TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of Jupiter, at left, and its massive moon Ganymede in the foreground.(Image: © Tsunehiko Kato, 4D2U Project, NAOJ)Scientists have discovered what they believe may be the largest impact crater in the entire solar system, with scars covering a vast portion of Jupiter's biggest moon, .The scientists behind the new research wanted to revisit observations from a host of past NASA missions that studied the massive moon, which is larger than , the...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of Jupiter, at left, and its massive moon Ganymede in the foreground.(Image: © Tsunehiko Kato, 4D2U Project, NAOJ)Scientists have discovered what they believe may be the largest impact crater in the entire solar system, with scars covering a vast portion of Jupiter's biggest moon, .The scientists behind the new research wanted to revisit observations from a host of past NASA missions that studied the massive moon, which is larger than , the...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An image of Reull Valles on Mars, where new research identifies characteristics consistent with meltwater channels flowing between ground and glacier.(Image: © NASA/JPL/USGS)Early may not have been quite the warm, wet paradise scientists have hoped for — not if the valleys scarring its surface work the same way as their counterparts here on Earth do.That's the conclusion of new research that tried to suss out what the Red Planet really looked like during its first...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An image of Reull Valles on Mars, where new research identifies characteristics consistent with meltwater channels flowing between ground and glacier.(Image: © NASA/JPL/USGS)Early may not have been quite the warm, wet paradise scientists have hoped for — not if the valleys scarring its surface work the same way as their counterparts here on Earth do.That's the conclusion of new research that tried to suss out what the Red Planet really looked like during its first...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.A Mars Express image of Arsia Mons on Mars and its strange long cloud, taken on July 19, 2020.(Image: © ESA/GCP/UPV/EHU Bilbao)A weird long cloud has formed so many times over the same that scientists have given up and named it., or AMEC. Its long bright trail has become a familiar feature over the peak known as Arsia Mons, to the southeast of the more famous . Although the cloud comes and goes over the volcano, scientists say it isn't formed by the volcano itself....…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.A Mars Express image of Arsia Mons on Mars and its strange long cloud, taken on July 19, 2020.(Image: © ESA/GCP/UPV/EHU Bilbao)A weird long cloud has formed so many times over the same that scientists have given up and named it., or AMEC. Its long bright trail has become a familiar feature over the peak known as Arsia Mons, to the southeast of the more famous . Although the cloud comes and goes over the volcano, scientists say it isn't formed by the volcano itself....WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.NASA's Perseverance Mars rover displaying where its MMRTG would be inserted, between the panels on the right marked by gold tube, before the power system was inserted.(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)A spacecraft is only as strong as its power source, which is why when NASA was designing its , the agency turned to radioactive plutonium.The plutonium that will be (July 30) isn't in the same form as is used for weapons, and it's well protected in case something happens to go...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.NASA's Perseverance Mars rover displaying where its MMRTG would be inserted, between the panels on the right marked by gold tube, before the power system was inserted.(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)A spacecraft is only as strong as its power source, which is why when NASA was designing its , the agency turned to radioactive plutonium.The plutonium that will be (July 30) isn't in the same form as is used for weapons, and it's well protected in case something happens to go...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's illustration of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in cruise mode after launching into space. The rover launched toward Mars July 30, 2020 and will arrive on Feb. 18, 2021.(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)Update for July 31, 1:45 p.m. EDT: The Mars rover Perseverance is out of "safe mode" and is back to normal operations on its cruise to the Red Planet. . Original story:NASA is celebrating the launch of its most advanced rover ever today (July 30), even as...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's illustration of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in cruise mode after launching into space. The rover launched toward Mars July 30, 2020 and will arrive on Feb. 18, 2021.(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)Update for July 31, 1:45 p.m. EDT: The Mars rover Perseverance is out of "safe mode" and is back to normal operations on its cruise to the Red Planet. . Original story:NASA is celebrating the launch of its most advanced rover ever today (July 30), even as...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.During routine survey operations for hazardous #asteroids for @NASA’s #PlanetaryDefense Coordination Office, the @fallingstarIfA ATLAS-MLO telescope spotted China’s Tianwen-1 on its way to #Mars. Bon Voyage Tianwen-1! pic.twitter.com/Kc5SQjljgcSpacecraft or space rock?An observatory affiliated with NASA's quest to identify potentially hazardous spotted something equally speedy but not quite as natural: a spacecraft bound for Mars.That vehicle was China's , which...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.During routine survey operations for hazardous #asteroids for @NASA’s #PlanetaryDefense Coordination Office, the @fallingstarIfA ATLAS-MLO telescope spotted China’s Tianwen-1 on its way to #Mars. Bon Voyage Tianwen-1! pic.twitter.com/Kc5SQjljgcSpacecraft or space rock?An observatory affiliated with NASA's quest to identify potentially hazardous spotted something equally speedy but not quite as natural: a spacecraft bound for Mars.That vehicle was China's , which...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Editor's update: On July 15, the Hope mission launch was further delayed, again due to weather concerns. A new target date will be announced within 24 hours, according to a mission statement.Original story: The United Arab Emirates' historic first launch to has been delayed two days by poor weather conditions at the launch site.The UAE's was scheduled to blast off today (July 14) from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan aboard an H-IIA rocket before the . The launch is...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Editor's update: On July 15, the Hope mission launch was further delayed, again due to weather concerns. A new target date will be announced within 24 hours, according to a mission statement.Original story: The United Arab Emirates' historic first launch to has been delayed two days by poor weather conditions at the launch site.The UAE's was scheduled to blast off today (July 14) from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan aboard an H-IIA rocket before the . The launch is...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission."The Sirens of Mars" by Sarah Stewart Johnson.(Image: © Penguin Random House/NASA)Studying has been by turns tantalizing and heart-breaking, a constant dance as improving technology builds or dims hopes of finding life on our red neighbor.Sarah Stewart Johnson, a planetary scientist at Georgetown University, shares the story of that quest and how the science of searching for life on Mars has progressed in her lyrical new book, "" (Crown2020). ()Johnson tells of how...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission."The Sirens of Mars" by Sarah Stewart Johnson.(Image: © Penguin Random House/NASA)Studying has been by turns tantalizing and heart-breaking, a constant dance as improving technology builds or dims hopes of finding life on our red neighbor.Sarah Stewart Johnson, a planetary scientist at Georgetown University, shares the story of that quest and how the science of searching for life on Mars has progressed in her lyrical new book, "" (Crown2020). ()Johnson tells of how...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Astronauts caught a stunning natural light show this weekend from a that has been dazzling skywatchers on Earth as well.That streaker, called or C/2020 F3, first came on the scene at the end of March. At that point, the icy lump was quite faint in our skies, and astronomers weren't sure that would change. But as time has passed, the comet has brightened immensely, tantalizing skywatchers even after they were disappointed by two other recent comets that faded...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Astronauts caught a stunning natural light show this weekend from a that has been dazzling skywatchers on Earth as well.That streaker, called or C/2020 F3, first came on the scene at the end of March. At that point, the icy lump was quite faint in our skies, and astronomers weren't sure that would change. But as time has passed, the comet has brightened immensely, tantalizing skywatchers even after they were disappointed by two other recent comets that faded...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An animation shows a background infrared image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope with a purple burst above showing gas in the cluster speeding toward the sun.(Image: © ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Y. Cheng et al.; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello; NASA/ESA Hubble)A high-powered telescope array has caught the brilliant fireworks-like "streamers" of gas formed during an early stage of star development in a giant cluster.That process may take a million years to complete,...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An animation shows a background infrared image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope with a purple burst above showing gas in the cluster speeding toward the sun.(Image: © ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Y. Cheng et al.; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello; NASA/ESA Hubble)A high-powered telescope array has caught the brilliant fireworks-like "streamers" of gas formed during an early stage of star development in a giant cluster.That process may take a million years to complete,...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of the Iris rover on the moon.(Image: © Carnegie Mellon University)Cubesats have revolutionized orbital science, and a roving counterpart may soon do the same for surface science, beginning on the moon.Next year, as part of NASA's lunar delivery orchestrated by the Pennsylvania-based company Astrobotic, the agency will launch a small rover to begin that revolution. That rover is called Iris and is the first of a new, small and simple design...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of the Iris rover on the moon.(Image: © Carnegie Mellon University)Cubesats have revolutionized orbital science, and a roving counterpart may soon do the same for surface science, beginning on the moon.Next year, as part of NASA's lunar delivery orchestrated by the Pennsylvania-based company Astrobotic, the agency will launch a small rover to begin that revolution. That rover is called Iris and is the first of a new, small and simple design...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of the Axiom module after its detachment from the International Space Station.(Image: © Axiom Space)Axiom Space, a company that aims to launch a private space station, has selected a builder for two critical modules for the commercial orbital platform. The new commercial agreement marks a step forward in Axiom Space's quest to add a new module to the (ISS) — one that will become an independent station of its own once the ISS is deorbited.In...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of the Axiom module after its detachment from the International Space Station.(Image: © Axiom Space)Axiom Space, a company that aims to launch a private space station, has selected a builder for two critical modules for the commercial orbital platform. The new commercial agreement marks a step forward in Axiom Space's quest to add a new module to the (ISS) — one that will become an independent station of its own once the ISS is deorbited.In...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Astrophysicists have spotted the strangest signal yet, an observation that could force scientists to rewrite what they know about the cosmos.Gravitational waves form when massive objects distort spacetime surrounding them and send ripples out across the universe. Scientists caught the , formed by two colliding black holes, in 2015.Since then, gravitational wave detections have only gotten stranger — and scientists have only gotten more excited. Now, a group of...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Astrophysicists have spotted the strangest signal yet, an observation that could force scientists to rewrite what they know about the cosmos.Gravitational waves form when massive objects distort spacetime surrounding them and send ripples out across the universe. Scientists caught the , formed by two colliding black holes, in 2015.Since then, gravitational wave detections have only gotten stranger — and scientists have only gotten more excited. Now, a group of...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.A crossed over Africa and Asia this weekend, and the view from space was spectacular.A NASA astronaut living and working in space and a host of weather satellites all spotted the dramatic event as . Although the wasn't visible from North America, it did happen to coincide with the U.S. celebration of Father's Day on June 21."Super cool view of the Annular Solar Eclipse which passed by our starboard side as we flew over China this morning," NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.A crossed over Africa and Asia this weekend, and the view from space was spectacular.A NASA astronaut living and working in space and a host of weather satellites all spotted the dramatic event as . Although the wasn't visible from North America, it did happen to coincide with the U.S. celebration of Father's Day on June 21."Super cool view of the Annular Solar Eclipse which passed by our starboard side as we flew over China this morning," NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.United Arab Emirates astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan AlNeyadi during pre-launch traditions for the Russian Soyuz vehicle.(Image: © Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center)Less than a year after sending its to space aboard a Russian capsule, the United Arab Emirates is combing through a second batch of applications for its spaceflyer ranks.The country's space program intends to select another two astronauts for the corps, even as its existing pair — Hazzaa AlMansoori...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.United Arab Emirates astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan AlNeyadi during pre-launch traditions for the Russian Soyuz vehicle.(Image: © Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center)Less than a year after sending its to space aboard a Russian capsule, the United Arab Emirates is combing through a second batch of applications for its spaceflyer ranks.The country's space program intends to select another two astronauts for the corps, even as its existing pair — Hazzaa AlMansoori...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor does maintenance on the current U.S. space station toilet.(Image: © NASA)Later this year, if all goes well, the will receive a very important delivery: a new and improved toilet system.It has a fancier name, of course; officially, the commode is NASA's Universal Waste Management System (UWMS). The system is designed to bridge the gap between current lavatorial space technology and what humans will need to make extended visits to,...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor does maintenance on the current U.S. space station toilet.(Image: © NASA)Later this year, if all goes well, the will receive a very important delivery: a new and improved toilet system.It has a fancier name, of course; officially, the commode is NASA's Universal Waste Management System (UWMS). The system is designed to bridge the gap between current lavatorial space technology and what humans will need to make extended visits to,...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.(Image: © NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben)NASA's daring made its fifth daring flyby of the sun this weekend.The spacecraft has been conducting a marathon of solar observations since May 9 as scientists affiliated with the mission look to crack more secrets about how works. The observations will continue until June 28, totaling more than seven weeks of measurements during the probe's .The closest approach of this orbit, called a perihelion, occurred at 4:23 a.m....…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.(Image: © NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben)NASA's daring made its fifth daring flyby of the sun this weekend.The spacecraft has been conducting a marathon of solar observations since May 9 as scientists affiliated with the mission look to crack more secrets about how works. The observations will continue until June 28, totaling more than seven weeks of measurements during the probe's .The closest approach of this orbit, called a perihelion, occurred at 4:23 a.m....WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An image taken on June 3, 2020, shows the arm of the InSight lander gently pushing the heat probe into Mars.(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)There's a light at the end of the tunnel for the first , scientists hope.Not a furry mole, of course; the term is the nickname for the instrument formally known as the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package on board . The lander, which touched down on in November 2018, is designed to give scientists a look inside the Red Planet and...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An image taken on June 3, 2020, shows the arm of the InSight lander gently pushing the heat probe into Mars.(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)There's a light at the end of the tunnel for the first , scientists hope.Not a furry mole, of course; the term is the nickname for the instrument formally known as the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package on board . The lander, which touched down on in November 2018, is designed to give scientists a look inside the Red Planet and...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.The hundreds of people who have been to space have traveled on just a handful of vehicles, eight in all over nearly six decades of spaceflight.Soon, a ninth will take flight, as SpaceX's from Florida on May 27 carrying two NASA astronauts in a test mission to the International Space Station. Four crewed vehicles to date have been American spacecraft, a point NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine made during a May 1 news conference about the upcoming SpaceX launch, called...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.The hundreds of people who have been to space have traveled on just a handful of vehicles, eight in all over nearly six decades of spaceflight.Soon, a ninth will take flight, as SpaceX's from Florida on May 27 carrying two NASA astronauts in a test mission to the International Space Station. Four crewed vehicles to date have been American spacecraft, a point NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine made during a May 1 news conference about the upcoming SpaceX launch, called...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at:Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Thank you for signing up to Space. You will receive a verification email shortly.There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at:Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Thank you for signing up to Space. You will receive a verification email shortly.There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.It's always dark and stormy on — and now, scientists have gotten their most detailed view of the wild storms that swirl through the gas giant's atmosphere.Those observations are thanks to a very powerful partnership that stretches from Earth's surface to Jupiter itself. Start with , which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, then recruit , which has checked in on the solar system's largest planet throughout its three decades of operation. Finally, add in the Gemini...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.It's always dark and stormy on — and now, scientists have gotten their most detailed view of the wild storms that swirl through the gas giant's atmosphere.Those observations are thanks to a very powerful partnership that stretches from Earth's surface to Jupiter itself. Start with , which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, then recruit , which has checked in on the solar system's largest planet throughout its three decades of operation. Finally, add in the Gemini...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Colliding aren't always as evenly matched as scientists expected, according to a cosmic chirp astronomers have puzzled over for a year.On April 12, 2019, gravitational wave detectors picked up a signal of space-time ripples caused by colliding black holes — which in and of itself has gone from over the past five years. But as scientists studied the detection more closely, they realized that it didn't match the signals they have seen so far.Instead of two evenly...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Colliding aren't always as evenly matched as scientists expected, according to a cosmic chirp astronomers have puzzled over for a year.On April 12, 2019, gravitational wave detectors picked up a signal of space-time ripples caused by colliding black holes — which in and of itself has gone from over the past five years. But as scientists studied the detection more closely, they realized that it didn't match the signals they have seen so far.Instead of two evenly...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An image taken on April 20, 2020, shows the fragments of Comet ATLAS.(Image: © NASA/ESA/Ye (UMD))Skywatchers had high hopes that a would light up the night sky this spring, with forecasts suggesting it could become bright enough to see with the unaided eye.Instead, the icy object crumbled to pieces — but it's still putting on a spectacular show for scientists. Ye Quanzhi, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, snagged some time with to take a look at Comet ATLAS...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An image taken on April 20, 2020, shows the fragments of Comet ATLAS.(Image: © NASA/ESA/Ye (UMD))Skywatchers had high hopes that a would light up the night sky this spring, with forecasts suggesting it could become bright enough to see with the unaided eye.Instead, the icy object crumbled to pieces — but it's still putting on a spectacular show for scientists. Ye Quanzhi, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, snagged some time with to take a look at Comet ATLAS...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle 1 (MEV-1) captured this view of its target, the Intelsat 901 communications satellite, from a distance of 20 meters during docking operations on Feb. 25, 2020. Earth is visible in the background.(Image: © Northrop Grumman)"Can I get a boost?" has officially made it to space.The first commercial servicing mission has been declared a success after the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) communications satellite returned to work providing...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle 1 (MEV-1) captured this view of its target, the Intelsat 901 communications satellite, from a distance of 20 meters during docking operations on Feb. 25, 2020. Earth is visible in the background.(Image: © Northrop Grumman)"Can I get a boost?" has officially made it to space.The first commercial servicing mission has been declared a success after the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) communications satellite returned to work providing...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of a quasar and its surrounding galaxy as seen with optical light.(Image: © International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld)Scientists took a second look at a strange object and spotted the most powerful winds ever detected gusting off of a special flavor of called a quasar. forms when a supermassive black hole accelerates certain particles it cannot absorb so dramatically that they reach nearly the speed of light as they shoot...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.An artist's depiction of a quasar and its surrounding galaxy as seen with optical light.(Image: © International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld)Scientists took a second look at a strange object and spotted the most powerful winds ever detected gusting off of a special flavor of called a quasar. forms when a supermassive black hole accelerates certain particles it cannot absorb so dramatically that they reach nearly the speed of light as they shoot...WW…