No cities on the moon—there isn't enough water, scientists say
The discovery of water in dark craters at the moon's poles has sparked a "moon rush" to establish bases there, followed by villages, cities and heavy industry. How sustainable is …
An Early Look at Fall Color in Canada
Reds, yellows, and oranges are already sweeping across tundra landscapes in Nunavut.
JWST ruled out finding tiny moons around an exoplanet—that's great news
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened many wonders of the cosmos to scientists since it began science operations a few years ago. But one thing it hasn't done is find a…
SpaceX launches 3 telecom satellites to orbit on 700th Falcon mission of all time (video)
SpaceX lofted three of SES's O3b mPOWER communications satellites to orbit today (Sept. 13), on the 700th mission to date for the Falcon rocket family.
Astronomers unmask a supernova impostor
A distant star has captured astronomers' attention over the past decade, teasing them with indications that it will soon explode as a supernova. But new research shows that someth…
Masked tectonic structures suggest Mercury contracted 40% more than its visible scars alone indicate
The surface of Mercury is filled with craters, ridges and steep cliffs. Over billions of years, as the planet's interior cooled, the planet also shrank. Just as the skin of a dryi…
On this day in space! Sept. 13, 2007: Japan launches Kaguya spacecraft to the moon to map the lunar surface in HD
On Sept. 13, 2007, Japan launched the Kaguya spacecraft on a mission to the moon. Here's why it mattered.
The 10 best underground sci-fi movies to dig into now that 'Silo' season 3 has ended
We're going deeper underground; there's too much panic in this town.
Gravitational-wave analysis narrows the search for black hole impostors
Black holes are regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. When two black holes orbit each other and merge, they produce gravitation…
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir shares zero-G curly hair tips from the ISS (video)
In a great moment for curly-haired folks around the world, NASA astronaut Jessica Meir just shared some styling tips from the ISS.
Cataract surgery will be needed in space, surgeon predicts
An eye surgeon with a passion for space since childhood predicts that as astronauts start to make journeys to the moon and Mars in the near future, eye surgery in space will event…
NASA's next great observatory could spot oceans on distant worlds
We've found more than 5,500 exoplanets so far. Dozens of them are in the habitable zones of their parent stars, where, at least in theory, they could host an ocean. But we've neve…
James Webb Space Telescope discovers the rings of tiny solar system body Chariklo are changing
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered that the ring system of the tiny solar system body is even more interesting than they knew.
Researchers pinpoint key early-universe measurement with record precision
An international team, including researchers from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, has reached a major milestone in "precision cosmology" by measuring the amount of helium…
Don't miss Venus shine beside the crescent moon at sunset tonight
Venus will shine close to the waxing crescent moon at sunset on Sept. 13.
APOD: 2026 September 13 – Comet NEOWISE Rising over the Adriatic Sea
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 September 13 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the co…
Japan's Hayabusa2 achieves first-ever laser ranging experiment with an asteroid
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft reached another milestone this summer, a first for space agencies. On Sunday, July 5, the probe conducted the …
On this day in space! NASA astronaut Mae Jemison makes history as the 1st Black woman in space
On Sept. 12, 1992, NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to go to space. Here's why it mattered.
Trump is proposing a US Space Academy — if created, it could blur the lines between NASA and the military (op-ed)
As a space policy expert, I see several open questions and potential problems related to the vision of a U.S. Space Academy laid out by President Trump’s recent executive order.
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 227 — Trekmania
On Episode 227 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik are joined by Michael Okuda, who with wife and others have been central to the look, feel, and substance of the Star…
The best 'Star Trek' spaceships: 14 classic vessels from the Federation and beyond
If you're going to boldly go where no one has gone before, you may as well do it in a kick-ass spaceship.
Why are the stars around our galaxy's black hole missing their companions?
A new study suggests that the young stars orbiting the Milky Way's central black hole may have a surprisingly ordinary origin. But the black hole's influence may be what makes the…
Rubin observatory peers deep into the famous COSMOS field
The COSMOS field, or Cosmic Evolution Survey Deep Field, is one of the most famous patches of the universe observed by astronomers. Located in the constellation Sextans, this regi…
Perseid meteors meet mesmerizing star trails over Egypt's Western Desert
Osama Fathi captured this breathtaking view of Perseids cutting through star trails from Egypt's Western Desert on Aug. 13-14.