How to See Comet Lemmon This October
This long-duration comet will make its closest approach to Earth this fall, before disappearing into the outer solar system for another 1,000 years.
SpaceX’s Second-Gen Starship Signs Off With a Near-Perfect Test Flight
This was the last flight of SpaceX’s V2 Starship design. Version 3 arrives next year.
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Spewing Water Like a Cosmic Fire Hydrant
Analyses of its emissions using NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory indicate that the interstellar comet probably has a very different structure than comets in the solar system.
More Evidence Emerges That One of Saturn’s Moons Could Harbor Life
Previously undetected organic compounds have been found in ice ejected into space from Enceladus, making the satellite a prime candidate for further research.
Taking These 50 Objects Out of Orbit Would Cut Danger From Space Junk in Half
Old rocket parts and decommissioned satellites are whizzing around in low Earth orbit, where they risk colliding with the ever-growing constellations of modern satellites being launched.
A Newly Discovered ‘Einstein’s Cross’ Reveals the Existence of a Giant Dark Matter Halo
The gravitational lensing that causes this rare phenomenon cannot be explained solely by looking at observable objects—suggesting that dark matter had a hand in its formation.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Wins Contract to Take NASA Rover to the Moon
The Amazon founder’s space company will transport NASA's VIPER rover to the lunar south pole—if it proves capable of delivering a payload to the moon in an upcoming mission.
Astronomers Have Found 6,000 Planets Outside the Solar System
From lava worlds to gas giants, NASA says the variety of these worlds is staggering—and that signs of a further 8,000 distant planets are awaiting confirmation.
Big Tech Dreams of Putting Data Centers in Space
A sci-fi idea is gaining supporters, from billionaires to city councils. Whether it’s feasible is another matter.
A Collision With Another Planet Could Have Allowed for Life on Earth
Analysis by researchers at the University of Bern suggests that water and other volatile compounds arrived on Earth from outer space—specifically via a collision with a Mars-sized planet billions of years ago.