Sometimes an unusual celestial sight will take place at a rather ungodly hour.
As a budding young amateur astronomer living in the Bronx, I remember the bemused look on my mother’s face when I told her I was setting my alarm for 4 a.m. so that I could get a look at a meteor shower or lunar eclipse. “How come these things don’t happen at a more convenient hour?” she would…
These 2 European telescopes use lasers to track potentially dangerous space junk (video)
September 16, 2025
At a double observatory atop Mount Teide on the Spanish island of Tenerife, a powerful laser is being deployed to track fragments of space debris in orbit and warn when these fragments threaten satellites. Soon, it could even be used to push space debris away from a…
Interstellar comet 3I ATLAS glows green during lunar eclipse | Space photo of the day for Sept. 15, 2025
September 16, 2025
On Sept. 7 2025, the skies darkened as Earth’s shadow consumed the moon. Skywatchers in many parts of the world saw the moon turn blood red due to a total lunar eclipse.
For amateur astronomers Michael Jäger and Gerald Rhemann in Namibia, the eclipse was not only a…
Scientists say there's a 90% chance we could spot an exploding black hole in the next decade
September 15, 2025
New research suggests that there is a 90% chance that within the next decade, humanity could use a space or Earth-based telescope to spot an exploding black hole. Such a detection would change our perspective of the universe by proving the existence of “primordial black holes” born 13.8 billion years ago, a second after the Big Bang.
Scientists have long suspected that black holes can…
Aurora alert! Butterfly-shaped 'hole' in sun's atmosphere could spark geomagnetic storm Sept. 13-14
September 15, 2025
A colossal butterfly-shaped coronal hole has opened in the sun’s atmosphere and is currently spewing a fast-moving stream of solar wind toward Earth that could trigger a moderate geomagnetic storm and dazzling auroras this weekend.
The high-speed solar wind from this…
'I'll be damned if that's the story we write': Acting NASA Administrator Duffy vows not to lose moon race to China
September 15, 2025
NASA’s acting administrator is pushing back against recent claims that the agency is losing ground to China in the race back to the moon.
Sean Duffy addressed employees in an internal NASA town hall last week, just one day after Senate testimony suggested that China…
SpaceX Starlink satellite photobombs orbital view of secret Chinese air base (photo)
September 12, 2025
One of SpaceX’s broadband-beaming Starlink satellites has been captured overflying a top-secret airbase in China that was photographed by a private American Earth-observation satellite.
The unexpected satellite alignment above the Dingxin Airbase in the Gobi Desert of western China took place on Aug. 21 and created a range of unusual effects in the high-resolution image.
The visible-light…
I beat light pollution with this smart telescope — everything I saw in the night sky from a city center
September 12, 2025
Stargazing is a wonderful pursuit that appeals to both the casual and dedicated observer, but views outside of cities are often much clearer and brighter thanks to different levels of light pollution.
Excessive and misdirected use of artificial light is more common in cities…
Did NASA's Perseverance rover actually find evidence of life on Mars? We need to haul its samples home to find out, scientists say
September 12, 2025
A potentially huge discovery by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover will likely remain in scientific limbo for years to come.
On Wednesday (Sept. 10), the Perseverance team announced it found possible biosignatures in pieces of a Mars rock called “Cheyava Falls”…
Celestron TrailSeeker: Best Binoculars Under $300
September 11, 2025
The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42mm binoculars are one of the best binoculars on the market. They hold the title as best binoculars under $300 in our binoculars buying guide, and represent tremendous value for money. For anyone looking to begin their own stargazing journey, these binoculars deliver incredible details of the night sky. It’s already great value for money but that’s now made…
