Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere were in for a rare treat as two planets formed a recent conjunction in the night sky. Mars (seen in the upper track) and Venus (lower track) appear to “cross” the open star cluster Messier 44 — better known as Praesepe or the Beehive Cluster— creating two bright, dotted paths against a dense swarm of starlight in this composite time-lapse…
Is dark matter made of mysterious 'ghost particles?' Galaxy clusters could hold the answer
January 12, 2026
If dark matter particles decay, then scientists could hunt for signs of this process, including X-ray or gamma-ray radiation or even emitted “ghost particle” neutrinos, in vast clusters of galaxies.
Not only could this finally reveal what particles comprise…
Comet 24P/Schaumasse makes its closest approach to the sun today: But will you be able to see it?
January 9, 2026
Heads up! The solar system comet 24P/Schaumasse will make its closest approach to the sun in its current orbit on Jan. 8 during an event known to astronomers as perihelion. Here’s what to expect from the icy wanderer as it reaches peak visibility over the coming…
Space telescopes capture breathtaking galactic hug | Space photo of the day for Jan. 8, 2026
January 9, 2026
Recently, two NASA space telescopes, the James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory, captured images of two galaxies beginning to collide. NASA released a composite image showing both the visible and X-ray spectra of the collision. The smaller galaxy, IC 2163, is at the upper left, while NGC 2207 dominates the center and lower right. Their long, silvery-blue spiral arms are peppered…
'Super star' being shredded by black hole releases as much energy as 400 billion suns
January 9, 2026
Astronomers have witnessed a cosmic explosion that emitted as much energy as 400 billion suns. The event, which has been nicknamed “the Whippet,” is a staggeringly powerful example of a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) and is the result of a super-sized star being…
I thought I knew the night sky, but what I saw from the Canary Islands left me speechless
January 8, 2026
I should probably start with a confession for someone who writes about the night sky almost every day: until recently, I had never actually seen the Milky Way properly. Not as a bright, structured band stretching across the sky. Not in a way that made me stop and stare.
I…
NASA Perseverance rover sees megaripples on Mars | Space photo of the day for Jan. 7, 2026.
January 8, 2026
In a mission update late last month, Perseverance team members described the rover’s most detailed look yet at a class of features called aeolian megaripples, oversized ripples of sand that can rise to around 6.5 feet (about 2 meters) tall. Unlike smaller ripples that may shift readily, megaripples on Mars are often treated as “mostly inactive,” preserving clues about older wind…
Winning the Red Planet race: Returning Mars samples before China should be a top US priority, experts say
January 8, 2026
Moon boots and Mars boots: anyway you look at it there are a lot of NASA shoes still to drop.
Among the agency’s missions in perpetual déjà vu status is Mars Sample Return (MSR), an attempt to bring samples of the Red Planet back to Earth, an endeavor viewed as a…
This Canadian crater looks like marbled meat | Space photo of the day for Jan. 6, 2026
January 7, 2026
From orbit, Earth often looks more like art than geography. Satellites such as the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel missions are designed to turn that beauty into information. Rather than taking only “normal” photographs, the Sentinel-2 satellites…
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS isn't an alien spacecraft, astronomers confirm. 'In the end, there were no surprises.'
January 7, 2026
Space fans hoping that the intruder from beyond the solar system known as Comet 3I/ATLAS is actually an alien spacecraft may be disappointed by new research that could close the book on this speculation once and for all.
Astronomers used the Green Bank Telescope, employed in the Breakthrough Listen extraterrestrial signal-hunting astronomy project, to search 3I/ATLAS for measurable signs of…
