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

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Don't miss Mercury, the moon and the Beehive Cluster align in a special August morning sky show

Space.com - Mon, 08/18/2025 - 6:00am
A rare August morning alignment brings Mercury, a thin crescent moon and the Beehive Cluster together in the predawn sky. Here's how you can see it for yourself.
Categories: Astronomy

How AI Could Prevent Satellite Collisions

Universe Today - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 5:45pm

Space is getting dangerously crowded but a new automated system could be the key to preventing catastrophic collisions that threaten our satellites and astronauts. The European Space Agency has developed CREAM (Collision Risk Estimation and Automated Mitigation), a revolutionary technology that aims to transform how we manage traffic in Earth orbit and keep space safe for future generations.

Categories: Astronomy

NASA's Juno Spacecraft Could Intercept 3I/ATLAS as it Approaches Jupiter

Universe Today - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 5:45pm

arXiv:2507.21402v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is expected to arrive at a distance of $53.56(\pm 0.45)$ million ${\rm km}$ ($0.358\pm 0.003$~au) from Jupiter on March 16, 2026. We show that applying a total thrust $\Delta$V of $2.6755{{\rm km~s^{-1}}}$ to lower perijove on September 9, 2025 and then execute a Jupiter Oberth Maneuver, can bring the Juno spacecraft from its orbit around Jupiter to intercept the path of 3I/ATLAS on March 14, 2026. A close fly-by...

Categories: Astronomy

How much has Mercury shrunk?

Space.com - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 11:00am
Mercury is still shrinking as it cools in the aftermath of its formation; new research narrows down estimates of just how much it has contracted.
Categories: Astronomy

See a trio of spectacular star clusters brighten the summer sky in August 2025

Space.com - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 10:00am
The Hyades, Pleiades and Hercules star clusters make for excellent targets in the late summer months.
Categories: Astronomy

Mercury quiz: How well do you know the Swift Planet?

Space.com - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 9:00am
This quiz will explore the facts, the fun and the fascinating quirks of our solar system’s speedster, Mercury
Categories: Astronomy

How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate

Space.com - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 8:00am
The effects of Earth's changing climate is driving up the number of legal suits related to environmental issues
Categories: Astronomy

NASA and Google test AI medical assistant for astronaut missions to the moon and Mars

Space.com - Sun, 08/17/2025 - 6:00am
Google and NASA are trialing an AI-powered medical assistant that could help astronauts care for themselves when mission control is out of reach.
Categories: Astronomy

Moon quiz: For all lunatics

Space.com - Sat, 08/16/2025 - 12:00pm
Think you know Earth's moon? Test your knowledge in a lunar quiz!
Categories: Astronomy

Scientists just recreated the universe's first ever molecules — and the results challenge our understanding of the early cosmos

Space.com - Sat, 08/16/2025 - 11:00am
In a first, scientists have recreated the formation of the first ever molecules in the universe to learn more about early star formation.
Categories: Astronomy

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 173 — The Return of the Malik

Space.com - Sat, 08/16/2025 - 10:11am
On Episode 173 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and and Tariq Malik look back at the week in space news.
Categories: Astronomy

If everyone in the world turned on the lights at the same time, what would happen?

Space.com - Sat, 08/16/2025 - 10:00am
Beyond powering lights, it's also important to think about where all that light would go.
Categories: Astronomy

Titan darkens Saturn in rare shadow transit on Aug. 19: Here's how to see it

Space.com - Sat, 08/16/2025 - 9:00am
The second largest moon in the solar system will cast its shadow over Saturn on Aug. 19.
Categories: Astronomy

Tiny devices propelled by sunlight could explore a mysterious region of Earth's atmosphere

Space.com - Sat, 08/16/2025 - 8:00am
"Being able to send something out there would enable us to take a lot more precise data than we currently can."
Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 10 test flight on Aug. 24

Space.com - Fri, 08/15/2025 - 5:55pm
SpaceX is targeting Aug. 24 for the 10th Flight Test for its Starship rocket, following delays from a pad accident and May's failed mission.
Categories: Astronomy

Blue Origin's 2nd New Glenn rocket launch will fly twin NASA Mars probes to space on Sep. 29

Space.com - Fri, 08/15/2025 - 5:00pm
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket will launch NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission no earlier than (NET) Sep. 29.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA wants new spacecraft to fly to hard-to-reach orbits around Earth and in deep space

Space.com - Fri, 08/15/2025 - 4:00pm
NASA has awarded $1.4 million to six companies, to further their ideas about how to get vehicles farther into space cheaply and efficiently.
Categories: Astronomy

Russia to launch 75 mice, 1,000 fruit flies on Aug. 20 to study spaceflight effects

Space.com - Fri, 08/15/2025 - 3:00pm
Russia is readying its Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite for a planned Aug. 20 launch. The mission will send 75 mice and other specimens on a monthlong mission to Earth orbit.
Categories: Astronomy

X-ray telescope finds something unexpected with the 'heartbeat black hole'

Space.com - Fri, 08/15/2025 - 2:00pm
Unexpected X-ray polarization challenges long-held ideas about how black holes behave.
Categories: Astronomy

Canada's NordSpace begins construction on orbital spaceport. When will it open for launches?

Space.com - Fri, 08/15/2025 - 1:00pm
NordSpace begins building its new orbital spaceport on the Canada's east coast, as the company prepares for its first suborbital rocket launch.
Categories: Astronomy