Currently, there are 1 to 2 Starlink satellites falling back to Earth each day. Soon there will be more. Satellites give us enormous benefits that are also multiplying. But are we doing enough to protect our delicate future in near-Earth space? Find out in this video as EarthSky’s Dave Adalian talks with spaceflight expert Jonathan McDowell! Watch in the player above.| EarthSky
Take your pick: the October birthstone is either the striking iridescent opal or the many-colored tourmaline. Learn the lore of these pretty gemstones here. The post October birthstone: Colorful opal and tourmaline first appeared on EarthSky.| Human World | EarthSky
NASA has said the International Space Station will cease operations at the end of 2030. What will replace it? Image via NASA/ Roscosmos.| EarthSky
World Space Week dates back to 1999 and runs every year from October 4 to 10. This year, the theme is living in space. Find events near you here. The post World Space Week is October 4 to 10. Find events here first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
Hurricane Gabrielle has strengthened into a Category 4 storm. It’s 330 miles (530 km) northeast of Bermuda. Those in the Azores should monitor its progress. The post Hurricane Gabrielle strengthens to Category 4 first appeared on EarthSky.| Earth | EarthSky
Have you ever wondered how many stars you can see in a dark sky?| EarthSky
Researchers discovered new evidence of Supernova 1181 in an ancient Arabic poem praising the 12th century military leader and politician Saladin. The post Supernova 1181 was described in an ancient Arabic poem first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
Scientists have developed a new molecule that might bring artificial photosynthesis - and clean, sun-powered fuels - a step closer. The post Artificial photosynthesis breakthrough! Solar fuels to come? first appeared on EarthSky.| Human World | EarthSky
View larger. | Graphic representation of deep space communications in our solar system. A new study proposes how to find aliens, or at least their communications. It found that human transmissions are most frequently directed toward spacecrafts near Mars (lower left), as well as the sun and other planets. An alien civilization could most easily detect such transmissions when Mars and Earth are in alignment, from their perspective. And we could use the same principle to search for alien signal...| EarthSky
There are conflicting reports of the death toll today, following Sunday's Sudan landslide in the remote Marra Mountains. But it appears hundreds are dead. The post Sudan landslide flattens village, leaves uncertain death toll first appeared on EarthSky.| Earth | EarthSky
The Taliban, which rules war-torn Afghanistan, has asked the world for help with recovery efforts following last night's 6.0-magnitude Afghanistan earthquake. The post Afghanistan earthquake: Impassable roads, inclement weather first appeared on EarthSky.| Human World | EarthSky
An interview about interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans, with the study’s lead author Israel Hershkovitz, of Tel Aviv University. Video provided by Tel Aviv University.| EarthSky
UFOs in Canada: Canada’s top scientists are recommending the creation of a new federal body to standardize, collect and investigate unidentified aerial phenomena. Video via CTV News.| EarthSky
Jasper, on the left, belongs to the study’s lead author, Hoi-Lam Jim. He’s shown here with his best friend, Sahibu. While many people think that their dogs are good judges of a person’s character, new research indicates there is no evidence that dogs form opinions of people. Image via Hoi-Lam Jim / Kyoto University.| EarthSky
The world watched on television as Neil Armstrong from Apollo 11 was the 1st human to leave footsteps on the moon on July 20, 1969. It was the 1st time humans walked on another world as he stepped onto the lunar surface, Armstrong said: “That is one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Still image via NASA video.Read all about the 1st footsteps on the moon – 56 years ago – and celebrate International Moon Day.| EarthSky
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Peter Gipson in Suffolk, UK, caught this unusual cloud formation on July 1, 2025. Thanks, Peter! This is a hole-punch cloud or fallstreak hole. Read more about how hole-punch clouds occur below.Fallstreak holes or hole-punch clouds| EarthSky
Human dam-building, first in the Americas and then in East Africa and Asia, has been linked to minute shifts in Earth’s poles. Image of Hoover Dam via U.S. National Park Service.The American Geophysical Union published this story originally on July 8, 2025. Edits by EarthSky.| EarthSky
ANOMALY! Just before Ship 36 was set to Static Fire, it blew up at SpaceX Masseys!| EarthSky
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 launched from Starbase in south Texas on May 27, 2025. The 1st-ever reused Super Heavy booster exploded during its landing burn over the Gulf of Mexico. Starship itself touched orbit, then lost control and tumbled back to Earth. Image is a video still via SpaceX live feed/ Videos from Space.At 18:37 CDT (23:37 UTC) last night (May 27, 2025), SpaceX’s Starship rocket lifted off for the 9th time. This was the first attempt to launch Starship on a reused booster st...| EarthSky
The second set of Manhattanhenge will occur tonight and tomorrow night, on the evenings of July 11 and 12, 2025.| EarthSky
Cuts to science in the United States will endanger research that improves economic growth, national security and your life. Watch the livestream with EarthSky’s founder Deborah Byrd and Dan Garisto at 12:15 p.m. (17:15 UTC) on Tuesday, May 20, for updates on the funding freeze at the National Science Foundation.| EarthSky
Maypole dancing at the village’s fair at Bishopstone, East Sussex, with the tower of St Andrew’s parish church in the background. Image via Kevin Gordon/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic).Looking up has never felt more important. Please donate to help EarthSky keep bringing the sky to your screen.| EarthSky
This is wildfire. It’s winter for the Northern Hemisphere, yet wildfires raged this past week in neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Why? Among other reasons, we live in a warming world, with greater weather extremes, including heat and drought in places like LA County. The book “This Is Wildfire” explains why wildfires around the globe seem larger and more destructive now. But, even more importantly, the book helps you prepare your home and your community for wildfire. Image via Ready.gov.Ni...| EarthSky
The January birthstone, the garnet, comes in several types. This image shows a variety known as andradite. Image via Moha112100/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).If you were born in January, the garnet is your birthstone.| EarthSky
Did you see our LIVESTREAM on Monday, October 14, 2024? We talked about extreme weather events with climatologist Davide Faranda!| EarthSky
What’s the Bad Astronomer, Phil Plait, thinking about today? He’s thinking about the wealth of knowledge about our home galaxy, the Milky Way, provided by ESA’s awesome GAIA space observatory.| EarthSky
Read below about research showing it’s true … we sleep less before a full moon.| EarthSky
The X-37B spaceplane mission 7 launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, designated USSF-52, on Thursday night, December 28, 2023. Greg Diesel-Walck captured this image at the launch site and said: “The dew tonight was insane”.The U.S. Space Force’s robot spaceplane – the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle – lifted off on its seventh mission Thursday night, December 28, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It rode to its highest orbit yet aboard a powerful SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket,...| EarthSky
