The summer solstice marks the start of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year. Here we explore when the summer solstice occurs and why.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Blue stars: The biggest and brightest stars in the galaxy
Blue stars are extreme in every way. They're the hottest, most massive and shortest-lived stars in the universe.
Plan to research solar power from space
The Sun never stops shining in space, and it is much more intense there than on the surface of the Earth. So what if we could gather that energy up in space then beam it down to Earth?
New Observations Add Fuel to Fast Radio Burst Origin Debate
A peculiar repeating fast radio burst seems to be coming from a dynamic environment in an otherwise uninteresting region, leaving researchers scratching their heads as to the burst’s origin.
NASA's DART spacecraft will crash into an asteroid tonight: Watch live
On Monday (Sept. 26) at 7:14 p.m. EDT (2314 GMT), if all goes well, DART will crash into Dimorphos in an attempt to alter the moonlet's trajectory.
Do black holes explode?
Black holes go boom in several ways.
See Jupiter shine during its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday (Sept. 26)
Skywatchers will get a rare opportunity to see Jupiter in its full glory when its opposition happens at the same time as its closest approach to Earth.
Space junk worries prompt new action by NASA, Congress
Recent work by NASA and Congress seeks new solutions for space debris, which has been a U.S. government priority amid anti-satellite testing and the rise of satellite megaconstellations.
NASA spacecraft on track for asteroid deflection experiment
Artist’s concept of the DART spacecraft, with its LICIACube ride along spacecraft, approaching asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos. Credit: NASA
A NASA spacecraft is aiming to slam into a stadium-size asteroid at more than 14,000 mph Monday in a planetary defense experiment to test a technique that could be used in the future to divert threatening asteroids off a collision course with Earth.
Chinese Companies are Planning to Offer Space Tourism Flights by 2025
One of the more famous features of Space Age 2.0 is the rise of the commercial space industry, also known as “NewSpace.” While the space agencies of the world plan to send astronauts back to the Moon (this time, to stay), crewed missions to Mars, and robotic missions to every corner of the Solar System, NewSpace companies are offering cost-effective launch services, sending commercial astronauts to space, and commercializing Low Earth Orbit (LEO). There’s also the prospect of space tourism, with companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX offering suborbital flights, trips to LEO, and beyond!
Gravity Really Tangled up the Light From a Distant Quasar
Way back in 1979, astronomers spotted two nearly identical quasars that seemed close to each other in the sky. These so-called “Twin Quasars” are actually separate images of the same object. Even more intriguing: the light paths that created each image traveled through different parts of the cluster. One path took a little longer than the other. That meant a flicker in one image of the quasar occurred 14 months later in the other. The reason? The cluster’s mass distribution formed a lens that distorted the light and drastically affected the two paths.
Life can Thrive Around Even the Smallest Stars
Photosynthesis is probably the most important chemical reaction for life on Earth. It is the process plants use to transform sunlight into energy it can use. Through it, plants can produce carbohydrates they can use (and we can eat when we harvest plants), generating oxygen as a by-product. Photosynthesis is why Earth’s atmosphere is about 20% oxygen. No photosynthesis, no life on Earth as we know it.
This jaw-dropping Jupiter photo is a photographer's sharpest ever and made of 600,000 images
Veteran astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy of Arizona unveiled this spectacular photo of Jupiter this month on Sept. 17 after capturing his best view yet of the giant planet.
Upcoming Star Wars TV shows
With a number of upcoming Star Wars TV shows heading your way soon, the Force will be with you. Always.
'Blade Runner 2099' live action TV show coming to Amazon Prime Video
A new life awaits you in the off-world colonies, a chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure.
Protecting Earth from asteroids is complicated and requires global cooperation
NASA's DART spacecraft is closing in on its appointment with Dimorphos, but the energetic encounter is just the very speartip of global efforts to keep life on Earth safe from asteroid impacts.
NASA's DART asteroid mission is a rare opportunity for space-rock scientists
NASA's DART mission, which will slam into an asteroid on Sept. 26, is not just a planetary defense exercise; it's also an opportunity to learn how binary asteroids form.
High roller: Dungeons & Dragons launches a die, space 'pilot' into stratosphere
The iconic 20-sided Dungeons and Dragons die soared close to the 'Astral Plane' to advertise a new space campaign for the role-playing game.
Delta 4-Heavy rocket deploys spysat on final planned mission from ‘Slick Six’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated Sept. 25 with satellite sightings and radio signal detections.
Powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket launches US spy satellite on final flight from California
The Delta IV Heavy lofted a satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Sept. 24), the vehicle's last-ever liftoff from California.
