Astronomers have identified what could be the most luminous object in the universe—an extraordinary quasar featuring a rapidly growing black hole at its core, consuming the equivalent of one sun daily. This groundbreaking quasar sets a new record, radiating a brilliance 500 trillion times greater than our sun. The black hole propelling this distant quasar surpasses our sun’s mass by over 17 billion times, as … Continue reading Astronomers find what may be the universe’s brightest object

What goes up must come down, and this holds true for a decommissioned satellite that is poised to return to Earth this week, concluding its mission of over a decade. ERS-2, one of the initial advanced Earth observing satellites launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), is scheduled for a “natural” re-entry after spending 16 years in space. The ESA anticipates the satellite’s atmospheric re-entry … Continue reading European Space Agency predicts when dead satellite likely to return to Earth

Harnessing the Sun’s power extends beyond stationary solar panels. In a groundbreaking experiment conducted last year, a collaborative effort involving the California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech) Space Solar Power Project (SSPP), Indie Semiconductor, Inc., NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Amazon Web Services, and the Caltech spinoff startup GuRu Wireless, successfully captured solar power using an orbiting satellite. The results of this experiment have been outlined … Continue reading Earth Receives First-Ever Power Beam From Orbiting Satellite

On Thursday, Russia successfully launched a supply rocket to the International Space Station (ISS), maintaining one of the few ongoing Russia-U.S. collaborations since Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The Soyuz-2 rocket, carrying the Progress MS-26 cargo ship, was launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, as announced by Russia’s space agency on its Telegram channel, accompanied by a video of the lift-off. The rocket … Continue reading Russia Launches Supply Rocket to ISS

Even after its retirement in 2022, a NASA mission has played a crucial role in scientists’ ability to identify water on the surface of two asteroids. Researchers from the Southwest Research Institute utilized data from the retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a collaborative effort between NASA scientists and the German Space Agency at DLR. This collaboration led to the discovery of water molecules … Continue reading Water detected on surface of asteroids for first time, thanks to defunct NASA mission

The groundbreaking private moon mission is progressing successfully. The robotic Odysseus moon lander, constructed by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early this morning (Feb. 15) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch proceeded seamlessly, and as intended, Odysseus initiated its autonomous operations. The lander has been “successfully commissioned in space by establishing a stable attitude, solar … Continue reading Private Odysseus lunar lander heads for the moon after SpaceX launch

The US Space Force, a distinct branch of the US military tasked with safeguarding US interests in space, has abandoned a multibillion-dollar initiative to develop a classified military communications satellite. The cancellation of the Northrop Grumman program was attributed to rising costs, challenges in developing its payload, and a schedule delay, as reported by Bloomberg, referencing a regulatory filing and sources familiar with the decision. … Continue reading Trouble at space force as multibillion-dollar program cancelled

On Wednesday, the national security adviser at the White House, along with prominent lawmakers on Capitol Hill, sought to ease public concerns following a warning from the House Intelligence Committee chairman about a “national security threat.” The chairman emphasized a “destabilizing foreign military capability” so significant that President Joe Biden should declassify “all information” regarding it. According to two sources familiar with Capitol Hill discussions, … Continue reading Warning of ‘national security threat’ is about Russia wanting nuclear weapon in space

The recent examination of samples from asteroid Bennu, retrieved by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, has uncovered a fascinating possibility. Scientists now propose that these samples may have originated from an “ancient ocean world,” potentially serving as a foundational environment for life as we understand it. Asteroid Bennu has become a central focus for researchers seeking insights into the early solar system and the origins of life … Continue reading Asteroid Bennu sample examined by NASA hints at life on an ancient ocean planet

On January 21st, 2024, an asteroid measuring about one meter in size, named 2024 BX1, penetrated Earth’s atmosphere and detonated over Berlin at 12:33 am UTC (07:45 pm EST; 04:33 pm PST). Before entering Earth’s atmosphere, 2024 BX1 was categorized as a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) with an orbit suggesting its affiliation with the Apollo group. Subsequently, fragments of the asteroid were located by a collaborative … Continue reading Strange Meteorite Fragments That Exploded Over Berlin Now Identified

The latest satellite from the American space agency NASA, named PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem), was successfully launched on February 8 using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA confirmed the launch and communicated that ground controllers had established contact with the satellite. PACE is designed to closely examine the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere and will orbit at an … Continue reading NASA Launches New Satellite to Study Oceans, Atmosphere

On Friday, astronauts representing Turkey, Italy, and Sweden successfully concluded their three-week private mission to the International Space Station, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule that landed in the Atlantic off the Florida coast. The returning crew included Alper Gezeravci from Turkey, Walter Villadei from Italy, and Marcus Wandt from Sweden, accompanied by their escort, retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, now associated with Axiom … Continue reading Astronauts return to Earth, ending private space station trip

A solar explosion ejected a substantial burst of energized particles traveling at a speed of 900,000 mph into space, leading to disruptions, including blackouts in Australia and South Asia. Reports emerged on Tuesday morning highlighting disruptions for ham radio operators and mariners in the affected regions. The prolonged solar flare occurred on Monday at 8:30 pm ET, and its impact on Earth was observed around … Continue reading Massive explosion on the sun causes blackouts near Australia and Asia

Astronomers have uncovered the most compelling evidence to date of a vast, youthful ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn’s mini-moon, resembling the Death Star. Led by a French team, the researchers examined alterations in Mimas’ orbit and rotation. They reported on Wednesday that a concealed ocean, situated 12 to 18 miles (20 to 30 kilometers) beneath the frozen shell, appeared more probable than an … Continue reading Saturn’s Death Star-looking moon may have vast underground ocean

The James Webb Space Telescope has identified an intriguing dwarf galaxy named PEARLSDG. Astronomers made this discovery while observing a cluster of galaxies, and PEARLSDG unexpectedly appeared in a region of space where no celestial presence was anticipated. In a recent paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists noted peculiarities in PEARLSDG’s behavior, particularly its lack of star formation activity. Unlike typical dwarf galaxies, … Continue reading NASA’s Webb Telescope Finds Unusual Galaxy ‘Not Really Expected To Exist’

NASA’s Juno mission recently achieved its closest approach to Io, Jupiter’s innermost Galilean moon, passing within 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) of the moon’s surface on February 3rd. These encounters mark the closest Io passes that Juno will execute, although the record for closest approach still belongs to the Galileo mission, which came within 112 miles (181 kilometers) of Io in 2001. The mission has provided … Continue reading NASA’s Juno mission makes closest flyby past Io

Is there a possibility that the recently identified “super-Earth” possesses conditions conducive to sustaining life? This newly found exoplanet is located at a relatively short distance, merely 137 light-years away, and orbits within a “habitable zone,” as per NASA’s observations. Astronomers indicate that the planet, named TOI-715 b, is approximately one and a half times the diameter of Earth and revolves around a small, reddish … Continue reading NASA announces new ‘super-Earth’ exoplanet that orbits in habitable zone

On Wednesday, NASA announced that the U.S. Space Force is gearing up to launch its inaugural Guardian into space during the upcoming summer mission. Space Force Col. Tyler “Nick” Hague will be part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, scheduled for no earlier than August, with a destination set for the International Space Station (ISS). This mission aims to replace the current Crew-8 currently stationed at … Continue reading First Space Force Guardian will launch into space this summer

On Friday, an asteroid, comparable in size to a skyscraper, is set to approach within 1.7 million miles of Earth. There’s no need for concern, though, as it will be at a safe distance, seven times farther away than the moon. According to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, this space rock, named 2008 OS7, spans between 690 feet and 1,575 feet. To put … Continue reading Skyscraper-size asteroid will buzz Earth on Friday

Recently unveiled images from outer space, released on Monday, showcase the astonishing detail of 19 spiral galaxies situated near our Milky Way. Captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, the photographs are a result of collaborative efforts from over 150 astronomers worldwide. These snapshots of spiral galaxies, resembling expansive and luminous pinwheels, provide an intricate exploration of star formations, as well as insights into galactic … Continue reading James Webb Space Telescope captures ‘stunning’ images of 19 spiral galaxies

SpaceX executed doubleheader liftoffs from both U.S. coasts, launching two additional sets of Starlink internet satellites overnight (Jan. 28-29). The initial launch involved a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft, taking off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Sunday (Jan. 28) at 6:15 p.m. EST (2315 GMT). Subsequently, another Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying … Continue reading SpaceX launches two rockets from two coasts

This week, an asteroid the size of a sports stadium is hurtling toward Earth and will be accompanied by four other celestial near-misses, with the largest anticipated to pass within less than 2 million miles of our planet on Friday. NASA reports that Asteroid 2008 OS7 measures approximately 890 feet in diameter and is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on Feb. 2. … Continue reading 5 asteroids expected to pass near Earth

Astronomers have identified previously hidden celestial phenomena, including a novel class of elderly giants humorously termed “old smokers,” and even some nascent stars described as “squalling newborns.” These enigmatic objects reside at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, maintaining a silent existence for decades, nearly fading into invisibility. However, they can unpredictably release clouds of smoke, as per researchers. This groundbreaking discovery emerged from … Continue reading Astronomers spot ‘old smokers’ and ‘squalling newborns’ among hidden stars

Over the weekend, a Japanese spacecraft achieved a groundbreaking and precise landing on the moon, according to the country’s space agency. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) successfully touched down, marking Japan as the fifth country, following the US, the Soviet Union, China, and India, to accomplish such a feat. Despite this achievement, there’s a minor issue: images sent back indicate that the probe … Continue reading Japan’s ‘moon sniper’ probe made accurate landing, but now is upside down

NASA’s diminutive Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, has completed its final flight, as announced by the space agency on Thursday. Due to rotor blade damage, the 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter is unable to continue flying. Despite maintaining an upright position and staying in contact with flight controllers, its $85 million mission has officially concluded. Initially designed as a short-term technological demonstration, Ingenuity surpassed expectations by completing 72 flights … Continue reading NASA’s little helicopter on Mars has logged its last flight