Aderin y científicos de la ESA te explicarán todo lo que necesitas saber sobre el eclipse y descubrirán la ciencia que se esconde detrás de este extraordinario fenómeno.

¿Vas a verlo desde España? Únete a la ESA en el Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de León para disfrutar de una jornada llena de ciencia, actividades interactivas y observación segura del eclipse.

Tanto si te encuentras bajo la franja de totalidad como si lo sigues desde cualquier otro lugar del mundo, la ESA te ofrece un asiento en primera fila para vivir este espectáculo del cosmos.

Sigue la retransmisión en directo aquí:

https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency

https://watch.esa.int/

Más información sobre el evento en León.

Mira el eclipse de forma segura.

Week in images: 03-07 August 2026

Discover our week through the lens

This artificial intelligence system largely accomplished the task it was built to solve, and researchers outside DeepMind have already been carrying its work forward

The last common ancestor of all living things may not have been alive at all

It’s almost show time. We’re just a few days away now, from the only total solar eclipse of 2026. While eclipses are a surety as the celestial gears of the Universe grind on, there are always a few unknowns leading up to eclipse day. We wrote a recent guide to the upcoming total solar eclipse featuring totality across Greenland, Iceland, the North Atlantic and Spain on August 12th. As that date is now only a few days away, it’s a good time to look at prospects and resources to have at the ready leading up to eclipse day.

After 49 years in space, NASA’s Voyagers are running low on power—but an audacious move should extend the tenures of the two spacecraft

Several science campaigns plan to greet the racing shadow of the Moon on August 12th.

The post Science Campaigns Planned for the August 12th Total Solar Eclipse appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Image: These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images over the Danube north of Budapest show how the river’s level has fallen to a record low in Hungary due to a severe drought in central Europe.

Folding a piece of paper makes it thicker. How many folds would it take to reach the moon—and beyond?

Smoking in movies and TV is up, and “cigfluencers” have become a thing, but lags in data make it unclear if the vibe shift has any reality to it

Smoking rates remain low, but experts say social media, stress and shifting attitudes could be fueling a cigarette revival

On 7 August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed an implementation agreement to roll out IRIS², the European Union’s new flagship satellite constellation. The agreement, among other things, adds 66 satellites into low Earth orbit to the programme, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites, and moving it from planning to full-scale deployment with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA).

As dwarf planet Pluto moves along in its distant, high-obliquity 248-year orbit, its atmosphere is changing. That's because it's beginning to travel through colder, darker parts of the outer Solar System for the next 88 years. As a consequence, the mostly-nitrogen atmosphere is expected to grow gradually thinner and eventually freeze out over the coming decades. When that happens, the atmosphere will shrink.

The Dark Doodad Nebula drifts

OpenAI released 10 AI-generated results over the weekend. Some mathematicians are unhappy with their approach

Simulations conducted by researchers at ETH Zurich suggest a strong likelihood that Venus’s rift valleys are still geologically active rather than being mere relics of a bygone era, as had been previously believed. This finding reshapes our understanding of Earth’s sister planet and will influence future missions to Venus.