In the late 1980s, the Voyager 2 spacecraft snapped the “canonical” up-close images of Uranus and Neptune. In those views, Uranus was a pretty greenish-blue and Neptune appeared a deep azure color. It turns out that both planets are pretty close in color: a greenish-blue more akin to Uranus’s appearance.
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Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with Starlink satellites
The Falcon 9 rocket goes upright at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.
The next batch of 23 Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s space-based internet service are scheduled to ride a Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Sunday from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff is now targeted for 5:35 p.m. EST (2235 UTC).
SpaceX launching 23 Starlink satellites from Florida today
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) today (Jan. 7), sending 23 Starlink satellites to orbit.
2,000-year-old 'celestial calendar' discovered in ancient Chinese tomb
Archaeologists in China have unearthed a mysterious set of rectangular wooden pieces linked to an ancient astronomical calendar.
The Best Meteor Showers in 2024
The beloved Perseid meteor shower of the August vacation season will evade the moonlight in 2024, at least during the best early morning meteor-watching hours, The Lyrids and Geminids aren't so lucky.
Aurora hunting: What it's like to chase the northern lights along Norway's dramatic coastline
Experience the wonder of the northern lights aboard the iconic Hurtigruten Coastal Express. See what you can expect from an Astronomy Voyage and hear from the people who took part in this adventure to the top of the world.
Watch Vulcan rocket launch private Peregrine moon lander on debut mission early Jan. 8
ULA's new Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch for the first time early on Jan. 8, sending the private Peregrine lander toward the moon, and you can watch it live.
NASA Selects the MAGGIE Solar-Powered Aircraft for the 2024 NIAC Program
Since 1998, the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program has fostered innovation by accepting new and unconventional proposals from the scientific community. Those selected are awarded funding to conduct early-stage technology studies that could lead to applications that help advance the agency’s scientific and exploration objectives. In a recent press statement, NASA announced the 13 concepts it has selected for Phase I development, which will receive a combined award of up to $175,000 in grants to assess the concepts’ feasibility and develop the technology further.
Titan’s “Magic Islands” Could Be Floating Blobs of Organic Solids
When the Cassini spacecraft returned radar scans of the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, the results were mindblowing. It revealed giant lakes or seas of liquid methane, a complete absence of waves and what seemed to be islands in the giant bodies of water. Now a team of scientists think they may be blobs of organic molecules that form in the atmosphere, collect in the lakes and float around!
Japan’s New X-Ray Observatory Sees First Light
XRISM, the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint NASA/JAXA mission led by JAXA. The X-ray space telescope began its mission in low-Earth orbit on September 6th, 2023. Science operations won’t begin until later this year, but the satellite’s science team has released some of the telescope’s first images.
Crystal-studded space rock found in the Sahara may rewrite the history of the early solar system
The rocks were found in May 2020 in the Erg Chech sand sea, in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria.
Multiple Supernova Remnants Merging in a Distant Nebula
The key to astronomy is careful observation. Unlike many sciences, astronomers can’t often do their work in a lab. Sure, they can build space telescopes and large ground observatories, but even with tools as simple as sticks and stones astronomers were able to change our understanding of the Universe with patience and observation. That tradition still holds true today, as a recent study in The Astronomical Journal shows.
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ULA says its Vulcan rocket is finally ready to fly
The United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket is transported from the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, in preparation for the certification mission (Cert-1). The mission will launch the Astrobotic Peregrine commercial lunar lander, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, into a highly elliptical orbit more than 220,000 miles (360,000 km) above Earth to intercept the Moon and carry a Celestis Memorial Spaceflight Payload into deep space. Image: ULA
Nearly a decade of planning, designing, assembly and testing for United Launch Alliance (ULA) is about to culminate in the first launch of its Vulcan rocket. The maiden flight of the launch vehicle is set for Monday, Jan. 8, at 2:18 am EST (0718 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Earth's core wobbles every 8.5 years, new study suggests
Earth's core isn't exactly aligned with its mantle, which results in a cyclical wobble, new research finds.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 92 — The Saga of the Seven Sisters
On Episode 92 of This Week In Space, Tariq and Rod discuss navigating the night sky with astronomer Steve Fentress.
Mexico's 1st moon mission will send 5 tiny robots aloft on Peregrine lunar lander Jan. 8
Mexico's first moon mission launches early on Monday (Jan. 8) as Astrobiotic's Peregine lander carries five tiny robots to the lunar surface.
ULA's 1st Vulcan Centaur rocket is ready to fly. Will it live long and prosper?
United Launch Alliance's new, long-awaited Vulcan Centaur rocket is all set to lift off for the first time ever. But will the vehicle establish itself in a competitive launch market?
Should We Send Humans to Pluto?
Universe Today has examined the potential for sending humans to Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, the planet Venus, and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, all despite their respective harsh environments and vast distances. These conversations with planetary science experts determined that humans traveling to these worlds in the foreseeable future could be possible, despite the harsh conditions and travel time, specifically to Titan.
What time is ULA's 1st Vulcan rocket launch with Astrobotic's private moon lander on Jan. 8?
The United Launch Alliance is ready to launch its first-ever Vulcan rocket but if you're hoping to watch the historic liftoff, you'll need to know when and how.
10 rookie mistakes first-time eclipse-chasers make (and how to avoid them)
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 is a rare chance for North Americans to experience a total solar eclipse. Don't get it wrong.
