The United States has taken some significant steps into the final frontier during its first 250 years.
The nation has put people on the moon, helped build and operate a long-running space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) and sent fleets of robotic explorers to many corners of the solar system — and even beyond it, into interstellar space.
All of this work has been done relatively recently, as…
The July full moon occurs at 10:36 a.m. EDT (1436 GMT) on July 29, when the lunar disk appears fully lit as it shines opposite the sun in Earth’s sky.
The July full moon is often called the “Buck Moon”, to reflect the time of the year when young male deer…
In 1776, the moon was a clock, a calendar and a streetlight — and it was 31 feet closer to Earth
July 3, 2026
After Americans declared independence on July 4, 1776, a waning gibbous moon rose in the night sky. To the people celebrating the birth of a new nation, it would have looked much the same as the moon we see today. But there was one subtle difference: 250 years ago, the moon…
Heads up aurora chasers! The sun has been very busy.
After unleashing an X1.1 solar flare on June 30, the sun continued its outburst by firing off 10 M-class solar flares in 24 hours! Several of these eruptions were accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that appear to be at least partially Earth-directed.
Exactly how many of these solar storms will reach Earth (and how effective they will…
Over the past 250 years, the number of “planets” in our solar system has ranged from six to nine — and, briefly, even 11 — depending on what astronomers knew at the time and how they defined a planet. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th…
A restless Earth-facing sunspot unleashed a powerful X-class solar flare on June 30, triggering radio blackouts across parts of North America.
The X1.1 solar flare erupted from sunspot region AR4479, peaking at 4:50 p.m. EDT (2050 GMT) according to NOAA’s Space…
NASA audit puts Boeing's Starliner under an even bigger microscope: When will it fly astronauts again?
July 2, 2026
It’s unclear when Boeing will be able to send more astronauts to the International Space Station, a new NASA audit warns.
Technical issues with Boeing Starliner’s spacecraft, across two uncrewed flights and a two-astronaut test mission known as Crew Flight Test (CFT), come under scrutiny in a new report about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program from the agency’s Office of the…
BOULDER, Colorado — After Earth’s moon and Mars, where could humans plant their footprints?
The “Humans to Titan Summit 2026” was held here on June 11 and June 12 to explore the concept of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, as the next human exploration…
June's Strawberry Moon serves up a low-hanging treat for skywatchers worldwide. Here are our favorite photos
July 1, 2026
The first full moon of summer, June’s Strawberry Moon, wowed skywatchers worldwide with a spectacular display.
June’s full moon was the lowest-hanging full moon of the year for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s because a full moon always sits…
America 250: Here's how to find a star whose light began its journey toward Earth in 1776
July 1, 2026
The United States’ 250th birthday is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate than by looking for a star whose light began its journey to Earth around the time the Declaration of Independence was signed?
Starlight travels through the near-perfect vacuum of space at a staggering 186,282 miles (299,791 kilometers) per second — or the speed of light. Even at this pace, it can…
