“What’s that bright light in the sky?” a friend messaged me the other evening. “Venus,” I replied, without thinking about it. There was a pause, then: “How can you tell? And why is it suddenly so bright?”
People always notice Venus by accident. When it’s low on the horizon after dark, but just high enough and bright enough, it suddenly becomes obvious. It’s why Venus has a…
That bright light after sunset? Venus is starting a summer show that's impossible to miss
May 15, 2026
“What’s that bright light in the sky?” a friend messaged me the other evening. “Venus,” I replied, without thinking about it. There was a pause, then: “How can you tell? And why is it suddenly so bright?”
People always notice Venus by accident. When it’s low…
We just learned a little more about NASA’s next Artemis mission.
The agency dropped a few details on Wednesday (May 13) about Artemis 3, a crewed mission that will test rendezvous and docking operations with one or more lunar landers close to home.
“While this is a…
Scientists propose new way to find aliens — and we may already have a spacecraft that can help
May 15, 2026
Researchers may have just revealed a new way of looking for alien life — it’s based on the idea that it isn’t just the type of biosignatures that are important, but also how they are organized.
“Our approach could help make the search for life more efficient. If a molecular assemblage shows no life-like organization, that may make it a lower priority target,” Fabian Klenner of the…
30-mile-high clouds of acid on Venus are made by the largest 'hydraulic jump' in the solar system
May 14, 2026
A monstrous bank of cloud 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) long that sweeps around Venus every few days is being generated by rising sulfuric acid vapor pushed high into the atmosphere by what is essentially the same phenomenon that describes how water from a running tap…
The world’s first space-based neutrino detector launched to space last week to study elusive neutrino particles that constantly bombard Earth. The mission will test technology that could help researchers in the future to unravel hidden processes taking place deep inside…
President Trump’s Golden Dome may end up being quite a bit more expensive than originally thought.
A new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates it will cost about $1.2 trillion to deploy the Golden Dome missile defense system and operate it for 20 years.
That’s more than double the CBO estimate from last year, which was $542 billion, and about seven times higher…
Star Catcher just raised $65 million to build the world's first power grid in space — with lasers
May 13, 2026
Star Catcher Industries now has a big war chest to help bankroll its big dream — building a power grid in space.
The Florida-based space company announced today (May 12) that it has raised $65 million in an oversubscribed “Series A” funding round, bringing its total…
Thousands of deaths per year caused by invisible wildfire pollutant, satellite data shows
May 13, 2026
When you think of air pollution from wildfires, you probably picture the thick plumes of smoke and ash that waft into the atmosphere during a blaze. And if you’ve lived in an area that’s been enveloped by these emissions, you know to stay inside or wear a mask when the…
SpaceX fuels up Starship V3 megarocket for 1st time ahead of crucial test flight (photos)
May 13, 2026
SpaceX has fueled up the new variant of its Starship megarocket for the first time ever, preparing for a crucial test flight that could launch in less than a week.
The company assembled a Starship Version 3 (V3) vehicle for the first time over the weekend, stacking a Ship upper stage atop a Super Heavy first-stage booster at its Starbase site in South Texas. That set a new record for the world’s…
