Astronauts on the International Space Station are sending holiday cheer to Earth with a festive video just in time for Christmas. Clad in red and green Santa hats, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara joined the station’s Expedition 70 commander Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency and Satoshi Furukawa of Japan to share what it’s like to spend the holidays off Earth. Related: The Christmas Night Sky 2023: What to see in the holiday sky “For me personally, the holidays have evolved in a very beautiful way over…
Read More12 out-of-this-world exoplanet discoveries in 2023
This year saw planetary scientists add a number of exciting new worlds to our growing 5,000+ catalog of exoplanets. Among them are planets like we have never seen before. Here is a look back at some of the standout exoplanet discoveries of 2023. 1. JWST Identifies Heavy Elements in Distant Gas Giant’s Atmosphere The James Webb Space Telescope found that exoplanet Smertrios has an atmosphere that defies expectations. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Earlier in the year, observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) confirmed the presence of heavy elements…
Read MoreThis light-bending tech will let scientists see the sun like never before
To truly understand what makes the solar wind tick, heliophysicists must analyze the minuscule features on the sun‘s surface that help accelerate the star’s charged particles out through the solar system. And to perform that task with better precision, they need better ways of seeing in ultraviolet. Enter a technology called the photon sieve: a sort of lens that helps subtly bend ultraviolet light toward a camera. To be clear, a photon sieve is no ordinary lens; it is a cutting-edge work of engineering only possible with the most modern…
Read MoreArtemis 2 moon crew invited to visit SpaceX to talk Starship (exclusive)
The commander of humanity’s first moon mission in half a century has a special invite from SpaceX in his pocket. Reid Wiseman, the NASA astronaut leading the four Artemis 2 crew members, told Space.com in a Dec. 18 exclusive that SpaceX wants to talk to his crew about Starship. That’s no coincidence, given that SpaceX is developing Starship for Artemis 3, which intends to land humans on the moon for the first time since 1972. When and how that all comes together is not known yet. Artemis 2 is expected…
Read MoreHome (Alone) on Mars: Actor Daniel Stern on leading NASA in ‘For All Mankind’
If there is indeed a multiverse where in every possible outcome happens, then in one of those universes Marv Murchins, one half of the “Wet Bandits” from “Home Alone,” is serving as NASA administrator. As unlikely as that might seem, such a thing is sort of playing out in the current season of “For All Mankind.” Actor Daniel Stern, who is perhaps best known for his role as Marv from the 1990 Christmas comedy film, has taken on the part of the space agency’s chief in the Apple TV+ alternate…
Read MoreWatch giant loop of plasma dance above the sun in stunning video
Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory Photo Ambassador and member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical “Skyscapes” that connect both Earth and the night sky. A huge loop of plasma dances above the surface of the sun in a stunning timelapse captured by astrophotographer Miguel Claro. The feature, known as a solar prominence, was visible on…
Read MoreAlexander Skarsgård to star in Apple TV+ sci-fi ‘Murderbot’ series
Everyone’s favorite homicidal SecUnit will soon head to the small screen in a new “Murderbot” TV series picked up by Apple TV+ and based on distinguished author Martha Wells’s thrilling collection of far future sci-fi novels. Wells hinted at a “Murderbot” streaming series in development during our exclusive chat with her back in June of 2021, and now it appears that project is coming to full fruition with the recent full-series commitment and casting announcement of Alexander Skarsgård (“True Blood,” “The Northman”) aboard as executive producer and snagging the lead…
Read MoreSpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch 2 German military satellites early Dec. 23
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch two radar reconnaissance satellites for the German military early Saturday morning (Dec. 23). A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch the SARah-2 mission to low Earth orbit (LEO) from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday, during an 83-minute window that opens at 8:11 a.m. EST (1311 GMT; 5:11 a.m. local California time). You can watch it live via SpaceX‘s account on X (formerly known as Twitter). Coverage will begin about 15 minutes before the launch window opens. Related: 8…
Read MoreLife beyond Earth may form in the coldest depths of space, Ryugu asteroid samples reveal
In 2020, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 visited the asteroid Ryugu and managed to bring precious samples of the space rock back to Earth. And sure enough, years later, we are still gaining insights about this small asteroid and the environment in which it formed thanks to those samples. Today, scientists released the latest findings from Ryugu — that certain organic compounds called PAHs may be able to form in cold areas in space. These results may help us to better understand how planet formation, and eventually life, came to be.…
Read MoreNew Hubble Telescope image shows mysterious spokes on Saturn’s rings
At first glance, this image of Saturn looks as if it could be a shot from an old Star Trek” episode, thanks to its slightly grainy appearance and analog-esque glow. But this composite photo was taken on Oct. 22, 2023, by the Hubble Space Telescope — and most importantly, it captured a very interesting detail. If you look carefully at the thick white inner band of Saturn’s rings, you’ll see shadowy appearances that almost look like dirty fingerprints. These are Saturn’s mysterious ring spokes, transient features about the size of Earth…
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