Space

China’s next robotic moon mission is scheduled to launch later this year, helping set the stage for the nation’s planned multi-phased lunar outpost. The Chang’e 7 mission is on tap to reconnoiter the moon’s south pole, making use of an orbiter, lander, rover and a water-seeking, well-instrumented lunar hopper. This upcoming moon trek will also help advance the International…

2026 is shaping up to be a spectacular year for lunar exploration, with a growing fleet of commercial missions set to attempt to land on Earth’s celestial neighbor. It will be a huge year for the moon overall. NASA plans to send humans back to the vicinity of the moon with the Artemis 2 mission no earlier than February, while China, in the second half of the year, aims to land at the lunar…

After the excitement of three visible comets in 2025, another may put on a show in late April 2026. However, although the comet, known as C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), could become bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, it could just as easily remain visible only through binoculars and telescopes. In the wake of Comets C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) and C/2025 R2 (SWAN) in October, Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) is due…

Binoculars are an amazing tool for stargazing, and they are especially useful for beginners, as they often don’t need as much astronomy knowledge as you would need for operating a telescope. They do require a steady hand, though, for detailed views, and this can be a problem for many stargazers using them. Normally, the only way to counteract this would be to use a binocular tripod or have the…