Venus and Saturn will be in conjunction on Sunday (Jan. 22), appearing close enough together in the sky to both be seen through a telescope. The close pairing will also be visible to the naked-eye.
Space News & Blog Articles
Tune into the SpaceZE News Network to stay updated on industry news from around the world.
Why Does the Butterfly Nebula Look Like This?
The Butterfly Nebula is changing, and astronomers are puzzled as to why these changes are occurring. Observations of this planetary nebula show dramatic changes in the butterfly’s ‘wings’ in just 11 years.
'Impossible' neutron stars could explain strange flashes
Neutron-star mergers could create hypermassive neutron stars that are the fastest spinning stars in the universe.
Circumpolar Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) is Here!
Forget the hype and go outside to enjoy the real thing — a relatively bright comet you can see in binoculars from a dark sky.
Galaxies in early universe were surprisingly diverse, James Webb Space Telescope finds
Galaxies in the early universe were much more varied and mature than previously thought, according to observations made by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
We finally know why mysterious waves appear to survive the journey through Earth's turbulent 'shock' region
When solar winds bombard Earth's magnetosphere, they create waves that shouldn't be able to traverse a turbulent region called the shock. New research demonstrates how this appears to happen.
Looking back at the eruption that shook the world
One year ago, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted, causing widespread destruction to the Pacific Island Nation of Tonga, spewing volcanic material up to 58 km into the atmosphere. It brought a nearly 15 m tsunami that crashed ashore, destroying villages, and creating a sonic boom that rippled around the world – twice.
Falcon Heavy hauls military satellites to high orbit after spectacular sunset launch
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket fires away from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with two U.S. Space Force satellites. Credit: SpaceX
A U.S. military data relay satellite and a rideshare platform with its own suite of payloads rocketed into a sunset sky over Florida’s Space Coast Sunday on a Falcon Heavy launcher, putting on a dazzling show for local residents and visitors as the rocket’s two side boosters returned to Cape Canaveral for landing.
Cosmic Noon was Billions of Years ago, When Many Galaxies Were Filled With Star-Forming Nebulae Like This
You’re looking at NGC 346, a star cluster 210 light years away that is energetically pumping out brand new stars from a dense cloud of gas and dust. Between 10 and 11 billion years ago, nearly all galaxies in the Universe underwent an era of intense star formation similar to what we see in NGC 346. This flurry of stellar birth is poetically nicknamed cosmic noon. Since then, star formation in the Universe has gradually dwindled, though it still blazes away in small pockets. By studying NGC 346 and other clusters like it, we can learn more about the era of cosmic noon and the evolution of galaxies.
Many of the World’s Greatest Observatories Suffer from Some Light Pollution
In a recent study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, an international team of researchers examined the levels of light pollution at astronomical observatories from around the world to better understand how artificial light is impacting night sky observations in hopes of taking steps to reduce it. But how important is it to preserve the scientific productivity of astronomical observatories from the dangers of light pollution, as noted in the study’s opening statement?
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launches classified mission for US Space Force
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launched on its fifth-ever mission on Sunday (Jan. 15), sending multiple satellites aloft for the U.S. Space Force.
How Crazy Magnetic Fields Drive the Sun Mad
Solar coronal jets are fast moving plumes of plasma that erupt suddenly from the polar regions of the Sun. Astronomers believe that these help heat up the solar corona, but the physics behind the formation of these jets is poorly understood. Recently a team of astronomers have used observations with the Solar Dynamic Observatory and the Solar Orbiter to discover that multiple intertwining magnetic fields that connect and reconnect can power these fast moving jets.
Why hasn't ET phoned Earth? Maybe aliens are waiting for the exact right moment.
A new search for alien signals focuses on planetary transits, when exoplanets pass right in front of their suns.
Incredible time-lapse photo captures the sun during an 8-year sunspot peak
A new time-lapse image shows two major sunspot groups moving across the surface of the sun in December 2022, when the number of solar splotches also skyrocketed to an eight-year high.
Powerful linear accelerator begins smashing atoms – 2 scientists on the team explain how it could reveal rare forms of matter
The accelerator at FRIB started working at low power, but when it finishes ramping up to full strength, it will be the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator on Earth.
Spectacular Butterfly Nebula offers a glimpse of our sun's final fate
New time-lapse images of the beautiful Butterfly Nebula come closer to explaining its spectacular strangeness.
Webb Telescope Confirms Earth-size Exoplanet, Tries to Sniff Its Air
The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed its first exoplanet, a rocky Earth-size planet, and attempted to take the measure of its atmosphere.
NASA needs your help finding alien worlds
You can help NASA discover new planets using your personal telescope or even just your smartphone.
Brace yourself for Clone Force 99's return with 'Star Wars: The Bad Batch' Season 2
"Star Wars: The Bad Batch" Season 2 hits Disney+ with a new year of galactic mayhem.
Mars Rover’s Dead, Comet Incoming, JWST’s First Exoplanet
Keep your eyes on the sky for a comet, another Mars rover has died, the leaky Soyuz will be replaced, JWST dominates the American Astronomical Society meeting, and Starship is just around the corner.
NASA’s Exoplanet Watch Wants Your Help Studying Planets Around Other Stars
It’s no secret that the study of extrasolar planets has exploded since the turn of the century. Whereas astronomers knew less than a dozen exoplanets twenty years ago, thousands of candidates are available for study today. In fact, as of January 13th, 2023, a total of 5,241 planets have been confirmed in 3,916 star systems, with another 9,169 candidates awaiting confirmation. While opportunities for exoplanet research have grown exponentially, so too has the arduous task of sorting through the massive amounts of data involved.
