Will Astronauts Aboard the ISS Get to Watch Super Bowl LX?
NASA announced plans to beam the Super Bowl LX live to the International Space Station, ensuring the three crew members—two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut—can watch the game in real time. Engineers are configuring a high‑bandwidth downlink to stream the event into the station’s Cupola, building on previous video‑streaming tests. The broadcast will coincide with kickoff, offering the orbiting crew a shared cultural experience. This marks the first major sports event transmitted directly to low‑Earth orbit.
SpaceX's Next Astronaut Launch for NASA Is Officially on for Feb. 11 as FAA Clears Falcon 9 Rocket to Fly...
The FAA has cleared SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to resume flights, ending a four‑day grounding caused by an upper‑stage engine failure during a Feb 2 Starlink launch. With clearance secured, NASA’s Crew‑12 mission is set to lift off on Feb 11 from Cape Canaveral,...
Nimoy-Knight Foundation Honors 'Girl Spock' And Her Mission to Become the 1st Openly Autistic Woman in Space
The Nimoy‑Knight Foundation awarded Dr. Jessica Schonhut‑Stasik, known as “Girl Spock,” its Live Long & Prosper Tribute Award. Schonhut‑Stasik, an astrophysicist and neurodiversity advocate, aims to become the first openly autistic woman in space. The award celebrates Leonard Nimoy’s legacy of hope, logic,...
UK Government Proposes 30% Budget Cut to Astronomy and Physics Research: 'It's Pretty Disastrous'
The UK government has announced a 30% reduction in funding for astronomy, particle and nuclear physics through the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The cuts arrive after a previous 15% reduction and follow a decline in the UK’s contribution to...
James Webb Space Telescope's View of 800,000 Galaxies Paints a Detailed Picture of Dark Matter
Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the most detailed dark‑matter map to date, covering a sky region 2.5 times the size of the full Moon in Sextans. By observing for roughly 255 hours with NIRCam as part of the...
Photographer Captures Rare Aurora over Brazil During Intense Geomagnetic Storm (Photo)
On January 19 a powerful geomagnetic storm pushed auroral activity far beyond its normal high‑latitude bounds, producing a brief southern lights display over southern Brazil. Astrophotographer Egon Filter captured the faint purple‑red glow from Cambará do Sul, a location well outside...
A 'Cold Earth' Exoplanet Just 146 Light-Years Away Might Be in Its Star's Habitable Zone — if It Exists
Astronomers have identified a possible rocky exoplanet, HD 137010b, orbiting a K‑type dwarf 146 light‑years away. The planet, about 1.06 times Earth’s diameter, receives roughly 29 % of Earth’s solar flux and completes an orbit in about 355 days, placing it on the...
Neutron Star Photobombs Baby Star | Space Photo of the Day for Feb. 3, 2026
The Very Large Telescope’s MUSE instrument captured Ve 7‑27, revealing it as a newborn star rather than a planetary nebula. Energetic jets and bright knots confirm active star formation, and the object sits within the Vela Junior supernova remnant that also hosts...
'Back to the Moon': Time Magazine Salutes Artemis 2 Astronauts in Special Commemorative Cover Issue
Time magazine released a special commemorative issue on Jan 30 featuring the Artemis 2 crew on its cover, marking the upcoming first crewed lunar mission in over five decades. The cover underscores NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the...
A 'Cosmic Clock' In Tiny Crystals Has Revealed the Rise and Fall of Australia's Ancient Landscapes
A novel geochronology technique uses cosmogenic krypton trapped in zircon crystals to date surface exposure for up to hundreds of millions of years. By analyzing zircon from buried Nullarbor Plain beach sands, researchers determined that erosion rates around 40 million years...
The Pelican Nebula Shines Near the Las Vegas Strip in Gorgeous Deep Space Photo
NASA network engineer and amateur astrophotographer Jason Livingston captured a vivid image of the Pelican Nebula, a stellar nursery in Cygnus, from his backyard in Henderson, Nevada, just nine miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Using a ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera...
Gladys West, GPS Pioneer and One of NASA's Famed 'Hidden Figures,' Dies at 95
Gladys West, the Black mathematician whose Earth‑shape models underpinned modern GPS, died at 95 from natural causes. Over a 42‑year tenure at the Naval Proving Ground, she programmed the IBM 7030 and developed algorithms that corrected gravitational, tidal and other distortions,...
What Actually Happens to a Spacecraft During Its Fiery Last Moments? Here's Why ESA Wants to Find Out
The European Space Agency’s Draco mission will deliberately re‑enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2027, carrying a suite of 200 sensors and four cameras to record the fiery breakup of a satellite‑sized capsule. Over a 20‑minute telemetry window after parachute deployment, the...
Is a MacBook or Windows Laptop Better for Astrophotography?
Both Windows laptops and MacBooks offer distinct advantages for astrophotography, but the optimal choice depends on the user’s performance needs and budget constraints. Windows machines provide broader hardware customization, including high‑end GPUs that accelerate stacking and noise reduction. MacBooks deliver...
From Space to the Seabed, Critical Infrastructure Is Becoming More Vulnerable, Experts Warn: 'People Don't Realize How Dependent We Are'
Experts at the World Economic Forum warned that the critical infrastructure linking orbiting satellites and seabed cables is becoming increasingly vulnerable. With more than 15,000 active satellites today and proposals that could swell to half a million by the late...
NASA's Juno Spacecraft Spots the Largest Volcanic Eruption Ever Seen on Jupiter's Moon Io
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured the most energetic volcanic eruption ever observed on Io, covering 40,400 sq mi and releasing 140‑260 terawatts of power. The event, recorded on Dec. 27, 2024 during a close fly‑by, involved multiple volcanoes igniting simultaneously, hinting at a hidden network of...
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals New Origin Story for the Universe's 1st Supermassive Black Holes
JWST observations have confirmed supermassive black holes existing less than 500 million years after the Big Bang, supporting the direct‑collapse seed model. The model, proposed by Yale astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, suggests pristine gas clouds collapsed directly into massive black holes, bypassing...
NASA and SpaceX Move up Launch of Crew-12 Astronauts to Feb. 11 as Relief Crew After ISS Medical Evacuation
NASA announced that SpaceX’s Crew‑12 mission will launch on Feb 11, moving up from the previously planned Feb 15. The crew of four—NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA’s Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev—will replace the three‑person crew left after...
NASA Exoplanet Probe Tracks Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS to Gauge Its Spin
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) conducted a special observation run from Jan. 15‑22, 2026, capturing interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as a bright, fast‑moving dot with a faint tail. The spacecraft measured the comet’s apparent magnitude at about 11.5, providing a rare photometric...
40 Years After the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, Spaceflight Remains Far From Routine
January 28 marks 40 years since the Challenger disaster, a tragedy that claimed seven astronauts and reshaped NASA’s safety culture. The article recounts NASA’s Day of Remembrance, the investigations that followed Challenger and later Columbia, and the evolution of the...
Astronomers Discover the 'Growing Pains' Of Teenage Exoplanets
Using ALMA, astronomers captured detailed images of 24 debris disks around young stars, revealing the chaotic “teenage” phase of planetary evolution. The observations show multi‑ringed belts, halos, arcs and clumps, indicating frequent collisions and orbital reshuffling. This fills the missing...
NASA Gets New F-15 Fighter Jet to Chase Its X-59 'Quiet' Supersonic Aircraft
NASA has added two retired U.S. Air Force F‑15 fighter jets to its Armstrong Flight Research Center fleet to support the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator program. The aircraft will serve as chase planes for the X‑59 "quiet" supersonic demonstrator, flying...
Watch NASA's Artemis 2 Moon Rocket on the Launch Pad with This 24-Hour Livestream
NASA has placed the Artemis 2 Space Launch System on Launch Complex‑39B and is streaming the rocket’s status 24/7 on YouTube. After a 12‑hour rollout on Jan 17, the vehicle will undergo a wet‑dress‑rehearsal fueling test on Feb 2, just days before the...
Are Mysterious 'Little Red Dots' Discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope Actually Nurseries for Direct-Collapse Black Holes?
Astronomers using JWST have identified enigmatic "Little Red Dots"—compact, red sources seen when the universe was under a billion years old—and propose they are nurseries for direct‑collapse black holes. Simulations by Elia Cenci’s team show that these heavy‑seed black holes...
Super-Earth Exoplanets May Have Built-In Magnetic Protection From Churning Magma — and That's Good News for Life
New research published in Nature Astronomy suggests that super‑Earth exoplanets with masses three to six times that of Earth can generate long‑lasting magnetic fields in a basal magma ocean layer between core and mantle, rather than in a metallic core....
Moon Landings Could Contaminate Evidence About Life's Beginnings on Earth. Here's How
A new study shows methane exhaust from lunar landers can travel ballistically across the Moon and become trapped in permanently shadowed polar craters. Simulations of ESA’s Argonaut mission indicate that over 54% of released methane settles in cold traps within...
Rural Areas Have Darker Skies but Fewer Resources for Students Interested in Astronomy – Telescopes in Schools Can Help
Rural communities enjoy some of the darkest night skies in the United States, yet they often lack the STEM resources needed to turn that natural advantage into educational outcomes. The Smithsonian’s STARS program is delivering free telescopes and curriculum kits...
3 Stunning Lunar Craters to Explore During the Half-Lit First Quarter Moon Tonight
Tonight’s first‑quarter moon offers a prime window to view three prominent lunar craters—Eudoxus, Aristoteles and Cassini—each casting dramatic shadows that enhance their topography. Eudoxus (67 km) sits in the northeastern quadrant above Mare Serenitatis, while Aristoteles (87 km) borders the southern edge of...
Amazon's Internet-Beaming Satellites Are Bright Enough to Disrupt Astronomical Research, Study Finds
Amazon’s low‑Earth‑orbit “Leo” internet constellation is brighter than the International Astronomical Union’s recommended limit, according to a new arXiv study of nearly 2,000 observations. The satellites have an average apparent magnitude of 6.28, making them invisible to the naked eye...
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Will Refly Booster on Next Launch of Powerful New Glenn Rocket
Blue Origin announced that its New Glenn NG‑3 mission, slated for late February, will reuse the first‑stage booster from the NG‑2 flight that delivered NASA’s ESCAPADE probes. The launch will place AST SpaceMobile’s large Block 2 BlueBird satellite into low‑Earth orbit, advancing...
A Colossal Asteroid May Have Warped the Moon From the Inside Out
Chinese scientists analyzing basalt samples returned by Chang’e 6 have found an elevated potassium‑41 to potassium‑39 ratio in the South Pole–Aitken Basin. The isotopic anomaly points to massive volatile loss during the basin‑forming impact 4.2‑4.3 billion years ago. This loss likely depleted water...
Houston Texans Celebrate Upcoming Artemis 2 Mission | Space Photo of the Day for Jan. 23, 2025
On Jan. 4, 2026 the Houston Texans hosted a Space City Day celebration at NRG Stadium, featuring NASA‑dressed Johnson Space Center staff in bright orange Orion Crew Survival System suits. The event highlighted Artemis 2, NASA’s upcoming 10‑day crewed lunar flyby slated for...
Vaonis Hestia Smartphone-Powered Telescope Review
The Vaonis Hestia is a lightweight, smartphone‑powered lens that turns any phone into a low‑cost imaging tool for the Moon, Sun and bright stars. It lacks a built‑in computer or motors, relying on the free Gravity app for exposure control,...
Rocket Lab Launches Its 1st Mission of 2026, Sending 2 Satellites to Orbit
Rocket Lab successfully launched its 80th mission, an Electron rocket carrying two Open Cosmos satellites, from its New Zealand site on Jan. 22, 2026. The payloads were placed into a 1,050 km circular orbit using the vehicle’s kick stage, marking Open Cosmos’s first...
Wobbling Exoplanet Hints at a Hidden Exomoon so Massive It Could Redefine the Word 'Moon' Altogether
Astronomers using the VLT's GRAVITY instrument detected a nine‑month wobble in the gas‑giant exoplanet HD 206893 B, indicating a massive companion. The candidate exomoon could weigh about 0.4 Jupiter masses—roughly nine Neptune masses—making it thousands of times heavier than any Solar System moon....
US Space Force Awards 1st-of-Its-Kind $52 Million Contract to Deorbit Its Satellites
Starfish Space secured a $52.5 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to provide end‑of‑life deorbit services for its upcoming PWSA low‑Earth‑orbit constellation. The deal marks the first ever procurement for commercial satellite disposal at constellation scale. Starfish’s Otter vehicle, still...
Earth Was Just Hit by the Strongest Solar Radiation Storm in over 20 Years — Here's What It Means
Earth was struck by an S4‑level solar radiation storm on Jan. 19, the most severe event since the October 2003 Halloween storms. The storm, driven by a fast coronal mass ejection, sent high‑energy protons toward the planet, but the particles lacked the...
Mars Orbiter Sees Odd Etchings in the Sand | Space Photo of the Day for Jan. 20, 2025
The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured a high‑resolution view of extensive yardangs near the Eumenides Dorsum mountains, an area roughly the size of Belgium. These wind‑blasted ridges, recorded by the High Resolution Stereo Camera, reveal that Mars is...
James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Young Galaxies Age Rapidly: 'It's Like Seeing 2-Year-Old Children Act Like Teenagers'
Using JWST, Hubble and ALMA, astronomers studied 18 galaxies about 12.5 billion light‑years away, dating to less than a billion years after the Big Bang. The galaxies exhibit surprisingly high metal content, rotating disks, and rapidly feeding supermassive black holes, indicating...
Comet Wierzchos Buzzes the Sun Later Today: But Can You See It?
Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) reaches perihelion today, Jan 20, passing 52.6 million miles (84.6 million km) from the Sun. The increased solar heating should boost its brightness to about +8.1 magnitude, making it observable only with a modest telescope in the southern sky’s Microscopium...
China Previews How Powerful Its New Xuntian Space Telescope Will Be Ahead of 2027 Launch (Video)
China’s 2‑meter Chinese Space Station Telescope, dubbed Xuntian, is slated for launch as early as 2027 and will operate in low‑Earth orbit alongside the Tiangong station. The observatory carries a 2.5‑billion‑pixel camera with a field of view roughly 300 times...
What Is Below Earth, Since Space Is Present in Every Direction?
The article explores how “down” is a relative concept, varying with a person’s position on Earth and the larger cosmic reference frames. It explains that the ecliptic, galactic, and supergalactic planes are tilted relative to each other—by roughly 60° and...
Astronomers Searching for Alien Life Are Sharpening Our Cosmic Clocks. Here's Why
Astronomers at the SETI Institute have quantified how interstellar gas subtly delays pulsar signals by tens of nanoseconds, a phenomenon known as scintillation. An extensive ten‑month campaign using the Allen Telescope Array observed the bright pulsar PSR J0332+5434, revealing timing shifts...
Northern Lights May Be Visible in 15 States Tonight
An incoming high‑speed solar‑wind stream from a large coronal hole is set to disturb Earth’s magnetosphere, prompting minor to moderate (G1‑G2) geomagnetic storms. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts that the aurora may be visible across 15 U.S. states, from...
Say Goodbye to Comet 3I/ATLAS! Watch It Head for Interstellar Space in Real-Time with This Free Livestream Today
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered on July 1 2025, is making its final public appearance via a Virtual Telescope Project livestream on Jan 16 2026. After a bright perihelion on Oct 29 2025 and a close Earth flyby on Dec 19 2025, the comet will swing past Jupiter in March 2026...
Beneath the Ice: Satellites Help Map Antarctica's Subglacial Surface Like Never Before
Researchers led by Helen Ockenden used Ice Flow Perturbation Analysis (IFPA) to produce the most detailed satellite‑derived map of Antarctica’s subglacial topography. The model infers bedrock shapes from ice‑surface observations, resolving features between 2 and 30 km and revealing previously unknown...
Cyberthieves Hit European Space Agency, Stealing Hundreds of Gigabytes of Data
European Space Agency (ESA) disclosed that it has been hit by successive cyber‑attacks, resulting in the theft of over 700 GB of data, including proprietary software, credentials, and mission documentation. The first leak, attributed to hacker “888,” exposed more than 200 GB,...
Satellites Spy Raging Bushfires in Australia | Space Photo of the Day for Jan. 15, 2026
On Jan 9, 2026, a European Copernicus Sentinel‑2 satellite captured a stark image of raging bushfires in Victoria, Australia. The high‑resolution multispectral data reveals extensive burn scars, smoke plumes, and displaced communities, providing precise boundaries for emergency responders. Sentinel‑2’s infrared capabilities enable...
What Are 'Dark' Stars? Scientists Think They Could Explain 3 Big Mysteries in the Universe
Scientists propose that "dark stars"—hypothetical early‑universe objects powered by dark‑matter annihilation—could illuminate three puzzling JWST discoveries. These luminous bodies would form before ordinary stars, later collapsing into massive black‑hole seeds that explain the unexpected abundance of supermassive black holes within...
'Death by a Thousand Cuts': James Webb Space Telescope Figures Out How Black Hole Murdered Pablo's Galaxy
Using JWST and ALMA, astronomers determined that the supermassive black hole in galaxy GS‑10578, known as Pablo’s Galaxy, starved it of cold gas, causing rapid quenching. The galaxy, seen as it was three billion years after the Big Bang, formed...
