Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter On October 31, 2015, an asteroid shaped like a human skull flew by Earth. It arrived with excellent timing on Halloween, which made the already-creepy asteroid even creepier. During its closest approach, the creepy asteroid was about 300,000 miles from Earth, or 1.3 times the average distance between Earth and the moon. So, it didn’t pose a threat to our planet. It was discovered by astronomers at Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS…
Read MoreThe moon, Mars, and Jupiter shine in the heart of the Lion overnight on Nov. 1-2
Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The moon dives towards the glowing heart of the constellation Leo for a spectacular rendezvous with Mars and Jupiter overnight on Nov. 1-2, as the glittering stars of the Beehive Cluster shine nearby. Here’s what you need to know. Look to the eastern horizon an hour after midnight to see the 45%-lit waning moon shining less than 5 degrees from the red light of Mars — roughly the width…
Read MoreAPOD: 2026 October 31 – Night on a Spooky Planet
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 31 –… 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. Night on a Spooky Planet Explanation: What spooky planet is this? Planet Earth on a dark and stormy night, of course. The ghostly scene was photographed at Hverir, a geothermally active area found along northeastern Iceland’s volcanic landscape.…
Read MoreNASA Releases MAX POWER Key Events for Media, Participants
NASA’s Freedom 250 F-5 team, including NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, performs a flyover during the national anthem at an NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Carolina Panthers at Huntington Bank Field, Sept. 27, 2026, in Cleveland. Credit: NASA/Jordan Cochran America’s newest aerospace expo and air show – MAX POWER – is fast approaching, and NASA has announced key events beginning Friday, Nov. 6, and running through Sunday, Nov. 8, hosted on and near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Through multiple park experiences at MAX POWER, NASA…
Read MoreNASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Eerie Cat’s Head
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) Intricate structures within the Cat’s Head Nebula are illuminated in this mid-infrared view from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope released on Oct. 29, 2026. The distinctive “cat’s head” shape of the nebula was likely sculpted over time by the intense ultraviolet radiation and winds from massive stars in the Carina Nebula. As this stellar feedback erodes the surrounding gas and dust, denser material within the feline-shaped pillar resists erosion, at least for now. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing:…
Read MoreOn this day in space! Oct. 30, 1964: NASA’s weird Lunar Landing Research Vehicle takes 1st test flight to help Apollo astronauts land on the moon
Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter On October 30, 1964, NASA’s Lunar Landing Research Vehicle, or LLRV, took to the skies for the first time. The LLRV was a bizarre, four-legged flying contraption commonly known as the “Flying Bedstead.” NASA used it to simulate moon landings and liftoffs on Earth to prepare for Apollo 11, the first crewed lunar landing. The first person to give it a whirl was the X-15 pilot Joe Walker. During…
Read MoreWatch Virgin Galactic’s new ‘Delta-class’ space plane take to the skies for the 1st time (video)
Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Virgin Galactic’s first “Delta-class” space plane just made its maiden voyage. The next-gen suborbital vehicle, named Apeiron (Greek for “Boundless”), lifted off for the first time ever on Thursday (Oct. 28). Flying beneath the wings of its carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, Apeiron traveled from Virgin’s manufacturing site in Mesa, Arizona, to its launch site, Spaceport America in New Mexico. “Seeing the ship fly beneath Eve to Spaceport America was…
Read MoreNovember’s Night Sky Notes: Light-Day Away
2 min read November’s Night Sky Notes: Light-Day Away NASA’s Voyager mission took advantage of a once-every-175-year alignment of the outer planets for a grand tour of the solar system. The twin spacecraft revealed details about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – using each planet’s gravity to send them on to the next destination. Voyager set the stage for such ambitious orbiter missions as Galileo to Jupiter and Cassini to Saturn. Today both Voyager spacecraft continue to return valuable science from the far reaches of our solar system. NASA/JPL-Caltech Twin…
Read MoreAPOD: 2026 October 30 – Haunting the Cepheus Flare
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 30 –… 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. Haunting the Cepheus Flare Explanation: Spooky shapes seem to haunt this dusty expanse, drifting through the night in the royal constellation Cepheus. Of course, the shapes are cosmic dust clouds visible in dimly reflected starlight. Far from your…
Read MoreVega Island Frozen in Fright
Earth Observatory Science Earth Observatory Vega Island Frozen in Fright Earth Earth Observatory Image of the Day EO Explorer Topics All Topics Atmosphere Land Heat & Radiation Life on Earth Human Dimensions Natural Events Oceans Remote Sensing Technology Snow & Ice Water More Content Collections Global Maps World of Change Articles Earth Matters Blog Blue Marble: Next Generation EO Kids Mission: Biomes About About Us Subscribe 🛜 RSS Contact Us Search March 22, 2025 October 10, 2026 Part of an ice-covered Antarctic island has the appearance of a grinning…
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