Astronomy, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 1, 2024

Elon Musk's SpaceX could launch a private moon lander within weeks

A private lunar lander has taken another step toward its historic moonshot. The robotic Nova-C spacecraft was encapsulated inside the payload fairing of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket today (Jan. 31) to prep for liftoff, which is right around the corner. As our combined teams closed the two fairing halves,...

Feb 2, 2024

Japan's SLIM moon lander may be dead for good as freezing lunar night sets in

Japan's historic SLIM moon lander has powered down ahead of a likely mission-ending cold lunar nighttime — but not before grabbing some final images and loads of science data. SLIM, short for Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, nailed its precision touchdown on the rim of Shioli crater on Jan. 19,...

Feb 18, 2024

China eyes May 2024 launch for 1st-ever lunar sample-return mission to far side of the moon

Engineers working on China's Chang'e-6 mission have foregone family reunions over the Lunar New Year to help get the spacecraft ready for launch. The components of the complex Chang'e-6 moon sample return mission arrived at Wenchang spaceport on Hainan island in early January. There, a team of engineers and researchers,...

Feb 21, 2024

Intuitive Machines moon lander beams home stunning photos of Earth from space

A pioneering moon lander has beamed home its first photos from the final frontier. Intuitive Machines' robotic Odysseus spacecraft snapped a few selfies with Earth in the background shortly after its Feb. 15 launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket — and we can all check them out. Intuitive Machines...

Feb 23, 2024

February's full 'Snow Moon' rises this weekend. Here's why it's one-of-a-kind.

February's full moon, the second of 2024, will rise in a blaze of color and light this weekend — but don't expect a giant orb in the twilight sky. Thanks to orbital mechanics, the Snow Moon will be the smallest of the year as it rises during dusk on Saturday...

Feb 26, 2024

SLIM lives! Japan's moon lander revives after freezing lunar night, defying expectations

Japan's SLIM moon lander has seemingly defied death — for a second time. After being powered down on Jan. 31 for what was assumed to be a mission-ending, two-week-long sleep in the freezing lunar night, the lander unexpectedly woke up and responded to a command sent by the Japan Aerospace...

Mar 1, 2024

'Everything has changed since Apollo': Why landing on the moon is still incredibly difficult in 2024

On Thursday (Feb. 22), a phone booth-sized spacecraft named Odysseus made history. Landing at the moon’s south pole at 6:23 p.m. ET, Odysseus — built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines — became the first U.S. lander to touch down on the moon in more than 50 years, and the...

Mar 12, 2024

Spring equinox 2024: Why March 19 is one of the best stargazing nights of the year

The 2024 spring equinox is almost here. The night of Tuesday, March 19 marks astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere and astronomical autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a global moment. The word equinox is Latin for equal night, one of two days per year when the lengths of daylight...

Feb 14, 2024

NASA releases otherworldly footage of solar eclipse on Mars

Fear passed in front of the sun last week, and a NASA rover saw it fly. The Mars moon Phobos, whose name means Fear in ancient Greek, was caught on camera by the NASA Perseverance rover on Feb. 8. The potato-shaped moon was visible in front of the sun from...

Feb 21, 2024

Conjunction! How to see Venus and Mars side by side in the sky tonight

This Thursday (Feb. 22), Venus and Mars will appear side by side in the predawn sky, and if you rise early, you can spot this planetary dance with the naked eye or a pair of binoculars. During the seemingly close encounter, called a planetary conjunction, Venus and Mars will come...

Feb 24, 2024

James Webb telescope spots potential conditions for life on 2 dwarf planets beyond Neptune

A pair of dwarf planets lurking in the outer reaches of the solar system could still be geologically active, increasing the chances that they could support alien life, a new study suggests. The findings could also change what we know about dwarf planets in general. There are five confirmed dwarf...

Feb 27, 2024

3 new moons discovered around Uranus and Neptune will be named after Shakespeare characters and Greek goddesses

The solar system just got three new official residents — a trio of tiny moons, one of which orbits Uranus and two more that circle Neptune. The three moons were all spotted several years ago but were recently confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) Minor Planet Center — the...

Feb 28, 2024

Mars-bound astronauts will face incredible stress. Here's how we can prepare them to make history.

Within the next few decades, NASA aims to land humans on the Moon, set up a lunar colony and use the lessons learned to send people to Mars as part of its Artemis program. While researchers know that space travel can stress space crew members both physically and mentally and...

Feb 28, 2024

Astronomers narrow down where 'Planet Nine' could be hiding by playing massive game of 'connect the dots'

Scientists have narrowed down the likely hiding place of the elusive Planet Nine, after ruling out more than three-quarters of the hypothetical world's suspected orbital pathway. In a new study, the researchers — who have been looking for the planet for almost a decade — said they believe they could...

Mar 10, 2024

Space photo of the week: Can you spot the hidden robot on the slopes of Mars?

What it is: NASA's Curiosity Mars rover When it was published: Feb. 29, 2024 Where it is: Upper Gediz Vallis, in Mars' Gale Crater Why it's so special: Can you spot the hidden robot on Mars? In this photo, NASA's Curiosity rover, which has been exploring the surface of Mars...