https://skyandtelescope.com

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New Data Hint at Changing Dark Energy — and a Different Cosmic Fate -

New data hint that dark energy is weakening over time. If true, it means that our most trusted cosmological models may be wrong.

The post New Data Hint at Changing Dark Energy — and a Different Cosmic Fate appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Flame Nebula Images Show Star Formation Turnover for the First Time -

For the first time, researchers have identified a turnover in the initial mass function of a star cluster.

The post Flame Nebula Images Show Star Formation Turnover for the First Time appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 21 – 30 -

If you're in the US northeast or eastern Canada, start planning for the sunrise partial eclipse on March 29th! In the night sky the stern of the ship Argo is at its highest, abutting the stern of Canis Major.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 21 – 30 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Pulsars Yield Dark Matter Density in Our Galactic Neighborhood -

A new technique to measure the motions of pulsars for the first time enables more precise estimates of local dark matter density.

The post Pulsars Yield Dark Matter Density in Our Galactic Neighborhood appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Euclid Observatory Opens Cosmic Treasure Trove -

Euclid's first data release allows scientists to sharpen the tools they’ll need to unravel the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

The post Euclid Observatory Opens Cosmic Treasure Trove appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Sunrise Solar Eclipse on March 29th for Eastern North America -

The March 29th partial solar eclipse offers unique opportunities for photography and viewing alike.

The post Sunrise Solar Eclipse on March 29th for Eastern North America appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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EZIE Mission Launches to Study the Aurora -

EZIE has launched successfully, poised to probe a poorly understood aspect linking space weather to dazzling aurora.

The post EZIE Mission Launches to Study the Aurora appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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It’s Official: Saturn Has 128 New Moons -

With a total now of 274 known moons, Saturn leads all of the planets by far.

The post It’s Official: Saturn Has 128 New Moons appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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A Total Solar Eclipse — from the Moon -

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission on the Moon has captured a total solar eclipse — but from a lunar perspective.

The post A Total Solar Eclipse — from the Moon appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 14 – 23 -

High overhead after dark, how accurately can you judge a celestial right angle? Watch the changing Castor-Pollux-Mars group to find out. Meanwhile the waning gibbous Moon will rise later and later, opening up dark-sky observing in the evening.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 14 – 23 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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https://spaceflightnow.com

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SpaceX launches national security satellite for NRO on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral - The mission was the fifth of 2025 featuring spacecraft developed by the National Reconnaissance Office. Liftoff of the NROL-69 mission from pad 40 happened at 1:48 p.m. EDT (1748 UTC).

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SpaceX launches 450th Falcon 9 rocket, breaks booster turnaround record on NRO mission - The NROL-57 mission was the eighth launch supporting the National Reconnaissance Office’s proliferated architecture satellite constellation. Liftoff happened at 11:49 p.m. PDT (2:49 a.m. EDT, 0649 UTC).

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SpaceX Dragon Freedom splashes down off coast of Florida, ending Crew-9 mission - Dragon Freedom undocked from the space station at 1:05 a.m. EDT (1705 UTC) on Tuesday to begin its roughly 17-hour trip to splash down along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The parachute-supported splash down happened at 5:57 p.m. EDT (2157 UTC).

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SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites Tuesday afternoon Falcon 9 flight - The launch came amid the return of three astronauts and a cosmonaut from the International Space Station. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station 3:57 p.m. EDT (1957 UTC).

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Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 concludes successful, 14-day mission on the Moon - The lunar operation marks the longest commercial mission on the Moon to date. Firefly Aerospace is in the midst of preparing for its next trip to the Moon, which is set to launch in 2026.

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Fresh crew docks at space station; Starliner astronauts expected to return to Earth Tuesday - Approaching from behind and below, the Crew Dragon, launched Friday evening from the Kennedy Space Center, passed 1,300 feet directly under the station before looping up to a point 720 feet directly ahead of the outpost. From there, it glided straight in for docking at the Harmony module's forward port at 12:04 a.m. EDT.

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SpaceX sets new launchpad turnaround record with Saturday sunrise launch - The Saturday morning launch broke the pad turnaround record at Space Launch Complex 40 by at nearly six hours. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 7:35 a.m. EDT (1135 UTC).

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NASA, SpaceX launch Crew-10 to begin flight to the International Space Station - The mission will be the 14th time that a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carries humans to the International Space Station. The mission launched on Friday, March 14, at 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 UTC).

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SpaceX launches Starlink 12-21 mission following back-to-back scrubs - The last Falcon 9 launch from Florida was back on March 2 marking the longest stretch between Florida launches since an upper stage anomaly caused a launch halt from July 13 through July 27. Liftoff of the Starlink 12-21 mission happened Wednesday, March 12 at 10:35 p.m. EDT (0235 UTC).

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SpaceX details Falcon 9 anomaly that temporarily grounded the rocket fleet - SpaceX hasn’t launched a Falcon 9 rocket since the March 2 flight of Starlink 12-20. It’s return to flight mission is set to be the rideshare launch of NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions on Monday night.

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https://www.space.com

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'Earth to Space' art festival set to launch at Kennedy Center this week - A nearly month-long mission is ready to lift off, with preparations being made at the Kennedy Center. To be clear, not NASA's Kennedy Space Center, but the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

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NASA completes SLS core stage stacking for Artemis 2 moon mission (photos) - NASA's next moon rocket is coming together at the agency's Kennedy Space Center, as the SLS core stage gets its solid rocket boosters.

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10 things we want from the next Mass Effect game - BioWare's follow-up to the original Mass Effect trilogy is still a ways off, but we already have an extensive list of things we'd love to see happen.

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Rare moonbow shines below total lunar eclipse in stunning photo: 'This is definitely the first time I've tried something like this, but will not be the last' - "The respective sizes of the two arcs also create a great symbolic representation of the difference in scale between what we experience and deal with as humans on Earth and the vastness and grandeur of the scale of space and our closest neighbor"

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'It's coming!' New 'Alien: Earth' trailer is packed with nostalgia, a creepy android, and some very unfortunate humans (video) - Retrofuturistic styling, synthetics with no regard for human life, and people being munched like popcorn — that's the Alien we know and love alright.

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'City of Lights' as seen at night from space: Space photo of the day - Paris, France is seen lit up in this photo taken aboard the International Space Staton.

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Curiosity Mars rover discovers largest organic molecules ever seen on Red Planet - While the presence of these molecules is not proof of ancient life on Mars, scientists say it shows we could detect chemical signatures of past life, if it ever existed.

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US Space Force celebrates return of 1st Guardian to launch to space (photos) - U.S. Space Force Col. Nick Hague is back on Earth after living on the International Space Station for the last five-plus months.

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Best places in the US and Canada to see rare 'double sunrise' during partial solar eclipse on March 29 - During the partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025, a weird "double sunrise" will grace the skies between Canada's St Lawrence River and the Bay of Fundy, via the easternmost point of the U.S.

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Aurora alert! Moderate geomagnetic storm could spark northern lights as far south as New York and Idaho tonight (March 25) - Aurora chasers are on high alert for geomagnetic storm conditions overnight with northern lights possible at mid-latitudes.

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Dazzling photos of this month's total lunar eclipse showcase a blood red moon near the Milky Way's heart - Breathtaking photos of this month's total lunar eclipse capture a blood red moon and star-studded Milky Way over NOIRLab's Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

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Mysterious blue spiral spotted over European skies. What was it? (photos) - A strange blue spiral lit up the sky over Europe on Monday night (March 24), with residents of the UK and other countries speculating on its true nature on social media.

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Space pirates already have their sights set on the 'high seas' of Earth orbit. Can we stop them? - Experts are already looking into the risks of piracy in space and solutions to this potentially devastating economic and legal problem.

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'Cosmic tornado' swirls in breathtaking new James Webb Space Telescope image - A cosmic coincidence has led to one of the most amazing images ever captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

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Rare 'solar horns' will appear during partial solar eclipse on March 29 — Here are 6 of the best places in the US and Canada to see the unusual phenomenon - Here's where to be to catch rare views of the cusps of the sun appearing in the east at sunrise during the partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025.

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NASA says removal of 'first woman, person of color' language from Artemis websites 'does not indicate' moon mission crew change - NASA websites no longer state that the Artemis 3 mission will aim to land the first person of color and the first woman on the moon, but the agency says this does not reflect a change in crew.

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New Barbie doll celebrates 60 years as an astronaut, but forgets when humans first flew into space - Earth to astronaut Barbie, we have a new space collectible, but probably not for all of the reasons Mattel intended. The toy company has released a Barbie Miss Astronaut 60th anniversary doll.

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SpaceX launches secret US spy satellite on 19th anniversary of company's 1st-ever liftoff (video, photos) - SpaceX launched its third mission of the year for the United States' spy satellite agency today (March 24), the 19th anniversary of the company's first-ever liftoff.

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Hurry! Only six days left to get 72% off Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus meaning you can watch season two of "Star Wars: Andor" with a huge discount - With season two of Star Wars: Andor hitting the small screen on April 22, now is the time to get a Disney Plus subscription bundle and it's 72% off.

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What would happen if the Milky Way's black hole erupted? This distant galaxy paints a terrifying picture - The observation of titanic jets emerging from the supermassive black hole at the heart of a distant galaxy could be a grim prediction of the Milky Way's future.

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Sunspots may be visible during the March 29 partial solar eclipse. Here's how to spot them. - The upcoming partial solar eclipse on March 29 is the perfect time to watch the moon hide and then reveal dark patches on the surface of the sun.

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Private SpaceX Fram2 mission ready for world's 1st crewed flight over Earth's polar regions (photos) - SpaceX plans to make spaceflight history this month, by launching the first crewed mission to explore Earth's polar regions.

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Gorgeous Hubble telescope image was 20 years in the making: Space photo of the day - The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a star and a spiral galaxy, both in the constellation Virgo. But the photo is an optical illusion.

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Meteorites and asteroids tracked back to their place of origin in the solar system - Astronomers have tracked several meteorites that dropped in on Earth back to their origin, space rocks in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

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Star Catcher sends electricity across NFL football field in key space power-beaming test (photos) - Space-based solar power is one step closer to reality, now that Florida startup Star Catcher has successfully beamed energy across the Jacksonville Jaguars' stadium.

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Euclid 'dark universe detective' spacecraft discovers 2,674 new dwarf galaxies - Using data from the Euclid Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered a stunning 2,674 dwarf galaxies, the study of which could help better understand cosmic evolution.

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Black holes may obey the laws of physics after all, new theory suggests - A new recipe for black holes could do away with central singularities, saving the laws of physics from troubling infinities.

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Ouch! Carlo Rambaldi's original screen-used 'E.T.' model might reach $1 million at Sotheby's auction - This original prop from Steven Spielberg's timeless 1982 film hits the auction block.

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Preserving astronomy history: The fight is on to save iconic Royal Greenwich Observatory site - Nestled in the rolling green hills of the English countryside is an important site in global astronomical history. But now, with its future uncertain, this historic site is at risk.

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What will the partial solar eclipse of March 2025 look like from space? - On March 29, a partial solar eclipse will cause a dark shadow over eastern North America — and weather satellites will pick it up.

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1st-ever orbital rocket launch from European soil delayed due to unsafe winds - Isar Aerospace is set to launch its new Spectrum rocket from Europe's first orbit-capable spaceport facility in Norway.

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James Webb Space Telescope could find signs of life on alien 'hycean' ocean worlds - JWST could potentially detect the signature of methyl halide compounds, produced by microbial life in Earth's ocean, on hypothetical hycean exoplanets.

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Aurora alert: Giant 'hole' in sun and strong geomagnetic storm converge to supercharge northern lights this weekend - A huge sun eruption combines with speedy solar wind from a "coronal hole" for a weekend aurora show, experts predict.

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'Star Trek' icon lives on with new Nichelle Nichols Space Camp to inspire young women to aim for the stars - "Together, we can inspire a spirit of discovery to change lives and change the world for the better through a passion for exploration."

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Dark skies and epic Winter Star Party — why the Florida Keys are more than just a Spring Break destination - For an unforgettable stargazing adventure, few places rival the Florida Keys.

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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 153 — Pathways to Mars - On Episode 153 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Robert Zubrin, founder and president of The Mars Society, about making real, actionable plans to send a crew to Mars.

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Exoplanet 'baby pictures' reveal exomoons possibly taking shape around infant worlds - Astronomers have examined infant planets orbiting a star 370 light-years away, seeing the exomoon forming disks of gas and dust around them in unprecedented detail.

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Stunning space photo captures bright blue shock wave around double star system - This stunning image features a deep field view of the Cassiopeia constellation where the two small planetary nebulas can be found, Abell 6 and the larger HFG1.

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1 week until the 1st solar eclipse of 2025. Here's what you need to know about the March 2025 partial solar eclipse - We don't have long to wait to see the moon take a "bite" out of the sun, we're ready… are you?

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Is Netflix's 'The Electric State' a sci-fi retelling of 'The Wizard of Oz'? - Both "The Electric State" and "The Wizard of Oz" latch onto the themes of family, home, tolerance, identity and the interconnectedness of the individuals we share our lives with.

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China now has a 'kill mesh' in orbit, Space Force vice chief says - "That capability gap is significantly narrowed, and we've got to change the way we're looking at space, or that capability gap may reverse and not be in our favor anymore."

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How the James Webb Space Telescope is helping size up tiny dwarf planets - A new model that incorporates data gathered by the JWST could help scientists understand the composition and mass of objects in the distant Kuiper Belt and beyond.

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Into the deep (field) with ESA's Euclid 'dark universe' telescope: Space photo of the day - Many galaxies are visible in this deep field exposure, and its just a part of a larger mosaic, zoomed in 16 times.

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Why I'm going to New Brunswick, Canada, to see next week's 'sunrise' solar eclipse - Home to the world's highest tides and biggest lobsters, New Brunswick will experience a partial solar eclipse at sunrise on March 29, 2025. For one eclipse-chaser, it's the ultimate moon-shot.

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This solar filter attaches to your telescope, camera lens or spotting scope for safe eclipse viewing. With a 15% discount, grab it now in time for this month's solar event - Celestron EclipSmart Safe Solar Eclipse filter is ideal for viewing the eclipse safely with a telescope or DLSR camera

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Next month NASA's Lucy probe will visit an asteroid that's been waiting 150 million years to say hello - NASA's Lucy spacecraft will soon travel by asteroid Donaldjohanson, which formed roughly 150 million years ago.

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New research on 'Death Star' that looks like a cosmic pinwheel reduces gamma-ray burst threat to Earth - The cosmic pinwheel that astronomers feared could one day shower Earth with lethal gamma rays may not be as dangerous as once thought.

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Saturn's rings will 'disappear' this weekend. Here's why this phenomenon happens in cycles - Saturn's iconic rings will seemingly "disappear" from view this weekend as they align edge-on with Earth for the first time since 2009.

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Upcoming Marvel Phase 6 movies & TV shows: The Fantastic Four, Avengers: Doomsday & more - Marvel's Thunderbolts will close out phase 5, but the MCU will continue into late 2025 and beyond with these highly-anticipated movies and shows.

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Apollo 10, Soyuz capsule among artifacts moving to new space gallery in London - The spacesuit worn by the first Briton in space, the Soyuz that brought the first UK astronaut back to Earth and the only Apollo capsule to be on display outside the U.S. will soon be on the move.

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https://www.nasa.gov

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NASA Cloud Software Helps Companies Find their Place in Space  - Planning space missions is a very involved process, ensuring orbits are lined up and spacecraft have enough fuel is imperative to the long-term survival of orbital assets. Continuum Space Systems Inc. of Pasadena, California, produces a cloud-based platform that gives mission planners everything they need to certify that their space resources can accomplish their goals.  […]

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NASA’s Spirit Rover Gets Looked Over - Technicians do final checks on NASA’s Spirit rover in this image from March 28, 2003. The rover – and its twin, Opportunity – studied the history of climate and water at sites on Mars where conditions may once have been favorable to life. Each rover is about the size of a golf cart and seven […]

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NASA Invites Media to Learn About Artemis Moon Mission Recovery - NASA and the Department of Defense will host a media event on the recovery operations that will bring the Artemis II astronauts and the agency’s Orion spacecraft home at the conclusion of next year’s mission around the Moon. The in-person event will take place at 3 p.m. PDT on Monday, March 31, at Naval Base […]

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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Team Wins 2024 Collier Trophy - The innovative team of engineers and scientists from NASA, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, and more than 40 other partner organizations across the country that created the Parker Solar Probe mission has been awarded the 2024 Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). This annual award recognizes the […]

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NASA Demonstrates New Wildland Fire Airspace Management System - NASA researchers conducted initial validation of a new airspace management system designed to enable crews to use aircraft to fight and monitor wildland fires 24 hours a day, even during low-visibility conditions.   From March 17-28, NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project stationed researchers at multiple strategic locations across the foothills of the […]

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Investigaciones de la NASA en la estación espacial ayudan a impulsar la ciencia lunar - La Estación Espacial Internacional sustenta una amplia gama de actividades científicas, desde la observación de nuestro universo hasta el logro de avances en investigaciones médicas, y es un campo de pruebas activo en la tecnología para futuras misiones de exploración en la Luna y más allá. La misión Blue Ghost 1 de Firefly Aerospace aterrizó en […]

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New Aircraft Wing Undergoes Crucial NASA Icing Testing - In the future, aircraft with long, thin wings supported by aerodynamic braces could help airlines save on fuel costs. But those same wings could be susceptible to ice buildup. NASA researchers are currently working to determine if such an issue exists, and how it could be addressed. In the historic Icing Research Tunnel at NASA’s […]

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NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Views Blue Ghost on Moon’s Surface - NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) imaged Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander on the Moon’s surface the afternoon of March 2, not quite 10 hours after the spacecraft landed. The delivery is part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. This is the first CLPS delivery for Firefly, and […]

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NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Views IM-2 on Moon’s Surface - NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) imaged Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 on the Moon’s surface on March 7, just under 24 hours after the spacecraft landed. Later that day Intuitive Machines called an early end of mission for IM-2, which carried NASA technology demonstrations as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis […]

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Sols 4488-4490: Progress Through the Ankle-Breaking Terrain (West of Texoli Butte, Climbing Southward) - Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Earth planning date: Friday, March 21, 2025 It’s the start of spring here in the Northern Hemisphere on Earth, but in Gale Crater on Mars our rover is still heading into the depths of Martian winter. We’re just a few weeks away from […]

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https://astronomynow.com

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Saturn’s Rings to “Disappear” - Saturn's iconic rings set to vanish this weekend as rare "ring plane crossing" aligns them edge-on with Earth for the first time since 2009.

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The Lithium Problem - One of the most significant challenges to the Big Bang hypothesis that emerged recently concerns the abundance of the element lithium.

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Discover the many fascinating moons of our Solar System - The Atlas of Moons makes space exploration accessible to everyone, bridging the gap between complex data and public curiosity. This interactive experience brings the solar system’s moons to life, inviting users to explore them up close.

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A bigger and better helicopter to Mars - Ingenuity, the plucky little helicopter, has proven that flight on another planet is possible. Over 72 remarkable flights, it captivated space enthusiasts worldwide. Yet, despite its achievements, Ingenuity’s limitations have driven NASA to envision something even more advanced.

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Photogenic Lunar Eclipse! - The night sky is set to dazzle this month as the first total lunar eclipse in over two years takes center stage. Visible from the UK, US, and various spots worldwide, this celestial phenomenon promises a breathtaking view — no special equipment required.

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Get ready for the Solar Eclipse - On the morning of March 29, UK residents can witness a partial solar eclipse, weather permitting. Though less dramatic than a total eclipse, it’s a rare chance to see the Moon partially cover the Sun—the first such event visible from the UK in over 25 years!

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Sights on a new flyby for New Horizons - In 2019, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew past Arrokoth, the most distant and ancient object explored. Now, as it journeys farther, chief scientist Alan Stern has shared exciting new updates.

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Messier 108 & 109: View the Great Bear’s contrasting spiral galaxies - Messier 108 (NGC 3556) and Messier 109 (NGC 3992) may not receive as much attention as the stunning Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101) or the famous duo of Messier 81 and 82. However, this contrasting pair of spiral galaxies deserves more recognition.

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NASA Downgrades the Risk of 2024 YR4 to Below 1% - NASA astronomers are tracking asteroid 2024 YR4. Earth impact risk dropped to 0.28%, while lunar impact probability increased to 1%. Observations continue.

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Omegon’s Advanced X N 152mm Dobsonian - A new series of Dobsonians are now available from Omegon. Steve Ringwood took the 152mm-aperture model for a spin, and found that as an all-rounder, it handled expertly.

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https://www.marsdaily.com

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NASA's Curiosity Rover Detects Largest Organic Molecules Found on Mars - Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 25, 2025
Researchers analyzing pulverized rock onboard NASA's Curiosity rover have found the largest organic compounds on the Red Planet to date. The finding, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests prebiotic chemistry may have advanced further on Mars than previously observed. Scientists probed an existing rock sample inside Curiosity's Sample Analysis at

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Shocking Spherules! - Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 24, 2025
Last week the Perseverance Science Team were astonished by a strange rock comprised of hundreds of millimeter-sized spheres... and the team are now working hard to understand their origin. It has now been two weeks since Perseverance arrived at Broom Point, situated at the lower slopes of the Witch Hazel Hill area, on the Jezero crater rim. Here, a series of light- and dark- toned bands were vi

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NASA and USGS join forces to advance space resource detection - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 19, 2025
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently convened a diverse group of stakeholders from government, industry, and the international space community to focus on the technologies needed for future resource exploration, both on Earth and in space. The event, held in February at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, centered on tools and methods for locating and utili

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Musk says Starship to depart for Mars at end of 2026 - Washington (AFP) Mar 15, 2025
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Saturday its massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026 with Tesla humanoid robot Optimus onboard, adding that human landings could follow "as soon as 2029." "Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely," Musk said

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Mars Study Suggests Mid-Crust Water May Not Be Essential to Data Interpretation - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
More than 3 billion years ago, Mars had episodic liquid water on its surface. However, as the planet lost much of its atmosphere, surface water became unsustainable. The precise fate of this water-whether locked in ice, stored in deep aquifers, incorporated into minerals, or lost to space-remains a subject of ongoing scientific inquiry. This debate has drawn particular attention from Bruce Jakos

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Navigating a Slanted River - Pasadena CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2025
Perseverance is hard at work on Mars, overcoming obstacles for scientific exploration! Just a few sols after successfully sealing the challenging Green Gardens core, Perseverance roved on to the Broom Point workspace to collect another sample called Main River. Broom Point is situated a few hundred meters down-slope from where Green Gardens was collected, and the Science Team chose to explore th

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Scientists Develop New Technique to Detect Life in Martian Rock Samples - Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Mar 13, 2025
Within the next decade, space agencies aim to bring back rock samples from Mars for examination on Earth. A major concern surrounding these missions is the potential presence of extraterrestrial microbes, which could pose unknown risks. To mitigate such concerns, scientists are developing advanced methods to detect life. For the first time, researchers from the University of Tokyo and NASA have

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Small and large planets have significantly different upbringings - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 11, 2025
The shape of a planet's orbit is one of its fundamental properties, along with its size and distance from its host star. Earth has a nearly circular orbit, but some planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, have very elliptical orbits. UCLA astrophysicists have now measured the shape of the orbits of exoplanets - from the size of Jupiter down to the size of Mars - and shown that small

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Researchers analyze river bends to distinguish planetary channel origins - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 06, 2025
Channels carved by rivers, lava, and ice all exhibit winding, sinuous patterns, yet a new study from The University of Texas at Austin has identified a fundamental difference in the way rivers bend compared to volcanic and ice-carved channels. This discovery may provide a new method for determining the origins of planetary channels where direct observation is not possible. While the specif

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Redwire Selected to Develop Concept for Advanced Mars Spacecraft - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 05, 2025
Redwire Corporation (NYSE:RDW), a leading provider of space infrastructure, has secured a study contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to design an innovative spacecraft platform intended for future Mars missions under the ESA LightShip initiative. Redwire's Belgian subsidiary, Redwire Space NV, is one of four organizations selected for independent industry studies focused on defini

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New evidence suggests gypsum deposits on Mars may hold signs of ancient life - Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 25, 2025
A research collaboration between the University of Bern and the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algeria has yielded significant progress in astrobiology. Their recent study demonstrates the successful detection of fossil microorganisms in Messinian gypsum deposits in Algeria using the Bernese Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometer (LIMS). The findings suggest that LIMS coul

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Rover finds evidence of 'vacation-style' beaches on Mars - University Park PA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
Mars may have once been home to sun-soaked, sandy beaches with gentle, lapping waves according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). An international team of scientists, including Penn State researchers, used data from the Zhurong Mars rover to identify hidden layers of rock under the planet's surface that strongly suggest the presence of a

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Gardens on Mars? No, Just Rocks! - Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 26, 2025
Over the past week, Perseverance has been parked at a location called "Tablelands," an area containing the "Serpentine Lake" abrasion patch acquired a few weeks ago. The Mars 2020 team has been diligently analyzing the data from the abrasion patch, and these findings led to the decision to return to Tablelands and attempt a sample at this location. Due to the disaggregated material thwarti

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Have we been wrong about why Mars is red - Paris, France (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
New research combining spacecraft data from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA with advanced laboratory experiments suggests that Mars developed its distinctive red hue much earlier in its history than previously assumed. Scientists found that the planet's iron-rich dust likely rusted during a time when liquid water was more abundant on the surface. Mars has long been recognized by i

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Ancient beaches testify to long-ago ocean on Mars - Berkeley CA (SPX) Feb 26, 2025
A Chinese rover that landed on Mars in 2021 detected evidence of underground beach deposits in an area thought to have once been the site of an ancient sea, providing further evidence that the planet long ago had a large ocean. The now-inactive rover, called Zhurong, operated for a year, between May 2021 and May 2022. It traveled 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) roughly perpendicular to escarpme

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