When Oumuamua travelled through our Solar System back in 2017, people around the world paid attention. It was the first Interstellar Object (ISO) astronomers had ever identified. Then in August 2019, Comet 2I Borisov travelled through our Solar System, becoming the second ISO to cruise through for a visit. Together, the visiting ISOs generated a wave of inquiry and speculation.
Space News & Blog Articles
SpaceX rolls rocket to pad for Sunday's Ax-2 private astronaut launch (photos)
SpaceX rolled its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule out to the launch pad on Thursday (May 18) ahead of Sunday's (May 21) planned Ax-2 private astronaut launch.
100 black hole jets aimed at Earth unleash controversial physics theory
A flavor of black hole known as a blazar often exhibits behavior that defies explanation. A new study of 106 supermassive black holes may shed some light.
Save 15% with this Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ telescope deal
Bag a discount on the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ refractor telescope.
SpaceX rolls next Starship prototype out to pad for engine test (photo)
SpaceX rolled the Ship 25 Starship upper-stage prototype out to the launch pad early Thursday morning (May 18) to test-fire its six Raptor engines.
Supernova explosion's weird leftovers may contain a super-dense star
A young NASA mission spotted strange movements of X-rays in the supernova remnant known as Cassiopeia A, which may include an extremely dense and small star.
“Rogue Supermassive Black Hole” Could Be Something Much Simpler
An unusual streak of stars thought to have formed in the wake of a wandering supermassive black hole might just be a spiral galaxy seen edge-on.
Earth is safe from a devastating asteroid impact for 1,000 years (probably)
Earth probably won't get hit by an asteroid at least 0.6 miles (1 kilometers) wide in the next 1,000 years, a new study finds.
Astronomers Find an Earth-Sized World That May Be Carpeted in Volcanoes
Astronomers think they’ve found an extrasolar planet covered in volcanoes like Jupiter’s moon Io, but this world is about the same size as Earth. Designated LP 791-18 d, the planet is probably tidally locked around a small, red dwarf star about 90 light-years away in the constellation Crater. There are two other more massive planets in the system, and their tidal interactions could cause enough tidal flexing that it unleashes planet-wide volcanoes on LP 791-18 d.
Saturn's Rings are Much Younger Than the Planet
The rings of Saturn are an amazing sight. They are so iconic that it is hard to imagine Saturn without its rings. But throughout most of Saturn’s history, it didn’t have rings. The rings are much younger than the planet itself, and we now have good evidence to prove it.
Watch SpaceX launch 22 next-gen Starlink satellites to orbit early Friday
SpaceX plans to launch another batch of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit early Friday morning (May 19), and you can watch the action live.
China launches BeiDou navigation satellite to orbit (video)
China launched a satellite for its BeiDou navigation system system on Tuesday night (May 16), the first time it had done so in nearly three years.
Don't mess with Mars. It has a crust made of 'heavy armor,' scientists say
NASA's InSight mission spotted a marsquake that probed the thick Mars crust and confirmed why the north and south of the Red Planet are so different.
What happened to the missing stars at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy?
The stellar companions of more than a dozen stars orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy have gone missing — and astronomers want to know why.
Can NASA's Artemis moon missions count on using lunar water ice?
While many missions aim to explore permanently shadowed regions on the moon for water ice, it must be asked how realistic it is to expect to find enough ice on the moon to support human habitation.
Four of Uranus’ Moons Might Have Liquid Oceans, Too
The study of ocean worlds, planetary bodies with potential interior reservoirs of liquid water, has come to the forefront in terms of astrobiology and the search for life beyond Earth. From Jupiter’s Galilean Moons to Saturn’s Titan and Mimas to Neptune’s Triton and even Pluto, scientists are craving to better understand if these worlds truly possess interior bodies of liquid water. But what about Uranus and its more than two dozen moons? Could they harbor interior oceans, as well?
JWST Finds a Comet Still Holding Onto Water in the Main Asteroid Belt
Comets are instantly recognizable by their tails of gas and dust. Most comets originate in the far, frozen reaches of our Solar System, and only visit the inner Solar System occasionally. But some are in the Main Asteroid Belt, mixed in with the debris left over after the Solar System formed.
Record-breaking amateur rocket soars higher than Mt. Everest
College students shattered a category record in amateur rocketry last month, sending their Deneb vehicle far higher than the tallest mountain on Earth.
Astronomers Prepare for the Next Thousand Years of Hazardous Asteroid Impacts
It is as inevitable as the rising of the Sun and the turning of the tides. Someday another large rock from space will crash into the Earth. It has happened for billions of years in the past and will continue to happen for billions of years into the future. So far humanity has been lucky, as we have not had to face such a catastrophic threat. But if we are to survive on this planet for the long term, we will have to come to terms with the reality of hazardous asteroids and prepare ourselves.
Take a sneak peek at new 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture — Echoes' comic series out May 17 (exclusive)
Get a sneak peak at IDW's new comic series "Star Trek: The Motion Picture — Echoes" with this exclusive interview with screenwriter/producer Marc Guggenheim.
Artemis 2 crew begins 1st moon mission training in 50 years
Newly divulged details about the Artemis 2 moon crew's include mission milestones and a simulated docking exercise planned in Earth orbit before flying to the moon.