SpaceX launches Falcon 9 Starlink mission for 1st time in more than 3 weeks (photo)
SpaceX launched 27 of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit today (Oct. 12), the first such mission for a Falcon 9 rocket since Sept. 19.
SpaceX launching 6,300 pounds of cargo to the ISS on Oct. 13: Watch it live
SpaceX will launch more than 3 tons of cargo toward the International Space Station on Tuesday morning (Oct. 13), and you can watch the action live.
Astronomers witness supermassive black hole gorge on a cosmic meal before 'burping' radio jets 300 days later
Using the NASA spacecraft Swift, astronomers observed a supermassive black hole burping radio jets 300 days after a heavy cosmic meal.
Primordial helium further confirms our understanding of the Big Bang
In the early moments of the big bang, two elements were forged: hydrogen and helium. Technically, the tiniest traces of light elements such as lithium were produced as well, but n…
NASA demonstrates next-generation heat shield technologies
NASA is taking an unusual approach to testing heat shields that can keep astronauts safe as they return from missions to the moon and Mars: taking out the trash.
The moon could turn astronauts into 'walking, high voltage capacitors' that accidentally zap spacecraft
NASA is asking for ideas to stop static electricity from zapping astronauts or critical hardware during moon missions.
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-35 Mission to Launch Health Research
NASA experiments focused on human and plant health and drug-resistant organisms will travel to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 35th Commercial Resupply Services mi…
Alternative gravity theory offers possible explanation for dark energy changing over time
For many years, the simplest view of dark energy has been that it remains unchanged. Throughout cosmic history, the mysterious ingredient believed to drive the universe's accelera…
The dying sun could tear the solar system apart sooner than thought
The fate of our solar system is written in the stars—well, one star to be precise: the sun. Estimates of what the end will look like once the sun sheds much of its mass and ultima…
Physics Nobel highlights Antarctica's role in exploring the cosmos
When Belgian American particle physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics "for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discove…
The 'Halloween Fireballs' are coming. Here's what to expect from the Taurids this year
The Southern and Northern Taurid meteor showers will produce occasional bright, slow-moving meteors worldwide during October and November, with moon-free peaks in 2026.
ALMA catches a dying star mid-transformation, with a ring from its last outburst
Astronomers have used radio observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to catch a dying star in the middle of a dramatic transformation, and the dat…
On this day in space! Oct. 12, 1964: The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1, the 1st multi-person cosmonaut crew, into space
On Oct. 12, 1964, the Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1, a 24-hour crewed mission that achieved several "firsts" for human spaceflight. Here's why it mattered.
The Preliminary Lunar Science Report for Artemis II is out
On April 1, 2026, the crew of the Artemis II mission launched into space atop NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). Roughly 3 1/2 hours after launch, the rocket's upper stage separate…
How the impossible geometry of 'Tomb Raider III''s UFO level was made
Bigger on the inside? Where have we heard that before?
Namibian salt flats look like an alien planet | Space photo of the day for Oct. 12, 2026
The Etosha Pan in northern Namibia, the largest salt flat in the country, looks otherworldly in this satellite photo.
What caused a mysterious atmospheric explosion in Siberia in 1908?
Fire erupted in the morning skies over Siberia on June 30, 1908, as an atmospheric explosion occurred that remains unmatched by any similar event in modern history.
UAE unveils lander for bold 7-asteroid mission set to launch in 2028 (photos)
In March 2028, the UAE is set to launch an ambitious mission to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that will culminate with a landing attempt on a mysteriously reddish spa…
APOD: 2026 October 12 – Jupiter and the Moons
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 12 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosm…
Antarctic Sea Ice Grows to Its 2026 Maximum
The ice reached its third-lowest maximum extent since satellite observations began.
On this day in space! Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7 launches into space, NASA's 1st Apollo astronaut crew in orbit
On. Oct. 11, 1968, Apollo 7 launched into space with NASA astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham. Here's why it mattered.
Alien: Isolation 2: This highly anticipated sequel has no release date yet, but here's everything else we know
More than a decade after the original, Sega and Creative Assembly are bringing back a true Alien survival horror experience.
Astrophotographer captures 110 galaxies, star clusters and nebulas in stunning 352-hour mosaic (photo)
Astrophotographer Cornelis van Zuilen spent 352-hours of light data to create a spectacular mosaic of the Messier Catalog.
APOD: 2026 October 11 – Ice Fishing for Cosmic Neutrinos
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 11 – Ice… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the …