Reanalyzing old data with our modern understanding seems to be in vogue lately. However, the implications of that reanalysis for some topics are more impactful than others. One of the most hotly debated topics of late in the astrobiological community has been whether or not life can exist on Venus - specifically in its cloud layers, some of which have some of the most Earth-like conditions anywhere in the solar system, at least in terms of pressure and temperature. A new paper from a team of American researchers have just added fuel to that debate by reanalyzing data from the Pioneer mission to Venus NASA launched in the 70s - and finding that the Venus’ clouds are primarily made out of water.
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Northern lights may be visible in these 7 US states (and maybe more) tonight
Auroras may be visible from Alaska to Idaho as geomagnetic storm conditions are predicted to continue tonight.
Erie Canal seen from space, is now 200 years old | Space photo of the day for Oct 1. 2025
Two centuries after its completion, the Erie canal is celebrated from space, with NASA satellite imagery showing the engineering feat of this structure.
European Space Agency and Korea AeroSpace Administration embark on new cooperation
The European Space Agency and the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) have announced they will work together on peaceful uses of space, starting with space weather monitoring and sharing space communications facilities.
Upcoming Warhammer 40,000 games: Space Marine 3, Dawn of War 4, Dark Heresy & more
See what the grim darkness of the future holds for the Warhammer 40,000 universe in the realm of video games.
Panasonic Lumix S1R II review
Does this flagship 44.3-megapixel photo and video hybrid camera have enough in its tank-like structure to satisfy astrophotographers?
NASA closes doors to 15,000 employees as US government shutdown begins
Over 80% of NASA's workforce is being told to stay home during the government shutdown.
European version of SpaceX's Starship? ESA signs deal for reusable upper stage demonstrator
ESA has signed a €40m contract with Avio to develop a reusable upper stage demonstrator, marking a step toward Europe's own Starship-like ambitions.
Could China return the Perseverance rover's possible biosignature sample from Mars?
NASA has reported possible biosignatures in a Mars rock, but delays and funding woes cloud its sample return mission. Could China's Tianwen-3 step in and deliver samples from the site itself?
Advancing Europe’s quantum secure communications from space
The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a €50 million contract with aerospace company Thales Alenia Space to begin the preliminary design phase of the Security And cryptoGrAphic (SAGA) mission. This agreement enables SAGA to continue to its preliminary design review, marking a relevant step towards establishing secure, space-based communications using quantum technologies.
Sea-level monitoring satellite unboxed
Following its arrival in California a few weeks ago, the time has come for spacecraft engineers to ready the next sea-level monitoring satellite, Copernicus Sentinel-6B, for launch, which is slated for November.
ESA at IAC 2025 - highlights from Day 3
The third day of the 76th International Astronautical Congress was again full of interactions between the European Space Agency and international partners.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash' trailer is packed with epic battles, family drama, and giant robot crabs! (video)
'This world goes much deeper than you imagine'
How excited should we be about the latest Mars potential biosignature discovery? 'It's arguably the best evidence we have so far'
What about those previously studied plumes of methane and meteorites potentially stuffed with the fossils of Martian microbes?
Cassini proves complex chemistry in Enceladus ocean
Scientists digging through data collected by the Cassini spacecraft have found new complex organic molecules spewing from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. This is a clear sign that complex chemical reactions are taking place within its underground ocean. Some of these reactions could be part of chains that lead to even more complex, potentially biologically relevant molecules.
October Podcast: Pegasus Leads the Way
Pegasus is a large, distinctive constellation that’s easy to spot. During October, you can use it — along with Saturn — to find some amazing celestial sights in their vicinity. Get all the details lots more stargazing info by downloading this month’s Sky Tour podcast!
Report argues NASA is illegally using President’s Budget Request to circumvent Congress’ budgeting process
The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. Image: NASA
A new report from the Democratic staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation argues that NASA has been “illegally” implementing President Donald Trump’s proposed budget request (PBR) and ignoring the funding levels previously approved by Congress.
Moon Missions Could Finally Reveal the Secrets of Dark Matter
Dark matter is hidden from our view making it difficult to study. Despite making up roughly 80 percent of all matter, we can't see it, touch it, or directly detect it with any of our instruments. It doesn't emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it completely invisible, and we only know it exists because of its gravitational effects on visible matter. The idea was first proposed by Fritz Zwicky in 1933 whilst studying the Coma Cluster. He noticed that the galaxies in this group were moving far too quickly to be held together by gravity alone.
Astronomers Detect the First "Heartbeat" of a Newborn Star
Gamma ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the universe, briefly outshining entire galaxies in a violent flash of high energy radiation. These - excuse the pun - astronomical detonations release more energy in a few seconds than our Sun will produce over its entire ten billion year lifetime, sending jets of gamma rays racing through space. Despite their incredible brightness, gamma ray bursts are fleeting events, lasting anywhere from milliseconds to several minutes before fading away.
Setting Bounds On SETI
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has a data scale problem. There are just too many places to look for an interstellar signal, and even if you’re looking in the right place you could be looking at the wrong frequency or at the wrong time. Several strategies have come up to deal narrow the search given this overabundance of data, and a new paper pre-print in arXiv from Naoki Seto of the Kyoto University falls nicely into that category - by using the Brightest Of All TIme (BOAT) Gamma Ray Burst, with some help from our own galaxy.
JWST delivers 1st weather report of nearby world with no sun — stormy and covered with auroras
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have delivered the first detailed weather report of a nearby rogue world, and it's stormier than expected.
