Space-age technologies have made fundamental changes to the way we live our lives. Avionics allow us to fly to other continents on almost a moment’s notice. GNSS services enable us to navigate our cars on roads we’ve never driven before without a paper map. And some form of radio has become the backbone of both our entertainment and communication networks. So what happens if a solar storm disrupts all of that? That is the focus of a new review paper by Natalia Buzulukova and Bruce Tsurutani, one of the world’s leading experts on space weather. They stress that we haven’t adequately prepared for a once-in-a-millennial solar storm that may be coming soon.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Florida Starship pad construction ramps up with arrival of chopsticks carriage
The next piece of SpaceX’s growing Starship infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center arrived at Launch Complex 39A on Friday. A carriage apparatus for the Starship pad’s mechanized chopstick arm system rolled to the complex for installation on the launch pad tower.
Perseverance is Putting its Samples Onto the Surface of Mars, So a Future Helicopter can Pick Them Up
At this point in its mission, NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has collected almost 50% of its samples. The rover is now building its first sample ‘depot’ on the surface of Mars. The depot is a flat, obstacle-free area with 11 separate landing circles, one for each sample tube and one for the lander.
Satellites watch atmospheric river continue to drench California
More rain is on its way to the already drenched western U.S. as forecasters observe two new "atmospheric rivers" form above the Pacific Ocean.
Virgin Orbit aims to launch historic mission from UK on Monday
Virgin Orbit's "Start Me Up" mission is scheduled to lift off Monday (Jan. 9) from Spaceport Cornwall in England on the first-ever orbital launch from the United Kingdom.
James Webb Space Telescope spies Milky Way mimics that could challenge theories of galaxy evolution
Galaxies like our Milky Way sprouted up earlier than scientists expected as revealed by new James Webb Space Telescope images.
Wild mission concepts would melt into icy moons, surf on sunlight to the ice giants, and more
From the nearby moon to distant Triton, planetary scientists have a plethora of ideas for how to explore our solar system.
Watch a comet make its closest approach in 50,000 years online next week
To share a view of comet C/2022 E3 ZTF at perihelion with anyone interested, the Virtual Telescope Project is hosting a free livestream starting at 11:00 p.m. EST (0400 GMT) on Jan. 12.
Light Pollution Is Creeping Up on World's Observatories
Astronomical observatories enjoy some of the world’s darkest night skies. But even there light pollution is spreading, a new study suggests.
Satellites watch Europe get hit by most severe winter heatwave ever
Europe entered 2023 with what meteorologists described as the most intense winter heatwave in history and satellites witnessed it from space.
Previously hidden sunspot unleashes colossal X-class solar flare as it turns to face Earth
A newly emerged sunspot is making its presence known, unleashing a powerful X-class solar flare that triggered shortwave radio blackouts across the South Pacific.
10 best camera gifts for astrophotography and videography 2023
New camera gear for the holidays? It'll likely you'll need some accessories to go with it if you're going to shoot astro, here are the 10 best camera gifts we'd recommend.
A comet not seen in 50,000 years is coming. Here's what you need to know
On Feb. 1, comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will pass to within 28 million miles (42 million km) of our planet, its first visit in 50,000 years.
Crew set to fly on Boeing Starliner add final touches to mission patch
Boeing has finalized the design of its first crew mission patch. The aerospace company is preparing for the Crew Flight Test of its CST-100 Starliner commercial spacecraft.
Perseverance rover marks 1 Mars year on Red Planet
NASA's Perseverance rover is wrapping up its prime mission after 687 Earth days on the Red Planet.
Howl at January's Wolf Moon as the 1st full moon of 2023 rises tonight
On Friday (Jan. 6), the moon will be fully illuminated for the first time in 2023 during the Full Wolf Moon when it will also be at its furthest from the sun, the aphelion.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, January 6 – 14
Saturn approaches Venus in twilight, Jupiter and Mars ride high, and Mare Orientale peeks around the edhe of the Moon. And, try exploring the many double stars in Orion's Sword.
Wandering Stars Have Been Adrift Between Galaxies for Billions of Years
In the giant galaxy clusters in the Universe, which can consist of hundreds or thousands of galaxies, there are countless “rogue” stars wandering between them. These stars are not gravitationally bound to any individual galaxy but to the halo of galaxy clusters themselves and are only discernible by the diffuse light they emit – “Ghost Light” or “Intracluster light” (ICL). For astronomers, the explanation for how these stars became so scattered throughout their galaxy clusters has always been an unresolved question.
A Rover Could Weave its Way Between Patches of Sunlight on the Lunar South Pole
In any plan to establish a presence on the Moon, the South Pole is key. There, in the deep permanent shadows of the region’s craters, are voluminous quantities of water ice. And water ice means water, oxygen, and even rocket fuel.
Fly to space and back with SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in amazing video
A new video provides a rocket's-eye view of this week's Transporter-6 mission, SpaceX's 200th orbital launch since the company's 2002 founding.
Tiny Space Force weather cubesat went up on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
One of the many payloads that took flight atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday (Jan. 3) was a tiny cubesat that will gather weather data for the U.S. Space Force.
