How can we protect satellites in Earth-moon space? This new software could help

As the space around Earth becomes increasingly cluttered with human-made junk, scientists are ramping up their efforts to safeguard satellites in real time. The latest in that effort are new algorithms being developed at the University of Central Florida (UCF) to automatically monitor and protect spacecraft from bumping into satellites and asteroids in cislunar space — the realm between Earth and the moon, which is under the gravitational influence of both celestial bodies.  Because cislunar space is so vast, tracking and predicting the orbits of satellites, spent rocket stages and…

Read More

‘The first time I read the script … I sobbed.’ ‘Atlas’ stars Jennifer Lopez and Sterling K. Brown on AI paranoia and their film’s emotional core’ (exclusive)

Strap in for a heavy metal romp of interstellar proportions as Netflix’s big budget sci-fi spectacle, “Atlas,” stomps onto the streaming service starting today (May 24).  “Atlas” is directed by Brad Peyton (“San Andreas,” “Rampage”) and stars Jennifer Lopez, Sterling K. Brown, Simu Liu and Mark Strong. Centered around the hunt for a rogue android terrorist named Harlan (Liu) who flees Earth after a devastating attack on humanity, this $100 million action flick features an AI specialist named Atlas Shepherd (Lopez) who insists on joining the seek-and-destroy mission alongside gung-ho…

Read More

Asteroid-bound Psyche spacecraft fires up ion thrusters, starts cruising through space

NASA’s mission to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche has fired up its ion engines and is now cruising across the solar system under the power of solar-electric propulsion. The launch of the spacecraft, which is also called Psyche, on October 13, 2023 gave it enough of an initial boost to take it across more than 190 million miles (300 million kilometers) of space, which is beyond the orbit of Mars.  Now, however, its onboard ion engines have taken over the job of acceleration. They work by converting sunlight into electricity…

Read More

1st astronaut launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule now targeted for June 1

Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its Starliner capsule, though that date is far from set in stone. The flight date for the mission, called Crew Flight Test (CFT), has been in considerable flux recently. It had been scheduled to lift off on May 6 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but that try was called off about two hours before launch due to a misbehaving valve in the rocket’s upper stage.  ULA…

Read More

See May’s Full Flower Moon blossom in the night sky tonight

The full moon of May 2024 rides the Scorpion’s back across the night sky tonight. The Full Flower Moon will be in the Scorpius constellation tonight (May 23), rising in the southeast just after sunset. Because full moons occur when the sun and the moon are completely opposite one another in the sky, the moon will rise at sunset and set with the sunrise the following morning. Because of its location in the sky tonight, the Full Flower Moon makes for an excellent guide to help you learn the stars…

Read More

Telescope deal: Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ now under $200

If you’re new to astronomy, getting the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ telescope for under $200 could be ideal for you. It’s well-suited for beginners and this price point is cheaper than a lot of the best telescopes. Save $40 and get the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ for under $200 on Amazon.  Celestron is an industry leader when it comes to optics and this is apparent with this scope as it features a 114mm aperture with reflective coatings on the primary mirror. The telescope works in tandem with the…

Read More

Amateur astronomer finds 5 fascinating new galaxies — and they’re now named after him

An amateur astronomer from Italy has discovered five new dwarf galaxies around a distant spiral galaxy — a spiral that’s one of the largest galaxies in the sky over Earth. His name is Giuseppe Donatiello, and those five dwarf galaxies are now named Donatiello V, Donatiello VI, Donatiello VII, Donatiello VIII, and Donatiello IX (Do V, Do VI, Do VII, Do VIII, and Do IX). “Out of eleven discoveries, nine galaxies bear my name. To my knowledge, I am the first and only amateur astronomer to have galaxies named after them,”…

Read More

Solar eclipse 2024: Live updates

Refresh 2024-05-22T10:41:06.780Z It’s not too early to plan your trip for the ‘eclipse of the century’ in 2027 Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt is just one of the iconic locations the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027 will be visible from.  (Image credit: TONNAJA via Getty Images) An eclipse of epic proportions will occur on Aug. 2, 2027 across North Africa it will be the longest totality on land since 1991 and until 2114. Visible across southern Spain, northern Morocco, northern Algeria, northern Tunisia, northeast Libya, central Egypt, the northeastern…

Read More

Euclid ‘dark universe’ telescope team will unveil new full-color images on May 23: How to watch live

The European Space Agency (ESA) will release five new images from the Euclid space telescope on Thursday (May 23). And, well, if the previous set of pictures is anything to go by — space fans should be in for an absolute treat. “Five new portraits of our cosmos were captured during Euclid’s early observations phase, each revealing amazing new science,” ESA officials said in a statement. “Euclid’s ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos is something you will not want to miss.” The new images will be revealed at…

Read More

Space mysteries: Do all planets have magnetic fields?

One of Earth’s defining features is its magnetic field. It forms a protective shield against high-energy particles ejected by the Sun and thus arguably has provided life with a safer place to grow into the complex array of organisms we see today.  The most stunning indications of Earth’s magnetic field are auroras, dancing curtains of colorful light that appear near the North and South poles during times of high solar activity. Another sign that Earth has a magnetic field is that a compass points north wherever you are on the…

Read More