SpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites tonight in 1st of back-to-back missions

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SpaceX is set to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida tonight (Oct. 8) on the first leg of a spaceflight doubleheader for the company. The Starlink spacecraft are scheduled to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station tonight at 9:06 p.m. EDT (0106 GMT on Oct. 9). Four backup opportunities are available as well, from 9:57 p.m. EDT until 12:29 a.m. EDT (0157 to 0429 GMT on Oct. 9). You can watch the action live via SpaceX’s account on X…

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How do astronomers know the age of the planets and stars?

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This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Adam Burgasser is a Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC San Diego, and an observational astrophysicist investigating the coolest stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets.  Measuring the ages of planets and stars helps scientists understand when they formed and how they change – and, in the case of planets, if life has had time to have evolved on them. Unfortunately, age is hard to measure for objects in space. Stars like the…

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Annular solar eclipse 2023: Live updates

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Refresh 2023-10-06T15:59:38.220Z Ring of fire solar eclipse of 2023 is one week away! The path of annularity crossing the U.S. on October 14, 2023. (Image credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio) The stage is set for one of the greatest sun events of 2023, if not the greatest skywatching event of the year!  We are officially one week away from the annular solar eclipse of Oct. 14 and is one that could potentially be visible to millions of people across the United States. While not a total solar eclipse, the annular…

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Star-studded snake-like galaxy shines in gorgeous Hubble Telescope photo

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A new Hubble Space Telescope image shines a spotlight on a faraway snake-like galaxy whose swirling arms feature new and old stars.  Light from this galaxy started its journey to Earth roughly 80 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs died out. The image, released as part of NASA’s Hubble Galaxy Week from Oct. 2 to Oct. 7, features NGC 1087, a spiral galaxy residing in the constellation Cetus. This particular patch of sky is named after a mythical Greek sea monster and is home to the popular Aquarius and…

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Space telescope images star on new ESA-endorsed Swatch watches

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Now you can select your favorite swath of the universe and display it on it your wrist, thanks to a new collaboration between Swatch and the European Space Agency (ESA). For a limited time, Swatch is making a collection of ESA’s space telescope images available for customizing a range of Swatch X You watches. Six new Swatch X You ESA designs are now available through Dec. 17, each featuring an image that was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope or James Webb Space Telescope. “This is a wonderful opportunity to…

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Hubble Examines Entrancing Galaxy in Eridanus

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2 min read Hubble Examines Entrancing Galaxy in Eridanus NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope’s view of NGC 685 in the constellation Eridanus, the River. NASA, ESA, and J. Lee (Space Telescope Science Institute); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Hubble is sharing a brand new galaxy image every day through October 7, 2023! Visit our website daily, or follow along on X, Facebook, and Instagram. NGC 685 takes center stage amid faintly twinkling stars on an inky black background. This galaxy is clearly a barred spiral galaxy with its bright…

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