Scientists Detect Rare Type of Wood Alcohol in Space
As part of the ALMA COMPASS Large program, an international research team has detected a rare form of methanol in space for the first time.
NASA to Help Unlock Mysteries of Mars’ Moons in Upcoming Mission
NASA is playing an important role in JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission, to advance our understanding of Mars’ moons and build on the agency’s long history of exploring the Red Planet. The mission aims to characterize and determine the origin of Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos and deliver a sample […]
NASA Satellites Observe Historic 2026 El Niño
A phenomenon rarer than a solar eclipse and more powerful than any single storm system is unfolding this fall, and NASA is tracking it closely. El Niño is a natural climate pattern that emerges roughly every two to seven years marked by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific. NASA scientists are keeping […]
Power Up: Roll Out Solar Arrays Boost Space Station Power Supply
From the International Space Station’s unique position 250 miles above Earth, the Sun is a vital source of energy. Solar power supports the station’s life support systems, daily activities, and hundreds of research investigations that improve life on Earth and prepare humans for deep space exploration. Over the past five years, NASA augmented the station’s […]
Host Stars Shape Their Planetary Systems Into Two Families
New research draws a link between a host star and the characteristics of its planetary system. Higher mass stars create one family of systems, while lower mass stars create another. These results provide a new, more detailed template for understanding exoplanet systems.
NASA to Conduct Low-Altitude Flights Over Texas Farmland
A NASA Dynamic Aviation A200 aircraft will conduct low-flying research flights over farmland near Transit, Texas, from Thursday, Oct. 22, through Monday, Nov. 9. These flights will measure gaseous and particulate emissions from animal feeding operations. Agricultural emissions represent an important and understudied part of Earth’s land and atmosphere systems. The FarmFlux mission will deploy […]
NASA Welcomes All Ages, Experience Levels for Space Apps Challenge
Registration is open for the 2026 NASA Space Apps Challenge, a two-day global event on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15, where teams work to create solutions inspired by NASA’s most ambitious exploration goals and making use of the agency’s free and open data. The annual challenge, often called a hackathon, is an intensive, […]
NASA Awards Enable Research, Technology to Build Future Workforce
NASA has selected 12 U.S. institutions to receive $12 million to accelerate academic research and technology development in support of the agency’s priorities for exploring the Moon, Mars, and deep space. Through NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Space Technology Artemis Research (M‑STAR) initiative, selected institutions will each receive up to $1 million […]
Rigorous Analysis Confirms NASA’s Artemis II Heat Shield Performance
NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts around the Moon and brought them safely back to Earth, laying a foundation for crewed flights to the Moon’s surface. Additional engineering data analysis of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield confirmed initial data showing the heat shield performed as expected. In particular, NASA measured whether the thermal protection […]
Orionid, Taurid Meteors Haunt October Skies
Fall meteor season has begun. Late October not only sees dusk falling ever earlier as ghouls and goblins walk the Earth on Halloween, but it also sees the peak of two fine annual meteor showers kicking off Halloween season: the Orionid and Taurid meteor showers.
Chandra Finds Possible Origin of 'Treble Clef' Waves
Astronomers have used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the “Treble Clef” because its distinct shape strongly resembles the musical symbol.
Chandra Finds Possible Origin of ‘Treble Clef’ Waves
A formation of radio waves looks remarkably like a treble clef in this Oct. 14, 2026, image from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Researchers used Chandra to find that the Treble Clef is likely caused by an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters. Read more about this discovery. […]
SPHEREx Just Took the Fingerprints of Failed Stars Across Our Cosmic Neighborhood
Brown dwarfs are the black (or brown?) sheep of astronomy. They’re too big to be considered a traditional gas planet, but they are too small to have started nuclear fusion and made the full transition to star-hood. They also change dramatically over time, cooling, shrinking, and spinning faster as they age. Or at least we think they do - our models of the atmospheres of these celestial objects aren’t the best, according to a new paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by a team led by Zafar Rustamkulov at Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Oct. 15, 1997: Cassini-Huygens launches
At 4:43 A.M. on Oct. 15, 1997, the staccato crackle of the Titan IVB/Centaur’s two side-mounted solid rocket boosters shattered the predawn gloom. Pushing Cassini-Huygens off the pad with a thrust of 3.4 million pounds (1.5 million kilograms), their bright glare turned night into day (and set off numerous car alarms) above a sleeping Florida. Continue reading "Oct. 15, 1997: Cassini-Huygens launches" The post Oct. 15, 1997: Cassini-Huygens launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Planetary systems fall into 2 distinct families, astronomers say
Astronomers studying planetary systems in the Milky Way have found they can be sorted into 2 families. These families are largely determined by the host star. The post Planetary systems fall into 2 distinct families, astronomers say first appeared on EarthSky .
What star in the northeast flashes colorfully? It’s Capella!
If you're in Earth's Northern Hemisphere and see a bright star twinkling with red, green and blue flashes low in the northeast on October evenings, it's probably Capella. See charts here! The post What star in the northeast flashes colorfully? It’s Capella! first appeared on EarthSky .
The Sky Today on Thursday, October 15: Double crater Messier
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 14: Io covers Callisto An hour after sunset this evening, you’ll find the waxing crescent Moon low in the southwest, hanging above the back of Scorpius and just off the spout of Sagittarius’ Teapot. Zoom in with a telescope on Mare Continue reading "The Sky Today on Thursday, October 15: Double crater Messier" The post The Sky Today on Thursday, October 15: Double crater Messier appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
APOD: 2026 October 15 – The Milky Way over Manhattan
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 15 – The… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. The Milky […]
Fires Arrive in the Amazon Rainforest
During El Niño, a cascade of fires across the tropics begins in equatorial Asia and continues in the central and eastern Amazon.
Lyman continuum escape during the onset of galactic winds in compact starbursts
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 15 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02999-z UV spectra of six similar galaxies show that stronger, faster, multiphase outflows accompany lower escape of ionizing radiation. Thus Lyman continuum escape may peak before strong galactic winds develop and then decline as the wind-column density grows.
NASA to Host News Conference Previewing US Spacewalks 100, 101
NASA will preview two upcoming spacewalks to complete solar array installation and power augmentation of the International Space Station during a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 20, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA will stream the event through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online: https://www.nasa.gov/live NASA participants […]
The Perseverance Rover Reaches Another Milestone
NASA's Perseverance Rover has reached another milestone. It now holds the record for the longest distance travelled on another world, meaning Mars and Earth's Moon. It's all thanks the ingenuity behind AutoNav, it's hazard-detection driving system. It's a win for science, as more distance travelled means more scientific objectives are reached.
NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from Florida Students
Students in Florida will hear from NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney as they answer prerecorded STEM questions while aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will begin at 12 p.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 16, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel. This event is hosted by Sally Ride Elementary School […]
NASA’s Chandra Breaks Down ‘Treble Clef’s’ Galaxy Cluster Collision
Astronomers have used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the “Treble Clef” because its distinct shape strongly resembles the musical symbol. The researchers discovered the Treble Clef is likely caused by an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision […]
Astronomers Observe The Limb Darkening Effect On Nearby Stars
The edge of the Sun appears darker than its central region. This effect is known as limb darkening and tells us about the solar atmosphere. This same limb darkening effect has now been observed on several nearby stars and could help us improve our understanding of stellar atmospheres.
Astronomers Uncover More Intriguing Detail in an Ancient Supernova Remnant
When a supernova exploded in 1181, Chinese and Japanese sky-watchers recorded it. They couldn't have known what the object was, and why it appeared for six months then disappeared. But in our modern times, we know it was a supernova, and we've even, most likely, found its remnant. New observations reveal more detail than ever in the unusual and rare supernova remnant.
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 Launch Jellyfish
The exhaust plumes of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft are seen illuminated by sunlight against the predawn sky during the launch of NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 mission, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, as seen from Cocoa Beach, Florida. The light makes the plumes look like a jellyfish in the sky.
NASA’s Space X CRS-35 Launch Jellyfish
Sunlight illuminates the exhaust plumes of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft on Oct. 13, 2026. This visual phenomenon is known as a “jellyfish”; it happens near sunrise or sunset when the exhaust plume from the rocket becomes brightly illuminated, creating a glowing shape resembling a jellyfish. The mission lifted off […]
Chandrasekhar Placed A Limit On White Dwarfs, But A New Study Finds This Limit Is Not Absolute
The Chandrasekhar limit states that a white dwarf can be no larger than 1.4 solar masses. A new study demonstrates how highly magnetized white dwarfs could overcome that limit, and how such super-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs could form.
NASA Develops Batteries to Power Humanity’s Return to Moon
If you’ve ever had your car start sluggishly, or not at all, on a particularly frigid winter morning, you know standard batteries do not like extreme cold. That’s why NASA researchers are working to develop a battery that could function in the brutal cold of the Moon’s South Pole, where nighttime temperatures plunge to minus […]
Curiosity Greets a Spectacular Dawn Sky on Mars
Mars is a planetary geologist’s paradise. NASA’s Curiosity rover drove that home recently, with a captivating panorama seen from the slopes of Mount Sharp. The image shows a stunning vista, and was not white-balance adjusted during processing, to show just what a viewer might really see at sunrise standing of Mars.
NASA to Discuss Artemis Acceleration, Status of Upcoming Moon Missions
NASA will provide an update on its plans to return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon by 2028 at 2 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 23, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Learn where to watch online: https://www.nasa.gov/live Participants in the briefing include: The update will include details about NASA’s Artemis III […]
Oct. 14, 1947: Flying faster than sound
When Glamorous Glennis, an experimental Bell X-1 aircraft built to mimic the shape of a .50 caliber bullet, shot to 700 mph (1,127 km/h) with Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager inside, it paved the way for Americans to one day travel to space. On Oct. 14, 1947, the X-1 was launched from the bomb bay Continue reading "Oct. 14, 1947: Flying faster than sound" The post Oct. 14, 1947: Flying faster than sound appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
A Trip to Mars Could Break Your Heart - Literally
When astronauts first travel to Mars, or anywhere else in deep space, they will have to contend with two problems that our planet itself protects us from on its surface - radiation and weightlessness. Scientists already know both can have a profound impact on the human body, but just how much of one, and how long that impact can last, remain a mystery. A new paper by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and published in PLoS One, tackles those questions, and unfortunately comes up with some less than ideal answers in terms of the long term implications of deep space exposure.
Best deep-sky photos of September 2026 from EarthSky community
Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos from September 2026 by our EarthSky community. If you have a great photo to share, we'd love to see it! The post Best deep-sky photos of September 2026 from EarthSky community first appeared on EarthSky .
The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 14: Io covers Callisto
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 13: Vesta at opposition Observers in the U.S. Midwest and farther west have a great opportunity this morning to watch one Galilean moon pass in front of another. Io crosses in front of Callisto, occulting it from our point of view Continue reading "The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 14: Io covers Callisto" The post The Sky Today on Wednesday, October 14: Io covers Callisto appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our sun
Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to our sun at 4.22 light-years away. It's home to at least 3 planets and has massive solar flares. The post Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our sun first appeared on EarthSky .
APOD: 2026 October 14 – Mars and the Beehive Under an Aurora
What a cosmic coincidence! In today’s image, Mars joins the Beehive cluster below an auroral curtain and above a horizon of happy little trees near Lansjärv, Sweden.
Hurricane Simon Lurks Off the Mexican Coast
Though it remained offshore, the storm lashed coastal areas with high winds and flooding—and produced remarkable rippling patterns in the upper atmosphere.
Oct. 13, 1773: The discovery of the Whirlpool Galaxy
On Oct. 13, 1773, Charles Messier spotted the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) for the first time. Writing of it a few months later, he described the object as a “very faint nebula without any stars”; it would become the 51st entry in his famous catalog of non-comets. In 1781, Messier’s friend and fellow astronomer Pierre Mechain Continue reading "Oct. 13, 1773: The discovery of the Whirlpool Galaxy" The post Oct. 13, 1773: The discovery of the Whirlpool Galaxy appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
A spatial map of the atmospheric limb of a hot Jupiter
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 14 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02986-4 A new method of extracting atmospheric variations around the limb of a hot Jupiter using transmission mapping of JWST data finds a transition between the equator and pole of WASP-17 b. The authors measure a 650 K temperature difference between the morning and evening and find H2O and CO2 limb abundances consistent with circulation models.
New Data from the Juno Spacecraft Reveals that Jupiter's Has a Rippling, Wavy Magnetodisk
Using observations from NASA's Juno spacecraft, an international team led by Shandong University shows that Jupiter's magnetodisk is a rippling structure that rotates with the planet, contrary to what scientists previously thought.
Hypernovae May Be All Hype, No Nova
Astrophysicists think that hypernovae are the most powerful stellar explosions in the Universe. They're the most explosive type of core-collapse supernova. But the evidence for them is not voluminous, and new research pokes holes in it, pointing out that hypernovae may not actually exist.
Organization Release: NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory Welcomes Local Community to Tohono O’odham Nation Open Night
More than 90 NSF NOIRLab volunteers welcomed visitors from the Tohono O’odham Nation to NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory to enjoy an evening of cultural performances and educational activities.
NASA Names Astronaut Christina Koch Acting Deputy Chief Engineer
NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will serve as the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1, following the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser, who will conclude more than 35 years of distinguished service to the agency on Wednesday, Oct. 21. In her new role, Koch will help lead NASA’s engineering community, […]
Comparing Off-World Rover Driving Distances
Description This infographic illustrates the distances driven by various rovers on the surface of Earth’s Moon and Mars. Of the vehicles shown, the NASA Mars rovers Perseverance and Curiosity are still operational and moving across the surface; the figures shown for those two are distances driven as of Oct. 11, 2026. As of that date, […]
Transporter-18 SmallSats Encapsulation
Three NASA-supported small spacecraft, shown along with many commercial payloads, before being encapsulated in a SpaceX Falcon 9. The rocket launched the payloads into low-Earth orbit at 11:32 a.m. PDT Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, as part of the company’s Transporter-18 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
NASA’s Record-Setting Perseverance Rover Team
Description Members of NASA’s Perseverance Mars mission team gather in the Mars Yard at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California with a certificate from Guinness World Records marking the rover distance record on the Red Planet. Positioned in front of the team is OPTIMISM (Operational Perseverance Twin for Integration of Mechanisms and Instruments […]
Perseverance Navcam Image Marks Record Drive
Description Rover tracks and a rocky Martian landscape are shown in this image captured by one of the navigation cameras (navcams) aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on Oct. 11, 2026, the 2,006th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. During that sol’s drive, spanning 299.6 feet (91.31 meters), the mission passed a major milestone: pushing Perseverance’s total […]
Transporter-18 SmallSats Encapsulation
Three NASA-supported small spacecraft, along with many commercial payloads, are shown before being encapsulated in a SpaceX Falcon 9 ahead of launch on Oct. 1, 2026. The ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode CubeSat, the Supernova Remnants and Proxies for ReIonization Testbed Experiment (SPRITE) CubeSat, and the Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) mission will demonstrate […]
JOB OPPORTUNITIES: NASA OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
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Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 Completes Environmental Testing at NASA JPL
Description A lunar lander from Voyager Technologies completed nearly three months of environmental testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in late September 2026. The tests demonstrate that the spacecraft is prepared to face the harsh conditions of launch, its journey to the Moon, and landing on the surface. Its final trial was […]
A Red Dwarf is Taking its Time Eating a Brown Dwarf
Astronomers detected an unusual triangular light curve about 300 light years away. They were searching for Black Widow Binaries, where a dense neutron star eats its companion. But they found something different: an M dwarf slowly eating its binary companion brown dwarf.
ESA's Hera Mission Targets Binary Asteroid Pair in November
In just one more month, the European Space Agency’s Hera mission will make history. Moving at 12 kilometers per second versus Earth, the mission is about to rendezvous with the binary Dimorphos-Didymos asteroid pair. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission slammed into Dimorphos in 2022, and now Hera will provide a follow up view of the mission’s resulting handiwork. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently released a thought-provoking look at the perspectives of Hera, and what an astronaut might see from the surface of the asteroids as the mission speeds by.
TB 26-08 Complex Modes in Lightly Damped Structural Systems: A Two-Mode Interaction Perspective
For more information, contact Joel W. Sills, Langley Research Center, [email protected] Download the PDF version Complex mode shapes can emerge in a linear structure even when overall damping is low. This behavior can occur when two structural modes are closely spaced in frequency and are coupled through nonproportional damping. As the damping interaction increases, the […]
Distant NGC 3137 reveals clues about our own galaxy
Glittering star clusters and ruby-colored emission nebulae pepper the star-studded spiral arms of NGC 3137. The galaxy, which spans nearly 140,000 light-years, spills out of this Hubble image’s frame. The nebulae are stellar nurseries, glowing with emission from hydrogen atoms excited by the massive stars forming inside. The bluish star clusters represent the next stage Continue reading "Distant NGC 3137 reveals clues about our own galaxy" The post Distant NGC 3137 reveals clues about our own galaxy appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Thrown for a loop
Ionut Nedelcu from Central Bedfordshire, England The Cygnus Loop (Sharpless 2-103), a supernova remnant whose brightest arcs form the Veil Nebula, lies about 2,400 light-years away. Its glowing filaments trace gas heated by the blast wave of a massive star that exploded roughly 10,000 years ago. The imager took 17 hours of exposure in Hα/OIII/RGB Continue reading "Thrown for a loop" The post Thrown for a loop appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Our 16th annual star products
Each year, new astronomy equipment reflects advances in technology and the evolving ways observers engage with the night sky. Traditional designs such as Dobsonian reflectors and apochromatic refractors continue to deliver dependable performance, while smart telescopes and integrated imaging systems are expanding access to astrophotography. Portability remains a central theme, as compact optical tubes, lightweight Continue reading "Our 16th annual star products" The post Our 16th annual star products appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Did you see a strange cloud on the East Coast?
Many people up before sunrise on Tuesday morning saw a strange cloud. It was the plume from a SpaceX rocket headed for the space station. The post Did you see a strange cloud on the East Coast? first appeared on EarthSky .
NASA JPL Testing Readies Voyager Technologies Lander for Moon Mission
A commercial lander that will be at the forefront of NASA’s efforts to establish a Moon Base, humanity’s first lunar outpost, has passed a series of critical tests at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The tests simulated the extreme temperatures and vacuum of space, as well as the intense shaking and ear-splitting […]
Tiny Gold Nanogaps Could Crack the Chirality Puzzle
Looking for biosignatures across the solar system requires looking for asymmetry. Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are famously either “left-handed” (L) or “right-handed” (D). We know abiotic processes (i.e. those that create amino acids but don’t involve life) create a 50/50 mixture of the two types, which is called a racemic mixture. But life as we know it almost exclusively relies on left-handed amino acids to fold proteins and right-handed ones to construct nucleic acids. So if we find an imbalance in the types of amino acids we analyze from somewhere in the solar system, it's a good indication that life is behind that imbalance. Differentiating between the two “chiralities”, as they’re called, is possible, but typically requires advanced equipment and chemical disposables that make them burdensome for spaceflight applications. But a new paper in Nature Communications from researchers led by Takahito Ohshiro and Masateru Taniguchi of Osaka University offers an alternative - a solid-state quantum tunneling sensor that can read the chirality of a single amino acid molecule using basically just some gold wire.
Mars moon lander set to launch on 19 October
The Martian Moons eXploration ( MMX ) mission is set to launch into space on a H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 04:41 JST on 20 October 2026 (20:41 BST / 21:41 CEST on 19 October 2026). MMX will be the first mission to collect a sample from Mars’s moon Phobos and bring it back to Earth. MMX is led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the French space agency (CNES), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars sets off-world driving record
The Mars Perseverance rover has set a new distance record on Mars. It has driven 28.10 miles (45.22 km) across the surface of the red planet. The post NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars sets off-world driving record first appeared on EarthSky .
Weirdest cloud on Mars formed via ‘exotic physics’
The weirdest cloud on Mars has a funny-sounding name. Scientists call it the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud. Come find out what's weird about it! The post Weirdest cloud on Mars formed via ‘exotic physics’ first appeared on EarthSky .
NASA Science, Cargo Launch on 35th SpaceX Resupply Mission to Station
NASA’s SpaceX 35th commercial resupply mission lifted off at 6:33 a.m. EDT Tuesday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying more than 6,300 pounds of supplies and hardware, bound for the International Space Station. Following its successful launch, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will […]
Meet Aquarius the Water Bearer and its stars
Aquarius lies in a “watery” part of the sky, near Pisces the Fish, Cetus the Whale, Eridanus the River and Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish. The post Meet Aquarius the Water Bearer and its stars first appeared on EarthSky .
The Sky Today on Tuesday, October 13: Vesta at opposition
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 12: Mercury at greatest elongation Asteroid 4 Vesta reaches opposition at 2 A.M. EDT. Shining at magnitude 6.5, it’s an easy catch, even under somewhat light-polluted skies.  While at opposition, objects are visible all night long. The best time to observe Continue reading "The Sky Today on Tuesday, October 13: Vesta at opposition" The post The Sky Today on Tuesday, October 13: Vesta at opposition appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
A ∧-like metallicity profile in the disk of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 13 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02996-2 N-body simulations decode the chemo-kinematic signatures of the Sagittarius stream, reproducing their vertical metallicity gradient. The findings reveal that the stream originated from a disk with a ∧-like metallicity profile.
Two families of multi-planet systems with distinct architectures and stellar hosts
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 13 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02990-8 Archival data show a pronounced bimodality in the architectures of known multi-planet systems that can be traced back to the interplay of host star properties and planet formation histories, which shaped the post-formation dynamical stability of the systems.
Hubble Spots a Suspected Second-Generation Planet
Diligent sleuthing by astronomers has broken open a cold case in the data archive of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. In a study published Monday in Nature Astronomy, researchers report uncovering a surprising chemical clue that indicates the white dwarf star HS 0209+0832 may host a second-generation planet.
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 Mission to Launch Health Research
NASA experiments focused on human and plant health and drug-resistant organisms will travel to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, advancing research that benefits life on Earth and future exploration. This research supports astronaut health during long-duration missions through […]
Primordial Helium Further Confirms Our Understanding Of The Big Bang
Most helium in the Universe is primordial helium, formed during the Big Bang. But a fraction of helium was formed by long-dead stars. Distinguishing between the two allows astronomers to further confirm our observations of the Big Bang.
What can we learn from gravitational lensing?
What information is obtainable through gravitational lensing and how? Patrick A. CloughWichita, Kansas Gravitational lensing is the effect by which comparatively nearby objects, such as clusters of galaxies, can bend and focus the light of other objects that are more distant. Lensing is only possible because highly massive, and therefore gravitationally powerful, objects distort the space-time continuum around them. Continue reading "What can we learn from gravitational lensing?" The post What can we learn from gravitational lensing? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Oct. 12, 1964: Voshkod 1 sends the first crew to space
Voshkod 1 kicked off the second series of manned Soviet spaceflights, following the Vostok missions that had been the first to put humans in space. When the craft launched on Oct. 12, 1964, for its flight of just over 24 hours, it was the seventh crewed spaceflight for the Soviet Union — but the first Continue reading "Oct. 12, 1964: Voshkod 1 sends the first crew to space" The post Oct. 12, 1964: Voshkod 1 sends the first crew to space appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
How Will Water Flow on the Moon?
Growing fresh food on the Moon is going to be crucial if astronauts there are ever going to eat anything other than freeze-dried rations. Since husbanding animals on the lunar surface is…difficult (to put it mildly), most mission planners believe that plants are the solution. But we still don’t entirely understand how one of the most fundamental materials to plant growth, water, operates under partial gravity. A team of researchers, led by Karl Hasenstein of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and including John Kiss of the Florida Institute of Technology, and Christopher McKay of NASA’s Ames Research Center, recently published a paper in Microgravity Science and Technology that lays out the physics for how water behaves at lunar gravity.
Amazon wildfires hide another threat to the rainforest
Amazon wildfires are weakening the rainforest’s ability to absorb carbon, as ozone pollution damages trees that survive the flames. The post Amazon wildfires hide another threat to the rainforest first appeared on EarthSky .
The Sky Today on Monday, October 12: Mercury at greatest elongation
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 11: Mars meets the Beehive Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation from the Sun at 6 A.M. EDT today, standing 25° from our star. The Moon then passes 2° south of Mercury at 4 P.M. EDT. Both are now in Libra.  Continue reading "The Sky Today on Monday, October 12: Mercury at greatest elongation" The post The Sky Today on Monday, October 12: Mercury at greatest elongation appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
APOD: 2026 October 12 – Jupiter and the Moons
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 12 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Jupiter and the […]
Antarctic Sea Ice Grows to Its 2026 Maximum
The ice reached its third-lowest maximum extent since satellite observations began.
Farewell NASA ADS
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 12 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-03009-y After more than 33 years, NASA’s Astrophysics Data System will close its virtual doors in November 2026 and be replaced by its much-expanded successor, Science Explorer. While the core functionality and astrophysics database will remain the same, SciX will extend its relevance to a broader range of scientists.
Transitioning from ADS to SciX to serve twenty-first century astronomy
Nature Astronomy, Published online: 12 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02997-1 For decades, the NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) has been the foundational digital library for astronomy. As ADS now becomes the Science Explorer (SciX), the team prioritizes preserving this trusted experience while increasing their support for space and Earth sciences more broadly, without diluting its commitment to astrophysics.
Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7 launches
Twenty-one months after the deaths of the Apollo 1 crew in a fire during a test on the launchpad, the three men who had originally served as their backup crew — Walter Schirra Jr., Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham — flew on Apollo 7. The first manned American spaceflight since the accident, their mission was Continue reading "Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7 launches" The post Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7 launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Honda Wants to Put a Robotic Lab Assistant on Future Commercial Space Stations
As I’m writing this I’m able to stare out into my driveway at my trusty Honda Odyssey. Most of the public’s association with Honda is through their “mobility” products - i.e. their cars. But the company has an impressive track record of other technical achievements, not the least of which has been in robotics. Now, it’s teaming up with space infrastructure firm Redwire to develop an automated laboratory support system for use on future commercial space stations.
Arizona’s Chiricahua poised to become 64th US National Park
Chiricahua National Monument in the southeastern corner of Arizona is poised to become the U.S.'s 64th national park. Read more about it here. The post Arizona’s Chiricahua poised to become 64th US National Park first appeared on EarthSky .
Check out the Double Cluster in Perseus on October evenings
The Double Cluster in Perseus is a breathtaking pair of open star clusters, easy to see in October. Here's how to find it in your sky. The post Check out the Double Cluster in Perseus on October evenings first appeared on EarthSky .
The Sky Today on Sunday, October 11: Mars meets the Beehive
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 10: Catch the zodiacal light Early risers can catch a stunning sight this morning as magnitude 1.1 Mars makes its way through the Beehive Cluster (M44) in central Cancer.  Rising around 1 A.M. local daylight time, Mars is already 30° high Continue reading "The Sky Today on Sunday, October 11: Mars meets the Beehive" The post The Sky Today on Sunday, October 11: Mars meets the Beehive appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
APOD: 2026 October 11 – Ice Fishing for Cosmic Neutrinos
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 11 – Ice… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Ice Fishing […]
The Preliminary Lunar Science Report for Artemis II is Out!
Through photographs, spoken observations, drawings, and annotations, the Artemis II crew created a unique scientific record—one that is now available to the science community and the public for further study. Explore highlights here, and find the full suite of reports and select data resources at the bottom of the page.
Astronomers Detect Potential ‘Second Generation’ Planet Around Dying Stellar White Dwarf
Potential ‘Second generation’ planet detection around a dying stellar white dwarf opens a whole new chapter of exoplanetary science.
Jove and Luna
Giovanni Passalacqua from Ragusa, Sicily, Italy A waning crescent Moon hangs less than 3° from Jupiter in western Leo before dawn on Oct. 6, 2026, hours before it occulted the planet for viewers in North America. All four Galilean moons flank Jupiter at lower left. The photographer shot a single 0.5-second exposure at f/6.3 and Continue reading "Jove and Luna" The post Jove and Luna appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
NASA to Conduct Flyover, Engage NFL Fans at MetLife Stadium
As part of the agency’s Inspiration Tour flyover, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will pilot one of three F-5 fighter jets to kick off the New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, Oct. 11. NASA team members will engage with fans at the agency’s Experience Zone, located at the […]
Oct. 10, 1846: The discovery of Triton
On Oct. 10, 1846, William Lassell peered through his 20-foot reflector in Liverpool, England. Lassell was a self-funded amateur astronomer who had made a fortune as a brewer, and he’d built his own scope – apparently doing quite a good job of it, since through it, Lassell spotted Triton orbiting Neptune. Neptune itself had been Continue reading "Oct. 10, 1846: The discovery of Triton" The post Oct. 10, 1846: The discovery of Triton appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
How Artemis 2’s tech will improve life on Earth
In the pursuit of space exploration, NASA has developed a number of innovations that today we depend on in our daily lives. Memory foam — the cushy, shock-absorbing material used in everything from furniture to medical equipment — was first invented in 1966 by NASA for use in test pilots’ cushions. In the 1990s, NASA’s Continue reading "How Artemis 2’s tech will improve life on Earth" The post How Artemis 2’s tech will improve life on Earth appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
Stratospheric Balloon Telescope Peeks Above The Clouds At The Sun
There’s lots of things you can do with balloons. Children’s birthday parties come to mind, as do retirement parties. But you can also observe the Sun in unprecedented detail with one - or at least with a suite of equipment attached to a gondola floating beneath one. That’s what the SUNRISE III mission did back in 2024, and scientists have had time to compile a series of three scientific papers on the results from that mission, which have been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The Sky Today on Saturday, October 10: Catch the zodiacal light
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. October 9: Dense, ancient M30 New Moon occurs at 11:50 A.M. EDT. With extra-dark skies, you’ve got a chance to spot the zodiacal light in the early-morning hours, reaching up from the eastern horizon before dawn.  This faint glow is generated by Continue reading "The Sky Today on Saturday, October 10: Catch the zodiacal light" The post The Sky Today on Saturday, October 10: Catch the zodiacal light appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
APOD: 2026 October 10 – Lunar Farside
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 10… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Lunar Farside Explanation: Tidally […]
NASA Seeks US Industry Plans for Commercial Space Stations
NASA is advancing American leadership in space by taking the next step toward a future where commercial space stations lead the way in low Earth orbit. On Friday, the agency released its final Request for Proposals inviting industry to submit plans for the next generation of commercial space stations. “In alignment with the President’s National […]
Newly selected NASA mission will hunt for caves on the Moon
NASA has selected a mission proposal that will peer below a volcanic pit on the Moon to find out whether it opens onto a hidden lava tube — a geologic formation long theorized, but never confirmed on the Moon. The proposal will send a mission to the Marius Hills Pit, a large hole — approximately Continue reading "Newly selected NASA mission will hunt for caves on the Moon" The post Newly selected NASA mission will hunt for caves on the Moon appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .
The Most Distant FRB Tells The Story Of Its Origin
Astronomers use the Webb to study a distant fast radio burst and reveal clues as to the origin of these mysterious events.
NASA Demonstrates Next-Generation Heat Shield Technologies
NASA is testing heat shields that can keep astronauts safe as they return from missions to the Moon and Mars in an unusual way: by taking out the trash. When Northrop Grumman 24th cargo resupply mission for NASA undocked from the International Space Station, it carried a fleet of 12 small, experimental capsules designed to […]