NASA is once again counting down the hours to the first flight test of its new 32-story-tall Artemis rocket, the one the agency hopes will carry astronauts back to the moon in just a few years. The space agency has been struggling to get the multi-billion-dollar rocket off the ground so that it can send a capsule — without a crew on board — around … Continue reading NASA’s Artemis moon rocket is hours from launch. Will it finally fly?

Solar Orbiter has spotted a ‘tube’ of cooler atmospheric gases snaking its way through the Sun’s magnetic field. The observation provides an intriguing new addition to the zoo of features revealed by the ESA-led Solar Orbiter mission, especially since the snake was a precursor to a much larger eruption. The snake was seen on 5 September 2022, as Solar Orbiter was approaching the Sun for … Continue reading Solar snake spotted slithering across Sun’s surface

On Tuesday November 8th, a total lunar eclipse that will turn the moon an eerie blood-red hue. It won’t happen again until the year 2025. Continue reading Return of the ‘blood moon’: A total lunar eclipse will be visible around the world on Tuesday

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) this week captured an image of the sun in ultraviolet light featuring three dark patches that look like a smiling face — a face that could signal a solar storm with problems for Earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a minor geomagnetic storm watch effective for Saturday. While geomagnetic storms can create beautiful aurora … Continue reading The sun was ‘smiling’ in a NASA photo. It might be a warning for Earth.

Astronomers have spotted three near-Earth asteroids that were lurking undetected within the glare of the sun. One of the asteroids is the largest potentially hazardous object posing a risk to Earth to be discovered in the last eight years. The asteroids belong to a group found within the orbits of Earth and Venus, but they’re incredibly difficult to observe because the brightness of the sun … Continue reading ‘Planet killer’ asteroid spotted hiding in the sun’s glare

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy — a towering, three-pronged vehicle that is the most powerful operational rocket in the world — returned to the skies on Tuesday for the first time since mid-2019. The rocket launched at 9:41 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hauling satellites to space for the US military in a secretive mission dubbed USSF-44. The Falcon Heavy debuted in 2018 … Continue reading SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, world’s most powerful rocket, launches after three-year hiatus