For the first time, magnetic switchbacks—zigzag-shaped kinks in plasma previously only seen near the Sun—have been detected in Earth’s magnetic field. Physicists Emily McDougall and Matthew Argall discovered these structures while analyzing data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, finding that solar plasma interacting with Earth’s local magnetic fields caused the switchbacks. Switchbacks form when open magnetic field lines from the Sun reconnect with closed loops, … Continue reading Unexpected ‘Zigzag’ Structures Discovered in Earth’s Magnetic Field

Astronomers have now cataloged over 40,000 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), ranging from a few yards to several miles wide, enhancing both scientific knowledge and planetary defense. NEAs are closely monitored because even small asteroids can cause serious regional damage if they impact Earth, with software predicting their paths decades or centuries in advance. Discovery rates surged in the 1990s and 2000s and continue to grow with … Continue reading Astronomers confirm 40,000 near-Earth asteroids within striking distance

The Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977, are the farthest human-made objects from Earth, traveling over 12 billion miles at speeds of 38,000 mph. Originally tasked with studying the outer planets, they now journey into interstellar space, providing insights into the solar system’s boundary. Both spacecraft encountered a “wall of fire” at the heliosphere’s edge, where temperatures reached up to 90,000°F, marking the transition from solar … Continue reading At The Edge Of Our Solar System, NASA’s Voyager 1 Found A ‘Wall Of Fire’

Over northern Italy, a rare atmospheric phenomenon known as an “elve” appeared as a glowing red ring above the Alps, captured by photographer Valter Binotto on November 17. Elves are brief, disk-shaped flashes caused by powerful electromagnetic pulses from lightning striking the ionosphere, lasting less than a thousandth of a second and spanning hundreds of miles. The event Binotto photographed was triggered by a massive … Continue reading Photographer captures eerie red halo hovering over the Italian Alps

Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has begun breaking apart after its close approach to the sun on October 8, with images showing multiple fragments of its icy nucleus. Astronomer Gianluca Masi captured animations from stacked exposures taken between November 11 and 18, revealing three, possibly four, distinct pieces. Earlier observations from Italy’s Asiago Observatory showed two fragments about 1,200 miles apart, with hints of a smaller … Continue reading Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) breaks apart in incredible telescope photos

A new study from Hokkaido University found that moss spores survived nine months in outer space on the exterior of the International Space Station. Despite harsh exposure to radiation, vacuum, extreme temperatures, and UV light, more than 80% of the spores remained viable, though their chlorophyll degraded. Different moss species showed unique stress-resistance traits, including protection against UV radiation and intense heat. After returning to … Continue reading Moss survived 9 months in space, could still reproduce after return to Earth

NASA released close-up images of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, which is making a brief pass through the solar system. The comet, only the third confirmed interstellar object, recently passed 18 million miles from Mars, where multiple NASA and ESA spacecraft observed it. Ground-based telescopes and the James Webb Space Telescope are also tracking the comet, which will come closest to Earth—167 million miles away—in mid-December … Continue reading Nasa releases close-up pictures of comet flying by from another star system

China plans to launch the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft on Nov. 24 to serve as a backup lifeboat for the Shenzhou-21 crew aboard the Tiangong space station. The mission follows damage to the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft by space debris, which prevented its safe return to Earth. Shenzhou-22 will carry supplies for the astronauts and equipment for Tiangong but will launch without a crew, ahead of its originally … Continue reading China to launch Shenzhou-22 spacecraft Nov. 25 to provide lift home for astronauts

SpaceX launched the Sentinel-6B ocean-mapping satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Monday, marking the company’s 500th orbital mission using a reused Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite continues the Copernicus program’s mission to precisely measure global sea surface heights and monitor rising oceans, a key indicator of climate change. Sentinel-6B carries a radar altimeter from the European Space Agency and a NASA microwave radiometer to … Continue reading SpaceX launches Sentinel-6B ocean-mapping satellite to orbit

Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, carrying two NASA Mars orbiters called Escapade, marking the rocket’s second flight and the first successful booster recovery on a barge. The orbiters will spend a year near Earth before using a gravity assist to reach Mars in 2027, where they will study the planet’s upper atmosphere, magnetic fields, and interaction with solar wind … Continue reading Blue Origin launches rocket carrying twin Nasa spacecraft to Mars

Three Chinese astronauts returned from the Tiangong space station Friday after a nine-day delay caused by damage to their original Shenzhou-20 return capsule, likely from space debris. They instead returned in the newly arrived Shenzhou-21, which had delivered a replacement crew, completing China’s longest space station stay at 204 days. The capsule landed in the Gobi Desert, where the crew was safely recovered, along with … Continue reading Chinese astronauts return from space station after delay blamed on space debris damage

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket launch was postponed Wednesday due to intense solar storms, which were also creating spectacular auroras across the U.S. The rocket, carrying two NASA Mars orbiters from Florida, had already faced delays from poor weather. NASA delayed the liftoff over concerns that heightened solar radiation could affect the spacecraft. No new launch date has been announced, the AP has reported. This … Continue reading Solar storms delay the launch of Blue Origin’s big new rocket with Mars orbiters for NASA

Space weather forecasters have issued an alert for incoming severe solar storms that could produce bright northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications. Several recent coronal mass ejections from the sun are expected to reach Earth Tuesday night into Wednesday, potentially affecting radio, GPS, and other systems. Auroras may be visible across much of the northern U.S., and as far south as Alabama and Northern California, … Continue reading Space forecasters say severe solar storms could hit Earth and trigger auroras

The Shenzhou-20 crew stranded at China’s Tiangong space station is reported to be in good condition, working and living normally, China’s Manned Space Engineering Office said Tuesday. Their scheduled Nov. 5 return to Earth was delayed after the spacecraft was believed to have been struck by a small piece of space debris. The return has been postponed to an unspecified date, with the mission team … Continue reading China’s stranded astronauts ‘in good condition’ after space debris delays planned return

Astronomers studying interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS have found evidence that its surface has been altered by galactic cosmic ray (GCR) processing, suggesting the comet’s outer layers are not pristine material from another star system. Detected in July 2025, 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object, and its unusually high carbon dioxide–to–water ratio (CO₂/H₂O ≈ 7.6) puzzled researchers. After testing various formation and chemical scenarios, scientists concluded … Continue reading 3I/ATLAS Shows Evidence Of “Galactic Cosmic Ray” Processing

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have developed a compact short-pulse laser achieving up to 80% efficiency—more than twice that of many current systems—by using a multipass design that reuses light within a small crystal. The palm-sized device delivers ultrashort light pulses lasting billionths to quadrillionths of a second, enabling high-precision energy delivery for applications in medicine, manufacturing, analytics, and quantum science. Traditional high-efficiency short-pulse … Continue reading Tiny laser could transform medicine and quantum science

SpaceX launched 29 more Starlink satellites early on Nov. 9 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The first stage successfully landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic, marking its 28th flight—just shy of the record 31 missions for a single booster. The upper stage carried the satellites to low Earth orbit, where they are set to … Continue reading SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Space Coast

SpaceX successfully launched its Starlink Group 11-14 mission today, lifting 28 satellites into low Earth orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 4:13 p.m. EST. The booster, B1093, completed its eighth flight, performing stage separation, deceleration burns, and landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. B1093 will return to … Continue reading SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from California’s central coast

Astronomers have observed the largest and most distant flare ever detected from a supermassive black hole, nicknamed “Superman,” originating 10 billion light-years away. At its peak, the flare shone with the brightness of 10 trillion suns. The flare came from an active galactic nucleus (AGN), where gas and dust spiraling into a supermassive black hole become superheated, emitting intense radiation. Researchers believe the black hole … Continue reading Largest observed flare from a black hole unleashes the light of 10 trillion suns

China’s Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft has delayed its return to Earth after possibly being struck by small pieces of space debris, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced. The delay is under review as officials conduct impact analysis and risk assessments, though no new landing date has been provided. Shenzhou-20 is docked at the Tiangong space station alongside Shenzhou-21, currently in a handover period, and if … Continue reading China’s Shenzhou-20 return mission delayed due to space debris impact

The U.S. military is close to fielding two new satellite‑jamming systems — L3Harris’s Meadowlands and Remote Modular Terminals — which, along with an upgraded Counter Communications System, will give the Pentagon three openly acknowledged counter‑space jammers. Meadowlands is in final training and exercises and is expected to be fielded this fiscal year, while the Remote Modular Terminals are being deployed overseas in a limited early‑use … Continue reading US Space Force to Use Three Weapons To Jam Chinese Satellites Via Remote Control

SpaceX successfully launched its Bandwagon-4 rideshare mission to low Earth orbit, carrying an Nvidia-backed data center demo, a Vast commercial space station testbed, and AI-powered weather satellites. Liftoff occurred at 1:09 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral’s pad 40, with a 95% chance of favorable weather. The mission used Falcon 9 booster B1091, previously flown for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which landed safely at Landing Zone 2 … Continue reading Commercial space station demo, data center precursor launch on SpaceX rocket

The U.S. and China are racing to return to the Moon, targeting 2028 and 2030, amid a push for both scientific exploration and valuable lunar resources. Companies are eyeing helium-3, a rare isotope on Earth that could fuel nuclear reactors or cool quantum computers, with Interlune signing a potential $300 million deal to supply up to 10,000 liters. Harvesting helium-3 is technically challenging, requiring massive … Continue reading Mining Company Says It’s Identified Hugely Valuable Material on Surface of the Moon

3I/ATLAS, only the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system, has intrigued scientists since its discovery in early July. Likely a comet, it reached its closest point to the Sun on October 29, brightening much faster than expected. Observations from NASA’s STEREO, ESA’s SOHO, and NOAA’s GOES-19 satellites showed this rapid luminosity increase, which may be linked to its extreme speed of 137,000 … Continue reading Mysterious Interstellar Object Has Unexpectedly Started Brightening, Scientists Say

China’s Shenzhou 21 spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station at a record speed, completing the maneuver in about 3.5 hours—three hours faster than previous missions. The crew includes commander Zhang Lu, returning from Shenzhou 15, and two first-time astronauts: engineer Wu Fei, China’s youngest space traveler at 32, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang. During their roughly six-month mission, the team will conduct 27 … Continue reading China’s Shenzhou 21 docks with space station, sets the country’s own speed record