Space News
Manhattanhenge 2026 is coming this month: Here's when and where to see the sunset spectacle
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 15:00
Twice a year, the setting sun perfectly aligns with Manhattan's street grid, creating one of New York City's most spectacular skywatching events.
A Brief-ish History of SETI. Part V: The First Interstellar Messengers
Universe Today - 19 May 2026 01:20
During the 1970s, the first interstellar probes were launched, carrying messages specifically designed to be intelligible to extraterrestrial species. The messages were essentially a "message in a bottle" intende...
Video: Preparing Smile for space
Phys.org - 19 May 2026 01:20
Before Smile can begin studying how Earth responds to the streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the sun, the spacecraft had to complete an extraordinary journey here on Earth.
Scientists found stardust trapped in Antarctic ice. What could it tell us about our solar system?
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 23:00
"This dust can penetrate the shielding of the solar system and end up on Earth."
Iron and Ice: Earth's Passage Through the Interstellar Cloud
Universe Today - 18 May 2026 22:11
Our Solar System is currently passing through the Local Interstellar Cloud, a region of highly diluted gas and dust between the stars. On its path, Earth continuously accumulates iron-60, a rare radioactive isotope of ir...
European imaging companies step in to fill warzone gap
Space News - 18 May 2026 21:33
MILAN - As U.S. satellite imagery companies have pulled back from sharing visuals of Iran and the broader area around the Gulf conflict, European Earth-observation firms are moving to fill the vacuum.
Why bringing back 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' isn't the way
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 21:00
'The Mandalorian and Grogu' should not have been a theatrical release and it maybe shouldn't exist at all
'Voidverse' is a seriously weird space fantasy novel from 'The OA's' Damien Ober (interview)
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 21:00
'For the atmosphere and world of 'Voidverse' to work, I needed the characters and the prose to meld with the setting.'
Mars reveals first Zwan-Wolf effect deep in its atmosphere during a solar storm
Phys.org - 18 May 2026 20:20
In December 2023, scientists looking at Mars data stumbled across something completely unexpected-observations of an atmospheric effect never before seen in the Red Planet's atmosphere. Using instruments aboard NASA&...
Four NASA payloads to fly on Astrolabs first lunar rover
Space News - 18 May 2026 20:00
Astrolabs first lunar rover will carry four NASA payloads on a mission planned to launch later this year.
Asteroid 2022 OB5 Spins Too Fast For Current Prospectors Highlighting the Divide Between "Accessible" and "Exploitable"
Universe Today - 18 May 2026 19:38New research examines how misinformation threatens planetary defense and public trust
Phys.org - 18 May 2026 19:20
As misinformation spreads faster than ever across digital platforms, new research highlights growing risks to public understanding of planetary defense, an area of science that deals with the threat from asteroid and com...
NASAs MAVEN Makes 1st Discovery of Atmospheric Effect at Mars
NASA Breaking news - 18 May 2026 19:09
In December 2023, scientists looking at Mars data stumbled across something completely unexpected - observations of an atmospheric effect never before seen in the Red Planets atmosphere. Using instruments aboard NASAs MA...
Findings reconsider the existence of Europa's vapor plumes
Phys.org - 18 May 2026 19:00
Looking back at 14 years of Hubble telescope data for Jupiter's moon Europa has given Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists a better understanding of its tenuous atmosphere. The findings have cast doubt on p...
Watch Vega C rocket launch European-Chinese space weather satellite to orbit tonight
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 19:00
A Vega C rocket will launch the European-Chinese SMILE space weather mission to orbit tonight (May 18), and you can watch the action live.
Gazing Into the Past With TIME
Universe Today - 18 May 2026 18:54
How can astronomers observe ancient galaxies when they're so challenging to resolve? By looking at a whole bunch of them at once in a single spectral line and seeing how it changes over time. That's what a new in...
Is Earth's constant companion a stray asteroid or a chunk of the moon?
Phys.org - 18 May 2026 18:40
Earth has a group of cosmic stalkers. Known as "co-orbitals," these small bits of rock have a 1:1 mean motion resonance with Earth. Basically, they take the exact same amount of time to orbit the sun as we do. As...
Hubble reveals rare galaxy 100 million light-years away caught in transition
Phys.org - 18 May 2026 18:30
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals an enigmatic galaxy with a bright center and a face that hints at spiral structure, yet it holds no obvious spiral arms. Reddish-brown clumps and filaments of dust partially...
Bizarre Venus surface formations puzzle planetary scientists
Phys.org - 18 May 2026 18:20
Bizarre Venus surface formations (or coronae) are likely key to understanding our twin planet's heretofore inscrutable interior. Using NASA Magellan spacecraft data from decades past, Anna Gulcher, an Earth and plane...
Beacon of Light
NASA Breaking news - 18 May 2026 17:31
The heart of galaxy M77 shines brightly in this May 7, 2026, image from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope. The intense glow is due to gas being pulled by the strong gravity of the central black hole into a tight and rapid...
This amazing NASA video shows the exact moment the Artemis 2 Orion capsule broke free of its service module, and we can't stop watching it
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 17:00
A new NASA video shows the Artemis 2 Orion capsule's separation from its service module just before the spacecraft slammed into Earth's atmosphere on April 10, 2026.
SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch updates: 1st Starship V3 stacked ahead of May 21 liftoff
SPACE.com - 18 May 2026 16:56
SpaceX is targeting a Wednesday, May 20, launch for its newest Starship design, the Starship V3 megarocket.