HBO and HBO Max’s “Lanterns” served up its big cliffhanger finale on Oct. 4, 2026, and we’ve been slowly digesting thoughts on what the creative direction and ultimate legacy of this debut season were. While by no means a perfect experiment in trying to shake up the aging superhero genre, there are enough worthy elements to consider this sci-fi mystery show an evolutionary step towards the next generation of comic-based storytelling. After the emerald-tinted dust has settled, there are many lingering questions about where this acclaimed series from creators Chris…
Read MoreThe Orionid meteor shower peaks next week! Here’s what to expect
The Orionid meteor shower peaks overnight on Oct. 21-22, triggering a spectacular display of shooting stars as Earth plunges through the densest part of the debris trail shed by Halley’s Comet. Here’s what you need to know. When is the best time to see Orionid shooting stars? Orionid meteors are best spotted between the hours of midnight and dawn on Oct. 22, when 10-20 shooting stars may be seen brightening the night sky each hour under ideal dark-sky. The glare cast by the 74%-lit waxing gibbous moon will hide fainter…
Read MoreAPOD: 2026 October 17 – 3D 67P
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 17… 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. 3D 67P Explanation: Put on your red/blue glasses and float next to the jagged and double-lobed nucleus of Churyumov-Gerasimenko, also known as Comet 67P . The stereo anaglyph was created by combining two images from the Rosetta spacecraft’s narrow…
Read More‘It really does change you’: SpaceX Crew-12 commander wishes we could all see our fragile Earth from space
The astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station wish that we could all see Earth as they just did. An orbital view reveals the immense beauty of our blue planet, the only world we know of that hosts life. But it also highlights how fragile that life is, tethered to our lonely Earth in the vast void of space, according to Crew-12 commander Jessica Meir of NASA. “You see this very thin, tenuous band of an atmosphere, and you know that that is all that is supporting…
Read MoreNASA Names Stephen Cash Marshall Space Flight Center Director
Photo of Stephen Cash NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has named Stephen Cash director of the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, effective Monday, Oct. 19. Cash, a veteran NASA engineer and aerospace executive, returns to lead the center where he began his career more than four decades ago. “Marshall contributions to NASA’s missions are historic and it’s no question why it’s the Center of Excellence for propulsion,” said Isaacman. “Steve Cash is a Marshall legend, has spent his career around the hardware, the people and has been in…
Read MoreArtemis II Heat Shield After Splashdown
US Navy Shortly after NASA’s Artemis II mission splashed down on April 10, 2026, U.S. Navy divers captured underwater imagery of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield. In the months after, the agency measured whether the thermal protection system effectively safeguarded the crew and Orion systems as the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere. This rigorous analysis confirmed that the heat shield performed as expected. Learn how Orion’s heat shield was examined. Image credit: US Navy
Read MoreI Am Artemis: Allison Mjoen
3 Min Read I Am Artemis: Allison Mjoen As the supercooled propellant flowed into the core stage, and NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket roared to life, Allison Mjoen and her family watched with awe and pride. Mjoen, NASA’s operations manager for the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, helped shape the systems and ground operations that will one day send humans back to the Moon. Over her 20-year career at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, she supported missions across the Space Shuttle Program, the International Space Station, and now…
Read MoreRocket Lab pushes 1st launch of next-gen Neutron rocket to 2027
We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see Rocket Lab’s next-gen launcher fly. The California-based company just announced that it’s pushing the debut of its powerful, partially reusable Neutron rocket from late 2026 into 2027 due to a manufacturing issue. “We believe Neutron is going to be a game-changer, and taking the time now to solve these challenges means we’re in a better position to deliver a rocket that’s ready to meet the needs for the industry for years to come,” Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said…
Read MoreIt’s time to reassess the size of our solar system, scientists say
Two leading space scientists say there is a need to redefine the edge of the solar system by presenting a theory which states that measurements of the Milky Way’s gravitational field, including its dark matter, redraws the sun’s frontier. That theory was put forward by Jim Green, former NASA chief scientist and past director of the space agency’s Planetary Science Division, along with Ed Belbruno, a professor of mathematics at Yeshiva University and a senior research associate at Princeton University. The solar system’s gravitational frontier extends to nearly 3.8 light-years…
Read MoreAPOD: 2026 October 16 – Chasing the International Space Station
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 16 –… 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. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Chasing the International Space Station Explanation: Blasting into the predawn sky on Tuesday, October 13, a Falcon 9 rocket and…
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