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Dying star resembles a billowing crystal ball in new telescope photo

Dying star resembles a billowing crystal ball in new telescope photo

A dying star has never looked so lovely
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Why Pioneer Venus Had the Perfect View of Halley’s Comet

Why Pioneer Venus Had the Perfect View of Halley’s Comet

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, launched by NASA in 1978, was not only a mission to study Venus but also played a crucial role in observing Halley's Com...
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Discovery of 'Inside-Out' Planetary System Challenges Formation Theories

Discovery of 'Inside-Out' Planetary System Challenges Formation Theories

Astronomers have discovered an unusual planetary system around the red dwarf star LHS 1903, which defies conventional planet formation theories. The system features an unexpected arrangement of planets, with a rocky planet located farther from the star than two gaseous planets. This 'inside-out' configuration challenges the traditional understanding that rocky planets form closer to stars while gas giants develop further away. The discovery was made using data from the European Space Agency's Cheops satellite and other telescopes. Researchers are exploring alternative explanations, such as sequential planet formation, to account for this anomaly.
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Neptune's Moon Nereid May Be Original Companion, Study Reveals

Neptune's Moon Nereid May Be Original Companion, Study Reveals

Scientists have discovered that Neptune's moon Nereid may be one of the planet's original moons, surviving a cosmic collision that scattered other moons. Using NASA's Webb Space Telescope, a team led by the California Institute of Technology found that Nereid's composition is inconsistent with objects from the Kuiper Belt, suggesting it has always been part of Neptune's system. Nereid's eccentric orbit, which takes nearly a year to complete, supports the theory that it was pushed outward by the capture of Neptune's largest moon, Triton. This discovery challenges previous assumptions that Nereid was a captured object from the solar system's outskirts.
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Pioneer Venus Orbiter Helped Pull Back Venus’s Cloudy Curtain

Pioneer Venus Orbiter Helped Pull Back Venus’s Cloudy Curtain

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter was a significant mission by NASA aimed at exploring Venus. Launched on May 20, 1978, this spacecraft was part of the bro...
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Blue Moon to Illuminate Florida Skies on May 31

Blue Moon to Illuminate Florida Skies on May 31

Blue Moon to Illuminate Florida Skies on May 31
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Europe and China Launch Joint Mission to Capture Earth's Magnetosphere

Europe and China Launch Joint Mission to Capture Earth's Magnetosphere

Europe and China have successfully launched the Smile spacecraft, a joint mission aimed at capturing the first global X-ray images of Earth's magnetosphere. The mission, which marks a significant collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, seeks to provide a comprehensive view of the magnetosphere, a protective magnetic field that deflects solar wind from Earth. Smile's instruments, including a Soft X-ray Imager and an Ultraviolet Imager, will observe the magnetosphere's structure and auroras, offering insights into how Earth's magnetic field protects the planet and when it fails.
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NASA's Opportunity Rover Survives 14 Years on Mars Before Dust Storm Ends Mission

NASA's Opportunity Rover Survives 14 Years on Mars Before Dust Storm Ends Mission

The Opportunity rover, a solar-powered robot sent by NASA to Mars in January 2004, exceeded its expected 90-day mission by surviving for 14 years. The rover's mission ended in 2018 when a massive dust storm enveloped Mars, blocking sunlight and preventing the rover from recharging its batteries. Despite NASA's efforts to revive the rover by sending over 1,000 recovery commands, Opportunity ceased communication. During its mission, Opportunity traveled over 28 miles on Mars, providing significant data about the planet, including evidence of ancient water.
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NASA's Psyche Mission Captures Unique Crescent View of Mars

NASA's Psyche Mission Captures Unique Crescent View of Mars

NASA's Psyche mission has captured a striking image of Mars as a crescent, taken on May 15, 2026, during its approach for a gravity assist maneuver. The image, acquired by the spacecraft's multispectral imager, shows Mars illuminated by sunlight reflecting off its surface, with the crescent appearing brighter than expected due to the scattering of sunlight through the planet's dusty atmosphere. This view was the last full image of Mars before the planet began to overfill the camera's field of view. The image has been processed into a natural-color view, approximating what the human eye would see.
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Asteroid 2026 JH2 to Pass Unusually Close to Earth, No Impact Threat

Asteroid 2026 JH2 to Pass Unusually Close to Earth, No Impact Threat

On May 18, 2026, asteroid 2026 JH2, comparable in size to a small building, will pass Earth at a distance closer than the Moon. Discovered just over a week before its closest approach, the asteroid will pass at about 90,000 km (56,000 miles) from Earth. Despite its proximity, astronomers confirm that 2026 JH2 poses no threat of collision. The asteroid's flyby offers a valuable opportunity for real-time observation and study of near-Earth objects. This event highlights the importance of monitoring potentially hazardous asteroids, although 2026 JH2 is not considered a significant risk.
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NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Gains Speed from Mars Flyby for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Gains Speed from Mars Flyby for Asteroid Mission

NASA's Psyche spacecraft executed a successful flyby of Mars on May 15, 2026, passing approximately 4,500 kilometers from the planet's surface at a speed of about 19,848 kilometers per hour. This maneuver allowed the spacecraft to gain a gravitational boost, adjusting its trajectory towards the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche. The mission aims to rendezvous with the asteroid in August 2029. The flyby is a critical step in the mission, which seeks to study the asteroid believed to be composed largely of metallic iron and nickel, offering insights into the building blocks of planet formation.
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Giant Sunspot Temporarily Quiet as It Turns Toward Earth

Giant Sunspot Temporarily Quiet as It Turns Toward Earth

A massive sunspot currently on the far side of the Sun has temporarily quieted after producing a series of strong M-class and X-class solar flares on May 15-16, according to SpaceWeather.com. The sunspot is being monitored by the European Solar Orbiter and is expected to rotate into view from Earth later this week. Solar wind speeds are currently measured at 586.9 km/sec with a density of 0.14 protons/cm³. Additionally, a twilight sky show featuring Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent Moon is visible on May 19, offering a stunning celestial display. Observers are encouraged to look west after sunset to witness this alignment.