A new study using the James Webb Space Telescope shows that Earendel - thought to be the most distant star known - might be a cluster of stars. The post Is Earendel the most distant star? Or a star cluster? first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
Coming up ... the total lunar eclipse of September 7, 2025. At maximum eclipse, the moon will look red. But why? Earth's atmosphere is the key. The post A total lunar eclipse looks red. Why? first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
The Chi Cygnids are a September meteor shower that appears to be more active every 5 years. And 2025 is one of those years! Observing info here. The post Rare Chi Cygnids are active! Maybe. Observing info here first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
View larger. | Artist’s concept of Mars being hit by a large asteroid impact. Mars’ interior is lumpy, but why? New research indicates that rocky debris in the planet’s mantle came from large impacts about 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists found the evidence in marsquake seismic data from the now-defunct InSight lander. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.| EarthSky
New solar flare images from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope reveal a solar flare and coronal loops in unprecedented high-resolution detail. The post Stunning new solar flare images show unprecedented detail first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
The JUICE mission successfully performed a gravity assist around Venus on August 31, 2025, helping it pick up speed for its long journey to Jupiter. The post JUICE mission to Jupiter completes Venus flyby first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
Artist’s concept of a supermassive black hole shredding and devouring a star in what’s known as a tidal disruption event. Astronomers have spotted a star that suffered this fate but survived to battle the black hole again. Image via ESO/ M. Kornmesser.Star versus black hole| EarthSky
Space-time lies at the heart of modern physics, yet its true nature remains unclear. Is it a fixed structure, a dynamic field, or just a metaphor? The post Space-time, the interwoven fabric of space and time first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
View larger. | Artist’s concept of the exoplanet called GJ 9827 d, which is either a super-Earth or sub-Neptune world. Astronomers believe it is a steam world, with a lot of water vapor in its hot atmosphere. A new study focuses on how to understand steam world exoplanets better. They have hot, steamy atmospheres and layers of exotic supercritical water. Image via NASA/ ESA/ Leah Hustak (STScI)/ Ralf Crawford (STScI)/ University of Montreal.| EarthSky
A new study proposes a novel idea for how to find aliens: Look for their deep space communications when their planets are in alignment, as seen from Earth. The post How to find aliens: Look when their planets are aligned first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
NASA scientists use TESS and Kepler data with a new method to map star spots on distant stars to enhance our understanding of stellar activity and exoplanets. The post Star spots and planetary transits on distant stars first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
A new study suggests that particles of dark matter in exoplanets could form tiny black holes, which would eventually turn entire planets into black holes. The post How dark matter in exoplanets could create new black holes first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
The new interstellar object - 3I/ATLAS - looks even more comet-like in Hubble observations, which give an estimated diameter of 5.6 km or possibly much less. The post Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS updates: Will we intercept it? first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
Research on Asteroid Bennu samples brings to light diverse characteristics that give insight into how, when and where the asteroid was formed. The post Asteroid Bennu samples reveal dramatic solar system past first appeared on EarthSky.| Space | EarthSky
Michael Jaeger captured this recent image of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon. Used with permission. Comet Lemmon is one of 5 bright comets headed toward Earth. Read more about them below.5 bright comets approaching Earth| EarthSky
During its flyby of Mars in March 2025, the Europa Clipper spacecraft tested its radar instrument. This is a small section of the image it successfully produced of Mars’ surface. See the full radargram. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UT-Austin.| 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
Could desert lichen survive on other worlds? A new study looked at a hardy Mojave Desert lichen and found it could live even under harsh solar radiation. Image via AdisResic/ Pixabay.Could desert lichen survive on other worlds?| EarthSky
ESA has unveiled the 1st images from Proba-3, an ambitious mission using 2 satellites to reveal the sun's outer atmosphere through artificial solar eclipses. The post First images from Proba-3, the 2-part sun observer first appeared on EarthSky.| Sun | EarthSky
The more atmosphere you are peering through, the more stars (or planets) appear to twinkle. Read below why stars twinkle, but planets do not. Chart by AstroBob. Used with permission.Stars twinkle, while planets (usually) shine steadily. Why? | EarthSky
View larger. | Aomawa Shields, UC Irvine associate professor of physics and astronomy, led the new white dwarf study. Scientists have thought that planets around white dwarfs would be uninhabitable, but this new study shows how some some white dwarf planets might be able to support life. Image via Steve Zylius/ UC Irvine.| EarthSky
View larger. | Artist’s illustration of Cassini spacecraft flying through the water vapor plumes of Enceladus. A new study from researchers in the UK has found that Enceladus’ subsurface ocean might have layers that make it difficult to find traces of life on Enceladus. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ Space Science Institute.| EarthSky
Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re sharing the love by celebrating some of the many heart-shaped objects you can find from way out in the depths of space to closer to our neighborhood in the solar system to right here on Earth.| EarthSky
Artist’s concept shows NASA’s Parker Solar Probe touching the sun. Parker Solar Probe was closest to the sun at 11:53:48 UTC (5:53:48 a.m. CST) December 24, 2024. It came within 3.86 million miles (6.2 million km) of our star. That was an exciting day for humanity! Image via NASA.The 2025 EarthSky Lunar Calendar is now available! A unique and beautiful poster-sized calendar. Makes a great New Year’s gift. Get yours today!| EarthSky
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeremy Likness in Newport, Oregon, captured this telescopic view of the Andromeda galaxy on July 9, 2024. Jeremy wrote: “It’s a galaxy so near it could be interacting with our stars. It’s so big and bright that you can photograph it with an ordinary camera. The Andromeda galaxy, named for the constellation it hangs out in, is located just off the edge of the distinct ‘W’ of Cassiopeia. I used a hydrogen-alpha filter to find the red emissions hang...| EarthSky
In this 1-minute video, EarthSky’s Kelly Kizer Whitt tells you about the UFO-spotting camera that’s being planned for the surface of Mars.| EarthSky
Here’s how Asteroid RW1 looks like from Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines. Best shot so far!! ? pic.twitter.com/eYgQsHqxFP| EarthSky
View larger. | This is an artist’s concept of a Dyson sphere, showing a massive structure of independently orbiting arched panels. All that’s missing is a ravaged planet or moon … the source of the raw materials for this giant structure. Image via Kevin Gill/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0 DEED).Earth’s biggest construction project| 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
As seen in this artist’s concept, the Blue and Gold orbiters in the Mars mission ESCAPADE will launch in 2025. Scientists and engineers built the probes on a shoestring budget, to see if it could be done. The probes will take 11 months to reach the red planet and are designed to study Mars’ magnetosphere. Image via Rocket Lab/ UC Berkeley.Mars mission to study magnetosphere on the cheap| EarthSky
Mars probably had liquid water on its surface billions of years ago. But Mars’ water disappeared over time, leaving the planet cold and dry. Where did Mars’ water go?| EarthSky
This incredible video from September 26, 2022, shows the perspective of the DART spacecraft as it approached and then struck the asteroid Dimorphos. The final 5 1/2 minutes are condensed into the shortened video. Via NASA/ Johns Hopkins APL/ YouTube.| EarthSky
The sun has passed from one of its 11-year activity cycles into another. Scientists predict the new cycle will be about as calm as the previous one.| EarthSky | Updates on your cosmos and world
This is one example of seeing SpaceX’s Starlink in your sky. This artist’s concept shows a trail of Starlink satellites, each an individual dot reflecting sunlight. They would move across the sky in a line like a train.. Image via Star Walk: How to track SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Peter Forister in Gordonsville, Virginia, took this image at 7:38 p.m. on September 24, 2022. Peter wrote: “Spectacular sunset colors with the SpaceX Starlink rocket la...| EarthSky
Exoplanets are worlds orbiting distant stars. Astronomer Néstor Espinoza of Space Telescope Science Institute spoke with EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd on Monday, May 20, 2024, about this diversity of worlds beyond our sun and planets. He talked about the nearby, fascinating TRAPPIST-1 system, located some 40 light-years away. He talked about Proxima Centauri b, the closest exoplanet at 4 light-years. And he touched on some current and future exoplanet missions.| EarthSky
