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 anniversary, that changing tally offers a unique lens on humanity’s evolving understanding of the cosmos since…
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…
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 destination, post-Mars.
Researchers looked into how demanding such a trek could be and what would be required to make it…
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…
I got a sneak peek at space shuttle Endeavour's new home in California, and it's breathtaking (photos)
June 30, 2026
LOS ANGELES — The space shuttle Endeavour is absolutely breathtaking in its 20-story new home at the California Science Center’s brand-new Air & Space Center, which is set to open on Nov. 13, the museum announced on Wednesday (June 24).
After over three decades of ideation, development and construction, the California Science Center has officially announced an opening date for its…
Hosting a solar eclipse viewing party? Get money off solar eclipse multipacks this Prime Day
June 30, 2026
With the next total solar eclipse coming up on Aug. 12, you still have plenty of time to grab solar viewing gear for getting a better look at it. If you are hosting a solar eclipse party or want to make sure everyone in your family has a chance of observing the sun safely…
Earth’s moon is due for a human-made impact this August courtesy of a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage.
The Falcon 9 upper stage is left over from the launch that sent Firefly’s Blue Ghost-1 lander to the moon on Jan. 15, 2025 by way of NASA’s Commercial…
'It's quite a bit more than we expected': Satellite reveals immense scale of GPS signal tampering
June 19, 2026
An experimental satellite has mapped the scale of GPS jamming across Europe and the Middle East from space for the first time.
The data surprised the team behind the project and indicated that satellites orbiting far from Earth aren’t the only ones that experience degradation of their positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) signals, which could affect their performance and the safety of…
