Remember that iconic scene in Star Wars, where a young Skywalker steps out onto the surface of Tatooine and watches the setting of two suns? As it turns out, this may be what it is like for lifeforms on the exoplanet known as Kepler-16, a rocky planet that orbits in a binary star system. Originally discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission, an international team of astronomers recently confirmed that this planet orbits two stars at once – what is known as a circumbinary planet.
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Webb turns those 18 separate star images into a single unified star. Next comes even better focus.
It’s coming together! Engineers for the James Webb Space Telescope have now completed two more phases of the seven-step, three-month-long mirror alignment process. This week, the team made more adjustments to the mirror segments along with updating the alignment of its secondary mirror. These refinements allowed for all 18 mirror segments to work together — for the first time — to produce one unified image.
James Webb Space Telescope is nearly halfway through its mirror alignment stages
Stars are getting sharper in the James Webb Space Telescope's field of view.
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Happy 100 days in space to ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer. The first-time space flier marked the milestone on 19 February 2022 and what a busy 100-days it been.
Herzog doc 'Last Exit: Space' examines our future off Earth (exclusive trailer sneak peek)
"Last Exit: Space," which was narrated and executive produced by Werner Herzog, looks at humanity's quest to extend its footprint beyond Earth.
Major James Webb Space Telescope project will map half a million early galaxies
The Hubble Space Telescope kicked off the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) two decades ago, but soon, the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope will join the galaxy-mapping program.
Live coverage: SpaceX counting down to launch from California today
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with 50 Starlink internet satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
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How far is the moon from Earth?
The average distance between Earth and the moon is about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers).
Should we be looking for intelligence on a planetary scale?
According to new research led by the University of Rochester, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) should be broadened to look for signs of "planetary intelligence."
What is the average temperature on Earth?
The global average surface temperature lies somewhere around 57 degrees Fahrenheit (13.9 degrees Celsius).
SpaceX launching 50 Starlink satellites, landing rocket today: Watch it live
SpaceX will launch 50 satellites and land the returning rocket today (Feb. 25), and you can watch the action live.
Swirling winds of Saturn trigger never-before-seen auroras
Some of Saturn’s auroras are triggered by swirling winds within the planet’s own atmosphere, a completely new type of aurora not seen on any other planet before, new research suggests.
NASA's daring Parker Solar Probe spacecraft zips past the sun again today
The spacecraft will zoom close to 5 million miles from the sun's surface during its 11th flyby.
Satellite photos reveal details of Russian invasion into Ukraine
Satellites orbiting Earth are capturing a detailed view of Russia's invasion into Ukraine.
Mars' atmosphere: Facts about composition and climate
Mars' atmosphere is over 100 times thinner than Earth's and is primarily composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon gases.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, February 25 – March 5
As the winter Milky Way rides high, open star clusters near and far, and from compact to sparse, await your binoculars or telescope, At dawn catch the Venus-Mars pair, and try for the closer Mercury-Saturn pair lower down.
Earth from Space: Washington, US
To celebrate the recent data release from Landsat 9, this week we take a closer look at a part of Washington state – the northwesternmost state of the US – through the lens of Landsat 9.
New Russia sanctions won't imperil ISS operations, NASA says
The International Space Station program will continue business as usual, NASA assures us as the U.S. government levies new sanctions against Russia.
Roc soars again: Biggest airplane ever built aces 4th test flight
The biggest airplane ever built, Stratolaunch's Roc carrier aircraft, just aced its fourth test flight.
Fifty more Starlink satellites ready for launch Friday
In this file photo from 2019, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands vertical at Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX will launch another 50 Starlink internet satellites Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, continuing what’s expected to be a cadence of nearly one Falcon 9 launch per month this year at the West Coast spaceport.
