Why do we care so much that Pluto isn't a planet?
Twenty years after Pluto became a dwarf planet, people are still fighting over its status. Experts explain why the debate feels so personal.
Is the Perseid meteor shower going to get even more spectacular? Jupiter could send more 'shooting stars' towards Earth in 2028
Jupiter's gravity could trigger an outburst of Perseid meteors as the 2028 shower hits its peak.
At 25% off, this beginner-friendly Celestron telescope will bring the lunar eclipse closer
Want great views of this week's partial lunar eclipse or a closer look at Saturn as it reaches opposition in October? This Celestron PowerSeeker 80EQ, nearly 50% off at Walmart, i…
LST-1 and MAGIC telescopes shatter distance record for the very high-energy blazar OP 313
On Aug. 15, the CTAO LST Collaboration and the MAGIC Collaboration released findings from observations of OP 313, the most distant very-high-energy blazar ever recorded. The paper…
On this day in space! Aug. 24, 2006: Pluto loses its planet status
On Aug. 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto wasn't a planet anymore.
Satellite sees Greenland's most significant floating ice loss in over a decade | Space photo of the day for Aug. 24, 2026
A fractured "ice tongue" is visible in the imagery.
A 4-star system caught eclipsing itself in a way never seen before
Astronomers have found a four-star system doing something that has never been confirmed before. The system, TIC 433545934, has two close pairs of stars orbiting each other. While …
Nancy Grace Roman Telescope live updates: NASA readies Roman for launch
Follow NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to begin its mission to explore the universe.
Nancy Grace Roman Telescope live updates: NASA readies Roman for launch
Follow NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to begin its mission to explore the universe.
The earliest galaxy 'swallowed' by the cannibal Milky Way left a scar at its heart
The earliest example of the Milky Way cannibalising a smaller galaxy for its growth involved a cosmic meal that left a scar at the heart of our galaxy.
What to expect from each stage of the partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28
Here's what to expect during the 5 key stages of the "almost Blood Moon" 96% partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28.
It's been 20 years since Pluto lost planet status. Will it ever get its title back?
The reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet continues to stir up a hornet's nest of controversy and debate, as Space.com meets one astronomer who believes the decision to have…
China says unmanned moon mission delayed over 'launch conditions'
China's manned space agency said Sunday it is delaying a research moon mission that is part of Beijing's efforts to land a crew there by 2030, less than two weeks after a rare lau…
APOD: 2026 August 24 – Comet 220P in Outburst
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 24 – Comet… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the…
What Lake Bonneville Left Behind
The drying of the massive lake exposed playas that became the setting for feats of engineering and technological ingenuity, as well as epic tales of exploration and desperation.
New 'Star Trek' documentary featuring William Shatner hits theaters this fall, celebrating 60 years of Trek
"This film is a love letter to 'Star Trek'"
JWST peeks at Callisto's ancient scars
Of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, Callisto is the one that gets the least attention. Io is constantly being resurfaced by volcanoes. Europa has a giant liquid water ocean. And Gan…
China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission launch
China said on Sunday it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon.
On this day in space! Aug. 23, 1961: Ranger 1's botched space launch
On Aug. 23, 1961, NASA launched the Ranger 1 robotic spacecraft on a precursor mission to test new technologies for later moon missions.
How a huge fleet of 17 spacecraft discovered something surprising about solar eruptions
Taking measurements of the same CME from different vantage points in the solar system revealed the true extent of a solar eruption.
Bad weather delays launch of China's historic Chang'e 7 mission to moon's south pole
China has delayed its ambitious ice-hunting Chang'e 7 mission to the moon's south pole due to a brewing storm near the launch site. A new target date has not been announced.
Launching 10,000 tiny 'femtosats' to Saturn? NASA funds 18 futuristic spaceflight ideas
NASA has chosen 18 technology proposals for its Innovative Advanced Concepts awards to help turn some out-of-the-box ideas into out-of-this-world research.
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4982–4987: Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
By Allison Dries-Padilla, Missions Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 This week of Curiosity Mars rover operations tak…
Mars Curiosity rover discovers massive field of polygons
The surface of Mars is home to some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring landscapes in the solar system. This is primarily because the Red Planet lacks several resurfacing p…