Astronomy Magazine
Covers space missions, planetary science, and space technology for enthusiasts
The First Commercial Space Telescope Just Achieved First Light
Mauve, the world’s first commercial space‑science telescope, recorded its first light on Feb. 9, 2026, capturing a UV spectrum of the star Alkaid. Launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 in November 2025, the 5‑inch CubeSat operates in low‑Earth orbit to study stellar flares and exoplanet habitability. Blue Skies Space aims to commercialise telescope time, offering universities a subscription‑style service. Early data match Hubble’s observations, confirming the instrument’s calibration and heralding a new era of low‑cost, private space astronomy.
March 11, 1811: The Birth of Urbain Le Verrier
Urbain Le Verrier, born March 11, 1811, was a French astronomer who mathematically identified the cause of Uranus’s orbital irregularities. By applying Newtonian mechanics, he predicted the position of an unseen planet, later confirmed as Neptune in September 1846. His calculations, sent to Johann Galle, led...
Tangled up in Red
Astrophotographer Emil Andronic captured a detailed image of Cederblad 51, a blue reflection nebula embedded in the red emission nebula Sharpless 2‑264 in Orion. The composite combines 69 hours 15 minutes of Hα‑LRGB data collected between September 9 and December 19 2025 using twin 8‑inch f/5 Newtonian telescopes....
TOI-6255 B: A Planet on the Edge of Destruction
Astronomers confirmed the ultra‑short‑period exoplanet TOI‑6255 b, an Earth‑sized world orbiting its star every 5.7 hours, using combined data from TESS and the Keck Planet Finder. The planet sits just outside its star’s Roche limit, meaning tidal forces are already stretching it...
No Signs of Technology on Exoplanet K2-18 B
A joint VLA‑MeerKAT campaign conducted a 33‑day, broadband radio survey of the hycean exoplanet K2‑18 b, covering 544 MHz to 9.8 GHz. After filtering over 20 million detections, the team found no narrowband technosignatures, marking the most extensive search of its kind for this...
March 10, 1977: Uranus Has Rings
On March 10, 1977 a team led by James Elliot used the Kuiper Airborne Observatory to record a predicted occultation of star SAO 158687 by Uranus. An early‑start recording captured a brief dip in starlight that repeated on the opposite limb, confirming the...
A Triangulum Lookalike
NGC 2403, a spiral galaxy in Camelopardalis, closely mirrors the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) in structure and vigorous star‑forming regions. It resides roughly 8 million light‑years away as part of the nearby M81 galaxy group. Cataloged as Caldwell 7, the galaxy was captured in...
The Sky Today on Tuesday, March 10: The Moon Visits Red Giant Antares
On March 10, 2026 the waning gibbous Moon will glide within 0.7° of the red‑giant star Antares in Scorpius, reaching its closest approach at 8 A.M. EDT. The pair will sit about 20° above the southern horizon for mid‑latitude observers, offering a striking...
Eye in the Sky
The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), often dubbed the Eye of God or Eye of Sauron, is a striking planetary nebula located about 650 light‑years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. It represents the final evolutionary stage of a Sun‑like star that...
How Often Does Earth Transit the Sun for an Observer on Mars?
From the perspective of Mars, Earth transits the Sun only four times within a 284‑year cycle, occurring in May or November with intervals of 100.5, 79, 25.5 and 79 years. The most recent transit was on May 11, 1984, and the next...
Gemini’s Springtime Star Clusters Are Ripe for Exploring
Astronomy magazine’s editor Dave Eicher highlights two open clusters in Gemini—M35, a bright 3,000‑light‑year‑distant target visible with binoculars, and NGC 2158, an 11,000‑light‑year‑distant cluster requiring a telescope. Both objects rise high in the spring night sky, offering a striking depth‑of‑field contrast....
March 8, 1986: The Second of Five Probes Flies by Halley’s Comet
On March 8 1986, Japan’s Suisei probe became the second spacecraft to fly past Halley’s Comet, part of an international “Halley Armada” that also included two Soviet Vega probes, Japan’s Sakigake, and ESA’s Giotto. The comet’s perihelion occurred on February 9, placing it...
The Sky Today on Sunday, March 8: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2541
Daylight‑saving time begins, moving clocks forward an hour, which shifts the optimal viewing window for the faint spiral galaxy NGC 2541 in the constellation Lynx. The galaxy, a 12th‑magnitude, 37‑million‑light‑year‑distant intermediate spiral, is best attempted around 9‑10 PM local time with a...
March 7, 1792: The Birth of John Herschel
John Herschel, born March 7, 1792, was the sole child of famed astronomer William Herschel. After studying mathematics at Cambridge, he collaborated with his father and co‑founded the Royal Astronomical Society in 1820, later producing a celebrated double‑star catalog with...
The Sky Today on Saturday, March 7: Venus Meets Saturn
On the evening of March 7, 2026, bright Venus will sit low in the western sky about 7° above the horizon, with first‑magnitude Saturn positioned roughly 1° southeast, creating a striking planetary conjunction. Venus appears as a 10‑arcsecond, 97%‑lit gibbous disk, while...
Astronomers Confirm Potentially Habitable Exoplanet in the Solar Neighborhood
Researchers have confirmed a super‑Earth, GJ 887 d, orbiting within the habitable zone of the nearby M‑dwarf GJ 887, only 10.7 light‑years from Earth. The planet, with a minimum mass about six times Earth’s and a 51‑day orbital period, is the second known...
March 6, 1953: The Birth of Carolyn Porco
Carolyn Porco, born March 6, 1953, rose from a doctoral candidate in earth and space sciences to become a leading planetary imaging scientist. She joined the Voyager team in the early 1980s and co‑planned the iconic 1990 “Pale Blue Dot” photograph with...
The Sky Today on Friday, March 6: Io’s Turn to Transit
Io will transit Jupiter’s disk on the night of March 6‑7, 2026, beginning at midnight EST and lasting about twenty minutes, followed by its shadow crossing for an additional hour. The event is visible from the East Coast, where Jupiter sits...
Observable Space’s CDK 14 Can Capture Your Cosmos
Observable Space’s CDK 14 is a 14‑inch Corrected Dall‑Kirkham telescope that delivers observatory‑class imaging in a compact, 48‑lb package. It features a fused‑silica primary, carbon‑fiber tube, and a fast f/7.2 focal ratio with a 2,563 mm focal length, providing a flat, coma‑free...
Michael’s Miscellany: The Eclipsed Sky
Astronomers can spot Earth’s shadow on any clear evening or morning, not just during lunar eclipses. The shadow rises about 4° after sunset and descends before sunrise, becoming visible when the surrounding sky brightens. Observers also see the pink “belt...
The Sky Today on Thursday, March 5: Time to Observe Comet Wierzchoś
Astronomers announce a prime viewing window for Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) beginning after sunset on March 5, when it will sit 20° above the horizon in Eridanus. The comet is easily located 2.9° east of the 4th‑magnitude star Eta Eridani and shows...
The Hunter Looms
Astrophotographer Chenglu Peng captured a striking view of Orion’s familiar outline and the faint hydrogen glow of Barnard’s Loop from Yomegashima Island on Lake Shinji, Japan. Using a Sony mirrorless camera paired with a fast 50 mm f/1.2 lens, he recorded...
March 4, 1979: Voyager 1 Images Jupiter’s Ring
On March 4, 1979 Voyager 1 captured a landmark photograph that revealed Jupiter’s previously unseen ring system. The image required an 11‑minute‑12‑second exposure as the spacecraft swept past the planet, causing background stars to appear as zigzag streaks. The faint, thin ring proved...
March 3, 1959: Pioneer 4 Launches
On March 3 1959 the United States launched Pioneer 4, the first American spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity and enter heliocentric orbit. Intended to fly by the Moon and capture images, a prolonged second‑stage burn diverted it 60,000 km beyond the lunar surface, preventing...
March 2, 2004: Rosetta Launches
On March 2, 2004 the European Space Agency launched the Rosetta‑Philae mission from French Guiana to rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov‑Gerasimenko. The spacecraft spent a decade traveling, using three Earth and one Mars gravity‑assist flybys to reach its target. In August 2014 Rosetta entered orbit,...
March 1, 1966: Venera 3 Crashes Into Venus
On March 1 1966 the Soviet probe Venera 3 slammed into Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet’s surface. The mission followed a series of earlier Venera attempts, many of which failed to leave Earth orbit or transmit data. Weighing roughly...
Feb. 28, 1997: GRB 970228 Bursts on the Scene
On February 28 1997 the BeppoSAX satellite recorded gamma‑ray burst GRB 970228, an 80‑second flash that was quickly localized. The precise coordinates enabled observatories worldwide to launch coordinated, multi‑wavelength follow‑up campaigns. A month later the Hubble Space Telescope imaged the fading afterglow and...
NASA Report Declares Starliner Incident a Type A Mishap
NASA announced that the 2024 Boeing Starliner crewed flight test has been classified as a Type A mishap, the same designation used for the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The mishap stemmed from thruster failures, Boeing propulsion design flaws, and NASA’s overly...
Feb. 20, 1962: John Glenn’s First Trip to Space
On February 20, 1962, NASA launched Mercury‑Atlas 6, sending John Glenn aboard the Friendship 7 capsule into orbit. Glenn completed three Earth orbits in 4 hours 55 minutes, becoming the first American to orbit the planet. The mission faced a sensor fault and required manual piloting for the...
Feb. 19, 1994: Clementine Enters Lunar Orbit
Clementine was launched in January 1994 on a 22‑month, under‑$80 million development cycle and became the United States' first spacecraft to orbit the Moon in over two decades. During its 71‑day lunar phase the probe transmitted 1.6 million images, mapped the entire...
Feb. 17, 1959: Vanguard 2 Launches
On February 17, 1959 the United States launched Vanguard 2, the world’s first satellite expressly built for meteorological observation. The 10‑kilogram sphere carried two photocells intended to map global cloud cover as it circled the Earth. Although the spacecraft achieved orbit,...
Firefly Returns to Flight with ‘Stairway to Seven’
Firefly Aerospace is set to launch the seventh flight of its Alpha small‑lift rocket, dubbed “Stairway to Seven,” on Feb 20 from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West. The mission marks the final flight of the Block 1 configuration and will test Block 2 avionics...
The Sky Today on Monday, February 16: Catch Comet Wierzchoś in Twilight
Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) has brightened to roughly 7th magnitude and is visible in the Northern Hemisphere after sunset on February 16. Observers can spot it about 30 minutes post‑sunset, low in the southwestern sky at roughly 10° altitude, near the 4th‑magnitude...
Feb. 14, 1980: SolarMax Launches
On February 14, 1980 the Solar Maximum Mission (SolarMax) lifted off from Cape Canaveral to study solar flares, the solar constant, and the Sun’s atmosphere in X‑ray, gamma‑ray, and ultraviolet wavelengths. Early in its flight the spacecraft suffered a coronagraph electronics glitch...
Rocket Storms Are Stripping Mars of Its Water
A 2023 "rocket dust storm" in Mars' northern summer lifted water vapor to about 60 km, triggering a hydrogen escape flux of 5 × 10⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹—roughly 50 times the seasonal baseline. Instruments on the Trace Gas Orbiter and the UAE Hope probe recorded 70 ppm...
Top 10 Space Stories of 2025
The 2025 roundup of space headlines highlighted a volatile commercial launch market, lingering federal budget uncertainty, and two landmark scientific milestones. Private providers experienced both record‑breaking crewed flights and costly setbacks, while Congress debated the next round of NASA and...
Blue Origin Pauses New Shepard, Shoots for the Moon
Blue Origin announced it will pause New Shepard suborbital flights for at least two years to reallocate resources toward its lunar ambitions. The company is advancing the New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket and the $3.4 billion Blue Moon lander, slated for NASA’s...
Why Does the Travel Time From Earth to Mars Vary?
Travel time between Earth and Mars is not fixed; it depends on the planets’ relative positions and the orbital path chosen. A Hohmann transfer orbit, the most fuel‑efficient trajectory, typically yields a seven‑to‑nine‑month cruise. Because Earth and Mars align favorably...
Feb. 7, 1984: First Untethered Spacewalk
On February 7, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless II performed the first untethered spacewalk, drifting away from the Space Shuttle Challenger using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). He reached a maximum distance of 320 feet (98 meters) and stayed outside for 1 hour 22 minutes, testing the nitrogen‑propelled...
Michael’s Miscellany: 10 More Cool Things About the Sun
Michael Bakich adds ten fresh solar facts, highlighting the Sun’s differential rotation, elemental makeup, magnetic polarity reversal, historic Carrington flare, and expansive corona. The piece quantifies rotation periods (25.6 days at the equator, 33.5 days at the poles) and details...
Feb. 6, 1971: Teeing Off on the Moon
On Apollo 14 in February 1971, astronaut‑commander Alan Shepard turned a lunar sampling tool into a makeshift 6‑iron and took two historic golf swings on the Moon. The first ball vanished into a crater, while the second was lofted far enough for...
Feb 5, 2002: RHESSI Launches
On February 5, 2002, NASA launched the High‑Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), a Small Explorer mission dedicated to capturing high‑energy solar phenomena. RHESSI delivered the first X‑ray and gamma‑ray images of solar flares using its imaging spectrometer, and routinely coordinated observations with...
Feb. 4, 1906: The Birth of Clyde Tombaugh
Clyde Tombaugh was born on February 4, 1906, on farms in Illinois and Kansas and taught himself astronomy and optics despite lacking a college education. Using a homemade 9‑inch reflector built from farm machinery, he sent detailed planetary drawings to Lowell Observatory,...
Departure Delay
NASA announced that the Artemis 2 crewed lunar flyby will not launch before March, after the mission’s first wet‑dress rehearsal revealed multiple technical issues. The delay pushes back the departure from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, originally slated for early...
Feb. 3, 1966: Luna 9 Successfully Lands
On February 3, 1966 the Soviet Luna 9 probe achieved the first soft landing on the Moon after a series of failed attempts. The 100‑kg lander descended from orbit, firing retrorockets at 75 km altitude and touching down in the Oceanus Procellarum. Its petal‑opened capsule...
February 2026: What’s in the Sky This Month? Jupiter Continues to Dominate the Night; Mercury, Venus, and Saturn Are Visible
February 2026 offers a rich celestial lineup, with Mercury reaching its greatest eastern elongation on Feb 19 and Venus brightening the western twilight. Jupiter dominates the night after its recent opposition, providing multiple moon transits and shadow events throughout the month. Saturn...
Did Earth’s Water Really Come From Meteorites?
A new study using triple oxygen isotopes in Apollo lunar‑regolith samples shows that only about 1 percent of the Moon’s soil is derived from carbon‑rich meteorites, implying a similarly modest contribution to Earth’s water. Even assuming Earth captured roughly twenty times...
Jan. 27, 1967: The Apollo 1 Fire
On Jan. 27, 1967, a pre‑flight test of Apollo 1 ended in a catastrophic fire that killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. The Block 1 capsule used a pure‑oxygen atmosphere and contained flammable materials, causing the blaze to spread in seconds. The inward‑opening hatch...
Jan. 26, 1949: The Hale Sees First Light
On January 26, 1949 the 200‑inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory achieved first light, marking the debut of the world’s largest optical instrument at the time. After 11 years of mirror fabrication and a six‑month dedication period, Edwin Hubble operated...
How Can the Sun Contain so Many Elements without Its Heat Destroying Them?
The Sun’s extreme temperatures ionize its gases, but its immense gravity prevents them from escaping, creating a stable star. Hydrogen accounts for roughly 70 % of its mass, helium 28 %, and all heavier elements together make up about 2 %. A tug‑of‑war...
