Since the Renaissance astronomer Galileo Galilee first studied the heavens using a telescope he built himself, astronomers have been pushing the boundaries of what they can observe. After centuries of progress, they have been able to study and catalog objects in all but the earliest periods of the Universe. But thanks to next-generation instruments and technologies, astronomers will soon be able to observe the “Cosmic Dawn” era – ca. 50 million to billion years after the Big Bang.
Space News & Blog Articles
Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens review
Is the Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens the best E-mount lens for wide-field astrophotography?
Heliocentrism: Definition, origin and model
Heliocentrism places the sun at the center of the Solar System. This is the history of how scientists discovered our place and in the Solar System.
SpaceX launches Ax-1, the 1st fully private astronaut mission to the space station
This morning (April 8), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off, launching the first fully private crewed mission to the International Space Station.
James Webb Space Telescope's most heat-sensitive instrument continues cooling to absolute zero
The James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI instrument needs to cool down almost to absolute zero, the temperature where the motion of atoms stops, before it can start observing the universe.
The private Ax-1 astronaut mission heralds an exciting new era in spaceflight (op-ed)
The upcoming Ax-1 mission is perhaps the beginning of a new era in human spaceflight — not because of the identity of the private astronauts, but because of the ecosystem that's emerging around them.
The sun's atmosphere: Photosphere, chromosphere and corona
The sun's atmosphere has three layers: The photosphere, the chromosphere and the corona.
Perihelion: The sun up close
Perihelion is the point at which an orbiting body is closest to the sun. The word comes from Greek and literally means around (peri) the sun (helios).
Two Years to the 2024 American Total Solar Eclipse!
It’s never too early to start getting excited — and begin planning — for an event as spectacular as a total solar eclipse.
Earth's layers: Exploring our planet inside and out
Earth is made up of several layers: the lithosphere, asthenosphere, lower mantle (also known as mesospheric mantle), outer core and inner core.
Axiom-1 mission all-private crew to make and carry history on space station
Artifacts from the first heavier-than-air powered flying machine, the first spacecraft to carry humans to land on the moon and the first Israeli to fly in space are headed into orbit with Ax-1.
Watch live: media Q&A with Samantha Cristoforetti
Tune in this Monday 11 April from 15:00-16:30 CEST (13:00-14:30 GMT) for a conversation between ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and media in Europe live on ESA Web TV.
3D-printed bone
Image: 3D-printed bone
Hubble Space Telescope spots extreme weather on strange alien worlds
Since astronomers began finding exoplanets in the 1990s, they've uncovered a lot of hot Jupiters, and now NASA's most venerable telescope is playing meteorologist.
We're two years away from the Great North American Solar Eclipse of 2024!
Book your travel, buy your glasses, and get ready for the show of the decade on April 8, 2024
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter makes its 24th flight on Mars
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter completed its 24th Martian flight on Sunday (April 3), a short repositioning hop that covered 154 feet (47 meters) in 69.5 seconds.
The private Ax-1 astronaut mission heralds an exciting new era in spaceflight (op-ed)
The upcoming Ax-1 mission is perhaps the beginning of a new era in human spaceflight — not because of the identity of the private astronauts, but because of the ecosystem that's emerging around them.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 8 – 16
The gibbous Moon passes through Leo and Virgo as it waxes toward full, forming new Moon-and-stars "lunarisms" (patterns) each evening. Mercury begins a new apparition in the sunset. At dawn, Jupiter emerges to join the lineup of Venus, Mars, and Saturn.
Live coverage: Four private astronauts set for launch Friday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Axiom’s Ax-1 mission. The Ax-1 mission will carry Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe, and Mark Pathy to the International Space Station. Follow us on Twitter.
SpaceX launching private Ax-1 astronaut mission today: Watch it live
SpaceX will launch a former NASA astronaut and three paying customers on a journey to the International Space Station. That mission, called Ax-1, lifts off today (April 8)!