https://skyandtelescope.com

---

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 19 – 28 -

Springtime Leo walks high in the south, springtime Hydra snakes a quarter of the way around the celestial sphere, and the bright Moon aligns with Spica.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 19 – 28 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

See Amazing Views of the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse from Space -

Millions of viewers were wowed by last week’s total solar eclipse. Now, we get to see the eclipse from another angle: space.

The post See Amazing Views of the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse from Space appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

Amateur Astronomers Caught Sungrazing Comet during Solar Eclipse -

Wide-field photos of the total solar eclipse taken by several astronomers along the path of totality, caught a comet approaching the Sun.

The post Amateur Astronomers Caught Sungrazing Comet during Solar Eclipse appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

Jupiter Meets Uranus in Twilight; Supernova Erupts in Nearby Spiral Galaxy -

Jupiter aligns with distant Uranus before it exits the evening sky as a bright supernova flares in the southern galaxy NGC 3621.

The post Jupiter Meets Uranus in Twilight; Supernova Erupts in Nearby Spiral Galaxy appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

NASA Struggles to Find Way Forward for Mars Sample Return -

NASA's Perseverance mission has been collecting samples for later retrieval and return to Earth. Now, it's unclear how we'll get those samples home.

The post NASA Struggles to Find Way Forward for Mars Sample Return appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

See What Happens When Stars Collide -

A star in the constellation Norma appears to have been created when two stars merged.

The post See What Happens When Stars Collide appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 12 – 21 -

Jupiter is easy to spot, shining low in the west at nightfall. Near it are Uranus and Comet Pons-Brooks, tougher catches that require binoculars or a wide-field telescope — and some finding skills.

The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 12 – 21 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

The Planet K2-18b May Not Be Habitable After All -

New research suggests Exoplanet K2-18b may actually be a gas-rich planet with no habitable surface instead of a habitable water world.

The post The Planet K2-18b May Not Be Habitable After All appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

Plan Now for the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse in Europe -

On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, with plenty of inspiring itineraries.

The post Plan Now for the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse in Europe appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

The Totality Experience: S&T’s Eclipse Stories -

With Sky & Telescope’s editors and writers scattered across the eclipse path, we have dozens of stories to share. Here are a few.

The post The Totality Experience: S&T’s Eclipse Stories appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

---

https://spaceflightnow.com

---

SpaceX completes 40th Falcon 9 launch of the year with Starlink mission - The mission comes a day after launching 23 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-52 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 happened at 6:40 p.m. EDT (2240 UTC).

---

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center - With this launch, SpaceX is now one flight shy of tying the total number of Space Shuttle missions from this historic launch pad. This was the 81st flight of a Falcon rocket compared to the 82 total shuttle flights. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-51 mission happened at 5:26 p.m. EDT (2126 UTC).

---

Boeing, ULA roll Starliner spacecraft out to pad 41 ahead of Crew Flight Test launch in May - The rollout operation on Tuesday followed a day of evaluations using Boeing’s weight and center-of-gravity machine to determine the final measurements on the spacecraft. Launch is still targeting May 6 at 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UTC).

---

NASA requests proposals to reduce cost, timeline of Mars Sample Return mission - NASA Administrator Bill Nelson described the projection of an $11 billion mission price tag that wouldn’t see the samples returned until 2040 as “unacceptable.”

---

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 booster on record-breaking 20th flight - SpaceX shattered multiple records Friday night as it launches 23 satellites for the company's Starlink internet service from Cape Canaveral. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:40 p.m. EDT (0140 UTC).

---

News from the Press Site: Delta 4 Heavy finale, Starliner preparations and ExoMars gets new contract - Joining the live video podcast on Friday, April 12, are Elizabeth Howell, staff writer for Space.com, and Bill Harwood, space consultant for CBS News. The show begins at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 UTC) on the Spaceflight Now YouTube channel.

---

SpaceX launches Space Force weather satellite designed to take over for a program with roots to the 1960s - The USSF-62 mission will feature the first National Security Space Launch mission using flight-proven payload fairings. Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 UTC).

---

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral - The mission came less than a day after SpaceX announced Albania as the latest country to gain access to the service. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 1:40 a.m. EDT (0540 UTC).

---

ULA concludes six decades of Delta rocket flights with final Delta 4 Heavy mission - The issue with a gaseous nitrogen pipeline that caused the late March launch scrub was able to be resolved, according to NASA and its contractor, Air Liquide. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 37 occurred at 12:53 p.m. EDT (1653 UTC).

---

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on 1st ‘Bandwagon’ mission - The Bandwagon-1 mission features 11 satellites, which headed up a 45-degree, mid-inclination orbit. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A happened at 7:16 p.m. EDT (2316 UTC).

---

https://www.space.com

---

NASA's Juno probe captures amazing views of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io (video) - NASA's Juno probe continues to give us more insight into Jupiter and the giant planet's moons, including Io, the most volcanically active object in the solar system.

---

NASA's Artemis 3 astronauts will put a moonquake detector on lunar surface - NASA is building a moonquake detector for its upcoming Artemis 3 mission, in hopes of learning more about lunar tremors and the internal structure of the moon.

---

Ingenuity's travels: New NASA video tracks Mars helicopter's 72 flights - NASA's history-making Ingenuity helicopter covered a lot of ground on Mars over the past three years, as a new video shows.

---

Private space-junk probe to conduct up-close inspection of spent rocket stage - The mission aims to assist the later removal of spunk junk, an issue that threatens the sustainable use of orbital space above the Earth.

---

Watch 'Devil Comet' approach the sun during explosive coronal mass ejection (video) - This NASA space-based observatory video shows 'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks passing past bright Jupiter while the sun explodes in the distance.

---

Japanese satellite will beam solar power to Earth in 2025 - Japan will test solar power transmission from space in 2025 with a miniature space-based photoelectric plant that will wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth.

---

China's experimental moon satellites beam back lunar imagery (video, photo) - A pair of small experimental satellites have begun tests related to future lunar communication and navigation services for China's moon ambitions.

---

Are we prepared for Chinese preeminence on the moon and Mars? (op-ed) - The U.S. could lose its decades-old leadership in space exploration and technology to China.

---

'Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver' is a knockout punch of pure sci-fi cinema (review) - A review of Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver."

---

'Astrobiodefense:' Thinktank calls for defending Earth from space bugs - The quest to bring samples back to Earth from Mars has been met with controversy in some quarters as the threat that ecologically-hungry Martian microbes might pose to our biosphere continues to be a topic of concern.

---

https://www.nasa.gov

---

Work Underway on Large Cargo Landers for NASA’s Artemis Moon Missions - Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency and its partners will send large pieces of equipment to the lunar surface to enable long-term scientific exploration of the Moon for the benefit of all. NASA’s human landing system providers, SpaceX and Blue Origin, are beginning development of lunar landers for large cargo deliveries to support these needs. […]

---

Slovenia Signs Artemis Accords, Joins Pursuit of Safer Space - NASA and Slovenia affirmed their cooperation in future space endeavors on Friday as Slovenia became the 39th country to sign the Artemis Accords. The signing certified Slovenia’s commitment to pursue safe and sustainable exploration of space for the benefit of humanity and took place during a U.S.-Slovenia strategic dialogue in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the Ministry […]

---

NASA Data Helps Beavers Build Back Streams - Humans aren’t the only mammals working to mitigate the effects of climate change in the Western United States. People there are also enlisting the aid of nature’s most prolific engineers – beavers. Using NASA-provided grants, two open-source programs from Boise State University in Idaho and Utah State University in Logan are making it possible for […]

---

Looking Beyond the Veil - In this image released on March 9, 2024, the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope gives us a more detailed view of a well-studied but still mysterious region, NGC 604. The most noticeable features are tendrils and clumps of emission that appear bright red, extending out from areas that look like clearings, […]

---

NASA, FAA Partner to Develop New Wildland Fire Technologies  - NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have established a research transition team to guide the development of wildland fire technology.  Wildland fires are occurring more frequently and at a larger scale than in past decades, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Emergency responders will need a broader set of technologies to prevent, monitor, and […]

---

Join NASA in Celebrating Earth Day 2024 by Sharing a #GlobalSelfie - NASA invites you — and everyone else on the planet — to take part in a worldwide celebration of Earth Day with the agency’s #GlobalSelfie event. While NASA satellites constantly look at Earth from space, on Earth Day we’re asking you to step outside and take a picture of yourself in your corner of the […]

---

NASA Selects New Aircraft-Driven Studies of Earth and Climate Change - NASA has selected six new airborne missions that include domestic and international studies of fire-induced clouds, Arctic coastal change, air quality, landslide hazards, shrinking glaciers, and emissions from agricultural lands. NASA’s suite of airborne missions complement what scientists can see from orbit, measure from the ground, and simulate in computer models.   Funded through the […]

---

Hubble Captures a Bright Galactic and Stellar Duo - This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features NGC 3783, a bright barred spiral galaxy about 130 million light-years from Earth that also lends its name to the eponymous NGC 3783 galaxy group. Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are aggregates of gravitationally bound galaxies. Galaxy groups, however, are less massive and contain fewer members than galaxy clusters […]

---

Students Celebrate Rockets, Environment at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, sustainability and preservation efforts here on Earth are as much of a priority as rocket launches, spacecraft, and the exploration of worlds beyond our own. In celebration of Earth Day 2024, nearly 100 students from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, and a virtual audience of students across the […]

---

AI for Earth: How NASA’s Artificial Intelligence and Open Science Efforts Combat Climate Change - As extreme weather events increase around the world due to climate change, the need for further research into our warming planet has increased as well. For NASA, climate research involves not only conducting studies of these events, but also empowering outside researchers to do the same. The artificial intelligence (AI) efforts spearheaded by the agency […]

---

https://astronomynow.com

---

Total Solar eclipse - Forecasters predict that a solar eclipse passing over North America on Monday will offer a partial viewing from select areas of the UK.

---

Line up Markarian’s Chain - Markarian’s Chain is a string of bright Virgo Cluster galaxies straddling the Virgo/Coma border. 

---

Chasing lunar shadows -  There’s so much that the Moon offers to an observer armed with just modest instrumentation and the unaided eye. Here’s some of the Moon’s best sights on an exciting observing journey as the Moon waxes from new to full phase.

---

Focus on Messier 106   - Spiral galaxy Messier 106 in Canes Venatici faces stiff competition there but remains one of the northern sky’s best . 

---

Inspect impressive Mare Imbrium    - In and around the vast Imbrium Basin is a very fertile area for lunar observers. For our Imbrium expedition let’s zero in on its magnificent mountain ranges and great selection of impact craters. 

---

M95 & M96: A close galaxy pairing in Leo  - Spiral galaxies Messier 95 and 96 are Leo’s second great Messier duo, after Messier 65 and 66. 

---

Explore Puppis’ Messier cluster trio  - Puppis is rich in open clusters, including the Messier trio of M46, M47 and M93.

---

Commercial lunar lander returns America to the Moon - A lander built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines touched down near the Moon's South Pole on Thursday. It was the first lunar landing by a US spacecraft in more than 50 years and the first commercially-operated vehicle to successfully reach the surface.

---

Celestron RASA 8 astrograph: fast imaging with the RASA 8 - Olly Penrice has spent over a year imaging with a Celestron Rowe–Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) and finds that, with some fiddling required, it excels at capturing high-quality data of deep-sky objects.

---

Moon close to the Pleiades - It’s always a prime observing event when the Moon pays a visit to the magnificent Pleiades open cluster (M45). 

---

https://www.marsdaily.com

---

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter transitions to stationary role on Red Planet - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 17, 2024
The final transmission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory marked the end of active operations for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter but the beginning of its new role as a stationary data collector. On April 16, engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory bid farewell to active missions of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a pioneering aircraft on Mars. Although the formal mission concluded on

---

NASA gears up for another Mars simulation mission - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 16, 2024
In an effort to further humanity's journey to Mars, NASA has carefully selected a diverse group of four volunteers to undergo an intensive 45-day simulated mission to the Red Planet. This simulation will take place at the Johnson Space Center's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), a facility meticulously designed to mimic the conditions of space travel and planetary exploration. Parti

---

Comet Geyser: Perseverance's 24th Rock Core - Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 17, 2024
After investigating the high-standing bedrock at the Bunsen Peak workspace deep within the Margin Unit, the unique nature and composition of this rock was deemed worthy for collection of Perseverance's 24th rock core sample, Comet Geyser! Bunsen Peak is named after a prominent peak in Yellowstone National, Park, Wyoming, USA, and the namesake for Comet Geyser is the silica-sintered cone ge

---

NASA Mars helicopter sends last message to Earth - Washington (AFP) April 17, 2024
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has transmitted its final message to Earth and will now serve as an immobile data-gathering unit on the red planet's surface, the space agency said on Tuesday. The tissue box-sized aircraft made history by achieving the first powered flight on another planet after hitching a ride under the belly of the Perseverance rover, which first lifted off the surface o

---

NASA Aims for Cost-Effective Mars Sample Return by 2030s - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 16, 2024
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced new strategies for the Mars Sample Return program, highlighting the agency's initiative to incorporate innovative designs to ensure the successful return of Martian samples to Earth. These samples are expected to deepen our understanding of the solar system's formation and evolution, provide insights for future human missions, and assist in the search for

---

Exomars 2028 and the Search for Life on Mars - Paris, France (SPX) Apr 10, 2024
Thales Alenia Space has finalized a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), valued at euro 522m, to progress the ExoMars 2028 mission. The contract encompasses the Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Module (EDLM) development and sustaining activities for vehicles from the 2022 mission. Scheduled for an October to December 2028 launch at Kennedy Space Center, the mission aims to uncove

---

NASA's Artemis Program to enhance Lunar mobility with industry partners - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 04, 2024
In a significant move to enhance lunar exploration, NASA has enlisted Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab to develop a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) aimed at expanding the Artemis astronauts' mobility on the Moon. These vehicles are crucial for conducting extensive scientific research and laying groundwork for future manned missions to Mars as part of the agency's Artemis initi

---

Looking back at Hinman Col: Sols 4146-4147 - Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 04, 2024
Earth planning day: Wednesday, April 3, 2024: Today we planned a Touch and Go plan. Our workspace had abundant large, stable blocks - not always a given! - which made for a relatively easy planning process for the geology and mineralogy theme group (GEO). The bedrock here is predominantly a pale coloured rock, massive (non-lineated) in appearance, but there are rare fragments of darker lay

---

Perseverance uncovers a watery past on Mars - Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 04, 2024
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover's recent analysis has revealed that its latest rock core sample, collected on March 11, experienced prolonged water exposure in Mars' distant past, possibly as part of an ancient Martian shoreline. This discovery was made possible by the rover's 24th sample, which includes various rock cores, regolith, and a sample of the Martian atmosphere. Ken Farley, the p

---

Continuing up the Channel: Sols 4139-4140 - Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 02, 2024
Earth planning date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024: As someone who studies planetary atmospheres, the geology of Curiosity's mission often flies straight over my head. I like to think that I've picked up some of the basics just through exposure, but sitting in with the geology team at the start of planning each day can sometimes still leave me feeling like I've forgotten how to swim seconds before b

---

An Intriguing Mess: Sols 4141-4143 - Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 02, 2024
Earth planning date: Friday, March 29, 2024: Curiosity is approaching an intriguing pile of rocks called "Hinman Col" - a poorly sorted collection of clasts located along the margin of Gediz Vallis ridge. We're hoping to get closer to this deposit over the weekend, to set up for contact science on the different rock types next week. In doing so, we hope to investigate where the different clasts

---

NASA sets stage for Extended Lunar Exploration with Artemis IV and Gateway Station - Washington DC (SPX) Apr 01, 2024
In an ambitious expansion of lunar exploration, NASA's Artemis IV mission is working towards establishing the first human outpost in lunar orbit - the Gateway space station. This initiative, part of the broader Artemis campaign aimed at fostering long-term lunar exploration and serving as a springboard for Mars missions, follows the Artemis III mission's historic lunar south pole landing. Artemi

---

Perseverance Pays off When Studying the Martian Atmosphere - Pasadena CA (JPL (SPX) Apr 01, 2024
Studying the atmosphere with Perseverance can be challenging! Imagine spotting an interesting cloud in a photo taken yesterday; unlike something interesting on the surface, more observations just aren't possible, as it's long gone by now. Or imagine trying to take a movie of a dust devil zooming across Jezero crater, when the rover's daily activities are all planned out before the rover even wak

---

Fascinated by Fascination Turret: Sols 4137-4138 - Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 28, 2024
Earth planning date: Monday, March 25, 2024: Today, we planned two sols on Mars in a Touch and Go plan, where we do some early morning contact science and imaging followed by a drive to a new workspace on the first sol. As always, we will characterise the bedrock in our workspace. APXS and MAHLI will be deployed on the bulk bedrock at "Sunrise Lakes" right in front of the rover. ChemCam and Mast

---

Mars Express achieves 25,000 orbits - Paris, France (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
Celebrating a significant milestone, ESA's Mars Express has completed its 25,000th orbit around Mars, capturing yet another breathtaking view of the Red Planet to commemorate this achievement. The latest image, taken from a high altitude by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), showcases the vast Tharsis region, known for hosting Mars's most colossal volcanoes, and features a surprise appear

---