Astronauts have long struggled with constipation in space. Now, scientists may finally understand why.
A new study of 52 astronauts who lived aboard the International Space Station (ISS) suggests that microgravity may slow the movement of food through the intestines, changing how gut bacteria break down nutrients. The findings could ultimately help researchers develop dietary strategies to keep…
The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse didn’t only plunge millions of people across Greenland, Iceland and Spain into a false twilight — a fleet of spacecraft orbiting our planet managed to capture the magic, too.
August’s total solar eclipse occurred as the moon…
A 'river' of cosmic gas 1 trillion miles long sent planets in the Orion constellation into tilted orbits
August 18, 2026
A rare planet-forming disk around a young triple-star system in the Orion constellation has been tipped over by a river of gas over 1 trillion miles (1.6 trillion kilometers) long. The discovery, made at radio wavelengths with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter…
'This is unprecedented': Why the Pentagon's recent UFO file releases are so important
August 18, 2026
As “The X Files” famously told us, “the truth is out there.” But at the same time, inquiring minds are immersed today in finding out whether or not the proof is out there — specifically, proof that at least some unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) come from somewhere beyond Earth.
The UAP acronym originally stood for “unidentified aerial phenomena,” a term…
Blue Origin adding second pad to Cape Canaveral launch complex amid rocket explosion repairs
August 18, 2026
Blue Origin plans to return its Florida launch site to a dual-pad facility to support its bigger, more powerful New Glenn “9×4” rocket, which is still under development.
As facility repairs continue following the explosion of one of Blue Origin’s New…
NASA has formally invited India to participate in its effort to build a permanent base near the moon’s south pole, adding a new dimension to the deep-space cooperation between the two countries.
The invitation was extended last week at the Indian space agency…
SpaceX rocket's moon crash highlights 'a tangible operational risk' of lunar settlement
August 17, 2026
The moon dust has settled after a 4.5-ton SpaceX rocket body slammed into terrain near Einstein Crater on Aug. 5.
That impact site was imaged by South Korea’s moon-orbiting Danuri spacecraft, as well as by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Reportedly, a Chinese commercial space debris monitoring satellite tracked and recorded the 5,400-mph (8,690-kph) moon punch…
Our expert thinks this portable Celestron telescope will delight beginners and younger stargazers
August 17, 2026
Small telescopes have really come on leaps and bounds in recent years. There was a time when refractors with apertures smaller than 4 inches were seldom to be recommended, but manufacturers have been pushing the capabilities of smaller apertures ever further, with optical…
The Perseid meteor shower peaked last night in spectacular fashion, dazzling stargazers as countless shooting stars blazed overhead mere hours after a total solar eclipse saw the lunar disk hide the sun over Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
Perseid shooting stars appear as…
When is the next solar eclipse? Mark your calendar for an upcoming 'ring of fire' and the 'eclipse of the century'
August 14, 2026
Yesterday (Aug.12), millions of people enjoyed a total solar eclipse as it swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while a partial solar eclipse was visible across much of Europe and northwest Africa.
If all that eclipse excitement has you eager for more, the good news is you won’t have to wait long, because two remarkable solar eclipses are coming in 2027. First comes a…
