Astronomy, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 21, 2024

What is a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipses are perhaps the most dazzling celestial phenomena that you can see clearly from Earth. A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned in the same plane, and the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely...

Feb 22, 2024

Are solar flares responsible for the AT&T service outage? Not likely, experts say.

A mysterious widespread cellphone outage has coincided with the eruption of two powerful X-class solar flares from a dangerous sunspot. Yet scientists warn that the two events are probably unconnected. The two intense flares burst from the sunspot AR3590 Wednesday (Feb. 21) at 6:07 p.m. ET (23:07 GMT) and Thursday...

Feb 23, 2024

3rd X-class solar flare in 24 hours is the most powerful for 6 years — and it may not be the last

They say all good things come in threes, but what about supercharged solar flares? A massive, hyperactive sunspot has just unleashed its third X-class solar flare — the most powerful type of solar explosion — in less than 24 hours. The latest flare, which is the largest of the current...

Aug 26, 2022

Ready for Artemis I's moon rocket rollout? Here's how to watch.

NASA is rolling its Artemis spacecraft and rocket to the launch pad for a final round of critical tests before blasting off for the moon, and you can watch the rollout happen live Thursday (March 17) at 5 p.m. EDT. Tune in here on Live Science, or on NASA TV,...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA's 2nd attempt to fuel giant Artemis 1 moon rocket hits snag

NASA's second attempt to fuel its Artemis 1 moon mission megarocket hit another snag on Monday (April 4) due to a stuck valve on ground equipment. A jammed vent valve high up on the mobile launcher structure supporting the Artemis 1's Space Launch System rocket at Launch Pad 39B of...

Aug 26, 2022

Stacked 'Mega Moon rocket' is ready to roll, NASA says

NASA's upcoming lunar mission Artemis I is about to roll a little closer to getting an official launch date. The stacked spacecraft and rocket have been cleared to trundle out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday (March 17) for prelaunch tests, NASA...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA's Artemis moon rocket just rode a 'supertank' to the launch pad

Inch by inch, NASA's Artemis I spacecraft and rocket have finally chugged all the way to the launch pad, reaching their destination in the predawn hours of Friday (March 18). They arrived at 4:15 a.m. EDT, 10 hours and 28 minutes after the rollout began on Thursday (March 17) at...

Aug 26, 2022

Artemis Accords: Why many countries are refusing to sign moon exploration agreement

Eight countries have signed the Artemis Accords, a set of guidelines surrounding the Artemis Program for crewed exploration of the moon. The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates and the US are now all participants in the project, which aims to return humans to the...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA is counting down to the 'wet dress rehearsal' for its 'Mega Moon Rocket'

What the heck is a wet dress rehearsal and what does it have to do with flying to space? If you've never heard that term before, NASA is about to enlighten you, as it undertakes a so-called wet dress rehearsal (WDR) with a rocket bound for the moon. During a...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA to land 1st person of color on the moon with Artemis program

NASA will land the first person of color in addition to the first woman on the moon with the Artemis program, NASA's Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk revealed today (April 9). Today, President Joe Biden's administration submitted a budget proposal outlining its priorities for discretionary spending for the fiscal year 2022...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA prepares 'moonikin' for spaceflight aboard 1st Artemis mission

NASA has released an amusing photo of a spacesuit-donned test dummy being put through its paces in a launch simulator at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The dummy, which NASA affectionately dubbed moonikin, will be the first passenger aboard the new Orion spacecraft during the first uncrewed Artemis I...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA's new moon rocket spotted from space rolling to the launch pad (photos)

NASA's moonbound rocket rolled to the launch pad, and satellites orbiting Earth captured the milestone from space. Excitement is running high NASA rolled its Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, topped by an Orion spacecraft, out to the launch pad at the agency's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Thursday...

Aug 26, 2022

NASA suddenly aborts moon rocket test launch with 29 seconds on the clock

NASA abruptly aborted a rehearsal launch for its massive Mega Moon rocket, which will one day return humans to the moon's surface, 20 seconds ahead of schedule on Monday (June 21), with just 29 seconds left on the countdown clock. Agency officials cited a liquid hydrogen leak within the rocket...

Aug 31, 2022

Why does the moon turn red during a total lunar eclipse?

When a lunar eclipse occurs and our lone satellite inches into Earth's shadow, the moon's face becomes painted red. Though this red hue is most striking during a total lunar eclipse, the moon gets cast in a scarlet light even during partial lunar eclipses. So why does our moon turn...

Sep 9, 2022

September's big, beautiful 'Harvest Moon' will appear full starting tonight (Sept. 9)

Autumn is on the way, and it's time to reap the beauty of September's full moon — popularly called the Harvest Moon. The next full moon peaks on Saturday, Sept. 10 at approximately 6 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. UTC), although it will appear bright and full in the sky beginning...