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Source: http://www.space.com/home/feed/site.xml

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<title><![CDATA[ Latest from Space.com ]]></title>
<link>https://www.space.com</link>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX launches 300th Starlink satellite-internet mission (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_LFOTJpji_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="LFOTJpji"> <div id="botr_LFOTJpji_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>SpaceX just lofted yet another batch of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit.</p><p>A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html">Falcon 9</a> rocket carrying 24 Starlink craft lifted off from foggy <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/34147-vandenberg-air-force-base.html">Vandenberg Space Force Base</a> in California today (Sept. 13) at 1:55 p.m. EDT (1755 GMT; 10:55 a.m. local California time).</p><p>It was the 300th Starlink mission that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a> has launched to date, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1966950501729054921" target="_blank">according to the company</a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1970px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="cQ9BiNKPUcK7GehD9sTTq7" name="1757788829.jpg" alt="A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries 24 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 13, 2025." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cQ9BiNKPUcK7GehD9sTTq7.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1970" height="1108" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage touched down in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." It was the 28th launch and landing for this particular booster, which is designated B1071.</p><p>That's two away from the reuse record, which a different Falcon 9 booster <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-starlink-satellites-on-record-breaking-30th-flight">set late last month</a>.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Previous Booster 1071 missions</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-launches-nrol-87-spy-satellite-lands-rocket"><strong>NROL-87</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-spy-satellite-nrol-85-launch-rocket-landing"><strong>NROL-85</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-launch-german-military-satellite-sarah1"><strong>SARah-1</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-launches-nasa-swot-water-monitoring-satellite"><strong>SWOT</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-transporter-8-launch-72-satellites"><strong>Transporter-8</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-transporter-9-rideshare-mission-launch"><strong>Transporter-9</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-74-satellites-transporter-13-rideshare-launch"><strong>Transporter-13</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-nro-spy-satellites-nrol-146-launch"><strong>NROL-146</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launching-30-satellites-on-bandwagon-2-rideshare-mission-early-dec-21"><strong>Bandwagon-2</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-to-launch-7th-batch-of-next-gen-spy-satellites-for-us-government-tonight"><strong>NROL-153</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-9th-batch-of-proliferated-architecture-spy-satellites-for-us-government"><strong>NROL-192 </strong></a><strong>| 16 Starlink missions</strong></p></div></div><p>The Falcon 9's upper stage continued hauling the 24 Starlink satellites to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit">low Earth orbit</a>, where they were deployed 62.5 minutes after liftoff, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1966939749710807287" target="_blank">according to SpaceX</a>.</p><p>The new arrivals are joining <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://planet4589.org/space/con/star/stats.html" target="_blank">more than 8,300</a> other active spacecraft in the Starlink network, by far the largest satellite constellation ever assembled.</p><p>Today's launch was the 115th Falcon 9 liftoff of the year. More than 70% of these missions have been Starlink flights.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's note:</strong></em><em> This story was updated at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 13 with news of successful satellite deployment.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-launch-group-17-10-vandenberg-space-force-base</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX launched 24 Starlink internet satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California today (Sept. 13). It was the 300th Starlink mission to date, according to the company. ]]>
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<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cQ9BiNKPUcK7GehD9sTTq7-1280-80.jpg">
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<media:text><![CDATA[A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries 24 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 13, 2025.]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ Russian Progress spacecraft arrives at the ISS with 2.8 tons of cargo ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) just got a fresh shipment of supplies.</p><p>Russia's robotic Progress 93 spacecraft docked with the orbiting lab's Zvezda module at 1:23 p.m. EDT (1723 GMT) today (Sept. 13), two days after <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russia-progress-93-cargo-spacecraft-iss">launching</a> atop a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40282-soyuz-rocket.html">Soyuz</a> rocket from the Russia-run <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33947-baikonur-cosmodrome.html">Baikonur Cosmodrome</a> in Kazakhstan.</p><p>The meetup occurred today as the two spacecraft were flying 260 miles (418 kilometers) over northeastern Kazakhstan.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_hXATxwTo_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="hXATxwTo"> <div id="botr_hXATxwTo_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Progress is loaded with 2.8 tons of food, fuel and other cargo for the astronauts of the ISS' current Expedition 73 mission, according to NASA officials.</p><p>The freighter will remain at the ISS for about six months, after which it will undock, head back down toward Earth and die a fiery death in our planet's atmosphere.</p><p>Progress 93 joins four other spacecraft at the ISS. Two of them are fellow freighters (another Progress and a robotic <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a> Dragon capsule) and two are crew-carrying spacecraft (a Russian Soyuz and Endeavour, the Dragon that's flying SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/watch-spacexs-crew-11-astronauts-arrive-at-the-iss-early-aug-2">Crew-11 astronaut mission</a> for NASA).</p><p>And yet another vehicle will head up soon — Northrop Grumman's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/cygnus-spacecraft.html">Cygnus</a> cargo spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch on Sunday (Sept. 14) and arrive at the ISS on Wednesday (Sept. 17).</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/international-space-station-astronaut-russian-cargo-ship-reentry-photos">ISS astronauts watch Russian cargo ship burn up in Earth's atmosphere (photos)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32645-progress-spacecraft.html">Facts about Russia's Progress cargo ship</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22724-roscosmos.html">Roscosmos: Russia's space agency</a></p></div></div><p>There are seven people living aboard the ISS at the moment: Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke and Jonny Kim of NASA; Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html">JAXA</a>); and Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov of the Russian space agency <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22724-roscosmos.html">Roscosmos.</a></p><p>Ryzhikov commands Expedition 73. His six crewmates are all flight engineers.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/russia-progress-93-spacecraft-arrives-international-space-station</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Russia's Progress 93 freighter arrived at the International Space Station today (Sept. 13), two days after launching atop a Soyuz rocket. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 17:37:06 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International Space Station]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[Missions]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zstZv5S4Nm7Hjf4PHffgQm-1280-80.jpg">
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<media:text><![CDATA[Russia's Progress 93 cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station on Sept. 13, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Russia's Progress 93 cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station on Sept. 13, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Scientists track down fresh boulder falls on the moon ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>This article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://eos.org/" target="_blank"><em>Eos.</em></a><em> Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://eos.org/articles/scientists-track-down-fresh-boulder-falls-on-the-moon" target="_blank"><em>original article. </em></a></p><p>As a boulder rolls down a cliff slope on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html">the moon</a>, it kicks up <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/scientists-extracted-water-and-oxygen-from-moon-dust-using-sunlight-could-it-work-on-the-lunar-surface">lunar dust</a>, leaving behind a telltale herringbone pattern of ejecta.</p><p>In a recent study, for the first time, scientists geolocated and dated evidence of such boulder falls. They identified 245 fresh tracks created as boulders rolled, bounced, and slid down crater walls.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_yp9WnAyW_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="yp9WnAyW"> <div id="botr_yp9WnAyW_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"For a long time, there was this belief that the moon is geologically dead.…Our study shows that boulders with sizes ranging [from] tens to hundreds of meters and [with] weights in tons have moved from their places over time," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.prl.res.in/~vijayan/" target="_blank">Sivaprahasam Vijayan</a>, the study’s lead author and an associate professor at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, India. "It is equally important to know how recent these boulder fall events are to understand the time periods when the geological agents were active."</p><h2 id="tracking-boulder-falls-2">Tracking boulder falls</h2><p>As lunar boulders bounce, they scoop up bright, unweathered subsurface material and bring it to the surface. As a result, fresh boulder fall tracks appear brighter than older ones.</p><p>"One can identify a boulder fall to be a recent one considering the boulder fall ejecta," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ngri.res.in/researcher/dr-senthil-kumar-p.php" target="_blank">Senthil Kumar Perumal</a>, principal scientist with the Planetary Sciences Group at the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad, India, who was not involved in the new study.</p><p>To identify relatively recent boulder tracks, Vijayan and his colleagues first manually searched thousands of images of the lunar surface between 40°S and 40°N. At these latitudes, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">the sun </a>makes the bright boulder tracks distinguishable from the rest of the lunar surface. Once they identified a track, the researchers studied corresponding images taken by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://lroc.im-ldi.com/about" target="_blank">NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Narrow Angle Camera</a> between 2009 and 2022.</p><p>Next, scientists estimated the age of the tracks by studying regions with both boulder fall ejecta (BFE) and distinct impact ejecta blankets. (Such blankets, nicknamed the "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20215-y" target="_blank">lunar equivalent of fossils</a>," have long been used to estimate the age of impact events.) The craters analyzed by Vijayan and his colleagues were found to be around 400,000 years old—which means the BFE tracks are more recent.</p><p>Finally, the scientists identified possible seismic faults or impact craters nearby that could have triggered the boulder falls.</p><h2 id="mapping-the-moon-2">Mapping the moon</h2><p>The new geological map of boulder falls, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116627" target="_blank">published in Icarus</a>, highlights seismically active spots and fresh impact sites on the moon. Researchers say these regions could be potential landing sites for future lunar missions focused on recent surface and subsurface activity.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/new-lunar-surface-simulator-in-colorado-puts-moon-machinery-to-the-test">New lunar surface simulator in Colorado puts moon machinery to the test</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/scientists-extracted-water-and-oxygen-from-moon-dust-using-sunlight-could-it-work-on-the-lunar-surface">Scientists extracted water and oxygen from moon dust using sunlight. Could it work on the lunar surface?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/how-magnets-could-help-astronauts-explore-the-moon-and-mars">How magnets could help astronauts explore the moon and Mars</a></p></div></div><p>The study authors plan to integrate artificial intelligence methods into the next iteration of their work, but ultimately, Vijayan said, "the next step is to more precisely determine whether the cause [of a fall] is endogenic or exogenic, which can be achieved by deploying additional seismometers in upcoming missions."</p><p>Kumar concurred. "We need to have a large network of seismometers covering the entire [moon] that monitors seismic activity continuously for several decades," he said.</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-W013rO"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/W013rO.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/scientists-track-down-fresh-boulder-falls-on-the-moon</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ By poring over thousands of satellite images, researchers geolocated 245 fresh boulder tracks, revealing signs of seismic activity or impact events within the last half-million years. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The moon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Unnati Ashar ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hcRgEpQ6CQwVHkZSPBFvnR-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Getty Images/LeonardoFernndezLzaro / 500px]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a full moon]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a full moon]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ This Week In Space podcast: Episode 177 — Life on Mars? ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MbDEslwnkdI" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>On <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/177?autostart=false" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Episode 177 of This Week In Space</a>, Rod Pyle and and Tariq Malik are joined by Dr. Michael Tice to talk about a possible detection of ancient life on Mars.</p><p>Tice is a research scientist, a planetary geologist at Texas A&M and is one of the paper's key authors. He has a lot to say about how the research was pulled from the year-old drill sampling, the incredible rigor that was applied to their findings, and what's next in this amazing story. It's the one we've all been waiting for — a possible indication of life beyond our own planet!</p><p><strong>Download or subscribe</strong> to this show at:<strong> </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space" target="_blank">https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space</a>.<br><br>Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/clubtwit" target="_blank">https://twit.tv/clubtwit</a></p><h2 id="space-news-of-the-week-2">Space news of the week</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09413-0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars</a></li><li><a href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/ill-be-damned-if-thats-the-story-we-write-acting-nasa-administrator-duffy-vows-not-to-lose-moon-race-to-china">'I'll be damned if that's the story we write': Acting NASA Administrator Duffy vows not to lose moon race to China</a></li><li><a href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/spacex-starlink-satellite-photobombs-orbital-view-of-secret-chinese-air-base-photo#mrfhud=true">SpaceX Starlink satellite photobombs orbital view of secret Chinese air base</a></li><li><a href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-images-enormous-star-shooting-out-twin-jets-8-light-years-long">James Webb Space Telescope images enormous star shooting out twin jets 8 light-years long</a></li><li><a href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-find-evidence-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens">Did NASA's Perseverance rover find evidence of ancient life on Mars? The plot thickens</a></li><li><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/09/10/nx-s1-5536552/nasa-mars-rover-life-biosignature-rock-sample" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Life on Mars? NASA says a rock sample shows potential signs of ancient life</a></li><li><a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-scours-mars-for-science/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scours Mars for Science</a></li><li><a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mars Sample Return</a></li></ul><h2 id="model-falcon-9-2">Model Falcon 9!</h2><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">TOP TELESCOPE PICK:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="cbAPCR7Y6HkbgamUsCtVj5" name="celestron top telescope.jpg" caption="" alt="A Celestron telescope on a white background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cbAPCR7Y6HkbgamUsCtVj5.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Looking for a telescope to see planets and comets? We recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB01L0EQLTI%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-us-4730590304221485000-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Celestron Astro Fi 102</a> as the top pick in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31229-best-beginner-telescopes.html">best beginner's telescope guide</a>.</p></div></div><p>Finally, did you know you can launch your own SpaceX rocket? Model rocket maker Estes' <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-estes-model-rocket">stunning scale model of a Falcon 9 rocket</a> that you can pick up now. The launchable model is a detailed recreation of the Falcon 9 and retails for $149.99. You can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://estesrockets.com/product/002161-spacex-falcon-9/" target="_blank">save 10% by using the code IN-COLLECTSPACE at checkout</a>, courtesy of our partners collectSPACE.com.</p><h2 id="about-this-week-in-space-2">About This Week In Space</h2><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space" target="_blank">This Week in Space</a> covers the new space age. Every Friday we take a deep dive into a fascinating topic. What's happening with the new race to the moon and other planets? When will SpaceX really send people to Mars?</p><p>Join Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/" target="_blank">Space.com</a> as they tackle those questions and more each week on Friday afternoons. You can subscribe today on your favorite podcatcher.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/this-week-in-space-podcast-episode-177-life-on-mars</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ On Episode 177 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Michael Tice to talk about a possible detection of ancient life on Mars. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 14:15:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ info@space.com (Space.com Staff) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Space.com Staff ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aRWfNN9YUgQsxuf83emdyG-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[TWiT]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[This Week In Space podcast: Episode 177 — Life on Mars?]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[This Week In Space podcast: Episode 177 — Life on Mars?]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Guess that alien planet: Are you an exoplanet expert? ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Far beyond the familiar planets of our solar system lies a staggering diversity of alien worlds: exoplanets that orbit distant stars, each with its own story written in starlight.</p><p>Some are scorched giants hugging their suns, others are icy wanderers drifting in the dark. And then there are the tantalizing few that might resemble <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a>, raising the ultimate question: could life exist out there?</p><p>From the groundbreaking <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24903-kepler-space-telescope.html">Kepler mission</a> to the latest data from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">James Webb Space Telescope</a>, you'll dive into the techniques astronomers use to detect these elusive worlds and decode their secrets.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_cJvNlwkn_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="cJvNlwkn"> <div id="botr_cJvNlwkn_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The universe is teeming with planets waiting to be discovered, and this quiz is your chance to explore them. Will you prove yourself a true exoplanet explorer — or get lost in the interstellar shuffle?</p><p>Try it out below and see how well you score!</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-eBb8Ke"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/eBb8Ke.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/guess-that-alien-planet-are-you-an-exoplanet-expert</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ This quiz invites you to embark on a journey across the galaxy, exploring the science and wonder behind exoplanet discovery. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Exoplanets]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ReDhGQLjkYmwR4wHsy2PBn-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Tim Pyle]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Artist’s concept of Kepler-186f, an Earth-size exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star in the constellation Cygnus.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Artist’s concept of Kepler-186f, an Earth-size exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf star in the constellation Cygnus.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Storms leave 120-mile scar in Alberta visible from space (images) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Canada's "hailstorm alley" just produced a storm with a scar visible from space.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html">Satellite</a> imagery from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html">NASA</a> caught the aftermath of a hailstorm that ripped through a region southeast of Calgary, Alberta on Aug. 20. The scar, roughly 125 miles (200 km) in length, is especially visible because vegetation in the late summer "has matured and greened up," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154724/hail-scars-alberta-farmland?src=ve" target="_blank">agency officials wrote</a> on Aug. 28.</p><p>Western University in southern Ontario, which studied the 9-mile (15-km) wide storm swath as part of its Northern Hail Project, stated the aftermath was "among the worst" the project had ever seen.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_syeQoKdf_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="syeQoKdf"> <div id="botr_syeQoKdf_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"Crop damage in this swath was total, with grain crops leveled and corn left as mostly bare stalks," read a statement <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-hail-scar-1.7626528" target="_blank">provided</a> to Canadian public broadcaster CBC in a report Sunday (Sept. 7). "Even areas of grassland were pulverized, with grass root systems exposed and native shrubs denuded and debarked on their western facing sides."</p><p>Alberta is not as prone to severe thunderstorms as some parts of the United States, NASA officials noted, but dozens of hail events happen there every year.</p><p>Alberta's infamous hailstorms come both due to elevation and proximity to the Rocky Mountains, the Insurance Bureau of Canada <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ibc.ca/news-insights/in-focus/alberta-continues-to-see-large-scale-impacts-from-hailstorms" target="_blank">states</a>: "This mix creates air full of moisture at a lower level, and very cold and dry currents above coming from the peaks." And in general, extreme weather in Canada and other regions is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earth-faces-climate-change-weather-disasters">getting stronger</a> due to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-is-climate-change-explained">climate change</a>.</p><p>The August supercell storm that sparked this damage saw winds gusting as high as 93 mph (149 km/hr), and hail as large as golf balls, NASA stated. The agency's Terra and Aqua satellites imaged the aftermath on Aug. 24, both using versions of the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="thcpmuWtkUmMjbPztn8SkB" name="alberta storm" alt="Satellite images of Alberta show a brown and green landscape and another image with a long brown streak across the middle of the landscape where a hailstorm wrecked havoc." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/thcpmuWtkUmMjbPztn8SkB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A before (left) and after (right) comparison of the damage of the recent hail storm in Alberta. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earth-weather-getting-weirder-climate-scientist">Why is Earth's weather getting weirder?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earth-faces-climate-change-weather-disasters">Earth is on track for devastating climate change if we don't act. These 5 weather disasters show what's to come.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/climate-change/ambitious-climate-action-is-more-urgent-than-ever-3-climate-records-broken-in-2024"> 'Ambitious climate action is more urgent than ever:' 3 Climate records broken in 2024</a></p></div></div><p>Aside from the losses of alfalfa, canola, and wheat reported by some farmers, others had livestock issues. "I had my barn roof half lifted off," Curtis Harbinson, a cattle farmer in the area of Brooks, Alberta, told CBC in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/brooks-alberta-hail-damage-1.7615815" target="_blank">another report on Aug. 22</a>.</p><p>Harbinson was in the field when the storm hit, and remained in his tractor to ride it out. After he emerged "disoriented" due to the unrecognizable landscape, he also found extensive hailstone damage to his house: 'I have no west side windows, nothing," he said, due to hail "smashed in into our room, bedrooms, our living room, our kitchen … we're still picking up glass."</p><p>In August 2024, a highly punishing Calgary-area hailstorm generated more than $2 billion ($2.8 billion CAD) in insured losses, according to estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ibc.ca/news-insights/news/august-hailstorm-in-calgary-results-in-nearly-2-8-billion-in-insured-damage" target="_blank">quoted in IBC</a>.</p><p>But it's too early to know how much this new storm will cost, as "clients are continuing to scout their damage and file claims," Yves Dooper, claims adjusting coordinator with Agriculture Financial Services, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.producer.com/news/claims-filed-in-alberta-hailstorm-aftermath/" target="_blank">told the Western Producer</a> Aug. 25.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/storms-leave-120-mile-scar-in-alberta-visible-from-space-images</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Hailstones drove into terrain in southern Alberta during a storm Aug. 20, creating a scar on the landscape visible in NASA satellites. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Earth]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elizabeth Howell ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rfcuX6oQPxCWbz4o5TzxjB-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Satellite images of Alberta show a brown and green landscape and another image with a long brown streak across the middle of the landscape where a hailstorm wrecked havoc.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Satellite images of Alberta show a brown and green landscape and another image with a long brown streak across the middle of the landscape where a hailstorm wrecked havoc.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ UAP witnesses criticize Pentagon UFO office in Congressional hearing for 'using science and coming up with answers' ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>How can the U.S. government restore public trust regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) through transparency and offering whistleblower protections?</p><p>That was the core, mind-boggling question behind a Sept. 9 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ufos-congress-hearing-livestream-july-2023">congressional House of Representatives hearing</a>, held by the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets.</p><p>Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is chair of that task force, swearing in witnesses that under oath discussed their experiences and knowledge about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unidentified-aerial-annoyance-disclosure-or-nonsense">UAP</a>s, a rebranded term attached, deserved or not, to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/1315-great-ufo-debate.html">unidentified flying objects</a> (UFOs), as well as unidentified objects or phenomena in Earth's bodies of water or space.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_4ef4KiEB_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="4ef4KiEB"> <div id="botr_4ef4KiEB_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="secrecy-stigma-dismissal-2">Secrecy, stigma, dismissal</h2><p>For too long, UAPs have been "shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and in some cases outright dismissal," Luna said in her opening statement.</p><p>"Today, I want to state clearly: this is not science fiction or creating speculation. This is about national security, government accountability, and the American people's right to the truth," said Luna. "Future generations will look back on this moment and ask what we did when presented with the unknown. Did we look away, embarrassed or afraid? Or did we pursue the truth with courage? I intend to be on the side of truth, transparency, and accountability," the lawmaker stated.</p><p>A transcript of the hearing and witnesses' prepared testimonies can be read <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/restoring-public-trust-through-uap-transparency-and-whistleblower-protection/" target="_blank">on the U.S. House of Representatives' website</a>.</p><p>Space.com asked several experts from leading research groups on UAPs/UFOs concerning the hearing and their take-away thoughts.</p><h2 id="wanted-nitty-gritty-details-2">Wanted: nitty-gritty details</h2><p>"The military witness reports were very good," said Robert Powell, executive board member of the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies in Austin, Texas.</p><p>While it may not be apparent to the public or congress, Powell said that anyone who has studied the history of the subject knows that there have been hundreds of such reports by military witnesses that are equally as good.</p><p>So how do we move forward?</p><p>"Unless Congress is willing to push for the nitty-gritty details" by obtaining full videos, interviewing pilots involved in<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ufo-chinese-drones-report"> UAP incidents</a>, and other reported events, "we will not progress," said Powell.</p><p>Powell said, in his view, the military will never release the necessary information to establish the presence of a non-human intelligence.</p><p>"That's because of their concerns for national security and whether one of our adversaries might learn something from UAP that they could use militarily against us," Powell said. "The resulting tendency to silo all information on UAP prevents moving forward with learning more. Only if Congress allocates funding to the scientific community and academia to study UAP will we make any progress," he concluded.</p><h2 id="science-above-all-2">Science above all</h2><p>"I find it frustrating that they, rightly, reiterate the importance of the role science can take in figuring out what is behind UAP, but do not apply it in these hearings."</p><p>That's the outlook from Alejandro Rojas, a long-time UFO journalist and a consultant to Enigma, a UAP/UFO sightings alert network.</p><p>"We have years of anecdotal sighting reports and claims of hidden government knowledge about alien visitation. What we need is evidence," Rojas said.</p><p>Rojas added that he found it also trying that the one organization that has been using science, the Pentagon's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/pentagon-ufo-office-aaro-historical-report-no-emprical-evidence-alien-technology">All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office</a> (AARO), was pummeled in the hearing, without being represented.</p><p>"Having worked in the UFO field for so long, I am sympathetic to their [AARO's] effort. They have shown each step of their work analyzing previous videos, and although it is unpopular to demystify some of these reports, their scientific analyses have been sound," he said.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="uPvLmj7vUyJfehkgG9wcwA" name="pr_object" alt="a grainy black orb above the ocean in a black-and-white video" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uPvLmj7vUyJfehkgG9wcwA.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A still from a video reportedly showing a "transmedium" UAP that appears to travel between air and water and split in half. During testimony on Nov. 19, 2024 the head of the Pentagon's UFO office AARO said it actually shows an infrared camera's inability to tell two objects' temperature apart from the ocean behind them. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: AARO/DOD)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="preconceived-notions-2">Preconceived notions</h2><p>At the recent hearing, "the gripes of committee members came across as being frustrated with the organization that is using science and coming up with answers," sensed Rojas. "However, because they dislike the answers, they blame AARO, when in fact they genuinely do not want scientific analysis to dismantle their preconceived notions."</p><p>In the end, Rojas found the hearing disheartening.</p><p>"Instead of focusing on real issues and truly championing scientific investigation, the hearing comes across as a very political back-and-forth between the Oversight Committee and the Pentagon," said Rojas. "What gets lost is what we actually need, and that is data gathering and scientific evaluation of that data."</p><p>As a consultant with Enigma, Rojas said the group is collecting hundreds of reports, many with videos.</p><p>"What we need is a robust, transparent effort to analyze what we are collecting, and to build better sensor systems to gather more and better data on UAP," said Rojas. "If extraterrestrials are visiting us, it is not just the military that would be seeing them."</p><h2 id="credible-and-intriguing-2">Credible and intriguing</h2><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/galileo-project-search-for-extraterrestrial-artifacts-announcement">Avi Loeb,</a> head of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/galileo-project-uap-ufos-one-year-update">Galileo Project</a> at Harvard, and director of the Institute for Theory & Computation, said he found the first-hand testimonies at the hearing "to be credible and intriguing."</p><p>Loeb's Galileo Project is an endeavor to bring the search for extraterrestrial technological signatures of other star folk from "accidental or anecdotal observations and legends" to the mainstream of crystal-clear, confirmed and systematic scientific research.</p><p>"I salute congresswoman Luna for chairing this important discussion within the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets in the U.S. Congress," Loeb said.</p><p>But does such a congressional hearing restore public interest in UAP?</p><p>"This discussion is not a matter of public relations in a popularity contest, but instead a topic of great relevance for national security and science," responded Loeb. "Once we all see credible evidence about the nature of UAP, we will be able to get to the bottom of it and everyone would agree on what it means."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Q2cSKxFs9U65GveFhvqQ5K" name="GettyImages-2234550290" alt="Five men wearing suits and ties raise their right hands behind a table to begin the Congressional hearing" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q2cSKxFs9U65GveFhvqQ5K.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">(L-R) Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) witness U.S. Air Force veteran Jeffrey Nuccetelli, UAP witness U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Alexandro Wiggins, UAP Journalist George Knapp, UAP witness U.S. Air Force veteran Dylan Borland and Senior Policy Counsel at the Project On Government Oversight Joe Spielberger are sworn-in at the recent Congressional hearing </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images Staff)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="best-path-to-new-knowledge-2">Best path to new knowledge</h2><p>Data collection is the goal of the Galileo Project under Loeb's leadership.</p><p>Does the astrophysicist believe that the U.S. government is hiding information? He replied that "as a scientist I respond to evidence and not to what people tell me. Scientific evidence is our best path to new knowledge."</p><p>The simplest way to tell the difference between a dogmatist and a genuine scientist, Loeb said, is to flood both of them with scientific-quality data.</p><p>"Whereas the dogmatist will shove anomalous data under the carpet of traditional thinking, an open-minded scientist will be thrilled to learn something new with an underlying sense of humility," advised Loeb. "Not only is nature more imaginative than we are, but it also does not care whether we figure it out. The insistence that everything in the sky is either icy rocks or human-made technologies will not rid us of cosmic neighbors, if they exist out there," he concluded.</p><h2 id="tone-and-testimony-2">Tone and testimony</h2><p>"Overall, I was pleased with the tone and testimony in the hearing from the witnesses, and the often excellent questions from the Representatives," said Mark Rodeghier, president and scientific director of the Center for UFO Studies in Chicago, Illinois.</p><p>"The hearing hopefully provided more impetus to pass the crucial legislation necessary to answer questions we have about possible US government/contractor involvement with UAP that has been hidden all these years," said Rodeghier.</p><p>Rodeghier said the witnesses added additional experiences on the record of both UAP sightings and how the aftermath of those has been handled by the military, including treatment of those wishing to speak publicly.</p><h2 id="crucial-legislation-2">Crucial legislation</h2><p>Beyond moving Congress to pass the bills, Rodeghier advised getting witnesses into a SCIF, short for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. Located several levels beneath the U.S. Capitol, a SCIF is where lawmakers and witnesses hold closed interviews, far from the prying eyes of the public.</p><p>"I'm not sure what can be done with it [those interviews], but having it available is important," said Rodeghier.</p><p>Another Rodeghier recommendation is to have the head of AARO in a hearing this fall now that he has been on the job for a year. Lastly, there's need to work on getting the appropriate government agencies to provide modest funding for UAP research, which continues to be unavailable, he said.</p><h2 id="deep-difficulties-2">Deep difficulties</h2><p>Michael Cifone is the founding executive director of the Society for UAP Studies, based in Los Angeles, California. The group's mission is not to promote a single narrative but to advance careful scholarship, develop educational frameworks, and advocate for standards of evidence and data transparency.</p><p>The recent Congressional hearing on UAPs underscored, once again, "both the importance of the issue and the deep difficulties that have hampered its treatment for decades," said Cifone.</p><p>That handling of the topic within the government — whose aim since at least after World War II has been increasingly obsessed with national security and maintaining US military and strategic dominance, feels Cifone, "are guiding principles that are ultimately at odds with the inner operating directives of the sciences themselves: free, open, and therefore democratic exploration of self and world."</p><h2 id="mixed-pool-2">Mixed pool </h2><p>"The UAP problem is not a mystery with one answer, but rather a somewhat unstable and chaotic amalgam of many overlapping realities, complicated by the unfortunate facts of the modern bureaucratic national security state," is a view that Cifone basically endorses.</p><p>"UAP reports are not a monolith," Cifone advised.</p><p>Instead, they are a mixed pool consisting of: (1) misidentified U.S. black projects, where cutting-edge aerospace programs are understandably shrouded in secrecy; (2) adversarial drones and surveillance platforms, which represent a genuine national security challenge; (3) a large number of ordinary misperceptions of balloons, satellites, or atmospheric phenomena; and (4) a small but stubborn residue of anomalous cases that resist explanation.</p><p>"This mixture makes the phenomenon difficult to study, not because of some grand cover-up, but because of the dysfunctional way information is handled inside the government," Cifone said.</p><h2 id="are-we-up-to-the-task-2">Are we up to the task?</h2><p>The UAP hearing, for all its frustrations, said Cifone, "at least signaled that Congress is beginning to take seriously the structural problems that have long clouded this issue."</p><p>From a safety standpoint, the "mixture hypothesis" is particularly important, said Cifone. If even a fraction of UAP reports involve advanced adversarial drones or unsafe incursions into U.S. airspace, then society is faced with an aviation and national security challenge that demands systematic response, he said.</p><p>"Let's see what data and frameworks we can establish that can handle UAP and associated phenomena/claims, and what philosophical/conceptual challenges remain, and if we're up to the task," Cifone said.</p><p>And for the other claims — crashes, bodies, and so on, Cifone concludes, "sure, but where's the beef?"</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/uap-witnesses-criticize-pentagon-ufo-office-in-congressional-hearing-for-using-science-and-coming-up-with-answers</link>
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<![CDATA[ Witnesses and whistleblowers testified that the U.S. government knows more than it is letting on about encounters with UAP during a U.S. congressional hearing on Sept. 9. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Leonard David ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PHfcRwsufLPZS4AgV5rwae-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images staff]]></media:credit>
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<title><![CDATA[ Astronaut preps purple kefir for a vitamin boost | On the International Space Station Sept. 8-12, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>As their research activities continued, the Expedition 73 crew had a busy week on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html">International Space Station</a> with the departure of a cargo vehicle and preparations for the arrival of two more.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-orbital-observation"><span>Orbital observation</span></h3><p>Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22672-japan-aerospace-exploration-agency.html">JAXA</a>) astronaut Kimiya Yui, an Expedition 73 flight engineer, hammed it up with kids from his home country this week aboard the International Space Station (ISS).</p><p>"I was able to talk with the children of Takacho in Hyogo Prefecture via HAM! This is the first time talking with Japanese children during a mission!" said Yui in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/Astro_Kimiya/status/1966242946673696968" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">social media post</a> on Thursday (Sept. 11).</p><p>Amateur radio has been used in Earth orbit since the early 1980s aboard the U.S. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16726-space-shuttle.html">space shuttle</a>. Crew members can use it to connect with people all around the world without interfering with other communications between <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> and the space station.</p><p>"I gained energy from interacting with the children, and it helped me get through the subsequent work smoothly! Thank you very much!" said Yui.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="KmEspHGsUYFLqQhVtroP5k" name="iss-epxedition-73-yui-ham" alt="a man in a blue and white striped polo shirt uses an amateur radio aboard a space station." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KmEspHGsUYFLqQhVtroP5k.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Expedition 73 flight engineer Kimiya Yui, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), uses ham (or amateur) radio to talk with children in his home country from on board the International Space Station. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JAXA/Kimiya Yui)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-science-status"><span>Science status</span></h3><p>Among the research that was conducted by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/space-station-astronauts-bid-farewell-to-private-ax-4-crew-on-the-iss-this-week-july-14-18-2025">Expedition 73 crew</a> aboard the space station this week was:</p><p><strong>CIPHER</strong> — NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim focused on studies relating to eyesight and balance, using VR goggles, electrodes and other specialized optical equipment to gauge how spaceflight affects their sense of balance and the shape of the retina, among other changes to the ability to see and steady themselves.</p><p>Cardman also used a ultrasound to monitor signs of arterial stiffness and changes in her cardiac function, while Kim processed bone stem cell samples for their later return to Earth as part of a study into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/23017-weightlessness.html">bone density loss</a> during long-duration space missions.</p><p><strong>Plant Cell Division</strong> and <strong>Cell Biology Experiment Facility </strong>— Yui prepared and placed under study tobacco plant and algae cell samples to add to the experience and knowledge base of growing crops on future missions to the moon and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Mars</a>.</p><p><strong>BioNutrients-3</strong> — Fincke used a research incubator to test ways to use yeast, yogurt and samples of the fermented milk drink kefir to produce additional vitamins and nutrients to benefit future crews' health. The astronaut showed off a tray of purple kefir used in the experiment; you can see a photo of it above.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-station-keeping"><span>Station keeping</span></h3><p>The Expedition 73 crewmates also took part in activities to maintain the space station's systems and prepare for future research.</p><p><strong>Progress MS-30 (91P)</strong> — Having completed repacking the Russian cargo craft with refuse last week, the crew saw the departure of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32645-progress-spacecraft.html">Progress</a> MS-30 on Tuesday (Sept. 9).</p><p><strong>Progress M-32 (93P)</strong> — Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky trained for the arrival and docking of Progress M-32, which is scheduled to dock to the aft port of the station's Zvezda service module on Saturday (Sept. 13).</p><p><strong>NG-23 "S.S. Willie McCool"</strong> — The crew also began preparations for the arrival of Northrop Grumman's first "XL" <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/cygnus-spacecraft.html">Cygnus</a> cargo craft, which is scheduled to be captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and berthed to the Earth-facing port on the Unity node on Wednesday (Sept. 17).</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-astronaut-activity"><span>Astronaut activity</span></h3><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h7xYZgDRRB0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>Expedition 73 flight engineer Mike Fincke, a NASA astronaut, discussed life on orbit with MIT’s Technology Review Magazine during an interview on Tuesday (Sept. 9).<br><br>"I I think me and my crewmates on board Expedition 73 here are very focused and dedicated to science," said Fincke. "We're supporting the scientists on the ground, so we go above and beyond to give them best results that we can. I take great pride in that."</p><p>You can watch the full interview above.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-by-the-numbers"><span>By the numbers</span></h3><p>As of Friday (Sep. 12), there are <strong>7 people</strong> aboard the International Space Station: Expedition 73 commander Sergey Ryzhikov of the Russian space agency <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22724-roscosmos.html">Roscosmos</a>; fellow cosmonauts Alexey Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov; Jonny Kim, Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke of NASA; and Kimiya Yui of JAXA, all flight engineers.</p><p>There are <strong>two docked crew spacecraft</strong>: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a>'s Dragon "Endeavour" attached to the zenith port of the Harmony module and Roscosmos' Soyuz MS-27 attached to the Earth-facing port of the Prichal node.</p><p>There are <strong>two docked cargo spacecraft</strong>: Roscosmos' Progress MS-31 (92P) docked to the space-facing port of the Poisk module and SpaceX's CRS-33 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18852-spacex-dragon.html">Dragon</a> spacecraft is docked to the forward port of Harmony Node 2.</p><p>As of Friday, the space station has been continuously crewed for <strong>24 years, 10 months and 10 days.</strong></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/astronaut-preps-purple-kefir-for-a-vitamin-boost-on-the-international-space-station-sept-8-12-2025</link>
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<![CDATA[ As their research activities continued, the Expedition 73 crew had a busy week on the International Space Station with the departure of a cargo vehicle and preparations for the arrival of two more. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 01:29:07 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International Space Station]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Missions]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ robert@collectspace.com (Robert Z. Pearlman) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Z. Pearlman ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7xVsXbjcF2sy6Z6VEJ2ThE-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Mike Fincke]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a man in a black t-shirt holds up a tray of plastic pouches filled with purple fermented milk aboard a space station.]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ Scientists measure 'kick' that sent baby black hole flying away from its home for 1st time ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Astronomers have for the first time measured the speed and direction of a newborn black hole, thanks to gravitational waves produced as it bounced away from the site of its parent black holes' merger. This first complete measurement of black hole recoil comes almost exactly a decade after the first detection of gravitational waves — tiny ripples in spacetime first predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915 — performed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) on Sept. 14, 2015.</p><p>Over the last 10 years, a wealth of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25088-gravitational-waves.html">gravitational wave</a> detections performed by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/LIGO-Laser-Interferometer-Gravitational-Wave-Observatory.html">LIGO </a>and its collaboration gravitational wave detectors, Virgo, and Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA) have painted a more detailed picture of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-happens-when-black-holes-merge">black hole mergers</a> than ever before. However, one of the most fascinating and dramatic aspects of these mergers has remained "unheard" by these detectors that measure the ringing of spacetime caused by the universe's most extreme events. That is the "kick" delivered to the daughter black hole birthed by these mergers.</p><p>This kick causes the newborn black hole to wail out gravitational waves in a preferred direction — an imbalance that causes it to speed away from the site of its birth, sometimes as fast as many millions of miles per hour. That is fast enough for the black hole to escape its home galaxy.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_wpN8s2Hq_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="wpN8s2Hq"> <div id="botr_wpN8s2Hq_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>This uneven distribution of gravitational waves from black hole recoil should "sound" very different from regular gravitational waves emitted by black hole mergers as well as ripples in spacetime emitted as black holes in binaries spiral together.</p><p>The signal also differs based on the position an observer occupies relative to the black hole's recoil. That differentiation allows scientists to look at the gravitational wave signal and determine the direction and speed of the kicked black hole.</p><p>"Black-hole mergers can be understood as a superposition of different signals, just like the music of an orchestra consistent with the combination of music played by many different instruments," Juan Calderon-Bustillo, study team leader and a researcher tat the Instituto Galegode Físicade Altas Enerxías (IGFAE), <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://igfae.usc.es/igfae/primeira-medicion-completa-retroceso-dun-buraco-negro/" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>. "However, this orchestra is special: audiences located in different positions around it will record different combinations of instruments, which allows them to understand where exactly they are around it."</p><h2 id="black-hole-scientists-will-get-a-kick-out-of-this-2">Black hole scientists will get a kick out of this</h2><p>To investigate the recoil of a newborn black hole, Calderon-Bustillo and colleagues investigated a merger of two black holes of different masses recorded by LIGO and Virgo back in 2019 as the gravitational wave signal GW 190412.</p><p>The difference between this study and previous analyses of the signal is this team used a new methodology that enabled them to detect the kick received by the daughter black hole.</p><p>"We came out with this method back in 2018. We showed it would enable kick measurements using our current detectors at a time when other existing methods required detectors like LISA [a proposed space-based gravitational wave detector], which was more than a decade away," Calderon-Bustillo said. "Unfortunately, by that time, Advanced LIGO and Virgo had not detected a signal with 'music from various instruments' that could enable a kick measurement.</p><p>"However, we were sure one such detection should happen soon. It was extremely exciting to detect GW190412 just one year later, notice the kick could probably be measured, and actually do it."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Vqvoeq47jihN7UzW6NeL7M" name="black hole collisions.jpg" alt="Ripples seen in this illustration look like pond ripples on a blue grid. Two black circles are in the center of the image." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vqvoeq47jihN7UzW6NeL7M.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Illustration of two black holes orbiting each other, emitting gravitational waves. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The black hole created in the merger that launched the signal GW190412 was seen racing away from the site of its birth at a staggering 112,000 miles per hour (50 kilometers per second). That's about 150 times the speed of sound here on Earth.</p><p>While that is far from the maximum speed a black hole can reach after a merger-caused kick, it is fast enough to allow this black hole to escape the dense grouping of stars, or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/29717-globular-clusters.html">globular cluster</a>, in which it was born.</p><p>"This is one of the few phenomena in astrophysics where we're not just detecting something — we're reconstructing the full 3D motion of an object that's billions of light-years away, using only ripples in spacetime," Koustav Chandra, study team member and a researcher at Penn State University, said in the statement. "It's a remarkable demonstration of what gravitational waves can do."</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/the-james-webb-space-telescope-has-discovered-its-1st-exoplanet-and-snapped-its-picture-image">The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered its 1st exoplanet and snapped its picture (image)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-discover-origins-of-mysterious-double-hot-jupiter-exoplanets-it-is-a-dance-of-sorts">Astronomers discover origins of mysterious double hot Jupiter exoplanets: 'It is a dance of sorts'</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/nasa-exoplanet-hunting-spacecraft-and-citizen-scientists-discover-a-cool-new-alien-world">NASA exoplanet-hunting spacecraft and citizen scientists discover a cool new alien world</a></p></div></div><p>The next step for the team will be to use this recoil as well as the direction and speed measurements of daughter black holes to investigate black hole mergers through both gravitational waves and with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/electromagnetic-spectrum-use-in-astronomy">electromagnetic radiation</a>, the latter of which is the basis of "traditional astronomy."</p><p>"Black-hole mergers in dense environments can lead to detectable electromagnetic signals — known as flares — as the remnant black hole traverses a dense environment like an a<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17262-quasar-definition.html">ctive galactic nucleus</a> (AGN)," study team member Samson Leong of the Chinese University of Hong Kong explained in the statement. "Because the visibility of the flare depends on the recoil's orientation relative to Earth, measuring the recoils will allow us to distinguish between a true gravitational wave-electromagnetic signal pair that comes from a binary black hole and a just random coincidence."</p><p>The team's research was published on Tuesday (Sept. 9) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02632-5" target="_blank">Nature Astronomy.</a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/scientists-measure-kick-that-sent-baby-black-hole-flying-away-from-its-home-for-1st-time</link>
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<![CDATA[ Everything about the Infinity Galaxy, recently discovered by the JWST, is strange. One odd feature could be the first evidence of a "direct collapse" black hole. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j6SnmAJQ3z4pYEUjuDywJA-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Galician Institute of High Energy Physics]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Gravitational waves ripple out from daughter black hole created by black hole merger]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Gravitational waves ripple out from daughter black hole created by black hole merger]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Astronomers discover rogue black hole speeding through distant dwarf galaxy ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>New research suggests that not all feeding massive black holes sit stably at the heart of their home galaxies. A team of astronomers has discovered a black hole wandering through its home dwarf galaxy, taking its active region with it. Making this discovery even more remarkable is the fact that this is an intermediate-mass black hole, a type of object that has eluded astronomers for decades.</p><p>The discovery that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html">black hole</a> growth may not be limited to galactic centers could shed light on the role <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/supermassive-black-hole">supermassive black holes</a>, with masses millions or billions of times that of the sun, play in the evolution of their host galaxies, as well as indicating how these cosmic titans grew so large so rapidly in the early universe.</p><p>The off-center accreting black hole, which is blasting out jets as it travels, was discovered in a dwarf galaxy called MaNGA 12772-12704 located around 230 million light-years away. It is positioned around 3,260 light-years from the center of its home galaxy, where scientists would usually expect to find an accreting supermassive black hole dominating a region called an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17262-quasar-definition.html">active galactic nucleus</a> (AGN).</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_MJNE24Hh_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="MJNE24Hh"> <div id="botr_MJNE24Hh_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"This is like a cosmic lighthouse lit by a wandering black hole," team member and Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) astronomer Liu Yuanqi <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/phys/202509/t20250908_1054163.shtml" target="_blank">said in a statement.</a> "Although it has strayed from the galactic center, it still shines outward with powerful energy."</p><h2 id="black-hole-wanderers-and-dwarf-galaxies-2">Black hole wanderers and dwarf galaxies</h2><p>The commonly accepted picture of galaxies and black holes sees supermassive black holes sitting at the hearts of galactic centers acting as a central engine, sometimes quiet, sometimes gobbling up matter and triggering powerful jets. However, scientists are increasingly discovering that some massive black holes stray from their perches in the center of galaxies. These <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/hubble-telescope-sees-wandering-black-hole-slurping-up-stellar-spaghetti">wandering black holes</a> can then drift to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope-uses-cosmic-archeology-to-reveal-history-of-the-milky-way-galaxy">galactic disks</a> of their home systems or can even make it to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/wandering-black-holes-formation-early-universe.html">outskirts of these galaxies. </a></p><p>Astronomers hunt these rogue black holes in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-dwarf-galaxies-cosmic-evolution">dwarf galaxies</a> because, when compared to large galaxies, their smaller masses and simpler evolutionary history preserve more clues about the early growth of black holes. It is predicted that when galaxies merge or when multiple bodies interact, a gravitational recoil can result that is capable of launching black holes from the weaker gravitational influence of the centers of dwarf galaxies.</p><p>Scientists have also used simulations to demonstrate that many dwarf galaxy black holes could be displaced by as much as 3,000 light-years, but evidence of this has proved elusive.</p><p>That was until this team turned its attention to MaNGA 12772-12704 using data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. They discovered weak AGN activity at the heart of this seemingly average dwarf galaxy, but more interestingly, they found strong radio emissions offset from the AGN by around 3,000 light-years.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="sErEtUR8BxuD56P4YeTvMQ" name="supermassive black hole quasar" alt="An illustration of a supermassive black hole in the early cosmos" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sErEtUR8BxuD56P4YeTvMQ.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration shows a supermassive black hole blasting out a powerful jet of matter </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Robert Lea (created with Canva))</span></figcaption></figure><p>Following up with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16637-best-giant-black-hole-telescope-view.html">Very Long Baseline Array</a> (VLBA), the team detected temperatures exceeding 1.8 billion degrees Fahrenheit (1 billion degrees Celsius). They also discovered a jet stretching out for 7.2 light-years. These are features usually associated with an AGN inhabited by a feeding supermassive black hole at the heart of a galaxy.</p><p>To investigate deeper, the team turned to archival astronomical data collected between 1993 and 2023, finding that this region offset from the center of MaNGA 12772-12704 becomes brighter and then dims over the course of decades. This is characteristic of a supermassive black hole that is accreting matter and growing.</p><p>The team was able to ascertain that this off-center feeding black hole currently has a mass of 300,000 times that of the sun. That isn't great enough to make it a supermassive black hole, but instead puts it in the category of elusive intermediate black holes.</p><p>That is exciting in itself because these "middleman" black holes have thus far proved difficult for astronomers to detect. Scientists know they must be out there in great numbers as they should be an important stage in the merger process that sees stellar mass black holes, with masses 10 to 1000 times that of the sun, combining over hundreds of millions of years to create supermassive black holes.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:900px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.22%;"><img id="WHixT3TzfbHXyeMG8cigVh" name="black hole runaway.jpg" alt="a black orb trailing a white swirl of light behind it" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WHixT3TzfbHXyeMG8cigVh.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="900" height="506" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An illustration showing a black hole being ejected from a galaxy's center, as a trail of brightly glowing gas follows behind. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Keio University)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The team's research confirms that an intermediate-mass black hole located outside the galactic nucleus can also sustain accretion and produce jets just like a supermassive black hole in a central AGN.</p><p>This, in turn, suggests that black holes can feed and grow "offsite," potentially offering an avenue of investigation to discover how early supermassive black holes were able to grow to incredible masses before the universe was even 1 billion years old.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/gravitational-waves-reveal-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever-detected-one-forbidden-by-current-models">Gravitational waves reveal most massive black hole merger ever detected — one 'forbidden' by current models</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/this-is-the-holy-grail-of-theoretical-physics-is-the-key-to-quantum-gravity-hiding-in-this-new-way-to-make-black-holes">'This is the holy grail of theoretical physics.' Is the key to quantum gravity hiding in this new way to make black holes?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/tiny-primordial-black-holes-created-in-the-big-bang-may-have-rapidly-grown-to-supermassive-sizes">Tiny ‘primordial’ black holes created in the Big Bang may have rapidly grown to supermassive sizes</a></p></div></div><p>Though rare currently, the next generation of telescopes could uncover many more of these "lost black holes."</p><p>"This discovery prompts us to rethink black hole–galaxy co-evolution. Black holes are not only central 'engines,' they may also quietly reshape their host galaxies from the outskirts," team leader An Tao from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said.</p><p>The team's research was published on Sept. 4 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095927325008989?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">Science Bulletin</a><em>.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/rogue-black-hole-300-000-times-larger-than-the-sun-found-zooming-through-distant-dwarf-galaxy</link>
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<![CDATA[ Astronomers have discovered a rogue intermediate mass black hole blasting out jets over 3,000 light-years from the heart of its home galaxy, where it would usually lurk. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SMPVBAXsu6KX7tt534L9x4-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Robert Lea (created with Canva)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[(Main) an illustration of a galaxy with a feeding black hole heading to its oukskirts (Inset) ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[(Main) an illustration of a galaxy with a feeding black hole heading to its oukskirts (Inset) ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ US Air Force selects Blue Origin and Anduril for rocket cargo delivery project: report ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The U.S. Air Force has asked two more companies to explore how to deliver rocket-flown cargo to any point in the world within one hour, according to a media report.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19584-blue-origin-quiet-plans-for-spaceships.html">Blue Origin</a>, which launches brief suborbital missions for astronauts and cargo using its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40372-new-shepard-rocket.html">New Shepard</a> rocket and is expanding into <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-origin-sets-launch-date-nasa-escapade-mars-probes-2nd-new-glenn-rocket-liftoff">deep space launches with its New Glenn rocket</a>, is one of the contractors selected. The other is Anduril Industries, which builds autonomous systems such as uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) as a defense-technology contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense.</p><p>Blue Origin received $1.3 million and Anduril $1 million in August under an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) program, manager Daniel Brown <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-anduril-win-military-rocket-cargo-study-contracts/" target="_blank">told SpaceNews</a> in a statement published Sunday (Sept. 7). The program is called Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL), and news about the awards first broke in late August in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/21/anduril-blue-origin-to-study-how-to-transport-cargo-from-orbit-to-earth-for-the-pentagon/" target="_blank">outlets such as TechCrunch</a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_Cqhcol1c_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="Cqhcol1c"> <div id="botr_Cqhcol1c_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Brown added Blue's award would examine how to alter its space vehicles for point-to-point transport. Blue did not comment on the award on X, but posted on Aug. 6 about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/blueorigin/status/1953548393596195238" target="_blank">a visit</a> by Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Purdy. Purdy has <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spaceforce.mil/Biographies/Display/Article/2830924/stephen-g-purdy-jr/" target="_blank">numerous positions</a> in the Air Force, including acting assistant secretary and service acquisition executive for space.</p><p>Anduril's award, Brown said, will be for "design and analysis to integrate multiple potential government payloads into a rocket cargo delivery container, or re-entry system." Anduril also did not post about REGAL, but an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.anduril.com/article/enter-anduril-the-united-states-third-supplier-of-solid-rocket-motors/" target="_blank">August press release</a> from the company highlighted its ability to build solid rocket motors.</p><p>REGAL aims to use rockets as point-to-point space transportation for the newly renamed Department of Defense (DoD), now called the Department of War.</p><p>The program will be to "deliver DoD cargo anywhere on the planet in less than one hour through service-type contracts, similar to agreements DoD uses today with commercial airlines," a procurement description <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://sam.gov/opp/a6069fa144164a67981ce672a6c42886/view" target="_blank">published in 2021 states</a>. Some of the expected uses include "emergency resupply to restore loss of mission capability, humanitarian relief [and] disaster relief," the description adds.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dream-chaser-space-cargo-shipment-military">Dream Chaser space plane aims to deliver US military cargo within 3 hours</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/us-military-taps-rocket-labs-new-neutron-launcher-for-point-to-point-cargo-test-flight-in-2026">US military taps Rocket Lab's new Neutron launcher for 'point to point' cargo test flight in 2026</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-nasa-superfast-flight.html">Virgin Galactic, NASA teaming up on superfast 'point to point' flight</a></p></div></div><p>AFRL chose to undertake the program after key changes in American private launch services in recent decades, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://sam.gov/opp/a6069fa144164a67981ce672a6c42886/view" target="_blank">contracting opportunity documents state</a>: "The U.S. commercial market is building the largest rockets ever, at the lowest prices per pound ever, and with second stages able [to] reenter the atmosphere and be recovered for multiple uses. These advances in the U.S. commercial launch market fueled a new assessment of point-to-point space transportation for DoD logistics."</p><p>The REGAL award is a first for Blue Origin and Anduril, SpaceNews reported, although space companies have received similar ones before: Sierra Space received an award in October 2024, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rocket-lab.html">Rocket Lab</a> in May 2025. Blue Origin also signed a 2021 cooperative agreement with U.S. Transportation Command concerning "rocket-powered logistics," SpaceNews added.</p><p>Other point-to-point shipment contracts are being studied by the military. For example, Sierra — developing an uncrewed <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19552-dream-chaser.html">Dream Chaser</a> spacecraft for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html">International Space Station</a> cargo missions — also <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dream-chaser-space-cargo-shipment-military">signed</a> an agreement with DoD transportation command in 2022.</p><p>Blue Origin, founded by Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, has completed 34 crewed or uncrewed missions to space. The 35th launch, a transportation effort, was postponed several times in August — most recently <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-origin-launch-200th-payload-35th-new-shepard-spaceflight">due to an avionics issue</a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/us-air-force-selects-blue-origin-and-anduril-for-rocket-cargo-delivery-project-report</link>
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<![CDATA[ Blue Origin and Anduril each received AFRL contracts to deliver rocket-flown cargo to any point in the world within one hour, according to a media report. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elizabeth Howell ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HmNYgJ3e93KRdANcLuuMtF-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Blue Origin]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An artist's illustration of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket in flight.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist's illustration of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket in flight.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Mars shines red next to blue Spica at sunset on Sept. 13 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Mars will shine close to the blue star Spica at sunset on Sept. 13, but you'll need a clear view of the western horizon to catch the colorful duo before they slip swiftly out of view.</p><p>Look west as the sun sets and you'll find <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Mars</a> less than 10 degrees above the summer horizon, with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22049-spica.html">Spica</a> shining to its lower left with the stars of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17021-virgo-constellation.html">constellation Virgo</a>. If you're new to navigating the night sky, it's useful to remember that the width of your clenched fist held at arm's length equates to roughly 10 degrees, while the span of your middle three fingers measures approximately 5 degrees of sky.</p><p>Both Mars and Spica will set below the horizon a little over an hour after the sun, so try to find an elevated spot with a clear view of the western horizon to catch the colorful cosmic pair before they disappear.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The point of light that we call Spica is in reality a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22509-binary-stars.html">binary star</a> system composed of two magnificent stellar bodies with a combined luminosity more than 12,000 times brighter than our sun. It is the brightest jewel in the constellation Virgo, yet at a distance of 250 light-years from our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html">solar system</a>, its blue-white sparkle doesn't even rank amongst the top 10 brightest stellar bodies that are visible from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a>'s northern hemisphere.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 binoculars</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YdqUYCLtxPvyhiDsvmcMgJ" name="Nikon-prostaff-3S-8x42-product-image.jpg" caption="" alt="Nikon prostaff 3S 8x42 product image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YdqUYCLtxPvyhiDsvmcMgJ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Nikon)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3JPP9T8?tag=georiot-us-default-20&th=1&psc=1&ascsubtag=space-us-4176806003224616817-20&geniuslink=true">Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42</a> binoculars offer up great optics at a modest price, allowing you to focus on constellations with ease at 8x magnification. They are even reinforced with strong fiberglass and have a shockproof design making them resistant to accidental drops and bumps. Why not check out more of their features on our full <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nikon-prostaff-p3-8x42-binocular-review">Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 binoculars review</a>?</p></div></div><p>Mars, meanwhile, owes its famous red hue to an oxidation process that rusts iron minerals present in the martian rocks, soil and dust. The coming weeks will see the red planet become increasingly hard to spot as it draws closer to the sun in Earth's evening sky. The trend will continue in the runup to the Red Planet's solar conjunction in January 2026, when the rocky world will cross behind <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">the sun</a> from our perspective, to emerge weeks later as a bright red <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31851-what-is-morning-star-evening-star.html">morning star</a> in the predawn sky.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/mars-shines-red-with-blue-spica-sunset-sept-13-2025</link>
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<![CDATA[ Red Mars meets bright Spica in the sunset sky this week. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AMnh5JZzyhDXDpxf8uvmS9-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Rex Bartlett via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A photograph of the night sky showing the planet Mars as a bright point of light in a star-studded night sky above a horizon formed from silhouetted trees. The blue star Spica is visible as a point of light close to its lower left.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photograph of the night sky showing the planet Mars as a bright point of light in a star-studded night sky above a horizon formed from silhouetted trees. The blue star Spica is visible as a point of light close to its lower left.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ NASA workers plan 3rd protest at D.C. headquarters on Sept. 15 to decry Trump's science funding cuts ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>NASA employees are once again taking to the streets to raise awareness about deep science cuts and layoffs at the space agency.</p><p>A third "Save NASA" protest is set for Monday, Sept. 15, outside the agency's Washington, D.C. headquarters. The demonstration is being organized by NASA Needs Help — a group formed by employees and supporters at NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/goddard-space-flight-center.html"><u>Goddard Space Flight Center</u></a> in Greenbelt, Maryland, and endorsed by the<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.gesta-goddard.org/" target="_blank"> <u>Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association</u></a> (GESTA).</p><p>Monday's event is scheduled to take place between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT (1200 to 1700 GMT), <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://sites.google.com/view/nasaneedshelp/events" target="_blank"><u>according to an event website</u></a>. It will be the group's second protest outside <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html"><u>NASA</u></a> headquarters, and third this summer taking place in the nation's capital.</p><p>In an email, NASA Needs Help announced a list of expected speakers:</p><ul><li><strong>Rep. Suhas Subramanyam</strong>, VA-10 - House Cmte on Space, Science, and Technology</li><li><strong>Monica Gorman</strong>, Area Vice President, Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association (GESTA) - Union representing Goddard technical civil servants</li><li><strong>Colette Delwalla</strong>, Executive Director, Stand Up For Science</li><li><strong>Dr. Mollie Manier</strong>, National Institutes of Health, signer of the Bethesda Declaration</li><li><strong>Matthew Biggs</strong>, President, International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE) - National body for GESTA</li></ul><p>Organizers say they are fighting to preserve NASA's science programs and workforce in the face of what they view as pernicious preemptive compliance with President Trump's fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) budget request before Congress has finalized a funding bill.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_liNqGxce_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="liNqGxce"> <div id="botr_liNqGxce_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Demonstrations by members of NASA's workforce <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-workers-plan-moon-day-protest-on-july-20-to-oppose-mass-layoffs-budget-cuts-this-year-has-been-an-utter-nightmare-that-has-not-stopped"><u>began at Goddard in June</u></a>, where job losses and potential mission shutdowns sparked employee and community pushback. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-begins-push-to-slash-workforce-with-more-staff-buyouts-early-retirements-as-budget-cuts-loom"><u>Dismissals earlier in the year</u></a> by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — formerly led by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a> CEO <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html"><u>Elon Musk</u></a> — and at-risk notices sent out to contractors working on missions marked for cancellation in the President's budget request have stoked fears of uncertainty and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-losing-nearly-4-000-employees-to-trump-administrations-deferred-resignation-program"><u>stripped employees' sense of job security</u></a>.</p><p>Organizers say the campaign has grown with each protest, shifting from local concerns in Maryland to a broader appeal for national visibility. A parallel protest to NASA Needs Help's June 21 "Moon Day" demonstration was also <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2025/07/20/nasa-glenn-protest-cleveland-cuts" target="_blank">held by workers</a> at the agency's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-glenn-research-center.html">Glenn Research Center</a> in Cleveland, Ohio.</p><p>The group argues that current cuts not only threaten ongoing missions, but also risk dismantling decades of expertise across NASA centers. Departures of those who signed up for the government's deferred resignation program (DRP) are compounding fears from those sticking around that even if funding is restored, programs will have lost an irreparable amount of institutional knowledge.</p><p>This third protest also follows on the heels of an Aug. 28 executive order from President Trump that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-employees-fear-worsening-conditions-as-new-trump-executive-order-eliminates-their-right-to-unionize"><u>disbanded employee unions at NASA and other agencies</u></a> under the justification of national security — a decision GESTA and other worker advocates warn removes employees' right to respond collectively during a time of mounting turbulence.</p><p>The White House's FY 26 budget request calls for a 24% reduction to NASA's overall funding, with a 47% cut to agency science programs and a total elimination of NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and its education initiatives. And while the President's budget has yet to be signed into law, protest leaders point to layoffs already underway, active spacecraft marked for premature decommission and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-pushes-for-crewed-moon-missions-but-proposed-budget-cuts-leave-nasa-science-behind"><u>projects halted midstream</u></a> as evidence that real damage is already underway.</p><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/nasaneedshelp/media" target="_blank"><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:498px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:146.79%;"><img id="vV9bgJaxtuBSLTrPPprKhC" name="nasa-needs-help-protest-flyer" alt="Protest flyer for NASA Needs Help." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vV9bgJaxtuBSLTrPPprKhC.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="498" height="731" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Stand Up For Science flyer from NASA Needs Help. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA Needs Help)</span></figcaption></figure></a><p>Congress has until Sept. 30, the end of FY 25, to finalize NASA's funding. Many lawmakers have voiced repeated support for the space agency, and have amended the budget proposal to match NASA's FY 25 allocations, but those revisions have not been finalized, and it's not clear if, or when they will be.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-pushes-for-crewed-moon-missions-but-proposed-budget-cuts-leave-nasa-science-behind">Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' pushes for crewed moon missions, but proposed budget cuts leave NASA science behind</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/science/climate-change/as-nasas-budget-shrinks-europe-doubles-down-on-earth-science-climate-change-is-the-defining-challenge-of-our-generation"> </a><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-is-under-attack-space-agency-employees-and-lawmakers-protest-mass-layoffs-science-cuts-amid-budget-turmoil">'NASA is under attack.' Space agency employees and lawmakers protest mass layoffs, science cuts amid budget turmoil</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/science/climate-change/nasa-wont-publish-key-climate-change-report-online-citing-no-legal-obligation-to-do-so"> NASA won't publish key climate change report online, citing 'no legal obligation' to do so</a></p></div></div><p>Until lawmakers act, the President's proposed cuts remain just that — a proposal — but an effort by NASA leadership to align with the Administration's vision has already triggered layoffs and mission wind-downs. And, if Congress doesn't finalize a funding bill by the end of the month, NASA will face a government shutdown that will see most employees furloughed and programs halted. Protesters say this looming deadline underscores the urgency of their campaign.</p><p>The Sept. 15 protest comes as Congress is still weighing the ultimate fate of the President's proposed cuts. Monday's demonstration outside NASA HQ is intended as a show of force to underscore the political cost of hollowing out NASA's science and education portfolio.</p><p>"Congress says they want to save NASA. Let's see them do it now," NASA contract worker and NASA Needs Help organizer Marshall Finch told Space.com at a past rally — a sentiment protesters plan to bring to NASA's front door once again.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's note: </strong></em><em>This story was updated on Sept. 13 to include a list of speakers attending the NASA Needs Help protest.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-employees-plan-3rd-protest-at-d-c-headquarters-on-sept-15-to-denounce-trumps-science-funding-cuts</link>
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<![CDATA[ Workers at NASA are planning a third "Save NASA" protest at agency headquarters in D.C. on Sept. 15, as job cuts, Trump's union-busting order and FY26 budget proposals fuel fears of lasting damage. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ jdinner@space.com (Josh Dinner) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Josh Dinner ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zyHbzuyAWMsWotMWw7QAqn-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Space.com / Josh Dinner]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[People hold signs outside on a sunny day in protest of NASA budget cuts, July 20, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[People hold signs outside on a sunny day in protest of NASA budget cuts, July 20, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Is there life on Saturn's moon Enceladus? New study complicates the search ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Enceladus, one of Saturn's small icy moons, spans just 300 miles (500 kilometers) — yet despite its modest size, it has become a star in the search for life beyond Earth. From cracks near its south pole, the moon blasts towering geysers of water vapor, ice and organic molecules into space, which are tantalizing hints of a hidden ocean that could, in theory, be habitable.</p><p>But new research presented this week at a planetary science conference in Finland shows that many of the organic molecules detected in these plumes could also form right on the moon's surface, driven by relentless radiation from Saturn's magnetic field. The results cast doubt on whether the plumes truly carry whispers of alien life, or merely echoes of lifeless chemistry on the frozen shell.</p><p>"Although this doesn't rule out the possibility that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20543-enceladus-saturn-s-tiny-shiny-moon.html">Enceladus</a>' ocean may be habitable, it does mean we need to be cautious in making that assumption just because of the composition of the plumes," study lead Grace Richards of Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.europlanet.org/epsc-dps2025-study-questions-ocean-origin-of-organics-in-enceladuss-plumes/" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_v6l536dC_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="v6l536dC"> <div id="botr_v6l536dC_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>For their experiment, Richards and her colleagues <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2025/EPSC-DPS2025-264.html" target="_blank">recreated conditions on Enceladus in miniature</a> inside a specialized laboratory in Hungary. Using an ice chamber, the team froze mixtures of water, carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia to a bone-chilling –420 degrees Fahrenheit (-253 degrees Celsius), mimicking frigid conditions near the moon's surface. The ices were then bombarded with high-energy "water-group ions," the same charged particles trapped around Saturn that constantly irradiate Enceladus.</p><p>To monitor the chemical changes induced by radiation, the researchers used infrared spectroscopy to observe the molecular "fingerprints," or spectra, of the ices. As radiation interacted with the samples, the spectra shifted, signaling the formation of new molecules.</p><p>Each of the five experiments produced carbon monoxide, cyanate, and ammonium — compounds that were <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/life-saturn-moon-enceladus-easier-than-expected-ice-plumes">detected in Enceladus' plumes</a> by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2005. When the samples were gently warmed, more complex organics appeared, including carbamic acid, ammonium carbamate and potential amino acid precursors including methanol and ethanol, as well as molecules like acetylene, acetaldehyde and formamide, which are building blocks that could contribute to the chemistry of life.</p><p>"Although many of these products have not previously been detected on Enceladus' surface, some have been detected in Enceladus' plumes," Richards and her colleagues wrote in the paper. This leads to "questions about whether plume material is formed within the radiation-rich space environment or whether it originates in the subsurface ocean."</p><p>Crucially, the timescales necessary for radiation to drive these chemical reactions are comparable to how long ice remains exposed on Enceladus' surface or in its plumes, so distinguishing ocean-sourced organics from surface-born ones may be difficult, the study notes.</p><p>"It is likely that the composition of the subsurface ocean may not be accurately reflected by the composition of the emergent plume, or by material deposited on the surface immediately adjacent to the plume," the paper reads.</p><p>For astrobiologists, the results are both sobering and exciting. On one hand, they complicate the story that organics in the plumes are definitive signs of a life-friendly ocean. On the other, they highlight that rich, potentially life-relevant chemistry can thrive even in extreme, radiation-battered environments, thereby expanding the ways scientists think about where prebiotic molecules might form and why Enceladus <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/moon-enceladus-harbors-key-ingredient-for-life">remains a prime target for exploration</a>.</p><p>NASA's Cassini mission, which ended in 2017 with a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38167-cassini-spacecraft-plunges-into-saturn.html">dramatic plunge into Saturn's atmosphere</a>, gave humanity its first and only direct "taste" of Enceladus' geysers. But instruments onboard the spacecraft weren't designed to distinguish between molecules forged in the moon's presumably deep ocean and those cooked up in the icy shell.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="j8DPF3gLHZsrzZ2NUPzwnJ" name="enceladus-geyser-basin.jpg" alt="Graphic showing a 3D model of 98 geysers spotted by a Cassini imaging survey of Enceladus' south polar regiona" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j8DPF3gLHZsrzZ2NUPzwnJ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="800" height="800" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Graphic showing a 3D model of 98 geysers spotted by a Cassini imaging survey of Enceladus' south polar regiona </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)</span></figcaption></figure><p>These answers could come in the coming decades with future missions. One concept under consideration as part of the European Space Agency's Voyage 2050 program envisions a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Saturn_s_moon_Enceladus_top_target_for_ESA" target="_blank">dedicated probe that could land on the surface</a> and collect material ejected from the moon's hidden ocean. NASA has also previously studied an "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/abe4da" target="_blank">Orbilander</a>" concept designed to sample Enceladus' plumes from orbit.</p><p>Meanwhile, China is exploring a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.planetary.org/articles/china-eyes-saturns-icy-moon-enceladus-in-the-hunt-for-habitability" target="_blank">multi-part mission architecture</a> that would include an orbiter, a lander and a deep-drilling robot that would attempt to reach the subsurface ocean to search for potential biosignatures.</p><p>This research is described in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063325001461" target="_blank">paper</a> published in the October 15 edition of the journal Planetary & Space Science.</p><div style="min-height: 1300px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-ORglAX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/ORglAX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/is-there-life-on-saturns-moon-enceladus-new-study-complicates-the-search</link>
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<![CDATA[ "Although this doesn't rule out the possibility that Enceladus' ocean may be habitable, it does mean we need to be cautious in making that assumption just because of the composition of the plumes." ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Search for Life]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sharmila Kuthunur ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QUpWHq9NcR3scwvRbn5CDQ-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A photo of the moon Enceladus with a blue plume of steam underneath it as it sits in the darkness of space]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photo of the moon Enceladus with a blue plume of steam underneath it as it sits in the darkness of space]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Star Trek: Bridge Crew was the ultimate 'Trek' game, and it needs a sequel. Make it so! ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Captain’s log, stardate -302123.44142127107… or November 16, 2020, 7:41 pm for those not in Starfleet just yet. Much of the world was in lockdown, shielding away from the COVID-19 pandemic, and so was I. But thanks to having an HTC VR headset and Star Trek Bridge Crew, it felt as though lockdown was light-years away.</p><p>It was during this particular evening that a friend and I decided to try out the game developed by Red Storm Entertainment (under Ubisoft), just to see how Star Trek: Bridge Crew worked. I’d heard promising things, and as the game had been released exclusively for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-vr-headsets"><strong>VR headsets</strong></a> initially, we thought we’d just give it a go for five minutes. Five minutes turned into a whole evening of us becoming Captains, Engineers, and Pilots, trying to make sure the Starship Enterprise didn’t blow up for the thousandth time.</p><p>We hadn’t laughed so hard in months, and it was all because of this quirky little VR game. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-release-date-cast-episodes-and-how-to-watch"><strong>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3</strong> </a>has just ended, and Star Trek fever is high, but there's no sign of a sequel to Bridge Crew in sight. And that's… well, it's a real shame, because Bridge Crew perfectly captured that Trek magic like few other games have.</p><p>Five years on, there's no sign of a sequel on the horizon, and that's a real shame, because we've got some great ideas for how to make it even better.</p><h2 id="bold-new-ideas-2">Bold new ideas</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="DuvCRSSFKAffp4WhQwXZg3" name="ss_8720c287b7e97b592ddcb3b57255be119cadb4fe.1920x1080" alt="Screenshot from Star Trek: Bridge Crew" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DuvCRSSFKAffp4WhQwXZg3.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Ubisoft)</span></figcaption></figure><p>VR has come a long way in the five years since I played Bridge Crew, and so have co-op games, if we're honest. Titles like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172620/Sea_of_Thieves_2025_Edition/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Sea of Thieves</strong></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1063420/Void_Crew/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Void Crew</strong></a> have nailed how players can work together as a crew for a greater reward, all the while having fun and laughs along the way.</p><p>As the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/void-crew-review/" target="_blank"><strong>Void Crew review over at our sister site, PC Gamer</strong></a>, notes, “The end result is basically the best Firefly game ever made, with you, and as many friends as you can cram into the ship, waging a guerilla war in every direction, jumping away into the void just as things start to turn against you.”</p><p>Bridge Crew did it a little differently by making teamwork the primary function, but also keeping things static. You didn’t walk around, nor did you fight enemies during a mission. You simply sat at your station and worked with up to four friends to complete objectives on the bridge of the Enterprise. If Void Crew is about managing the chaos, Bridge Crew was about maintaining order, which suits the franchise.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="vD2UrTxfLZsERtQjoEHkMF" name="Void Crew" alt="Screenshot from Void Crew" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vD2UrTxfLZsERtQjoEHkMF.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Hutlihut Games)</span></figcaption></figure><p>We'd love to see a sequel that doubles down on what made Bridge Crew great, while taking influence from newer titles like Void Crew, allowing players to move freely around the ship. You could have someone taking on the role of engineer, like Scotty or LaForge from classic Star Trek episodes, hammering away in engineering, keeping the warp core stable, while the weapons officer mans their station on the bridge, letting loose with phasers and photon torpedoes. You could even mount boarding actions, hopping into the teleporter to board an enemy ship and take out key systems.</p><p>Heck, you could even lean into another of Star Trek's strengths by using an episodic, mission-based structure. Part of what makes Star Trek great is the standalone episodes, "monster of the week" stories that are unbound by an overarching season-wide plot. A game where you and your friends feel like you’re actually in an episode of Star Trek, complete with dramatic music, cliffhanger fade-outs, and more, could amp up the immersiveness… and the potential for unintended comedy.</p><p>There is also a chance to make it accessible for players without VR headsets. Peripherals like a mouse and keyboard, and gamepads like a Sony DualSense, would work well when you’re in the role of the pilot on the Enterprise. Interestingly, Bridge Crew was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/3vz996eixVluvKQRK7aVqf/star-trek-bridge-crew-now-playable-without-vr-after-free-update" target="_blank"><strong>patched in late 2017 to work without a VR headset</strong></a>, but this seems to have been swept under the Starfleet rug. But, whether Bridge Crew 2 is VR-exclusive or not, the freedom to roam the ship is a must-have for us.</p><h2 id="united-federation-of-vr-headsets-2">United Federation of VR headsets</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="M2Mvw9WHi2STD7vs3nzH3F" name="Bridge-Crew-November-3" alt="Screenshot from Star Trek: Bridge Crew" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M2Mvw9WHi2STD7vs3nzH3F.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Ubisoft)</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's now the far-flung future of 2025, and VR headsets<strong> </strong>are more common and accessible than ever before. The Meta Quest 3 and 3S are some of the most affordable products in the category, able to run games like Resident Evil 4 VR, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and more for under $300.</p><p>There are pricier options, of course, such as the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/htc-vive-pro-2-review" target="_blank"><strong>HTC Vive Pro 2</strong></a> or the eye-wateringly expensive Apple Vision Pro headset, available for a cool $3,500, which come with better visuals and more advanced features.</p><p>Taking advantage of advanced features like spatial awareness, hand gestures, and more could give a Bridge Crew sequel new ways to interact with the controls on the bridge, as well as interact with crewmates. All these different feature sets and operating systems can make it difficult to build a community, though.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="LpeRhjAjtBaYeLvK6NSSD3" name="ss_63aa60227b163f2bfee34c5508865f2f5ef08e39.1920x1080" alt="Screenshot from Star Trek: Bridge Crew" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LpeRhjAjtBaYeLvK6NSSD3.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Ubisoft)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Ensuring crossplay between VR platforms would be a must. I remember playing Sea of Thieves with this feature for the first time during the pandemic, where I’d be playing the game on my gaming PC, and a friend would be on their Xbox, but the experience was ultimately the same… but I'd go one step further — have crossplay between VR and non-VR gamers too. This isn't some sci-fi technology like the holodeck; games like No Man's Sky, Elite Dangerous, and even Valheim have shown that it can be done, and opening Bridge Crew 2 up to the much-larger console and PC gaming audience would do wonders for its reach and playerbase..</p><p>Much like how the United Federation of Planets establishes itself as an interstellar union across the galaxy bound by one government, we want a Bridge Crew 2 that allows players on a Vision Pro, a Meta Quest, an Xbox — or whatever platform they want — to join the same starship with friends and others.</p><h2 id="the-next-generation-2">The next generation</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="KzfSyXMsPokkHJKx9jk62F" name="Bridge-Crew-November-2" alt="Screenshot from Star Trek: Bridge Crew" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KzfSyXMsPokkHJKx9jk62F.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Ubisoft)</span></figcaption></figure><p>For the original Bridge Crew, what worked was the camaraderie, the teamwork, and the feeling of chatting in the ready room with your friends about how to do the next mission. It mirrored a lot of Star Trek episodes, and Bridge Crew was one of the only VR games that justified the category.</p><p>There was also a lot of goofy, silly fun to be had, whether it's sending abusive hails or recreating dance moves to UK boy band 5ive (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://youtu.be/-BojY7W_CEU?si=iVnMioXcKw8VOE0B&t=1353" target="_blank"><strong>something we weren't alone in</strong></a>).</p><p>Since then, games like Void Crew have amped up the experience of what made Bridge Crew so good, but part of what made that evening of November 16 so memorable was the escapism. I was in a starship, light-years away from the horrible reality of what was going on at the time. It drew on the essence of what has made Star Trek so watchable since its debut in 1966, with teamwork that fights the big unknown, but making friends along the way. A sequel could build on those tropes and expand upon the excellent groundwork of the original.</p><p>Perhaps it was just a case of the right game at the right time, and maybe a sequel will never be able to live up to that memory — no matter how good it is — but there's only one way to find out. Make Star Trek: Bridge Crew 2, you cowards!</p><p><strong>Star Trek: Bridge Crew is available on </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/527100/Star_Trek_Bridge_Crew/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>PC</strong></a><strong> (playable in both VR and non-VR). Void Crew is available on </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1063420/Void_Crew/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>PC</strong></a><strong>, </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/EP4133-PPSA28509_00-VOIDCREWGAME0000" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>PS5</strong></a><strong>, and </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/void-crew/9pcm05g79jlx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Xbox Series X|S</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/star-trek-bridge-crew-was-the-ultimate-trek-game-and-needs-a-sequel-make-it-so</link>
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<![CDATA[ It's time to boldly go further than ever before with a Bridge Crew sequel for everyone, whether they have a holodeck strapped to their face or not. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Games]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Daryl Baxter ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cUn7BFxFhfRvx8qtXagx3F-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Ubisoft]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Screenshot from Star Trek: Bridge Crew]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Screenshot from Star Trek: Bridge Crew]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Don't miss the moon shine close to the Pleiades star cluster on Sept. 12 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Look east on the night of Sept. 12 to see the waning gibbous moon close to the magnificent Pleiades open cluster, with the distant planet Uranus lurking nearby in the constellation Taurus.</p><p>The 62%-lit moon climbs above the eastern horizon a little over an hour before midnight for viewers in the U.S., with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/pleiades.html">Pleiades</a> sitting less than 5 degrees to its upper right. To estimate that distance, hold out your hand: the width of your middle finger at arm's length spans roughly 5 degrees of sky..</p><p>The Pleiades cluster is often an easy target to spot with the naked eye from a dark sky location, though the glare of the nearby moon will make it a little harder to appreciate on the night of Sept. 12. A pair of 10x50 binoculars will help you to resolve dozens of the blue-white stars populating the stellar city, including the seven brightest stars from which it derives its nickname of the "Seven Sisters".</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>A telescope with an aperture of 8 inches will reveal many more of the Pleiades' thousand-strong population of blue-white <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/57-stars-formation-classification-and-constellations.html">stars</a> and may also allow you to spot a tiny blue dot representing the ice giant <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/45-uranus-seventh-planet-in-earths-solar-system-was-first-discovered-planet.html">Uranus</a> lurking nearby. The distant world, invisible to the naked eye, will be sitting about 5 degrees to the lower right of the moon.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="p9oTMqQJJ6VTijn4cXaw96" name="Sep12-2025 at 11 pm - Moon near the Pleiades and Uranus" alt="A detailed map of the night sky with an orange circle in the middle surrounding a half-full moon next to the star cluster Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. This image was taken next to a red farmhouse and an open field" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p9oTMqQJJ6VTijn4cXaw96.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The moon approaches the Pleiades on Sept. 12. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Starry Night/Chris Vaughan)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Capella, the sixth brightest star in Earth's night sky, will be visible to the left of the moon at moonrise on Sept. 12, while the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/30372-gas-giants.html">gas giant</a> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html">Saturn</a> will shine roughly 30 degrees above the southeastern horizon in the constellation Pisces. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/41-neptune-the-other-blue-planet-in-our-solar-system.html">Neptune</a> will be positioned close to Saturn's left, though, like Uranus, it will be far too dim to see with the naked eye.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1438px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="b6yuPbPBfYyoocgARnDK2G" name="Northwest Lunar Surface" alt="night sky graphic of the lunar surface showing the Plato and Archimedes craters labelled to the left of the terminator above Montes Apenninus. Copernicus and Kepler craters are visible to the west." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b6yuPbPBfYyoocgARnDK2G.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1438" height="809" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A sharp image of the lunar surface showing the Plato and Archimedes craters labelled to the left of the terminator above Montes Apenninus. Copernicus and Kepler craters are visible to the west. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Picture by Freelanceimages, annotations by Anthony Wood.)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The nights following Sept. 12 are a great time to observe the shifting play of light over the vast Montes Apenninus mountain range, which covers a swathe of the lunar surface a little south of the 51-mile-wide (83-kilometer) Archimedes crater.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">TOP TELESCOPE PICK</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="jbkGMddB6fL6irTmR92Wgc" name="Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope" caption="" alt="The Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope side view with accessories details" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jbkGMddB6fL6irTmR92Wgc.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">Want to see the moon and the Pleiades together yourself? The<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-11069-Computerised-Schmidt-Cassegrain-Technology/dp/B000GUFOC8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?tag=georiot-us-default-20&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.f0b1F2bylj60FMX6yPsrGQcyNiWAVxERdtD_hC6sMwheOAQYf2ZKU3dM10XVlFNeJgZ0mGNOUvE9bkVzFvWjvCzyjw_pEI4TtbYvfFRws3QBvQF5YJAPtGYGzK2nOUkkSJtYejE8tjFCkXPw3xT0y9jlmnppgUHsCmniw7gv5rt4a9yLaPZqw96FFL4gFdugvpmSPGkbVlQ6HwPHfxzOlp3mlbxAcorFc78UqiGCtT0.dQWrqG0Cwi1BftKni7oNMJ7FARzekSJWSl4fvILD1MU&dib_tag=se&hvadid=694198857096&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9058761&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=17617777239930721740--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17617777239930721740&hvtargid=kwd-4686936163&hydadcr=18472_13462150&keywords=celestron%20nexstar%208se&mcid=deadd43652e331aabadee6ae726cd94c&qid=1751535125&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1&ascsubtag=space-us-1346887865419321405-20&geniuslink=true" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Celestron NexStar 8SE</a> is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-nexstar-8se-telescope-review"> Celestron NexStar 8SE review.</a></p></div></div><p>Photographers interested in capturing the majesty of Earth's natural satellite should read our tips on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-to-photograph-the-moon-camera">imaging the moon with a DSLR</a> or mirrorless camera, while amateur astronomers should check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/31048-how-to-observe-the-moon-telescope-binoculars.html">guide to exploring the lunar surface with a telescope</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you capture an image of the moon alongside the Pleiades and want to share it with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo alongside your comments, name and the location of your shoot to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/dont-miss-moon-shine-close-to-pleiades-star-cluster-sept-12-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Pleiades will appear close to the moon before midnight on Sept. 12. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yAwqSrnPC7t8jXAwc9Vdu4-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Alan Dyer/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A collection of bright blue-white stars can be seen shining bright against a more distant multicoloured starfield.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A collection of bright blue-white stars can be seen shining bright against a more distant multicoloured starfield.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ No redshirts allowed: A nearly impossible sci-fi trivia quiz for command-level nerds only ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Welcome to the final frontier of sci-fi fandom: an extra hard science fiction quiz.</p><p>This isn't your average stroll through <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/most-impressive-darth-vaders-screen-used-star-wars-lightsaber-could-fetch-usd3-million-in-september-auction">lightsaber</a> lore or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21201-star-trek-technology-explained-infographic.html">warp-speed</a> factoids. We're talking deep canon, obscure references, and the kind of questions that separate the casual viewers from the quantum-brained elite.</p><p>This quiz is not for the faint of fandom. It's for those who've read "The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39470-ursula-k-le-guin-obituary.html">Left Hand of Darkness</a>" twice and can quote "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-literary-sci-fi-a-trivia-quiz">Neuromancer</a>" without blinking.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_PrH0A15B_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="PrH0A15B"> <div id="botr_PrH0A15B_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>If you ace this, you're not just a fan — you're a scholar of the speculative. Ready to engage? The stars await.</p><p>Try it out below and see how well you score!</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-X7bznO"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/X7bznO.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/no-redshirts-allowed-a-nearly-impossible-sci-fi-trivia-quiz-for-command-level-nerds-only</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ This quiz plunges deep into the wormhole of science fiction, testing your mastery of both cerebral literature and cult-classic cinema. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:31:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EpQSaaEFpVmdmzySH2WmxL-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Alamy/ Paramount Pictures]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[The USS Enterprise, one of the most famous spacecraft in science fiction]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The USS Enterprise, one of the most famous spacecraft in science fiction]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo review — with timelapse video ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Key specs</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Price: </strong>$60/£60</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Model number: </strong>75407</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Pieces: </strong>700</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Dimensions: </strong>5 x 11 x 1 (inches) / 13 x 30 x 3</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Age recommendation: </strong>18+</p></div></div><p>The Star Wars logo is instantly recognizable and an iconic image, but does that translate when put into Lego form?</p><p>Lego released the 700-piece set on May 1, 2025, ahead of Star Wars Day, which falls on May 4. We got our hands on it and put it to the test to see if it's worth the credits and if it would make a fine addition to your... Collection. We've built a lot of Lego Star Wars sets over the years and we found that there's a lot to like about this set.</p><p>It's not a challenging build, as there aren't any intricate or tricky building techniques required, so it's suitable for those without much building experience, as well as collectors. It's unquestionably a great display piece and would be a welcome addition to any shelf or surface.</p><p>We can be a little critical of this set as it doesn't come with minifigures and some building sequences are a little repetitive, but overall, it's enjoyable and for the price, it's worthwhile. You don't need to watch <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-movies-in-order">the Star Wars movies</a> to enjoy this set, but does sit among the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-star-wars-sets">best Lego Star Wars sets</a>? It would be among the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/lego-star-wars-deals">best Lego Star Wars deals</a> when on offer, given its low starting price.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_68TajQRl_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="68TajQRl"> <div id="botr_68TajQRl_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-lego-brick-built-star-wars-logo-review-build"><span>Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo review: Build</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="2McNC78rzYJ2RwuXFV2m9Z" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-and-Booklets" alt="The Completed Lego Star Wars Logo set with two instruction booklets in front of it." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2McNC78rzYJ2RwuXFV2m9Z.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo set and its instruction booklets. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Sturdy final build</strong></li><li><strong>Not overly challenging</strong></li><li><strong>A little fiddly in places but satisfying on completion</strong></li></ul><p>Starting with the box and its contents. The box stands out thanks to a black background, helping the yellow of the set catch the eye. The back features a picture of the final build and a snippet of the movie poster from "A New Hope". It also has two thumb tabs, which you can press down on to break open the box, without ruining it. Inside, you'll find two easy-to-follow instruction booklets and six bags of Lego pieces, the first five of which feature a smaller bag containing little pieces like single studs.</p><p>As you go through the build, you'll find that in the early stage of building the word "Star" and later on, the word "Wars", parts can feel flimsy and some pieces can break off when attaching other pieces to the set. This is only a minor inconvenience, though, as it's easy to reattach pieces and if you get lost, you can refer back to the instruction manuals and clearly see which part needs to go where, as they're easy to follow.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="kWVNy9iKim6dn3aZbVUPBZ" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-Box" alt="The product box of the Lego Star Wars Logo set, the Star Wars logo in brick form on a black background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kWVNy9iKim6dn3aZbVUPBZ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo product box. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="mYPqqcYkQH4EQho3W8rg9Z" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-Booklet-I" alt="The opening pages of an instruction booklet giving context and added info to the Lego Star Wars Logo set." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mYPqqcYkQH4EQho3W8rg9Z.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The opening to the instruction booklets for the Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo Set. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="g8zaKo8RrQMetkbCQnVuBZ" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-Booklet-III" alt="Two pages of a booklet giving instructions on how to build part of a Lego set, using images." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g8zaKo8RrQMetkbCQnVuBZ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Part of the instructions for the Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo set. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="X7Ev7ppH97N6ufT89ZK6CZ" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-Booklet-II" alt="Two pages of a booklet giving instructions showing the final build of the Lego Star Wars Logo set, using images." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/X7Ev7ppH97N6ufT89ZK6CZ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The final pages of the instruction manual for the Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo set. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Once you've passed the early stages, though, there's no such issue and the final build feels very sturdy. Along the way to the final build, there weren't any challenging or unique building techniques needed, and although some parts were a bit fiddly, it was quite a straightforward and enjoyable process. That makes it a suitable set for those without much building experience, as well as collectors looking for something unique.</p><p>Within the 700 pieces this set contains, there aren't many unusual pieces that need fitting to complete the set. In some instances, separate parts need to be built and then attached to the main piece, but this is okay as most, if not every time, you could see exactly what that part was adding to the set. The overall look of the final build is very satisfying to look at and very accurately resembles the actual Star Wars logo.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-lego-brick-built-star-wars-logo-review-design"><span>Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo review: Design</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="vYXmNEDdSWgGpAVGADdCAZ" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-Review-Main" alt="The Lego Star Wars Logo set in its completed form on a white table with white curtains behind it." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vYXmNEDdSWgGpAVGADdCAZ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The final build of the Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo set. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Instantly recognizable and great display piece</strong></li><li><strong>No minifigures but a small compartment for spare pieces</strong></li><li><strong>Contrast of yellow and black pieces help it stand out </strong></li></ul><p>Of course, this was never going to be a set that would blow you away with fine details or surprising extras, but that doesn't stop it from looking great. The contrast of the yellow bricks with the black in between the lettering really helps the set pop off the shelf and it's big enough to catch your eye when on display, but not so big that it's the centerpiece of the room, or that it needs its own space to be shown off.</p><p>The entirety of the outside of the lettering is comprised of Lego bricks with a smooth outer, meaning that it isn't uncomfortable to touch, hold or pick up. It also looks a lot nicer like that and less blocky. As you can see from the pictures and video above, that smoothness gives it a great likeness to the real logo and while it does look like a Lego version of it, it still bears a striking resemblance.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 1</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="BZVaBDwmuaHUoditjupp9Z" name="Lego-Star-Wars-Logo-Review" alt="A hidden compartment within the Star Wars Logo built in Lego form." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BZVaBDwmuaHUoditjupp9Z.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The hidden compartment for spare parts within the Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo set. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The set is designed so that you build the two words individually and then attach them at the end, as opposed to building them all as one giant block. This makes building it easier and you can see the final look start to take shape earlier in the build.</p><p>One particularly neat part of the build is that if you lift the smooth pieces on the top of the "T", you'll find a small compartment that can store spare pieces. We had several at the end of the build and it's the perfect size to house them. However, as much as we like this set and had a great time building it, we do have some criticisms of it. You don't get any minifigures with this set. While we might sound a little spoiled by saying that, the Lego Marvel Logo set comes with five minifigures, all Avengers, which means this set comes up a little short in comparison.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-lego-brick-built-star-wars-logo-review-verdict"><span>Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo review: Verdict</span></h3><p>To summarize, this is a set that's well-worth getting and building. At only $60 in price, and we've already seen small discounts on it on sites like Amazon, it's pretty good value.</p><p>It comes with 700 pieces, is enjoyable to build without being too challenging and it really stands out when put on a shelf, without taking up too much room. It's sturdy when completed and is completely unique to any other Lego Star Wars set, too.</p><p>Where this set is marked down is in its lack of minifigures and some of the build can seem a little repetitive. However, this is still a great display piece and looks cool when displayed solo, or would bring a bit of flare to a Lego Star Wars collection.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-alternative-sets"><span>Alternative Sets</span></h3><p>If this set interests you, but isn't quite right, or you want something similar, the obvious comparison and alternative is the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/lego-marvel-logo-and-minifigures-set-review">Lego Marvel Logo set</a>. This set is also just a logo. It's a similar size, has more pieces and comes with five minifigures, which are all Avengers. You can argue that it doesn't quite stand out as much due to the color scheme, but it does cost considerably more. We also gave it four stars in our review.</p><p>If you want something Lego Star Wars-specific, then we would recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/technology/lego-star-wars-acclamator-class-assault-ship-review">Acclamator-Class Assault Ship</a>. It's cheaper, comes with lots of detail and is a ship placed on a display stand. No, it doesn't have the same piece count, but then again, it does come in under $50.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/technology/lego-brick-built-star-wars-logo-review</link>
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<![CDATA[ We built the iconic logo for one of the biggest franchises in cinematic history, in Lego form, but is the Lego Brick Built Star Wars Logo worth your credits? ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ acox@space.com (Alexander Cox) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Alexander Cox ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CnimaxyjZugfzWWENd5rBZ-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Future]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[The Star Wars logo, which is the word "Star" above the word "Wars", in yellow lettering on a black background, in Lego form. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The Star Wars logo, which is the word "Star" above the word "Wars", in yellow lettering on a black background, in Lego form. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Scientists say there's a 90% chance we could spot an exploding black hole in the next decade ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>New research suggests that there is a 90% chance that within the next decade, humanity could use a space or Earth-based telescope to spot an exploding black hole. Such a detection would change our perspective of the universe by proving the existence of "primordial black holes" born 13.8 billion years ago, a second after the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html">Big Bang.</a></p><p>Scientists have long suspected that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html">black holes</a> can explode, but that the length of time this takes increases in step with the mass of any black hole. Previous estimates have suggested that the largest possible black holes would take longer than the hypothesized lifetime of the universe to explode. Such an explosion would happen to the smallest possible black holes, at most, once every 100,000 years, according to previous theories.</p><p>However, the team behind this new study put forward a new model of the electric charge of black holes, which they call a "dark-QED toy model." This model includes a very heavy, hypothesized version of the electron, which the team has dubbed a "dark electron." If that model is correct, then a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/tiny-primordial-black-holes-created-in-the-big-bang-may-have-rapidly-grown-to-supermassive-sizes">primordial black hole</a> explosion could be witnessed once every 10 years.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_lzhZ1Kqf_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="lzhZ1Kqf"> <div id="botr_lzhZ1Kqf_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>An explosion of a primordial black hole is theorized to flood the universe with all possible particles. That would include the established particles of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/standard-model-physics">standard model of particle physics</a>, electrons, quarks, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/higgs-boson-god-particle-explained">Higgs Bosons</a>, as well as the particles beyond the standard model, such as the particles that could make up <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20930-dark-matter.html">dark matter</a>.</p><p>That means spotting such an explosion could not only reveal the existence of primordial black holes, but it could also solve a wealth of puzzles regarding particles beyond the standard model.</p><p>"We're not claiming that it's absolutely going to happen this decade, but there could be a 90% chance that it does," team member Michael Baker of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, said in a statement. "Since we already have the technology to observe these explosions, we should be ready."</p><h2 id="do-black-holes-leak-2">Do black holes 'leak'?</h2><p>Black holes come in a range of masses, and that fact is integral to the team's theory.</p><p>Perhaps the most familiar concept of black holes is the so-called stellar mass black hole, with masses between 10 and 1,000 times the mass of the sun. These black holes are born when massive stars reach the end of their <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22437-main-sequence-star.html">nuclear fuel</a> and can no longer support themselves against their own inward gravitational pull. This results in a region of spacetime with a gravitational influence so great that not even <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15830-light-speed.html">light is fast enough</a> to escape it (putting the "black" in black holes).</p><p>With masses equivalent to millions or even billions of suns, supermassive black holes are too massive to have been born from dying stars; instead, it is theorized that they are created when smaller black holes collide and merge, and a chain of progressively larger and larger mergers.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/did-primordial-black-holes-born-right-after-the-big-bang-help-our-universes-1st-stars-form">Primordial black holes</a>, meanwhile, are theorized to be much more diminutive than even stellar mass black holes, with masses predicted to be anywhere from that of giant planets down to average-sized <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html">asteroids</a>. Primordial black holes are theorized to have been created not from stars but as a result of initial density fluctuations in the universe moments after the Big Bang.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:480px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="nWqx8YMPoH9NPFpqDt3dFF" name="Andrea Thamm - PrimordialBlackHoles_GIF (1)" alt="red orbs with black centers swirl on a black background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nWqx8YMPoH9NPFpqDt3dFF.gif" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="480" height="270" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An animation of primordial black holes in the early universe. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The concept of exploding black holes originated in 1974 when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/what-were-stephen-hawkings-greatest-contributions-to-science">Stephen Hawking</a>, the British physicist and science communicator, suggested that black holes "leak" a type of thermal radiation that would later be dubbed "Hawking radiation."</p><p>The emission of Hawking radiation would cause the black hole to gradually evaporate, with this process ending with an explosion. The temperature of this radiation depends on the mass of the black hole emitting it, but this is an inverse relationship; the bigger the black hole mass, the lower the "Hawking temperature." That would also mean that smaller black holes are much hotter than the space around them, meaning they radiate Hawking radiation much more rapidly, losing their already smaller mass more quickly than monstrously massive black holes.</p><p>And this is how scientists say we should be able to spot them. "The lighter a black hole is, the hotter it should be and the more particles it will emit. As primordial black holes evaporate, they become ever lighter, and so hotter, emitting even more radiation in a runaway process until explosion," team member and UMass Amherst researcher Andrae Thamm said. "It's that Hawking radiation that our telescopes can detect."</p><p>Therefore, astronomers <em>should </em>be able to detect primordial black holes, but if they exist, they've thus far proved elusive.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1600px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="BFAFWJtLrzJCmetR5RULJY" name="The supermassive black hole M87, which has a mass of around 2.4 billion times that of the sun, has a diameter of around 15.4 billion miles (24.8 billion kilometers).png" alt="four black orbs of different sizes on a starry background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BFAFWJtLrzJCmetR5RULJY.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1600" height="900" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A diagram showing the vast difference in mass between supermassive black holes and hypothetical primordial black holes. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Robert Lea (created with Canva))</span></figcaption></figure><p>"We know how to observe <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/sonic-black-hole-spews-hawking-radiation.html">Hawking radiation</a>," team member and UMass Amherst researcher Joaquim Iguaz Juan said. "We can see it with our current crop of telescopes, and because the only black holes that can explode today or in the near future are these primordial black holes, we know that if we see Hawking radiation, we are seeing an exploding primordial black hole."</p><p>Previously, the chance of detecting an exploding primordial black hole has been deemed infinitesimally small; however, as Iguaz Juan pointed out, "our job as physicists is to question the received assumptions, to ask better questions and come up with more precise hypotheses."</p><p>The team questioned assumptions by reconsidering what is theorized about the electric charge of black holes. Stellar mass black holes are considered to be electrically neutral, and until now, primordial black holes were theorized to be the same.</p><p>"We make a different assumption," Baker said. "We show that if a primordial black hole is formed with a small dark electric charge, then the toy model predicts that it should be temporarily stabilized before finally exploding."</p><p>That results in a primordial black hole explosion occurring on average once every 10 years rather than once every 100,000 years.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/black-holes-solar-system">A 'primordial' black hole may zoom through our solar system every decade</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/primordial-black-hole-earth-collision-probability">Primordial black holes may flood the universe. Could one hit Earth?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tiny-black-holes-big-bang-prime-dark-matter-suspects">Tiny black holes left over from the Big Bang may be prime dark matter suspects</a></p></div></div><p>The next step for the team is to get ready to make such a detection and take advantage of what they predict is a 90% chance of a primordial black hole exploding.</p><p>"This would be the first-ever direct observation of both Hawking radiation and a PBH. We would also get a definitive record of every particle that makes up everything in the universe," Iguaz Juan said. "It would completely revolutionize physics and help us rewrite the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/13320-big-bang-universe-10-steps-explainer.html">history of the universe</a>."</p><p>The team's research was published on Wednesday (Sept. 10) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1103/nwgd-g3zl" target="_blank"><u>Physical Review Letters.</u></a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/scientists-say-theres-a-90-percent-chance-we-could-spot-an-exploding-black-hole-in-the-next-decade</link>
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<![CDATA[ New research suggests that if primordial black holes exist, there is a 90% chance our telescopes could detect one exploding in the next 10 years. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Black Holes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WUC5xNYn322KvhXzUvDBJV-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Robert Lea (created with Canva)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of an exploding balck hole]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration of an exploding balck hole]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Aurora alert! Butterfly-shaped 'hole' in sun's atmosphere could spark geomagnetic storm Sept. 13-14 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A colossal butterfly-shaped coronal hole has opened in the sun's atmosphere and is currently spewing a fast-moving stream of solar wind toward Earth that could trigger a moderate geomagnetic storm and dazzling auroras this weekend.</p><p>The high-speed solar wind from this striking feature, spanning some 310,000 miles (500,000 kilometers) across, is expected to reach Earth around Sept. 14.</p><p>Space weather forecasters anticipate active to G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm conditions with a possibility of G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm levels being reached between Sept. 13 and 14, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/space-weather#:~:text=Four%2DDay%20Space%20Weather%20Forecast,of%20an%20isolated%20Strong%20flare." target="_blank"><u>U.K. Met Office</u></a>. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a slightly more <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/forecast-discussion" target="_blank"><u>cautious estimate</u></a>, anticipating peaks of only G1 conditions. But the potential for stronger activity remains if the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22215-solar-wind.html"><u>solar wind</u></a>'s embedded magnetic field lines up favorably with Earth's.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_VlwRpZAE_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="VlwRpZAE"> <div id="botr_VlwRpZAE_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Geomagnetic storms are classified <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation" target="_blank"><u>using a G-scale</u></a>, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html"><u>Auroras</u></a> occur when solar wind interacts with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earths-magnetic-field-explained"><u>Earth's magnetic field</u></a>. The charged particles from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html"><u>the sun</u></a> collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, transferring energy to them. This energy is released as light, producing the colorful displays seen in the night sky. The stronger the solar wind, the more dynamic and widespread the auroras can become.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:759px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:62.85%;"><img id="5VQEcE87S86qjWkbYFtMST" name="2_Recording2025-09-12105637-ezgif.com-crop" alt="gif animation showing the predicted arrival of the speedy solar wind from the coronal hole on Sept. 13-14, 2025." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5VQEcE87S86qjWkbYFtMST.gif" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="759" height="477" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">NOAA's WSA–Enlil solar wind model shows predicted plasma density (top) and radial velocity (bottom) across the inner solar system. The sun is at the center (yellow), Earth is green, and STEREO A is red. These forecasts help track solar wind streams and potential CME impacts. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="the-russell-mcpherron-effect-2">The Russell-McPherron effect</h2><p>This weekend's storm watch comes at an especially potent time of year for aurora hunters. Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, Earth's orientation in space makes it easier for the planet's magnetic field to connect with the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind. This seasonal boost to geomagnetic activity is known as the Russell-McPherron effect, first described in 1973 by geophysicists Christopher Russell and Robert McPherron.</p><p>During equinoxes, the sun shines directly over Earth's equator, giving both hemispheres equal day and night. At the same time, Earth's magnetic poles line up in such a way that incoming solar wind streams can connect more effectively with the magnetosphere. For most of the year, Earth's tilt causes the magnetic fields of Earth and the sun to be slightly misaligned, which helps to deflect some of the incoming charged particles. But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens. As a result, space weather disturbances, such as those from coronal holes or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/coronal-mass-ejections-cme"><u>coronal mass ejections</u></a> (CMEs), can deliver a stronger punch.</p><p>Long-term studies have shown that geomagnetic storms are roughly twice as likely during <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-is-an-equinox.html"><u>equinox</u></a> months as they are around the solstices in June and December. With the autumnal equinox coming up on Sept. 22, conditions are primed for even modest solar wind streams to produce brighter and more widespread auroras than they otherwise might.</p><a href="https://www.sidc.be/PRODEX_SIDEx/docs/Space_Weather_Forecasting_Guide_latest.pdf"><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:77.00%;"><img id="Q3pM995pS7JPHZ2TDw6qBV" name="equinoxes.jpg" alt="A bar chart showing March to have the highest average number of geomagnetically disturbed days compared to all the other months of the year." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q3pM995pS7JPHZ2TDw6qBV.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="800" height="616" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Averaged monthly number of geomagnetically disturbed days for the period 1930-2007. Geomagnetic activity appears to peak during the spring and autumn months. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/MSFC - David Hathaway.)</span></figcaption></figure></a><p>If a G2 storm does develop this weekend, auroras could be visible at mid- to high-latitudes across the Northern Hemisphere, including Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and northern parts of the U.K. In the Southern Hemisphere, auroras may light up the skies over Antarctica, with a slim chance of visibility from Tasmania and southern New Zealand, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/space-weather#:~:text=Four%2DDay%20Space%20Weather%20Forecast,of%20an%20isolated%20Strong%20flare." target="_blank"><u>Met Office</u></a>.</p><p>As always with space weather, forecasts carry uncertainty and auroras can be fickle. The true strength of this weekend’s storm depends on the solar wind's precise conditions when it reaches <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html"><u>Earth</u></a>. Still, with a butterfly-shaped coronal hole blasting our way and the equinox effect boosting aurora odds, you may still wish to keep your eyes and cameras on the sky.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-alert-butterfly-shaped-hole-in-suns-atmosphere-could-spark-geomagnetic-storm-sept-13-14</link>
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<![CDATA[ Forecasters warn of possible G2 geomagnetic storms as a colossal coronal hole sends solar wind racing our way. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:37:04 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Auroras]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ daisy.dobrijevic@space.com (Daisy Dobrijevic) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Daisy Dobrijevic ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KHMfdgRHppZ5UjuQbHYSaP-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Left: NOAA GOES. Right: Canva Pro]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[graphic showing two panel image with a the sun on the left with a large dark patch in the shape of a butterfly - the coronal hole and on the right is a ribbon of aurora dancing in the sky above snow-capped mountains.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[graphic showing two panel image with a the sun on the left with a large dark patch in the shape of a butterfly - the coronal hole and on the right is a ribbon of aurora dancing in the sky above snow-capped mountains.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Sunrise over NASA's 'quiet' supersonic X-59 jet | Space photo of the day for Sept. 12, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>On July 18, 2025, NASA's experimental X-59 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/new-york-to-los-angeles-in-3-hours-executive-order-could-make-it-possible-by-2027-reopening-the-door-for-commercial-supersonic-flight">supersonic</a> research aircraft basked in golden light on the ramp at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19528-lockheed-martin.html">Lockheed Martin</a>'s Skunk Works facility before being put through a series of ground tests.</p><h2 id="what-is-it-2">What is it?</h2><p>The X-59 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/#:~:text=NASA's%20Quesst%20mission%2C%20which%20features%20the%20one%2Dof%2Da%2Dkind,or%20faster%20than%20the%20speed%20of%20sound." target="_blank">Quesst</a> (Quiet SuperSonic Technology) is an experimental aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/quesst/nasas-new-supersonic-x-59-jet-hits-the-afterburner-photos">Skunk Works</a> for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38700-nasa-history.html">NASA</a>, designed to achieve supersonic speeds with dramatically reduced noise, transforming the traditional sonic "boom" into a softer "thump."</p><p>Despite <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/x-59-quiet-supersonic-jet-sci-fi-photos">schedule delays </a>in the early 2020s, the X-59 was delivered to NASA for flight testing in January 2025. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/nasas-x-59-quiet-supersonic-jet-rolls-out-for-its-1st-test-drive-video">Ground tests</a>, including low-speed taxiing, began in mid-July, with a maiden flight expected <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://images.nasa.gov/details/P25-056-49" target="_blank">later this year.</a></p><h2 id="where-is-it-2">Where is it?</h2><p>This photo was taken at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="3q5CtWjHkzJk94Thr8gp5Z" name="P25-056-49~large-X59" alt="A sleek plane with an open cockpit sits on a landing pad in front of a glowing orange sky with the sunrise." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3q5CtWjHkzJk94Thr8gp5Z.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The X-59 is prepared for ground testing. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Lockheed Martin Corporation/Garr)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="why-is-it-amazing-2">Why is it amazing?</h2><p>Supersonic travel has long been restricted over land due to the disruptive noise of sonic booms. The X-59's design works to avoid this issue by dampening the sound, potentially allowing for future commercial supersonic travel over populated areas.</p><p>NASA plans to conduct community overflights and gather public perception data on these quieter sonic thumps. The feedback will then be shared with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-x-59-at-sunrise/" target="_blank">inform updates</a> to noise regulations.</p><h2 id="want-to-learn-more-2">Want to learn more?</h2><p>You can read more about the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/nasas-x-59-quiet-supersonic-jet-rolls-out-for-its-1st-test-drive-video">X-59 supersonic jet</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/14438-photos-future-airplanes-nasa-21st-century-aircraft.html">NASA's airplanes. </a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/sunrise-over-nasas-quiet-supersonic-x-59-jet-space-photo-of-the-day-for-sept-12-2025</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ NASA's experimental X-59 jet is designed to fly faster than sound —but also dampen the infamous sonic "boom." ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Aerospace]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3q5CtWjHkzJk94Thr8gp5Z-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Lockheed Martin Corporation/Garr]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A sleek plane with an open cockpit sits on a landing pad in front of a glowing orange sky with the sunrise.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A sleek plane with an open cockpit sits on a landing pad in front of a glowing orange sky with the sunrise.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'I'll be damned if that's the story we write': Acting NASA Administrator Duffy vows not to lose moon race to China ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>NASA's acting administrator is pushing back against recent claims that the agency is losing ground to China in the race back to the moon.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trump-names-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-as-interim-nasa-administrator">Sean Duffy</a> addressed employees in an internal NASA town hall last week, just one day after Senate testimony suggested that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/the-race-back-to-the-moon-what-if-china-lands-its-astronauts-first">China</a> may land astronauts at the lunar south pole before the U.S. does so. "I'll be damned if that is the story that we write," Duffy said. "We are going to beat the Chinese to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html">the moon</a>. We are going to do it safely. We're going to do it fast. We're going to do it right."</p><p>Duffy's remarks were a direct response to testimony delivered at a Sept. 3 Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled "There's a Bad Moon on the Rise." During the hearing, several witnesses, including former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Mike Gold, the former acting associate administrator for NASA's Office of International and Interagency Relations, warned that<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/1116-chinas-future-space-implications-security.html"> China's lunar exploits</a> could soon surpass America's.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_ZJ7Dlqs3_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="ZJ7Dlqs3"> <div id="botr_ZJ7Dlqs3_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html">Artemis program</a> aims to return astronauts to the moon as a proving ground for future missions to Mars. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/artemis-2-humans-moon-orbit">Artemis 2</a> is the program's first crewed test flight of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasas-artemis-2-orion-spacecraft-fuels-up-and-moves-closer-to-launch">Orion spacecraft</a>, and will carry the first humans to visit the moon since the final Apollo mission in 1972.</p><p>Artemis relies on the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Artemis 2's SLS will soon complete its assembly inside the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, and is scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2026. The mission is designed as a lunar flyby, ferrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, as well as Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a free-return trajectory around the moon and back to Earth.</p><p>If NASA sticks to its current schedule, Artemis 3 will be the first mission of the program to land astronauts on the lunar surface — specifically, near the moon's south pole. NASA has slated Artemis 3 to launch sometime in 2027, but it's unclear if the agency will meet that target.</p><p>China is working on a similar timeline and is making real progress, a point that several witnesses made during the Sept. 3 Senate hearing.</p><p>"It is highly unlikely that we will land on the moon before China," Bridenstine told lawmakers. Both he and Gold expressed concern that delays in Artemis and budget uncertainty could allow China to reach the moon first and define international norms there.</p><p>"If they get there first, we will see a global realignment that will impact our economy, our tax base, our ability to innovate, and our national security in terms of diplomacy and geopolitics that will affect security and many other aspects of our daily lives," Gold said.</p><p>But Duffy struck a more confident and optimistic tone.</p><p>"NASA won't beat China to the moon," he said during the Sept. 4 town hall, quoting the previous day's testimony. "That was shade thrown on all of NASA."</p><p>Duffy told employees that the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/what-a-2nd-trump-term-could-mean-for-nasa-and-space-exploration">Trump administration</a> is fully behind Artemis, despite NASA's broader <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/science/climate-change/as-nasas-budget-shrinks-europe-doubles-down-on-earth-science-climate-change-is-the-defining-challenge-of-our-generation">budget challenges.</a> "If I bring up NASA … the President's eyes light up," Duffy said.</p><p>Trump's fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) budget request cut <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trumps-2026-budget-would-slash-nasa-funding-by-24-percent-and-its-workforce-by-nearly-one-third">NASA's budget</a> by a historic 24%, with 47% of funding to agency science programs eliminated. Congress restored those cuts to match NASA's FY 25 allocations, but those revisions have not been finalized, and it's not clear if they will be.</p><p>One program that is expected to receive full funding, however, is Artemis.</p><p>Duffy tied the Artemis program to broader national ambitions, echoing previous statements from President Trump, who said the U.S. is committed to pursuing "a manifest destiny to the stars." The phrase "manifest destiny," historically linked to 19th-century U.S. expansionism and White colonialism, has drawn criticism in the past for evoking themes of conquest rather than peaceful exploration.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2864px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:55.66%;"><img id="g7QihPkSNSQkmcm9nygStC" name="Screenshot 2025-09-03 at 11.31.20 AM" alt="Four adults in a gym work on pushups and pull-ups." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g7QihPkSNSQkmcm9nygStC.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2864" height="1594" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission complete the "Bobby and Pete Challenge," performing 100 pushups and 50 pull-ups in less than 10 minutes. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Duffy was joined on the town hall by recently appointed NASA Associate Administrator <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/moon-to-mars-veteran-amit-kshatriya-named-nasa-associate-administrator">Amit Kshatriya</a>, who used the event to lay out a sharp sense of urgency and direction.</p><p>Kshatriya said NASA must stay focused on public service, which is central to the agency and all of its activities. "We don't work for profit. We work for the people," he said. "The people have given us their treasure, and we need to make sure that we understand that obligation and what that actually means."</p><p>He said that agency leaders, himself included, are accountable for protecting the agency's missions and must be prepared to step aside if they can't deliver.</p><p>"You give me an obligation to protect the country and protect our missions and protect our assets… and we're not able to do it, then my job is to humbly say, 'I'm sorry, sir,' and give you a plan to bring somebody else," he said to Duffy.</p><p>Kshatriya told employees that NASA needs to shift its internal culture from analysis to action. "We want you to have the black pen, not the red pen," he said. "That's what this agency does. We build things. We make things."</p><p>Duffy echoed the need for speed and decisiveness, emphasizing that risk must be managed, not feared. "Sometimes we can let safety be the enemy of making progress," he said. "We have to be able to take some leaps."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="fHyapLkhJviQuNfvYfPbp5" name="1757006692.jpg" alt="Amit Kshatriya, then NASA deputy associate administrator of the Moon to Mars Program, speaks to the press during an Artemis media event in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Dec, 16, 2024." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fHyapLkhJviQuNfvYfPbp5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Amit Kshatriya during an Artemis media event in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Dec, 16, 2024. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Amid concerns from NASA's workforce over project cuts and layoffs already underway — NASA is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-losing-nearly-4-000-employees-to-trump-administrations-deferred-resignation-program">losing nearly 4,000 employees</a> to Trump's "deferred resignation program" — Duffy said that, while the agency's overall budget has decreased, the president has increased funding specifically for space exploration. "I think we have enough money to accomplish our mission," he said, referring to Artemis. "If we don't, I'll ask for more."</p><p>He also stressed that costs must come down. "At $4 billion a launch, it becomes very challenging to have a moon program," Duffy said, citing the current price per SLS mission.</p><p>Kshatriya said that everything NASA does must directly support Artemis, Mars, or science that enables human exploration. "If what you're doing doesn't help us get to the moon or beyond," he said, "stop doing it."</p><p>He expanded on that a bit, saying that other projects contribute to NASA as a whole, and therefore still serve to lift up Artemis. "Even though you might not be directly connected to the mission because of the work you enable, you help the agency be more efficient. You help the agency be more successful. You are connected to the mission as well," Kshatriya said.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/the-race-back-to-the-moon-what-if-china-lands-its-astronauts-first">The race back to the moon: What if China lands its astronauts first?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/you-could-help-nasa-track-its-artemis-2-astronauts-trip-around-the-moon-in-2026"> You could help NASA track its Artemis 2 astronauts' trip around the moon in 2026</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/us-in-real-danger-of-losing-the-moon-race-to-china-experts-tell-senate">US in real danger of losing the moon race to China, experts tell Senate</a></p></div></div><p>Duffy said that NASA needs everyone still on board to bring their full effort. "We need all of you. We need this team, this intelligence, this drive," and he acknowledged that the agency has fallen behind in some respects. "We have burned time, and that means now we are under pressure," he said.</p><p>"We are not going to let this storied history of NASA be written that we lost the second space race," Duffy told employees.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/ill-be-damned-if-thats-the-story-we-write-acting-nasa-administrator-duffy-vows-not-to-lose-moon-race-to-china</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy pushed back against recent claims that the agency is losing ground to China in the race back to the moon, promising the Artemis program will get astronauts there first, in a closed NASA town hall. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ jdinner@space.com (Josh Dinner) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Josh Dinner ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3rSGifSfbks25MTRBF7kjK-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Bill Ingalls]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A man in a suit sit looks to the right in front of the bottom half of a nasa meatball logo.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A man in a suit sit looks to the right in front of the bottom half of a nasa meatball logo.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX launches powerful satellite to orbit for Indonesian telecom company (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_LNGtKnRz_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="LNGtKnRz"> <div id="botr_LNGtKnRz_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>SpaceX continued its busy 2025 tonight (Sept. 11), sending a satellite high above Earth for an Indonesian telecom company.</p><p>A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html">Falcon 9</a> rocket carrying the Nusantara Lima satellite lifted off from Florida's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33926-cape-canaveral.html">Cape Canaveral Space Force Station</a> today at 9:56 p.m. EDT (0156 GMT on Sept. 12)<strong>, </strong>after being grounded for three days by bad weather.</p><p>The rocket's first stage returned to Earth as planned about 8.5 minutes later, touching down on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a> drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ky4HZVjaPmJVWffiWTmaKN" name="spacex_falcon-9-nusantara-lima-landing" alt="the first stage of a rocket is seen in silhouette, backlit by the lights on a sea-based droneship" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ky4HZVjaPmJVWffiWTmaKN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen in silhouette, backlit by the lights on the ocean-based droneship that supported its landing on Sept. 11, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>It was the 23rd launch and landing for this particular booster (which is known by the designation 1078), according to a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/nusantaralima" target="_blank">SpaceX mission description</a>. That's seven short of the company's reflight record, which was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-starlink-satellites-on-record-breaking-30th-flight">set late last month</a> on a launch of SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html">Starlink</a> internet satellites.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Previous Booster 1078 launches</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-6-mission-launches-to-space-station"><strong>Crew-6</strong></a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launch-2-mpower-communication-satellites-from-florida"><strong>SES O3b mPOWER-B</strong></a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-space-force-ussf-124-mission-launch"><strong>USSF-124</strong></a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-ast-spacemobile-bluebird-launch-september-2024"><strong>Bluebird 1-5</strong></a> | <strong>18 Starlink missions</strong></p></div></div><p>The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying Nusantara Lima skyward. The satellite was deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit on schedule, 27.5 minutes after liftoff.</p><p>The satellite, which was built by Boeing, will set up shop in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/29222-geosynchronous-orbit.html">geosynchronous orbit</a> (GEO), 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth. Orbital speed matches Earth's rotational speed at that altitude, allowing spacecraft to "hover" over one patch of the planet. GEO is therefore a popular orbit for communications, weather and reconnaissance spacecraft.</p><p>Nusantara Lima is expected to start work in 2026 after completing a series of checkouts. PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), Indonesia's first satellite-based private telecom company, will use the spacecraft to beam service to customers across Indonesia's 17,000 islands, as well as in neighboring countries.</p><p>"Indonesia was one of the first nations to adopt satellite communications to connect its citizens, and Nusantara Lima continues that legacy," Adi Rahman Adiwoso, CEO of PSN Group, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=131573" target="_blank">Boeing statement last month</a>.</p><p>"This satellite will empower communities, schools, and businesses that have never had reliable access before," Adiwoso added. Nusantara Lima, "with the capacity of more than 160 Gbps, will strengthen our capability to provide national capacity for our nation[al] needs. Our partnership with Boeing and our global technology partners is about making sure no one is left behind as Indonesia grows."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ZWnj8twFR7wpBBCRQ9yfZV" name="spacex-nusantara-lima-deploy" alt="a satellite (lower left of center) is seen after deployment in the light of an orbital sunrise" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZWnj8twFR7wpBBCRQ9yfZV.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Nusantara Lima satellite is seen after its deployment in the light of an orbital sunrise on Sept. 11, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-10-25-b1067-ccsfs-asog">SpaceX rocket sets reuse record on 500th Falcon 9 launch</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-psn-satria-indonesian-satellite-launch">SpaceX launches SATRIA-1 communications satellite for Indonesia, lands rocket at sea (video)</a></p></div></div><p>Tonight's launch was the 114th Falcon 9 mission of 2025. More than 70% of these flights have been dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit">low Earth orbit</a>, which consists of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://planet4589.org/space/con/star/stats.html" target="_blank">more than 8,300</a> operational satellites and is growing all the time.</p><p>SpaceX has also launched four other missions so far this year. They were test flights of its next-generation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html">Starship</a> megarocket, which the company is developing to help humanity settle Mars, among other goals. The most recent Starship launch <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-launches-starship-flight-10-critical-test-flight-video">occurred on Aug. 26</a> and was a complete success, according to SpaceX.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-powerful-satellite-to-orbit-for-indonesian-telecom-company</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX launched a mission for an Indonesian telecom company tonight (Sept. 11), sending the Nusantara Lima satellite to orbit from Florida's Space Coast. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2025 02:32:37 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ESXTGA8553qcf5UTfhd3DS-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a camera mounted on a nearby tower captures the head-on view of a rocket as it begins to lift off the launch pad into the night sky.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a camera mounted on a nearby tower captures the head-on view of a rocket as it begins to lift off the launch pad into the night sky.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Astronomers finally find elusive, dust-shrouded supermassive black holes at ‘Cosmic Dawn’ ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Using a powerful combination of the Subaru Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered seven supermassive black hole-powered quasars surrounded by veils of dust that existed when the universe was less than a billion years old.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/supermassive-black-hole">Supermassive black holes</a> consuming vast amounts of matter and shining as bright <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17262-quasar-definition.html">quasars</a> while being hidden in thick clouds of dust have long been suspected to exist at an early period in the 13.8 billion-year-old cosmos called "Cosmic Dawn," but have proved frustratingly elusive.</p><p>This is the first detection of hidden but bright quasars in the early universe. It indicates that quasars could actually be twice as common at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/41550-breaking-of-the-cosmic-dawn.html">Cosmic Dawn</a> as previously suspected, researchers said.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_mUTJHnB8_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="mUTJHnB8"> <div id="botr_mUTJHnB8_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"This discovery was only possible with the unique combination of two powerful telescopes," team leader Yoshiki Matsuoka of Ehime University in Japan <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://subarutelescope.org/en/news/topics/2025/09/08/3593.html" target="_blank">said in a statement.</a></p><p>"The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32285-subaru-telescope-photo-tour-hawaii.html">Subaru Telescope</a>’s wide and sensitive survey allowed us to spot rare, luminous galaxies, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">JWST</a> was able to catch the faint infrared light from the hidden quasars," Matsuoka added. "This shows how effective the approach of 'discover with Subaru Telescope, explore with JWST' can be."</p><h2 id="quasars-at-cosmic-dawn-2">Quasars at Cosmic Dawn</h2><p>Supermassive black holes with masses millions or billions of times that of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">the sun</a> sit at the heart of all galaxies in the modern universe. Not all of these <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html">black holes</a> are equal, however. Some, like the supermassive black hole at the heart of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19915-milky-way-galaxy.html">Milky Way</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/sagittarius-a">Sagittarius A*</a> (Sgr A*), are quiet because they are not feeding on matter surrounding them.</p><p>Others are greedily consuming matter that surrounds them in a flattened, swirling cloud called an accretion disk. The immense gravity of these black holes causes tidal forces in this material that generate intense friction, heating gas and dust in the disk to temperatures as great as millions of degrees. Meanwhile, matter in the disk is channeled to the poles of the supermassive black hole by powerful magnetic fields, from where it is blasted out as near-light-speed jets.</p><p>Both of these processes radiate vast amounts of energy across the<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-is-the-electromagnetic-spectrum"> electromagnetic spectrum</a> that appear to astronomers from great distances as quasars.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Wak2kpPQjCm8AVUBW2eEB4" name="STScI-01FMN264HYQDPA4QV6T8T17G98.jpg" alt="illustration of a black hole, shown as a small black sphere surrounded by a yellow-orange disk of gas and blasting out a whitish-purple jet" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Wak2kpPQjCm8AVUBW2eEB4.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An artist's impression of the central engine of a quasar — the accretion disk around a supermassive black hole, and the jet of particles being blasted out at nearly the speed of light. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Joseph Olmsted (STScI))</span></figcaption></figure><p>Considering how extreme and violent quasars are, it is no surprise that these supermassive black holes are thought to have played a vital role in shaping galaxies, and thus in the evolution of the universe. Yet there is still some mystery surrounding the formation of early supermassive black holes before <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/52-the-expanding-universe-from-the-big-bang-to-today.html">the universe</a> was a billion years old.</p><p>Thus, astronomers have been diligently hunting for quasars that existed during Cosmic Dawn, a period lasting from around 50 million to one billion years after the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html">Big Bang</a>, when the first stars and galaxies are believed to have formed. If there were a large population of supermassive black holes at this time, scientists reason that they must have formed frequently and widely, as a result of the death of the first-generation stars, just as stellar-mass black holes form today.</p><p>However, if the number of supermassive black holes was low at Cosmic Dawn, researchers theorize that these cosmic titans formed only in special circumstances, possibly from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomers-find-first-evidence-of-heavy-black-hole-seeds-early-universe">direct collapse </a>of vast clouds of gas and dust.</p><p>The brightness of quasars should make these supermassive black holes pretty conspicuous even at vast distances, and indeed, the team behind the new research used the Subaru Telescope to discover over 200 quasars. There's a hitch, however: Quasars are usually spotted by their ultraviolet emissions, but cosmic dust is a very good absorber of this type of radiation.</p><p>That means that emissions from heavily shrouded quasars may fail to reach us, which would then mean that the quasars we detect are only a fraction of the feeding supermassive black holes that existed at Cosmic Dawn.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1300px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:48.62%;"><img id="PZZRJaEcXxRwqpm63PBSGE" name="fig3e-20250908-topics" alt="A diagram illustrating how light from dust-shrouded quasars can reach Earth" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PZZRJaEcXxRwqpm63PBSGE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1300" height="632" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A diagram illustrating how light from dust-shrouded quasars can reach Earth </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Yoshiki Matsuoka/NAOJ)</span></figcaption></figure><p>To potentially uncover these hidden quasars, this team turned to a survey conducted with the Hyper Suprime-Cam instrument on the Subaru Telescope (HSC-SSP), looking for very bright galaxies that show signs of high-energy emissions but lack the telltale fingerprints of quasars.</p><p>With JWST, they could examine these galaxies in infrared, which left those galaxies as visible light (but was then stretched to longer wavelengths), enabling them to peer through the ultraviolet light-absorbing dust clouds. Using its Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), JWST studied 11 of the most luminous galaxies surveyed by the Subaru Telescope between July 2023 and October 2024.</p><p>Seven of these galaxies showed clear signs of a quasar, confirming the first dust-obscured luminous quasars discovered at Cosmic Dawn.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1299px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:73.29%;"><img id="67vKqd9YRPKmgjwHY9qap" name="quasars at cosmic dawn" alt="The 11 galaxies studied by JWST, sevem of which showed the telltale signs of a dust-shrouded quasar." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/67vKqd9YRPKmgjwHY9qap.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1299" height="952" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The 11 galaxies studied by JWST, sevem of which showed the telltale signs of a dust-shrouded quasar. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Yoshiki Matsuoka/NAOJ/NASA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Examining the light or "spectra" from these galaxies, the team determined that the quasars are emitting energy equivalent to several trillion suns and are powered by feeding supermassive black holes with masses billions of times <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42649-solar-mass.html">that of our star</a>. These characteristics resemble those of unshrouded quasars previously detected at Cosmic Dawn.</p><p>The researchers also discovered that the dust surrounding these quasars absorbs around 99.9% of the ultraviolet light they emit and 70% of the visible light they emit. Thus, it is little wonder these cosmic titans have remained so effectively hidden.</p><p>The number of quasars over the region of space examined by the team indicate that the population of shrouded quasars is similar to that of unhidden quasars. Thus, the team calculates the population of quasars at Cosmic Dawn to be around double what was previously estimated.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — A complete guide</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-see-the-1st-stars-dispel-darkness-13-billion-years-ago-at-cosmic-dawn">Astronomers see the 1st stars dispel darkness 13 billion years ago at 'Cosmic Dawn'</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/this-star-escaped-a-supermassive-black-holes-violent-grips-then-returned-for-round-2">This star escaped a supermassive black hole's violent grips — then returned for round 2</a></p></div></div><p>The team now intends to further study these obscured quasars to determine why their environments are so different from those of unshrouded quasars. They also intend to hunt for more shrouded black holes in a wider sample of galaxies that existed in early epochs of the cosmos.</p><p>Such work has the potential to reveal the full population of supermassive black holes at Cosmic Dawn, researchers say.</p><p>The team's research was published in the July edition of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/addf4e" target="_blank">The Astrophysical Journal</a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-finally-find-elusive-dust-shrouded-supermassive-black-holes-at-cosmic-dawn</link>
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<![CDATA[ Using the James Webb Space Telescope and the Subaru Telescope in powerful tandem, scientists have discovered the first shrouded supermassive black holes at Cosmic Dawn. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VAHZmWVf7yNpPrS9LHgsNM-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Denys/ Robert Lea (created with Canva)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[(Main) An illustration of a supermassive black hole powered quasar shrouded by dust. (Inset left) An illustration of the JWST (Inset right) An image of the Subaru telescope]]></media:text>
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<title><![CDATA[ 108 million degrees! Solar flares are far hotter than thought, study suggests ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Our sun's fiery flares are even more extreme than scientists had thought, blasting particles to temperatures six times hotter than earlier estimates, according to new research.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-flares-effects-classification-formation">Solar flares</a> are colossal explosions in the sun's atmosphere that hurl out bursts of powerful radiation. These events are notorious for disrupting satellites, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/strongest-solar-flare-of-2025-erupts-from-sun-sparking-radio-blackouts-europe-asia-middle-east">scrambling radio signals</a> and potentially posing dangers to astronauts in space.</p><p>Now, a team led by Alexander Russell of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland reports that particles in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17160-sun-atmosphere.html">the sun's atmosphere</a> heated up by flares can reach a staggering 60 million degrees Celsius (108 million degrees Fahrenheit) — tens of millions higher than earlier predictions, which typically put such temperatures between 10 million and 40 million degrees Celsius (18 million to 72 million degrees Fahrenheit).</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_wbSW3wmb_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="wbSW3wmb"> <div id="botr_wbSW3wmb_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"This appears to be a universal law," Russell said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/solar-flares-over-6-times-hotter-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank">statement</a>. The effect has already been observed in near-Earth space, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22215-solar-wind.html">solar wind</a> and in simulations, he added, but until now, "nobody had previously connected work in those fields to solar flares."</p><p>Since the 1970s, astronomers have been puzzled by a strange feature in the light from solar flares. When split into colors using powerful telescopes, the telltale "spectral lines" of different elements look much broader, or blurrier, than theory predicts.</p><p>For decades, scientists chalked this up to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/stars/twinkling-star-reveals-the-secrets-of-turbulent-plasma-in-our-cosmic-neighborhood">turbulence</a> known to occur in the sun's plasma. Like the chaotic bubbling of boiling water, the swift, random motions of charged particles in plasma can, in theory, shift light in different directions as they move. But the evidence never fully matched up, the new study notes. Sometimes the broadening appeared before turbulence could form, and in many cases the shapes of the lines were too symmetrical to match turbulent flows, according to the paper.</p><p>In their new study, Russell and his team suggest a simpler explanation: the solar particles affected by flares are simply far hotter than previously thought.</p><p>Using experiments and simulations of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-flares-explode-from-magnetic-reconnection">magnetic reconnection</a> — the snapping and realignment of magnetic field lines that powers flares — the researchers found that, while electrons may reach 10 million to 15 million degrees C (18 million to 27 million degrees C), ions can soar past 60 million degrees C (108 million degrees F). Because it takes minutes for electrons and ions (which are atoms or molecules with an electrical charge) to share their heat, this temperature gap lasts long enough to shape the behavior of flares, according to the study.</p><p>At such extreme temperatures, ions zip around so quickly that their motion naturally makes the spectral lines look wider, "potentially solving an astrophysics mystery that has stood for nearly half a century," Russell said in the statement.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-flares-effects-classification-formation"> Solar flares: What are they and how do they affect Earth?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/strongest-solar-flare-of-2025-erupts-from-sun-sparking-radio-blackouts-europe-asia-middle-east">Strongest solar flare of 2025 erupts from sun, sparking radio blackouts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">Earth's sun: Facts about the sun's age, size and history</a></p></div></div><p>The finds are not merely an academic exercise; they also carry implications for predicting <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-weather">space weather</a>. If scientists have been underestimating the energy stored in flare ions, forecasts of space weather may need to be revised. Improved models could give <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html">satellite</a> operators, airlines and space agencies more accurate information and extra time to prepare for dangerous solar events, scientists say.</p><p>The research also calls for a new generation of solar models, ones that treat ions and electrons separately instead of assuming a single uniform temperature. This "multi-temperature" approach is already common in other plasma environments, such as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earths-magnetic-field-explained">Earth's magnetic field</a>, but has rarely been applied to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">the sun</a>, the study notes.</p><p>This research is described in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf74a" target="_blank">paper</a> published earlier this month in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/108-million-degrees-solar-flares-are-far-hotter-than-thought-study-suggests</link>
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<![CDATA[ New research shows that solar flares are six times hotter than thought and calls for updated sun models that could improve space weather forecasting. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[The Sun]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sharmila Kuthunur ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x6qxef9aMZp8vefmgSfbRW-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center GOES 19 satellite.]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a close up view of the sun erupting with an x class solar flare over the left limb. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a close up view of the sun erupting with an x class solar flare over the left limb. ]]></media:title>
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<media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x6qxef9aMZp8vefmgSfbRW-1280-80.jpg" />
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<title><![CDATA[ ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 winners unveiled — and the photos are truly exquisite ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2256px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.76%;"><img id="qSHmU3fdo2ZRmGWy4PASJ3" name="Comet 12PPons-Brooks Taking a Final Bow © Dan Bartlett" alt="a wisp of blue and white light on a starry background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qSHmU3fdo2ZRmGWy4PASJ3.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2256" height="1506" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">One of the winners of the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Comet 12P/Pons−Brooks Taking a Final Bow © Dan Bartlett )</span></figcaption></figure><p>The winners of the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award have been revealed, showcasing a spectacular selection of night sky images that reveal the majesty of ancient galaxies, nebulas, stellar cities and of course, Earth's moon.</p><p>Astrophotographers from across the globe submitted over 5,800 entries in the various categories for the 17th annual competition hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in conjunction with astronomy camera manufacturer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/zwo-seestar-s50-smart-telescope-review">ZWO</a>. The results of the contest, as judged by an international panel of experts, were announced in a livestreamed ceremony on Sept. 11.</p><p>The overall winner — a spectacular portrait of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15590-andromeda-galaxy-m31.html">Andromeda Galaxy</a> by photographers Weitang Liang, Qi Yang and Chuhong Yu — is set to be displayed in a special exhibit at the National Maritime Museum in the U.K. from Sept. 12, along with the victors of each category.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"Once again, ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year offers up some of the best astrophotography in the world," said Dr. Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory who acted as one of the judges for the 2025 competition. "This year I believe we're particularly strong on images which ask the observer to really think about what they're looking at and investigate just how the astrophotographer has achieved those particular results, this proved true for the judges as well!"</p><p>Read on to see the winners from each category of the 17th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award, including a spectacular example of orbital astrophotography courtesy of NASA astronaut Don Pettit.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-auroras-crown-of-light-by-kavan-chay"><span>Auroras — Crown of Light by Kavan Chay</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:53.55%;"><img id="sDQCyyPumyiY9z8P9Cf92G" name="Crown of Light © Kavan Chay" alt="Bright red, green and yellow aurora are pictured swirling through the starry sky above a rocky bay leading out to the ocean. The surface of the water appears misty, and a spindly rocky formation is positioned in the middle of the image, appearing to reach up towards the aurora." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sDQCyyPumyiY9z8P9Cf92G.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1071" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Kavan Chay captured auroras brightening the sky during a geomagnetic storm above New Zealand. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Crown of Light © Kavan Chay)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Photographer Kavan Chay took this spectacular image of a red, green and yellow <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html">aurora</a> dancing through the starry sky above Tumbledown Bay in New Zealand on May 10, 2024 during a category G5 geomagnetic storm. The foreground and aurora were captured over the course of separate nights using a Nikon Z 7 astro-modified camera.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-our-moon-the-trace-of-refraction-by-marcella-giulia-pace"><span>Our moon — The Trace of Refraction by Marcella Giulia Pace</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:123.17%;"><img id="8EXSzT5TsEng8feBeUrqRY" name="The Trace of Refraction © Marcella Giulia Pace" alt="Many arcs of ochre light are pictured stacked next to each other against a deeper sky of graduating reds and oranges, with bluer shades present near the bottom of the image." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8EXSzT5TsEng8feBeUrqRY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1200" height="1478" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The reflected light of the moon captured in the sky over Sicily. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: The Trace of Refraction © Marcella Giulia Pace)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Marcella Giulia Pace captured the light of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html">the moon</a> as it was scattered and refracted by Earth's atmosphere above the Italian island of Sicily on Apr. 7, 2024. The hues seen in the image occur as a result of Rayleigh scattering, wherein our atmosphere deflects the shorter, bluer wavelengths of reflected light, while allowing longer wavelengths to travel through relatively unhindered.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-our-sun-active-region-of-the-sun-s-chromosphere-by-james-sinclair"><span>Our sun — Active Region of the sun's Chromosphere by James Sinclair</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:130.89%;"><img id="nubQLx6yiGJ9kzuDK8WdKj" name="Active Region of the Sun's Chromosphere © James Sinclair" alt="A chunk of the atmosphere is shown in shades of red and orange swirls centered around a darker feature near the center of the image." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nubQLx6yiGJ9kzuDK8WdKj.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="2513" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The sun's chromosphere is seen swirling in an image captured in September 2024. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Active Region of the Sun's Chromosphere © James Sinclair)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This breathtaking image from James Sinclair gives us a detailed view of a section of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17160-sun-atmosphere.html">the sun's atmosphere</a> known as the chromosphere — a chaotic region where hydrogen and helium plasma is molded and reshaped by our star's ever-shifting magnetic field. The image is the result of a 10-second exposure taken with a Lunt 130 mm telescope in conjunction with a Player One Astronomy camera.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-people-space-iss-lunar-flyby-by-tom-williams"><span>People & Space — ISS Lunar Flyby by Tom Williams</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:52.00%;"><img id="Uk8ySHvNCxqVbfR8TNsVU3" name="ISS Lunar Flyby © Tom Williams" alt="an H-shaped space station shown against a black sky with the cratered form of the moon visible to its right." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Uk8ySHvNCxqVbfR8TNsVU3.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="5000" height="2600" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The ISS caught in close proximity to the moon in Earth's sky from Wiltshire, UK. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ISS Lunar Flyby © Tom Williams)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Tom Williams took this snapshot of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html">International Space Station</a> as it passed close to the cratered surface of Earth's moon on Oct. 27 last year using a Sky Watcher 400P GoTo Dobsonian telescope with an astronomy camera on a 1.5-millisecond exposure.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-planets-comets-asteroids-comet-12p-pons-brooks-taking-a-final-bow-by-dan-bartlett"><span>Planets, comets & asteroids — Comet 12P/Pons−Brooks Taking a Final Bow by Dan Bartlett</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2256px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.76%;"><img id="dkDtwveFbb75jzGVKdHMkA" name="Comet 12PPons-Brooks Taking a Final Bow © Dan Bartlett" alt="A bright comet is pictured with long tails streaming from a bright coma against a dark star-studded sky" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dkDtwveFbb75jzGVKdHMkA.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2256" height="1506" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Comet 12P/Pons−Brooks captured in the skies over June Lake, California on March 31, 2024. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Comet 12P/Pons−Brooks Taking a Final Bow © Dan Bartlett)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This shot of the wandering <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/horned-comet-12p-pons-brooks-photos">comet 12P/Pons-Brooks</a> was taken in early 2024 around the solar maximum by Dan Bartlett, who was able to capture spectacular structural detail in the trail of the wandering solar system body.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-skyscapes-the-ridge-by-tom-rae"><span>Skyscapes — The Ridge by Tom Rae </span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:80.11%;"><img id="MJqw5SWjwDevSarbytRUXG" name="The Ridge © Tom Rae" alt="The glowing band of the Milky Way is pictured streaming in an arc across the night sky above a pair of meandering streams threading through a rocky landscape." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MJqw5SWjwDevSarbytRUXG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1800" height="1442" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Milky Way is captured streaming across the New Zealand sky in this striking panorama from Tom Rae. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: The Ridge © Tom Rae)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Tom Rae took this gorgeous panorama of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19915-milky-way-galaxy.html">Milky Way</a> forming a galactic arch in the star-studded sky above glacial rivers in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand on April 8, 2024. The image is comprised of a staggering 62 images totaling over a billion pixels.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-stars-nebulas-m13-an-ultra-deep-exposure-of-the-popular-cluster-by-distant-luminosity"><span>Stars & Nebulas — M13: An Ultra-Deep Exposure of the Popular Cluster by Distant Luminosity </span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5914px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:65.89%;"><img id="SFgnFVLMfoL6Sj5NyPY6EQ" name="M13 An Ultra-Deep Exposure of the Popular Cluster © Distant Luminosity" alt="A dense cluster of stars is pictured at the centre of an image against a dark sky studded with multi coloured stellar bodies." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SFgnFVLMfoL6Sj5NyPY6EQ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="5914" height="3897" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Great Hercules Star Cluster. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: M13: An Ultra-Deep Exposure of the Popular Cluster © Distant Luminosity Julian Zoller, Jan Beckmann, Lukas Eisert, Wolfgang Hummel )</span></figcaption></figure><p>Julian Zoller, Jan Beckmann, Lukas Eisert and Wolfgang Hummel took aim at the Great Hercules Cluster of stars located some 22,200 light-years from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> in the constellation Hercules. Over 29 hours of exposure time was needed to capture the teeming city of stars using a ZWO ASI2600MM Pro camera mounted on a 200 mm Newtonian telescope.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-the-sir-patrick-moore-prize-for-best-newcomer-encounter-across-light-years-by-yurui-gong-xizhen-ruan"><span>The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer — Encounter Across Light Years by Yurui Gong, Xizhen Ruan</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4121px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:64.98%;"><img id="24956YZDF7xKVEUa2kpvyg" name="Encounter Across Light Years © Yurui Gong, Xizhen Ruan" alt="A bright meteor is pictured streaking through the sky next to the Andromeda spiral galaxy." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/24956YZDF7xKVEUa2kpvyg.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="4121" height="2678" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A Perseid meteor is seen streaking through the skies above Zhucheng City, China. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Encounter Across Light Years © Yurui Gong, Xizhen Ruan)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This surprise shot of a bright <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32868-perseid-meteor-shower-guide.html">Perseid meteor</a> captured streaking through the patch of sky containing the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) was captured by Yurui Gong and Xizhen Ruan using a Nikon Z 30 camera on Aug. 12, 2024, as the shower hit its peak.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-zwo-young-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-orion-the-horsehead-and-the-flame-in-h-alpha-by-daniele-borsari"><span>ZWO Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year — Orion, the Horsehead and the Flame in H-alpha by Daniele Borsari</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4464px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:72.45%;"><img id="Pohd6BVrBkEaPYDpTjVc4K" name="Orion, the Horsehead and the Flame in H-alpha © Daniele Borsari" alt="A swirling mass of gas and dust on a starry background is rendered in monochrome" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pohd6BVrBkEaPYDpTjVc4K.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="4464" height="3234" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Horsehead and Orion nebulas captured using a H-alpha filter. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Orion, the Horsehead and the Flame in H-alpha © Daniele Borsari)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Daniele Borsari created this monochrome view of the famous Horsehead and Orion nebulas from over 22 hours of observations made from Italy over the course of several nights in January and February earlier this year.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-annie-maunder-open-category-fourth-dimension-by-leonardo-di-maggio"><span>Annie Maunder Open Category — Fourth Dimension by Leonardo Di Maggio</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3651px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:125.01%;"><img id="KXmRYMMyPvf2YsxXCpcTSj" name="Fourth Dimension © Leonardo Di Maggio" alt="Geometric patterns converge to form a strange monochrome vista featuring overlapping diffraction-spike like objects." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KXmRYMMyPvf2YsxXCpcTSj.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="3651" height="4564" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A visually intriguing effect created by combining gravitational lensing data with the geometric pattern found in a meteorite. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Fourth Dimension © Leonardo Di Maggio)</span></figcaption></figure><p>For this image, Leonardo Di Maggio combined an image she took of a geometric pattern contained in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42636-meteorites.html">meteorite</a> with gravitational lensing deep space observation data captured by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">James Webb Space Telescope</a> to create the impression of a fourth dimension or alien city with a monochrome aesthetic.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-overall-winner-galaxies-the-andromeda-core-by-weitang-liang-qi-yang-chuhong-yu"><span>Overall winner: Galaxies — The Andromeda Core by Weitang Liang, Qi Yang, Chuhong Yu</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:6366px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:150.17%;"><img id="N8b3rwF5w7spS58F4RBbV7" name="The Andromeda Core © Weitang Liang, Qi Yang, Chuhong Yu" alt="A detailed image of the Andromeda spiral galaxy hanging against the blackness of space Wispy arms can be seen surrounding a bright central core." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N8b3rwF5w7spS58F4RBbV7.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="6366" height="9560" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">This image of the Andromeda galaxy was captured over the course of 39 hours over multiple nights in 2024. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: The Andromeda Core © Weitang Liang, Qi Yang, Chuhong Yu)</span></figcaption></figure><p>This magnificent image portrait of the Andromeda Galaxy by Weitang Liang, Qi Yang and Chuhong Yu is the overall winner of the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award and features a shockingly detailed view of the Milky Way's closest neighbor.</p><p>"Not to show it all − this is one of the greatest virtues of this photo," explained László Francsics, an astrophotographer who helped judge this year's competition. "The Andromeda Galaxy has been photographed in so many different ways and so many times with telescopes that it is hard to imagine a new photo would ever add to what we've already seen. But this does just that, an unusual dynamic composition with unprecedented detail that doesn’t obscure the overall scene."</p><p>The image reveals the complex structure present in the heart of the spiral galaxy, which was captured over the course of 38 hours from the AstroCamp Observatory in Spain using an impressive 20-inch aperture telescope fitted with a range of filters.</p><p>"We are excited to be awarded and never expected to be the Overall Winner," said Liang, Yang and Yu in a press release announcing the winners. "Thanks to ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year, we have the opportunity to bring our work and the splendor of the universe to everybody."</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-special-feature-earth-from-orbit-by-don-pettit"><span>Special Feature — Earth From Orbit by Don Pettit</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:8256px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.67%;"><img id="ki9h75WqXFYqMzk6xrwpTG" name="Earth From Orbit © Don Pettit.JPG" alt="Earth pictured from space by astronaut Don Pettit. The lights on the planet's surface are blurred by its axial motion, while the stars beyond are pin-sharp against the blackness of space. The atmosphere is shown as a blown out white curve, with a nebulous red haze beyond it." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ki9h75WqXFYqMzk6xrwpTG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="8256" height="5504" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An image of Earth and the stars beyond as captured by astronaut Don Pettit during Expedition 72. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Earth From Orbit © Don Pettit )</span></figcaption></figure><p>This image of Earth taken from the International Space Station was captured by astronaut and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronaut-captures-green-auroras-dancing-over-city-lights-video">renown orbital photographer Don Pettit</a> in March 2025, as he served as part of the Expedition 72 crew. Pettit was able to capture the stars as fixed points by using a homemade sidereal star tracker that accounted for the motion of the ISS, while allowing Earth to blur as it spun on its axis down below.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. </em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/auroras-galaxies-and-the-moon-12-incredible-cosmic-photos-that-won-2025-top-astrophotography-awards</link>
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<![CDATA[ These breathtaking photographs are the winning entries of the 2025 ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Awards. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:54:37 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astrophotography]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bjbPpKho9gAM3Peztdebzj-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Comet 12P/Pons−Brooks Taking a Final Bow © Dan Bartlett ]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a blue and white wisp of light on a starry background]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a blue and white wisp of light on a starry background]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope studies a 'failed star' named 'The Accident' to solve an old mystery of Jupiter and Saturn ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have investigated a "failed star," or brown dwarf, nicknamed "The Accident." Their results may help solve a long-standing mystery surrounding the solar system's gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/23798-brown-dwarfs.html">Brown dwarfs </a>get their unfortunate label of "failed stars" due to the fact that they form from collapsing clouds of gas and dust like stars, but they fail to gather enough matter to achieve the mass needed to trigger the nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium in their cores, the process that defines what a star is. Brown dwarfs have masses between 13 and 80 times the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18392-how-big-is-jupiter.html">mass of Jupiter</a>, or 0.013 and 0.08 times the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42649-solar-mass.html">mass of the sun</a>.</p><p>Yet even among these strange, hard-to-classify celestial objects, The Accident, located 50 light-years from Earth and believed to be between 10 billion and 12 billion years old, stands out. It is one of the oldest brown dwarfs ever seen, and has some features that have previously only been seen in young brown dwarfs. It also exhibits characteristics that have only previously been associated with ancient failed stars. These paradoxical features led to The Accident escaping detection until it was discovered by chance in 2020 by NASA's now-retired Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33659-wise-space-telescope.html">NEOWISE</a>).</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_3Zigkl2Q_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="3Zigkl2Q"> <div id="botr_3Zigkl2Q_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The fact that The Accident is faint and unusual has led scientists to prioritize its study with the most powerful space telescope available, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">James Webb Space Telescope</a>. This led to the discovery of an unexpected molecule that initially defied identification, but was eventually determined to be a simple one called silane, formed when silicon and hydrogen bond.</p><p>Here's where <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html">Jupiter</a> and<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html"> Saturn come in. </a></p><p>For years, astronomers have expected to find silane in the solar system's gas giants. This molecule has also been missing around extrasolar planet, or "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17738-exoplanets.html">exoplanet</a>," gas giants around other stars, and from other brown dwarfs.</p><p>Scientists are fairly certain silicon does exist in Jupiter and Saturn, but that it "hides" by binding with oxygen to create oxides like quartz. These oxides then seed clouds on hot gas giants that resemble dust storms on Earth, while on cooler gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, they sink below the lighter upper atmospheric layers of water vapor and ammonia clouds. That results in silicon sinking deep into the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn and thus avoiding detection by spacecraft that have studied those planets up close.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1320px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="Eovf2QXcDtsnNPuPPckwgQ" name="Brown dwarf size comparison" alt="On the left, Saturn Jupiter and Earth. In the middle, brown dwarfs and on the right, stars." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Eovf2QXcDtsnNPuPPckwgQ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1320" height="742" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A size comparison between planets, brown dwarfs and the smallest stars. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)</span></figcaption></figure><p>However, even if this is the case, scientists have suggested light molecules of silicon, like silane, should be found in the upper atmospheres of gas giants and brown dwarfs.</p><p>As of now, The Accident is the first and only such object where this molecule has been identified. This could tell scientists something important about the conditions and chemistry of different worlds.</p><p>"Sometimes it's the extreme objects that help us understand what’s happening in the average ones," team leader Jacqueline Faherty, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-study-celestial-accident-sheds-light-on-jupiter-saturn-riddle/?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=NASAWebb&utm_campaign=NASASocial&linkId=858962885" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Hw4CQi44tLbuAryhJdDWQP" name="brown-dwarf-crop.jpg" alt="An artist conception of a brown dwarf body with bands of clouds in its fast changing atmosphere." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hw4CQi44tLbuAryhJdDWQP.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An artist conception of a brown dwarf body with bands of clouds in its fast-changing atmosphere. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The detection of silane around The Accident's atmosphere suggests this silicon molecule does indeed form in brown dwarfs and planetary atmospheres. However, the team thinks that when oxygen is available, it bonds with silicon at such a rapid rate that none is left to bind with hydrogen and form silane.</p><p>The team theorizes that silane is present in The Accident because during the time period in which it formed, at least 10 billion years ago, the universe was saturated with much less oxygen than in later epochs. That means silicon would have been free to bind with hydrogen and form silane.</p><p>"We weren't looking to solve a mystery about Jupiter and Saturn with these observations," Peter Eisenhardt, study team member and a project scientist at NEOWISE, said in the statement. "A brown dwarf is a ball of gas like a star, but without an internal fusion reactor; it gets cooler and cooler, with an atmosphere like that of gas giant planets. We wanted to see why this brown dwarf is so odd, but we weren't expecting silane.</p><p>"The universe continues to surprise us."</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-accident-brown-dwarf-discovery-citizen-scientist">Strange brown dwarf 'The Accident' hints at possible treasure trove of cosmic anomalies</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42790-brown-dwarfs-coolest-stars-hottest-planets.html">Brown dwarfs: The coolest stars or the hottest planets?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/brown-dwarf-binary-amateur-astronomer-discovery">Amateur astronomer spots 34 paired-off 'failed' stars in brown dwarf project</a></p></div></div><p>The research demonstrates the usefulness of brown dwarfs, which wander the galaxy in isolation, as proxies for gas giant exoplanets that can be obscured by the light from the parent stars they orbit.</p><p>Indeed, brown dwarfs could also help investigate <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/30172-six-most-earth-like-alien-planets.html">exoplanet habitability conditions</a> despite not being able to support life themselves.</p><p>"To be clear, we're not finding life on brown dwarfs," Faherty explained. "But at a high level, by studying all of this variety and complexity in planetary atmospheres, we're setting up the scientists who are one day going to have to do this kind of chemical analysis for rocky, potentially Earth-like planets.</p><p>"It might not specifically involve silicon, but they're going to get data that is complicated and confusing and doesn’t fit their models, just like we are. They’ll have to parse all those complexities if they want to answer those big questions."</p><p>The team's research was published on Sept. 4 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09369-1.epdf?sharing_token=WSNcNZ-B_Ej8dOTkcwCodtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NxgS0Qi42eFPkTwETCWhNtTn27XO0LBJQ9rKehvbRlvXA8zq7NrxSsjR_K6Nj3NQAVCr8SOL2xefc6RTA3To9HUWNgVIamgh0ESNV_-FebYH7Lbx6in2kY0XiKXtlImzM%3D" target="_blank">Nature.</a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope-studies-a-failed-star-named-the-accident-to-solve-an-old-mystery-of-jupiter-and-saturn</link>
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<![CDATA[ A study of the "failed star" brown dwarf known as "The Accident," conducted by the James Webb Space Telescope, may reveal a solution to an old mystery of Jupiter and Saturn. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XwU99JnSz9DS5iySpTygjH-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[ NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor/ NASA/ Robert Lea (created with Canva)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[(Main) an illustration of a 'failed star' brown dwarf. (Inset) an artist's impression of the JWST]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[(Main) an illustration of a 'failed star' brown dwarf. (Inset) an artist's impression of the JWST]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Sun dogs, rainbows and glories are celestial wonders – and they may appear in alien skies too ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>This article was originally published at </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation.</em></a><em> The publication contributed the article to Space.com's </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/tag/expert-voices"><em>Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights</em></a><em>. </em></p><p>Every once in a while, you may look up towards the sun and see strange bright lights on either side of it. Or perhaps you’ll be sitting in an aircraft, looking out the window at its shadow and see a circle of light, like a halo below (known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://atoptics.co.uk/blog/the-glory/" target="_blank">glories</a>). Or, if you’re really adventurous, maybe you’ll even be out on a midnight walk with a full moon lighting your way, and see what appears to be a rainbow encircling the moon.</p><p>These are all beautiful examples of atmospheric optical phenomena. And a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ade885" target="_blank">new paper</a> has suggested they may appear in alien skies too.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_W862QICx_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="W862QICx"> <div id="botr_W862QICx_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>These celestial wonders can tell us a lot about the state of the atmosphere at home on Earth as well as on other planets. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/rainbow/" target="_blank">Rainbows</a>, for instance, the most well-known of these phenomena, can only form when light passes through spherical liquid droplets, like our normal rain on Earth. Therefore, there must be spherical liquid droplets in the atmosphere where the rainbows are observed.</p><p>Most planet atmospheres have some kind of crystalline aerosols (clouds of tiny particles) in them, from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature01292" target="_blank">sodium chloride in Io</a> (one of Jupiter's moons), to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL103457" target="_blank">carbon dioxide crystals in Mars</a>. On Earth, these are generally <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JD031811" target="_blank">ice crystals</a>, often found in clouds as snowflakes. The orientation of these crystals, and how they change the light, dictates the type of optical phenomena you can see.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sun-dog" target="_blank">Sun dogs</a> are another of these phenomena, where bright lights appear on either side of the Sun, sometimes even splitting white light into the colors of the rainbow. They form because of the light being bent by horizontally oriented hexagonal ice crystals high up in the atmosphere. If you want the best chance of seeing these, you should try to be at the same latitudes as Europe or Argentina during wintertime. Look for high altitude wispy clouds that are in front of the Sun, and you might get lucky.</p><p>Horizontal ice crystals can also create <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://atoptics.co.uk/blog/light-pillars/" target="_blank">light pillars</a> in extremely cold conditions, which look like colored beams of light trailing to clouds over head. Vertical crystals form <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/parhelic-circle.html" target="_blank">parhelic circles</a> – a circle of light at the same height as the Sun. And crystals aligned with the electric fields <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPk0mKVnnCs" target="_blank">above thunderstorms</a> create <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/231258a0" target="_blank">crown flashes</a>.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zGKC1hZQSog" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>The new paper proposes that, from what we know of our own atmosphere, we can presume that similar optical phenomena happen on planets outside of our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html">solar system</a> (called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17738-exoplanets.html">exoplanets</a>). It’s just a matter of spotting them and finding out why they occur.</p><p>Previous studies have shown that on many exoplanets the crystalline aerosols in their atmospheres are moved around and oriented in a multitude of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1951ApJ...114..206D/abstract" target="_blank">different ways</a>, much like on Earth.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nsf.gov/science-matters/do-earth-exoplanets-have-magnetic-fields-far-radio" target="_blank">Magnetic fields</a> swirl around the planet, as they do on Earth, pushing and pulling along field lines. On Earth, this can be seen as the northern lights phenomena. Radiation pressure from a planet's parent star pushes the crystals using the power of light, much like how the wind pushes boats. And the wind, often much faster than anywhere on Earth, speeds around the exoplanet, rushing from the hot, star-facing side of the exoplanet to the colder space-facing side as the planet spins.</p><p>A special type of exoplanet, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://vocabs.ardc.edu.au/repository/api/lda/aas/the-unified-astronomy-thesaurus/current/resource.html?uri=http://astrothesaurus.org/uat/753">hot Jupiters</a> (so named because they’re huge, gassy and very hot) generally have incredibly fast winds (up to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://universemagazine.com/en/18000-km-h-astronomers-measure-wind-speeds-in-the-atmosphere-of-ultra-hot-jupiter/?srsltid=AfmBOopFNDFXig9_6iv54deYiVEzY6YOKek7uZXKIoiyO2-7_S6ST6mV">18,000km/h</a>) and high densities of crystalline aerosols, much like an incredibly fast-moving sandstorm.</p><p>This means that the main way that the crystals are oriented is through the superfast winds spinning around the planet. Imagine a fleet of boats all randomly turned around in a patch of ocean, then a massive gust of wind comes, turning them all so that they’re facing the same direction.</p><p>The researchers on the new paper previously used the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">James Webb Space Telescope</a> (JWST) to find evidence for tiny quartz crystals in the high altitude clouds of a hot Jupiter 1,300 light years away from Earth (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-quartz-crystals-exoplanet">WASP-17 b</a>). These crystals have an elongated shape, like boats, so are more likely to be oriented with the wind. This led them to think about what optical properties could be seen with the wind-aligned crystals.</p><p>The optical phenomena that come from the crystals being oriented the same way cannot be seen by normal cameras. But scientists can use instruments such as those on the JWST to observe these effects.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="aDbN6bFgaZeP4rZSwJnsuD" name="Halo-creative-commons" alt="A circular halo of light is seen through clouds over a large body of water" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aDbN6bFgaZeP4rZSwJnsuD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The halo phenomenon could be seen on exoplanets. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Marc-Lautenbacher via Wikimedia Commons)</span></figcaption></figure><p>We have already gained valuable information about faraway atmospheres from looking at their optical phenomena using the JWST. For example on Venus, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17480163/https://www.space.com/shining-rainbow-rings-around-sun-photos?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=Spacecom%2Fmagazine%2FAll+Stories" target="_blank">rainbows</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2014/06/aa23531-14/aa23531-14.html" target="_blank">glories</a> have been used by scientists to decipher the mysteries of Venus' extreme heats and yellow color.</p><p>A similar technique of observing glories has been used to detect the presence of long-lasting clouds on the exoplanet <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cheops/First_glory_on_hellish_distant_world" target="_blank">WASP-76b</a>. The new knowledge of these clouds gives us insight into the exoplanet's atmosphere. Now we know that there can be conditions for a stable temperature, which surprised scientists as half of the planet is hot enough to melt iron.</p><p>We can also guess what optical effects might occur on planets where we know what the atmosphere is made of. For example, in the high atmospheres of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html">Jupiter</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html">Saturn</a>, where a special type of ammonia crystals are concentrated, we would expect to observe <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://atoptics.co.uk/blog/halos-on-other-worlds/" target="_blank">four separate</a> sun dogs. Alas, on Earth, we can only ever see two at a time due to the shape of our atmospheric ice crystals.</p><p>Who knows what other wondrous phenomena we may see on other worlds. Who's to say whether there couldn't be a planet surrounded by continual rainbows? There is much more to learn about so many exoplanets. Optical phenomena such as sun dogs can tell us huge amounts about their atmospheres, which could help us in the search for habitable planets in the future.</p><p><em>This article is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://theconversation.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em> under a Creative Commons license. Read the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://theconversation.com/supermassive-black-holes-have-masses-of-more-than-a-million-suns-but-their-growth-has-slowed-as-the-universe-has-aged-233396"><em>original article</em></a><em>.</em></p><iframe allow="" height="1" width="1" id="" style="" data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243022/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced"></iframe> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/sun-dogs-rainbows-and-glories-are-celestial-wonders-and-they-may-appear-in-alien-skies-too</link>
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<![CDATA[ These celestial wonders can tell us a lot about the state of the atmosphere at home on Earth as well as on other planets. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:00:14 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Exoplanets]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Peter Berthelemy ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TeMtKyfFsoxNdHQScJTMSe-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[John Hardin via Wikimedia Commons]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Rings of sunlight reflect against a snowy surface with a bright cloudy sky]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Rings of sunlight reflect against a snowy surface with a bright cloudy sky]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'I have you now!': Darth Vader's lightsaber from 'Star Wars' sells for $3.6 million at auction ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Artifacts from "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-movies-in-order"><strong>Star Wars</strong></a>," the grandest pop culture franchise on the planet, are going for stratospheric prices at auctions these days, as evidenced by the record-breaking $3.6 million selling price for a rare, authentic <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/most-impressive-darth-vaders-screen-used-star-wars-lightsaber-could-fetch-usd3-million-in-september-auction"><strong>Darth Vader lightsaber</strong> </a>prop at a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-x-wing-propstore-auction">Propstore </a>event last week.</p><p>This slightly worn, screen-matched hero prop was wielded by David Prowse and the legendary stuntman Bob Anderson in 1980's "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" and 1983's "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," and was expected to fetch between $1 million and $3 million, according to most pre-sale estimates.</p><p>The eye-watering winning bid was a cool $2.9 million ($3.6 million including the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyer%27s_premium" target="_blank"><strong>buyer's premium</strong></a>), which makes it the most credits ever paid for any "Star Wars" prop, costume, or memorabilia.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1202px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:63.56%;"><img id="okx263WaAhq9gdafDZueg7" name="lightsaber" alt="the hilt of a sci-fi lightsaber prop" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/okx263WaAhq9gdafDZueg7.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1202" height="764" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Darth Vader's screen-used lightsaber sold for an astonishing $3.6 million! </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Propstore)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The official catalog describes it as, "constructed from a vintage British press camera flash handle that was transformed into Vader’s infamous weapon through the fitting of dressing components such as plastic grips, calculator bubbles, and cosmetic wiring. This specific prop was further modified with a custom blade-mounting system that facilitated the installation of a wooden rod; the rod served as the blade during the choreographed fight scenes and made the physical, on-camera dueling possible. It also later served as a guide for visual effects artists to add the hand-animated glow for the final shots."</p><p>Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction for Lord Darth Vader's wicked weapon was held last Thursday for in-person, online, absentee, and old-fashioned phone bidding at the Peterson Automotive Museum in L.A., where the total sum of $3,654,000 became the final hammer price for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own perhaps the Holy Grail of all "Star Wars" treasure.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="KFHHqD9cjnQAnC3czkV86Y" name="Jedi_Return.jpg" alt="Luke Skywalker duels Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KFHHqD9cjnQAnC3czkV86Y.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1280" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Propstore COO Brandon Alinger with the Holy Grail of "Star Wars" collectibles (Image credit: Propstore) </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Disney)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Hopefully, the lucky buyer (or buyers) who now own this remarkable piece of "Star Wars" history will take a little cue from Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones and place it on display in a museum for global fans to marvel at.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/i-have-you-now-darth-vaders-lightsaber-from-star-wars-sells-for-usd3-6-million-at-auction</link>
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<![CDATA[ The winning bid for this screen-used prop made 'Star Wars' history last week... let's just hope the seller doesn't alter the deal. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:30:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4YBPHNKoT5whPyFtPhjPqH-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Disney / Propstore]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Darth Vader reaching out with his arm (left), A man holding Darth Vader's lightsaber (right)]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Darth Vader reaching out with his arm (left), A man holding Darth Vader's lightsaber (right)]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Infrared instruments could spot exotic ice on other worlds ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><em>This story is republished from </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://eos.org/" target="_blank"><em>Eos</em></a><em>. Read the</em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://eos.org/articles/infrared-instruments-could-spot-exotic-ice-on-other-worlds" target="_blank"><em> original article. </em></a></p><p>Water ice molecules are among the most common in the cosmos and influence the interior and exterior of many planetary bodies in our solar system. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/pine-island-glacier-calving-retreat.html">Glaciers </a>shape parts of Earth's surface, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/43-pluto-the-ninth-planet-that-was-a-dwarf.html">dwarf planet Pluto,</a> along with moons such as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15498-europa-sdcmp.html">Europa</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16440-ganymede-facts-about-jupiters-largest-moon.html">Ganymede</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15257-titan-saturn-largest-moon-facts-discovery-sdcmp.html">Titan</a>, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/20543-enceladus-saturn-s-tiny-shiny-moon.html">Enceladus</a>, have whole landscapes made up of ice alone, including boulders, mountains, and even <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/venus-volcanoes-active-new-research">volcanoes.</a></p><p>Under high-pressure or very low temperature conditions, ice forms different crystal structures than those that occur naturally on Earth. Identifying and measuring those structures on worlds such as Ganymede would provide unique data on the interiors of these celestial bodies, in the same way studying mantle rocks pushed to the surface on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> reveals our planet’s deep geology.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_v6l536dC_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="v6l536dC"> <div id="botr_v6l536dC_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>In the lab, researchers can bombard ice with X-rays or neutrons to understand its structure. But such instruments aren’t practical to fly on spacecraft.</p><p>Now, new experiments conducted by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6859-5344" target="_blank">Christina Tonauer</a> and her colleagues at Universität Innsbruck in Austria show how to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/x2ph-yp2v" target="_blank">distinguish between ice structures using infrared spectroscopy</a>. The analyses, published in Physical Review Letters earlier this summer, can be done using observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.html">JWST</a>) or the European Space Agency's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice" target="_blank">JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer)</a> mission currently en route to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html">Jupiter.</a></p><p>"The ices that we prepare in the lab only occur naturally in space," said Tonauer, whose work combines her field of physical chemistry with her love for planets. "I'm also really interested in astronomy, and this is what hooked me to water ice."</p><p>During Tonauer's Ph.D. work in the early 2020s, JWST was still to be launched, but it was clear the infrared observatory would open avenues for studying the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/solar-system-ocean-moon-habitable-ice-shell">ice-covered moons</a> of the outer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html">solar system</a>. When she and her collaborators delved into the literature, they realized that a lot of spectroscopic work on ice—research that largely predated the leaps in understanding gained from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/" target="_blank">Voyager</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/" target="_blank">Cassini</a> missions—considered infrared (IR) wavelengths longer than those JWST could measure.</p><p>It seemed fruitful to Tonauer and her colleagues to study the shorter-wavelength IR spectrum (near-IR) emitted by ice on these distant worlds.</p><h2 id="ice-maker-ice-maker-make-me-some-ice-2">Ice maker, ice maker, make me some ice</h2><p>As of 2025, 21 different phases of ice have been identified in laboratory experiments, although only one form exists under normal conditions on Earth. That form is called ice I<sub>h</sub> (pronounced “ice one aitch”), where "h" refers to the hexagonal pattern the molecule's oxygen atoms take when viewed from one direction.</p><p>The conditions that allow researchers to study other ice phases in the lab exist naturally on other planets and moons, however, and scientists have concluded the phases might exist there.</p><p>Ganymede and other worlds in the outer solar system likely have something akin to mantle dynamics, for example, but with ice instead of silicate minerals.</p><p>Ganymede's mantle could be 800 kilometers thick and consist of several forms of ice that are known only from laboratory experiments on Earth. Tonauer and her collaborators selected <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://water.lsbu.ac.uk/water/ice_v.html" target="_blank">ice V</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://water.lsbu.ac.uk/water/ice_xiii.html" target="_blank">ice XIII</a> for their study, because they form under the high pressures and low temperatures present inside Ganymede and other moons. These phases have the same arrangement of oxygen atoms, but different orientations of hydrogen atoms: In ice V, hydrogen is jumbled around, whereas hydrogen in ice XIII is structured.</p><p>Making these types of ice in the lab requires cooling liquid water with liquid nitrogen under about 5,000 atmospheres (500 megapascals) of pressure. As long as the samples are kept cold after forming, Tonauer noted, they don't require high pressure to remain stable because the atoms move so slowly.</p><p>However, that slow motion still stretches the bonds between molecules, a vibration that produces IR signals. Using spectroscopy to interpret the emissions, Tonauer and her colleagues discovered that these signals are different for ice V and ice XIII. That difference provided the first experimental demonstration of using IR to distinguish hydrogen configurations within different phases of ice. It also highlighted a way to identify them remotely.</p><p>The researchers used a JWST simulator to show that a few hours of observation would be enough to distinguish between these ice phases on Ganymede.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1075px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:111.63%;"><img id="UoNniLrwmNM5bgsyiD2Vm6" name="ganymede-cross-section-diagram.jpg" alt="This cross-sectional illustration shows the interior of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede, based on theoretical models, in-situ observations by NASA's Galileo orbiter, and Hubble Space Telescope observations of the moon’s magnetosphere. Image released March 12, 2015." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UoNniLrwmNM5bgsyiD2Vm6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1075" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">An infographic showing the ocean underneath Ganymede's crust. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI))</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="a-peek-at-deep-ice-2">A peek at deep ice</h2><p>The stability of these ice phases is key to understanding their potential presence on the surface of Ganymede: The phases require high pressure to <em>form</em>, but if brought to the lower-pressure surface, they can maintain their exotic crystal structure indefinitely. In that way, the presence of ice V or XIII would provide details about the icy mantle that would otherwise be inaccessible.</p><p>Past and present missions to the Jovian system have clearly indicated that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/ganymede-interior/" target="_blank">Ganymede's interior</a> contains a liquid water ocean sandwiched between ice layers, but the ices' crystalline structures, as well as how the layers move and evolve, have not been verified by empirical data. According to models of icy moon interiors, the high-pressure environment should produce ice V, which phenomena such as the tidal force from Jupiter might bring to the surface.</p><p>These new infrared spectroscopy analyses show how to distinguish between ice I<sub>h</sub>, ice V, and ice XIII—not to mention amorphous ice, which lacks a clear crystal structure—without having to return samples to Earth for laboratory analysis (a prohibitively expensive proposition). The method could provide an observational way to verify or refute models of interior ice dynamics, sharpen our picture of Ganymede's internal structure, and help us understand how different flavors of ice behave and interact with each other in a natural environment.</p><p>"We can now potentially detect subtle structural differences on icy moons without needing a lander or sample return," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.dannaqasim.com/" target="_blank">Danna Qasim</a>, a laboratory astrophysicist at the Southwest Research Institute in Texas who was not involved with the new study.</p><p>Qasim pointed out that if the grains of these ices are small and jumbled together, it might be difficult to extract their IR signature. As other recent research has shown, amorphous ice in space <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1089788" target="_blank">likely contains chunks of crystalline ice</a> joined together at odd angles, which also might make identification more difficult.</p><p>However, the new method seems promising and could well answer vital questions about the internal structure of icy moons.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-discover-ice-in-space-isnt-like-water-on-earth-after-all">Scientists discover ice in space isn't like water on Earth after all</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/jupiter-moon-ganymede-asteroid-impact-tilt-axis"> A huge asteroid crash permanently altered Jupiter's biggest moon Ganymede</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/theres-a-weird-disappearing-dark-spot-on-saturns-moon-enceladus"> There's a weird, disappearing dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus</a></p></div></div><p>"We invest billions of dollars in these spectacular space missions," Qasim said. "If we want to truly understand what the data is telling us about these enigmatic beautiful worlds, it is absolutely necessary to have laboratory experiments like the ones performed here."</p><div style="min-height: 1300px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-ORglAX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/ORglAX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/infrared-instruments-could-spot-exotic-ice-on-other-worlds</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Phases of ice that exist naturally only on frozen moons could be detected using infrared spectroscopy, according to new laboratory experiments. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Matthew R. Francis ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/REpvNAHQnZJbXWfBqPEy8h-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Planetary Science Institute/Smithsonian Institution]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[a black-and-white map of mars with blue sections denoting where water ice has been detected]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a black-and-white map of mars with blue sections denoting where water ice has been detected]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ James Webb Space Telescope images enormous star shooting out twin jets 8 light-years long ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A massive star on the distant outskirts of our Milky Way galaxy is seen blowing a powerful cosmic blowtorch in a new image courtesy of James Webb Webb Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Camera.</p><p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21925-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst.htm">James Webb Space Telescope</a> (JWST) caught the two jets slamming into the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/interstellar-space-definition-explanation">interstellar medium</a> around them, forming the nebulous structure known as Sharpless 2-284, or Sh2-284 for short. The jets stretch across eight <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/light-year.html">light-years</a> total as they expand at a rate of hundreds of thousands of miles per hour. What's more, their very existence is proof of the process by which the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/blue-stars">most massive stars</a> in the universe form.</p><p>"Once we found a massive star launching these jets, we realized we could use the Webb observations to test theories of massive-star formation," Jonathan Tan of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2025/news-2025-131" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_HqSjuaI5_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="HqSjuaI5"> <div id="botr_HqSjuaI5_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Stellar jets are frequently seen being launched by lower mass stars as those stars form. The jets are fueled by material, mostly hydrogen gas, falling onto the growing star. This material bunches up into a disk around the young protostar. Some of the material in the disk is absorbed by the star, increasing its mass, but if too much material bunches up in the disk, some of the excess is flung away by tightly wound magnetic fields that beam the material out in two jets along the young star's axis.</p><p>Low-mass stars form in relatively orderly fashion, but one theory of the formation of more massive stars — the type of stars that go <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/6638-supernova.html">supernova</a> — is that their accretion of infalling gas is more chaotic. If this were the case, it would result in the star and its accretion disk wobbling about, and the jets moving, twisting and spraying across a larger area.</p><p>However, the JWST image of Sh2-284 shows no evidence of the jets having moved, with them being straight and pointing almost 180 degrees opposite one another. This implies the star's formation has not been chaotic at all.</p><p>Models of star formation suggest the size of the jets scales with the size of the star producing them.</p><p>"These models imply that the star is about ten times the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42649-solar-mass.html">mass of the sun</a> and is still growing and has been powering this outflow," said Tan.</p><p>How energetic these jets are, how straight, how narrowly collimated, and their ages can all help astronomers better understand the environment in which stars sourcing those jets form, as well as the intrinsic properties of such stars.</p><p>"We didn't really know there was a massive star with this kind of super-jet out there before the observation," Yu Cheng of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, who led the JWST observations, said in the statement. "Such a spectacular outflow of molecular hydrogen from a massive star is rare in other regions of our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19915-milky-way-galaxy.html">galaxy</a>."</p><p>Cheng alludes to Sh2-284's location in our galaxy. This young star is located 15,000 light-years from Earth on the very outskirts of the Milky Way's spiral disk, where the abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium is low. That's because such elements <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/how-did-universe-elements-form">are formed</a> within stars, and star-formation on the outskirts of the galaxy just hasn't been vigorous enough to produce many of these elements, which astronomers (somewhat confusingly) collectively refer to as "metals," even though they are not all metals in the conventional sense.</p><p>To find a star forming in this low metallicity environment is fortunate for astronomers though, because these conditions mimic those found in the early universe.</p><p>"Our discovery is shedding light on the formation mechanism of massive stars in low metallicity environments, so we can use this massive star as a laboratory to study what was going on in earlier cosmic history,” said Cheng.</p><p>More recent is Sh2-284's history. The tips of the jets are the oldest part, with the young star's life chronicled in the long extent of the jets.</p><p>"Originally the material [in the tips] was close into the star, but over 100,000 years the tips were propagating out, and then the stuff behind is a younger outflow," said Tan.</p><p>The growing star is not visible directly. The bright stars with the diffraction spikes are closer to us in the foreground. The JWST is however able to pick out the structure of Sh2-284, with filaments, knots, bow shocks and linear chains of clumpy material all arising out of the jets' interactions with the surrounding interstellar medium.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/triple-star-system-burns-bright-in-new-image-from-the-james-webb-space-telescope"> Triple star system burns bright in new image from the James Webb Space Telescope</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/a-dead-sun-forms-building-blocks-of-exoplanets-in-new-jwst-butterfly-nebula-image">A dead 'sun' forms building blocks of exoplanets in new JWST Butterfly Nebula image</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-celebrates-3-years-of-science-with-dazzling-toe-beans-image-of-cats-paw-nebula">James Webb Space Telescope celebrates 3 years of science with dazzling 'toe beans' image of Cat's Paw Nebula</a></p></div></div><p>Yet, as powerful as these jets and the nebulosity they produce are, they are only transitory. Eventually, the star will emerge from its cocoon, fully grown with possibly tens of times the mass of our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">sun</a>. Its lifetime will be limited to a few million years. Then, it will explode, creating a whole new nebula, one of star-death, not birth, but its legacy will be to enrich space with the metals that it forged.</p><p>And the cycle of stars will continue.</p><p>The observations of Sh2-284 were reported on Wednesday (Sept. 10) in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/addf4b" target="_blank">The Astrophysical Journal</a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-images-enormous-star-shooting-out-twin-jets-8-light-years-long</link>
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<![CDATA[ The James Webb Space Telescope caught the birth of an enormous star with particle beams cutting across a stretch of interstellar space. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[James Webb Space Telescope]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Keith Cooper ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9gwE4ReJwyZ4LPFQnSR2MZ-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Yu Cheng (NAOJ)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Streaks of red gas mix with young stars in the darkness of space as two large jets spew out on either side of a glowing yellow center, creating a magnificent nebula]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Streaks of red gas mix with young stars in the darkness of space as two large jets spew out on either side of a glowing yellow center, creating a magnificent nebula]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX Starlink satellite photobombs orbital view of secret Chinese air base (photo) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>One of SpaceX's broadband-beaming Starlink satellites has been captured overflying a top-secret airbase in China that was photographed by a private American Earth-observation satellite.</p><p>The unexpected <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html"><u>satellite</u></a> alignment above Dingxin Airbase in the Gobi Desert of western China took place on Aug. 21 and created a range of unusual effects in the high-resolution image. Dingxin Airbase, which provided a backdrop for the orbital encounter, is one of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.twz.com/31824/this-massive-desert-base-is-chinas-version-of-americas-nellis-air-force-base" target="_blank"><u>most secretive military locations in China</u></a>, known for conducting complex fighter jet drills and bomber exercises, and supporting development of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/technology/china-shows-off-advanced-hypersonic-missiles-icbms-and-drones-in-military-parade-photos"><u>new military drones</u></a><u></u><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/technology/china-shows-off-advanced-hypersonic-missiles-icbms-and-drones-in-military-parade-photos">.</a></p><p>The visible-light photo, taken by one of Maxar Technologies' <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://earth.esa.int/eogateway/missions/worldview-legion" target="_blank"><u>WorldView Legion satellites</u></a> orbiting at an altitude of 312 miles (518 kilometers), shows what appears to be a fleet of fighter jets resting on the ramp adjacent to the runway surrounded by brown, arid soil. In the upper-left corner of the image, a ghostly oblong shadow appears in the picture with a silver-colored middle section and two darker-colored arms stretching to the sides.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_OvwJcA4s_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="OvwJcA4s"> <div id="botr_OvwJcA4s_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The photobomber is a satellite — specifically, one of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>SpaceX</u></a>'s Starlink internet satellites, which Maxar identified as spacecraft number 33828. The mirror effect comes from a trio of rainbow-colored reflections of the satellite, which enliven the drab desert surface below.</p><p>Susanne Hake, Maxar's general manager for U.S. government, who posted the image on LinkedIn, described the colorful reflections as a "pan-sharpening spectral artifact," caused by the extremely high speeds — around 5 miles (8 kilometers) per second — at which the two satellites passed each other.</p><p>"Essentially, our imaging system was merging high-resolution black & white data with color data while the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html"><u>Starlink</u></a> zipped past at orbital velocity," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/susanne-hake-8986571a_spaceeconomy-earthobservation-spacedomainawareness-activity-7370844351616409600-6h5X/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAd1h6wBx6kQ__3blUZaBG_ZggR1Gys7YvQ" target="_blank"><u>Hake wrote</u></a> in the post. "Physics turned a technical imaging challenge into accidental art."</p><p>Hake added that, although the orbital encounter underscores how crowded near-Earth space has become, the incident was more of a spectacular rarity than a concern for safety or image quality.</p><p>"Capturing another satellite like this in an Earth-observation image is extremely rare," Hake told Space.com in an email. "In this case, a Starlink satellite happened to pass through our field of view at just the right moment while our sensors were mid-collection — an extraordinary alignment, given the vastness of space and the fact that we were traveling at an astonishing relative velocity of about 1,400 meters per second."</p><p>The Starlink megaconstellation operated by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html"><u>Elon Musk</u></a>'s SpaceX has come under criticism from astronomers because the sunlight reflected by the low-Earth-orbit fleet leaves streaks in telescope images. The problem is especially felt by large-scale surveys such as the recently opened <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/vera-rubin-observatory-broad-views-universe"><u>Vera Rubin Observatory</u></a> in Chile, which capture vast swaths of the sky in every sweep and therefore catch many satellites in each photo.</p><p>Currently comprising <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://planet4589.org/space/con/star/stats.html" target="_blank"><u>more than 8,300 active satellites</u></a>, the Starlink constellation also <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/starlink-v2-mini-radio-noise-threatens-astronomy"><u>disturbs radio telescope observations</u></a>. When the spacecraft fly over radio-quiet antenna arrays, tuned to listen for the quietest radio waves coming from distant galaxies, the noise from the satellites' internal electronics obscures some of the precious observation frequencies even when Earth-facing internet beams are switched off.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html">Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-20-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-from-california">SpaceX completes 1st Starlink direct-to-cell constellation with launch from California (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launch-maxar-worldview-legion-5-6-satellites">SpaceX launches 2 Maxar Earth-observing satellites to orbit (video, photos)</a></p></div></div><p>The growing number of satellites in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit"><u>low Earth orbit</u></a> (LEO) also worries space sustainability experts, who warn about the increasing risk of orbital collisions. Although Starlink encounters are currently no bother to Earth-observation satellite operators such as Maxar, Hake stressed that the continued growth in LEO satellite numbers may become a challenge in the future.</p><p>"The 'crowded' space domain isn't just about collision avoidance anymore — it's about understanding how these overlapping capabilities create both opportunities and complexities for mission planning," she wrote in the LinkedIn post. "That's why integrated space domain awareness isn't just nice-to-have anymore — it's foundational to mission success."</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/spacex-starlink-satellite-photobombs-orbital-view-of-secret-chinese-air-base-photo</link>
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<![CDATA[ One of SpaceX's broadband-beaming Starlink satellites has been captured overflying a top-secret airbase in China that was photographed by a private American Earth-observation satellite. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ tereza.pultarova@futurenet.com (Tereza Pultarova) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tereza Pultarova ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z8RQWt5sfw7r443vdgkwoV-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Maxar Technologies]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A Starlink satellite captured flying over the secretive Dingxin Airbase in China on Aug. 21, 2025 by one of the WorldView Legion Earth-observation satellites operated by U.S. company Maxar Technologies.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A Starlink satellite captured flying over the secretive Dingxin Airbase in China on Aug. 21, 2025 by one of the WorldView Legion Earth-observation satellites operated by U.S. company Maxar Technologies.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Watch the winners of the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award 2025 announced live online today (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iLY9-sBUpqg" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>The winners of the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 will be revealed live online on Sept. 11 and you can follow along for free thanks to a livestream hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich starting at 2 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Sept. 11.</p><p>Each year, the Royal Observatory, supported by astronomy camera and accessory manufacturer ZWO, holds an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/feast-your-eyes-on-the-shortlisted-pics-for-the-2025-zwo-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-awards-photos">open competition to celebrate the very best images of the night sky</a> as captured by the global astrophotography community. Categories span everything from galaxies and nebulas to auroras, the sun and 'People & Space,' with winners and runners-up chosen by an international judging panel.</p><h2 id="how-to-watch-2">How to watch</h2><p>The ceremony will be broadcast on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLY9-sBUpqg" target="_blank">Royal Museums Greenwich YouTube channel</a> and hosted by Royal Observatory astronomer Dr. Ed Bloomer with special guests.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="sT3QY0MQ"> <div id="botr_sT3QY0MQ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Bloomer will delve into the story and inspiration behind each of the winning entries, including those of the overall winner, who will walk away with the £10,000 ($13,540) grand prize.</p><p>The winning photographs were selected from more than 5,800 spectacular entries submitted by astrophotographers hailing from over 60 countries. The best image from each category will take pride of place in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/astronomy-photographer-year/2025-awards-ceremony-live?f24_pid=e513ad78-88bc-49fd-b536-6207ca171b91&utm_campaign=Marketing:%20Catch%20All%20September%202025%20Test%20B&utm_source=force24&utm_medium=email&utm_content=textlink" target="_blank">special exhibition</a> at the National Maritime Museum in London, U.K., opening Sept. 12.</p><p><em><strong>Editor's Note: </strong></em><em>If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.</em></p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-XmqyRX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/XmqyRX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/watch-live-zwo-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-award-2025-video</link>
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<![CDATA[ The ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award 2025 will be streamed live online on Sept. 11. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:57:27 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astrophotography]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Anthony Wood ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VkkZCz9KYfnSKkC6oFHC6n-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Created in Canva Pro by Daisy Dobrijevic. Photo by Charles Pevsner.]]></media:credit>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 3 finale blurs the line between sci-fi and fantasy... and that's OK ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>"<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-movies-in-order"><strong>Star Wars</strong></a>" has always been a fantasy series draped in sci-fi cosplay. For all the spaceships, robots, and planet-smashing laser beams, George Lucas's galaxy far, far away is as much about magic and the people who wield it as "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter". Even a cynic like Han Solo eventually had to concede that Obi-Wan Kenobi's "mumbo jumbo" about the Force was true. The inner workings of the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive were never quite so important.</p><p>Star Trek is different; the resolutely sci-fi voyages of James T Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and their successors on the final frontier are much more likely to be underpinned by science or, at least, the franchise's version of it. The technology — to paraphrase Arthur C Clarke — may be so advanced that it's more or less indistinguishable from magic, but<strong> </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/13-faster-than-light-travel-methods-from-sci-fi-that-leave-einsteins-theory-of-relativity-in-their-space-dust"><strong>faster-than-light travel</strong></a>, teleportation, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/star-trek-lower-decks-season-5-episode-6-is-ensign-olly-really-a-demigod"><strong>even Greek deities</strong></a> have all been given explanations that wouldn't seem out of place in a 23rd-century physics textbook.</p><p>Things get weird, however, when the lines between science fiction and fantasy start to blur. Using micro-organisms to justify the Force would have felt entirely appropriate in the Enterprise-D's Ready Room, but the notion of Midi-chlorians jars in "Star Wars", a setting where science rarely gets a look in.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="UKAycU5ycKfqAapEpqXn8E" name="SNW3_310_MG_05_15_24_00499_RT_f" alt="Ethan Peck as Spock, Melanie Scrofano as Batel, Jess Bush as Chapel, Anson Mount as Capt. Pike and Dan Jeanotte as Sam Kirk in season 3, Episode 10 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UKAycU5ycKfqAapEpqXn8E.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>On the flip side, the themes of destiny, telepathy, and ancient battles between good and evil explored in "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-release-date-cast-episodes-and-how-to-watch"><strong>Strange New Worlds</strong></a>" season 3 finale "New Life and New Civilizations" are straight out of Luke Skywalker's wheelhouse. So is "Star Trek" now as much a fantasy franchise as a sci-fi one?</p><p>This is an excellent episode on many levels. Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) had been living on borrowed time ever since she became an unwitting host for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/who-are-the-gorn-star-trek-strange-new-worlds-reptilian-menace-explained"><strong>Gorn</strong></a> embryos in "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-2-episode-10-review"><strong>Hegemony</strong></a>". This finale completes her arc in a much more satisfying way than heading up Starfleet Legal ever could have.</p><p>Instead, we learn that — thanks to cause and effect being out of whack on Vadia IX — protecting the galaxy from the deeply unpleasant <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/has-strange-new-worlds-just-unleashed-star-treks-scariest-aliens-since-the-borg"><strong>Vezda aliens</strong></a> has always been her calling. In a wonderful "life in five minutes" sequence (reminiscent of classic "The Next Generation" episode "The Inner Light"), she even gets to show boyfriend Christopher Pike the future they could have had if their lives had turned out differently. It's "Star Trek" at its most heartbreaking.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="xyjgPMb86TKrH8hQPWkjvD" name="SNW3_310_MG_05_16_24_02701_RT_2VFX_f" alt="Anson Mount as Capt. Pike and Melanie Scrofano as Batel in season 3, Episode 10 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xyjgPMb86TKrH8hQPWkjvD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>But the big themes here are all lifted from the fantasy playbook. The creature that possessed the unfortunate Ensign Gamble finds a way back from its permanent transporter buffer exile, and is able to exert a malign influence on a whole new generation of followers. Creepy new wrong 'uns, the Vezda — given a spectacular introduction a few weeks ago — are subsequently set up as the backstory for every myth about evil in the Alpha Quadrant.</p><p>Meanwhile, Batel's journey towards becoming the Beholder (the mystical statue living a double life as the Vezda's prison guard) is implied to be a fait accompli; her encounter with the Gorn and subsequent DNA-altering treatments (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-augments-illyrians-and-the-eugenics-wars"><strong>Illyrian</strong></a> blood, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/why-do-the-klingons-have-beef-with-dr-mbenga-in-strange-new-worlds-episode-shuttle-to-kenfori"><strong>Chimera blossom</strong></a>) all part of the universe's grand plan.</p><p>And up in orbit, the Enterprise also embraces the fantasy vibe, deploying a Vulcan mind-meld to get Spock and Kirk piloting the Enterprise and Farragut, respectively, in telepathic unison. If you can think of a better way to get two starships firing their phasers in perfect synchronicity next time <em>you</em> need to open a portal to Vadia IX, we'd like to hear it.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="uaS4jTnXReZzK7dzYsxs8E" name="SNW3_310_MG_05_21_24_03139_RT_f" alt="Ethan Peck as Spock and Melissa Navia as Ortegas in season 3, Episode 10 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uaS4jTnXReZzK7dzYsxs8E.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>That's this episode — and arguably "Star Trek" — in a nutshell. "Trek" has rarely been scared to venture into fantasy territory when it's needed (or wanted) to; it's just been very good at dressing things up in tachyon pulses (magic spells?) and non-corporeal lifeforms (ghosts?) when it does.</p><p>In most other franchises, for example, Vulcan "mysticism" (mind melds, katras, and the like) or Betazoid telepathy would be described as sorcery. The Klingon time crystal that gave Pike a premonition of his tragic fate could happily sit on a mantelpiece at Hogwarts. And the Borg would be easy to dismiss as Sauron-style pure evil if you didn't first stop to consider their "assimilate this" ideology.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="qhKRwpGH6A2wG4gZa2Kr8E" name="SNW3_310_MG_05_15_24_00936_RT_f" alt="Rebecca Romijn as Una and Anson Mount as Capt. Pike in season 3, Episode 10 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qhKRwpGH6A2wG4gZa2Kr8E.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>As for gods, the "Star Trek" galaxy is crawling with them, whether it's Q finger-snapping his way through Picard's past, present, and future, or "Deep Space Nine"'s wormhole aliens using their non-linear perception of time to deliver on-the-money (albeit cryptic) prophecies. "The Next Generation" even provided "Trek"'s own version of a creation myth, when "The Chase" revealed that humans, Cardassians, Vulcans, Romulans, and Klingons all look alike because they were spawned by a single Progenitor species — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-trek-discovery-season-5-episode-2-recap"><strong>a theme revisited in the fifth and final season of "Discovery"</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Whether they — and the Vezda — are deities or simply very, very, very old aliens is a matter of semantics.</p><p>As is that line between sci-fi and fantasy. Because just as "Doctor Who"'s sonic screwdriver is effectively a magic wand masquerading under a different name, "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" aren't quite as far apart as appearances would suggest — it's just that Starfleet officers are slightly better at showing off their sci-fi credentials than the Jedi.</p><p><strong>Every episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 3 is now available on Paramount+.</strong></p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="26884af4-b933-446a-91ed-16f7bdbefdd2" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Save 73% on 24 months of NordVPN and get a bonus three months for free. Want to watch Strange New Worlds from anywhere in the world? 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Grab a VPN and access your streaming content while traveling abroad.</p><p>Users will get an ad-blocker, anti-malware protection, high-speed connection, encrypted cloud storage, identity theft insurance up to $1M, and cyber extortion insurance up to $100K.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://nordvpn.com/special/?coupon=future2025&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=&utm_content=SP&utm_campaign=off564&utm_source=aff3013" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="26884af4-b933-446a-91ed-16f7bdbefdd2" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="Save 73% on 24 months of NordVPN and get a bonus three months for free. Want to watch Strange New Worlds from anywhere in the world? 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<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-season-3-finale-blurs-the-line-between-sci-fi-and-fantasy-and-thats-ok</link>
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<![CDATA[ Telepathy, good vs evil, heroes fulfilling their destiny… If the "Strange New Worlds" finale 'New Life and New Civilizations' isn't fantasy, it isn't far off. ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Richard Edwards ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pup8mAxdAskfLPjtmYPJ4E-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Paramount]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Melanie Scrofano as Batel and Anson Mount as Capt. Pike in season 3, Episode 10 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Melanie Scrofano as Batel and Anson Mount as Capt. Pike in season 3, Episode 10 of Strange New Worlds streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+]]></media:title>
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<media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pup8mAxdAskfLPjtmYPJ4E-1280-80.jpg" />
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<title><![CDATA[ I beat light pollution with this smart telescope — everything I saw in the night sky from a city center ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Stargazing is a wonderful pursuit that appeals to both the casual and dedicated observer, but views outside of cities are often much clearer and brighter thanks to different levels of light pollution.</p><p>Excessive and misdirected use of artificial light is more common in cities and can have a huge effect on the visibility of the night sky, particularly for those stargazers who are looking to observe faint deep sky objects with some of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html">best telescopes</a>.</p><p>With the urban glow of light pollution still a huge problem for night-sky observation, there often seems to be limited solutions for getting wonderful views of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15680-galaxies.html">galaxies</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-clusters">star clusters</a> from the bright light of the cities. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-smart-telescopes">best smart telescopes</a> offer a powerful remedy to this problem in the form of advanced image stacking and real-time processing to filter out artificial light interference and reveal detail in objects that would be difficult to observe with the naked eye or traditional optics.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="2MQtRGPwiA7BBYFUvrjhaa" name="light-pollution.jpg" alt="Light pollution is worsening globally, virtually erasing stars from the night sky." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2MQtRGPwiA7BBYFUvrjhaa.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Bortle scale is a numerical scale for measuring light pollution in a particular location. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, P. Marenfeld)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Bortle scale is a numerical scale that ranges from one to nine, with one being an excellent dark sky site with no light pollution and nine being an area with considerable light pollution and many night sky objects invisible to the naked eye. Here are all the things I saw with a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unistellar-odyssey-review">Unistellar Odyssey Pro</a> smart telescope from Bath, U.K., which measures a seven or eight on the Bortle scale.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-nebulas"><span>Nebulas</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="ZFotU823GArB35c5yVXVaS" name="veil-nebula" alt="The Western Veil nebula (Caldwell 34) as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZFotU823GArB35c5yVXVaS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Western Veil nebula (Caldwell 34) is part of a larger supernova remnant, the Cygnus Loop. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 45 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>During an imaging session where I set the telescope up on the balcony, the Odyssey Pro managed to cut through the haze and reveal a stunning object: the Western Veil Nebula (Caldwell 34). Located in the constellation Cygnus, the Western Veil Nebula is part of a larger structure, an expansive supernova remnant called the Cygnus Loop.</p><p>I actually left the telescope trained on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nebula-definition-types">nebula</a> with "Enhanced Vision" on and left it for 45 minutes. Thanks to advanced image processing and stacking, the nebula's wispy filament of dust appears red and blue next to star 52 Cygni.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="qKDamAHxQEcJ4J4rWSfgJM" name="ring-nebula" alt="The Ring nebula in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qKDamAHxQEcJ4J4rWSfgJM.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Ring Nebula (M57) (crop). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 80 seconds | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="weNsmeBJmWosFjW7t7voHM" name="Blue-snowball-nebula" alt="The Blue Snowball Nebula in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/weNsmeBJmWosFjW7t7voHM.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Blue Snowball Nebula (NGC 7662)(crop). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 3 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Planetary nebulas are easy to catch but are usually quite small compared to diffuse nebulas and supernova remnants. We managed to capture the famous <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21276-ring-nebula-photos-gallery.html">Ring nebula </a>(M57) and the Blue Snowball Nebula (Caldwell 22).</p><p>Planetary nebulas do not have anything to do with planets and are actually the result of a star in its final stages of life. The outer layers are shed as it transitions into a white dwarf, then the remaining core illuminates the expanding gas shell. Early observations of these nebulas were described as resembling planets.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-star-clusters"><span>Star clusters</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2136px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.18%;"><img id="4ukHBoMaNGWJDwz3EsXpXS" name="great-pegasus-globular" alt="The Great Pegasus Globular Cluster (M15) as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4ukHBoMaNGWJDwz3EsXpXS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2136" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Great Pegasus Globular Cluster (M15). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 6 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Star clusters are some of the most rewarding objects to observe, and the smart telescope did not disappoint. Leaving the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unistellar-odyssey-review">Odyssey Pro</a> trained on the Great Pegasus globular cluster (M15) for six minutes allowed it to stack multiple frames, resolving a glittering blue ball of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/57-stars-formation-classification-and-constellations.html">stars</a>.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="k3syXEA7pNDssyQvn7PQKM" name="m10" alt="Star cluster M10 in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k3syXEA7pNDssyQvn7PQKM.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">M10 star cluster in Ophiucus. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 32 seconds | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="vWjR2x9DYJtEPdosYfNEbS" name="hercules-globular" alt="The Hercules globular cluster (M13) as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vWjR2x9DYJtEPdosYfNEbS.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Hercules globular cluster (M13). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 64 seconds | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Best for versatility</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="cq4j2Z7ijgWeJ5rCMz84qj" name="odysseyprored" caption="" alt="The Unistellar Odyssey Pro red version against a white background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cq4j2Z7ijgWeJ5rCMz84qj.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Unistellar)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/unistellar-odyssey-review">Unistellar Odyssey Pro</a> is a great smart telescope that gives great lunar, planetary and deep space views. It also features a Nikon eyepiece for a more traditional viewing experience and is light enough to carry to remote dark sky sites.</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">★★★★½</p></div></div><p>I also captured M10 in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21759-ophiuchus.html">Ophiucus</a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/12021-hercules-star-cluster-night-sky-m13-messier.html">Hercules globular cluster (M13)</a> but I used a shorter time on the enhanced vision mode. Whilst it isn't essential to use enhanced vision to see deep sky objects, it does help in areas with strong light pollution. The telescope takes multiple exposures of four seconds each and gradually builds up a stronger image of the target object, meaning that the longer you leave it, the more detailed the image is. For objects like star clusters, a longer imaging time gives you the chance to resolve fainter stars. This also gives the telescope a chance to process the stacked images to remove some of the interference from light pollution and atmospheric disturbance.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="ZXZZvW8k9BGqoBkb7vf4KM" name="ngc-6940" alt="Open star cluster NGC 6940 in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZXZZvW8k9BGqoBkb7vf4KM.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Open star cluster NGC 6940 in Vulpecula. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 10 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Open star clusters can also be observed with a smart telescope. I spent 10 minutes imaging NGC 6940 in Vulpecula and got this beautiful wide view of scattered stars. Open star clusters are loose and irregular groups of stars that are often younger and contain fewer stars when compared to denser globular clusters.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-stars"><span>Stars</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Ux79BjNB32t7Rmshm3VeYS" name="vega" alt="Vega as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ux79BjNB32t7Rmshm3VeYS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Bright star Vega in Lyra. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 2 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Best for sensor resolution</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Yp43PLFw6sTr9TgwdLanR4" name="vespera pro deal" caption="" alt="a white, pill-shaped telescope on a tripod" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Yp43PLFw6sTr9TgwdLanR4.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Vaonis/Amazon)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">The Vaonis Vespera Pro is the best smart telescope for sensor resolution, with a huge 12.5MP sensor, which is great for expansive nebulas or star fields. It makes astrophotography simple with the intuitive Singularity app and is super simple to set up. There is also the option to get specific filters for light pollution or dual-band imaging.</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">★★★★</p></div></div><p>When using powerful optics and modern technology, it can be easy to get carried away looking for deep sky objects that often take upwards of 20 minutes to get the best detail. Stars are easily resolved within seconds and an enhanced vision time of two minutes is more than enough to show their brilliance.</p><p>Some of the brightest stars in our sky look great when imaged with a smart telescope. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21719-vega.html">Vega</a> in the constellation Lyra is the fifth brightest star in the night sky and shines blue thanks to its extremely high surface temperature. Compare that to the fourth brightest star in the night sky, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22842-arcturus.html">Arcturus</a>, which is a red giant star and appears as a distinct orange-red color because it is much cooler and older than Vega.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Y7tPQTTrcXfYjbQnY5otHM" name="arcturus" alt="The star Arcturus shining in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y7tPQTTrcXfYjbQnY5otHM.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Bright star Arcturus in Boötes. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 2 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="ySJpi5DKQBfQfxCxWhr2JM" name="tarazed" alt="The star Tarazed in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ySJpi5DKQBfQfxCxWhr2JM.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The star Tarazed in Aquila. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 2 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Minor stars are also a wonder to observe, with many of them easily resolved with a couple of minutes spent in enhanced vision mode. I observed the star Tarazed in Aquila, which forms the trio of stars that represent the head and shoulders of the 'Eagle' with the brighter <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/21746-altair.html">Altair </a>and fainter Alshain. A smart telescope is a great tool to learn more about the hidden gems and less-well-known targets in the night sky.</p><p>Thanks to the Unistellar sky catalog on the Unistellar app, there is a pre-generated list of objects that are observable in your location and sky area. This can help with knowing what objects are immediately observable in your area. This is not always fully reliable as it doesn't account for trees or buildings that can obstruct your view. I found that in city areas packed with buildings and trees, it was useful to use one of the best stargazing apps to see what objects I could potentially see without the telescope before slewing. While the "visible sky area" suggestions in the Unistellar app are a good way to get observing immediately, don't let it restrict you from other objects that you might be able to see.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-galaxies"><span>Galaxies</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="8FkwPZS6YNXBGrm3LdYVYS" name="triangulum-galaxy" alt="The Triangulum galaxy (M33) as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8FkwPZS6YNXBGrm3LdYVYS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Triangulum galaxy (M33). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 5 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The sky is full of galaxies and while they are faint and often invisible to the naked eye, a smart telescope with smart stacking makes light work of observing some very interesting characters in the cosmos.</p><p>Some resolve easier than others and galaxies are amongst some of the trickiest to photograph when you are trying to get detailed dust lanes and spiral arms. You can just about make out the outer spiral arms of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25585-triangulum-galaxy.html">Triangulum Galaxy (M33)</a>, which appeared blue when enhanced vision was used for five minutes. A longer exposure would definitely have strengthened the structure of the galaxy but for five minutes in a light-polluted area, I think this is a great result.</p><p>While not the most detailed photograph of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15590-andromeda-galaxy-m31.html">Andromeda Galaxy (M31)</a>, the Odyssey Pro sure helped with observation of our nearest large galaxy outside of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/19915-milky-way-galaxy.html">Milky Way</a>. I used enhanced vision for over an hour and you can see small semblances of dust lanes starting to develop but still very far away from the iconic images of M31 that everyone knows.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="5ZMhxYtKhTbAsXhoTbTAYS" name="andromeda-galaxy" alt="The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5ZMhxYtKhTbAsXhoTbTAYS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Andromeda galaxy (M31). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 67 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Best budget smart telescope</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="kp6GLBU7QxzmFMH9MWquY8" name="ZWO Seestar s50.jpg" caption="" alt="ZWO SeeStar S50 smart telescope on a white background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kp6GLBU7QxzmFMH9MWquY8.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ZWO)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text">If you are on a budget, you would be hard-pressed to find a better value smart telescope than the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/zwo-seestar-s50-smart-telescope-review">ZWO Seestar S50</a>. The build is solid and is incredibly portable compared to models from other brands. It comes with built-in light pollution filters and produces impressive photos of deep space objects like galaxies and nebulas.</p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">★★★★½</p></div></div><p>Like with all of the other types of deep space objects, it is also good to see the rare and lesser-known galaxies which are cast about the sky. The portion of the sky that was visible to me from my balcony and wasn't blocked by trees contained the constellation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16743-constellation-pegasus.html">Pegasus</a>.</p><p>I did a quick search for galaxies in Pegasus and quickly found them in Unistellar's sky catalog. Two standouts from this session were NGC 7331, a galaxy sometimes called the Milky Way's twin due to its similar structure, and the S-shaped galaxy NGC 7479. Whilst relatively small on the photograph, the Odyssey Pro did well at resolving details that stand out.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="fJ9xW4CNUW2Pov5Qf4k8WS" name="ngc-7331" alt="NGC 7331 (Caldwell 30) as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fJ9xW4CNUW2Pov5Qf4k8WS.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">NGC 7331 (Caldwell 30) in Pegasus is sometimes referred to as the Milky Way's twin (crop). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 18 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2134px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="BmeZ326YJoFjgQ6bUqP5HM" name="Propeller-Galaxy-(NGC-7479)" alt="NGC 7479 galaxy in the night sky as imaged by the Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BmeZ326YJoFjgQ6bUqP5HM.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2134" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">NGC 7479 galaxy in Pegasus (crop). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Enhanced Vision time: 27 minutes | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Depending on the field of view of your smart telescope, some users may find that some galaxies appear too small for their astrophotography goals and it often seems that when using enhanced vision, these galaxies reach a peak at around 20-30 minutes.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-the-moon-and-the-planets"><span>The moon and the planets</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="UmxFcSXfSinuwPeq6Mj8XS" name="crescent-moon" alt="The crescent moon as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UmxFcSXfSinuwPeq6Mj8XS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Waning crescent moon. Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Exposure time: 110milliseconds | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Unistellar's enhanced vision uses different algorithms for different targets to get the best observation results. Planetary and lunar observations are made up of a series of rapid exposures that are discarded if blurry or disturbed, with only the best frames being used to make up the image you are seeing.</p><p>Whilst the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html">moon</a> might not be that hard to see in a light-polluted area, capturing it on a smart telescope is still impressive. Capturing the moon in any phase on a smart telescope makes identifying lunar features super easy and if you are lucky enough to live somewhere with an abundance of clear skies, a smart telescope makes it easy to get a detailed shot of every phase of the moon as it progresses through the month.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="dEBiJEgLMYVQwP7qHcPTTS" name="saturn" alt="Saturn as imaged from a Unistellar Odyssey Pro." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dEBiJEgLMYVQwP7qHcPTTS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Saturn (crop). Shot with Unistellar Odyssey Pro | Exposure time: 2 seconds | Bortle class 7. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Another great observation I made with the Odyssey Pro was <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html">Saturn</a>. Yes, it is quite low-resolution but how cool is it to see the iconic planet and its rings from a city sky? If you are after a telescope to get better images of Saturn and our other solar system neighbors, check out our guide to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-telescopes-for-seeing-planets">best telescopes for seeing planets.</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-tips-to-make-the-most-of-your-observation"><span>Tips to make the most of your observation</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="fVvQFSnepEubtKZHvDvtXS" name="telescope-in-a-city" alt="The Unistellar Odyssey Pro Red smart telescope pointing at the sky with bright streetlights and car headlights below it." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fVvQFSnepEubtKZHvDvtXS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Unistellar Odyssey Pro can easily be set up on a balcony, deck or in a backyard where there is at least a portion of the sky visible. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)</span></figcaption></figure><ul><li><strong>Use a stargazing app</strong></li><li><strong>Be open-minded about which observation targets you choose</strong></li><li><strong>Let your telescope thermalize for 30 minutes before observing</strong></li></ul><p>To make the most out of stargazing in a city with a smart telescope, there are some important things to remember. As your visible sky area may be limited by buildings and trees in a city center locality, make sure to use a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-stargazing-apps">stargazing app</a> to work out what targets you will actually be able to see.<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-stargazing-apps"> </a>Some smart telescope apps like Unistellar also have a tag on their catalog that you can select to only show you things you can see in a certain location.</p><p>You should try to be open-minded with observation targets when observing from a city. You might not be able to see one of your favorite deep-sky targets from your location but there will be plenty of objects in your restricted visible sky area. It gives you a chance to see less well-known targets that you may not have seen otherwise.</p><p>Before starting any serious observations or astrophotography, you should let the telescope thermalize for 30 minutes beforehand. Thermalizing is the process of allowing the telescope and its components to reach the same temperature as the space where you will be observing. This process is much more important during winter observations but it is a good habit for any telescope user. Allowing the telescope to reach the same temperature as the observation location prevents thermal distortion and improves image focus.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/i-beat-light-pollution-with-this-smart-telescope-everything-i-saw-in-the-night-sky-from-a-city-center</link>
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<![CDATA[ Don't let light pollution put you off stargazing or astrophotography, I managed to see galaxies, nebulas and star clusters all in Bortle 7 and 8 class night skies. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Bennett ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/osMHBEifZDqBWFcWuTgGYS-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Harry Bennett / Future]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A man with long hair stood next to a bright window and red smart telescope at night whilst looking at a smartphone.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A man with long hair stood next to a bright window and red smart telescope at night whilst looking at a smartphone.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Hubble telescope spies glowing galaxy in a cosmic 'Crane' | Space photo of the day for Sept. 11, 2025 ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The spiral galaxy NGC 7456 may appear like other whirling star systems in our universe. But, as a new image from the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15892-hubble-space-telescope.html">Hubble Space Telescope</a> reveals, there is far more going on in this galaxy than meets the eye. Behind the patchy spiral arms and glowing clouds of gas lie <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-ngc-604-image-star-forming-region">star-forming areas </a>and a very active galactic core.</p><h2 id="what-is-it-7">What is it?</h2><p>The recent image brings the fine details of NGC 7456 into focus, including its spiral arms, which are rich with dust that obscure the stars behind them. The pink areas are regions of gas where new stars are starting to form. As the gas responds to the flood of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/5827-yin-yang-ultraviolet-radiation.html">ultraviolet light </a>from these young stars, it glows a signature red that astronomers use to track <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/black-holes/black-holes-can-squash-star-formation-james-webb-space-telescope-finds">star formation. </a></p><h2 id="where-is-it-7">Where is it?</h2><p>Spiral galaxy NGC 7456 is located more than 51 million <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/light-year.html">light-years</a> away in the constellation <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/hubble-space-telescope-photo-grus-galaxy">Grus</a>, the Crane.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YBBJKWYXrZTRytDJ4nEvmE" name="A_galaxy_with_lots_to_see-spiral galaxy-NGC 7456" alt="A glowing spiral galaxy is full of white, yellow and blue light with bursts of pink around the edges." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YBBJKWYXrZTRytDJ4nEvmE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The spiral galaxy is full of areas of star formation. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="why-is-it-amazing-7">Why is it amazing?</h2><p>NGC 7456 can act as a cosmic laboratory of sorts for astronomers to track how stars form. By studying these areas, scientists gain insights into how galaxies recycle gas into new generations of stars and planets.</p><p>Beyond this, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22562-european-space-agency.html">European Space Agency</a>'s XMM-<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/41346-xmm-newton-telescope.html">Newton X-Ray observatory</a> also studied this spiral galaxy repeatedly and found mysterious regions known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/34459-mystery-x-ray-blasts-may-reveal-new-stellar-objects.html">ultraluminous X-ray sources</a> (ULXs). These compact objects emit far more X-rays than expected for their size. The precise physics behind ULXs remains one of astronomy's enduring puzzles, and each galaxy that hosts them, including NGC 7456, can provide key clues.</p><h2 id="want-to-learn-more-7">Want to learn more?</h2><p>You can read more about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22382-spiral-galaxy.html">spiral galaxies </a>and<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39265-x-ray-perseus-cluster-dark-matter.html"> X-ray emission. </a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/hubble-telescope-spies-glowing-galaxy-in-a-cosmic-crane-space-photo-of-the-day-for-sept-11-2025</link>
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<![CDATA[ Though NGC 7456 looks like a modest spiral galaxy, new Hubble and XMM-Newton observations reveal a bustling system with star-forming regions and an active core. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kenna Hughes-Castleberry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YBBJKWYXrZTRytDJ4nEvmE-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A glowing spiral galaxy is full of white, yellow and blue light with bursts of pink around the edges. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A glowing spiral galaxy is full of white, yellow and blue light with bursts of pink around the edges. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Did NASA's Perseverance rover actually find evidence of life on Mars? We need to haul its samples home to find out, scientists say ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A potentially huge discovery by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover will likely remain in scientific limbo for years to come.</p><p>On Wednesday (Sept. 10), the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-rover-mars-2020-mission">Perseverance</a> team announced it <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-find-evidence-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens">found possible biosignatures</a> in pieces of a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Mars</a> rock called "Cheyava Falls" that the rover first studied last year. Those intriguing chemical fingerprints include the iron-containing minerals vivianite and greigite, which Perseverance spotted in the clay-rich sediments of a long-dry lakebed.</p><p>"The combination of these minerals, which appear to have formed by electron-transfer reactions between the sediment and organic matter, is a potential fingerprint for microbial life, which would use these reactions to produce energy for growth," NASA officials said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/" target="_blank">statement on Wednesday</a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="oXJHGYfackHAU96DCknSwe" name="mars-biosignature-evidence-cheyava-falls" alt="A mars rover with an inset showing a close up of mars rocks" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oXJHGYfackHAU96DCknSwe.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1280" height="720" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Perseverance and its latest find. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)</span></figcaption></figure><p>But ancient Red Planet microbes aren't the only explanation for the vivianite and greigite; they can also form via geological processes, Perseverance team members stressed. And the rover alone likely won't be able to tease out whether or not they truly are a sign of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17135-life-on-mars.html">Mars life</a>.</p><p>"We basically threw the entire rover science payload at this rock," Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist at NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16952-nasa-jet-propulsion-laboratory.html">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> in Southern California, said during a press conference on Wednesday. "And so we're pretty close to the limits of what the rover can do on the surface in terms of making progress on that particular question."</p><p>NASA expected Perseverance to run into this wall, so they designed the mission as a sample-return effort: Since it touched down inside Mars' 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) Jezero Crater in February 2021, the rover has been collecting Red Planet rock and dirt and sealing the samples up in cigar-sized tubes.</p><p>The plan has long been to haul about 30 of these tubes back to Earth, where they would be studied in far greater detail than Perseverance can achieve with its limited instrument suite — a point Stack Morgan brought up on Wednesday.</p><p>"The payload of the Perseverance rover was selected with a Mars sample-return effort in mind," she said. "The idea was for our payload to get us just up to the 'potential biosignature' designation and have the rest of the story told by instruments here on Earth."</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_paQ9AzjC_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="paQ9AzjC"> <div id="botr_paQ9AzjC_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>But the prospects for getting that Mars material to our planet have grown dimmer over the past few years thanks to delays, cost overruns, project redesigns and budget decisions.</p><p>The original plan was a joint NASA-<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22562-european-space-agency.html">European Space Agency</a> campaign with a total maximum price tag of around $3 billion (as estimated in July 2020). The goal was to get Perseverance's collected material to Earth by 2033.</p><p>By 2023, however, the projected cost of Mars Sample Return (MSR) had ballooned to between $8 billion and $11 billion, and the samples' expected arrival on Earth had slipped to 2040 or so.</p><p>This was unacceptable to the top NASA brass. In April 2024, Bill Nelson, the agency's chief at the time, announced NASA would <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-revamp-mars-sample-return-plan">overhaul the MSR strategy</a> after incorporating <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-mars-sample-return-alternative-methods">new ideas</a> proposed by agency research centers, academia and private industry.</p><p>By early January of this year, NASA had narrowed its options down to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/nasa-wont-decide-on-mars-sample-return-plan-until-mid-2026">two potential architectures</a>. One would use an agency-developed "sky crane" to get the MSR lander down on Mars, while the other would rely on a commercially provided landing system. (The MSR lander would sport a rocket that launches Perseverance's samples off the Red Planet's surface.)</p><p>Option 1 would likely cost between $6.6 billion and $7.7 billion, while Option 2 would be slightly cheaper, falling between $5.8 billion and $7.1 billion. Both could end up getting the samples to Earth by 2035, if all goes according to plan, Nelson said.</p><p>NASA planned to choose between these two alternatives by mid-2026 — but that does not appear to be in the cards anymore.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_i0EGl7k9_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="i0EGl7k9"> <div id="botr_i0EGl7k9_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-mars-sample-return-alternative-methods">NASA wants new ideas for its troubled Mars Sample Return mission</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-mars-rover-sample-return">Perseverance rover's Mars samples must be brought back to Earth, scientists stress</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/mars-rovers/the-trump-administration-wants-to-cancel-nasas-mars-sample-return-mission-experts-say-thats-a-major-step-back">Trump's 2026 budget plan would cancel NASA's Mars Sample Return mission. Experts say that's a 'major step back'</a></p></div></div><p>President Donald Trump's proposed 2026 federal budget <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trump-administration-proposes-slashing-nasa-budget-by-24-percent">slashes NASA's overall funding by 24%</a> next year and reduces the agency's science funding by nearly half. Those cuts, if enacted, will result in the cancellation of dozens of missions — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/mars-rovers/the-trump-administration-wants-to-cancel-nasas-mars-sample-return-mission-experts-say-thats-a-major-step-back">including Mars Sample Return</a>.</p><p>However, that doesn't mean Perseverance's samples will be stuck on the Red Planet forever, NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said during Wednesday's Perseverance press conference.</p><p>"Because we care about resources and we care about the time frame, we believe there's a better way to do this, a faster way to get these samples back, and so that is the analysis that we've gone through," Duffy said. "Can we do it faster? Can we do it cheaper? And we think we can."</p><p>He didn't provide details about these better options during the press conference. It's worth noting, however, that both <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/rocket-lab-mars-sample-return-proposal-nasa">Rocket Lab</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/could-nasas-mars-sample-return-be-saved-new-usd3-billion-private-plan-would-haul-home-red-planet-rocks-video">Lockheed Martin</a> have proposed cost-efficient private MSR missions. And SpaceX would certainly offer the services of its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html">Starship</a> megarocket, which the company is developing to help humanity settle Mars, among other tasks.</p><p>Speed may be of the essence to Duffy and other Trump administration officials, who have said the U.S. intends to land astronauts on the moon again before China does. There is also an MSR race afoot, as China plans to launch its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/china-tianwen-2-mars-sample-return-mission-2028">Tianwen 3 mission</a> to the Red Planet in 2028 and get its collected samples home as soon as 2031.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-actually-find-evidence-of-life-on-mars-we-need-to-haul-its-samples-home-to-find-out-scientists-say</link>
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<![CDATA[ We'll likely need to get Perseverance's samples to Earth to determine if they do indeed harbor evidence of Mars life —but the prospects of such a mission are cloudy at best. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Mars]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TAdaVAkHPhPbicym76RrpM-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A closeup of "leopard spots" on Mars seen by the Perseverance rover.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A closeup of "leopard spots" on Mars seen by the Perseverance rover.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Russian Soyuz rocket launches robotic Progress cargo ship with 2.8 tons of supplies toward the ISS ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_hXATxwTo_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="hXATxwTo"> <div id="botr_hXATxwTo_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>A Russian Progress freighter launched toward the International Space Station today (Sept. 11) on a mission to deliver several tons of cargo for the station's astronaut crew.</p><p>A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40282-soyuz-rocket.html">Soyuz</a> rocket lifted off from the Russia-run <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33947-baikonur-cosmodrome.html">Baikonur Cosmodrome</a> in Kazakhstan today at<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html"> </a>11:54 a.m. EDT (1554 GMT; 8:54 p.m. local time in Kazakhstan), sending the robotic Progress 93 freighter into orbit.</p><p>Following a nominal liftoff, Soyuz jettisoned its side boosters 1 minute 58 seconds into flight. The rocket's primary booster burned for just under 3 more minutes and then performed a successful separation from the launch vehicle's upper stage, which completed the spacecraft's orbital insertion.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.15%;"><img id="sbXLJm3mwPHxAg6rUhRGeS" name="1757525297.jpg" alt="a gray spacecraft is seen docked to the international space station" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sbXLJm3mwPHxAg6rUhRGeS.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1078" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Russia's Progress 92 cargo craft is pictured docked to the International Space Station's Poisk module after delivering about three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 73 crew on July 5, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Progress 93 is slated to dock with the station's Zvezda service module, delivering 2.8 tons of food, propellant and other supplies to the astronauts of the current Expedition 73 mission on the ISS, according to a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/09/08/station-gets-ready-for-two-cargo-missions-launching-days-apart/" target="_blank">NASA update</a>. Docking is scheduled to occur on Saturday (Sept. 13) at 1:27 p.m. EDT (1727 GMT).</p><p>A broadcast of the rendezvous will be available live; NASA's coverage of that event will begin at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) on Saturday.</p><p>Progress 93 will stay docked with the ISS for about six months. It will then depart loaded with astronaut trash, which will burn up, along with the freighter, in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html">Earth's atmosphere.</a></p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/international-space-station-astronaut-russian-cargo-ship-reentry-photos">ISS astronauts watch Russian cargo ship burn up in Earth's atmosphere (photos)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/32645-progress-spacecraft.html">Facts about Russia's Progress cargo ship</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22724-roscosmos.html">Roscosmos: Russia's space agency</a></p></div></div><p>Today's launch will be followed in relatively short order by that of another freighter — Northrup Grumman's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/cygnus-spacecraft.html">Cygnus</a> vehicle and the NG-23 mission, which will lift off atop a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a> Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday (Sept. 14) at 6:11 p.m. EDT (2211 GMT). You can watch that when the time comes as well.</p><p>Like Progress, Cygnus is designed for one-time use. But the other currently operational ISS cargo craft, SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18852-spacex-dragon.html">Dragon</a>, is different: At the end of each mission, it splashes down in the ocean under parachutes for recovery and reuse.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russia-progress-93-cargo-spacecraft-iss</link>
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<![CDATA[ Russian Progress 93 freighter launched toward the International Space Station on the MS-32 mission today (Sept. 11), loaded with 2.8 tons of cargo for the station's astronaut crew. ]]>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qgaHz89WvdbRS2t66i9SqC-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Russian Soyuz rocket with Progress 93 cargo craft launches from Kazakhstan Sept. 11, 2025.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Russian Soyuz rocket with Progress 93 cargo craft launches from Kazakhstan Sept. 11, 2025.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ 'Destiny 2' meets 'Star Wars' in ‘Renegades’ expansion, adding blasters, lightsabers, and a wretched hive of scum and villainy (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DuJXqw4xgCc" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>Earlier this year, we learned <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/destiny-2-is-getting-four-new-expansions-including-a-star-wars-crossover-that-adds-lightsabers-and-blasters"><strong>Destiny 2 was getting new updates beyond</strong></a> 2024’s <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/destiny-2-the-final-shape-everything-we-know"><strong>The Final Shape</strong></a>, despite shakeups at the studio, including the delay of the upcoming <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/marathon-release-date-trailers-and-everything-we-know-about-bungies-extraction-shooter"><strong>Marathon reboot</strong></a>. This summer, The Edge of Fate kicked off a mysterious new storyline, and now we know the surprising collaboration with<strong> </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-movies-in-order"><strong>Star Wars</strong></a> titled Renegades isn’t a non-canon cosmetic content drop.</p><p><strong>The new expansion will be released on December 2, 2025, for PC, PS4/5, and Xbox consoles. </strong>To fully unveil what’s included in this new content pack, Bungie gave fans an in-depth look at Renegades’ Lawless Frontier on September 9 with a 10-minute documentary.</p><p>The latest press release confirms “Guardians will experience becoming part of a crew of underdogs rising to challenge a powerful Cabal faction, the Barant Imperium, whom the Drifter suspects have a connection to the Nine.” This means Renegades is a direct canon continuation of plot threads established in The Edge of Fate instead of an IP-centric what-if scenario connecting the Destiny 2 universe to Star Wars. Expects many nods, though.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="74HibWPigV5aofotGidLum" name="D2Renegades_Tharsis" alt="Destiny 2 Renegades screenshot showing the new cantina-inspired area" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/74HibWPigV5aofotGidLum.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Bungie)</span></figcaption></figure><p>For starters, the Lawless Frontier mode is an all-new co-op experience in which Guardians “take on high-risk, high-reward jobs to complete contracts – smuggling, bounty hunting, and sabotage – either solo or with a fireteam.”</p><p>These missions take players to three planets (with six maps) inspired by Star Wars locations like Hoth or Tatooine. Of course, with a strong focus on the criminal underworld of the Destiny 2 universe, the ‘Invasion’ feature exclusive to this mode doesn’t come as a surprise: The most daring Guardians will be able to gain better rewards by allowing enemy players to invade their Lawless Frontier matches.</p><p>Other Star Wars-inspired elements include Tharsis Outpost, a social hub that’s pretty much the Mos Eisley cantina we all know and love, the Blaster weapon type (sound FX included), <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lightsabers"><strong>lightsabers</strong></a> (Destiny 2 already has swords, so of course we’re getting them), and all sorts of cosmetics that feel brought over from the galaxy far, far away. Even the usual alien troops are getting makeovers that fit the familiar-yet-new locales.</p><p><em><strong>Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate and Renegades</strong></em><strong> are part of the </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.destinythegame.com/en/YearOfProphecy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u><strong>Year of Prophecy</strong></u></a><strong> pass, but can also be purchased separately. </strong><em><strong>Renegades </strong></em><strong>pre-orders include, among other things, an </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://bsky.app/profile/destinythegame.bungie.net/post/3lygmfdlhd22f" target="_blank"><u><strong>X-Wing exotic ship</strong></u></a><strong>.</strong></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games/destiny-2-meets-star-wars-in-renegades-expansion-adding-blasters-lightsabers-and-a-wretched-hive-of-scum-and-villainy-video</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Destiny 2’s next chapter is bringing in themes and elements from a galaxy far, far away without breaking the canon. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:57:27 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Games]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Fran Ruiz ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SzgMCNP7rZg2jK8SVNWHum-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Bungie]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Destiny 2 Renegades key artwork showing a Star Wars movie poster-style arrangement of Destiny characters.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Destiny 2 Renegades key artwork showing a Star Wars movie poster-style arrangement of Destiny characters.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX buys $17 billion worth of satellite spectrum to beef up Starlink broadband service ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>SpaceX has bought $17 billion worth of satellite spectrum from debt-ridden operator EchoStar to enhance Starlink direct-to-cell phone performance.</p><p>The sale ends EchoStar's plans to build its own constellation in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit">low Earth orbit</a> (LEO) that would beam 5G connectivity directly to smartphone users in under-connected areas on Earth. The company, founded in 1980, operates a fleet of 10 geostationary satellites, offering internet broadband via satellite as well as satellite TV broadcasting.</p><p>EchoStar's business, however, has been suffering for years due to declining consumer interest, especially as it has faced competition from fast-growing LEO constellations, such as SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html">Starlink</a>, which provide better throughput and lower latencies. Since May, questions have swirled around EchoStar's financial health after the company failed to pay $326 million in interest on its debt.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_OvwJcA4s_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="OvwJcA4s"> <div id="botr_OvwJcA4s_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>The deal with Starlink will ease the financial burden while enabling EchoStar to integrate Starlink's direct-to-device coverage into its offering.</p><p>"For the past decade, we've acquired spectrum and facilitated worldwide 5G spectrum standards and devices, all with the foresight that direct-to-cell connectivity via <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/24839-satellites.html">satellite</a> would change the way the world communicates," Hamid Akhavan, president and CEO of EchoStar, said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/echostar-announces-spectrum-sale-and-commercial-agreement-with-spacex-302548650.html" target="_blank">in a statement</a>.</p><p>"This transaction with SpaceX continues our legacy of putting the customer first as it allows for the combination of AWS-4 and H-block spectrum from EchoStar with the rocket launch and satellite capabilities from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a> to realize the direct-to-cell vision in a more innovative, economical and faster way for consumers worldwide," Akhavan added.</p><p>Starlink launched its <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-direct-to-cell-satellites-light-pollution">direct-to-device service</a> in 2024, enabling users in remote locations to send text messages via its ever-growing satellite network. The EchoStar spectrum covers the so-called H block part of the Advanced Wireless Services spectrum at frequencies between 1915-1920 megahertz (MHz), which is used for 4G and 5G mobile voice and data transmission.</p><p>SpaceX will pay $8.5 billion in cash for the spectrum licenses plus another $8.5 billion in SpaceX stock.</p><p>For SpaceX, the spectrum purchase means more capacity on its direct-to-cell satellites, further enabling broadband data access to cell phones in the future. The company estimates the new spectrum could increase the throughput of the next-generation satellites up to 20 times compared to the generation in orbit right now.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html">Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-20-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-from-california">SpaceX completes 1st Starlink direct-to-cell constellation with launch from California (video)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-analyze-76-million-radio-telescope-images-find-starlink-satellite-interference-where-no-signals-are-supposed-to-be-present">Scientists analyze 76 million radio telescope images, find Starlink satellite interference 'where no signals are supposed to be present'</a></p></div></div><p>"We're so pleased to be doing this transaction with EchoStar as it will advance our mission to end mobile dead zones around the world," Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.</p><p>"SpaceX's first-generation Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities have already connected millions of people when they needed it most — during natural disasters so they could contact emergency responders and loved ones — or when they would have previously been off the grid," she added. "In this next chapter, with exclusive spectrum, SpaceX will develop next-generation Starlink direct-to-cell satellites, which will have a step change in performance and enable us to enhance coverage for customers wherever they are in the world."</p><p>The deal also ended the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's investigation into EchoStar's use of the allocated spectrum, which had previously been questioned by SpaceX. In August, EchoStar agreed to a $23 billion sale of 50 MHz of terrestrial mobile spectrum to telecommunications giant AT&T.</p><div style="min-height: 1300px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-eM3blO"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/eM3blO.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/spacex-buys-usd17-billion-worth-of-satellite-spectrum-to-beef-up-starlink-broadband-service</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX just bought $17 billion worth of satellite spectrum from debt-ridden operator EchoStar to enhance Starlink direct-to-cell phone connectivity. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ tereza.pultarova@futurenet.com (Tereza Pultarova) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tereza Pultarova ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QDDWjSEmxw8CXy24wo4sMd-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
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<title><![CDATA[ Sci-fi is the genre of ideas — it shouldn't just be about big budgets and spectacular visuals ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>"You're gonna need a bigger TV." That was my initial response to the very first episode of "Foundation" back in 2021. The big-budget adaptation of Isaac Asimov's novels (which has just returned to Apple TV+) delivered space opera sequences on a truly epic scale, and was visually ambitious in a way no sci-fi show would — or even could — have attempted just a decade ago.</p><p>In fact, it's not that long since describing a TV show as "cinematic" felt like the ultimate compliment, reserved for the blockbuster likes of "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld". But as streaming has evolved into the dominant species in the TV ecosystem, cinema-quality production values have become the norm.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.disneyplus.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Disney+</strong></a>'s ever-expanding stable of "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-wars-tv-shows-ranked-worst-to-best"><strong>Star Wars</strong></a>" and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/marvel-tv-shows-ranked-worst-to-best"><strong>Marvel TV series</strong></a> are effectively movies cut into bite-sized chunks, while Amazon has spent enough money on "The Rings of Power" to make Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy look like the plucky little indie that could. Even British sci-fi institution "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/watch-new-doctor-who-online-ncuti-gatwa"><strong>Doctor Who</strong></a>" — a show that was, for much of its lifetime, synonymous with rubber masks and plasterboard sets — has joined forces with Disney to make the TARDIS feel bigger on the inside <em>and</em> the outside.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="Gw2fK6yFgGEXp3XtgfjRNE" name="Foundation_Photo_030607" alt="a group of people in dark clothing stand in a dimly-lit room looking up at a holographic floating model of a galaxy" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Gw2fK6yFgGEXp3XtgfjRNE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1081" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Apple TV+)</span></figcaption></figure><p>I wonder, though, if the current obsession with making every sci-fi TV show look like a blockbuster has gotten in the way of what <em>should</em> make the genre great: compelling stories and massive, thought-provoking ideas.</p><p>Of course, many of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-sci-fi-movies"><strong>greatest sci-fi movies of all time</strong></a> have been built — at least in part — on groundbreaking VFX. It's hard to imagine the original "Star Wars" breaking box office records if Industrial Light & Magic hadn't made X-Wing vs TIE Fighter dogfights look like the coolest thing in the galaxy, while "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/blade-runner-streaming-guide-watch-online"><strong>Blade Runner</strong></a>" would never become a genre touchstone without its spectacular futuristic cityscape. The biggest talking points coming out of both "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-terminator-movies-in-order"><strong>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</strong></a>" and "Jurassic Park" were the groundbreaking computer-generated effects that felt like our first glimpse of an exciting new frontier.</p><p>But in all of those films, the effects were simply the icing on the cake — there to augment an already-impressive product (the stories) — rather than the films' reason to exist. It's also noteworthy that none of these classics go overboard on the VFX shots, in stark contrast to modern blockbusters, where elaborate and overstretched CG sequences often exist for their own sake. (Hollywood doesn't seem to have realized that making shorter movies would be an excellent way to shave some dollars off the bottom line.)</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1698px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:52.06%;"><img id="EUqisCgL9D9cmcFBHGLmwC" name="blade runner 3.jpg" alt="Blade Runner" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EUqisCgL9D9cmcFBHGLmwC.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1698" height="884" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Warner Bros.)</span></figcaption></figure><p>But while eye-popping visuals undoubtedly require great stories, the opposite isn't necessarily true. History is packed with amazing sci-fi films that dare to explore strange new worlds without spending tens of millions of dollars on window-dressing — and they don't necessarily have to sacrifice production values to do it.</p><p>Duncan Jones' "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/16-years-before-mickey-17s-mission-to-the-stars-2009s-moon-was-already-sending-in-the-clones"><strong>Moon</strong></a>" used its claustrophobic set, painstakingly crafted model work, and its brilliant two-hander between Sam Rockwell and Sam Rockwell to tell a compelling tale of isolation and betrayal. Vincenzo Natali's "Cube", meanwhile, redressed a simple set again and again to create the illusion of a labyrinth of lethal traps. In other words, resorting to "Dark Star"-style beach ball aliens is not the only option for cash-strapped auteurs.</p><p>Television, meanwhile — historically the big screen's poor relation — has more often than not had to make less look like more. Even the biggest hitters in sci-fi had to mix things up when churning out 20-plus episodes per year was the norm, inserting the occasional "bottle episode" (small cast, limited locations, go easy on the VFX) to save money for something awesome elsewhere.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="JdX3kJgeJehthFavRGNEFZ" name="Moon_Sony Picture Classics.jpg" alt="Moon_Sony Picture Classics" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JdX3kJgeJehthFavRGNEFZ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Sony Picture Classics)</span></figcaption></figure><p>So while "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-star-trek-the-next-generation-episodes"><strong>Star Trek: The Next Generation</strong></a>" was once the flagship of small-screen space opera, even the episodes you remember as action-heavy (Borg classic "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/the-best-of-both-worlds-at-35-why-were-still-assimilated-by-star-treks-greatest-ever-cliffhanger"><strong>The Best of Both Worlds</strong></a>", for example) confine most of the action to starship interiors. Some of the show's most beloved episodes — such as "The Inner Light", in which Captain Picard lives a whole life in 25 minutes, <em>and</em> learns to play the flute — keep the sci-fi razzle-dazzle to an absolute minimum.</p><p>"TNG" was never alone. All-time classic "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/battlestar-galactica-at-20-the-show-that-reinvented-space-opera"><strong>Battlestar Galactica</strong></a>" also had a knack of saving its cash for those big moments, while the 70s/'80s Brit hit "Blake's 7" never let its infamously wobbly sets stand in the way of classic status. Interstellar sitcom "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/red-dwarf-10-ways-the-brit-sci-fi-sitcom-proved-it-was-as-smart-as-star-trek"><strong>Red Dwarf</strong></a>" has delivered many of its best moments from the confines of a TV studio, often in front of a live studio audience.</p><p>The question is, now that <em>everything</em> looks like a blockbuster movie — and anything a writer can imagine can be realized on screen — can we ever go back to the old days? Has this embarrassment of visual riches guaranteed that any story told on a smaller canvas is doomed to feel unambitious in comparison?</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1438px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="JDzA6dpo6KHzqiUuPcUQQK" name="the-best-of-both-worlds-part-two-hd-017" alt="Screenshot from Star Trek: The Next Generation two-part episode, "The Best of Both Worlds"" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JDzA6dpo6KHzqiUuPcUQQK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1438" height="809" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Paramount)</span></figcaption></figure><p>"Doctor Who" showrunner Russell T Davies was clearly considering this question before returning to the show in 2023, armed with a bigger budget after Disney+ signed up as the BBC's production partner.</p><p>"Even before they approached me [to return as showrunner], I had already said in various interviews, 'I think "Doctor Who" would have to become a co-production, there's no way the BBC is going to fund that'," he told the Firecrotch & Normcore: They Like to Watch podcast in 2024 (via <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-bbc-russell-t-davies-disney-plus-newsupdate/" target="_blank"><strong>Radio Times</strong></a>).<strong> </strong>He added that it would be a "real shame" if the show wasn't among the "big hitters" of sci-fi TV, and what he said next was particularly interesting — especially now, with the show's future uncertain after the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/doctor-who-finale-sees-ncuti-gatwas-15th-doctor-regenerate-into-a-very-familiar-face-but-what-does-it-mean-for-the-show"><strong>recent season 2 (41 if you're old school) finale</strong></a>.</p><p>"If Disney collapsed tomorrow and we had to go back to making 'Doctor Who' on a normal BBC budget, we'd all rally round and make it, and suddenly stories would become claustrophobic ghost stories, and a lot of people would like that very much. So I'm not saying you have to have [the move to more effects-heavy episodes] happen, but while it's happening elsewhere, I think it's unfair that it doesn't happen to 'Doctor Who', and it does open up stories that are now sometimes on a vast scale."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ceMfDXZuPwka4xYiHxVTyg" name="doctorwho-73yards-6.jpg" alt="Scenes from Doctor Who episode 4 "73 Yards."" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ceMfDXZuPwka4xYiHxVTyg.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Disney Plus/BBC)</span></figcaption></figure><p>As much as I love watching spaceships performing tricks no one has seen before — giving me an excuse to buy that bigger TV — my favorite episode of the Ncuti Gatwa era was the comparatively low-key "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/doctor-who-73-yards-old-woman-following-ruby-explained"><strong>73 Yards</strong></a>", an ingenious slice of folk horror that could have been told at any point in the show's history. I'm also a big fan of Tenth Doctor episode "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/the-new-doctor-who-episode-the-well-is-actually-a-sequel-to-a-david-tennant-classic"><strong>Midnight</strong></a>", in which an unseen monster (one of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/doctor-who-villains-ranked-worst-to-best"><strong>best "Doctor Who" villains</strong></a>) terrorizes people trapped in a single claustrophobic set. Does "Doctor Who" even need to compete with "Star Wars", Marvel, and "Stranger Things" for scale? Or would it be better served by prioritising the format's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/you-dont-need-to-like-every-episode-of-doctor-who-in-fact-its-probably-a-good-thing-if-you-dont"><strong>versatility and perpetual capacity for reinvention</strong></a>? The latter feels like a more Doctor-appropriate response to the challenge.</p><p>None of this is to say that you can't have both. Exceptional shows like Alien: Earth, Foundation, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/forget-darth-vader-and-the-emperor-the-empire-has-never-been-scarier-than-in-andor-season-2"><strong>Andor</strong></a> have shown that you can have amazing sci-fi TV with movie-level visuals, but none of those shows are great because of their visuals; they’ve captured our imaginations with memorable characters, strong writing, and powerful ideas.</p><p>But, rewatching "Jaws" for its recent 50th anniversary is a reminder of how an infamously temperamental shark prop resulted in a better movie, as — necessity being the mother of invention — Steven Spielberg improvised numerous ingenious workarounds to scare the hell out of us. Even in 2025, when photoreal CG is practically the standard, the stuff you <em>don't</em> see remains much scarier than the stuff you do. Leaving your mind to fill in the blanks — whether it's with a lethal monster or a stunning alien vista — can be much more powerful than anything you see on screen. It's a trick books have been pulling off pretty well for centuries.</p><p><strong>There is a wealth of great sci-fi shows out there right now, including Foundation, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Alien Earth. These shows can be found on Apple TV+, Paramount+, and Hulu/Disney+ respectively</strong></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/sci-fi-is-the-genre-of-ideas-it-shouldnt-just-be-about-big-budgets-and-spectacular-visuals</link>
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<![CDATA[ In an era when TV shows look like movies, have we lost sight of what should make sci-fi great? ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Space Movies & Shows]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Richard Edwards ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bjkbP2QWGkpF7QJiWzjCnA-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[BBC]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Doctor Who Season 2]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Doctor Who Season 2]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Watch voice cast of Disney's 'Elio' learn about Voyager probe's Golden Record in charming new bonus clip (video) ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_YnFZrhde_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="YnFZrhde"> <div id="botr_YnFZrhde_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"Elio," Disney and Pixar's family-certified outer space adventure that launched in theaters this past summer arrived on all digital platforms back on Aug. 19, 2025, and now it's primed to blast off into your living rooms with its official 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on Sept. 9, 2025.</p><p>This newest offering from the House of Mouse and its award-winning animation studio, Pixar, revolves around an alien-obsessed, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/nerds-are-cool-pixars-elio-is-a-powerful-story-of-finding-yourself-amongst-the-stars-interview">space-loving kid named Elio Solis</a> who is abruptly abducted into the cosmos to serve as Earth's reluctant ambassador to an interplanetary institution called the Communiverse. While attempting to help calm a galactic political storm, Elio encounters an eclectic bunch of alien friends and foes he must make connections with to save Earth.</p><p>To herald "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/pixar-elio-trailer-earth-leader">Elio's</a>" arrival on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/entertainment/pixars-elio-stars-get-space-food-tips-from-a-real-life-astronaut-in-this-exclusive-bonus-clip-video">home video</a>, we've got a fun clip to share taken from the set’s bonus features titled "Out of this World: An Astro Q&A – The Golden Record & SETI," with NASA astronaut Dr. Kjell L. Lindgren teaching the main vocal cast about the historic <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17688-voyager-1.html">Voyager probe</a>, and Dr. Jill Tarter of SETI explaining what SETI, her international alien-searching society, is all about.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.20%;"><img id="Kz7JoBGJg8M9gTgroZGJw5" name="elio" alt="an animated boy in a cosmic whirlpool with aliens" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kz7JoBGJg8M9gTgroZGJw5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="3000" height="1686" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">"Elio" emerges on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on Sept. 9, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Disney/Pixar)</span></figcaption></figure><p>In addition to a gag reel, commentaries, interviews, and deleted scenes, "Elio's" digital and physical media launch are packed with featurettes like: "Inside the Communiverse: The World and Characters of Elio;" "Out of This World: An Astro Q&A;" "Astronomic Art Class: Ooooo and Glordon;" Extraterrestrial Easter Eggs and Fun Facts, and more. The 4K UHD will also be sold fortified inside a limited-edition SteelBook case with special space-themed artwork.</p><p>Hitting home video in multiple formats on Sept. 9, 2025, "Elio" features an exceptional vocal cast that includes Yonas Kibreab (Elio), Remy Edgerly (Glordon), Zoe Saldaña (Aunt Olga), Jameela Jamil (Ambassador Questa), Brad Garrett (Ambassador Grigon), and Shirley Henderson (OOOOO).</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="637377b5-d9b6-4a56-a39f-1927abe75338" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="When a young boy named Elio is mistaken for Earth's leader, he is thrust into an intergalactic crisis alongside a menagerie of aliens who help him discover who and where he's truly meant to be." data-dimension48="When a young boy named Elio is mistaken for Earth's leader, he is thrust into an intergalactic crisis alongside a menagerie of aliens who help him discover who and where he's truly meant to be." data-dimension25="$35.40" href="https://www.amazon.com/Elio-DVD-Combo-Digital-Blu-ray/dp/B0FMH2JJRK" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1500px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="b7EM85PeTuoubcigP3XAe8" name="81fIEptE2 L._SL1500" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b7EM85PeTuoubcigP3XAe8.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1500" height="1500" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>When a young boy named Elio is mistaken for Earth's leader, he is thrust into an intergalactic crisis alongside a menagerie of aliens who help him discover who and where he's truly meant to be.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/Elio-DVD-Combo-Digital-Blu-ray/dp/B0FMH2JJRK" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="637377b5-d9b6-4a56-a39f-1927abe75338" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="When a young boy named Elio is mistaken for Earth's leader, he is thrust into an intergalactic crisis alongside a menagerie of aliens who help him discover who and where he's truly meant to be." data-dimension48="When a young boy named Elio is mistaken for Earth's leader, he is thrust into an intergalactic crisis alongside a menagerie of aliens who help him discover who and where he's truly meant to be." data-dimension25="$35.40">View Deal</a></p></div> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/entertainment/watch-voice-cast-of-disneys-elio-learn-about-voyager-probes-golden-record-in-charming-new-bonus-clip-video</link>
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<![CDATA[ Disney/Pixar's interstellar odyssey landed on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD for all Earthlings! ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ stingrayghost@gmail.com (Jeff Spry) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jeff Spry ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kz7JoBGJg8M9gTgroZGJw5-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Disney/Pixar]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[an animated boy in a cosmic whirlpool with aliens]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[an animated boy in a cosmic whirlpool with aliens]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Scientists find evidence of flowing water on Ryugu’s ancient parent asteroid. 'It was a genuine surprise!' ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Liquid water flowed across the surface of the asteroid that birthed the near-Earth object (NEO) Ryugu much later than scientists had thought possible, a new study finds.</p><p>The discovery that water existed in liquid form a billion years after the parent body of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/asteroid-ryugu">Ryugu</a> formed came from the study of rock samples collected from the NEO by Japan's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40161-hayabusa2.html">Hayabusa2</a> probe between 2018 and 2019, and returned to Earth on Dec. 5, 2020.</p><p>Carbonaceous <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html">asteroids</a> like the spinning-top-shaped Ryugu have long been known to form from ice and dust in the outer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html">solar system </a>as the planets were forming around the infant sun around 4.6 billion years ago. Thus, objects like Ryugu are thought to contain a "fossil record" of unspoiled material from the dawn of our planetary system. However, before this research, scientists had thought that asteroid water activity only lasted for the earliest moments of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16080-solar-system-planets.html">solar system</a> history.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_bNdgsZdi_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="bNdgsZdi"> <div id="botr_bNdgsZdi_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Thus, the new discovery could change how we think about planet formation around 4.6 billion years ago, as well as further solidifying the idea that <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html">asteroids</a> pelted the primordial Earth and delivered <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ancient-asteroid-family-erigones-earth-water-solar-system">much of our planet's water</a>.</p><p>"We found that Ryugu preserved a pristine record of water activity, evidence that fluids moved through its rocks far later than we expected," research team member Tsuyoshi Iizuka, a scientist at the University of Tokyo, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1097200?" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>. "This changes how we think about the long-term fate of water in asteroids. The water hung around for a long time and was not exhausted so quickly as thought."</p><h2 id="ryugu-s-chemical-imbalance-2">Ryugu's chemical imbalance</h2><p>Iizuka and colleagues arrived at their conclusion when they examined radioactive isotopes of the elements lutetium and hafnium in<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ryugu-asteroid-sample-earth-life-colonization"> Ryugu rock samples</a>. This is useful because the radioactive decay of these isotopes can be used as a natural clock for geological processes.</p><p>The concentration of these isotopes can, therefore, be correlated to the age of an asteroid. The Ryugu samples hauled home by Hayabusa2 contained larger quantities of hafnium isotopes compared to lutetium isotopes than were expected. This indicated that some fluid was washing out lutetium from rocks on the asteroid.</p><p>"We thought that Ryugu’s chemical record would resemble certain <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/42636-meteorites.html">meteorites</a> already studied on Earth," Iizuka explained. "But the results were completely different. This meant we had to carefully rule out other possible explanations and eventually concluded that the lutetium-hafnium system was disturbed by late fluid flow.</p><p>"The most likely trigger was an impact on a larger asteroid parent of Ryugu, which fractured the rock and melted buried ice, allowing liquid water to percolate through the body. It was a genuine surprise! This impact event may also be responsible for the disruption of the parent body to form Ryugu."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:700px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:35.71%;"><img id="CsSyUbDBkFPcrjjjtzTQzJ" name="low-res (2)" alt="A diagram showing the evolution of an asteroid over five separate panels" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CsSyUbDBkFPcrjjjtzTQzJ.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="700" height="250" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A diagram shows how the study team thinks that Ryugu evolved over time. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Iizuka, et al, 2025)</span></figcaption></figure><p>If Ryugu's parent body did indeed contain water for over one billion years, one of the main takeaways is the implication that carbon-rich asteroids may have contained much more water than previously thought. That means they may have delivered much more water to Earth by striking the surface of our primordial planet than previously estimated. This would have had a significant effect on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth's early oceans and its atmosphere.</a></p><p>"The idea that Ryugu-like objects held on to ice for so long is remarkable," Iizuka explained. "It suggests that the building blocks of Earth were far wetter than we imagined. This forces us to rethink the starting conditions for our planet’s water system. Though it’s too early to say for sure, my team and others might build on this research to clarify things, including how and when our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> became habitable."</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/40161-hayabusa2.html">Hayabusa2: Japan's 2nd asteroid sample mission</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ancient-asteroid-family-erigones-earth-water-solar-system">Where did Earth's water come from? This ancient asteroid family may help us find out</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/mining-asteroids-food-deep-space-missions">Astronauts could mine asteroids for food someday, scientists say</a></p></div></div><p>What is remarkable about this discovery is the fact that the team was able to conduct their study with samples of Ryugu equivalent to a fraction of a grain of rice. This required the development of new and sophisticated element-separating techniques and improved methods to analyze isotopes with incredible precision.</p><p>"Our small sample size was a huge challenge," Iizuka said. "We had to design new chemistry methods that minimized elemental loss while still isolating multiple elements from the same fragment. Without this, we could never have detected such subtle signs of late fluid activity."</p><p>The next step for the team will be to investigate veins of phosphate within the Ryugu samples. This should allow the scientists to ascertain a more precise age for the flow of water across the parent body that birthed Ryugu. The researchers will also compare their results to analyses of samples of the asteroid<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39958-asteroid-bennu.html"> Bennu</a>, which were returned to Earth by the NASA mission <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33776-osiris-rex.html">OSIRIS-REx </a>in September 2023.</p><p>This could reveal if the late water flow on Ryugu's asteroid parent were unique to this body or if similar water activity has been preserved on other asteroids.</p><p>The team's research was published on Wednesday (Sept. 10) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09483-0" target="_blank">Nature</a>.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/scientists-find-evidence-of-flowing-water-on-ryugus-ancient-parent-asteroid-it-was-a-genuine-surprise</link>
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<![CDATA[ Water may have flowed on the asteroid that birthed the space rock Ryugu a billion years after it formed, much later than previously thought, changing our perception of the early solar system. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Asteroids]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DMKcJui3NqMyFxZHBDCctT-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Jaxa, UTokyo & collaborators/DLR German Aerospace Center]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[(Main) An up close view of the surface of Ryugu (Inset) an illustration of Hayabusa2, the Japanese spacecraft that captured this image]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[(Main) An up close view of the surface of Ryugu (Inset) an illustration of Hayabusa2, the Japanese spacecraft that captured this image]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Can we safely deflect a killer asteroid without making it worse? Only if we avoid the gravitational 'keyhole,' scientists say ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Smacking a planet-threatening asteroid comes with big responsibility.</p><p>If we slam an impactor into an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/51-asteroids-formation-discovery-and-exploration.html">asteroid</a> in exactly the wrong spot, the space rock may pass through a "gravitational keyhole" that actually brings it to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> — which is exactly what planetary defense scientists and mission planners don't want to happen.</p><p>The keyhole is an area in space where the gravity of a planet, like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html">Jupiter</a>, could change the asteroid's altered trajectory once more — potentially putting it on a collision course with our planet. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.scilit.com/publications/378b74e7de78590a9fd9efd3206454d0" target="_blank">findings were presented</a> at the Europlanet Science Congress division for planetary sciences meeting in Helsinki on Wednesday (Sept. 9), and submitted to the peer-reviewed Icarus journal.</p><p>"Even if we intentionally push an asteroid away from Earth with a space mission, we must make sure it doesn't drift into one of these keyholes afterwards. Otherwise, we'd be facing the same impact threat again down the line," lead author Rahil Makadia, a NASA-funded graduate fellow at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250909031457.htm" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_Kix92PWZ_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="Kix92PWZ"> <div id="botr_Kix92PWZ_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>To avoid this scenario, Makadia's team plotted the best spots on an asteroid's surface to avoid the keyhole. Their technique borrows from results obtained during a 2022 test mission for asteroid collision, called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dart-asteroid-mission">Double Asteroid Redirection Test</a> (DART). (Makadia was a member of the DART science investigation team, his website states.)</p><p>DART deliberately tested how to impact an asteroid at a location presenting no threat to Earth. The NASA-funded mission slammed a kinetic impactor into an asteroid moonlet, Dimorphos, which circles the asteroid Didymos. The spectacular results on Sept. 26, 2022 not only proved asteroid deflection was possible, but showed a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dart-asteroid-impact-debris-tail-photo">haunting dust trail visible</a> in telescopes stationed all over the solar system.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/dangerous-asteroid-international-cooperation"> When a dangerous asteroid threatens Earth, humanity will have to work together, NASA says</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/nasas-asteroid-crash-earth-defense-tactic-has-a-complication-dart-ejected-large-boulders-into-space">NASA's asteroid-crash Earth defense tactic has a complication — DART ejected large boulders into space</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/climate-change/ambitious-climate-action-is-more-urgent-than-ever-3-climate-records-broken-in-2024"> </a><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/earth-asteroid-planetary-defense-dart-mission-reality">If an asteroid really threatened the Earth, what would a planetary defense mission look like?</a></p></div></div><p>Each asteroid is different, Makadia's team emphasized, so finding the ideal spot for a successful deflection involves looking at the space rock's shape, rotation, mass and surface topology (its distribution of hills and craters).</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XYPD-pKwqNs" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>Ideally, just like with DART, scientists would use a spacecraft to check out all this stuff first. But if time is of the essence, Makadia stated it would be "possible using ground-based observations alone."</p><p>The team then created "probability maps" showing where the asteroid is most likely to veer after an impact, depending on where it is hit. (The asteroid Bennu, visited by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33776-osiris-rex.html">OSIRIS-REx mission</a> in 2020, was used for some of the keyhole mapping simulations, although the study is not examining Bennu in particular.)</p><p>Looking at all of these trajectories therefore allows scientists to determine where the safest zone would be for asteroid deflection.</p><p>"With these probability maps, we can push asteroids away while preventing them from returning on an impact trajectory, protecting the Earth in the long run," said Makadia.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/attempting-to-deflect-a-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-could-accidentally-put-it-on-a-collision-course-with-earth</link>
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<![CDATA[ If we slam an impactor into an asteroid in exactly the wrong spot, the space rock may pass through a "gravitational keyhole" that brings it to Earth. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Asteroids]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elizabeth Howell ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BWv3wQuKxGNHwu8NkqxjFV-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A spacecraft with solar panels heads for an asteroid in the darkness of space]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A spacecraft with solar panels heads for an asteroid in the darkness of space]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Get ready to view Saturn at its closest point to Earth with $133 off this telescope from Celestron ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html">Saturn</a> is putting on a spectacular show this month as it <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html#section-sunday-sept-21-new-moon-partial-solar-eclipse">reaches opposition overnight on Sept. 20</a>. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a great value telescope that can help you get a great view of the famous ringed giant at its closest and brightest point to Earth this year.</p><p><strong>You can get the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-StarSense-Smartphone-App-Enabled-Compatible/dp/B083JRF1MH/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3OZ9YSYND2ERQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1QFdt7LH3_yEovzppIJ7SlugrO8WDrM9rOs2scBCjVO9g6cG72iXRMMq-CGBjWUOcI0UDKRZIdYjEdr9uapBz_qG0oiT3pMkEJdsdudnzri0g6n0RWoCRZYGgB-Z74zuXVNNYa0wi9TlNeP_3iRkUjtYm9Khuafpw1VR4KPJ785dT2CafQbvOxN0DGJ1d37AY0_k-cxqqNgEr1MnL9jrF5TmBG5MbHphQbvTtQLcFPIVzo1Xcv-JzBHUI7ExkzHHRixPbDGFlE-RoLYGXbRQNM0G1EnncgrMNlJTo9alvCM.6ED7GqcAo999s6h80FXcLU7fpXj_ozO_laVaJW19mXA&dib_tag=se&keywords=telescopes&qid=1757319501&s=electronics&sprefix=telescopes%2Celectronics%2C159&sr=1-7&th=1" target="_blank"><strong>on sale right now at Amazon for $367.</strong></a></p><p>In astronomy, an opposition is an event that marks when a celestial body is directly opposite the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">sun</a>, with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> in the middle. A celestial body needs to orbit the sun and be further away from Earth than the sun to experience an opposition. Saturn's opposition this year occurs overnight on Sept. 20 and marks its brightest and closest position to the Earth, making it the best time for observation and planetary imaging of the epic gas giant. Beyond Saturn, some of the other brightest planets will be visible too so make sure to check out our up-to-date <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33619-visible-planets-guide.html">visible planets guide</a> for more detail on what planets are in the sky in September.</p><p>In our full<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review"> Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review</a>, we rated it four out of five stars, praising its user-friendly smartphone-assisted setup and high-quality images of a range of night sky targets. During our testing, we observed Mars and deep sky objects like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15590-andromeda-galaxy-m31.html">Andromeda galaxy</a> (M31) and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/25585-triangulum-galaxy.html">Triangulum galaxy</a> (M33). If you love lunar views, this telescope is also well-suited to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/ultimate-moon-observation-guide">moon observation</a> and identifying the many craters and seas on its surface.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-dimension25="$367" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBI51B6?tag=georiot-us-default-20&th=1&ascsubtag=space-us-5901053849061338514-20&geniuslink=true" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:5950px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="7yDRDuEPyyxTR9RpXzLBwK" name="Celestron - StarSense Explorer 130mm.jpg" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7yDRDuEPyyxTR9RpXzLBwK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="5950" height="5950" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p><strong>Save $133</strong> on our<a href="https://www.space.com/telescopes-under-500#section-best-for-deep-space-observing" data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="" data-dimension48="" data-dimension25="$367"> </a>best telescope for deep space observing in our <a href="https://www.space.com/telescopes-under-500">best budget telescopes guide</a>. While a great choice for viewing nebulas and galaxies, it is also a great choice for viewing distant planets like <a href="https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html">Saturn</a>, especially at its opposition overnight on Sept. 20.</p><p>We gave the <a href="https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review">Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130 AZ</a> four stars for its crisp views and user-friendliness with the StarSense app that helps you locate your chosen night sky target easily. The 5.1-inch (130 mm) aperture can gather plenty of light for a bright and detailed image, no matter what you are observing.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBI51B6?tag=georiot-us-default-20&th=1&ascsubtag=space-us-5901053849061338514-20&geniuslink=true" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="" data-dimension48="" data-dimension25="$367">View Deal</a></p></div><ul><li><em><strong>We've got you covered with reviews and rankings of the </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em><strong>best telescopes</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em><strong>binoculars</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em><strong>star projectors</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em><strong>cameras</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em><strong>drones</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/38810-best-lego-deals.html"><em><strong>Lego</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/streaming-deals-guide"><em><strong>streaming</strong></em></a><em><strong> and more.</strong></em></li></ul><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="N9pskmzP7oGo3bmYzWVWmU" name="celestron1304" alt="The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope pointing at the sky against a white background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N9pskmzP7oGo3bmYzWVWmU.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope has a 5.1-inch (130 mm) aperture. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2130px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.34%;"><img id="2Z4U5BC3FH4vqDdHAe7CnU" name="celestron130tray" alt="The tray on the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ with an eyepiece." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Z4U5BC3FH4vqDdHAe7CnU.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2130" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The tripod included with the telescope has a handy tray for storing extra eyepieces for different celestial targets. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="a68Yxe3gwFFmmGQgXzPKnU" name="celestron1301" alt="The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope pointing at the sky against a white background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a68Yxe3gwFFmmGQgXzPKnU.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The alt-azimuth mount is an easy-to-operate mount and works well with the StarSense app for locating targets. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="fWGLxvRxoLT9xkH6XBnwnU" name="celestron1303" alt="A close-up on the aperture and eyepiece on the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope against a white background." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fWGLxvRxoLT9xkH6XBnwnU.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ features a finderscope for helping to locate and center your target. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Celestron)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a great telescope for a beginner skywatcher, thanks to its innovative StarSense app, which lets you easily navigate the night sky and locate celestial objects. The technology is not as easy as go-to navigation that is available with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-smart-telescopes">smart telescopes</a> but the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ has a bigger aperture (5.1 inches) than most smart telescopes and will provide much brighter and detailed views.</p><p>We were particularly impressed by how the smartphone dock on the mount helps you find deep-sky objects. We've included this model in our guide for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/telescopes-under-500">best budget telescopes</a>, making it a great option for a wide range of skill levels. The Starsense app uses your phone's camera and GPS to create a real-time star map, guiding you directly to your desired target. This means you can spend less time fumbling with star charts and more time enjoying the wonders of the cosmos.</p><p>We gave it a solid four stars in our<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review"> Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review</a>, and it's a great choice for anyone wanting to get bright views of the universe and even take some smartphone photos through the eyepiece. We managed to observe the planet <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Mars</a> and also a range of deep sky targets, including the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15590-andromeda-galaxy-m31.html">Andromeda galaxy (M31)</a>.</p><p>Right now, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-StarSense-Smartphone-App-Enabled-Compatible/dp/B083JRF1MH/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3OZ9YSYND2ERQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1QFdt7LH3_yEovzppIJ7SlugrO8WDrM9rOs2scBCjVO9g6cG72iXRMMq-CGBjWUOcI0UDKRZIdYjEdr9uapBz_qG0oiT3pMkEJdsdudnzri0g6n0RWoCRZYGgB-Z74zuXVNNYa0wi9TlNeP_3iRkUjtYm9Khuafpw1VR4KPJ785dT2CafQbvOxN0DGJ1d37AY0_k-cxqqNgEr1MnL9jrF5TmBG5MbHphQbvTtQLcFPIVzo1Xcv-JzBHUI7ExkzHHRixPbDGFlE-RoLYGXbRQNM0G1EnncgrMNlJTo9alvCM.6ED7GqcAo999s6h80FXcLU7fpXj_ozO_laVaJW19mXA&dib_tag=se&keywords=telescopes&qid=1757319501&s=electronics&sprefix=telescopes%2Celectronics%2C159&sr=1-7&th=1" target="_blank">Amazon is selling the telescope for $367</a>, offering $133 off the original retail price of $500. If you are looking for an affordable entry into stargazing with a telescope, the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a great pick thanks to its easy navigation and large aperture for stellar views across different targets. With <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html#section-saturday-sept-20-max-saturn-at-opposition-overnight">Saturn's opposition coming up overnight on Sept. 20</a>, now is a great time to grab it so you can gaze at the ringed giant at its closest point to Earth.</p><p><strong>Key features</strong>: 130mm aperture, 650mm focal length, f/5 focal ratio, Newtonian reflector design, StarSense Explorer app, smartphone holder, manual alt-azimuth mount, accessory tray.</p><p><strong>Product launched</strong>: January 2020</p><p><strong>Price history</strong>: The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ typically retails for $500 but the price dropped to $367.19 in late August and is the cheapest it has been since February.</p><p><strong>Price comparison</strong>: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-StarSense-Smartphone-App-Enabled-Compatible/dp/B083JRF1MH/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3OZ9YSYND2ERQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1QFdt7LH3_yEovzppIJ7SlugrO8WDrM9rOs2scBCjVO9g6cG72iXRMMq-CGBjWUOcI0UDKRZIdYjEdr9uapBz_qG0oiT3pMkEJdsdudnzri0g6n0RWoCRZYGgB-Z74zuXVNNYa0wi9TlNeP_3iRkUjtYm9Khuafpw1VR4KPJ785dT2CafQbvOxN0DGJ1d37AY0_k-cxqqNgEr1MnL9jrF5TmBG5MbHphQbvTtQLcFPIVzo1Xcv-JzBHUI7ExkzHHRixPbDGFlE-RoLYGXbRQNM0G1EnncgrMNlJTo9alvCM.6ED7GqcAo999s6h80FXcLU7fpXj_ozO_laVaJW19mXA&dib_tag=se&keywords=telescopes&qid=1757319501&s=electronics&sprefix=telescopes%2Celectronics%2C159&sr=1-7&th=1" target="_blank"><strong>Amazon: </strong>$367</a> <strong>| </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1540262-REG/celestron_22461_starsense_explorer_dx_130.html" target="_blank"><strong>BHPhotoVideo: </strong>$367</a> <strong>| </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Celestron-StarSense-Explorer-DX-130AZ-Smartphone-App-Enabled-Newtonian-Reflector-Telescope/370420326?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101220385" target="_blank"><strong>Walmart:</strong> $500</a><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Reviews consensus</strong>: In our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review">Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review, </a>we rated this telescope four stars for its user-friendly interface and impressive views, making it an ideal choice for beginners who want a modern and simple way to explore the night sky.</p><p><strong>Space.com</strong>: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review"><strong>★★★★½</strong></a> <strong>| Digital Camera World: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-telescope-review" target="_blank"><strong>★★★★½</strong></a></p><p><strong>Featured in guides</strong>: <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/telescopes-under-500">best budget telescopes</a></p><p>✅ <strong>Buy it if</strong>: You want a user-friendly telescope for beginners that uses smartphone technology to help you navigate the night sky to observe planets and deep space objects</p><p>❌ <strong>Don't buy it if</strong>: You want a fully automated telescope, or prefer more traditional methods of navigating the night sky.</p><p><em>Check out our other guides to the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em>best telescopes</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em>binoculars</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em>cameras</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em>star projectors</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em>drones</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-space-sets"><em>lego</em></a><em> and much more.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/get-ready-to-view-saturn-at-its-closest-point-to-earth-with-133-dollars-off-this-telescope-from-celestron</link>
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<![CDATA[ The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope is on sale for $367 on Amazon and is a great budget choice for observing the opposition of Saturn overnight on Sept. 20. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Skywatching Kit]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Harry Bennett ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uyGRNF9bKp2sgciPZMn3Lo-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Celestron / Future]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope on an orange planet background with a black Space.com deals badge in the upper left corner. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope on an orange planet background with a black Space.com deals badge in the upper left corner. ]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Gravitational wave detector confirms theories of Einstein and Hawking: 'This is the clearest view yet of the nature of black holes' ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is celebrating 10 years of cutting-edge gravitational wave science by confirming predictions made by physics luminaries Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Roy Kerr — and potentially revealing a path toward a theory of quantum gravity.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/LIGO-Laser-Interferometer-Gravitational-Wave-Observatory.html">LIGO</a> achieved this latest milestone by detecting gravitational waves, or tiny ripples in spacetime. The existence of gravitational waves was first predicted by Einstein in his 1915 theory of gravity, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html">general relativity</a>. The newly detected ripples resulted from the collision of two <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html">black holes</a>, each estimated to have a mass around 32 times that of the sun.</p><p>In just four days, on September 14, LIGO will celebrate exactly 10 years since it made the very first detection of gravitational waves. This signal, designated GW150914, had traveled about 1.3 billion years to reach Earth. Its detection represented an entirely new method of astronomy — a way to "hear" spacetime ringing after some of the most powerful events in the cosmos rather than "see" them by relying on electromagnetic radiation. Since then, LIGO and its gravitational wave detecting partners, Virgo and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA), have detected a multitude of gravitational wave signals from other <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/what-happens-when-black-holes-merge">black hole collisions</a>, mergers between <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/22180-neutron-stars.html">neutron stars</a>, and even from two rare "mixed mergers" involving a neutron star and a black hole.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_tudO9GzK_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="tudO9GzK"> <div id="botr_tudO9GzK_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>"This is the clearest view yet of the nature of black holes," Maximiliano Isi, a member of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration from the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1097309" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>.<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/center-for-computational-astrophysics/"> </a>"We've found some of the strongest evidence yet that astrophysical black holes are the black holes predicted from Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity."</p><h2 id="black-hole-theories-validated-by-new-gravitational-wave-signal-2">Black hole theories validated by new gravitational wave signal</h2><p>This newly detected signal, GW250114, stands among previous detections as one of the clearest gravitational wave signals ever.</p><p>"GW250114 is the loudest gravitational wave event we have detected to date; it was like a whisper becoming a shout," Geraint Pratten, member of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration and a researcher at the University of Birmingham, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1097425" target="_blank">separate statement</a>. "This gave us an unprecedented opportunity to put Einstein's theories through some of the most rigorous tests possible — validating one of Stephen Hawking's pioneering predictions that when black holes merge, the combined area of their event horizons can only grow, never shrink."</p><p>Hawking's prediction involves the light-trapping outer boundary of a black hole called the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/black-holes-event-horizon-explained.html">event horizon</a>. This marks the point at which the gravitational influence of the black hole becomes so great that not even light moves fast enough to escape its grip. As gravity is related to mass, the size of an event horizon, also known as the Schwarzschild radius — after <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/38091-the-existence-of-black-holes.html">Karl Schwarzschild</a>, the first physicist to solve the equations of general relativity and inadvertently predict the existence of black holes — also depends on the mass of a black hole.</p><p>The greater the mass, the wider the event horizon.</p><p>In 1971, Hawking, along with physicist Jacob Bekenstein, predicted that when black holes merge, the total area of the resultant daughter black hole's event horizon would be larger than the area of the progenitor black holes' event horizons combined; the duo said that event horizon would have an area proportional to its level of disorder or "entropy."</p><p>GW250114 revealed that the progenitor black holes had a total surface area of around 93,000 square miles (240,000 square kilometers), which is around the size of the entire U.K. The daughter black hole created by the merger, however, has a surface area of 154,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers), which is about the size of Sweden.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:913px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:99.78%;"><img id="9atZ9GUXY9HSR4tMeFCsnj" name="A new perspective on the universe" alt="Infographic showcasing data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and LIGO." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9atZ9GUXY9HSR4tMeFCsnj.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="913" height="911" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Infographic showcasing the advancements of gravitational wave observatories — among the most precise measuring machines ever built by humankind, in observing black hole cosmic collisions, with the registered signals shown in the bottom panel. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Dr. Derek Davis (Caltech, LIGO Laboratory).)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Another prediction verified by this research comes from New Zealand mathematician Roy Kerr, who developed Kerr geometry from general relativity, which describes empty spacetime around a rotating black hole, or a<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/black-holes-as-batteries-could-humanity-ever-harness-the-energy-of-these-cosmic-titans"> Kerr black hole</a>.</p><p>Following mergers between black holes, these systems enter what scientists call a ringdown phase. This sees the daughter black hole vibrating and emitting gravitational waves at very specific frequencies, akin to the changing "voice" of the black hole. Kerr predicted the "voice" of the black hole could be described by two values alone: the mass of the black hole and its spin.</p><p>This really sets black holes apart from other celestial objects, like stars, that must be described using a vast range of characteristics. What is extraordinary about this is the fact that a black hole 1 billion times as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17001-how-big-is-the-sun-size-of-the-sun.html">massive as the sun</a> can be completely characterized by just two numbers: mass and spin.</p><p>"Given the clarity of the signal produced by GW250114, for the first time, we could pick out two 'tones' from the black hole voices and confirm that they behave according to Kerr's prediction, obtaining unprecedented solid evidence for the Kerr nature of black holes found in nature," Gregorio Carullo, member of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration and a researcher at the University of Birmingham, said in the statement.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:800px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="6X89hVQJucN4jnKAhpJ5fk" name="black-hole-merger-simulation.jpg" alt="A simulation of the black hole merger event that looks like a pinkish blue swirl protruding from the screen." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6X89hVQJucN4jnKAhpJ5fk.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="800" height="450" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A simulation of the black hole merger event showing the chirp at the merger point which is followed by a ringdown. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: LIGO/Virgo)</span></figcaption></figure><p>What is fitting about this new detection is the fact it is so similar to the signal that LIGO detected to make history on September 14, 2015, GW150914.</p><p>"The detection of a black hole binary with parameters similar to those of GW150914, but three times louder, only a decade after the breakthrough discovery, is owed to the tremendous technological improvements of our instruments, paving the path for precision astronomy with gravitational waves," said LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration team member Patricia Schmidt, Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham.</p><p>Regular and purposeful improvements have been a constant factor in the life of LIGO, which consists of two detectors in Washington and Louisiana that can now measure distortions in spacetime that are 1/10,000 the width of a proton, or 700 <em>trillion</em> times smaller than the width of a human hair.</p><p>"Rai Weiss proposed the concept of LIGO in 1972, and I thought 'this doesn't have much chance at all of working,'" <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/28000-physicist-kip-thorne-wildest-theories.html">Kip Thorne</a>, an expert on the theory of black holes who won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics with Weiss and Barry Barish for the development of LIGO, said in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1097214" target="_blank">separate statement</a>. "It took me three years of thinking about it on and off and discussing ideas with Rai and Vladimir Braginsky [a Russian physicist], to be convinced this had a significant possibility of success. The technical difficulty of reducing the unwanted noise that interferes with the desired signal was enormous. We had to invent a whole new technology."</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/gravitational-waves-reveal-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever-detected-one-forbidden-by-current-models">Gravitational waves reveal most massive black hole merger ever detected — one 'forbidden' by current models</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/this-is-the-holy-grail-of-theoretical-physics-is-the-key-to-quantum-gravity-hiding-in-this-new-way-to-make-black-holes">'This is the holy grail of theoretical physics.' Is the key to quantum gravity hiding in this new way to make black holes?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/tiny-primordial-black-holes-created-in-the-big-bang-may-have-rapidly-grown-to-supermassive-sizes">Tiny ‘primordial’ black holes created in the Big Bang may have rapidly grown to supermassive sizes</a></p></div></div><p>Who could have predicted this technology could have been so successful in opening a new window to our study of the universe? Certainly not Einstein, who, when he theorized the existence of gravitational waves, predicted that no instrument of Earth would ever be sensitive enough to detect these spacetime ripples.</p><p>"Just 10 short years ago, LIGO opened our eyes for the first time to gravitational waves and changed the way humanity sees the cosmos," Aamir Ali, a program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Physics, which has supported LIGO since its inception, said in the statement. "There's a whole universe to explore through this completely new lens, and these latest discoveries show LIGO is just getting started."</p><p>Future improvements for LIGO could include the addition of a planned fourth detector, this time located in India, which will improve the precision with which LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA can localize gravitational wave sources.</p><p>As for this latest milestone, it is certain that Einstein, Hawking and Weiss, the latter of whom<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/nobel-prize-winner-and-gravitational-wave-pioneer-rainer-weiss-dies-at-92"> passed away just last month</a>, would all have been thrilled to see LIGO further validate their work.</p><p>"If Hawking were alive, he would have reveled in seeing the area of the merged black holes increase," Thorne added.</p><p>The team's research was published on Wednesday (Sept. 10) in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/doi.org/10.1103/kw5g-d732__;!!DSb-azq1wVFtOg!W7Dg7rZ0snNJAzG4hEibXbzFp_c2VzFiaYeqEA20aRya6TT4pw26BfIcurOS3kbZKS0vVDhztcsYJtuJHGLdMrksMw$" target="_blank">Physical Review Letters.</a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/gravitational-wave-detector-confirms-theories-of-einstein-and-hawking-this-is-the-clearest-view-yet-of-the-nature-of-black-holes</link>
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<![CDATA[ Celebrating 10 years since the first detection of gravitational waves coming from colliding black holes, LIGO has confirmed the predictions of the greatest minds in physics. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robert Lea ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vjACz8ynv7vJdtiTiiXKST-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Aurore Simonnet (SSU/EdEon)/LVK/URI]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of GW250114, a powerful collision between two black holes observed in gravitational waves by LIGO, as seen from one of the black holes involved]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration of GW250114, a powerful collision between two black holes observed in gravitational waves by LIGO, as seen from one of the black holes involved]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Did NASA's Perseverance rover find evidence of ancient life on Mars? The plot thickens ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_paQ9AzjC_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="paQ9AzjC"> <div id="botr_paQ9AzjC_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>Since February 2021, NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-rover-mars-2020-mission">Perseverance rover</a> has been exploring a region on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html">Mars </a>known as Jezero Crater, a huge cavity believed to have once hosted a lake. It's considered one of the most promising places to look for evidence of ancient life on the Red Planet (life as we know it, at least) — and there has been an update in the search.</p><p>On Wednesday (Sept. 10), researchers presented a study that describes how Perseverance found intriguing minerals on the western edge of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-perseverance-rover-jezero-crater-past-life-on-mars">Jezero Crater</a>, in the clay-rich, mudstone rocks of a valley called "Neretva Vallis."</p><p>"When we see features like this in sediment on Earth, these minerals are often the byproduct of microbial metabolisms that are consuming organic matter," Joel Hurowitz, a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University in New York and lead author of the new study, said during a NASA press conference held on Wednesday.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="TAdaVAkHPhPbicym76RrpM" name="leopard spots mars perseverance" alt="A closeup of "leopard spots" on Mars seen by the Perseverance rover." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TAdaVAkHPhPbicym76RrpM.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A closeup of "leopard spots" on Mars seen by the Perseverance rover on the rock Cheyava Falls, which may show signs of a biosignature, but could also be from geologic processes. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)</span></figcaption></figure><p>So, could this mean we've finally found proof of aliens? Well, not quite. The authors stress that further analysis is necessary to identify the true origin of the minerals and determine whether they are indeed markers of life, otherwise known as "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/30130-alien-life-search-false-positives-risk.html">biosignatures</a>," or the result of some other inorganic processes.</p><p>"I want to remind everyone that what we're describing here is a potential biosignature that is a characteristic element, molecule, substance or feature that might have a biological origin but requires more data or further study before reaching a conclusion about the presence or absence of life," Lindsay Hayes, Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, said during the conference.</p><p>Either way, the findings do demonstrate that notably complex reactions once occurred on Mars — organic or not — adding yet more layers to the planet humans have been trying to decode since the dawn of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16014-astronomy.html">astronomy</a>.</p><div><blockquote><p>These spots are a big surprise,"</p><p> David Flannery, astrobiologist </p></blockquote></div><p>To get into some specifics, the samples <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-rover-mars-2020-mission">Perseverance</a> collected that appear to harbor those exciting minerals were found in what's known as the "Bright Angel" formation within the northern margin of Neretva Vallis. Within that formation, one particular rock is of great interest to researchers. It's named "Cheyava Falls."</p><p>Not too long ago, when Cheyava Falls was first presented to the public, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-perseverance-mars-rover-rock-ancient-life">it made headlines around the world</a> because scientists were openly fawning over the specimen's peculiar, dotty features that resembled "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots." The latter, which are millimeter-size blobs, are each surrounded by black rings that scientists determined contain iron and phosphate after studying them with Perseverance's toolkit. Both substances can result from chemical processes on Earth that are driven by microbes.</p><p>"These spots are a big surprise," David Flannery, an astrobiologist and member of the Perseverance science team from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-perseverance-mars-rover-rock-ancient-life">at the time</a>. "On Earth, these types of features in rocks are often associated with the fossilized record of microbes living in the subsurface."</p><p>"What we saw in this rock were these layers of very fine-grained, rusty red mud stone that had in them these incredible features," Hurowitz said. "These textural features told us that something really interesting had happened in these rocks, some set of chemical reactions occurred at the time they were being deposited."</p><p>The natural next step was to have Perseverance examine Cheyava Falls (and other specimens associated with Bright Angel) a little more closely. On July 21, 2024, the rover even <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/mars-rock-samples/" target="_blank">drilled</a> into Cheyava Falls and collected a sample. This sample, the 25th that Perseverance had grabbed, is named <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/mars-rovers/nasa-to-reveal-new-perseverance-mars-rover-discovery-tomorrow-how-to-watch-live">Sapphire Canyon. </a></p><p>"I would describe the Sapphire Canyon sample as mysterious," Morgan Cable, a research scientist for Perseverance, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/resource/meet-the-mars-samples-sapphire-canyon-sample-25/" target="_blank">previously said</a> in a video about the core sample that NASA posted on April 10. "We see these signatures that tell us chemistry has happened, potentially involving organics — but what does that mean? Could life have been involved, or something that didn't involve life at all?"</p><p>That's sort of where the tale left off.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1301px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.19%;"><img id="BeKLk9bKAmtDod5NEU5cza" name="cheyava falls" alt="An image of the rock, showing where the leopard spots and poppy seeds are." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BeKLk9bKAmtDod5NEU5cza.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1301" height="731" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A close up image of Cheyava falls showing its strange geology. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: J.A. Hurowitz et. al.)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Now, what the new study appears to add to the story is a very detailed analysis of the Bright Angel bunch. Sure enough, the researchers found evidence that this outcrop really could be a solid lead in the quest to find proof of life beyond <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a>. According to a release about the results, the team "identified tiny nodules and specks enriched in iron phosphate and iron sulfide. These features are associated with organic carbon and appear to have formed after sediment deposition, under low-temperature conditions."</p><p>The key seems to be the result that certain "redox" reactions could have occurred to give rise to these minerals. A redox reaction is a chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred between two substances; one of the substances is oxidized and the other is reduced.</p><p>"This organic carbon appears to have participated in post-depositional redox reactions that produced the observed iron-phosphate and iron-sulfide minerals," the study authors wrote.</p><p>"The exciting discovery of reduced iron phosphates and sulfides associated with organic compounds in the clay-rich mudstones of Jezero Crater suggests that the organic material might have been involved in the unusual redox reactions," states a News and Views article, written by Janice Bishop of<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/searth-extraterrestrial-life-major-funding-boost-seti"> SETI Institute i</a>n Mountain View, California and Mario Parente of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. This article was published in tandem with the study results.</p><p>"On Earth, microorganisms commonly interact with minerals and have been observed to convert sulfates (which contain oxidized sulfur atoms) to sulfides (which contain reduced sulfurs) in cold, oxygen-free Antarctic lakes," the News and Views article continues. "There is no <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/nasa-perseverance-mars-rover-rock-ancient-life">evidence of microbes on Mars today</a>, but if any had been present on ancient Mars, they too might have reduced sulfate minerals to form sulfides in such a lake at Jezero crater."</p><p>A few other results presented in the team's paper strengthen the case of a possible biosignature existing in Mars' Bright Angel formation as well. For instance, the new findings suggest the green-toned specks in muddy clay found in the outcrop could contain the mineral vivianite, which the News and Views authors say can specifically shed light on certain kinds of redox reactions that may have taken place on Mars.</p><p>All in all, however, there is one major underlying elephant in the room: For any further confirmation of whether evidence of Mars life lies in Perseverance's sample tubes, those sample tubes need to be returned to Earth. Unfortunately, as of now, NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/is-the-us-forfeiting-its-red-planet-leadership-to-chinas-mars-sample-return-plan">Mars Sample Return</a> program remains in limbo due to budget constraints, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/mars-rovers/the-trump-administration-wants-to-cancel-nasas-mars-sample-return-mission-experts-say-thats-a-major-step-back">priority shifts</a> since the Trump administration took the White House and a highly complicated blueprint for the mission.</p><p>Still, scientists continue to stress that there is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-mars-rover-sample-return">only so much one can do</a> when analyzing tiny rock samples while separated by a 140-million-mile (225-million-kilometer) stretch of the vacuum of space.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/mars-sample-return-now-op-ed">Mars Sample Return now! (op-ed)</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/perseverance-mars-rover-becomes-1st-spacecraft-to-spot-auroras-from-the-surface-of-another-world"> Perseverance Mars rover becomes 1st spacecraft to spot auroras from the surface of another world</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text"> —<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/could-nasas-mars-sample-return-be-saved-new-usd3-billion-private-plan-would-haul-home-red-planet-rocks-video">Could NASA's Mars Sample Return be saved? Lockheed Martin proposes $3 billion plan to haul home Red Planet rocks (video)</a></p></div></div><p>"We're pretty close to the limits of what the rover can do on the surface," Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance Project Scientist at NASA's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16952-nasa-jet-propulsion-laboratory.html">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> in Pasadena, California, said during the conference. "That was by design. The payload of the Perseverance rover was selected with a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/the-universe/mars/can-nasas-troubled-mars-sample-return-mission-be-saved">Mars sample return effort</a> in mind; the idea was for our payload to get us just up to the potential biosignature designation and have the rest of the story told by instruments here on Earth."</p><p>"Laboratory analyses of samples returned from Mars could also cast light on the potential for prebiotic — and even biological — chemistry to occur on worlds beyond Earth," the News and Views authors write.</p><div style="min-height: 250px;"> <div class="kwizly-quiz kwizly-XmqKVX"></div> </div> <script src="https://kwizly.com/embed/XmqKVX.js" async></script> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-find-evidence-of-ancient-red-planet-life-the-plot-thickens</link>
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<![CDATA[ NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has found yet more chemical signatures that could be associated with ancient Red Planet life — but we need to examine them here on Earth to fully understand them. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Mars]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Solar System]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Monisha Ravisetti ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oXJHGYfackHAU96DCknSwe-1280-80.png">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A mars rover with an inset showing a close up of mars rocks]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A mars rover with an inset showing a close up of mars rocks]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ SpaceX launches 1st 21 satellites for advanced new US military constellation ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_5IQQJKG6_bQHItauA_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="bQHItauA" data-playlist-id="5IQQJKG6"> <div id="botr_5IQQJKG6_bQHItauA_div"></div> </div> </div></div><p>SpaceX sent 21 satellites to orbit from California today (Sept. 10), beginning the buildout of an advanced new constellation for the U.S. military.</p><p>A <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html">Falcon 9</a> rocket launched from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/34147-vandenberg-air-force-base.html">Vandenberg Space Force Base</a> today at 10:12 a.m. EDT (1412 GMT; 7:12 a.m. local California time), kicking off the Space Development Agency's (SDA) first "Tranche 1 Transport Layer" (T1TL) mission.</p><p>The T1TL network will eventually consist of 126 satellites in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit">low Earth orbit</a> (LEO), which "will provide global communications access and deliver persistent regional encrypted connectivity in support of warfighter missions around the globe," according to an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sda.mil/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Transport-Layer_distro-A_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">SDA explainer</a>.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1779px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.27%;"><img id="8vQv33w4FeCSDt7gwwWkCi" name="spacex-tranche-1-sda-layer-b-falcon-9-launch" alt="A rocket blasts off against a cloudy sky." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8vQv33w4FeCSDt7gwwWkCi.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1779" height="1001" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launches the SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer B mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, in California, Sept. 10, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The SDA was established in March 2019, tasked with helping the U.S. military field highly capable and cost-effective space assets on rapid timelines.</p><p>"Recognized as the Department of Defense's constructive disruptor for space acquisition, the Space Development Agency (SDA) will quickly deliver needed space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter to support terrestrial missions through development, fielding, and operation of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture," the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sda.mil/home/about-us/" target="_blank">SDA's website reads</a>.</p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Related Stories:</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-launches-nrol-87-spy-satellite-lands-rocket">SpaceX launches classified spy satellite for US military, lands rocket</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">— <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-spy-satellite-nrol-85-launch-rocket-landing">SpaceX launches US spy satellite, lands rocket in flawless Easter flight</a></p></div></div><p>The Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) is an envisioned LEO constellation of hundreds of small satellites, which will be linked via optical communications. This constellation will <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3722921/proliferation-remains-best-deterrence-against-threats-to-us-space-access/#:~:text=The%20PWSA%20involves%20seven%20layers,battle%20management%20and%20support%20layers." target="_blank">consist of seven "layers"</a> — battle management, custody, deterrence, navigation, (missile) tracking, transport and support.</p><p>If all goes to plan, the PWSA will be refreshed and updated <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.sda.mil/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tranche-1-Factsheet_FINAL_06.10.2024.pdf" target="_blank">every two years</a>, via the launch of a new "tranche" of satellites.</p><p>With today's launch, assembly of the transport layer's first tranche is underway. The 21 satellites that went up today were built by Denver-built York Space Systems. The SDA has contracted York, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to build 42 spacecraft apiece for this layer's first tranche.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1766px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="2oAw3WiopAFyKk8DsoavAX" name="falcon-9-booster-landing-of-course-i-still-love-you" alt="a landed booster stage on a barge at sea." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2oAw3WiopAFyKk8DsoavAX.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1766" height="993" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Falcon 9 booster 1093 lands on SpaceX's droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" following the successful launch of the Tranche 1 Transport Layer B mission on Sept. 10, 2025. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: SpaceX)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Booster 1093 launches</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-11-11-b1091-satellite-launch-vandenberg"><strong>Starlink 11-11</strong></a><strong> </strong>| <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-26-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-from-california-video"><strong>Starlink 15-5</strong></a><strong> </strong>|<strong> </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-15-9-b1093-vsfs-ocisly"><strong>Starlink 15-9</strong></a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-15-2-b1093-vsfs-ocisly"><strong>Starlink 15-2</strong></a> | <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-17-4-b1093-vsfs-ocisly"><strong>Starlink 17-4</strong></a></p></div></div><p>The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth as planned today, landing at sea on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It was the sixth launch and landing for this particular booster, B1093, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/sda-t1tl-b" target="_blank">according to SpaceX</a>.</p><p>The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the 21 satellites to LEO. It's unclear exactly when and where they're scheduled to be deployed. SpaceX's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.spacex.com/launches/sda-t1tl-b" target="_blank">mission description</a> doesn't provide that information, and the SDA opted not to permit SpaceX to broadcast views of the payload or the Falcon 9 second stage during flight.</p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-1st-21-satellites-for-advanced-new-us-military-constellation</link>
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<![CDATA[ SpaceX launched 21 satellites to orbit from California today (Sept. 10), beginning the buildout of an advanced new constellation for the U.S. military. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:29:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Launches & Spacecraft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space Exploration]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ mwall@space.com (Mike Wall) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Mike Wall ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8vQv33w4FeCSDt7gwwWkCi-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[SpaceX]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A rocket blasts off against a cloudy sky.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A rocket blasts off against a cloudy sky.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Enjoy the dark skies this new moon with our best value binoculars — now a huge 41% off from Amazon ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars are one of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html">best binoculars</a> on the market. They hold the title as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/astronomy-kit/celestron-trailseeker-8x42-binoculars-deal-best-under-300-dollars-now-90-off">best binoculars under $300</a> in our binoculars buying guide and represent tremendous value for money. For anyone looking to begin their own stargazing journey, these binoculars deliver incredible details of the night sky. It's already great value for money but it's even better in this Amazon binoculars deal.</p><p>Amazon has dropped the Celestron TrailSeeker binoculars to the lowest price we've seen this year, with a massive 41% discount, taking them down to just $189.98, a saving of $129.97 on the usual Amazon retail price of $319.95.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2Fdp%2FB00B73JNKW%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-us-3182344898213833070-20"><em><strong>Save $130 on the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars — were $319.95, now $189.98 at Amazon</strong></em></a><em><strong>.</strong></em></p><p>In our review, binoculars expert Jamie Carter gave the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 an impressive four out of five-star score, saying, <em>"Traveling stargazers will love the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars and they work well after dark and strike a perfect balance between quality, affordability and portability." </em>and went on to add, <em>"They combine premium design with excellent optics, designed to get the most from the night sky. Waterproof with 8x magnification and 42mm objectives, ideal for amateur astronomers after wide-field views of star clusters, double stars and lunar vistas."</em></p><p>Purchasing the Celestrons now not only means you're getting them at an incredible price, but with the next <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/17561-new-moon-explained-lunar-phases.html">new moon</a> arriving on Sept. 21 and the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22, it means the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html">night sky in September</a> will have ideal conditions for skywatching. Astronomical wonders, including planets and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/star-clusters">star clusters</a> like the Double Cluster in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/perseus-constellation.html">Perseus</a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/pleiades.html">Pleiades star cluster</a>, will be available for viewing.</p><div class="product"><a data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="best binoculars guide" data-dimension48="best binoculars guide" data-dimension25="$189.98" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B73JNKW?" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:987px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:97.77%;"><img id="p268CkssHeaSd4xABGTMUB" name="Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 Binoculars" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p268CkssHeaSd4xABGTMUB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="987" height="965" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars feature in our <a href="https://www.space.com/best-telescopes-for-deep-spacehttps://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html" data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="best binoculars guide" data-dimension48="best binoculars guide" data-dimension25="$189.98">best binoculars guide</a> as the best binoculars under $300. It's safe to say that with a powerful 8x magnification and an objective lens diameter of 42mm,<strong> </strong>it makes them a brilliant on-the-go choice for stargazing, providing stunning detail. They are lightweight and easy-to-use and right now they're a better value than ever</p><p><strong>Read our full </strong><a href="https://www.space.com/celestron-trailseeker-8x42-binocular-review"><strong>Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm</strong> <strong>Binoculars Review</strong></a>.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B73JNKW?" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="e4ab0448-e44a-4c36-ba7d-0b14fda15831" data-action="Deal Block" data-label="best binoculars guide" data-dimension48="best binoculars guide" data-dimension25="$189.98">View Deal</a></p></div><ul><li><em><strong>We're constantly checking the best prices, and on our dedicated buyers guides and you'll find the best recommended products and discounts on the </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em><strong>best telescopes</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em><strong>binoculars</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em><strong>star projectors</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em><strong>cameras</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em><strong>drones</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/38810-best-lego-deals.html"><em><strong>Lego</strong></em></a><em><strong>, </strong></em><a href="https://www.space.com/streaming-deals-guide"><em><strong>streaming</strong></em></a><em><strong> and more.</strong></em></li></ul><p>The TrailSeeker 8x42s may be a more budget offering from the Celestron range, but they borrow some of their more expensive siblings' features, including their BaK-4 prisms with Phase and Dielectric coatings, which allow for increased light transmission through the prism system, delivering brighter and sharper images.</p><p>The build quality is also impressive and again matches some higher-priced models. They're constructed from a lightweight magnesium frame with a rubber finish that improves grip and enhances protection. They also come with a useful range of accessories, including a comfortable neck strap, a padded carry/storage case and a harness back strap which helps to shift the weight of the binoculars from your neck to your shoulders for longer viewing sessions.</p><div class="inlinegallery carousel-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="jWSqGmB77ynVMUgvvccvCK" name="Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 _0004_Hx5SoTArSbKbH3vMFXQMnG-970-80.jpg.jpg" alt="The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jWSqGmB77ynVMUgvvccvCK.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars are lightweight and perfect for on-the-go skywatching. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future/Jamie Carter)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="Mcz44Zs3Km9nzYyFXAuRgK" name="Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 _0003_4eAMdJrCUPVDgRAyRhMLFQ-970-80.jpg.jpg" alt="The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mcz44Zs3Km9nzYyFXAuRgK.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm has a balance of 8x magnification and 42mm diameter objective lenses, ideal for navigating the night sky. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future/Jamie Carter)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="dSapVDFCEd8rSfcQvRwFmJ" name="Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 _0007_X322PSmQV54SLeq3sckTAA-970-80.jpg.jpg" alt="The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm close up viewof lenses" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dSapVDFCEd8rSfcQvRwFmJ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm has a premium design and build with quality optics. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future/Jamie Carter)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2133px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.26%;"><img id="eXpJtZGDtvX5aY6wNHENzJ" name="Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 _0006_WkKxcsDdpUD7UXCP7i2NR-970-80.jpg.jpg" alt="View of the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm eye cups" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eXpJtZGDtvX5aY6wNHENzJ.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2133" height="1200" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars offer up to 17mm of eye relief with eye cups that have four different positions. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future/Jamie Carter)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p><strong>Key features:</strong> 8x magnification, 42mm objective lens diameter, 8.1-degree angular field of view, 17mm eye relief, 23.1 oz weight.</p><p><strong>Product launched:</strong> June 2013.</p><p><strong>Price history:</strong> Before this current deal, the typical Amazon price was around $269.99. They have been as low as $229.49, back in April, but this current deal sees them easily hit their lowest price of the year.</p><p><strong>Price comparison:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B73JNKW?" target="_blank"><strong>Amazon:</strong> $189.98</a> <strong>|</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.celestron.com/products/trailseeker-8x42mm-roof-binoculars?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=71404&utm_content=googleshopping&gad_source=4&gad_campaignid=22901128965&gbraid=0AAAAADQcnXXkjqLUBGk9wNdQrjxuvIHK_&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoP_FBhDFARIsANPG24NpbdZ0k7ltiWu9nF5-Myc9a9-ivOJg1cCaNzQtHB9n7TipW7dQVf8aAl7QEALw_wcB" target="_blank"><strong>Celestron: </strong>$240.00</a> <strong>|</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Celestron-8x42-TrailSeeker-ED-Roof-Prism-Binoculars/142385365?classType=REGULAR&from=/search" target="_blank"><strong>Walmart:</strong> $399.95</a></p><p><strong>Reviews consensus:</strong> There is no doubt that the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm are a fantastic pair of binoculars and are our favorite value binoculars, at around $300. We scored them with an impressive 4.5 out of 5-star review. Amazon reviewers have also been overwhelmingly positive, with the TrailSeeker 8x42s getting an aggregate score of 4.7 out of 5, with 84% of reviewers giving the binoculars top marks.</p><p><strong>Space: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/celestron-trailseeker-8x42-binocular-review"><strong>★★★★</strong>½</a></p><p><strong>✅ Buy it if:</strong> You want an impressively made pair of binoculars for viewing the night sky, travel and all-around use, at an incredible price.</p><p><strong>❌ Don't buy it if: </strong>You're looking for binoculars with deeper magnification. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=72128&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FNikon-7572-PROSTAFF-10X50-Binocular%2Fdp%2FB00BD5ADYO%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dspace-gb-8699550661176675791-20" target="_blank">Nikon Prostaff 5<strong> </strong>10x50mm binoculars</a> are also recommended and well worth considering.</p><p><em>Check out our other guides to the </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html"><em>best telescopes</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html"><em>binoculars</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-cameras"><em>cameras</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-star-projectors"><em>star projectors</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-drones"><em>drones</em></a><em>, </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/best-lego-space-sets"><em>lego</em></a><em> and much more.</em></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/stargazing/skywatching-kit/enjoy-the-new-moon-and-autumnal-equinox-dark-skies-with-our-choice-as-one-of-the-best-value-binoculars-now-with-a-huge-41-percent-off-in-this-amazon-binocular-deal</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars come highly recommended by our experts, and with a saving of over $130, now is the time to spot star clusters and planets for less. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:53:57 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Skywatching Kit]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ paul.brett@futurenet.com (Paul Brett) ]]></author> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Paul Brett ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sya4W5AZ9ZfVgejJ2htYPn-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Celestron]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars on a Space.com backdrop with deals logo]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 binoculars on a Space.com backdrop with deals logo]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ March 2026 total lunar eclipse: Everything you need to know about the next 'blood moon' ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>On March 2-4, 2026, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from Western North America, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia, with a "blood moon" appearing for 58 minutes.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/15689-lunar-eclipses.html">Lunar eclipses</a> happen when <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html">Earth</a> is between the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html">sun</a> and a full moon. During the event, the moon moves through Earth's umbra, the dark center of its shadow.</p><div class="jwplayer__widthsetter"> <div class="jwplayer__wrapper"> <div id="futr_botr_KGebeMDr_ANn1bv7q_div" class="future__jwplayer" data-player-id="ANn1bv7q" data-playlist-id="KGebeMDr"> <div id="botr_KGebeMDr_ANn1bv7q_div"></div> </div> </div></div><h2 id="where-will-the-march-2026-total-lunar-eclipse-be-visible-2">Where will the March 2026 total lunar eclipse be visible?</h2><p>The best views of the March 2026 total lunar eclipse will be from Western North America, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and the Pacific. According to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-march-3" target="_blank">Time and Date</a>, only 2% of the world's population — 176 million people — will see all of the phases (penumbral, partial and total) of the eclipse. However, almost 31% — 2.5 billion — will see all of totality, the "blood moon" phase. Viewing conditions will depend on the local weather, with northwest Mexico, the southwest U.S. and inland Australia statistically offering the best odds of clear skies.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="woQVYvQ3FALDmhUR6pEY46" name="2" alt="A gray eclipse map of the world showing the various zones of totality for the March 2026 lunar eclipse" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/woQVYvQ3FALDmhUR6pEY46.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1200" height="675" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A map of the total lunar eclipse on March 2-4, 2026. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: F. Espenak, NASA's GSFC)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="what-will-happen-during-the-total-lunar-eclipse-2">What will happen during the total lunar eclipse?</h2><p>The March 2-4, 2026, event will be the first total lunar eclipse anywhere in the world since Sept. 7-8, 2025, and the last until Dec. 31, 2028 to Jan. 1, 2029, when a total lunar eclipse will occur on New Year's Eve.</p><p>During the March 2026 total lunar eclipse, the full "Worm Moon" will rise and, later that night, pass into Earth's umbral shadow. As it does, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html">full moon</a> will dim and gradually turn reddish-orange, which is why it's called a "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/39471-what-is-a-blood-moon.html">blood moon</a>." Totality — when the entire lunar surface appears reddish-orange — will last 58 minutes. However, the entire eclipse — including the penumbral and partial phases — will last 5 hours, 38 minutes.</p><p>This total lunar eclipse will occur seven days before the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/55-earths-moon-formation-composition-and-orbit.html">moon</a> reaches apogee — its farthest point from Earth on its slightly elliptical orbit — making it of average apparent size.</p><h2 id="what-time-is-the-march-2026-total-lunar-eclipse-in-north-america-2">What time is the March 2026 total lunar eclipse in North America?</h2><p>Lunar eclipses occur at the same universal time worldwide, but the local clock time and whether the moon is above the horizon vary by location. This one will happen between 08:44 and 14:22 UTC on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 (3:44 to 9:22 a.m. EST), with the spectacular 58-minute-long totality — when the entire lunar surface will be reddish — happening between 11:04 and 12:02 UTC. That translates to the following local times in North America:</p><ul><li><strong>Eastern time:</strong> 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST on March 3, 2026 (the moon will set during totality in the Eastern time zone)</li><li><strong>Central time:</strong> 5:04-6:02 a.m. CST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Mountain time:</strong> 4:04-5:02 a.m. MST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Pacific time:</strong> 3:04-4:02 a.m PST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Alaska time:</strong> 2:04-3:02 a.m. AKST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Hawaii time: </strong>1:04-2:02 a.m. HST on March 3, 2026</li></ul><p>These are the times for totality only. However, it's worth looking at the moon about 75 minutes before these times to see the edge of Earth's shadow inch across the lunar surface during the partial phases (and vice versa after totality, though for North America, the moon will be setting).</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="V8vCZiKyTpqPZCgakSY2MN" name="3" alt="A map of the continental US showing the zones of where totality will be for the March 2026 lunar eclipse" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V8vCZiKyTpqPZCgakSY2MN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1200" height="675" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The path of the March 2026 total lunar eclipse over North America. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Created by Jamie Carter using MapHub.net. Sources: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. Eclipse path by Xavier Jubier.)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="what-time-is-the-march-2026-total-lunar-eclipse-in-the-asia-pacific-2">What time is the March 2026 total lunar eclipse in the Asia-Pacific?</h2><p>In the Asia-Pacific, the eclipse will occur the night of March 3-4. In parts of Southeast Asia, totality will begin as the full moon rises, dulling the effect.</p><p>Here's when totality will occur in various locations within the Asia-Pacific:</p><ul><li><strong>New Zealand:</strong> 12:04-1:02 a.m. NZDT on March 4, 2026</li><li><strong>Sydney:</strong> 10:04-11:02 p.m. AEDT on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Brisbane, Australia:</strong> 9:04-10:02 p.m. AEST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Adelaide, Australia:</strong> 9:34-10:32 p.m. ACDT on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Darwin, Australia:</strong> 8:34-9:32 p.m. on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Perth, Australia:</strong> 7:04-8:02 p.m. on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Tokyo:</strong> 8:04-9:02 p.m. JST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Seoul:</strong> 8:04-9:02 p.m. KST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Beijing: </strong>7:04-8:02 p.m. CST on March 3, 2026</li><li><strong>Hong Kong:</strong> 7:04-8:02 p.m. HKT on March 3, 2026</li></ul><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="rHyMcm3NZ6a5KF7zdA2xdd" name="4" alt="A map of east Asia and the south Pacific showing various zones of where totality will be for the March 2026 lunar eclipse" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rHyMcm3NZ6a5KF7zdA2xdd.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1200" height="675" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The path of the March 2026 total lunar eclipse over Asia. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Created by Jamie Carter using MapHub.net. Sources: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community. Eclipse path by Xavier Jubier)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="after-march-2026-when-is-the-next-total-lunar-eclipse-2">After March 2026, when is the next total lunar eclipse?</h2><p>Here are the dates and locations for upcoming total lunar eclipses, plus a deep partial eclipse:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-august-28" target="_blank">Aug. 27-28, 2026</a>: A deep 93% partial lunar eclipse will be visible from parts of Europe, Western Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica.</li><li><a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2028-december-31" target="_blank">Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 2028-2029</a>: A total lunar eclipse will be visible from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Northern and Western North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Arctic.</li><li><a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2029-june-26" target="_blank">June 25-26, 2029</a>: A total lunar eclipse will be visible from Europe, Western Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica.</li><li><a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2029-december-20" target="_blank">Dec. 20-21, 2029</a>: A total lunar eclipse will be visible from Europe, Asia, Northern and Western Australia, Africa, North America, South America, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Arctic.</li></ul><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/eclipses/1-year-since-the-great-north-american-eclipse-heres-how-the-2026-total-eclipse-will-compare">Here's how the 2026 total eclipse will compare to the Great North American Eclipse</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/stargazing/15-must-see-naked-eye-skywatching-events-in-2025">15 must-see naked-eye skywatching events this year</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/lunar-eclipse-what-can-scientists-learn">What do lunar eclipses teach us about Earth?</a></p></div></div><h2 id="additional-resources-2">Additional resources:</h2><p>Want to look further ahead? You can find a concise summary of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.space.com/33786-lunar-eclipse-guide.html#section-future-lunar-eclipses">lunar eclipses out to 2026</a> here on Space.com. Read more about solar and lunar eclipses on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://eclipsewise.com/eclipse.html" target="_blank">EclipseWise.com</a>, a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses, and find beautiful maps on eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://eclipseatlas.com/" target="_blank">EclipseAtlas.com</a> and interactive Google Maps on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/ASE_2023_GoogleMapFull.html" target="_blank">Xavier Jubier's</a> eclipse website. You can find climate and weather predictions by meteorologist Jay Anderson on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://eclipsophile.com/2024tse/" target="_blank">eclipsophile.com</a>.</p><h2 id="bibliography-2">Bibliography</h2><p>Jubier, X. (n.d.). Lunar eclipses: Interactive Google Maps. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2025, from<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/Lunar_Eclipses.html" target="_blank"> http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/Lunar_Eclipses.html</a></p><p>Time and Date. (n.d.). 2-3 March 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon). Retrieved Sept. 1, 2025, from:<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-march-3" target="_blank"> https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-march-3</a></p><p>Cameron Smith, I. Total Lunar Eclipse of Mar. 3, 2026 AD. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2025, from:<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/2026_03_03" target="_blank"> https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/2026_03_03</a></p> ]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.space.com/total-lunar-eclipse-march-2026-complete-guide-where-when-how-to-see-it</link>
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<![CDATA[ A total lunar eclipse on March 2-4, 2026, will be visible in North America and will be the last total lunar eclipse anywhere on Earth until New Year's Eve 2028-2029. ]]>
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<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Lunar Eclipses]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stargazing]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Eclipses]]></category>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jamie Carter ]]></dc:creator> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hmAgvtHbYRNuzsgbLGbC9X-1280-80.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A series of moon images showing the phases of the lunar eclipse, with the moon going through various shadows until it turns red in the middle for the total lunar eclipse]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A series of moon images showing the phases of the lunar eclipse, with the moon going through various shadows until it turns red in the middle for the total lunar eclipse]]></media:title>
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